Boy in the Striped Pyjamas Free Essays

Bruno’s diary Year 1943, age 9 years old as I was born on the 15th april 1934. Day one of strange happenings: Today I came home from school and maria was in my bedroom going through MY things – Even my secret things. She is just a servant but I tried to be polite when I asked what she thought she was doing. We will write a custom essay sample on Boy in the Striped Pyjamas or any similar topic only for you Order Now Maria never takes all my private things out, she puts things away like she’s supposed too. I asked mother why maria is packing my things but she won’t answer me properly. She just keeps saying we are all going away because of father’s job. She said I’ll have to say goodbye to my friends, my best long life friends. I don’t want to say goodbye to my friends because of father’s job. I know he’s important but why can’t father go by himself and come back later? It’s not fair. I still have lots of plans with my friends that I need to do. I wonder if grandma and grandfather are coming on this holiday too? We can’t really leave them behind†¦though I don’t mind if Gretel stays – shes hopeless. Gretel can look after the house so we can come back to it if this new one isn’t as good. I wonder if the other house has a big bannister like this one that I can slide down? I hope so because it’s my favourite thing to do. Day two of strange happenings: We are at the new house and it’s horrible! It only has three floors, not five like the other one and there are no other children around to play with. I don’t like this place but mother won’t take me back home, she says this is where we live now but I don’t want to live here. Gretel doesn’t like it either, or maria, so it definitely is a horrible place to live. I’ll just have to tell father what a mistake he’s made and then we can all go back home to berlin. Even the people here are scary and boring, like that man that came out of fathers room today. I don’t think I like him†¦he’s too serious. Maria says to steer clear of him anyway. Day three of the horrible place: I scared Gretel today when I showed her the weird children outside my window. She is three years older than me and quite scary, so scaring her isn’t an easy thing to do. I don’t know why she has come with us anyway, all she does is cause trouble. That’s what mother and father say anyway. At least her friends can’t come round anymore. She has horrible friends that call me six when I’m actually nine! She still has her dolls though. I bet they spy on me when I’m in her room, so I don’t go in there much. Gretel said father said we are going to stay here for the foreseeable future, whatever that means. Gretel thinks it’s about 3 weeks, so at least it isn’t a month I suppose. She doesn’t like this place either though so maybe we will move back sooner. Day four of the horrible place: The people outside my window are still there. Gretel thinks that we are in the countryside and that they must be farmers. I don’t think they are farmers though because there are no animals and the ground is all brown and dirty. It doesn’t look like a nice place anyway, there are soldiers shouting at people and for some reason everyone is wearing pyjamas. I wish Gretel knew who they were and would tell me. She’s the brightest girl in her class apparently. I found them though, so they are my people, not hers. I am a high and mighty king in my bedroom and they are my minions that Gretel can’t have. I shall have to ask father what they are doing there and why they don’t have baths. I’ll know more than Gretel then, even though she’s older. Day five: Father came to the house today. We had to leave earlier than father on the train. There were a lot of other people coming this way on the train too†¦but they were all on one big train squashed together. I don’t know why they didn’t just come on the same train as us because we had lots of empty seats they could have used. I was very brave today and asked father when we were going home because it’s horrible here. I thought father would get very angry because I’m not supposed to go into his office or waste his time saying hello or asking silly questions. Father said we have to do things we don’t like though because other people know what’s best for us. He said we have to accept the situation we find ourselves in and then everything will become easier†¦or something like that. I still don’t like it here though and it will never be home. I don’t know why father can’t see that he’s made a mistake. I even told him to apologise to the fury and then we can go back to berlin. Father is a very respectable man but I still think he is wrong. Why doesn’t he just listen to us instead of his job? Extract from chapter 12, pages 128 – 129 †¦we had to move to a different part of Cracow, where the soldiers built a big wall and my mother and father and my brother and I all had to live in one room†¦Ã¢â‚¬ËœThere was one small window in it but I didn’t like to look out of it because then I would see the wall and I hated the wall because our real home was on the other side of it. And this part of town was the bad part because it was always noisy and it was impossible to sleep†¦Ã¢â‚¬ËœThen one day the soldiers all came with huge trucks†¦ And everyone was told to leave the houses. Lots of people didn’t want to and they hid wherever they could find a place but in the end I think they caught everyone. And the trucks took us to a train and the train†¦ The train was horrible†¦ There were too many of us in the carriages for one thing. And there was no air to breathe. And it smelled awful. ’ Shmuel’s exposition provides necessary background information that allows the reader to identify with the character. In this particular extract, the author conjures a lot of imagery to convey emotion and mood, which is implemented through structural and lingual techniques. Ellipses are used repeatedly throughout the extract, creating a pause, which causes the reader to consider and empathise with the characters ordeal. It also contributes to the rhythm of the paragraph, setting a slow and deliberate pace, evoking heightened emotions of fear and apprehension. The simplistic language, combined with alliteration delivers a childlike and innocent approach, which draws sympathy from the reader in relation to the child’s traumatic experience. For example, the ‘soldiers built a big wall’ contrasts against shmuel and his family living in a small room, emphasising how small and vulnerable they are. The use of repetition such as the train is effective in this extract, as it creates a sense of urgency and distress, helping to set a despondent atmosphere. This atmosphere is intensified with short sentences and a hyperbole toward the end of the paragraph (There was no air to breathe) for a dramatic impact. The boy in the striped pyjamas is a fable based on the holocaust. The protagonist of the story, Bruno, comes home from school one day to find his belongings packed and told to say goodbye to his friends due to his dads promotion. Mourning his old home Bruno sets out exploring areas he shouldn’t – his naivety and inquisitive innocence, lead him to the outskirts of a concentration camp, where he befriends a boy just like himself, albeit religious boundaries. It is this friendship between two young boys that leads to a cruel twist of fate. The hamartia of bruno, in this case his innocence, leads to his downfall. It is somewhat ironic, that the innocence and accepting nature of a child is essentially a weakness that leads to a cruel fate, whilst those that deserve misfortune are without tragedy. It also conveys a moral, classifying this book as a fable. In relation, Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare share the same themes as the boy in the striped pyjamas. Innocent characters lose their lives unnecessarily because of events that are out of their control, caused by prejudice and discrimination. Another similar feature between the two novels is that Shakespeare uses dynasties/houses to create differences and segregation between parties. In correspondence, the author of the boy in the striped pyjamas, uses clothes to create differences and symbolise their status in society. For example, the striped pyjamas indicates inferiority, weakness and suffering of the jews, whilst the uniforms of the soldiers uphold authority, cruelty and dominance. As opposed to Shakespeare, what makes this book so despairing and emotive is the reality of it. It is not a romantic, fictional play based on lust and fate – it is representative of real events where horrific tragedy’s took thousands of innocent lives for reasons due to nothing but social status, discrimination and prejudice. It can be argued, that such events would not have occurred in reality; firstly, historical records show that more than 6000 soldiers were present in the aushwitz camp, making it unlikely that a child could escape their notice to sit at the edge of a camp and talk to an outsider. Secondly, most women and children were gassed upon their arrival, leaving the men to work. Another point raised, is that most credible 9 year olds have a lot more common sense in reality than is portrayed in this fable. Boyne’s story depends on the overwhelming naivety of his character, who is completely oblivious to the war despite his father working for Hitler. In conclusion, for a short fable aimed at children, I believe it to be a powerfully emotive tale that strikes key points. The innocence and reality of the events that took place in the book make it that much more touching, horrific and powerful. How to cite Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, Essay examples

Energy Optimized Building Automation †Free Samples to Students

Question: Discuss about the Energy Optimized Building Automation. Answer: Introduction 15th Music Bar is established in Bondi, which offers live music to the customers for their refreshment. This bar contains friendly environment for the guests and maximum guests are Irish who come here. People get fun with a drink in this friendly environment. Drink with live music is the major attraction of this bar. However, Irish cocktail of this bar is popular, which highlights the Irish tradition and culture. Various types of drinks are available in this bar. Drink with music is a major element of the refreshment (Giebelhausen, M. D., Chan, E., Sirianni, 2016). The aim of this bar is to provide relief the guests from their routine bound life by organization live music and by serving a variety of drinks. This study deals with the business planning, product description, and budget planning in the context of 15 th Music Bar. 15th Star Music Bar provides a charming environment for the customers. The name 15th Music bar highlights the live music program that is the especial attraction of this bar. For this reason, the word "Music" is added to this bar name to give a prior idea to the about this bar to the customers. However, this bar would be situated in Bondi where maximum people are Irish. This bar includes full of energy and a vive is present overall space. Providing right ambiance is the aim of this bar, which will allow the customers to spend some extra hours with a drink in this bar. This bar has chosen Bondi for its location that is a posh financial district. Thus, this bar needs a modern and sleek look. It is crucial for 15th music bar to make a survey of the neighborhood and the local restaurants to get an idea about the customer base as well as their needs in this particular location. This bar will include a big space, which will be comfortable for the customers. However, the bar will contain both entry and exit doors to reduce the crowd. On the other hand, maximum furniture of this bar will be wooden and stylish to attract the concentration of the gussets. However, the majority of the customers are Irish, thus this bar needs to focus on the Irish culture and tradition. For this purpose, this bar will offer Irish music that is the main theme. On the other hand, heart food, drink, and friendly culture will be created. This organization will arrange the surprise gift for the guest based on the occasion. The lighting of the bar will not be too strong. The mild light will be used. The tables will be highlighted in this bar and proper orientation of the lighting will be used to guide the guests around the venue. This bar will use the lighting in a way, which can differentiate the space. The warm and cozy light will be used to give comfort to the guests. However, warm a nd cozy light makes the people more comfortable in comparison to other lights (Johnston, 2016). Different color will be used for lighting purpose to make the people charming. A shiny surface will be created on the table to allow the guests to read the menu properly. Service of the bar Service of a bar offers the table service by developing a friendly environment for the guests (Shein et al., 2016). However, it is important for 15th music bar to understand needs of their guests. The success of a bar based on the service standard of the bar. Proper welcome is required. The steps of the bar service is as follow- The guard needs to open the door at first when the guest comes Give a smile and acknowledge the guests at their first appearance Greet the customers within 20 seconds while they are walking through the passage Lead the guests towards their seats and allow them to identify their preferable sitting place Then greet the guests further within 50 seconds after their sitting down Give the menu in front of the guests and allow them to place their order Then take the order and serve the drink within 2 minutes after taking the order Check back the guests if the dropped the order for food or not Then serve the foods within 10 minutes Come to the guests and ask them for any requirement from them After serving the food it is important for the staffs to check the table and the arrangement like water is clean, drink is full or not etc Ask the guests for further assistance Work collaboratively in a team and help the team members Prepare the bill and place it to the customers Give farewell to the customers after completing the payment related work Clear the table as soon as possible after the guests leaving Arrange the table properly to welcome the new guests However, there is very little chance of returning the gusts in a bar who came there for the first time (Lee, Song Lee, 2016). Hence, for this reason, 15th music star needs to identify the exact demand of the guests. In order to retain the customer and to increase the customer loyalty, it is crucial for this bar to understand the tradition, preference, and cultures of the local customers that is the people of Bondi. This will be helpful for this bar to make an intact service for the customers. However, effective communication is required with the guests while giving them service in a bar. Polite behavior and friendly interaction are required for the guest while providing a service within a bar. For 15th music star, they need to create a comfort zone for the guests as comfort level is prior for the guests to enhance the service. On the other hand, it is important for the staffs of such bar to solve any query or any issues regarding the service. Therefore, quick response is required fr om the staffs while serving drinks or foods in this bar. Uniforms of the staffs in 15th music star Staffs should be presentable at any hotel, restaurant, and bar (Nykiel, 2016). However, the bar staffs of 15th music star need to make them smart and presentable in front the guests. However, the uniform of the staffs plays an important role to make the staffs smart. A proper dress up is required for the staffs to attract the guests towards this bar. This organization will decide white skirt and scholars for the female staffs and white shirt with a black coat for the male staffs. Red tie will be mandatory for male and female. However, an enclosed black shoe with a sock is crucial for both male and female. The staffs have to use the logo with the name of the organization in their dress in order to introduce the organization to the customers who will come to the bar. On the other hand, the logo in the dress of the employees also highlights the brand and the culture of the organization. Uniform allows the staffs to look good and feel confident in their working environment (Ataie-Ashtian i, 2016). In the context of 15th music star proper uniform of the staffs, maintain the equality in the workplace. However, the uniform of the staffs will enable this organization to lead the customers to identify the brand and to know who they are. Proper dressing of the staffs will help the guests to identify the staffs. Hence, the uniform of the staffs that is decided by 15th music star will be helpful for them to create brand awareness. Work Place Health and Safety or WHS stated some policies to reduce risk from the workplace. According to Work Health and Safety Act 2011 it is crucial for all the business organization to maintain the health and safety in the workplace (Ikemefuna Enoch, 2016). In the context of 15th music star, it is crucial to provide proper instruction and training to the staffs. Therefore, it is important to develop a healthy culture in the bar to reduce the work-related risk. Implementation of the safety policies will be required for this bar. Therefore, proper arrangement of the first aid, emergency plan and use of protective equipment are required to establish the workplace safety. On the other hand, maintenance of the hygienic factor will be essential for 15th music star as it is a bar and provides food and drink to the customers. The food menu includes starter to dessert based on the Irish tradition. However, many people come to visit the bar and just take a drink. Thus, the starter is a prime part of this bar. On the other hand, according to the alcohol regulation in NSW this bar should provide drink and food at low price, which can be affordable for all classes of customers. The food menu is as follow- Type of food Name Ingredients Price Starters Irish smoked potato pan cakes Potato, butter milk, baking soda, black pepper, butter and sour cream $6 Salmon chowder Salmon fish, bread, butter $8 Irish shrimp crepes Lobster crepes, shrimp $7 Main courses Mushroom chicken Wild mushroom, chicken, mushroom sauce, smash potato, spring onion, and root vegetables $12 Braised lamb Boneless lamb meat, red wine, smashed potato, spring onion, and root vegetables $15 Irish bacon cabbage Boiled bacon, cabbage, spring onion, smashed potato, butter and parsley sauce $13 Salmon pie Salmon fish, green vegetables, spring onion, cabbage, and butter $10 Desserts Cream banoffee pie Sliced banana, toffee, whipped cream $6 Apple pie Apple slice, white cream $7 Table 1: Food Menu (Source: Author) The above food menu will be introduced during the launching of 15th Music bar. This organization has followed the Irish tradition to develop the menu. Drink menu The drink list will include a variety of drink, which may give pleasure the Irish customers as well as the foreign customers. The drink will be prepared to maintain the hygienic factors as health and safety of the customers are necessary for 15th Music bar. The drink list is as follow- Name of the drink Type Price Fanta melon soda Soft drink (Mint and soda) $6 Ginger orange ale Soft drink (Ginger extract, orange) $8 Apple soda Soft drink (Apple and soda) $10 Red cola Soft drink $5 White Russian Hard drink (vodka, milk, and kahlua) $12 Rum and Coke Hard drink (Cola, gold rum, soda) $20 Cosmopolitan Hard drink (Vodka, cranberry juice, lime juice) $15 Vodka and Orange Hard drink (vodka, orange, soda) $18 Vodka and cranberry Hard drink (Vodka, cranberry, soda) $17 Table 2: Drink Menu (Source: Author) The above table includes a variety of drinks in the context of 15th music bar. Both hard and soft drinks are included in this menu and many drinks are prepared based on the Irish tradition. The price of the drink is not too high. As a result, people, from all classes will afford the drinks in this bar. Costing calculation and recipe Vodka 60 ml Cranberry juice 15ml Lime juice 10ml Flavour 1gm Cinnamon Syrup 15 ml Thyme 4 sprigs Method Ingredients Size of the bottle (ML) Price of the bottle $/ml Amount for cocktail recipe cost Vodka 600 $40.00 $0.66 60 ml $39.6 Cranberry juice 300 $50.55 $0.16 15ml $2.4 Lime juice 300 $45.55 $0.15 10ml $1.5 Flavour 5gm $3.00 $0.6 1gm $0.6 Cinnamon Syrup 400 $25 $0.06 15 ml $0.9 Thyme 10 gm $5 $0.5 2 gm $1.00 Table 3: Costing (Source: Author) Maintenance of the sustainability It is important for 15th Music bar to maintain the environmental sustainability while developing a new business. However, for the restaurants and the bar it is crucial to clean the environment (). For reason, 15th Music bar will adopt the CSR activities in their business to reduce the food wastage and keep the environment clean. Conclusion The above piece of work reveals the business plan in the context of 15th Music bar. However, this organization will focus on the Irish culture as it is situated in Bondi where maximum customers are Irish. This organization follows the Irish culture. It has developed a menu regarding the Irish food and drink. However, On the other hand, the menu includes a variety of drinks and foods to satisfy the customers. There proposed service structure is good to retain the customers. Both soft drinks and hard drinks will be available in this bar and the interior design planning is also good. References Ataie-Ashtiani, B. (2016). Declaration of Conflicts of Interest in Networking Era: Raising the Bar.Science and engineering ethics,22(6), 1855-1857. Giebelhausen, M. D., Chan, E., Sirianni, N. J. (2016). Fitting Restaurant Service Style to Brand Image for Greater Customer Satisfaction. Ikemefuna, M., Enoch, M. (2016). Review of Business Plan of Domibite Restaurant, Lokoja, Kogi State, Nigeria.International Business and Management,13(3), 16-21. Johnston, M. (2017).Eclipse Coffee Bar-Business Plan(Doctoral dissertation). Lee, S. A., Song, S. H., Lee, S. M. (2016). Influence of Perceived Service Clues on Experienced Value, Trust, and Loyalty of Franchise Snack Bar.,22(1), 1-8. Nykiel, R. A. (2016).Marketing Your Business-A Guide to Developing a Strategic Marketing Plan. Shein, J. B., Shein, J. B., Bell, M., Bell, M., Whitaker, S. T., Whitaker, S. T. (2017). Jonathan Miller: Custom Energy Bar Entrepreneur Pitches Sharks.Kellogg School of Management Cases, 1-11. Anderson, M., Cessford, M., Dobryshkin, M., Hough, M., Kamimura, S., Meckelborg, K., Weaver, D. (2017). STRATEGIC MARKETING PLAN: NANAIMO CURLING CLUB. Anderson, W., Anderson, W., Busagara, T., Busagara, T., Mahangila, D., Mahangila, D., ... Bahati, V. (2017). The dialogue and advocacy initiatives for reforming the business environment of the tourism and hospitality sector in Tanzania.Tourism Review,72(1), 45-67. McDonald, M., Wilson, H. (2016).Marketing Plans: How to prepare them, how to profit from them. John Wiley Sons. Papargyropoulou, E., Wright, N., Lozano, R., Steinberger, J., Padfield, R., Ujang, Z. (2016). Conceptual framework for the study of food waste generation and prevention in the hospitality sector.Waste management,49, 326-336. Verma, N., Jain, A. (2016, November). Energy optimized building automation with guest comfort in hospitality sector. InComputational Intelligence on Power, Energy and Controls with their Impact on Humanity (CIPECH), 2016 Second International Innovative Applications of(pp. 188-192). IEEE.

The Problem Of Evil Essays - Philosophy Of Religion, Theodicy

The Problem Of Evil ?If it turns out that there is a God, I don't think that he's evil?the worst that you can say about him is that basically he's an underachiever.? -Woody Allen The Problem of Evil From the viewpoint of theodicy, the problem of evil lies in its origin: Does evil come from God? In spite of God? Using theodicy to define evil is basically an attempt to affirm God's omnipotence and his/her love for humans, with the existence of evil and without contradiction. Depending on your religious background, the weight each of these options carry may vary greatly. A theologian may argue that evil is not a theoretical problem at all, as for it to be a problem, one must question Gods' power, character, and/or existence. To them, even asking the question is a sin. A theologian may also say that evil is a practical truth, as it requires from us the courage to forgive and to heal, or they might also hold the belief that to obtain moral perfection, we must face challenges and overcome them. Other appeals often made by theologians to explain evil might be: a sin is punished with suffering; having free will enables us to make choices, either for good or for evil; and finally that Sa tan is the cause of all evil. From the viewpoint of atheism, it is a question of the existence of God. If God is all-powerful and all-knowing, then evil must not exist apart from God. For it to do so under those criterion would be impossible. This leads one to question the true power of God, and the true good of God. If God is all good, and has the power to stop evil and does not, then God must have a slightly nasty disposition, and therefore is not all good. If God wishes to stop evil and cannot, then God is not all-powerful: he/she is limited. Evil and the Original Sin The doctrine of original sin declares that when Adam ate from the tree of knowledge, he became a moral being by knowing the difference between good and evil, and having the free will to choose between these two dichotomies. This Judeo-Christian story set in the Garden of Eden is said to have great consequences on mankind. Since, according to the bible, Adam is the original father (human being), the sin of Adam is inherited by all beings born to this earthly domain, as we are claimed by the Judeo-Christian culture to be descendants of Adam. When sin entered the world through the sin of Adam, all of mankind became (spiritually) enslaved to sin: we are held in spiritual bondage to sin and the devil. To explain natural evil from the view of the original sin: we (mankind) are dependent on the proper function of our body, and if something goes wrong, we are merely the victim, not the cause of the disturbance to our bodies. We are only human. We cannot control nature, as that is Gods' domain. Therefore, there is some external responsibility with evil To explain moral evil from the view of the original sin: we have free will, and may choose to use that will for good or for evil. Moral evil serves the purpose of challenging our faith and forcing us to face our fears. This is ultimately how one gets to heaven. We are given the freedom to make immoral or moral decisions, and having that choice allows us to choose the road we wish to walk upon. Therefore, there is all internal responsibility with sin. Evil and Soul Building The soul building theodicy carries a strong hope for the future with its ultimate destiny for mankind being a close relationship with God in an eternal life.. Soul building ignores neither the arbitrary nor the excessive evil in our world. This theodicy suggests that God desires personal relationships with men and women; that God desires fellowship with humanity. It does not necessarily allude to God desiring relationships with perfect people; rather a relationship with mature people. According to the soul building theodicy, this maturity is reached by withstanding the difficult (evil?) circumstances put before you. In the soul building theodicy, there is an element of future hope. The reason for

The best custom essay writing services

The best custom essay writing services The fact that custom essay writing services are here does not guarantee academic success. There are a few who offer genuine services while others out to frustrate students. And knowing very well how students are quick to agree, they take it as a life time opportunity. Such a custom writing service goes ahead to completely twist the mind of the students. The fact that they want to get rid of the assignment badly, they hire a company that is only out to steal money. But we are here to prevent students from making wrong choices. Being a custom essay writing service that has existed over 10 years, we continue to educate our customers. We do not want to deal with customers who are not sure whether they are in the right place or not. We provide all the necessary information to guide in choosing the best custom essay writing company. To begin with, is information found on our testimonials page. Find interesting and inviting comments from our previous users. Get a chance to interact with them and enquire more on our services. That is how transparent our company and our services are. We give the best in order to receive the best. Another way to know if a service is good is by number of orders placed. If a service is genuine it will definitely attract more customers meaning more orders. Check out our custom writing services reviews and see company ratings. Due to their affordable prices, high quality and good customer response our ratings are amazing. We urge all students to read our reviews before placing their order. They should be able to anticipate the kind of experience we will offer as they place their order. Do not be cheated by anyone who needs to be hired. As much as online essay writing is offered, give it a thought. Do not go for a service that will stress you the entire semester. Its better to take time looking for a reliable and trust worthy service and get your assignment in a week. Go through each custom writing website one by one until you are sure of your choice. If in a complete fix, our professional writers will give additional assistance. Find the best custom essay writing company with our specialized service that has many reviews and testimonials from real customers.

The Battle of the Alamo 1836 - Texas Revolution

The Battle of the Alamo 1836 - Texas Revolution Battle of the Alamo -  Conflict Dates: The siege of the Alamo took place from February 23 to March 6, 1836, during the Texas Revolution (1835-1836). Armies Commanders: Texans Colonel William Travis Jim BowieDavy Crockett180-250 men21 guns Mexicans General Antonio Là ³pez de Santa Anna 6,000 men20 guns Background: In the wake of the Battle of Gonzales which opened the Texas Revolution, a Texan force under Stephen F. Austin encircled the Mexican garrison in the town of San Antonio de Bà ©xar. On December 11, 1835, after an eight-week siege, Austins men were able to compel General Martà ­n Perfecto de Cos to surrender. Occupying the town, the defenders were paroled with the requirement that they forfeit the majority of their supplies and weapons as well as not fight against the Constitution of 1824. The fall of Cos command eliminated the last major Mexican force in Texas. Returning to friendly territory, Cos provided his superior, General Antonio Là ³pez de Santa Anna, with information about the uprising in Texas. Santa Anna Prepares: Seeking to take a hard line with the rebelling Texans and angered by perceived American interference in Texas, Santa Anna ordered a resolution passed stating that any foreigners found fighting in the province would be treated as pirates.   As such, they would be immediately executed. While these intentions were communicated to US President Andrew Jackson, it is unlikely that many of the American volunteers in Texas were aware of the Mexican intention to forego taking prisoners. Establishing his headquarters at San Luis Potosà ­, Santa Anna began assembling an army of 6,000 with the goal of marching north and putting down the revolt in Texas. In early 1836, after adding 20 guns to his command, he began marching north through Saltillo and Coahuila. Fortifying the Alamo: To the north in San Antonio, Texan forces were occupying the Misià ³n San Antonio de Valero, also known as the Alamo. Possessing a large enclosed courtyard, the Alamo had first been occupied by Cos men during siege of the town the previous fall. Under the command of Colonel James Neill, the future of the Alamo soon proved a matter of debate for the Texan leadership. Far from the majority of the provinces settlements, San Antonio was short on both supplies and men.   As such, General Sam Houston advised that the Alamo be demolished and directed Colonel Jim Bowie to take a force of volunteers to accomplish this task. Arriving on January 19, Bowie found that work to improve the missions defenses had been successful and he was persuaded by Neill that the post could be held as well as that it was an important barrier between Mexico and the Texas settlements. During this time Major Green B. Jameson had constructed platforms along the missions walls to allow the emplacement of captured Mexican artillery and to provide firing positions for infantry. Though useful, these platforms left the upper bodies of the defenders exposed. Initially manned by about 100 volunteers, the missions garrison grew as January passed. The Alamo was again reinforced on February 3, with the arrival of 29 men under Lieutenant Colonel William Travis. A few days later, Neill, departed to deal with an illness in his family and left Travis in charge. Travis ascent to command did not sit well with Jim Bowie. A renowned frontiersman, Bowie argued with Travis over who should lead until it was agreed that the former would command the volunteers and the latter the regulars. Another notable frontiersman arrived on February 8, when Davy Crockett rode into the Alamo with 12 men. The Mexicans Arrive: As preparations moved forward, the defenders, relying on faulty intelligence, came to believe that the Mexicans would not arrive until mid-March. To the surprise of the garrison, Santa Annas army arrived outside of San Antonio on February 23. Having marched through driving snow and foul weather, Santa Anna reached the town a month sooner than the Texans anticipated. Surrounding the mission, Santa Anna sent a courier requesting the Alamos surrender. To this Travis responded by firing one of the missions cannon. Seeing that the Texans planned to resist, Santa Anna laid siege to the mission. The next day, Bowie fell ill and full command passed to Travis. Badly outnumbered, Travis sent out riders asking for reinforcements. Under Siege: Traviss calls went largely unanswered as the Texans lacked the strength to fight Santa Annas larger army. As the days passed the Mexicans slowly worked their lines closer to the Alamo, with their artillery reducing the missions walls. At 1:00 AM, on March 1, 32 men from Gonzales were able to ride through the Mexican lines to join the defenders. With the situation grim, legend states that Travis drew a line in the sand and asked all those willing to stay and fight to step over it. All except one did. The Final Assault: At dawn on March 6, Santa Annas men launched their final attack on the Alamo. Flying a red flag and playing the El Degà ¼ello bugle call, Santa Anna signaled that no quarter would be given to the defenders. Sending 1,400-1,600 men forward in four columns they overwhelmed the Alamos tiny garrison. One column, led by General Cos, broke through the missions north wall and poured into the Alamo. It is believed that Travis was killed resisting this breach. As the Mexicans entered the Alamo, brutal hand-to-hand fighting ensued until almost the entire garrison had been killed. Records indicate that seven may have survived the fighting, but were summarily executed by Santa Anna. Battle of the Alamo -  Aftermath: The Battle of the Alamo cost the Texans the entire 180-250-man garrison. Mexican casualties are disputed but were approximately 600 killed and wounded. While Travis and Bowie were killed in the fighting, Crocketts death is a subject of controversy. While some sources state that he was killed during the battle, others indicate that he was one of the seven survivors executed on Santa Annas orders. Following his victory at the Alamo, Santa Anna moved quickly to destroy Houstons small Texas Army. Outnumbered, Houston began retreating towards the US border. Moving with a flying column of 1,400 men, Santa Anna encountered the Texans at San Jacinto on April 21, 1836. Charging the Mexican camp, and yelling Remember the Alamo, Houstons men routed Santa Annas troops. The next day, Santa Anna was captured effectively securing Texan independence. Selected Sources The AlamoBattle of the AlamoTexas State Library: Battle of the Alamo

The Fall of the House of Usher Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Fall of the House of Usher - Essay Example To be specific, psychological thrillers combine gothic elements and human psychology and entertain human minds. Besides, Poe leads the readers towards the secrets hidden inside the layers of human mind. So, Poe’s literary craftsmanship is beyond the scope of traditional mode of storytelling. One can see that Poe’s works help the readers to analyze the problems faced by the characters from a different angle of view. Thesis statement: The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe can be regarded as a psychological thriller because the same exposes the deep relation between horror and insanity. This essay is broadly divided into: horror, insanity, and the relationship between horror and insanity. Horror: One can see that the author consciously links the main theme with the element of horror. To be specific, Roderick Usher’s dwelling place itself is the most important aspect of horror in the short story. The geographical location of the house in a remote area, ad ded with strangeness, forces the readers to feel the element of horror. On the other side, Roderick Usher’s strange behavior and his warm relationship with the narrator creates doubt in the minds of the readers. But the sudden twist in the story, related to the strange incidents at Roderick Usher’s dwelling place, leads the readers towards an illusionary world of horror. Still, the narrator tries to be cordial with Roderick Usher and his sister. But this does not help Roderick Usher to maintain his emotional equilibrium. On the other side, Madeline’s fate as the victim to her brother’s hallucination adds the element of horror to the plot. Kirsten Hinzpeter states that, â€Å"Madeleine’s illness which stuns even the physicians would additionally be a source of terror† (60). At the same time, Poe provides ample importance to unexpected events in the short-story. This unexpectedness, added with gothic setting, accelerates the free flow of the e lement of horror in the work. In short, the author’s interest in abnormal psychology results in the escalation of the element of horror in the work as a whole. Insanity: Insanity is another element in the short-story that leads the readers to suspect the real aim of the main characters. For instance, the narrator’s decision to visit a family infested with insanity is really suspicious. In this stage, the readers may suspect the narrator as an insane individual. Roderick Usher tries to keep himself as a normal person, but fails to do the same. For example, he tries to forget his illness by immersing himself in music and painting. He does not try to seek sympathy from others, but seeks help from his close friend. Still, his real aim by inviting his friend is ambiguous because he is totally abnormal in his behavior. Roderick Usher does not like to socialize with others in his locality. He leads a secluded life within the interiors of his home. This proves that Roderick Us her is aware of the problem of lunacy faced by his sister and him. Dawn B. Sova states that, â€Å"The dilemma faced by the romantic artist is represented by Roderick, who effectively plunges into madness when he leaves the real world behind in his search for the sublime† (69). But his sister is not an active participant in the story line. In the short-story, she is presented as an individual who is dead. One can guess that Roderick Usher killed his sister and is trying to cover his crime. This ambiguity and hallucination related to the element of insanity leads the readers towards the realms of abnormal psychology. So, one can see that the element of insanity adds strangeness to the main theme of the short-story. Relationship: horror and insanity: The author links the elements of horror and insanity in the short-story to create logical balance to the plot. For instance,

Personal financial planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Personal financial planning - Essay Example Many countries use the Bismarck System that combines insurance with private health care providers. Most Americans pay for and received medical services in a manner that resembles the Bismarck System, although many insurance providers in other countries are not operated for profit and cannot discriminate against persons for pre-existing medical conditions. The Medicare System of healthcare, like the system in Canada, combines private healthcare providers with government payer insurance. While some American healthcare programs combine private providers with a single government payer, these programs are funded through taxes rather than insurance premiums. A few countries have adopted the Beveridge System of healthcare in which the government is both the provider and payer of healthcare. Healthcare for American military veterans utilizes the Beveridge System. Unlike the healthcare systems in other countries, the American healthcare system combines elements of different systems. It has ye t to be determined how long this mixed system will remain viable. Works Cited Kaiser Commission. â€Å"Medicaid and the Uninsured.† 2010.