The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger Essay Example for Free

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger Essay Holden Caulfield in, The Catcher in the Rye, written by J.D. Salinger, lives a troubled life of not really caring about the repercussions of his actions. Holden’s beliefs on life are very narrow minded and he is very judgmental of everyone around him. Holden also has a strong belief that mostly everyone in the world is a phony. This ties into Holden’s wants of becoming a catcher in the rye when he is older. In the future Holden wants to become the catcher in the rye to save children from falling into the rye. This idea of doing this came into Holden’s mind after hearing the poem by Robert Burns. Holden thinks that the poem says â€Å"If a body catch a body comin’ through the rye,† but the actual lyric is â€Å"If a body meet a body, coming through the rye.†The original poem is about two adults meeting in the rye, Holden misconstrues this line and thinks that it means someone catching someone in the rye, which Holden wants to do. Holden wants to stand on the edge of the cliff and catch the children from falling. This is symbolic of Holden wanting to save himself along with other children having to grow up in a world that he believes to be phony. Holden wants to catch the kids before they lose their innocence and fall into an adult world with adult beliefs. By Holden wanting to be The Catcher in the Rye, it is symbolic throughout the book and how he doesn’t want to grow up and tries to avoid everyone who is phony. He doesn’t want children to lose their innocence because it is something pure that only lasts temporarily. Holden’s wish to be the â€Å"catcher in the rye† is significant to explaining who Holden is as a person. After the reader finds out what Holden wants to become when he is older you get a better understanding of Holden and his beliefs. In a world that is all phony to him, he just wants to live. Even though he may not want to hurt any feelings, he comes off very rude. Allies death was a turning point in Holden’s life and changed everything. This truly troubles Holden and is shown throughout the story, such as when he no longer cares about his studies or school. Allies death causes him to become very troubled in life and disregard the good of his own life. When Holden says he wants to be the catcher in the rye, not only does he want to save kids innocence but he doesn’t want to face adult hood as well. Living in a phony world will ruin the innocence of children that doesn’t last forever. As the reader can see, Holden is a very troubled boy growing up in a â€Å"phony† world. A kid wanting to protect children from losing innocence will happen when Holden becomes the Catcher in the rye. As a symbolic theme throughout the whole book it is a symbol of Holden not wanting to grow up as well.

Ford Pinto Trial Essay -- essays papers

Ford Pinto Trial The objective of this paper is to investigate what led to the Ford pinto criminal trial and the impact that it had. What led up to the criminal indictment of Ford, the trial itself, the verdict of the trial will be discussed. The Impact that this trial has had on the Automobile industry will also be investigated. In the late 1960's there was strong competition from VW and several Japanese companies in the small car market. Due to this competition Ford hurried the design of their small car, the Pinto, to market. Since the car was rushed into market and the specifications for the car were that it weigh under 2000 pounds and cost less than $2000, safety was not a major concern in the design of the pinto.1 In pre-production testing Ford found that the gas tank was likely to leak and possibly burst into flames when it is struck from behind. Internal documents show that eleven of the tests averaging thirty one miles per hour were performed before the Pinto went into production. In only three of the eleven tests did the fuel tank in the Pinto not rupture. In one test a plastic wiffle ball was placed between the front of the gas tank between the tank and the differential housing so that four bolts would not tear into the tank. In the next successful test a piece of steel was placed between the f uel tank and the bumper. In the third test the fuel tank was lined with a rubber liner. Although Ford found that fuel tank rupture was likely to happen they decided to go ahead with this design because assembly line machinery was all ready tooled and they concluded that it was not cost efficient to add an $5.08 rubber bladder to the car cost to the car to remedy the design flaw, instead they determined that it would be cheaper to settle or fight any civil law suits rather then remedy this problem.3 In their cost analysis, that would have improved fuel tank safety for their whole line of cars and trucks, they concluded that there would be 180 burn deaths, 180 serious burn injuries, and 2100 burned vehicles at a cost of $200,000 per burn death, $67,000 per serious burn injury, and $700 per burned vehicle which came up to a total cost of $49.5 million. The estimated cost to prevent leakage in their cars and trucks was $11 dollars each. So with sales of 11 million cars and 1.5 millio n light trucks the total cost to improve fuel tank safety wou... ...so showed that even if the product passes the minimum safety standards a manufacturer should hold safety concerns with the utmost importance.5 Lastly, it gave other attorneys confidence to file criminal charges against a manufacturer if they intentionally sell a harmful product. In conclusion I believe that Ford acted very irresponsible in the design of the Pinto and they should have been held accountable in both civil and criminal cases. They were foolish and morally wrong to take profits over peoples lives. Every engineer can learn a lot about how important product safety is by looking into this case. Bibliography: References: 1 Lee Patrick Strobel, "Reckless Homicide? Ford's Pinto Trail", 1980 , And Books. [LL] 2 Francis T. Cullen, "Corporate Crime Under Attack, The Ford Pinto Case and Beyond", 1987, Anderson Publishing. [LL] 3 Ellen Hochstedler, "Corporations as Criminals, Perspectives in Criminal Justice", 1984, Sage publications. [LL] 4 Paul Eisenstein, "Courts Give Crash Course in Car Design", The Engineer v 277 July 1, 1993 pg. 18. [EJ] 5 Charles J. Murry, "The Real Story Behind Car Fires", Design News v 48 1993 pg. 114-120. [EJ]

Ethical Implications of Cloning and Stem Cell Research Essay

Bio-medical breakthroughs in the fields of genetic and tissue engineering hold great promise. However, as modern medicine advances, it often poses major ethical issues on which people are seriously divided. The argument in favor of proceeding with research at unrestrained pace is mainly advocated by scientists and medical experts who would like to see some fantastic therapeutic benefits that science promises in the form of stem cell technologies. Scientists are absolutely thrilled by the possibilities looming on the horizon (Thompson, Harrub 2001c). On the other side of the debate are people, sometimes led by religious groups, who are concerned we may going too far too fast, using unacceptable means and in unknown directions. Stem cell research has the greatest potential for saving lives, but is controversial for its research based on embryos and fetuses (Rickard 2002). Stem cells are immature and unspecialized cells that that possess both the capacity to renew themselves indefinitely as well as the capability to differentiate themselves into specialized and mature cells. Mature cells, such as the heart’s myocytes or the liver’s hepatocytes, stop dividing after several dozen divisions, while stem cells can keep on dividing indefinitely, either renewing themselves or bringing out specialized cells. There are four types of stem cells in the human body 1) adult stem cells, 2) fetal stem cells 3) embryonic stem cells, and 4) nuclear transplant stem cells. For the first three months of pregnancy, a fertilized cell, or zygote, divides and grows in the mother’s womb and is referred to as an embryo. The embryo’s stem cells are the precursors of the development of a complete human baby. They produce all of the body’s various 100 trillion cells. It should become possible to use embryonic stem cells to regenerate any type of cell that the body needs. When the embryo assumes an apparent human body form, it becomes a fetus. Because the fetus is growing rapidly, all tissues and organs, including the brain, contain stem cells. It is for this reason that stem cell researchers are interested in studying fetal tissues. Studies suggest that human embryonic stem cells have immense potential in terms of developing into multiple tissue types and long-term self-renewal. Therefore, stem cell research entails the intentional creation of human embryos in the highly artificial context of an IVF clinic, using cloning techniques, and discarding them after their use for research is exhausted (Thompson, Harrub 2001a). The question to be resolved is whether research on embryonic stem cells constitutes a violation of fundamental human rights, in particular the principle of respect for human dignity and the right of life. However, many believe that conception/fertilization is not a moment but a process, and the early development does not indicate true individuality in any sense of the word, and therefore there is violation of human rights. The promise of embryo research, liberal-minded people tend to think, is too real to ignore any longer by sticking to conservative attitudes that stand in the face of pragmatism. And yet, even they would flinch at the possibilities of reproductive cloning. The difference between therapeutic cloning using embryonic stem cells (stem cell research) and reproductive cloning is the distinction between creating cloned body tissue or organs for therapeutic purposes and creating cloned human beings. Reproductive cloning is generally viewed as morally abhorrent because it is seen as unnatural and a â€Å"commodification† of human life, and it captures public fears about the power of science to pursue a eugenic agenda. When governmental organizations of today debate ban on human cloning, the main issue in such debates would be whether to ban outright all forms of embryo cloning, which a number of countries seem to support, or to permit the cloning of embryos for research purposes (therapeutic cloning/ stem cell research) while outlawing human reproductive cloning. Besides reproductive cloning, there is another untoward ramification to therapeutic cloning, which is cloning for enhancement. The issue of using advances in stem cell research for the purposes of enhancement, as against solely therapeutic purposes, opens up a Pandora’s box of all kinds of complications, ethical, social, psychological, philosophical and practical. For instance, stem cell approaches might help to cure Parkinson’s patients, but, in the not too distant future, they could also be used to improve brain functions. Rich people would be able to afford this therapy and poor people would not. This could create a most undesirable stratification of the society. But where does therapeutic cloning end, and enhancement cloning begin — even if cloning was advanced for purely therapeutic purposes, it would soon spread into the domain of enhancement. This is the argument of â€Å"slippery slope† commonly advanced against all biomedical research involving genetic and cellular manipulation. Last but not least, thanks to the promise that genetic engineering and human cloning research hold, the prospects of achieving capabilities for indefinite life extension even within the next twenty to thirty years are very high (Thompson, Harrub 2001b). The consequences of physical immortality for whole populations are simply inconceivable. But today, the possibility of human race becoming permanently deathless looms uncomfortably close to us. Therefore it becomes imperative that something be done to stem the advances of genetic and cloning research before the situation goes out of hand. A number of states have already enacted specific cloning-ban legislation, either banning the cloning of humans or imposing a moratorium on cloning within the state. Other states have taken action at least to consider formally similar legislation. At federal level, the Human Cloning Prohibition Act of 2003, which bans the process of human cloning for any purpose and the importation of any product derived from an embryo created via cloning, was passed by the U. S. House of Representatives on 27 February 2003. It was not ratified by the senate though. The Human Cloning Prohibition Act of 2005 bans only reproductive cloning while allowing therapeutic cloning. To date, federal regulations only prohibit federal funding for research into human cloning (Cash 2005). Though the science of bio-medical engineering is making rapid strides, and offers the promise of unveiling radical new therapies, simply the fact that a technology exists does not imply that anyone who can pay for it can be automatically allowed to use it. This is because the emerging genetic and cellular techniques and technologies raise all kinds of issues, ethical, philosophical, social, psychological and so on. They carry with them implications very difficult even to comprehend.

Decolonization Is Always A Violent Event Essay - 1475 Words

Decolonization is the undoing of colonialism, where a nation establishes and maintains its domination over dependent territories. In the words of Fanon, in the reading The Wretched of the Earth, â€Å"National liberation, national reawakening, restoration of the na ­tion to the people or Commonwealth, whatever the name used, whatever the latest expression, decolonization is always a violent event.† (Fanon, 1). Frantz Fanon was one of many authors who supported decolonization struggles occurring after World War II. He breaks down decolonization into two senses: one being the physical act of freeing a territory from external control of a colonizer, and the other being the psychological act of freeing the consciousness of the native from the alienation caused by colonization. Fanon particularly advocated that violence was justified by overthrowing colonial oppression. In his reading, The Wretched of the Earth, Fanon wrote on why and how colonialism must be stopped. Fanon argued that the colonial infrastructure must be destroyed. â€Å"Decolonization, which sets out to change the order of the world, is clearly an agenda for total disorder. But it cannot be accomplished by the wave of a magic wand, a natural cataclysm, or a gentleman’s agreement. Decolonization, we know, is an historical process: In other words, it can only be understood, it can only find its significance and become self coherent insofar as we can discern the history-making movement which gives it form and substance,†Show MoreRelatedDecolonization: An Evolution in Imperialist Relationships1651 Words   |  7 PagesDecolonization is a process where in the ideal understanding of the term would be ending the exploitive relationship between the colonized and the colonizers with the intention of being s self-sufficient of the newly independent state. The romanticizing that the process of decolonization can be looked at as a significant accomplishment for the colonized is misleadin g, or at least it is heavily contested by scholars like Fanon who argues that the process of decolonization is one that is an inherentlyRead MoreDecolonization : The Wretched Of The Earth1283 Words   |  6 Pages Decolonization, as one of the most significant movements throughout the twentieth century, has always been debated between the colonizers and colonized under certain historical circumstances. M.K Gandhi, Aimà © Cà ©saire, and Frantz Fanon, as the avant-gardes of decolonization movement, addressed their ideologies on the relationship between European colonists and colonial states, and their views on the process of gaining national freedom. Nevertheless, as Fanon defined in the article â€Å"On Violence† fromRead MoreThe Causes Of Decolonization After World War II979 Words   |  4 PagesAfter World War II, there was uprising decolonization in many countries. Decolonization is the ‘’withdrawal from its former colonies of a colonial power’’ (OED). The factors that caused this transformation are colonial nationalism, politics, religious and ethnic movements and international pressure. During this time, the colonial powers were weakened, which brought opportunity for independence to many regions like French North Africa and India. Consequently, relationships between countries changedRead MoreWas Singapores Decolonization Process Different from Its Neighbours in Southeast Asia? Explain Your Answer.1697 Words   |  7 PagesFrom a historians perspective, decolonization was one of the most important developments of the twentieth century because it turned the world into the stage of history. Therefore, it is of no surprise that much historical research has been devoted to this phenomenon; and the various nuances among the decolonization processes undergone by the various Southeast Asian countries have been of interest. For the purpose of this essay, I shall define ‘decolonization as the process whereby colonialRead MoreWyatts the Long Love That in My Thought Doth Harbour1069 Words   |  5 Pagesrestoration of nationhood to the people, commonwealth: whatever may be the headings used or the formulas introduced, decolonization i s always a violent phenomenon. At whatever level we study it – relationship between individuals, new neames for sports clubs, the human admixture at cocktail parties, in the police, on the directing boards of national or private banks – decolonization is quite simply the replacing of a certain â€Å"species† or men by another â€Å"species† of men. 1 You do not turn any societyRead MoreDecolonization Of The Country Of Ghana1504 Words   |  7 Pagesindependence became a necessity, and this type of freedom could only be obtained through a process called decolonization. Decolonization is when a country removes itself from a location it has colonized, leaving that location independent to govern over itself. The nature of this can be problematic, due to the extensive difficulties of creating a functional country with little time or practice. Decolonization originated from nationalist movements throughout the late 19th and early 20th century, and the observat ionRead MoreWhy did Fanon Argue for a Violent Struggle Against Colonialism?1851 Words   |  8 PagesIn the second half of the twentieth century, started a process of decolonization, first in Asia and then in Africa. In 1949, India was one of the first country to gain its independence, followed by Burma, Malaysia, and Ceylon. In Africa the decolonization started a few years later, first in Libya and Egypt, and in the rest of the continent afterwards. The main colonists were the Great Britain and France. The history has shown that Great Britain succeeded to decolonize generally in peace while FranceRead MoreTheories Of Michel Foucault1670 Words   |  7 Pagesa new fixity to language, and created new languages of power. Frantz Fanon – The Wretched of the Earth Fanon’s work concerns the event of decolonization which he classifies as always violent. Fanon defines decolonization as the substitution of one â€Å"species† of mankind for another. The change comes about from the repressed state of the colonized people. Decolonization is a total transformation and challenge of the colonial situation. The colonial world is divided in two, with the colonized subjectRead MoreThe Fight For The Fair Treatment And Equal Rights1713 Words   |  7 Pagesadvise violence.† But some people like Fanon would argue that violence should be the approach to take in order to achieve independence. Frantz Fanon is remembered as one of the central figures in post-colonial thought. His arguments in favor of decolonization and the independence of nations is one that was looked at by many leaders around the world. Unlike Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Fanon did not believe that nonviolence was the best way to achieve what you were looking for. He was adamant aboutRead MoreThe Decolonization Of India During The World War II Essay1768 Words   |  8 Pagesmeant their Empire. With World War II, however, Britain’s grasp on worldwide colonization began to shake. The war weakened Britain, leading to a worldwide decolonization effort. India was one of the first colonies to declare independence as well as one of the most important. The decolonization of India was a multifactorial event that shaped many events in history. Although India today is a prosperous nation, they could not have gotten to this point without a few bumps on the way. In 1947, Britain had