Titanic Analysis Essay Example For Students

Titanic Analysis Essay TitanicWhen people hear the name Titanic manyvivid and emotional images come to mind. Visions of the very lastyet frantic final moments titanic spent afloat before sinking to its waterygrave miles below the surface. No one however pictures everythingthat had happened before and after the great liner sank, or the passengersand crew who were doomed to be aboard the massive ship. Many factors madewhat was titanic, her crew the passengers and the inevitable crash. The story of titanic started in Belfast,Ireland where hundreds of hard working men spent countless hours buildingwhat was at 46,328 gross tonnage the largest moving object at the time. The R.M.S. Titanic was owned by American tycoon J.P. Morgan, but was beingoperated on the British owned White Star line. The ship was reportedto have cost some where between $7,500,000 $10,000,000. It wasto be Bruce Ismays crowning achievement and at 882 ? feet longand 100 feet high it truly was. Mr. Thomas Andrews the ship designergave her a revolutionary layout, and it appears that titanic was builtto accommodate up to 64 lifeboats yet had only 16 aboard and 4 collapsiblelifeboats were added last minute giving a life boat capacity of only 1,176. We will write a custom essay on Titanic Analysis specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Now we come to the passengers and crewwho were aboard the ill-fated liner. The captain was Edward JamesSmith a very reputable and respected captain. The maiden voyage wasto be Captain Smiths last and he has even been quoted as saying nothingexciting ever happens on my trips. As Titanic was the ship of al shipsher passengers were the whose who of the world. Aboard were Americanmillionaire John Jacob Astor and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Isador Strauss,Mr. Benjamin Guggenheim and his mistress, the unsinkable Molly Brownand the Countess of Rothes. As it seems the massive liner was doomedto infamy from the very beginning. At on Wednesday April 10, 1912the R.M.S. Titanic started to depart from Southampton on its way to NewYork City. Just as titanic left port a dangerous suction started and pulledanother ship the New York into a crash course with the immense ship andit wasnt until the last possible minute that a huge surge of water pushedthe New York out of harms way. Yet just as it seemed that disasterwas averted another major problem started. In coal bunker # 5 spontaneouscombustion caused a very destructive fire that took 3 days to extinguish. Mr. Andrews was sent to examine the damages and reported that the firecompromised the steel and could have possible damaged the airtight compartments. The next topic needed to cover is the controversial events leading up toand including the crash on April 14, 1912. The day started out withclear weather and with the boat at a full 22 ? knots what seemedto be smooth sailing, but nothing could have prepared them for what wouldhappen later that night. That night the temperature suddenly droppeddown t a chilling 31 degrees Fahrenheit with a wind chill of only 0 degreesFahrenheit in the crows nest. Titanic was travelling too fast in conditionso dangerous that other ships had stopped for the night. At 10:00p.m. Frederick Fleet took his place as look out in the crows nest, withonly one problem his binoculars had been missing since leaving Southampton4 days earlier. At 11:40 p.m. that night everything was calm includingthe usually turbulent ocean, but the calm was suddenly shattered by whatis now one of the most famous quotes ever Iceberg right ahead. .u767f771691afa3dce36cc185f423dac5 , .u767f771691afa3dce36cc185f423dac5 .postImageUrl , .u767f771691afa3dce36cc185f423dac5 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u767f771691afa3dce36cc185f423dac5 , .u767f771691afa3dce36cc185f423dac5:hover , .u767f771691afa3dce36cc185f423dac5:visited , .u767f771691afa3dce36cc185f423dac5:active { border:0!important; } .u767f771691afa3dce36cc185f423dac5 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u767f771691afa3dce36cc185f423dac5 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u767f771691afa3dce36cc185f423dac5:active , .u767f771691afa3dce36cc185f423dac5:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u767f771691afa3dce36cc185f423dac5 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u767f771691afa3dce36cc185f423dac5 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u767f771691afa3dce36cc185f423dac5 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u767f771691afa3dce36cc185f423dac5 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u767f771691afa3dce36cc185f423dac5:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u767f771691afa3dce36cc185f423dac5 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u767f771691afa3dce36cc185f423dac5 .u767f771691afa3dce36cc185f423dac5-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u767f771691afa3dce36cc185f423dac5:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Lessons Learned from Tuesdays With Morrie EssayAlmost immediately Officer Murdoch ordered the ship to full reverse andhard to port which basically means to turn left. One major designflaw came into play here, the rudders were too small so the ship did notturn in time and so the ship hit the iceberg on her starboard side leavinga tiny trail of small punctures in the hull. These small breaks wereall that was needed to seal the fate of titanic and her passengers fornow over 400 tons of water was pouring in every minute. As soon asthe reality of everything set in Mr. Andrews was sent to inspect that damagecaused by the iceberg, the results were almost unbelievable. Theiceberg caused 5 of the 16 airtight compartments to fill with water, onemore that ever imagined in any accident. Mr. Andrews conclusion wasthat the ship everyone said, G-D himself could not sink was going tobe at the bottom of the ocean in a matter of hours. With this tragicnews the crew was instructed to start evacuating the boat women and childrenfirst and so a little past mid-night the 1st class was being awaken tohead towards the lifeboats. At 12:10 a.m. Captain Smith ordered theMarconi operators to send out a distress call that the ship was sinkingby the head. One of the first ships to respond was the German Shipthe Frankfort, but because it was operated by a competitor the operatorsignored all of the Frankforts messages. A nearby ship the Californianwas with in eyesight but the operators were off duty and asleep. Finallyat 12:45 a.m. the Carpathia responded but they were over 4 hours away. By now everyone was aware of their impending doom and chaos was startingto break out, but through it all many people came to terms with their fateand accepted it. Mr. Guggenheim and his valet dressed in their bestan were prepared to go down as gentlemen, Mr. and Mrs. Strauss laid intheir suite in what was to be a final embrace. Though some found peacemany were frantic and beginning to become desperate, but the ships musiciansplayed non-stop in order to calm the passengers. What made all mattersworse was that the life boat capacity was only that of ? the passengersand crew on board. Their was 318 1st class, 262 2nd class, 740 3rdclass passengers and 860 officers and crew on board a total of 2180 souls,2180 and only 1,176 were to be saved if all seats were filled. Thiswas a very scary and confusing time so one cannot put blame on the crewbut they were sending lifeboats able t fit 65 heavy men filled with only12 people in some out to sea. At 2:15 the ship stern was submergedat an 80 deg ree angle in the water and at 2:17 all power to titanic hadfailed. Just as the horrid sight of the once grand ship adhering straightup sunk in the minds of all watching the sturdy hull began to give wayand the immense body off titanic split in two and the stern came crashingback down to the surface. Slowly the stern began an eerie decent into theocean which some described as similar to an elevator ride. The once loadroaring of the ships destruction now turned into the painful cries of1,500 men, women and children who were now battling to stay alive in thefreezing ocean water. As most survivors testified to the most hauntingnoise was not the breaking or even the shrieking of all those waiting todie in the ocean but the unearthly silence once everyone eventually frozeto death. It wasnt for hours that the Titanics sister ship the Carpathiafinally arrived and pulled aboard only a little over 700 survivors. .uc77aac108de0a9a92a2519d0f50ec700 , .uc77aac108de0a9a92a2519d0f50ec700 .postImageUrl , .uc77aac108de0a9a92a2519d0f50ec700 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uc77aac108de0a9a92a2519d0f50ec700 , .uc77aac108de0a9a92a2519d0f50ec700:hover , .uc77aac108de0a9a92a2519d0f50ec700:visited , .uc77aac108de0a9a92a2519d0f50ec700:active { border:0!important; } .uc77aac108de0a9a92a2519d0f50ec700 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uc77aac108de0a9a92a2519d0f50ec700 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uc77aac108de0a9a92a2519d0f50ec700:active , .uc77aac108de0a9a92a2519d0f50ec700:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uc77aac108de0a9a92a2519d0f50ec700 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uc77aac108de0a9a92a2519d0f50ec700 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uc77aac108de0a9a92a2519d0f50ec700 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uc77aac108de0a9a92a2519d0f50ec700 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uc77aac108de0a9a92a2519d0f50ec700:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uc77aac108de0a9a92a2519d0f50ec700 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uc77aac108de0a9a92a2519d0f50ec700 .uc77aac108de0a9a92a2519d0f50ec700-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uc77aac108de0a9a92a2519d0f50ec700:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Reasons For Being Vegetarian EssayNews headlines around the world soon readof how the Unsinkable titanic perished in the night and how over 1,500souls came to an untimely end in the middle of the North Atlantic. Mostof the blame was placed on Bruce Ismay who was reportedly the man who orderedto ignore the ice warning and for the ship to gain speed. Reportshowever of how the ship sank widely varied, some said the boilers explodedsome said the ship was in one piece and some said that crew men were sopanicked that they were shooting men who got unruly. No one knew what hadhappened or even the exact location of the wreckage until a joint U.S. ? French expedition discovered titanic 1,600 miles NE of New York, 95 milessouth Grandbanks Newfoundland @ 41.16 degrees N. latitude and 50.14 degreesW. longitude. The expedition surveyed and photographed the wreckageand reported that the ship had indeed broke in two and laid about ?a mile apart. In July 1986 a 3-man U.S. exploration team in Alvin submersiblesonce again surveyed and photographed the wreckage. It wasnt until a controversialFrench salvage team in 1987 began collecting artifacts from the ocean floor. They collected glasses, dishes, jewelry, suitcases, currency, and a bunchof little insignificant objects. This caused a major uproar what the scientistcalled preserving many people considered grave desecration, yet throughall the protests the artifacts were displayed in Paris in September 1987. Till this day scientist flock to titanic in order to determine what happenedand why, there are even countless movies which depict almost every theoryof what happened out today. With all the pain and suffering that surroundedtitanic no one stops and looks at what good came out of the tragedy. Due to all the faults aboard the Titanic there are now laws which statethat there must be lifeboat seats for all passengers on board. There mustbe full time maintenance and operating crews on radio watch while at sea. There must be lifeboat evacuation drills and there has been an internationalice patrol set up. So now when people hear the name Titanic they can visionnot only the crash and the anguish it caused but they also can envisionthe what went into titanic, the people who lost their lives that unfortunatenight, and the great achievements that came about because of it.

Free Essays on Modified Grading Scale

Modified Grading Scale Policy Description As the University of Idaho Education Board, appointed by the University and State Board of Education we feel that changing the grading scale will help push the University of Idaho to a higher level of academia. We represent the administration and the State Board’s interest in the operation of the University. We are the governing body authorized by the State and the administration. The policy will appear as follows in the 2004 spring semester faculty-staff handbook: Grading Policy: The grading scale of the University of Idaho is as follows for all non pass/fail classes. 95% and above is an A. 85-94% is a B. 75-84% is a C. 65-74% is a D. Failing grades will be given to students with a grade of 64% and below. We feel that this grading scale is a beneficial tool for setting a higher academic standard for our students. This will also help promote the University of Idaho and its faculty as an institution of higher learning. The administration working with the faculty will oversee the implementation of the new policy. The three audiences most affected by this plan will be the current students, faculty and the prospective students of this university. Current Students A) Practical and Informational Concerns The current students of this university will have to make some changes to meet this new policy. They may need to change their study habits if they would like to maintain their current grades. This may mean; studying more and taking advantage of their professor’s office hours. They may also have to cut back on extracurricular activities. For those students who already have 95% and above in their classes, no change will be necessary, they merely need to continue their study habits. For all other students this policy will be demanding but well within their abilities. Current students will need to know that the grading scale has been raised by 5% across t... Free Essays on Modified Grading Scale Free Essays on Modified Grading Scale Modified Grading Scale Policy Description As the University of Idaho Education Board, appointed by the University and State Board of Education we feel that changing the grading scale will help push the University of Idaho to a higher level of academia. We represent the administration and the State Board’s interest in the operation of the University. We are the governing body authorized by the State and the administration. The policy will appear as follows in the 2004 spring semester faculty-staff handbook: Grading Policy: The grading scale of the University of Idaho is as follows for all non pass/fail classes. 95% and above is an A. 85-94% is a B. 75-84% is a C. 65-74% is a D. Failing grades will be given to students with a grade of 64% and below. We feel that this grading scale is a beneficial tool for setting a higher academic standard for our students. This will also help promote the University of Idaho and its faculty as an institution of higher learning. The administration working with the faculty will oversee the implementation of the new policy. The three audiences most affected by this plan will be the current students, faculty and the prospective students of this university. Current Students A) Practical and Informational Concerns The current students of this university will have to make some changes to meet this new policy. They may need to change their study habits if they would like to maintain their current grades. This may mean; studying more and taking advantage of their professor’s office hours. They may also have to cut back on extracurricular activities. For those students who already have 95% and above in their classes, no change will be necessary, they merely need to continue their study habits. For all other students this policy will be demanding but well within their abilities. Current students will need to know that the grading scale has been raised by 5% across t...

A visual aid that illustrates a problem Research Paper

A visual aid that illustrates a problem - Research Paper Example The nature of task is given like booking musicians, choosing venue, promotional activities and ticket booking. The data gives information about the group names and task names. For example, the group name is book musicians while task name is given underneath it. These images makes is to easy to understand the task. The data in the chart are name of thetas, the person performing them and the dates on which they are being done. The name of the task is seen on the task bars and we can see that there are colours on the graphs which mean that is doing it .And the data regarding the date can be seen on the upper portion of the chart in columns. The significance of the chart is that it gives a detail about the tasks and structure about its performance. The tasks can be linked and they can be monitored to understand the progression. The chart defines the actions setting and gives information on the start date and end date and the mode of scheduling. In this way the project completes at an earlier date or on the correct time. The tasks can be edited or ended as and when required. Here we can see many resources and possibilities on specific times. The dependencies of the task can be analysed from the chart. One can calculate the dates and re – calculate it depending on the time and hence time gain can be accomplished. Here the tasks can be completed in a well defined manner and can relate to each other. As and when the bookings are done on the musicians then other affairs can be done. Like the venue setting, promotions and ticket arrangements. Even if any booking is cancelled things can be changed with less difficulty due to the co – ordination of tasking with the help of chart. So here the first task can be finished first and rest in order. There is a clear visual representation of the tasks to be performed which makes things more comprehensible. Girt chart is not a perfect tool for projects as it has its own limitations

Cell phone Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Cell phone - Assignment Example In this light, deciding not to buy the cell phones for children has its advantages and disadvantages. Also, deciding to buy cellphones for the students has disadvantages and advantages that ought to be considered. Those against the idea of cells for students argue that they are disruptive and affect their concentration. On my part, I support the idea of equipping the students with the cell phones. There are several reasons for this stand that cannot be overlooked. For instance, the cell phones provide an easy channel of communication between parents and their children. In this light, the gadgets help ensure that parents can check on their children when they are not around. Secondly, I believe that the use of cellphones among the children from an early age helps open up their minds and increases the chance of innovation and the invention of technological gadgets. Moreover, the cell phones provide a source of leisure for the students and are crucial for their growth and development. However, this point may be invalidated on the basis that cell phones cause disruption among the pupils. Another point in support of cellphones for school-going children is that they help the students to research and learn new things through the Internet. The case study explains the effects that the cell phones have on students in Uganda who area allowed to use the cells not only at home but also in school. In the research conducted by Richard and his subordinates, the school allows students to carry their phones to school. According to the study, the availability of cellphones is a source of security for the students, which in turn helps boost their classroom confidence (Twebaze and Richard 23). Moreover, the students involved in the case study argued that keeping close contact with their parents at home helped give them the motivation to work hard. Richard adds that â€Å"cell phones not only allow the students to talk to their parents but also gives them a chance to expand

Fashion and Culture in India

Fashion and Culture in India Language disguises the thought, so that from the external form of the clothes one cannot infer the form of the thought they clothe, because the external form of the clothes is constructed with quite another object than to let the form of the body be recognized (Calefato 2004. p 13). The western culture is cultivating a grand love affair with the distinctive fashion style in India. Along with Indian music and spirituality, Indian clothing is seeing a huge impact on main stream identities of western style and culture. The main intention of this essay is to demonstrate how this emerging trend relates to the changing face of Indian fashion. Fashion is the style and custom prevalent at a given time. To some its an art form, to others its like a part of their culture and religion but to most it is a method of utilizing cloth to show or hide something about themselves. Fashion can be used to serve as an extension of ones own personality or to disguise ones own true self. One of the major points here is, how does art, culture and industry, the three aspects of life, relate to fashion? The English dictionary states that, art is a human skill opposed to nature. There are various for and against argument on whether fashion is an art form. One view that favors the argument is, art is a visual medium whose creators respond to the same stimuli as painters and sculptors and like art, it involves immense creativity as well as mastery of technique and materials. The view against it is, artists supposedly are not concerned with selling, they are consumed with creating works of art, not producing a collection for regularly scheduled s howings (Rhodes, 2003). Culture on the other hand is basically an intellectual development at a certain time and a certain place and refers to certain human behavior and activities that conclude to significance and importance whereas; industry is a segment of economy, concerned with the production of goods and service. It is an essential component of most societies and fashion is a huge contributor to it. The major fashion cities have continuous competition between each other and due to their different strategies become known as the cultural industries. The history of costume, Barthes (1983) says, has a general epistemological value. By history of costume, he means a socio-semiotic reading of the phenomenon of clothing as an articulate language through which it is possible to analyse a culture, as system and process, institution and individual act, expressive reserve and significant order. The nature of fashion, however, constantly changes and focuses on newness, or the illusion of something new which means that signs and symbols are transient. According to Woodruffe-Burton fashion is a visual commentary on the excess of a postmodern culture, the perfect foil for a world of fragmented and commensurate identities and personage, offering a dynamic procession of free floating signs and symbolic exchanges (Woodruffe-Burton 1998, page 302). Choices made in relation to new clothes are usually controlled by the current fashion look as defined within the fashion system and realized by the availability of fresh goods (Alexandra, 2004). According to Barthes (1983), the concept of new lifestyle and fashion styles is signified while the fashion commodities become signifiers. He also points out that the present form of fashion commodities decrease in value and are subsequently relinquished when the new signifier readily provides a replacement for the previous signifier. In addition, Baudrillad (1981) referred to fashion as a compulsion to innovate signs apparently arbitaray and perpetual production of meaning a kind of meaning drive. The meanings drive individuals, to seek out those new commodities that could signify them. According to Vinken, The discourse on fashion is constructed by the articulations of three major conceptual articulations: the division of being and mere appearance; the division of the sexes; and inseparab ly linked to the latter the division of the classes. In modern times, there has been a marked tendency for the first of these conceptualities whether it appears in its philosophical form or in its ethical application to be incorporated into the sociological variations of the divisions of gender and class. This phenomenon of compression has been compounded by the fact that the paradigm of the division of the sexes has allowed itself to be grafted onto the discourse on class, dominant until the eighteenth century, with the same ease that, in traditional thought, the moral condemnation of vanity let itself be combined with the philosophical suspicion of mere appearance(Vinken, p4) India during its earlier days to be clothed in fashion was seen as a mark of privilege enjoyed exclusively by upper class. The lower end of the society didnt have the access to it due to the dominance of traditional clothing which followed intensively during that time. But now it has changed for the better and is being enjoyed by almost everyone at every social level because of the democratization of fashion which has helped in mass production during the Industrial Revolution. The appearance of avant-garde designers from Japan in the early 1980s was believed to be the beginning of the postmodern phenomenon in the field of fashion. It allows openness to a great variety of styles and genres and the acceptance of Asian designers which was considered as the breakdown of the racial boundaries among designers who were largely white. Post modernity allows ethnic minorities, from women, lesbians and gay men to state find or retrieve an identity (Wilson 1994). The definition of what is fashionable was gradually decreasing in its nature with the beginning of postmodernism which eliminated differences and with the end of the autonomous sphere of fine art. What was usually worn as underwear now could be worn as outerwear. What used to be a hole for the neck could be worn as an armhole. Contents of fashions have become diverse and have redefined themselves implying the breakdown of the clothing system, itself that is, of sartorial conventions. The emergence of the new modern India seems to be the buss word for the new younger generation exposed to the vision of the new millennium as India opened up its doors to the west, there came a need to create a new identity. Thus was the idea of taking Indian traditional fabrics and styles and combining them with western cuts and lines, to appeal to larger segments and masses. Due to these developments, fashion gained in acceptance out of selected cities into the most conservative households. The new emerging trend catered way to the concept of Indian fashion boutiques, due to which women started moving out of the house and those typical tailor master were out of fashion. When more and more women started doing job, the online boutiques proved to be of great help as they can find everything under one roof, from fabric, designing, stitc hing and accessories (Chawla, 2006). Earlier to have a desired design, effort was needed to be put on to run from shop to shop to buy the fabric. Once the fabric is bought, the matching colour of laces and buttons need to bought and all these need to be given to the tailor for completing the stitching of the garment. Now, all these headaches are been taken care by the boutiques which keep a complete range of stitched and unstitched garments from casuals to party wear. The mall culture and family stores has dominated and is steadily growing in India. These are the places which are starting to become a favorite fashion hub for upper and middle class people. These stores sell fashion garments of all age groups and sexes and are considered as shopping destination. Most Indians express a great deal through their clothing. Their quench for the ultimate perfection plays a great deal in their choice of beautifully colored dramatic and sensuous garments. Highly lively colors woven in to signify the ornate designs can be found resonating through the whole of India. Lot of western influences has created modern designs which has been included into the basic structure of Indian outfit and that are the dresses that we find these days. So that makes us wonder, what was Indian fashion actually like when there were no designers displaying their haute couture to pamper a luxurious line of clientele? Well the answer to it is, India had its own kind of customs and traditions followed from generation to generations, the presence of it are even felt today. A surprising fact about ancient Indian fashion was that the clothes were not stitched together at all because most of the clothing was ready-to-wear, as soon as they left the loom. The ancient Indian fashion did not really have garments that were sewed together. The examples of these are the dhoti, the sari, the turban and the scarf. The practice of wearing dhoti by men and women were seen as a familiar site since India always go through hot and humid climatic conditions and these were made with cotton which suits the condition. The traditional Indian Dhoti, the Scarf or Uttariya and the popular Turban are still seen visible in India as people continue to wear them and hence remains as an integral part of Indian culture. Indian dressing styles are marked by many variations, both religious and regional with a wide choice of textures and styles (Tirthankar, 1999). One of the most commonly worn traditional dresses, the sari, is essentially a rectangular cloth measuring about 6 yards long. It passes through the legs around the body and tucked in at the back. Its worn in varied styles and is made from materials like pure silk or other fabric woven in different textures with different pattern s. It is worn by women as the lower garment combined with a Stanapatta (a thin band that wraps horizontally around torso) which forms the basic wear. This consists of garments that do not have to be stitched, the stanapatta being simply fastened in a knot at the back (Osella, 2000). Although the saris and the dhotis have never gone out of fashion, with the Persian influences in Indian fashion, women started wearing long tunics that went down to the knees with trousers that were known as  churidars. It also includes the very popular, versatile, comfortable and stylish  salwar-kameez. The  salwar  is a loose pajama like trouser whose legs are wide at the top and narrow at the ankle whereas kameez is a long tunic that goes down till the knees, the sides of which are left open below the waist-line, giving the wearer great freedom of movement. The basic design of this has been modified in various ways since ancient days (Jessica Pudussery, 2009). Apart from clothes, Gold plays a major role in Indian fashion and the use of it has been a tradition, long enjoyed by Indian women since early ages. Ornaments made of gold, combined with precious and semi-precious gems and beads, are the most popular ones. As the story goes on, it is said that traditionally Indian or naments had an economic value for women. The ornaments given to her at her wedding constituted a daughters inheritance from her father (which was earlier referred to as Dowry). Though this no longer holds true, a brides ornaments is considered as a financial security for her throughout life. In India the appearance of dressing styles is more towards a cosmopolitan way rather than region specific; the cause of this change can be reflected back to the early days of Indian Independence. Later on globalization bought about huge changes and this can be considered as one of the major factors witnessed in Indian fashion industry, were significance noticeable changes in styles have happened in connection with Indian dressing. Indias rapidly expanding economy has provided the basis for a fundamental change, the emergence of what is called a new vanguard increasingly dictating Indias political and economic direction (India child, 2000). There can been seen an increasingly popularity towards western mode of dressing styles among the urban youth of both sexes. Some young women are trying to incorporate the latest fashion trends within their wardrobe while still following some of the traditional Indian dressing customs. The women youth market is significant not only because of it she er size and the spending power but since they are the trend setters for rest of the population. Young women generally pay more emphasis on their appearance than older people and thus clothing occupies a more central position. They are more likely to be fashion conscious and hence are frequent buyers and they usually prefer wearing casuals (Gowswamy Roy, 2007). Although traditional dress is still worn in India, according to V.P. Sharma, an Indian worker working as a weaver in the traditional handloom sari industry in Bihar since 1988, blames the trend in womens changing tastes for handloom saris, a simple cotton sari that many Indian women wear daily. The plain designs and less appealing colors, plays no significant role for a new modern woman like Rashmi Raniwal who is a 22 year old sales assistant. Sari? she says giggling, I never wear it casually, only for formal occasions. She further adds that women in India welcomes change as it is seen as a mark of progress. There is a common view that people would consider, a woman clothed in western formal wear is more empowered than her traditional counter parts. (Time Magazine 2009). In globalized modern India mens fashion hasnt changed significantly from season to season whereas business clothing has undergone few changes but its more of being professional than being fashionable. Personal hygiene is part of the success equation, freshly scrubbed wins out over heavily fragranced. The finishing touch for Indian business professionals is his choice of accessories like briefcase, portfolio and pen but when it comes to sealing the deal, a top of the line suit, a silk tie and a good pair of leather shoes would make things perfect and professional. Its all about presenting themselves in a way that makes the business clients feel comfortable and confident on them. Dressing for success is still the rule that is being followed. It was during the late 1970s and 80s the importance of women in work place began to have a prominent role than ever before. They gradually moved into positions that had been traditionally held by men. Many of them even thought that they need to imi tate males business clothing to look appropriate for the position; the outcome was, women seen dressed in skirted suits and jackets with tailored blouses. While the business women now wear trousers to work, she does it with the intention to look professional. (Doris, 2005). Like the men the same overall rules apply to womens work atmosphere as well, business clothing is not a reflection of the latest fashion trend but it is to notice herself as a professional. They think that they should be noticed for who they are and their professional skills rather than the fashionable clothes they wear. The business wear should be appropriate for the industry and the position they hold within the industry. In the 1960s and 70s, this whole bit of buildup of wealth in India was still suffering from a Gandhian hangover. Even though there were a whole lot of families who were wealthy all over India from North to South, all their lifestyles were very low key. They were not exhibitionist or were not into the whole consumer culture. The trend has now changed completely and we can see a complete lifestyle transformation on spending habits from cell phone, holiday destination to latest fashion, which earlier would have triggered a sense of guilt that in a nation like India a kind of vulgar exhibition of wealth is contradictory to its own values. Consumerism has now become an Indian value and the new Indian middle class is making its voice heard everywhere. The middle class is hard to define precisely, is bracketed on either side by the upper and lower echelons. It is not a single stratum of society but straddles town and countryside. It encompasses prosperous farmers, white-collar workers, busi ness people, military personnel and myriad others, all actively working towards a prosperous life (Fernandes, 2006). Members of the upper class which is around 1 percent of the population, are owners of large properties, members of exclusive clubs and vacationers in foreign lands, and include industrialists, former maharajas, movie stars and top executives. Below the middle class is perhaps a third of the population who are ordinary farmers, trades people, artisans and professional workers (Britannica 2009). In todays fashion conscious society, with numeral number of designers, it would be a difficult to note down some of the top fashion designers all over the world. The superiority of designer clothing gives one the satisfaction of owing a designer piece that is unique in every way. The emergence of western concepts of displaying fashion shows has now become a common event in India. The so called catwalk models started displaying collections of designers on ramp. It was in 1932, the first fashion catwalk was organized in India by Catherine Courney. Now it can be seen as a common every day event with many conceptual and theme based shows. Indians have started exploring new avenues with their modern hybrid fashion trends which is a blend of the old traditional and the new modern and is gearing up to International exposure. This fact can be proved by the existence of eighty plus fashion schools in India were young vibrant designers are trained to face the international arena. Recently, som e of the worlds famous fashion designers like Armani, Fendi and Myiake all have been fascinated and drawn by the elements of the exotic Indian culture and traditions (Mark 2008). India, which perfectly mixes the spirit of adventure, the sense of mystery and majesty with the principles of elegance, sophistication and modernity, has long been a wonderful source of inspiration for many internationally acclaimed fashion designers. In Paris, Dries Van Naton, (The Telegraph, 2009) one of the new fashion leaders and the member of the so- called Belgain Four presented a collection of layered chiffon raps dresses saris and kurtha looks alikes. The color palettes of these modern western designers are drawing from the colors of vibrant Indian Rajasthan Desert at sundown using rich golds red and green. Fashion designers are credited for their mastery in embedding their creations with works of art that embellish the beauty of a woman. Its a fact that all of us are different from each other and seldom have the perfect figure and elegant personality that should be flaunted. Its also a truth that nobody is perfect, we all vary in height, color and characteristics. Its the magical hands of the fashion designers that transform one through intelligent smart dressing. They shape up the body in the most modest manner and make people look stunning and sensuous. There is something unique about every designer, one might focus on ethnic styling while the other on hottest western collections. The Indian movie industry has contributed and provided inspiration for the gloriously rich Technicolor summer fashion. Asia had a huge influence on the spring/summer 2002 designer catwalks and this resulted in the high street awash with bright turquoise, fuchsia, brocade and emerald tops, skirts and trousers (Colin 2004). With the changing time, the Indian fashion designers have brought about a storm in this glamour world with their commendably fabulous variety both internationally and locally. A huge chunk of latest fashion is made out of expensive designer clothing. These range from expensive saris to other traditional outfits which are stitched with semi-precious stones. These are exclusively made to cater the taste and preference of particular individuals to be worn during special occasions. Some even focus on modern expensive western fashion brands to make their presence felt. All these trends can be seen in Indias growing class of the super-rich which constitutes the maharajas and other like leading movie stars and industrialists. According to CapGemini Merrill Lynch Asia Pacific Wealth Report 2008, the number of Indians with more than $1 million in assets has grown since last year by 22%, to 167,000, more than in any other Asian country. Finally, Indian fashion beauties on the world stage canno t be ignored or left out of fashion since its the women beauties of India who bought about major changes in outlook of fashion, though they were left behind in the early days. Lara Dutta (Miss Universe 2000) and Priyanka Chopra (Miss World 2000) are the few to name as the world renowned Indian beautys who contributed to these changes. Indian fashion got International exposure and acclamation through the medium of such beauty contests. Unlike uniforms, the way we dress of our own accord involves a number of subconscious decisions. There is a concept in fashion that nothing is new, in a sense everything has been done before. This is coming closer to obvious reality, although the direction is not yet decided, it is almost certain that women will use fashion as an extension of their freedom and being no longer limited by the boundaries of class. Now people like to dress in style which is accepted globally and has become an aspect of ones identity and personality.

Historical

Web Case Book on BELOVED by Toni Morrison  © 2007 English Department, Millikin University, Decatur, IL http://www. millikin. edu/english/beloved/Baynar-historical-essay1. html Toni Morrison’s Beloved: Institutionalized Trauma, Selfhood, and Familial and Communal Structure by Klay Baynar Toni Morrison’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel Beloved is, in fact, a historical novel. It is based on a documented event involving fugitive slave, Margaret Garner, who was arrested for killing one of her children rather than returning her daughter to the dismal life of a slave.Readers might ask themselves why an African American woman would choose to focus her writing on a devastating act of violence within an African American family as opposed to focusing on the white aggression that ran rampant throughout the time period of the novel. However, by focusing Beloved on the infanticide committed by a newly freed black mother, Morrison is able to communicate a strong message, the importanc e of which spans from the Reconstruction era in the antebellum South to racially charged issues in modern America.Morrison implicitly shows throughout the novel that the psychological effects of slavery on the individual, as well as the whole slave community, were far more damaging than even the worst physical sufferings. In Beloved, Morrison uses symbolism to depict the atrocities of white oppression that caused the loss of African American humanity while also focusing on how the African American community came together to deal with the traumas of the past, thus reclaiming their selfhood.The African American â€Å"veil† acts as a strong symbol of a white dominant society throughout the novel. During the Reconstruction era, black Americans were forced behind this â€Å"veil† that allowed them to only see themselves from the white man’s point of view. Hofstra University’s James Berger cites W. E. B. Du Bois’s The Souls of Black Folks, writing  "†¦the American Negro, ‘born with a veil†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ can achieve ‘no true self-consciousness’ but can only ‘see himself through the revelation of the other [i. . white] world’† (410). Morrison herself recognizes this veil by noting â€Å"†¦that slaves narrators, ‘shaping the experience to make it palatable’ for white readers, dropped a ‘veil’ over ‘their interior life’† (Rody 97). This â€Å"veil† represents the unyielding ideologies of white oppression that were exercised throughout the period of slavery and the Baynar 2 period of intense racial tension that followed the Civil War.In Beloved, Morrison writes a false removal of this veil for both Sethe and Baby Suggs. This removal is foreshadowed by the imagery of the Book of Revelation (four horsemen) in the beginning of the infanticide chapter (Berger 409). When Sethe sees the â€Å"four horsemen† coming to retrieve her a nd her children and return them to slavery, Morrison reveals the thoughts of a black mother when faced with returning to slavery: And if she thought anything, it was No. No. Nono. Nonono. Simple. She just flew.Collected every bit of life she had made, all the parts of her that were precious and fine and beautiful, and carried, pushed, dragged them through the veil, out, away, over there where no one could hurt them. Over there. Outside this place, where they would be safe. (Morrison 192) Due to continuing white oppression after slavery, Sethe believed that the only way to make her children safe was through death. In killing her daughter, Sethe frees her from living a life of dehumanizing slavery. However, this act of violence did nothing to remove the veil.What makes the infanticide a false removal of Sethe’s family from oppression is that the very event that was meant to remove the facade of â€Å"free and equal† blacks (infanticide) actually trapped Sethe’s fa mily in a state where no subjective self could ever be achieved. This familial meltdown stopped history in its tracks. It forces Sethe and Denver into a repressive state in which past traumas are lost. When Denver finds out about that day, she becomes deaf and dumb, unwilling to face the horrible traumas of the past.Sethe represses any and all memories of the past, only allowing them to resurface with the appearance of Paul D and the expulsion of the ghost. Even Paul D has repressed memories, represented by his tobacco tin: It was some time before he could put Alfred, Georgia, Sixo, schoolteacher, Halle, his brothers, Sethe, Mister, the taste of iron, the sight of butter, the smell of hickory, notebook paper, one by one, into the tobacco tin lodged in his chest. (Morrison 133) However, Sethe and her family were not the only people that fell victim to the â€Å"veil† of oppression.White dominance also reappeared for Baby Suggs on the day of the infanticide. When â€Å"†¦ they came in my yard† (Morrison 211), Baby Suggs realized that no African American is truly free. Not in a free state, not after slavery, not ever. Baby Suggs’s sense of self was â€Å"unmade† that day when she realized the freedom she thought she was living was false (Boudreau 460). Being a former slave herself, she understood the colonizing ideologies that slavery entailed. When she finally became free, she was able to claim her own humanity: â€Å"She couldn’t stop laughing. My heart’s beating,’ she said. And it was true† (Morrison 166). In this part of the novel, Morrison shows that, for a formerly colonized people, a free identity is only obtained through decolonization. The decolonization of the African American people required the retrieval of past traumas. In In Our Glory: Photography and Black Life, bell hooks writes that â€Å"decolonization†¦calls us back to the past and offers a way to reclaim and renew life-affirming bonds† (183). So, the key to African American subjectivity lies in the past. This idea is explicitly shown when Paul D’sBaynar 3 tobacco tin, the item in which he locks away the past, bursts open. Sitting on the front steps of a church drinking liquor, â€Å"His tobacco tin, blown open, spilled contents that floated freely and made him their play and prey† (Morrison 258). The content that follows is all of Paul D’s memories. With his tobacco tin open, he is forced to face his past, finally able to free himself and move on towards the future. â€Å"Rememory† in the novel explicates the idea that no trauma is ever one’s own, but are shared among groups of people. Rememory† works as a collective way for a community to decolonize themselves (Elliot 183). Sethe explains rememory, saying that, If a house burns down, it’s gone, but the place—the picture of it—stays, and not just in my rememory, but out there, in the world †¦Someday you be walking down the road and you hear something or see something going on†¦And you think it’s you thinking it up†¦But no. It’s when you bump into a rememory that belongs to somebody else. (Morrison 43) A rememory is someone’s individual experience that hangs around like a picture.It can enter someone else’s rememory and complicate one’s consciousness and identity (Rody 101). Rememory is what connects the past with the present, realizing a collective memory that a community uses as a tool to help cope with past traumas. The collective management of these past traumas is best seen at the Clearing. â€Å"†¦Baby Suggs, holy, followed by every black man, woman and child†¦took her great heart to the Clearing†¦laughing children, dancing men, crying women and then it got mixed up† (Morrison 103).Baby Suggs led the community in a therapy session of sorts in order to release bottled up emotions. The Clearing was a place in which the community could go and work through past experiences with the help of everyone, a place to deal with the past in order to love in the present and plan for the future. This idea is revisited at the end of the novel as well. If Beloved represents the manifestation of the day of the infanticide, the day that 124 died and the visits to the Clearing ended, the end of the novel shows how the community comes together again to expel her from 124.Beloved and Sethe looked out the window and â€Å"†¦saw Denver sitting on the steps and beyond her, where the yard met the road, they saw the rapt faces of thirty neighborhood women. Some had their eyes closed; others looked at the hot cloudless sky† (Morrison 308). With this scene, Morrison expresses a positive example of African American communal unity. Beloved is not a novel that is confined in meaning to the Reconstruction era. The publication of the Moynihan report in 1965 sparked a racial controversy regar ding the dysfunctional nature of the African American family.Daniel Moynihan reported that â€Å"The family structure of lower class Negroes is highly unstable, and in many urban centers is approaching complete breakdown† (Moynihan). This report resulted in a political divide regarding race that lasted well into the 1980s: The discourse of race in the 1980s, then, was constrained by a double denial: Reaganist conservatives denied American racism and descendants of the New Left denied any dysfunction within African American communities. (Berger 414) Sethe’s family is certainly dysfunctional: A single mother working a low paying job who thenBaynar 4 suffers a mental breakdown. Both of her sons ran away, never to be seen again. Sethe murdered one of her daughters and the other is incapable of leaving the yard. The family’s dysfunction stems from their unwillingness to face the ghosts of past traumas. The historical parallel to this are the far right and far left id eologies of racial denial. Beloved represents racial violence in America, willing to return unless the systemic nature of racism is addressed. If traumas are repressed and not worked out, their effects will never go away.The ending pages of the novel give the most powerful representation of the results of historical repression. They forgot her like a bad dream. After they made up their tales, shaped and decorated them, those that saw her that day on the porch quickly and deliberately forgot her. It took longer for those who had spoken to her, lived with her, fallen in love with her†¦So in the end, they forgot her too. Remembering seemed unwise. (Morrison 323-324) Beloved has again been repressed, forced to fade into the subconscious of everyone that had known her. Morrison uses this to parallel race in America.When Beloved was published, Reaganist conservatives denied American racism. Slavery is such a profound black mark in American history, it is better left forgotten; rememb ering would be unwise. However, if slavery and legal white oppression are allowed to be forgotten, there is nothing standing in the way of their return. Morrison creates a paradox with this idea. The final chapter’s structure is set up with an initial couple paragraphs explaining that everyone eventually forgot about Beloved. Following these paragraphs was a sentence meant to justify the forgetting: â€Å"This is not a story to pass on† (Morrison 324).However, this line is a contradiction. The story that shouldn’t have been passed on is a best-selling novel and is dedicated to â€Å"Sixty Million and more. † By repressing a historical trauma, it is allowed to return. The very last word of the novel, â€Å"Beloved,† attests to that claim. Especially when in regards to racism, â€Å"Only if traumas are remembered can they lose, gradually but never entirely, their traumatic effects (Berger 415). Slave owning ideologies caused intense institutionalize d trauma, the damage of which has lasted long after slavery was abolished.Indoctrinated with white ideas about how to view themselves, newly freed African Americans found the veil cast upon their identity difficult to cast aside. Dealing with the past traumas of slavery in a white dominant society required the effort of not only the individual, but also the African American community. Being able to reflect upon past traumas of oppression allowed the community and the individual to move towards a less traumatic future. However, the historical period in which Morrison wrote Beloved suggests that American society, both white and black, have forgotten how to manage the issue of race.Morrison’s ideas concerning the â€Å"veil,† rememory of trauma, and her portrayal of communal and familial structure exemplify the idea that the key to African American societal progression is the recognition of the past. Works Cited Berger, James. â€Å"Ghosts of Liberalism: Morrison’ s Beloved and the Moynihan Report. † PMLA 111. 3 (1996): 408-420. Boudreau, Kristin. â€Å"Pain and the Unmaking of Self in Toni Morrison’s Beloved. † Contemporary Baynar 5 Literature 36. 3 (1995): 447-465. Elliot, Mary Jane. â€Å"Postcolonial Experience in a Domestic Context: Commodified Subjectivity in Toni Morrison’s Beloved. MELUS 20. 3/4 (2000): 181-202. hooks, bell. â€Å"In Our Glory: Photography and Black Life† Picturing Texts. Ed. Lester Faigley, Diana George, Anna Palchik, Cynthia Selfe. New York: W. W. Norton, 2004. 175183. Morrison, Toni. Beloved. 1987. New York: Vintage International, 2004. Moynihan, Daniel. â€Å"The Negro Family: The Case For National Action. † March 1965. 20 Nov. 2007 . Rody, Caroline. â€Å"Toni Morrison’s Beloved: History, ‘Rememory,’ and a ‘Clamour for a Kiss. ’† American Literary History 7. 1 (1995): 92-119.

Homeless Women in America Essay

Imagine not having all the luxuries that embellish one’s life. All the things that make someone happy can be a mere memory in an instant. It is a reality that many women are becoming homeless at an alarming rate. Many for the reason that one parent works and the other stay home. The husband comes home with no money to provide nor give to his children because he rather spend it on beer or on drugs and not even have a thought that he has a family waiting for him at home. What is a woman to do with no money, no home, and no job. She has never had to work in her life, which has no job experience, Due to the fact she has always been dependent on her husband. Prostitute? This is what homeless women end up doing to support and feed their children. â€Å"There’s been a study about the prostitution of homeless women. 75 percent of women in escort prostitution had attempted suicide, 62 percent reported having been raped in prostitution and 73 percent reported having experience physical assault in prostitution†(Kay 2). Historically, homeless women become homeless due to their husband using drugs or being under the influence. However, today the reasons are more because of their economic issues. The fact, that there is not funding for women shelters or job training women and their families are forced to live in their cars or on the streets. The lack of government funding is forcing women out of their homes and having to find shelters for their children and themselves. How could it be possible that state and local government are revoking or reducing the monthly financial aid to women with families? Homeless women are exchanging their bodies for money to support their family.