The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

The book, The Alchemist, can be described as a metaphor of life. It is funny how dreams can mould a person’s life. It is a paradox such that people consider other lifestyles as better than theirs thereby striving to get that life that belongs to other cultures, through that lives are transformed.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Dreams can also be seen as the driving forces behind an individual’s life, they bring about desires that mould an individual’s destiny because through them, then fate ceases to be the determinant of happenings in an individual’s life time. Santiago, a young shepherd, the main character in the story The Alchemist is portrayed by Paulo Coelho, as a go getter to some extent. He repeatedly gets a dream that haunts him and pushes him to follow it and thus his expedition in the story; he wants to achieve t hat dream (Coelho 34). Santiago gets the simple lessons of life of believing in the signs that one gets in life, even if it is just through dreams and following them till he achieves them. The crossing of cultures leads him to following his dreams which he finally achieves. The boy, Santiago is driven to search for the hidden treasure in Egypt making him cross many countries and even the wide Sahara desert whereby he meets different characters, both deceitful and truthful who shape his life, the same way the young Chinese man and other international students cross the borders to get to Melbourne to study, their treasure in this context, education. When the young man shows up in the author’s office with scratchy English (Coelho 45), it is evident that there is a bit of transformation from his past self to his present self. The young Chinese appreciated the author’s message that she had given him the first day he visited her office because she says so. In the same sprit of appreciation, the boy Santiago appreciated the advice given to him in the story which leads him to acquire the treasure that he set out to look for. For instance he gives the old man a share of his sheep, that is, a tenth of his flock and promises to give a tenth of his treasure to the old woman. The Chinese student on the other hand brings the tutor a painting of a well embroidered Chinese woman (Coelho 61). This therefore gives the importance of appreciating those who help us in our endeavors to acquire our different treasures in life.Advertising Looking for essay on literature languages? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Through the harsh experiences that he faces, the boy learns the value of being strong, patient, and persistent and being a hard working person. Regardless of the setbacks that he encounters a long the way, he does not give up. Just like Rachael, no potential was seen in her as a nurse, she was discouraged by her tutors that she could not make it as a children’s nurse, but her so many visits to the Occupational Health Department which convinced the tutors that she was capable of becoming a nurse saw her through (Coelho 25). It took a year to convince them, and about fifteen visits and in the long run she was allowed to take up the career path that she had dreamt of and desired to do. Her desire and persistence to follow her dream made her accomplish her heart desires. Following a dream can sometimes seem too hard and expensive but the determination in it tells all about the conviction that one has. The boy in the story The Alchemist is portrayed by Coelho as humble and a brave character. The king tells him that when he wants something, the world will always conspire to help him achieve it, and now that he wants to get the treasure then he is going to get it as long as he is ready to face the challenges (Coelho 24). The challenges he faces in foreign lands can be likened to the challenges faced by those living in the outer suburbs of Melbourne. We are told that the further one lives away from the city, the more harsh life is for them because life there is a bit depressing and that there is little or even no amenities at all. The public transport system is also poor. The kinds of houses that are there are in a sorry state just like street lights are not in proper functioning conditions. Fitting into a new culture can be demoralizing more especially after relocation to a new place, but regardless of this, accepting the prevailing conditions in order to achieve one’s heart desires is reason enough to go on, the international students face problems of housing but with perseverance they the can achieve their ultimate goals and desires. The boy Santiago takes up every opportunity that comes his way, he wallows through so much problems that he encounters along his path of getting to the treasure, he worked hard towards his destiny because no problem was t oo big for him to deal with. We find that dreaming is one thing and following that dream is another, Rachael had a dream of becoming a nurse, she felt that she really needed to give back to the community and serve the people who had made a great difference in her life and that is why she really wanted to be a children’s nurse, she was laughed at told on several occasions that it was never going to happen because a nursing course was not suitable for her and that she was fit to a desk job (Coelho 25).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Nevertheless, her desire to follow her dream was the driving force that led her to achieving it in the long run. Had she given up a long the way due to the words of discouragement from even her tutors she could not have become a voice to reckon to the parents of the sick children that she attended to at the Children ’s Out-patient Department (Coelho 25). In the story, we are also brought to a level ground where freedom to choose what one wants to do should be embraced and given room to drive us. Freedom is the ability for one to do what he or she likes and that entails following one’s heart. Through this one is capable of exploiting his or her own potentialities and doing something that is self fulfilling, if one is made to do something that dictates his or her destiny in a forceful way then the end results will always be bitter. The boy chooses to travel the world because this is his inner calling other than studying theology and becoming a priest. He enjoys the life of adventure and travelling to new places. On her part, Rachael could have been forced to do a desk job because of her health something that she could have done regretfully thereby ending up a slave in a career path that on the contrary should have brought her inner peace and happiness. The boy was allowed to follow his heart which led him later on to acquire his life experiences that are worthwhile, even more than he could have achieved material treasures. The challenges faced by adapting to a new culture can some times be too much to bear, but how ready is a person to bear with the challenges that come with it? At the same time, it can be hard to make a dream a reality but how persistent that can one be to catch up with that dream (Coelho 89)? Both parties therefore should equip themselves with the communication gear which most definitely is the vehicle that will enable one to get to his or her destiny. The individual will get room to express him/her self thereby appreciating each other as well as compromising with each other’s feelings where possible, that way the joy of learning will have come into play. Once a dream has been hatched then the determination and persistence that will be employed in making it a reality is what will determine whether it is going to be the destiny of an i ndividual and that is what brings in the difference between destiny and fate. Though not sure of his destiny, he strives to get it no matter the challenges, and his life experiences show that everyone needs to work hard to achieve success, one need to strive for the good things in life. This simply inspires people to put effort in order to achieve our goals, for one to make his or her dreams become a reality, he or she is not just gong to sit there and wait for dreams to fall into place, one needs to risk the good things in life in order to achieve better ones (Coelho 100).Advertising Looking for essay on literature languages? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Coelho simply intends to bring to our attention that if one dreams and wishes for something then one should be persistent about it and be patient for long enough, one might loose an opportunity by getting tired at the last minute and give up so easily, and see the fruits after somebody else has achieved the fruits of our long suffering. Just like Santiago ones wishes can come in both material objects and life experiences, as for the case of Santiago, his journey to the Pyramids in Egypt, is his treasure. Works Cited Coelho, Paulo. The Alchemist. New York. Harpertorch. 1993. pp. 1 – 163. This essay on The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho was written and submitted by user CharlieCampion to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Importance of the US Presidential Primaries

Importance of the US Presidential Primaries The U.S. presidential primaries and caucuses are held in the various states, the District of Columbia, and territories of the United States as a key part of the process of nominating candidates for election to the office of President of the United States. The U.S. presidential primary elections typically start in February and do not end until June. How many times do we have to vote for a new President of the United States, anyway? Why cant we just go to the polls once in November and be done with it? Whats so important about the primaries? Presidential Primary History The U.S. Constitution doesn’t even mention political parties. Nor does it provide a method for choosing presidential candidates. It was not that the Founding Fathers did not anticipate political parties as they had known them in England would come along; they simply were not keen to seemingly sanction party politics and its many inherent ills by recognizing it in the nation’s Constitution. In fact, for the first confirmed official presidential primary was not held until 1920  in New Hampshire. Until then, presidential candidates were nominated solely by elite and influential party officials without any input from the American people. By the late 1800s, however, social activists of the Progressive Era began to object to the lack of transparency and public involvement in the political process. Thus, today’s system of state primary elections evolved as a way to give the people more power in the presidential nomination process. Today, some states hold only primaries, some hold only caucuses and others hold a combination of both. In some states, the primaries and caucuses are held separately be each party, while other states hold â€Å"open† primaries or caucuses in which members of all parties are allowed to participate. The primaries and caucuses start in late-January or early-February and are staggered state-by-state to end by mid-June before the general election in November. The state primaries or caucuses are not direct elections. Rather than choosing a specific person to run for president, they determine the number of delegates each partys national convention will receive from their respective state. These delegates then actually select their party’s the presidential nominee at the party’s national nominating convention. Especially after the 2016 presidential election, when Democratic Party candidate Hillary Clinton won the nomination over popular challenger Sen. Bernie Sanders, many rank-and-file Democrats argued that the party’s often-controversial â€Å"superdelegate† system circumvented, at least to an extent, the intent of the primary election process. Whether the Democratic Party leaders will decide to retain the superdelegate system or not remains to be seen. Now, on to why the presidential primaries are important. Get to Know the Candidates First, primary election campaigns are the main way voters get to know about all the candidates. After the national conventions, voters hear mainly about the platforms of exactly two candidates one Republican and one Democrat. During the primaries, however, voters get to hear from several Republican and Democratic candidates, plus the candidates of third parties. As media coverage focuses on the voters of each state during primary season, all the candidates are more likely to get some coverage. The primaries provide a nationwide stage for the free and open exchange of all ideas and opinions the foundation of the American form of participatory democracy. Platform Building Secondly, the primaries play a key role in shaping the final platforms of the major candidates in the November election. Lets say a weaker candidate drops out of the race during the final weeks of the primaries. If that candidate succeeded in winning a substantial number of votes during the primaries, there is a very good chance that some aspects of his or her platform will be adopted by the partys chosen presidential candidate. Public Participation Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the primary elections provide yet another avenue through which Americans can to take part in the process of choosing our own leaders.  The interest generated by the presidential primaries moves many first-time voters to register and go to the polls. Indeed, in the 2016 presidential election cycle, more than 57.6 million people, or 28.5% of all estimated eligible voters, voted in the Republican and Democratic presidential primaries – just slightly less than the all-time record of 19.5% set in 2008 – according to a report by the Pew Research Center. While some states have dropped their presidential primary elections due to cost or other factors, the primaries continue to be a vital and important part of Americas democratic process. Why the First Primary is Held in New Hampshire The first primary is held in New Hampshire during early February of election years. Taking pride in the notoriety and economic benefit of being the home of â€Å"First-In-The-Nation† presidential primary, New Hampshire has gone to great lengths to ensure it maintains its claim to the title. A state law enacted in 1920 requires that New Hampshire hold its primary â€Å"on the Tuesday at least seven days immediately preceding the date on which any other state shall hold a similar election.† While the Iowa caucuses are held before the New Hampshire primary, they are not considered a â€Å"similar election† and rarely draw the same level of media attention.

Financial Management (Determine the year-to-year percentage annual Essay

Financial Management (Determine the year-to-year percentage annual growth in total net sales) - Essay Example From analysing the sales performance trends over the past five years, it is likely that the company will achieve its target of 10% sales growth for the year 2005. From year 2001 to 2003 the company has experienced a total negative growth of 48% , which has been reversed in 2004 with a growth of 36%. This is possibly with the recapturing of lost market shares or customers. The growth of 10% for 2005 will be a sales increase of only $ 834.00, which will take the overall sales of the company to US$ 9,168.00. It is still less than what the company were achieving in 2001 and therefore, the company is likely to recapture its lost sales and reach the 2005 targets. Use the Percentage Sales Method and a 20% increase in sales to forecast Micro Chip's Consolidated Statement of Operations for the period September 26, 2004 through September 25, 2005. Assume a 15% tax rate and restructuring costs of 2% of the new sales figure.

Research proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Research Proposal Example In addition, this means that it has to involve the teachers in such a manner that the teachers are able to engage in the science practices in a much more detailed level. As a background to this, knowledge and skill in scientific inquiry has been a fundamental reform movement in science education according to the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Various documents, such as the 2012 National Research Council publication on Framework for K-12 Science Education identifies the various major scientific concepts and principles that a student is expected to grasp by the end of high school. Consequently, this forms the basis upon which the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) is structured. Therefore, the NGSS seeks to better engage students in the learning process consequently facilitating their more active exploration of the core scientific ideas and theories. Proper scientific understanding highlights the level of impact that the education system has had on an individual. These include essential knowledge and skills such as the possession of the ability to formulate scientific hypotheses, produce explanations, design and conduct experiments, gather and analyze data, and the general ability to communicate and reflect about the findings. Enabling all this calls for the teachers involved to have specific skills particularly geared towards the successful teaching of science to generate scientific knowledge. This forms the basis for the NRC framework that idealizes the development of a scientific-based approach among teachers to emphasize the practice of skills in addition to just acquiring them. This calls for teachers to engage in scientific enquiry practices such as asking questions, developing and using models, planning and carrying out investigations, analyzing and interpreting data, using mathematics and computational thinking, constructing explanations, engaging in argument from evidence, and obtaining, evaluating, and

Romeo and Juliet - Zeffirelli and Luhrmann Essay Example for Free

Romeo and Juliet Zeffirelli and Luhrmann Essay The two main film interpretations of Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet are Zeffirellis, made in 1968, and Luhrmanns, made in 1997. Although they use the same original script written by Shakespeare, these two films are very different. Zeffirellis is set in the 16th century, at the time when the screenplay would have first been written whereas Luhrmann has set his film in modern time but still using the Shakespearian language. The most popular and well-known scene of Romeo and Juliet is the balcony scene where Romeo and Juliet first declare their love for each other. Luhrmanns version of the balcony scene is started with a shrill crash as Romeo enters the Capulets house and knocks a post to the ground. This gains the audiences attention immediately for the scene. Romeos movements are clumsy and speech is fast-paced and raspy. Romeo escapes outside and awkwardly attempts to climb a vine below Juliets window. The camera pans out frequently to show the view of their entire Capulet estate, this shows the importance of where they are as its a forbidden area for Romeo to be. Romeos inept actions put a brief comical twist into this classic tragedy. From Juliets window, a small figurine of the Virgin Mary can be seen for a short time through the curtains. This has a strong symbolic meaning, showing the contrast between Romeo and Juliets sexual intentions and a sense of purity and religion. It could also be a symbol of warning meant for Romeo and Juliet. When Juliet is first seen in the Lurhmann version, she is the complete opposite of Romeo. Juliet is wearing a flowing white dress, signifying her innocence and inexperience; she delicately exits an elevator and begins to speak her lines with full use of facial expressions, acting confused and stressing the unimportance of names. Romeo jumps out abruptly and the serenity of Juliet looking over her swimming pool is broken by her shocked high-pitched scream. The two fall together into the pool with the same startling affect used at the opening of the balcony scene, grabbing the attention of the audience. The sudden movements are quickly slowed as Romeo and Juliet start to talk. Their words are hurried and there is an obvious need for secrecy which is stressed by the security cameras and guards surrounding the area. Their kisses are romantic and loving but not lacking  passion. Juliet is suddenly struck with fear of being caught with Romeo and with another sudden movement, she leaves the pool. The scene ends romantically and with both Romeo and Juliet feeling happy. Throughout the film, Romeo and Juliet are both on the same level, showing that their characters are equal at this time. The romantic feel is constantly interrupted by sudden movements or noises to keep the audiences concentration, making the film interesting to watch. Zeffirelli starts the balcony scene with Romeo gazing longingly at Juliet who is on her balcony dreamily staring across her garden. Romeos lines are whispered, romantic and spoken very slowly and softly. The scene is shot through the leaves to show the mystery and danger of Romeos being there. The bright light silhouettes Juliets figure like an angel. Juliets dress is low cut and quite revealing making her seem mature and seductive, which is very different to Luhrmanns interpretation of Juliet as his is very innocent. When Juliet first sees Romeo, her actions become quick, rushed and sudden. Juliet spends the entire When Romeo and Juliet share a kiss it is sexually motivated and very passionate. Romeos movements become excited and quick as he swings from trees. The relationship between Romeo and Juliet is very passionate and lustful as opposed to how the relationship was portrayed in Lurhmann. When Juliet decides its time for Romeo to leave, the pace of the film slows once again. The voices become romantic instead of sexual. As Romeo and Juliet part, the camera pans out to show their hands drifting further apart from each other in a slow lethargic movement showing the separation and isolation of Romeo and Juliets character. Zeffirellis film was very serious, stressing on infatuation where as Lurhmanns film was light-hearted and showed real love between Romeo and Juliet.

Police Brutality: A Minority Group Concern Essay -- Use of Excessive Fo

"Relations between the police and minority groups are a continuing problem in many multiracial societies. Surveys consistently document racial differences in perceptions of the police, with minorities more likely than whites to harbor negative views." (Weitzer and Tuch, Race and Perceptions of Police Misconduct, 2004) A great deal of society views law enforcement officers as heroic and honorable individuals, whose main purpose is to protect and serve the community. For many officers, this description is accurate, however for others; violence and brutality against innocent citizens is part of getting the job done. For years, minorities have fallen victim to police brutality based on racial profiling, stereotypes and other unjustifiable reasons that has cost innocent lives. The involvement of officers in police brutality against minority groups causes tainted and negative views on policing. This reduces their ability to protect and serve the community. Police brutality is a violent incident involving an officer and a victim, usually including excessive force, unnecessary violence and sometimes resulting in a senseless fatality. Minority groups such as African Americans and Hispanics have often been the victims of this form of abuse by officers, however little justice has been done in order to protect these individuals from this form of cruelty by the hands of those with the most power. For many individuals, police brutality is a non-existent matter because it does not directly affect them or the community in which they live. Yet for others, this is an everyday occurrence and few limitations have been set as to what is unjust and malicious behavior of an officer towards the public, therefore, several officers are rarel... ..., 747-763. Simmons, K. C. (2008). The Politics of Policing: Ensuring Stakeholder Collaboration in the Federal Reform of Local Law Enforcement Agencies. The Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology (1973- ), 98(2), 489-246. Smith, B. W. & Holmes, M. D. (2003). Community Accountability, Minority Threat, and Police Brutality: An Examination of Civil Rights Criminal Complaints. Criminology, 41(4), 1035-1063. Tyler, T. (2005). Policing in Black and White: Ethnic Group Differences in Trust and Confidence in the Police. Police Quarterly, 8(3), 322-342. Weitzer, R. and Tuch, S. (2004) Race and Perceptions of Police Misconduct. Society for the Study of Social Problems, Inc. SOCIAL PROBLEMS, Vol. 51, No. 3, pages 305–325. ISSN: 0037-7791; online ISSN: 1533-8533 Web. 4 Sept. 2015. http://web.missouri.edu/~jlfm89/Race%20Perceptions%20of%20Police%20Misconduct.pdf

European Government and Politics Essay

The political system in Britain has seen the dominance of two parties and hence traditionally, Britain has a bi-party system. The Conservative Party, also known as the ‘Tories’ has existed since the 17th century while the present Labour Party has existed since the 20th century. Earlier, the principal opposition to the Conservatives was the Liberal Party, which later merged with the Social Democratic Party, forming the Liberal Democrats. Although Britain has a bi-party system, there are a number of other parties and the Liberal Democrats form the third largest party. The Conservative Party has been extreme rightist in political terms, in favour of complete privatization. This was particularly prominent during the Prime Minister-ship of Margaret Thatcher who came to power defeating the Labour Party in 1979. Under the Conservative leadership of Thatcher and subsequently John Major, the government followed policies of privatization and monetarism. The two policies were together known as Thatcherism. The Labour Party on the other hand belongs to the leftist orientation. In recent years however, it is adopting a more centre-left approach. Although the Labour has functioned since 1906, it came into prominence in the post World War II scenario with electoral win in 1945. however, the Labour went into opposition during 1951-1964 and 1979-1997. the Social Democratic Party was formed as a break away party by right-wing Labour MP’s. under the leadership of Tony Blair, the policies of the Labour Party were changed considerably. Political parties first appeared in Britain during the English Civil Wars of 1640 and 1650. among the first political parties in Britain were the Royalists and Parliamentarians, after that came the Tories (who were the patriotic party) and the Whigs (who wanted to reduce monarchical powers). The Conservative Party holds the claim to being the largest political party in the world. Apart from the two dominant parties and the third largest party, there are a number of other parties that function within the political milieu of Britain. These parties are – the UK Independence party, the Green Party, the Plaid Cymru (belonging to Wales) the Socialist Nationalist Party, the Sinn Fein and the Democratic Unionist Party. However, it is the Labour and the Conservatives who are taken into account broadly, during the elections. The party which secures a majority of the votes polled is called upon to form the government and the leader of the winning party becomes the prime minister of Britain. Since the parliamentary form of government prevails in the UK, there is one real executive, the prime minister and the one nominal executive, the monarch. Also, the executive works in close collaboration with the legislative, with the prime minister’s Cabinet being formed by people who are members of the legislature. The grounds on which the major parties share similar views are – a free market economy, rule of law, nationalized health services and regarding Britain’s membership of the European Union and the NATO. However, the factors on which these parties are divided are taxation laws, dealing with poverty, the extent of state intervention in the economy and how to strike a balance between individual and collective rights. Although the politics and electoral process of the UK appears to be simple and straight forward, there has been one or two occasions when things were not as simple. For instance, in the 1951 and 1974 elections, the party with the fewer votes secured more seats in the polls. It shows that politics is unpredictable even in an apparently straight-jacketed political system having a political tradition that goes back hundreds of years. Germany : Politics in Germany or the political system in Germany is very different from that existing in both Britain. While there is a bi-party system in Britain, Germany is largely a multi-party system. However, unlike the multi-party political systems existing in other countries of the world, the German one is a ‘dominant multi-party system’, that is, politics is dominated to a great extent by two parties despite greater representation provided by other parties. Also, where as the political system in Britain has been in existence for centuries with minor changes over the years, the German political system is rather recent. The political system in Germany has been through two major shifts. Firstly, since its inception in its present form in 1949, German politics was dominated by the communist forces in the area under Russian control and the non-communist forces in the area jointly held by Britain, France and the US. The second shift occurred in 1990 when Britain, France, US and Russia withdrew from the country. Despite the second shift, the dominance of the Socialist Democratic Party and the Christian Democratic Union often in alliance with the Christian Socialist Union, both in existence since 1949, is there still. Nevertheless, since there are other parties and fragmented or multi-party representation, it has never been possible for either the SDP or the CDU/CSU to win a complete majority in the elections. It is at this juncture that the role of the other parties assumes importance because the support of these parties to either the SDP or the CDU helps form the coalition government. Germany therefore, is an example of perpetual coalition politics. The other parties include the Free Democratic Party, the Left Party and the Alliance 90 or The Greens. The centre-right is represented by the CDU/CSU and the centre-left by the SDP. The SDP and the Greens were in a coalition government from 1998-2005, after a sixteen year long government of Helmut Kohl, which was toppled by the grand coalition between the CDU/CSU and the SDP since 2005. SDP registered its lowest results since World War II in the wake of sweeping labour reforms that were announced in Agenda 2010. One important characteristic of German politics is the fact that funds for elections are essentially drawn from the public purse. The current Chancellor of Germany is Angela Merkel who had become the first female chancellor after winning the 2005 elections. France : The French political system is probably one of the most colourful political systems in the world in that it has a vibrant history. The left wing in France has gone through several phases starting with the Anarchists, Revolutionaries and Reformists of the early 19th century giving way to further splits in the post World War I period. Three broad divisions of the Old Left, the New Left and the Centre-left can be drawn today. The New Anticapitalist Party has been the culmination of the fragmented left in France and seeks to bring about a unity between the various bifurcations of the French left. The right wing can also be classified into three broad clusters of the Legitimists, the Orleanists and the Bonapartists. The dominant issue in French politics is that of the extent of government intervention in the economy. Naturally, the liberals are in favour of free market while the socialists prefer a limited governmental intervention and a welfare society. The political sphere comprises two parts – the left wing represented mainly by the French Socialist Party and the right wing represented previously by the Rassemblement pour la Republique (RPR) and presently by the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) which is neo-Gaullist in approach. The constitution of the Fifth Republic has transformed to a great deal over the years with further institutional reforms on the cards. The people have been influenced by the left wing for years but following trends of globalization, the left has found it difficult to hold its ground. Like in Germany, coalition governments have more often than not been the order of the day. In the end, one can conclude that while multi-party systems offer more representation, bi-party systems are more stable. Also, ideological differences are in most cases not rigid as has been demonstrated over time and can become accommodative according to the demands of the day. References Curtis, Michael & Ammendola, Guiseppe. (2002) Western European Government and Politics. Longman.