European Union Essay Example for Free

European Union Essay During the 20th century, many different views arose concerning the unification of a previously divided Europe. Opinions varied depending on the individuals country and heritage, but largely because unification could improve conditions in some countries, while jeopardizing the conditions in others. Those in favor of a unified Europe usually had something to gain from it, while those who were against it had something to lose. Many countries were tired after WW1 and WW2, and interested in finding a possible source of peace. As Konrad Adenaver states Nations cannot continue to live exclusively according to their own desires and inclinations. (Doc 6). The ideas of new imperialism and nationalism were being replaced with ideas of peace and unification. In this hope for new found peace , countries such as France, Germany, and many other countries became involved in the European Economic Community(EEC). Sir Winston Churchill wished to be more like the U. S, and to form a council of Europe. (Doc1) Being the former Prime minister Britain, he might want this due to Britain ties and respect for the U. S. Not everyone shared this respect for the U. S, as shown in a Soviet Newspaper, a cartoon of a greedy American destroying Sovereignty of West European Countries. (Doc 4) Spain seemed to also have some hesitation in the idea of a unified Europe. The prime minister of Spain, Felipe Gonzalez, states NATO membership and joining the European Community mean the end of the traditional isolation of span. (Doc 11) Since the U. S was the creator of NATO, Spain might have some hostility towards America for being left out of NATO, while Russians may have hostility left over from the cold war. France seemed to be a bit irritated with the fact that Britain first refused to participate and even took a hostile attitude, as if the EEC were a economic and political threat. (Doc 8) These words, spoken by the President of France Charles de Gaulle, summed up the attitude of many French. He also claimed Britain had too many ties to America to be fully committed to a Europe Union. Harold Macmillan, the British finance minister claimed that joining the EEC would collapse our system of favoring rade with the British common wealth. (Doc 7) Britain did want unity but it also needed to do what would be best for the country individually, as summed up in the words of Margaret Thatcher, British Prime Minister, We want to see Europe more united and with a greater sense of common purpose, but it must be in a way which preserves the different traditions, etc. (Doc12) Britain was still a big powerful country, and did not necessarily benefit from the unity as much as smaller countries would. Italy Prime Minister Jack Lynch declares his commitment to EEC, saying We would naturally be interested in the defense of the territories embrace by that community(Doc 10) Although there were many different reasons why countries would want a united Europe, it did end up happening. Although there was still some suspicion as Duncan Sandys stated (speaking of Charles de Gaulle) Were gravely suspicious of the policy of American and British governments,(Doc 2) a European Union was formed. The United States did, and still does, have a strong influence over Europe, but Europes unification makes it more powerful force as well.

MEL and Analogues: Structures and Properties

MEL and Analogues: Structures and Properties CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Melamine MEL is an organic compound which had been closely associated with milk adulterant scandal between the year 2007 and 2008. Having a chemical formula of C3H6N6, makes it a nitrogen rich compound, thus giving the false impression of real protein content (Y.-N. Wu, Zhao, Li, 2009). Manufacturing companies who bought raw milk for further production usually carry out protein tests by monitoring the nitrogen levels. MEL can be hydrolysed to ammelide, ammeline and CYA, the derivatives are many produce for the synthesis of formaldehyde resin in the manufacturing of plastics, kitchenware or laminates (Y. Wu Zhang, 2013). CYA commonly used as a bleaching component in swimming pools. MEL and CYA are soluble in water, however when the two combined they will form a MEL and CYA complex which is an insoluble crystal through cross linking hydrogen bonding network (Mukherjee Ren, 2010). 2.1.1 Structures and properties of MEL and analogues The triazine derivative, MEL has three reactive amine groups (-NH2) and one aromatic s-triazine ring or 1,3,5-triazine ring. Replacing the amine groups (-NH2) with hydroxyl group (-OH) through hydrolysis or metabolism by microorganism will form analogues as ammeline, ammelide and CYA (Kim, 2009). Figure 2.1 Structure of MEL, ammeline, ammelide and CYA (Kim, 2009) Physical properties of MEL and its analogues are shown in Table 2.1. MEL has an appearance in form of white powder with a melting point of 354oC. This shows that MEL is thermally stable and explains that it is often used as fire retardant. Furthermore, MEL is sparingly soluble in either acidic pH or polar organic solvent such as acetone or ethanol, due to like-dissolve-like interaction of polar compound MEL. On the contrary, MEL would be insoluble in non-polar solvents such as benzene or hexane (EFSA, 2010). Ammeline on the other hand is a white powder that decomposes prior to melting. It possesses weak acidic properties and is soluble in both mineral acid and alkaline solutions. Ammelide is also a form of white powder that is almost insoluble in water. It decomposes at temperatures range of 170oC to form carbon dioxide and ammonia. The crystal complex of MEL and CYA is very stable at only hydrolyses at either very low or high pH. Basically the complex crystal compound are insoluble at pH below 5.0, which is mostly occurred in the urinary tract (Tolleson, Diachenko, Heller, 2008). Table 2.1 Physical properties of MEL, ammeline, ammelide and CYA (Kim, 2009) 2.2 MEL and analogues toxicity The toxic effects of MEL ingestion are closely linked with high dosage and low dosage of MEL would not be as toxic that will cause any adverse effect to human health. However, having said that, non toxic does not necessarily mean that it is safe for consumption. On December 2008, the US FDA recommends a TDI for MEL was 0.63 mg kg-1 body weight per day for food and other food ingredients excluding infant milk formula (Venkatasami Sowa, 2010). This meant 100 kg person can be subjected to a tolerable amount of 60 mg MEL. Infant formula are given a closer monitoring because it is a primary source of nutrient and calorie for infants, plus kidney functions in infant are still premature. Therefore the FDA has set a limit of 1  µg mL-1 for MEL in infant formula (Venkatasami Sowa, 2010). Different countries apply different limit of the TDI, for instance EFSA recommended a TDI of 0.5 mg kg-1 of body weight per day. Whereas Health Canada revealed the risk assessment of MEL-contaminated milk and milk based product to be 0.35 mg kg-1 body weight per day (WHO, 2008). Over Southeast Asia, the Malaysian Ministry of Health has set the maximum levels of MEL in baby and adult food product to be 1.0 mg kg-1, 2.5 mg kg-1 respectively (Y. Wu Zhang, 2013). This incident cause the FDA, European community and other countries to introduce a standard limit for MEL in infant formula and in other milk products to be at 1 ppm and 2.5 ppm, respectively. WHO established the TDI for MEL at 0.2 mg kg-1 (Sun et al., 2010). 2.2.1 Toxicity in animals and humans The data available on the dangers and chronic human exposure to MEL are limited, therefore the information on MEL toxin are extrapolated from animal data. MEL and CYA are considered as low toxin due to their large median LD50. For MEL in rats, the LD50 ranges from 3.1 g kg ­-1 to 6.4 g kg-1 and from 3.2 g kg-1 up to 7.0 g kg-1 in mice. Whilst for CYA, the estimated LD50 are 7.7 g kg-1 in rats and 3.4 g kg-1 in mice (Skinner et al., 2010). The study on the toxicity of MEL and CYA focuses on the urinary system for both humans and animals. The experimental studies on the effects of MEL on kidney in humans are unavailable. Nonetheless, consistent observation was made during the experiment with animals on the effects of MEL is bladder stones. The same result was reported with a following exposure to CYA, and that is formation of some bladder stones. Inflammatory reaction was observed in the rats and mice urinary bladder after dietary exposure to MEL. This indicates as one of the main effects of the toxic of MEL (Bingham et al., 2001). In general death cause by MEL are relatively low in human but there is a high rate of stones formation. In the height of the MEL food scandal, there are many deaths of pets animals in USA, Canada and South Africa due to kidney failure. Later the Veterinary Information Network (VIN) found that the number of deaths due to MEL and CYA contaminated pet feed was in the range of 2000 to 7000 (Puschner and Reimschuessel, 2011). In 2008 there were high detection of MEL in infant formula and other milk product and surely enough this resulted in severe health effects amongst infant and young children. As much as 294,000 were diagnosed with urinary tract stones and at least 50,000 were hospitalised. Six children were confirmed dead cause of kidney failures (Dorne et al., 2013). After this incident strict rules and regulation was implemented, and lots of method was developed in order to get a rapid and sensitive detection of MEL. 2.3 Analysis of MEL It is important to have rapid, widely available, cost effective methods for detecting MEL in various samples. Few of the advance analytical methods for detection of MEL are High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), Liquid Chromatography with Mass spectroscopy (LC-MS), LC with tandem (LC-MS2) and Gas Chromatography with MS (GC-MS). Sample preparation required prior to instrumental analysis, this is because the sample in question are high in protein and carbohydrates content which would hinder MEL detection. Therefore effective extraction methods is necessary, by removing other constituents in the matrix would mean lower limit of detection (LODs) can be achieved. Due to the polarity MEL compound it is best to extract it using SPE with a polar cartridge. The most common SPE tubes used for the separation of MEL is Supelco Discovery DSC-SCX 500 mg/6 ml (Sigma-Aldrich, n.d.). Before the SPE methods are applied it is best to precipitate out the protein by adding acetonitrile which acts as a protein precipitant and then centrifuge (Mosch, Kiranoglu, Fromme, Và ¶lkel, 2010). 2.3.1 Gas Chromatography with Mass Spectroscopy (GC-MS) GC-MS is often used to detect MEL and its analogs for quantification and confirmation. It was reported that it is a sensitive, reliable instrumental analytical method for the simultaneous detection and quantification of MEL in animal feed. However, it requires a tedious sample preparation which renders the methodology impractical for analysing large samples (Venkatasami Sowa, 2010). 2.3.2 High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) HPLC is known as common method for quantitative determination of MEL. It can carry out simultaneous detection of MEL, ammeline, ammelide and CYA with LOD of 5 ppm. By current standards, this method of analysis does not show great sensitivity in detection of MEL. This is because UV of MEL exhibits absorption bands below 250 nm which meant that HPLC method will not be able to confirm the target analyte (Sun et al., 2010). Quantification error can occur if insufficient attention is given to chromatographic conditions or if sample preparation is not optimised. To increase sensitivity investigators used DAD system of detection, this gives improvement in term of better LOD of 0.1 ppm using HPLC-DAD (Sun et al., 2010). It is difficult to retain MEL on a reverse phase column due to it high polarity, so to compensate for this problem hydrophilic interaction chromatography technique is used (Han et al., 2011). Figure 2.3.2 Retention time of melamine standards using HILIC-UV (Zheng, Yu, Li, Dai, 2012) 2.3.3 Liquid Chromatography with Mass Spectroscopy (LC-MS) and tandem Mass spectroscopy (LC-MS2) MS techniques are widely used for the determination of contaminants of MEL, because it shows molecular specificity and high sensitivity of detection. This means a MEL AND CYA having fairly low LOD 30 ppb and LOQ 40 ppb in serum sample. Mostly the method based on LC-MS2 with HILIC and ESI is positive ion mode. Positive ion mode is chosen because of the presence of nitrogen in the compound. The past researcher used two selected reaction monitoring (SRM) transitions of m/z 127 till 85 and 127 till 68 were monitored, figure 2.3.3. By applying these ion transitions for SRM allows quantitative and qualitative analysis of MEL residues at an LOD of 3.2 ppb (Sun et al., 2010). Figure 2.3.3 The positive ion electrospray full scan mass spectrum (bottom) and product ion spectra (top) of melamine, acquired by infusion of 0.5 g mL -1 standard solution (Sancho, Ibà ¡Ãƒ ±ez, Grimalt, Pozo, Hernà ¡ndez, 2005). 2.4 Optimization of buffer pH MEL is a weak alkaline compound that can hydrolyze in strong acid or alkali solutions. MEL extraction can be carried out in neutral, acidic and alkali conditions, but acidic pH lower than 3 and neutral extraction conditions are most common for food. Neutral extraction can be carried out using acetonitrile-water or methanol-water. Factors of affecting retention of melamine were explored, including buffer concentration, pH, and percentage of organic solvent in the mobile phase. The optimal UV detection wavelength was selected. Satisfactory retention of melamine, good peak shape, and high sensitivity were obtained under the chosen conditions. Tables 2.4 Effects of pH on melamine retention time

Amazon.com and Business Essay -- Essays Papers

Mido Abstract: Amazon.com is an On-line retailer of, originally, books. The company was established as a micro enterprise in the US in 1994. Since then it has enjoyed rapid expansion in all aspects of its operations, including business turnover, and a spectacular rise in share value since public floatation in 1997. New on-line sites based in Germany and UK and a distribution centre in Amsterdam were established in 1998 to cater for European markets. On August 30, 2000 Amzon.com launched its third site outside the US, Amazon.fr in France. Amazon.com sells only on-line and is essentially an information broker. It holds a relatively small, though increasing, inventory and outsources most aspects of its operations (but not IT). The key to its operation is to offer value added and sophisticated customised services, a continuously expanding catalogue of products in terms of both quantity and range, and deep discounts. Alliances and partnerships with publishers, other on-line retailers and technology prov iders are therefore strategic. The ambition of the company today is to become a premier general on-line retailer by leveraging on its existing brand and business model. Amazon.com: Business Overview History When founder and CEO Jeff Bezos studied retailing opportunities on the Internet, he decided on books because there was a broad field of book publishers but too many titles to be carried by a single store. Everyone reads books but has different preferences about what s/he wants to read. Although Jeff Bezos had no previous experience in the book trade, he saw a business opportunity in selling books solely on the Web. He started the company out of his garage in a Seattle suburb, wrapping orders and then delivering them to the post office in the family car. The characteristics of the books retailing industry make it amenable to electronic commerce: a great variety of products and consumer tastes, and tastes which hanker after a lot of information about the products. Moreover, there is room for bringing down margins, i.e. offering customers deep discounts. Jeff Bezos picked the name Amazon because it is the biggest river on earth. He wanted his on-line bookstore to become "Earth's Biggest Bookstore", but without the need to stock vast quantities of books. Amazon.com would be lean, fit but hungry. A screenshot of Amazon.com's very first hom... ....uk, covers liability up to  £50. Privacy Policy Amazon.com's privacy statement details what information it collects from users when placing an order or signing onto a specific service. When Amazon recently (September 2000) changed its privacy policy, it decided to inform all its customers proactively by e-mail, rather than just updating the policy on site, as is common Web practice. IT infrastructure Substantially all of Amazon.com's computer and communications hardware is located at its physical site in Seattle, USA. Amazon.com uses an internally developed system for its Website and substantially all aspects of transaction processing, including:  · Order management  · Cash and credit card processing  · Purchasing  · Inventory management  · Shipping. Amazon.com uses Netscape Secure Commerce Server over SSL for order and customer accounts management. Customers' credit card information is stored in a separate machine connected to the Commerce Server via a proprietary one-way interface. It runs a RealAudio Server over TCP with media stream transmission via UDP for supplying sound clips. Shipping carriers DHL, Purolator, UPS and US Postal Service.

Solzhenitsyn’s Exile :: Russian European History Papers

Solzhenitsyn’s Exile missing works cited â€Å"In February 1956, the Soviet Union’s new leader, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated a period in Soviet history known as ‘The Thaw’ †¦ Millions of former political prisoners were granted amnesty, including [Aleksandr] Solzhenitsyn.† (Shattan 149) Solzhenitsyn is Russia’s most prolific writer of the 20th century was Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, a man who rose to fame through his literature. It was Khrushchev’s thaw, however, that resulted in Solzhenitsyn’s exile. Solzhenitsyn made his break in literature because of Khrushchev’s thaw. Yet as time went by, the Soviet leadership became increasingly conservative after the thaw. Initially, the conservative leadership did not know what to do with Solzhenitsyn, but after deciding to take action against Solzhenitsyn, they eventually worked towards a final solution, his deportation from Russia. Had it not been for the thaw, though, Solzhenitsyn would never have made the rise to fam e, and his deportation. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn first became active in politics during his time in Rostov University prior to World War II, during which time he became â€Å"a convinced Communist - a member of the Komsomol (Young Communist League)†¦ and the proud holder of a Stalin scholarship.† (Shattan 137) After graduating in 1941, Solzhenitsyn joined up with the Russian artillery to fight the Nazi army. During this time, he began to formulate a belief that Stalin â€Å"had betrayed Leninism and was responsible for the defeats in the first phase of the war† (Shattan 140) He communicated these ideas with a friend through letters, but was caught by censors and imprisoned. During his time in prison, which would provide the material for One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, it was discovered by Soviet authorities that Solzhenitsyn had a degree in physics. Because of this, he was transferred to a special science prison, where prisoners worked on Soviet experiments. In 1953, his term served, Solzhenitsyn was released from prison, but forced into an internal exile in southern Kazakhstan. However, in 1956 this exile was ended by the new Soviet leader, Nikita Khrushchev, who initiated â€Å"The Thaw† by releasing millions of political prisoners. Solzhenitsyn was free to write and to travel. In a society that had repressed its writers for the last 30 years, it was extremely difficult, and quite a gamble, for an author to try to publish a book, much less one that criticized one of the only two leaders the single party state had known.

C-span, The Cable Tv Channel :: essays research papers

C-SPAN, the Cable TV channel C-SPAN, the Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network is a medium that truly brings the government to the people. By presenting live and uncut footage of our government in action, the citizens of the United States can get a bit closer to what the founding fathers had in mind when they created our government. C-SPAN is truly a unique channel amongst the mass of today's viewing options. C-SPAN was launched March 19, 1979, "to provide live, gavel to gavel coverage of the United States House of Representatives."1, but the enterprise has been expanded beyond the original one channel and now utilizes several mediums to reach its goal. The originator of this idea of bringing government into peoples' homes was Brian Lamb, who in addition to being the chairman and CEO of C-SPAN, is also a host on many of C-SPAN's programs. Brian's primary belief is that people should be able to see government in action without soundbites, computer maps, models, images, music, and news anchor commentary. Brian feels that if people can see government in action without the normal clutter, then they can more easily make decisions for themselves about politics and the workings of their government. In addition to C-SPAN, a second channel, C-SPAN2 has also been created. C-SPAN2 is committed to providing live and uncut coverage of the U.S. Senate when it is in session. C-SPAN2 continues the tradition of the original channel by giving an even wider unfiltered and unplugged view of our government in action. In addition to video, C-SPAN also has 2 different audio networks that broadcast international and American political content, unfiltered and uncut. Also, C-SPAN has moved into the computer world and has established a homepage to provide information to people about its services, as well as receive feedback from viewers via email. One of the most unique aspects of C-SPAN is that all of its services are offered totally commercial free. C-SPAN is paid for by cable and satellite operators who each pay a per-subscriber fee to C-SPAN when the channels are carried on their cable systems. C-SPAN does sell merchandise bearing its logo, such as coffee mugs, T-shirts, and hats, however these are certainly intended as advertising for the network itself rather than a direct source of income. As of July 1995, C-SPAN is received by over 64.3 million or 71 percent of U.S. households, and C-SPAN2 is received by over 41.1 million or 46 percent of U.S. households. C-SPAN is distributed primarily through cable TV systems, however it can also received by both analog and digital satellite receivers.

Why alcohol should not be legal?

Why alcohol should not be legal 1 Why alcohol should not be legal Delono Walker Devry University April 10, 2011 Why alcohol should not be 2 In the 1920’s during world war one, the churches mostly Protestants began to lobby against the sales of alcohol: in order to slow crime and domestic abuse. Furthermore many saloons or bars were selling German products. On January 16, 1919 the lobbyist won and under the Eighteenth Amendment prohibition was created and made legal. Unfortunately it didn’t last long since bootleggers were now creating their own spirits.The bootleggers were becoming wealthy by selling illegal spirits and the States were becoming more, and more unable to police them. Crime rates were rising to new heights as the bootleggers formed mobs and syndicates gaining control of the streets. In the year 1933 prohibition was repealed, congress felt that it would weaken organized crime as well as be used to generate moneys through taxation. In my opinion this shows t hat people became desperate during the Great Depression for Alcohol. Just like marijuana, coke, and heroin: the government made a drug illegal and people found a way to obtain it.In my opinion our society feels that there is a need for it and they are right. Alcohol is a drug that stimulates economic growth and development, but not with out consequences. People have different reasons for abusing alcohol. Drinking Alcohol has many consequences. I have personally seen the effects of alcohol abuse. Alcohol should be illegal, because it is a drug that can ruin many lives, can cause mental illness, and causes crime rates to increase like other drugs. People have different reasons for abusing alcohol.Many people drink socially, while others binge drink. A person might want to take the edge off by drinking a few beers. Alcohol has become a household drug. It is served at parties and at dinners. The majority of people drink in order to enjoy themselves, however many people drink for the wro ng reasons, such as drinking to forget your problems which results in abuse. Drinking alcohol has many consequences. Alcohol also leads to physical ailments such as hypertension. If a drinker continues a pattern of binge drinking he/she might become a victim of heart disease.Alcohol also causes jaundice, which is caused by cirrhosis of the liver, as well as cause kidney damage. It can cause families to break apart. It can cause people to lose their jobs and homes. Alcohol increases chances for communicable disease. There are many people in prison, because of choices made while drinking. According to Crime in America’s statistics â€Å"drugs and alcohol implicated in 78 percent of violent crimes†(Crime in America, 2010 ). Alcohol should be illegal, because it is a drug that can ruin many lives. Thousands of people have lost love ones due hospitalization and car wrecks. According to NHTSA, 35 percent of all traffic deaths occurred in crashes in which at least one driver or non occupant had a BAC of 0. 08 percent or more and that any alcohol was present in 41 percent of all fatal crashes in 2002. †(Hingson & Micheal, 2003; Hanson) Sadly it’s not always the user that is harmed; many accidents involve pedestrians, or passengers. Furthermore drinking has long term effects, it can kill someone quickly, or slowly. â€Å"In 2006 a total of 22,073 persons died of alcohol-induced causes in the United States† (Annual causes of death in the United States, 2011 para 6) Alcohol can increase the chances of mental illness.People who suffer from anxiety or depression tend to self medicate. The user only feels a deeper feeling ofanxiety or depression, so they drink more only building a tolerance. This is known as the Vicious Circle. â€Å"Moderate doses of alcohol, nicotine, or caffeine can induce psychotic symptoms in a person with schizophrenia, and small amounts of marijuana, cocaine, or other drugs can precipitate prolonged psychotic relaps es. † (Drake, 1994 para 2) People with mental illness are more vulnerable to the affects of alcohol.This is the concept behind the idea of Dual Disorder: a patient has two defined diseases. Normal people have been noted to gain mental issues from drug abuse, while people with mental problems gain drugs abuse. Many people that abuse alcohol are prone to have relationship issues. Problems controlling finances, and working their job. These contribute to an individuals need to medicate. Considering that alcohol is a depressant, in individuals that suffer from depression spirits can lead to suicide. An estimated five million of the 32 million people 65 and older suffer from depression. Russel, 2007 para 2) The chances of suicide due to drinking increases with age, because of the responsibilities that come with age. Alcohol seems to be a tool for people to evacuate the everyday life. Alcohol increases crime rates just like other drugs. There are however casual drinkers that just hav e a drink on occasion. The regular social drinkers that don’t abuse alcohol and treat it as a privilege, should they be punished for what others have, and are doing? Honestly I don’t feel as though they should. Alcohol generates money for our Government by State Tax.So why not make other drugs legal? Our Government will then be able to generate money by taxing Marijuana. It’s the same as what was happening during the prohibition: prohibited drugs are still being used without regulation and criminals are making money from it. Drug related crime on our streets can possibly be slowed by making certain drugs legal: certain dealers would no longer be able to supply if people got those drugs from a local store or pharmacy. That is why crime is lower in places like Northern California, were marijuana has been made legal in some parts.As I stated prior it seems that people are going out of their way to obtain the drug that suits them and that’s why alcohol is a d rug like the rest. I have personally seen the effects of alcohol abuse. While being a member of the Armed Forces, my associates, and I would often go to bars. While there we would go on all night binges and drink until the bar closed. One particular night we were out drinking and having a good time. One of my friends got completely intoxicated, although he was able to handle is liquor, so we didn’t see how bad off he was. We drove home and left him the car to take with him.He made it four blocks before he called us. We found him hanging on the side of a fence and the car had crashed into the side of a facility. He needed medical attention, but he didn’t want to go, because that meant discharge from the Service. So the guys and I called the local authorities and they picked him up. I wonder if he realizes that he could’ve died that night. Why alcohol should not be legal 3 References Annual causes of death in the United States. (2011). Retrieved 04 02, 2011, from http://www. drugwarfacts. org/cms/node/30 Crime in America. (2010 , march 3). Retrieved from Crime in America. Net:

Relationships in Pride and Prejudice

Austin writes about four relationships and shows the differences between their foundations; some eave good foundations and others are doomed to crumble and produce unhappy lives. These four relationships between Jane and Bentley, Lydia and Hickman, Charlotte and Mr.. Collins, and Elizabeth and Dared are different, but taken together provide a general guide to any relationship. First impressions are a very important part of the relationship and can influence, for better or worse, the rest of the relationship.First impressions can be affected by many things including preconceived prejudices, appearances, and social status. Austin believes that first impressions are very important. This is seen by Diana Francis, author of â€Å"An Overview of pride and Prejudice†, who says, â€Å"Austin began Pride and Prejudice in 1 796 under the title First Impressions. Her family found the novel entertaining and continued to reread it for at least two years†¦. She again began revision wo rk on First Impressions, though she was forced to retile it as the name had already been used by another novelist. Austin finally published it in 1813 under the title Pride and Prejudice. She came back to this concept much later, it seems, because she thought that this book could be a very influential book and needed to be written. This book is important because it shows the difference between good and bad foundations. It does this without directly saying what to do and what not to do like in the conduct books. In order to examine the foundation of the four key relationships, Austin must begin with each couple's first impressions.The author first shows the characters of Jane Bennett and Charles Bentley whose first impressions are based on an attraction to character. While they are both physically attracted to each other, they also see that the other one has a virtuous character. Ms. Jane Bennett is the eldest and most beautiful aught of a middle class family. She also has a sweet di sposition, is fairly well educated, and is not silly and mindless like some of her other sisters. Charles Bentley is a wealthy man who has just moved into the neighborhood.He is a good-looking man, he is very kind and polite, and well rounded. Bernard J. Paris, a professor at Michigan State University, describes their relationship: â€Å"The Jane-Bentley relationship may be more passionately intense, but it is presented as a happy accident. Fortunately for themselves, Jane and Bentley are what they appear to be† (100). Paris believes that it is an accident that Bentley moved to Interfiled, near to Jane, it is an accident that they were both attracted to one another's looks, and it is an accident that they were attracted to one another's personalities.Even though they do have a sweet love story, this could have happened to anyone really, and this is why Paris says their relationship is an accident. That is why they are not the main relationship of the book, because they are ju st average. Bentleys affection for Jane is shown when he goes out of his way to dance with her more than he dances with the other girls. He even describes her as â€Å"the most beautiful return have ever beheld! â€Å"(Austin 18). The reader can see that Jane likes Bentley just as much when the Bennett return home from the Emerson Assembly and the girls talk about how much they enjoyed themselves.Jane says about Bentley, â€Å"He is just what a young man ought to be, sensible, good humored, lively; and I never saw such happy manners! So much ease, with such perfect good breeding! † (Austin 24). Bentley and Jane seem to have a good, innocent relationship. The two show all the signs that they are willing to get to know each other on a deeper level and build a foundation so that their relationship will grow and flourish. The next couple that Austin discusses is Lydia Bennett and George Hickman, who are both very shallow. Their first impressions are based on physical attraction .Neither of them attempts to know one another deeper, which presents a problem and foreshadows the complications in their relationship. Lydia is one of the youngest Bennett daughters, around the age of fifteen, who is enthralled with any man in a uniform. She goes into town whenever she hears word of officers coming. She is one of the silliest Bennett girls, and this leads to her irresponsibility. She is â€Å"a young girl fascinated by the uniforms of he militia regiment and flattered by the attention and attractiveness Of Hickman, [and she] is easy prey for the disreputable young soldier' (Attachment 12).Paris notes about her upbringing, â€Å"Mr.. Bennett has power when he chooses to use it, but in general he has abandoned his paternal responsibility. His daughters are allowed to be idle and frivolous if they wish. Little effort is made either to form their characters or correct their manners† (101 The reader can infer that if the Bennett daughters, especially Lydia, had been raised better, Lydia would have made better choices in choosing a love interest. If Lydia had been raised to not be so silly and careless, she could have made better life choices.Lydia problems stem from the lack of good role models she had in her life. Her mother, whom she takes after, is also a very silly and frivolous woman, and her father does nothing to control his wife or his other daughters Lieutenant Hickman is a lieutenant in the army, who is stationed at Emerson and is good-looking. This makes him irresistible to Lydia, but she really knows nothing about his character or background. Austin uses Lydia fascination with soldiers to comment on how women in her era were often impressed by en in uniform.Daniel Pool, writer of What Jane Austin Ate and Charles Dickens Knew, states, â€Å"It is thus almost invariably the cavalry who really set feminine pulses racing in the nineteenth-century English fiction† (1 11). Hickman prides himself as being a dishonest and distru stful person from a very young age. He uses his words, charm, and good looks to try to make wealthy girls fall in love with him so he can use their money to pay off his innumerable debts.He, at first, started to talk to Elizabeth but stopped pursuing her when he found a girl with more money whom he could try to woo. When that fails, Hickman then tries and succeeds in misleading Lydia. He lies to Elizabeth about his true character. He also lies about his relationship with Dared and the time he tried to elope with Dairy's sister, Georgian, for her money. The lie that Hickman told builds up the prejudice that Elizabeth has toward Dared in the first place. In turn, this starts the relationship of Elizabeth and Dared off badly.Lydia immaturity and Hacksaw's dishonorable character suggest that this relationship is not a good one and will not prosper. Charlotte Lacuna's and Mr.. Collision's first impressions are based on social debility and security. They are both looking for social and mo netary comfort and stability in married life. They find that in each other. It is not a marriage that Austin promotes because it is not based on love. Charlotte Lucas lives near the Bennett and is a close friend of Elizabeth.Her family, like the Bennett, is not extremely wealthy and is in fact a little poorer than the Bennett. Charlotte is not very well educated, does not have a lot of money, and is not the prettiest girl. She realizes this and forms her view of marriage accordingly. She knows her circumstance and has set her standards for arraign very low so that they can be met or maybe exceeded easily. She had often talked to Elizabeth of her marriage expectations, stating, â€Å"Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance .. It is better to know as little as possible of the defects of the person with whom you are to pass your life† (Austin 40). Charlotte did not really expect love in marriage; she just wanted to be married because she needed the security it offer ed. She was nearing the age when she would be too old to be considered an eligible lady. Mr.. Collins is the distant and eccentric cousin of the Bennett who comes to sit and hopefully to find a wife. He is the clergyman of a parish on the estate of Lady Catherine De Burgh, and it is assumed he is not the first son in his family.Debra Attachment, the Vice President for Academic Affairs at New Mexico State University, tells us that the first son of the family would receive most of the inheritance, and â€Å"If he were a younger son, his family influence and financial support would generally provide him with either a lesser estate or with training for a profession (generally the church, the law, or the military) together with money or influence enough to obtain a professional position once his training was complete† (4). He is described by Mrs.. Bennett as an odious man, and he annoys the whole family except for Mr..Bennett who finds joy in laughing at his overcompensation of ev erything. Since the Bennett did not produce a male heir, Mr.. Collins will receive their estate when Mr.. Bennett passes because of a strict settlement on Longhorn. Because of this, the Bennett daughters will not inherit the estate which makes Mrs.. Bennett very upset. The reader can first see the flaws in Mr.. Collins when he comes to Longhorn. He picks out a wife in Jane, but when he finds out she already is poke for, he quickly changes to Elizabeth. Austin explains, â€Å"Mr..Collins had only to change from Jane to Elizabeth -? and it was soon done – done while Mrs.. Bennett was stirring the fire. Elizabeth, equally next to Jane in birth and beauty, succeeded her of course† (Austin 132). We see that he does not really want to find love in anyone; He just wants to acquire a wife to look acceptable to society while tying to benefit from the entailment that will leave the Bennett daughters without a home. Since Elizabeth refuses his proposal, he moves on and finds Char lotte Lucas who is also looking for a convenient arraign.The idea of a pragmatic marriage seems harsh to society now, but in the Regency time period this was accepted. People did not usually marry for love; instead, they married for money. â€Å"Marriage in eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century England was as much (sometimes more) a matter of property as of love or companionship† (Attachment 38). Austin does not like this kind of marriage. She lifts up relationships based on love throughout her novels. This relationship does not seem like it will prosper because of the fact that the people know nothing about each other and have nothing in cornrow.The first impressions between Elizabeth Bennett and Fatalism Dared are obstructed by their pride and prejudice, so it blocks their attraction at first. They are both very proud people, and it initially hurts their relationship. Elizabeth Bennett the second oldest Bennett daughter, is strong-willed and very vocal in what she believ es. She is also very beautiful and the favorite daughter of Mr.. Bennett because she is the most like him. She is a very prideful person, and she develops prejudices against people without knowing them fully. Fatalism Dared, the good friend of Mr..Charles Bentley, is a very misunderstood character. He is a handsome and wealthy man. He comes off as a very cold and arrogant man to people who do not know him. Dared explains his behavior: Unfortunately an only son, (for many years an only child) I was spoilt by my parents, who though good themselves, (my father particularly, all that was benevolent and amiable,) allowed, encouraged, almost taught me to be selfish and overbearing, to care for none beyond my own family circle, to think meanly of all the rest of the world, to wish at least to think meanly Of their sense and worth compared with my own. Austin 672) He was raised to be cold to the outside, but on the inside he is a kind ND gracious person; Elizabeth realizes this when he talk s to the people closest to him. It takes Elizabeth months to realize his true character, and she regrets her first impressions very much. Dared comes from a very rich family that belongs to the highest class. Because of this, he seems justified in the society for thinking of himself as higher than other people at times. When Dared arrives at the Emerson Assembly, he feels superior to the other people there and, because of this, only dances with Bentleys sisters, whom he considers to be his equal.When Dared is questioned about Elizabeth by Bentley, he distantly says, â€Å"She is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me; and I am in no humor at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men† (Austin 18). Elizabeth, inadvertently, hears this and, because of this comment, begins to dislike him. She also believes things about Dared that she has been told by Hickman which makes her like Dared less. In order for their relationship to work, they will have to put aside their pride and prejudices and focus on getting to know one another, which they will continue to do throughout the next months.Paris believes hat their relationship will work because † it is based upon a real understanding of themselves and each Other and upon a proper combination of values† (100). This gives hope since Paris believes that they will prosper, even though they will have to go through trials. First impressions not only lay a foundation, but they provide insight into what the reader can expect. This foundation that is built helps the couple when they encounter misunderstandings of many kinds. Misunderstandings test the foundations of each relationship.Misunderstandings are one of the most important things in the development of a relationship. Austin takes these same four relationships through initial misunderstandings in order to continue to build their foundations. From these misunderstandings, each relationship is tested and tried to see if it will last. One sees the importance of a good foundation, which is established in first impressions, and continued on as the relationship progresses. Jane and Bentley, although they seem like a perfect couple, still have their troubles.Their misunderstandings are filled with heart-break and communication issues. When they had both developed feelings for each other, Bentleys friends start to try to influence him, to distance himself from Jane because they are not socially equal. Bentleys sister, Caroline, does not like Cane's family because they are not from the upper class, and they are not well mannered. Another one of Bentleys friend, Mr.. Dared, explains that he tried to break up their relationship because he did not feel that Jane liked Bentley as much as he liked her.Dared did not want his friend to get hurt. He was also fearful of the fact attachment was trying to marry Bentley so she could have his money. Dared later realizes that this is not the case and that her feeli ngs for Bentley are true and honorable. Caroline Bentley sends a misleading letter to Jane telling her that Bentley and his friends will be returning to London for the winter. She implies that Bentley will woo Darers sister, Georgian, which crushes Jane. Caroline also insinuates in this letter that Jane should suppress her feelings for Bentley. She is described by David M.Sheppard, author of The Annotated Pride and Prejudice, as unable to think badly of anyone, and this can be to her disadvantage. In this case, Cane's refusal to see the bad in people hurts her because she believes the best in Caroline Bentley, even when Elizabeth tries to warn her. Paris says, â€Å"Jane is insecure about her own worth and acceptability and needs to approve of everyone lest they disapprove of her†¦ . If she likes others, they will like her†¦. To maintain her picture of the world, she denies, rationalizes, and distorts† (1 1 1). Dared is seen to be looking out for his friend's best i nterests.Caroline Benignly on the other hand, seems to only be vindictive and jealous when she tries to separate Bentley and Jane because she does not like the Bennett family. Dared tells Bentley about his concern about Cane's true feelings for him. Bentley listens to these concerns, but in the end he knows that Jane does love IM. Because Of this, he fights to make this relationship work against the wishes of his best friend. Bentley is very cautious to always listen to Dairy's advice and sometimes a little too much. Paris says, â€Å"Bangle's chief trait is his readiness to be led by others.It gives him [Bentley] a feeling of security to have his actions directed by Dared' (1 1 1-112). In this case, Bentley is very reliant on his friend, but as a grown man he needs to be able to make his own decision and not care about what others think. This is especially true when it comes to the woman he will spend the rest of his life with. He finally realizes his after he leaves Nether-field and breaks Cane's heart. He then goes against the wishes of his sister and has to prove to Dared that he and Jane really do love each other. When Bentley comes to this conclusion, Jane has to choose to forgive him.Even though Bentley broke her heart when he left Interfiled, Jane still forgives him because she feels that their love is true and will last Their misunderstanding tests the foundation of their relationship and makes it stronger. Lydia and Hacksaw's misunderstandings relate directly to their personalities because they are both characterized by lies and immaturity. Hickman convinces Lydia to run away with him, and Lydia goes along with it because she thinks that Hickman is going to marry her. But in fact, he has no plan to do so. Their elopement alone was a huge disgrace.This is seen when Mr.. Bennett says, â€Å"For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbors and laugh at them in our turn? † (Austin 662). He is using sarcasm to say that this is a dishonor t o their family and hurts their family status. Everyone knows that Hickman did not plan to marry her, and that was one of the biggest disgraces. Austin reveals the severity of their situation: it would have en more for the advantage of conversation, had Miss Lydia Bennett come upon the town† (Austin 560). To be â€Å"upon the town† means to become a prostitute, so this is a very harsh comment (Sheppard 561).They are finally discovered, and Hickman is paid by Dared to marry Lydia. This shows Darers good character to Elizabeth and removes some of the prejudices she has against him. The marriage helps the Bennett family tremendously because it would have ruined their family reputation if Hickman had just left Lydia after they had run off together. This is seen when even Attachment explains why Dairy's actions are so helpful: † . NY scandal committed by one member of a family implicated all – and could literally destroy the chances of the unmarried women in the family to find respectable mates.Thus, Lydia Bennett running off with Mr.. Hickman presents a danger not only to her own reputation and her own future but to those of her sisters as well† (3). This marriage is a very sad one because there is only physical attraction. There is a weak foundation in their relationship, so it can be guessed that they will both lead miserable lives together. Austin points out that â€Å"Hacksaw's affection for Lydia, was just what Elizabeth had expected to find it; tot equal to Lydia for him† (Austin 574). This suggests that they will not have a good relationship because Lydia likes Hickman more than he likes her.They will have to work very hard in order to make this relationship work. This is not seen as a good relationship in the eyes of Jane Austin. Charlotte Lacuna's and Mr.. Collision's misunderstandings stem from the shallow foundation that they have. Their relationship is based on security and comfort in life, so they do not have any physical or character attraction to each other. Their married life is strained, and this is seen from the very ginning, when Collins proposes and asks about the date of their wedding.Austin notes, Miss Lucas, who accepted him solely from the pure and disinterested desire of an establishment, cared not how soon that establishment were gained† (Austin 228). Sheppard explains, â€Å"There is irony in this use of the term [disinterested] since it often connotes lack of concern with one's monetary interest, and Charlotte desire here centers around her own material benefit† (229). Charlotte situation is sad and ironic. She realizes this herself but knows there is nothing she can do about it since it stems from a lack of money, beauty, and youth.The irony in their relationship is that even though Charlotte wants a comfortable life, she cannot have that with Mr.. Collins because he is so hard to tolerate. She spends most of her time avoiding him. Sheppard says, Charlotte clearl y appreciates this reality; she also knows that, given her age and lack of either fortune or good looks, Mr.. Collins may be her last chance. With him, she will enjoy a comfortable income and home, the power of managing a household, and a much higher social position than she would have as a single woman. 231) Mr.. Collins' only mission in life is to please his patron, Lady Catherine De Burgh- Lady Catherine had suggested to him that he should find a good wife, and because he would eventually inherit the Bennett estate, he thought it a good idea to marry one of Mr.. Bonnet's daughters. After Elizabeth rejected him, he turned to Charlotte, who was willing to marry him because she also just wanted to be married in order to be comfortable. Charlotte would be comfortable because he made a decent amount of money, and Mr..Collins would be comfortable because he would please Lady Catherine. They would both be settled in society even though their comfort would come at a price. Their happines s is squandered. However, they both have their hobbies that keep them occupied. When Mr.. Collins was not doing clergy duties, Charlotte encouraged him to work in the garden as much as possible, and Charlotte stayed inside taking care of the household. This marriage is a very dull marriage, and it is not seen as a marriage that Austin likes because there is no love.Elizabeth and Darers relationship begins with many troublesome misunderstandings that in the end shape them into the best couple. Stuart M. Tape, author of â€Å"Elizabethan and Dairy's Mutual Mortification and Renewal†, says, â€Å"Each has changed because each has worked a change on the other. The happiness is deserved by a process of mortification begun early and ended late† (69). Even though they do have trials they turn themselves, individually, into better people, and their relationship is strengthened as well. This is where the theme of Pride and Prejudice mainly comes in.Attachment characterizes thei r misunderstandings: â€Å"Obstacles to their marrying include differences in wealth and social position, the behavior of members of their respective families, and their own proud and prejudiced views of themselves and each other . (2). The fact that Elizabeth prejudges people, in this case, hurts her because her presumptions about Dared are wrong, even though they are understandable at the time. John Lubber, the author of Jane Austin states, â€Å"Elizabeth is eventually proven very wrong in her hasty judgment of him, but there is considerable justification for her error. (46). The presumptions Elizabeth has are understandable. Because of Dairy's upbringing he comes off as cold and distant. Elizabeth also assumes that Hickman is a noble man and believes the lies he tells about Dared, which leads her to make more rash judgments against Dared. Dared, at first, does tot like Elizabeth, but after a couple of encounters with her, he begins to develop feelings toward her. Although he h as these feelings he â€Å"sees the connection as unsuitable to the dignity of his family† (Paris 104).Because of their difference in class, he feels that it would not be a good match from society's standpoint. Dared puts these feelings off for as long as he can before giving in. Paris says, â€Å"He is so much in love, however, that he decides to make a social sacrifice for the sake of personal satisfaction† (105). However, Elizabeth is offended when Dared proposes to her because the proposal is given in a way hat is not flattering to her. He then writes her a letter addressing her prejudices toward him. Alistair M.Ductwork, author of â€Å"Social Moderation and the Middle Way†, says, â€Å"There, in his letter to her following her rejection of his proposal, Elizabeth begins to see Dairy's character in a different â€Å"light† and to recognize how badly she misjudged him from a too easy acceptance of Hacksaw's partial view and a too hasty response to ex ternals -every charm of air and address. â€Å"‘ (46). Elizabeth has not found out his true character yet. After being rejected by Elizabeth, Dared writes and delivers a letter explaining the accusations she has about him.When she reads this letter, she begins to take back her prejudices because she begins to see his true character. At this point their relationship starts to turn for the better, and there is hope because their foundation is beginning to mend itself. Their misunderstanding is the most profound, but their reconciliation matches it. Society greatly influences the relationships in Pride and Prejudice. In the Regency time period, marriage was a central topic. In each of the four relationships, Austin reveals how society reacts by showing the response of the people around the relationships.When this is shown, one can see the conflict between the couples and the Regency society. But, where there is no disagreement with society, Austin shows how her view of marriage differs from the accepted view. Society in the nineteenth century is described by Attachment: This society was highly stratified: aristocrats tended to socialize with other aristocrats; the gentry (generally considered to be upper middle class by today's standards) socialized with other gentry; transported socialized with transported, the working poor with the working poor, and the poverty-stricken with other nonworking poor †¦ He class system in England at the beginning of the nineteenth century, though the rigid in theory, in the fact had considerable room for mobility (3). The ability to change classes is very helpful for a person and their descendants because they will not be forever confined to one class. This is helpful for the Bennett daughters because they can easily move up in life by marring men with more money. Student's works are characterized by her satirical language.This can be seen in the first line of the book: â€Å"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife† (2). Dorothy Van Ghent, the author of On Pride and Prejudice, states, This is the first sentence of the book. What we read in it is its opposite – a single woman must be in want of a man with a good fortune – and at once we are inducted into the Austin language and the energy -? . That arises from the compression between a barbaric subsurface marital warfare and a surface of polite manners and civilized conventions. 20 – 21) It can be seen that, in the society that the Bennett daughters were raised in, they were aware of their family financial mishaps. Because of this, the idea that they would have to array into money in order to be happy in life was pounded into their heads by their mother. Mrs.. Bennett is reflecting society by believing that the happiness of her daughters could only come from their marrying into money. But Austin proposes that money, in a relationship, is not neces sary, but that love must be present for happiness.Cane's and Bentleys relationship agrees with Student's view of marriage because their relationship is based on true love and attraction, even though they are from different classes of society. However, it is not in direct disagreement with society. Their relationship is more impractical in the eyes f society because they married for true love and attraction. Society, at this time, feels that love is good but marriage should be based on status and comfort in life. They believe that if a person finds these things in a spouse and happen to be attracted to this person that it is sheer luck.The reason that society really likes this relationship is because Jane is moving up in classes and marrying into money. Even though Bentley is marrying someone who does not have much money, it does not affect Bentley like it does Jane because she is solely dependent on Bentley. We see that society likes this relationship through the character of Cane's other. Before Jane and Bentley have announced their feelings, she brags to everyone about how they are going to get married and how much money Bentley brings in a year. We also see Mr..Bonnet's reaction to their relationship, as it is in contrast to his wife's. He is glad attachment has found love in Bentley and that she will be taken care of but says, â€Å"l have not a doubt of your doing very well together. Your tempers are by no means unlike. You are each of you so complying that nothing will ever be resolved on; so easy, that every servant will cheat you; and so generous, that you will always exceed your income† (Austin 632). This means that they will continually be taken advantage of, which is seen to be true when Lydia and Hickman come to stay with them.One can assure that Lydia and Hickman will overstay their welcome and use them not only because of their bad character but because Jane and Bentley are compliant and always seek the approval of others. Lydia and Hacksa w's relationship does not agree with society or Austin. Austin views this relationship as selfish and superficial. They think only of themselves when they run off and disgrace the Bennett family. Society definitely does not like the idea of Lydia and Hickman just running off cause society wants them to be married.It is good that Lydia and Hickman get married, but, at the same time, it is not. They have no money except for the bride money that Hickman received from Dared and the little money he makes a year from the military. Because they do not have much money, they will have to be very cautious with their money, which does not seem likely with these two.