Zeitoun Analysis

Marcellus Lopez Mr. Buckley Honors American Literature September 20, 2011 Abdulrahman Zeitoun, Not Clark Kent Zeitoun, a fantastic novel by author Dave Eggers is a heroic tale of faith and courage set during Hurricane Katrina of August 2005, in New Orleans, Louisiana. The hardy protagonist of the chronicle is Abdulrahman Zeitoun, a Syrian man, living in Louisiana with his wife, Kathy, and his three daughters and stepson. Zeitoun, a former sailor, used to storms and seas, at the time of the hurricane owned a contracting business, building, repairing, and painting.Zeitoun's heroism and bravery have made very clear to me that being a hero is †¦ well, really damned stupid. If not that, then at the very least, being a hero is inadvisable and unwise. Zeitoun went far out of his way to help others in a whirlwind of charity and self-assurance. In doing so, he caused great damage to himself and those closest to him. Zeitoun went above and beyond what was asked of him to assist members of his community, ignoring the one thing asked of him by his worried wife, who demanded he evacuate with her and the family.Just as he had gotten into the momentum of routinely feeding some dogs abandoned by their owners daily, Zeitoun was arrested under false charges, rendering him unable to contact Kathy. His absence left his family distressed and disoriented. Kathy panicked hour by hour, praying to hear from her husband, with no such luck until much later. While Abdulrahman was missing, his family overseas was just as worried about him. His brother would call Kathy, personally urged to bend the truth about her husband's whereabouts. While Zeitoun was imprisoned, his family scrambled to get but a word from, him, not to mention the dogs died.I would stop and think at times in the story, does Zeitoun take the time to assess whether the possible consequences are worth the good he is trying to do? His time in prison shows him reflecting on the good he'd done, as well as praying for a be tter situation, but I do not recall one time at which he says to himself that he definitely should have left New Orleans. Did he not expect at all that in all the paranoia of a critical hurricane in a post-9/11 society that a Middle Eastern Muslim man would be a target for bigotry and used as a scapegoat?Although, his imprisonment was completely unwarranted, along with the charges brought against him and accusations made against him, nothing should have been a surprise to Zeitoun. Zeitoun was either unequipped with the knowledge that this country's ideals of justice are far from perfect and that the executive branch of our government is very prone to quick, harsh decisions and quick, definitive judgments†¦ or just not very thoughtful. The results of Zeitoun's poor decision to stay in New Orleans stuck to Kathy for the rest of what we read of her life in Zeitoun.Kathy's mental healthy was sacrificed all because Zeitoun foolishly remained in the city, with knowledge that a partic ularly dangerous storm was approaching. By the end of the story, I couldn't help but notice how much Abdulrahman's â€Å"courage† and â€Å"faith† resemble naivete. He stayed in New Orleans to ride out Katrina because he was obstinate and over-confident. It's fair to say that having been a sailor, he was rugged enough to handle a hurricane, but with a family and the understanding that many other people get mixed up in the spiraling torrent of a natural disaster, it is also fair to say that he could not have been prepared enough.Zeitoun tells that he felt called by God to help people in the storm, but this, I deduce, was no more than a rush he felt from completing a successful rescue. Everyone wants to be a hero. The sensation of doing good for others does more good for the good-doer than should be done. One of my favorite lyrics says, â€Å"When you help others, you can't help helping yourself. † For a man to be so complacent with an unpredictable force of natur e that he would be willing to let it come and see what happens is indubitably foolish.Abdulrahman refusing to evacuate with his wife very closely resembles a child on a playground, shouting to his mother, â€Å"No, Mommy! I don't wanna go! † Zeitoun, an informative novel by author Dave Eggers is a tale about how faith and â€Å"courage† can really screw things up. The foolhardy protagonist of the chronicle, Abdulrahman Zeitoun, shows us how being over-confident and letting ourselves become too comfortable can lastingly repercuss on the lives of our wife and family. Zeitoun's over-confidence and naivete have made it absolutely clear that trying to be a hero is really damned stupid.

Islamic Banking

[pic] ISLAMIC BANKING: IS IT REALLY â€Å"ISLAMIC†? By: Omar Mustafa Ansari & Faizan Ahmed Memon Is it really Islamic? †¦. In this era of development and growth in Islamic finance and banking, this is a question being raised at every forum by various quarters. All those who raise this question, are undoubtedly well-wishers of Islam, Islamic economic system and Muslim Ummah. Accordingly, while we celebrate the achievements of Islamic banking on one hand, we should not be ignoring the issues and objections being raised by such quarters in order to ensure that we lay the foundations of this industry on strong, straight and acceptable-to-all footings. Objectives Of Islamic Banking Before discussing various objections raised on the present day Islamic banking, we should first try to understand the objectives of Islamic banking, which are as follows: 1. To provide Shariah compliant and prudent banking opportunities; hence providing an opportunity to Muslims to do their banking transactions – a Halal way: In other words, this is just an effort to avoid Riba and other prohibited elements from commercial and banking transactions, in order to ensure that we do â€Å"Nothing-Haram†; and 2. Achieving the goals and objectives of an Islamic economic system. We all can agree that, given the circumstances, the Islamic banking industry is making all efforts to ensure the first objective, while the second objective, although no-less important, is not the prime objective of current-day Islamic banking. History Of Islamic Banking Modern banking system was introduced in Muslim countries at a time when they were politically and economically slave to the western world. The main banks of the western world established their branches and subsidiaries in the Muslim countries and territories to fulfill requirements of foreign business. The Muslim community generally avoided the foreign banks for religious reasons but with the passage of time, it became more and more difficult to engage in trade and other activities without making use of commercial banks. Even then, a large number of Muslims, confined their involvement to transaction activities such as current account or hundred percent cash margin letter of credits. Borrowings from commercial banks or placement the access funds and saving accounts were strictly avoided by practicing Muslims in order to keep away from dealing in interest which is prohibited by Islam. With the passage of time, however, due to increase in cross-border transactions and other socio-economic forces demanding more involvement in national economic and financial activities, avoiding the interaction with the banks became impossible. Local banks were established in Muslim countries (including the names like Muslim Commercial Bank) on the same lines as the interest-based foreign banks and they began to expand within the country bringing the banking system to more and more people. Governments, businesses and individuals began to transact business with the banks, with or without liking it. This state of affairs drew the attention and concern of Muslim intellectuals which gave emergence to the contemporary Islamic banking. By the midst of the last century, many Muslim countries started their efforts to adopt the Islamic economic and banking systems. Many scholars, economist and experienced bankers came with different solutions to initiate the Islamic banking. Those experiences paved the route for modern Islamic banking. Nowadays Islamic financial institutions (IFIs) are spread all over the world including European countries and the United States. In particular these have their significant presence in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, other GCC countries, Malaysia, Sudan and Iran. Who Raise The Questions? Islamic banking is a weak industry†¦. In respect of resources, in respect of knowledge-bases, in respect of trained-knowledgeable-sincere human resources, in respect of availability of commercial options, in respect of state support, as well as, society support, in respect of sincerity of stake-holders and WHAT NOT. With such adverse footings, unfortunately, it really has certain weaknesses which are not only targeted by the enemies, but, are more severally and forcefully attacked by the FRIENDS. As a consequence, the Islamic banking and finance is facing disagreements from various quarters including certain â€Å"revolutionary† Islamic movements, certain â€Å"rigid† and â€Å"hard-core† religious scholars, and â€Å"idealistic† and â€Å"utopian† Islamic economists (without any disrespect to them all). Can Banking Ever Be Really Islamic? The first question is raised mostly by those who either do not have any knowledge about banking, or those who have the courage to evaluate the banking systems from its evolution to its objectives. They feel that the banking per-se is against the very basic concepts of Islam. They feel that just like the fact that there can not be any â€Å"Halal pork† or â€Å"Islamic prostitution†, there can be no â€Å"Halal banking†. This viewpoint is supported by the fact that, particularly in Pakistan, we have already faced a complete disaster in the name of interest-free banking and so-called IFIs particularly including Modarabas. The argument, as to whether Islamic banking is really Islamic, has two different facets. The first one is that whatever is being performed in the name of Islamic banking is apparently quite similar to the operations of a conventional financial institution hence creates doubts in people’s mind, as to on what grounds we can call it Islamic? So they feel that it is merely a change in name and documents and in fact, it is nothing different from conventional banking. The second facet of this question is more important nd deals with the socio-economic factors associated with the overall Islamic financial system. Due to significance of these objections, we will discuss these two issues before looking for other arguments. Merely A Change In Name And Documents The most common and most discussed argument against contemporary Islamic banking is that there is â€Å"NO DIFFERENCE AT ALL† between the conventional banking and Islamic banking and this is merely a change of name and doc uments. The second argument, which is in-fact a derivative of the first argument, is that even in Islamic banking, the most common products being used e. g. Murabaha, Musawwama, Salam, Istisna, diminishing Musharaka and Ijara Muntahia Bittamleek are on fixed return basis. Even the Musharaka and Modaraba based products are engineered in a way that the profits are â€Å"virtually-fixed†. One should realize the fact that unless we can distinguish an Islamic bank from a conventional bank, it would be difficult for any of us to rely on the same. Particularly, it is observed that they try to make sure that their product is similar to the conventional products in all respects, even if for that purpose they have to incorporate a few provisions in these products which are not considered to be good or a few of them are considered Makrooh. In addition, their endeavors are focused towards minimization of their risk through every possible option and accordingly, the essence of Islamic finance which is based on risk taking is killed. We can note that most IFIs market their products on the models very much similar to those used by the conventional banks. As an example, an Ijara Muntahia Bittamleek transaction introduced by an IFI might be very similar to a finance lease transaction offered by a conventional leasing company, except for a difference of Takaful / insurance cost which in Islamic mode is to be borne by the lessee and accordingly, the same is built-in the rentals. The basic reason behind this similarity is to ensure three objectives. The first one, which is more important one, is to provide an â€Å"even playing ground† to the IFIs in order to ensure their survival in the overall banking system. The second one, is that even by IFIs, it has to be ensured that their shareholders and depositors get some return and preferably a return equivalent to those of conventional banks. And the third reason is to avoid arbitrage amongst Islamic and conventional financial systems which may be exploited by a few big-guns to get the benefit of the pricing difference between the two parallel financial systems. For such reason, time value of money concept is used for performance measurement and pricing of financial products. Most importantly, it should be kept in mind that in some areas Haram and Halal have a very small difference. For an example, only saying the name of Allah Almighty on an animal at the time of slaughter makes it Halal and permissible while by not saying that name we make it Haram or by just a few words of acceptance in Nikah, in presence of a few persons, a man and woman become Halal for each other. Similarly, if a transaction can be engineered in a way that the same becomes Shariah compliant, then we should not conclude that the same is Haram only due to its resemblance with the interest based financing. It is also pertinent to note that since the Islamic financial services sector is in its infancy phase, as compared to the conventional banking, we unfortunately have to follow the conventional system in the pattern of financial products and are still not in a position to invent absolutely new financial services. During the last few centuries, the conventional banking system has well read the human needs and psychology and has invented a considerable number of financial products and accordingly, it is not simple to just invent a new financial tool just for the purpose of inventing one. For example, if they have running finance and overdraft as a financing tool, we have invented an alternate to the same in form of Istijrar with Murabaha or Musharaka based running finance model. Similarly, if they use finance leases as a financing tool, we have converted the same in a Shariah compliant form in form of Ijara Muntahia Bittamleek or in form of Diminishing Musharaka. These are only two examples, but the tally is practically very high and for each interest based financial product except for those explicitly Haram, more than one alternates have been engineered. The objective of this discussion was just to emphasize that merely an amortization schedule similar to the one offered by a conventional bank, is not a basis for declaring a Halal product to be Haram. If just a pricing model or just the similarity of a cash-flow model makes the transaction Haram, what you will say regarding a conventional loan offered at a price much higher or much lower than the market prevailing rates for which the pricing model and the cash-flow model are not similar to those generally applied in the industry. Does anybody think that such dissimilarity will make it Halal? Accordingly, from Shariah principles it is rightly concluded that it is the substance of a transaction what makes it Halal or Haram and not a pricing model used to price the transaction or the cash-flow model used for the payments and repayments in monetary terms. Socio-Economic Effects Of Islamic Banking And Finance Second most significant argument from such group, predominantly by certain Islamic economists and certain Islamic revolutionary movements, is about the socio-economic factors of Islamic banking. They feel that since Islamic banking is also based on profit motive and in present form, it generally works on â€Å"virtually-fixed† return basis; hence the same cannot attribute anything-positive towards the socio-economic changes that Islam desires. This is a crucial question and, we believe that, every conscious Muslim will concur with the concerns of those who raise the same, although the conclusions derived by different people might vary. Nobody can argue that virtually-fixed return based banking, although being Shariah compliant, is not what has been desired by Islam as a complete way of living. In addition, the current-day Islamic banking is emphasizing more on consumer finance as compared to financing to SME sector, agricultural sector, and more importantly, on the micro-finance; hence, it is not contributing enough towards the â€Å"just and equitable monetary system† that Islam needs. Having due regard for these arguments, may we remind you that that the Islamic economic system is not something that can work in isolation of the geo-political and legislative system, as well as, and more importantly the society’s behavior towards the injunctions of Islamic Shariah in personal and collective matters. Accordingly, one can easily imagine that in an economy whereby most of the businessmen are not honest in fairly presenting the financial statements of their businesses, how difficult it is to introduce a profit and loss sharing based financial solution. Similarly, in most of the cases payment of Zakat and Sadaqat depends on the individual and particularly, in view of the gigantic volume of the black economy in the country, what can be expected even if a good system for Zakat and Ushr is introduced? It needs to be emphasized that only the change in banking system is not a solution to the overall revolution of economic system unless other facets of Islamic economic system, as well as, Islamic social system are not implemented simultaneously. Accordingly, the complete transition of economy to an Islamic economic system can be performed, when and only when, the overall consensus of the society is developed towards practical application of Shariah in all the facets of human life, particularly including the governmental, political and legislative structures. Despite such an unsatisfactory and rather discouraging attitude of the society towards application of Islamic Shariah, it should be noted that such a situation do not relieve a Muslim from the applicability of Shariah principles, but rather increases his responsibilities in the way that it becomes his duty not only to try to abide by all applicable Shariah requirements in his personal capacity but also to put his endeavors towards improvement in such system. Consequently, in case the Islamic banking, in your opinion, is not contributing enough towards betterment of society, you cannot blame the same alone. The responsibilities of the Muslim Ummah as a whole (or of the State) can not be expected to be borne by a single sector only, which, at this point of time is in its infancy stages. Is It Heela Banking? This is a general discussion at various forums that contemporary Islamic banking is based on Heelas. From Shariah perspective, a Heela is an option utilized to disobey the divine guidance through engineering the circumstances and playing with the facts and intentions. Having an insight into the industry, one can not disagree with this argument to certain extent, as it has been observed in a number of cases that in-fact, certain transactions are practically applied on this basis. Having said that; this argument should, however, not be used to blame the entire industry. We should acknowledge that the foundations of the industry have been built using the pillars which are directly derived from the Holy Quran, Sunnah and Fiqh. It is worth-noting that mostly, a Heela is applied in the â€Å"execution of a transaction† rather than â€Å"designing of a transaction†. In other words, we can safely conclude that application of Heelas in Islamic banking is not a weakness in the theories of Islamic banking, but actually is a matter of misuse / misinterpretation of basic Shariah guidance in respect of various Shariah compliant financial transactions. Accordingly, it needs to be emphasized that in order to support the growth of Islamic banking and finance on right footings, we need to strengthen the Shariah compliance mechanism for the industry. In addition, in the longer run, we need to eliminate the Islamic financial products which have the potential of misuse. Use Of Interest-Rate As Benchmark; Is It Halal? Critics, including scholars, as well as, economists, strongly condemn that most of IFIs while providing financing by way of any of the â€Å"Halal† transactions, determine their profit rate on the basis of the current interest-rate benchmarks prevailing in the conventional money market. Scholars are of the view that by applying these benchmarks, the Islamic banking industry makes their transactions â€Å"similar† to interest-based transactions and as a consequence, these transactions become doubtful from Shariah point-of-view. Economists feel further issues and that and are of he view that this thing makes these financial institutions a part of the prevailing capitalistic economic systems, hence this sort of transactions are absolutely not desirable by Islam. Here it would be worthwhile to have a look on the arguments by the Islamic banking for better understanding of the pricing issue. They generally give examples like; s uppose you enter into a supermarket in UK and see that the pork, the beef and the Halal beef are all being sold for GBP 2 per kg. Do you think that this similarity of price or the fact that these products are being sold under the same roof renders the Halal beef as Haram? Or for example; in the same superstore you note that they are using the same balance for weighing these three types of meat. Do you think that using the same balance will render the Halal beef, as Haram? If not, then we should better understand the principle that it is the substance and legal form of the transaction that makes it Halal or Haram and not its pricing, rate or the cash-flow model or the institution, or even the environment that offers such transaction. This issue, however, needs to be addressed by the government, as well as, the market players. A strong Islamic inter-bank market will InshaAllah provide us opportunities to develop our own benchmarks for Islamic banking operations. Dealing of Islamic Banks with Conventional Banks Another strong argument against Islamic banking is against dealing with conventional banks. These dealings are of two types i. e. sharing of services and commercial transactions. As far as services are concerned, where the Islamic Banks are facilitating the foreign businesses of their customer or helping out their customers to transfer the money from safe channels. For these services, the remuneration or expense of Islamic banks is service charges which are allowed by Shariah jurists, although they recommend that such interaction should be avoided wherever IFIs are available. The second argument which is much strong is regarding the commercial transactions with conventional financial institutions. These transactions generally relate to the treasury side of the Bank whereby either the IFIs place their excess liquidity with the conventional banks or obtain financings from them to meet their own liquidity requirements. For placement of funds with conventional banks most of Islamic banks in Pakistan are using the product of Commodity Murabaha or they invest in certain â€Å"Halal assets† of the conventional financial institutions. On the other hand, they normally obtain financings from the conventional banks on the basis of profit and loss sharing, although the profit rates are once again â€Å"virtually-fixed†. Although, most of the Shariah scholars have allowed these transactions duly considering the Shariah requirements, however, nobody can argue that it is a must to avoid all such transactions. For this purpose, however, we need to strengthen the Islamic inter-bank market and to provide further liquidity management options to the IFIs particularly, in form of strong Shariah-compliant government securities and a stable capital market with plenty of Halal investment options available. All dealings with conventional financial institutions should remain limited to the necessities which reach the extremes of compulsion. Cost Of Being A Muslim Those who have bad memories of dealing with Islamic banks are in front-line of critics with this remark. People feel that there are serious doubts on the honesty and integrity of IFIs. They feel that these Banks are using the name of Islam to earn a few bucks more as compared to the conventional banks or rather they are exploiting the faith of Muslims by charging them, the â€Å"cost of being a Muslim†. On the financing side, they charge higher than conventional banks. In other words, internal rate of return on Islamic financial products is higher than the conventional products. On the contrary, it is observed that on the deposit sides they pay less as compared to the conventional banks. In addition, it is generally observed that the expected rates, as well as, the actual rates of return offered by these financial institutions are fairly equivalent to (generally slightly less than) the rates being offered by conventional financial institutions. A justification against the first argument is that since IFIs are subject to the commodity risk, asset destruction and holding risks and the price risk, as well as their relevant costs e. g. Takaful expenses, in addition to the risks and costs that a bank faces, they are justified in their demand i. e. higher internal rate of return. Nevertheless, financial experts have generally felt that even if these factors are considered, the pricing by these Banks is on the higher side. On the other side, in a profit and loss based model, it is agreeable that they assign weightage to different types of deposits in a manner that the total return on investment and financing pools is allocated amongst various depositors and the Bank (working as a partner). Even then, it is generally noted that IFIs are paying less than the market. We can only hope that in near future, with increasing competition in the Islamic banking industry, this effect will minimize because of market-forces except to the extent of pricing against actual additional risk elements. Marketing Approach Of IFIs Another valid argument is about the marketing approach being used by these financial institutions, which adversely effects the public reliance on this mode. People raising objections on the marketing approach of IFIs have two grounds for the same. The first one is the general marketing approach being applied by the a few IFIs which include advertisement and other publicity materials including involvement of women and traditional marketing and advertisement styles for promotion of â€Å"Islamic† banking business. Second ground is the marketing strategy in which sometimes it is felt that false statements are made for promotional purposes. An example of the same is the claim by a leading Islamic bank that all its day to day activities are monitored by its Shariah Advisor. Just imagine, if it is humanly possible, that a part time Shariah Advisor can look after all day to day activities of a full fledged bank with a number of branches even located at other cities. Another example is the claim by an Islamic mutual fund that it is the first one of its kind in the country, whereas another fund was operating in the country for around one year earlier to subscription for such mutual fund. They Don’t Look Like Islamic Once you enter into a glittering branch or office of an IFI, generally you do not feel any difference with a conventional bank. This issue is raised particularly by the blend of people who feel that once they enter into such location, it should look like a sacred place instead of a commercial office. You generally feel that they have over-spent on the furniture, interior-decoration and publicity stuff, which apparently, is against the injunctions of Islam. This impression is further strengthened when you see the overall environment, the dealing style of personnel and most significantly, you feel (in most of the cases) that there are ladies working for the organization without Hijab or even â€Å"appropriate attire† (in line with the dress-code of a Muslim woman as defined by Shariah). Although a few â€Å"moderate-enlightened† Muslims will not like this objection at all, nevertheless, it should be kept in mind that a common Muslim cannot digest â€Å"Islamic† banking while he feels that other factors of business are not really Islamic. We can’t argue with these objections as these have due weightage in them and the management of IFIs should take these objections seriously. However, we should keep in mind that the prime objective of Islamic finance, is to ensure that â€Å"financial† matters are dealt with in line with Islamic Shariah. In other words, environment does not make anything Haram. Needless to mention, from Shariah perspective, you can always buy a Halal product from a store where everything else is Haram although the same needs to be avoided if other options are available. Islamic Bankers – Don’t Know Islamic Banking This argument, once again, has key significance from the perspective of the overall control environment of these banks with regard to the applicability of Shariah principles. Particularly, it is astonishing when you deal with an Islamic banker, who knows very little about Islamic banking, but unfortunately, this is not very uncommon. The prime cause behind this issue is the fact that most of the IFIs have hired the conventional bankers and generally no or very little consideration is awarded to ensure that they are well conversant with the Shariah requirements with regard to the modes of finance being used by these Banks. Similarly, the IFIs do not spend enough on their resource-building for Shariah compliance and training of their staff, in comparison to what they spend for marketing. Having experience of training â€Å"Islamic Bankers†, as well as, performing Shariah compliance reviews, we may safely conclude that, this objection is not without substance. This accordingly, is a strongest need that the IFIs should allocate more and more resources for staff training and Shariah compliance. Monopoly Of Shariah Advisors Another objection is regarding the appointment of Shariah Boards and Shariah Advisors. People have largely noted and discussed at various forums that the major contribution in this field in Pakistan is limited to a very small group of jurists most of whom relate to a single family and their pupils (a single religious university). Besides this, another question is also being raised that generally the honorariums, consultancy fee and other benefits being offered to such jurists by the IFIs in Pakistan, as well as, abroad are quite high and this may jeopardize their independence. In addition, it is felt that they are the only ones who are whole and sole responsible for Shariah compliance. They approve the products, they review the transactions and in the end; they perform Shariah audit themselves, which is, however, an indicative of a conflict of interest (without any doubt on their personal independence and integrity). Most of the people conversant with the business and operations of Islamic finance do not agree with this observation, because the contribution of these people to the industry as a whole is remarkable and they deserve even more than that based on their contribution and efforts in the promotion of this industry. The general concept that a â€Å"Moulvi† should be paid the minimum for his life, is not justifiable. If you are getting benefits from their efforts, their knowledge and skills, then they should be justifiably rewarded. Having said that, it is always agreeable that it is the right time that contributions from jurist from other schools of thought should also be sought and they should necessarily be provided opportunities to enter into the field. For this purpose, it is a good proposition from the State Bank that a jurist should not be allowed to hold more than one remunerative position as a Shariah Advisor or member of a Shariah Board. This will ensure that fresh blood gets an option to enter into the field which will eventually improve the overall Shariah compliance in the field, as well as, will help these institutions to innovate fresh products. IFIs Use Conventional Insurance A valid objection; can’t argue with that. It was a real issue that according to the legal requirements, as well as, derived from real â€Å"compulsion†, the banks were required to obtain insurance coverage from conventional insurance companies and this practice was allowed by the Shariah Advisors to the extent of compulsion only. This situation, Alhamdolillah has changed after introduction of Islamic mode of insurance (Takaful) in Pakistani market. Unfortunately, there are a still IFIs who have not yet switched to Takaful while to-date three Takaful companies and a family Takaful company have commenced operations in Pakistan and now this lame excuse of compulsion can not be exercised anymore. Now it’s high time that the State Bank and the Shariah Advisors should take strong steps to ensure that no business is iven by the IFIs to any conventional insurance company either in respect of owned assets, or against assets held under security. Should We Still Prefer Islamic Banking? As a conclusion to this debate, we may say that we are required by our religion to implement a complete Islamic way of living in our individual and collective lives and the society and the government as well. The Islamic banking and financial system is a part of such system and is not construed to be applicable in isolation while o ther laws and customs repugnant to the Shariah requirements are still in force. However, for the sake of our own benefits, in order to avoid interest by ourselves and providing interest-free opportunities to our brothers and sisters in Islam, we should promote and support the Islamic banking and finance in the country with all our possible efforts and endeavors. We should not try to pull legs of an infant who is just trying to take his first step towards a long journey to go. However, we should try to ensure that he commences his journey on the right way, with strong footings. Such Islamic banking, may not be termed as perfect, but can provide us with a shelter from interest based transactions for the time being, and might support us in augmenting a truly Islamic financial system, and more appropriately said, will serve as an experiment for the time when we will really be in a position to the implement the complete Islamic way of living in our beloved country. May Allah Almighty bestow us his blessings and enable us to evolve a complete system of life in accordance with the principles of life provided by the Holy Quran and the Holy Prophet (SAAWS). May Allah accept our efforts and forgive us for our mistakes in this field in our individual capacities, as well as, as a society. About Omar & Faizan: Omar is a Chartered Accountant by profession, and is presently working as Partner – Islamic Financial Services Group with Ford Rhodes Sidat Hyder & Co. (A member firm of Ernst & Young Global Limited). Omar enjoys vast experience in audit, Shariah compliance and providing related services to Islamic finance industry in Pakistan. He is author of a Book on Islamic finance namely â€Å"Managing Finances – A Shariah Compliant Way†. Faizan holds experience in the field of Shariah audits and product development. In past, he has worked with a leading Islamic bank as Shariah Coordinator and Shariah Auditor. Presently, he is working with Ford Rhodes Sidat Hyder & Co. as Manager – Islamic Financial Services. [pic][pic]

Fall Of Rome CCOT Essay

Rome fell due to a plethora Of reasons such as economic instability and succession issues. However, a major factor that contributed to the fall of Rome was the invasion of the Germanic tribes. The Germanic tribes were outside invaders who attacked the borders of the Roman Empire and created political disruption which inevitably lead to the fall of Rome. In 200 CE, Rome was at its height. But after the fall of Rome, Europe turned to feudalism. After the fall of Rome in 476 CE, Europe socially stayed the same. In 200 CE, Rome was socially stratified, meaning that it was hierarchical with people in different classes.At the top were the king and his patricians. Then, there were the nobles. Subsequently, there was the merchant class. And finally, at the bottom of the social hierarchy, there were the common people who included freed men and women, and slaves. Rome was also patriarchal, meaning that the father or man in a family or clan was supreme. In other words, men were superior to wome n. Thus, women were oppressed in Rome during this period. After the fall of Rome in 476 CE, when Europe turned to feudalism, Rupee's social structure virtually stayed intact.However, women's lives did slightly get better probably because their roles increased as economic conditions worsened. They were most likely needed more often to keep up the barter economy and care for the children and household. Thus, they would have higher roles. Rome flourished politically in 200 CE. The Roman Empire was large and in it was a very strong powerful bureaucracy. Under this empire and bureaucracy, power was centralized and the empire was stable. The Roman law code assured a safe and civilized environment.Also, the empire contained a vast, strong military to protect the region from outside invaders. After the fall of Rome, this region experienced major changes. There was no longer a Roman Empire. Instead, this area turned into feudal Europe as the political system. There was no longer a king, bure aucracy, or someone at the top Of the hierarchy, and so, power was decentralized. The church rose to fill in this gap of leadership and stabilize this Mediterranean area. Politically, very little dated the same because there was no longer a Roman Empire but rather a feudal Europe.Europe probably turned to feudalism because it had no other option now that the political system collapsed. This area desperately needed to regain stability or otherwise turn to anarchy. As a result, Europe would have established a feudal system to prevent that from happening. Economically, agriculture and trade were the basis of Roman economy in 200 CE. They traded with surrounding regions which increased revenue for the Empire. They were also involved in long distance trade with China through he Silk Road.This allowed them to enjoy more luxuries such as silk that they could not create themselves. Overall, they had fair flung trade. After the fall of Rome, this area saw many economic continuities and chang es as it struggled to cope with worsened conditions. A major continuity was that farming and agriculture remained crucial. Trade shrank and became a barter economy which was one of the changes that took place. Some other changes include a more localized economy since cities shrank. Trade also shrank because there was no more long distance trade with the Chinese.Manorial rose and guilds Were developed. Economically, this Mediterranean region experienced changes and continuities alike as a result of the fall of Rome. Agriculture probably remained the basis of economy because it is unlikely that people would abandon their traditional farming techniques which began sedentary life in Europe first of all. Trade would have shrunk because chaos within the country made it very unlikely that they would be connected to foreign countries through trade. They had to get themselves in order before they could do business with other places.Finally, cities shrunk as a direct result of the fall of Rom e and could only be reinstated after stability in Europe was restored. Moreover, the political transformation of the fall of Rome in 476 CE contributed to social, political, and economic continuities and changes in the cultures of the Mediterranean region during the period be;en 200 CE and 1000 CE. Socially, there were still distinct social classes and a patriarchal society but women enjoyed more freedom after the fall of Rome than they did before because their roles would have increased in order to keep up with he barter community.

Data generationQualitive Methods (inclusive education) Essay

Data generationQualitive Methods (inclusive education) - Essay Example Running business is not only keeping organization's website on Internet and driving it simply; It has a full modus operandi that shows the business to consumer; compel them to make business to that organization, upgrading the site as required, etc. Compelling and attracting business is now a day is not a difficult job when people sitting at home can visit the outlet and view the new arriving products. All what attractive for the customer is the layout of the website they are viewing. In the era of Internet technology, many business websites are developed at an expense. People consults the software engineers and spends thousands of money to develop one upon one latest websites and put in the best attractive text. But now as technology is advancing day-by-day and letting people stay in comfort these all development is getting more progressing. Few days back, database designing is extreme difficult; but now software engineers provided number of templates to use them. Similarly, websites like www.godaddy.com, www.webspawner.com, www.homestead.com, etc. allows the businessman to create their own websites in few minutes by answering few questions and selecting few things in fewer amounts. Though creation of website left no difficult now a days. On other hand, part of business software are also available on compact discs and can be mould with respect to the business requirements by few selections and answering few questions. The engineers can only prepare Different big organizational software that controls and manages all sections and departments of business but are much costly. Though usage of software are easy to go with for the public. Difficulties for software engineers and though grows up as business man just know what they are doing manually and want in the software or website. But Software engineers know hoe to do the things. They go and analyze the structure by themselves ask number of questions but get the answers of less than fifty percent of them. This analyzing is then move forward for the process of development. The nice structure and outlook of the software is required for later upgrading or maintenance and though the developers design them efficiently. Few years back, making the front end can only be possible by writing codes for each and every agent of the graphical interface. But today numbers of Integrated Development Environment (IDE) are being established. IDEs like Netbeans, Jbuilder, Eclipse, etc. all supports the designing of the front-end interfaces by dragging the components through mouse and placing them in appropriate place. All the component related coding for its look and feel as well as i t's handling of different events are generated automatically. This helps the designer to just code the business logic and makes the development of years in few days. The process forwards to the Quality Assurance people where they test the software. For testing a lot data is required to verify different operations and a data entry person, the developers or the quality assurance engineers themselves do this manually. As Information Technology is opening the way to step forward in every field, similarly it's opening a way to data generation. Data that can be generated itself in database tables so that it can be easy and helpful for the developers and engineers to test the software on its way of development. All through the life cycle of software, Data generation is done on any

Discourse-Specific Narrative Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Discourse-Specific Narrative - Essay Example This essay discusses my literacy history and how it has been developed as a scholar through discourse communities and sponsors during my past and present experiences in reading, writing, research, and critical thinking experiences that await you in the discourse community particular to your major or career. Research demonstrates accounts of literacy attainment as well as language learning, also shows literacy teaching practices, development processes and writing struggles among scholars (Casanave and Vandrick 17). Such philosophical studies have resulted in creating considerable benefits to interested parties by permitting them to explore the scholar’s experiences in some detail (Bruner 105). The relationship between learning and literacy has been highlighted by many researchers. (Devereux and Wilson 124) affirm that the development of an array of literacy practices necessary for a particular discourse community, for example teachers, is crucial because of the close relationship between learning and literacy since scholars need to be able interpret a text, create meaning from it, know the relationships between text structure and function, draw conclusions, and develop the ability to critically think. According to these authors (Devereaux and Wilson) one of the most significant challenges for educators in is to develop forms of learning support that will present students with opportunities to develop their understanding of relevant concepts through literacy. My literacy experience started back at home. Most of my foundation literacy skills came from my family and close friends. My parents instructed me at home during my early schooling years. I remember my parents holding up using a portable blackboard to write simple vowels. I can memorize her voice repeatedly saying A, E, I, O, U. putting all this information in my head was boring and recurring at the time and that memory of boredom is fixed in my mind permanently. Although I struggled with

Art, Body and Mind through the Works of Marina Abramovic Essay

Art, Body and Mind through the Works of Marina Abramovic - Essay Example The essay "Art, Body and Mind through the Works of Marina Abramovic" concerns the art of Marina Abramovic. The perspective, which Abramovic has built, is based on pushing the limits of space to redefine expressions of the mind. This research paper will examine how Abramovic has changed her physical space to represents the mental aspects of performance and to create a sense of symbolism with the arts used. This will be further explored by understanding the various perspectives and angles that Abramovic has considered with the performances. The external influences and environment that Abramovic is in as well as the ways in which she has approached various performances through time to change her philosophy will then create a specific perspective based on something that moves beyond the culture and becomes a part of expressing the existence of the mind. This paper will first discuss the ways in which Abramovic was influenced, specifically during her earlier years and childhood. This exam ination will be used to understand how Abramovic began working with later performances and what concepts continue to be associated with her works. There will then be an overview of the philosophers that have influenced Abramovic and how these philosophies continue to be a part of the narrative of performances by the artist. The examination of outside philosophers will link directly to the thought processes that are used in each performance. This will lead to an understanding of how Abramovic trains for a performance.... The external influences and environment that Abramovic is in as well as the ways in which she has approached various performances through time to change her philosophy will then create a specific perspective based on something that moves beyond the culture and becomes a part of expressing the existence of the mind. This paper will first discuss the ways in which Abramovic was influenced, specifically during her earlier years and childhood. This examination will be used to understand how Abramovic began working with later performances and what concepts continue to be associated with her works. There will then be an overview of the philosophers that have influenced Abramovic and how these philosophies continue to be a part of the narrative of performances by the artist. The examination of outside philosophers will link directly to the thought processes that are used in each performance. This will lead to an understanding of how Abramovic trains and prepares for a performance and how th is is associated with the end results in each of the performances. There will then be sections based on the philosophies of Abramovic. The first examination will be of the perceptions of the mind and how the challenge of Abramovic is to let go of bodily limitations. The concept will be to understand how Abramovic believes that the body is one which can be pushed outside of what is physically expected, specifically which is dependent on the mind. The second philosophy examined will be the idea of pain and dying that is displayed in the performances by Abramovic. The third philosophy will be the concept of the mirror, which Abramovic incorporates into her performances with interactions from the audience. There will also be a section on the other

How have ideas of realism been conceptualized and put into practice by Essay

How have ideas of realism been conceptualized and put into practice by filmakers - Essay Example Not much thought is put on the location and angle of the cameras taking the shots but instead the filming is more or less left to run its course with the cameras just there to capture and take shots . At times which is mostly most of the time, the shots taken end up being not crispy or fine, but this is the intension since it encourages the audience a more involved mental participation since it allows them to explore and appreciate the full complexity and richness of the shots. Another important thing to note in realist films is the simplicity of its editing which is as much as possible kept to the minimal side this is because it is believed that too much editing influences the audiences interpretation in only one way since a lot of the choices and decisions tend to be made at the editing stage. Good examples of films which are more or less realist in style are documentaries. This is due to the fact that they showcase events that have occurred in the past and they tend to bring out these events in a manner that is understandable by the viewer with minimal if any manipulation in terms of the story line or the artistic part of the film. In this article we are majorly concerned with the Italian and British realism and how their ideas were used in filmmaking. First of all we can define Italia realism as a kind of organization that had a national impact in terms of the films they produced and told to its audience such that they were majorly concerned with what was happening in the society be it the poor and working class relationships, to their day to day life not forgetting the things that affected them as poverty, social injustice just but to name a few. In the British realism case it was more of a movement of rebellion rather that an organization whose main concern was to cut off completely the effects that foreign filmmakers like Hollywood was having on its filmmaking industry. To them it was a means to a cause where they envisioned a time where local concerned and styles would be addressed in filmmaking rather than the normal procedures and styles that the likes of Hollywood had brought out as the order of event. We shall take a look at the various characteristics and properties that entailed neorealism films with the issues such as on location filming instead of studio setups coming up, making of films in a documentary kind of style, use of social content when it came to writing film scripts among other issues like the use of non-professional actors. These are just but a few of the points that shall guide us in the analysis of the same. Also to take note is that in the Italian realism analysis we shall use our case study film as the Bicycle thieves film

Business environment and strategic management Essay

Business environment and strategic management - Essay Example The period between 1990 and 2008 saw a series of activities which were steeped in several factors which include amongst other things; strategic drift, failure to adapt to dominant changes in the external environment, excessive focus on profit maximisation and the desire to hold on to corporate traditions rather than innovate to meet the changes. This paper examines the case of Kodak in relation to strategic management, change management, innovation and strategic responsiveness. It will use six theories to examine the case of Kodak and how it led to the eventual downward spiral of the company. The paper will assess the shortfalls of Kodak in relation to Scenario Analysis, Cultural Web, Strategic Drift, Pascale's Excess Theory, Schumpeter's conception of Innovation and Marconi's model. Scenario Analysis â€Å"Scenario analysis involves a system of envisioning the movements in the markets by examining a series of possibilities in order to draw alternative plans to meet them.† (Mc Keown, 2006 p68). ... In hat case, another business in the industry that got the variables right in its planning is likely to succeed in the industry ahead of the industry that failed to draw several plans and alter its operations. Cooper cites the example of IBM (2005). In 1980, IBM was on top of the technology game. IBM was a leader in the manufacture and development of computer software and hardware. IBM envisioned in 1980 that by 1990, there would be a total of 275,000 computer users. And since IBM was the market leader, they believed that their estimation was absolute and precise. As such, the top level management which had a centralised system of management and control ensured that there were no deviations from the primary plan. As such, IBM outsourced significant components of the manufacture of personal computers to Intel and Microsoft. IBM did this on the basis that there would be only 275,000 computer users in the coming decade. Due to that, they focused on other ventures and other manufacturing contracts in the technological industry that they thought was going to be more profitable. However, the number of computer users increased exponentially. By 1990, there were as many as 60 million personal computer users around the world. This was enormously different from the figure they estimated in 1980. One may ask why IBM did not review their plans about the computer industry because the change was highly significant and if the management had their ears to the ground, they would have realized that things were changing and they would have made changes. Cooper identifies some key pointers that led to the downfall of IBM and they are all steeped in the failure to undertake

Why do I want to become a U.S Parks Police officer Essay

Why do I want to become a U.S Parks Police officer - Essay Example Moreover, it maintains fairness and accountability in all its endeavors. Personal conduct and ethical behavior constitute its fundamental principles; and as a consequence, it requires all its personnel to maintain the highest standards of conduct (Mission and Value Statement). This extraordinary and truly awe inspiring organization is dedicated to the safeguarding of human life. Furthermore, it provides the excellent service to the public, the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service. Another important feature of this institution is that its personnel hold themselves accountable to each other and the public whom they serve (Mission and Value Statement). The United States Park Police was established in the year 1791, by George Washington, the first president of the US. Its inception was prior to that of the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service. Subsequently, the US Park Police was rendered a branch of the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service. Its jurisdiction extends to all Federal Park Service areas in the US, and specific Federal and State lands. Some of the important areas to which the United States Park Police extends its exemplary services are Washington DC, New York City, San Francisco and the metropolitan areas of California (The United States Park Police). This organization performs several significant duties. For instance, it promotes and implements the objectives and goals of the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service. It achieves this laudable objective by providing exemplary law enforcement, in order to protect human life, national treasures, democratic icons, and natural resources (Mission and Value Statement). I fell under the charm of these blue clad protectors of society at a very early age. Moreover, I had opportunity to see these supermen and superwomen in action, on several occasions.

Brief discussion of Western Civilization Essay Example for Free

Brief discussion of Western Civilization Essay A civilization is usually marked by a growth that can change the ways of the people in a specific time frame and the period after that. The said growth is perfectly exemplified in the western civilization. The Western culture is greatly affected by the highlights of the history. It is influenced by some ideas from the East. The Mesopotamians and Egyptians took part in the encounter of the Greeks and the Persian Empire. Hebrews formed the belief in a single god which is known as the Hebrew monotheism. Still, during the Classical Age of Greece, the Greeks nurtured the social, political and religions aspects of the West. Philosophers like Plato, Socrates, Aristotle and Herodotus were among the few who formed the cornerstones of Greek literacy. Athens followed a democratic civilization while the state of Sparta was a disciplined one. The period was predated by the Hellenistic period in which Greeks and Macedonians built kingdoms after conquering the Persian Empire. During this era, women played roles in politics. The rise of science, culture and arts came into existence. By 8th Century B. C, Rome was brought about by Latin-speaking people. Octavian aided in transforming a government system of a republican institution. The Roman Empire grew became known as one of the largest in the world. Languages in Rome in the present time like French, Spanish, Latin and Portuguese were strongly based on Latin. The Roans concocted a rich culture in law, language and engineering as well. After 200 years, it came to a decline and paved way to the period of Early Middle Ages. The era gave birth to the widespread Religion of Christianity through the works of Paul of Tarsus. Germanic kingdoms also became apparent in the part of Western Europe. The Carolingian Empire was ruled by Charlemagne, a brood of a Germanic tribe who accepted Christianity. Traditions from the classical age, the Germanic tribes and Christianity merged to give identity to the new civilization of Europe. This was threatened by Vikings and Muslims. Fortunately, the civilization was kept intact. By the dawn of the 9th and 10th century, agricultural production was heightened. Trade was also established along with changes in the technology during the High Middle Ages. Cities and banks were also present. When the 14th Century came, the West was plagued by the Black Death. It caused the fall of trade and instigated the difference of the upper and lower classes. A war which ran for a hundred years between the English and the French rattled the political status of Europe. Papacy was also affected in Rome when conflicts between popes occurred. All these are reflected in the arts during the period. Soon after, the Renaissance period which is dubbed as the time for reconstruction created new ways for the West. It was made evident that the Catholic Church is a very important institution. The Western civilization faced rises and falls caused by wars, invaders and other factors. All the events contributed on what the West has in the present civilization today. References: A Review of Western Civilization. Retrieved August 14, 2010 from http://www. wadsworth. com/history_d/templates/student_resources/0534600085_spielvogel/VolumeIIto1550. html

Palliative Care Situation Reflection

Palliative Care Situation Reflection Introduction Reflective practice enables nurses to critically review their actions through a process of thoughtful deliberation about past experiences, in order to learn from them (Tickle 1994; Atkins and Murphy 1995; Bailey 1995; Spalding 1998). Reflection is important since it provides opportunities for learning and continuing professional development (Hinchliff et al. 1993; Spalding 1998). Furthermore, it allows the nurse to better handle future situations and deal more ably with challenging events in everyday clinical practice (Jarvis 1992; Smith 1995). A number of models of reflection have been developed. Gibbs cycle considers the process of reflection as six key stages: (1) description of the event, (2) feelings, (3) evaluation, (4) analysis, (5) conclusion and (6) development of an action plan (Gibbs 1988). In this paper, Gibbs cycle will be used to reflect on an clinical incident that I have experienced which focuses on communication in palliative care and specifically, breaking bad news to a patient and his family. Palliative care is the care of any patient with advanced, incurable disease (Urie et al. 2000). Palliative care involves the management of pain and other disease-related symptoms, and aims to improve quality of life using a holistic approach that incorporates physical, psychological, social and spiritual aspects of care (Urie et al. 2000). Effective communication between nurses and other healthcare professionals, patients, and their families and carers forms a key component of palliative care, particularly when breaking bad news. Research has shown that healthcare professionals cite a number of challenges in communicating effectively, including cultural factors, deciding on the best process of communication and information to deliver, and the difficulty of conveying hope to patients and their carers (de Haes and Teunissen 2005). The NHS Cancer Plan published in 2000 states that: â€Å"the care of all dying patients must improve to the level of the best†, with good communication between healthcare professionals and patients as central to achieving this goal (Department of Health 2000). The Gold Standards Framework (GSF) is a framework designed to ensure a gold standard of care is provided for all patients who are nearing the end of their lives (NHS 2005). There are three stages in this framework: (1) identify, (2) assess and (3) plan, with effective communication a key goal underpinning each of these stages. National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines on improving supportive and palliative care for adults also stresses the value of good face-to-face communication both between healthcare professionals and patients and also inter-professional communication (NICE 2003). This guidance supports the use of the Liverpool Care for the Dying Patient Pathway (2004) which provides a fr amework for improving communication. It is therefore important that nurses develop the required skills to enable them to communicate effectively with patients and carers, and also with other healthcare professionals within the multidisciplinary care team. Reflection using Gibbs cycle (1) Description of the event Mr Smith is a 39 year old father and company director who discovered a testicular swelling. He chose to ignore this, initially because he misinterpreted it as a sports injury, and later because he felt embarrassed about discussing this with a doctor. Nine months later he presented to the emergency admissions unit as he was becoming breathless far more readily than usual, and suffered a constant backache. These symptoms were found to be due to lung metastases and referred pain caused by metastases in the para-aortic lymph nodes. His prognosis was poor and his family were called so that they could be there when he received the diagnosis to help support him. The consultant delivered the news to Mr Smith and his family in a quiet room, with both myself and another staff nurse present. Understandably, both Mr Smith and his family were devastated. (2) Feelings This case has had a huge impact on me. As this was the first time I had attended a case where bad news of this nature had to be broken to the patient and their family, I was naturally apprehensive prior to the event. On seeing the reactions of Mr Smith and his wife to the news, I was unprepared for the strength of my own emotions and found it hard not to cry. Initially, I felt helpless and unable to do anything to help relieve their suffering. I also felt awkward and as if I was intruding at a time when they should be allowed to grieve together privately. However, these feelings quickly passed and were replaced by a desire to do my best to make Mr Smith’s end-of-life care the best possible and provide as much support to both the patient and his family as I could. (3) Evaluation The consultant broke the news to Mr Smith and his family very well and was able to draw on his considerable experience to handle the situation in a professional manner while showing empathy and sensitivity. The choice of a quiet room rather than an open hospital ward provided an ideal environment which afforded Mr Smith privacy to receive the news. The consultant primarily focused on verbal methods to communicate effectively, but also used non-verbal methods, such as sitting down on their level, rather than standing while they sat down; maintaining eye contact with both Mr and Mrs Smith throughout the conversation; using open body language (e.g. not crossing his arms); and using a soft tone of voice. The consultant did not rush in breaking the news and took time to explain Mr Smith’s diagnosis and prognosis, ensuring that what he was saying was understood and providing clarification where necessary. He was also careful not to give unrealistic answers to any difficult questions that were asked and was as optimistic as possible, while still being open and honest. While the consultant was speaking, the other staff nurse observed the reactions of Mr Smith and his family closely to pick up on non-verbal clues to their thoughts and feelings and was quick to step in to place an arm around the shoulders of Mrs Smith when she began to cry which was clearly of great comfort to her. The only negative aspect of the incident was that I felt that having two staff nurses as well as the consultant present was excessive and initially unsettled the family, serving to emphasise the gravity of the situation. (4) Analysis Effective communication As this was the first time I had been involved in a case like this, my role was largely one of observer. Nonetheless, this was still an excellent learning experience and provided me with the opportunity to develop my verbal and non-verbal communication skills through observation. On reflection, I feel that I could have kept my emotions more under control, but I was unprepared for the strength of Mr and Mrs Smith’s response to the news. The consultant played the key role with support from the other staff nurse, both of whom have considerable experience in palliative care. It was clear that hey had already gained the trust of Mr Smith during previous consultations. Trust has been identified as a major factor in establishing successful relationships between healthcare professionals, patients and carers (de Haes and Teunissen 2005), and this enabled more effective, open and honest communication. In palliative care, it is important to relate to the patient on a personal as well as a professional level (Lugton and Kindlen 1999). There should be consistency between verbal and non-verbal communication in order for the healthcare professional to be perceived as genuine (Benjamin 1981). Evidence has shown non-verbal methods of communication to be more powerful than verbal methods (Henley 1973), with listening and eye contact among the most effective forms of non-verbal communication. Touch has also been identified as an important for nurses in certain situations. The consultant relied mainly on verbal communication which may reflect gender-specific differences in communication with men using verbal forms more frequently and women tending to rely more on non-verbal communication methods (Lugton and Kindlen 1999). Observing the other staff nurse readily use touch to comfort Mrs Smith helped the rest of the family to relax and lessened the tension in the room slightly, also breaking down the ‘barrier’ between the healthcare professionals and the patient/family. I observed that the family appeared to view the nurse as a comforter and more approachable than the consultant, a view that continued throughout Mr Smith’s end-of-life care. Although not relevant to this particular case, it is important to acknowledge that effective communication between members of the multidisciplinary palliative care team is also essential. This can be challenging if, for example, team members have differing philosophies of care. One of the key recommendations of the NICE guidelines on palliative care is the implementation of processes to ensure effective inter-personal communication within multidisciplinary teams and other care providers (NICE 2003). During Mr Smith’s end-of-life care, I had to work closely with other members of the care team and there were instances where it was important for me to consider the perspectives of other team members in order to communicate effectively with them. Regular team meetings were beneficial in creating a forum where difficulties could be discussed and solutions to problems found. Reactions to receiving bad news in palliative care After breaking bad news to a patient, healthcare professionals may have to be prepared to deal with a variety of reactions including denial and collusion, and emotional reactions such as anger, guilt and blame. Denial is often a coping mechanism for patients who are unable to face the fact they have a terminal illness but patients will often begin to face reality as their disease progresses over time (Faulkner 1998). Family members and carers may encourage the patient to stay in denial, as this will delay the time when difficult issues have to be faced and discussed. Collusion between healthcare professionals and families/carers to withhold information from the patient is usually viewed as a way to try and protect the patient (Faulkner 1998). However, honest and open discussion with the patient themselves establishes their level of knowledge and understanding and can help to reassure them about their condition and accept reality. Patients and their families and carers often show strong emotional reactions to bad news. Anger may sometimes be misdirected towards the healthcare professional as the bearer of this news, and it is important that the cause of the anger is identified and addressed. Patients may feel guilt, and that they are somehow being punished for something they have done wrong. Alternatively, the patient may serve to blame their condition on other people. While healthcare professionals are unable to take away these feelings of guilt and blame, ensuring the patient has the chance to talk them through and discuss relevant issues can help them come to terms with these feelings. Mr Smith’s reaction to the news was one of self-blame and guilt – he blamed himself for not visiting a doctor earlier and felt guilty that he was putting his family through so much. He appeared to accept his poor prognosis and asked a number of questions which demonstrated a full understanding of his situation. Spiritual and cultural beliefs can influence an individual’s experience of illness and the concerns of both patients and their families or carers may need to be addressed either at the time bad news is broken or at a later stage during end-of-life care when individuals are facing death (Matzo et al. 2005). Incorporating spiritual care into nursing is therefore particularly important in palliative care; however, since neither Mr Smith or his family were particularly religious, this was not a key issue in this incident or in his subsequent care. Control of cancer-related symptoms in palliative care Patients with advanced cancer are typically polysymptomatic (Grond et al 1994). Common symptoms include pain, fatigue, weakness, anorexia, weight loss, constipation, breathlessness and depression. Effective control of these symptoms is essential for optimal quality of life during end-of-life care. As previously discussed, one of the main processes in the GSF framework involves assessing patients symptoms and planning care centred around these, to ensure that these symptoms are controlled as much as possible (NHS 2005). Three symptoms that required effective management as part of Mr Smith’s care plan were pain, breathlessness and depression. One of Mr Smith’s greatest concerns was that he would suffer considerable pain during the advanced stages of his cancer. This is a common fear held by many cancer patients. Pain is a symptom experienced by up to 70% of cancer patients (Donnelly and Walsh 1995; Vainio and Auvunen 1996). Pain may result from the cancer itself, treatment, debility or unrelated pathologies, and accurate diagnosis of the cause(s) of pain is therefore important. The World Health Organisation (WHO) ‘analgesic ladder’ (WHO 1996) provides a system for managing cancer pain and has been shown to achieve pain relief in almost 90% of patients (Zech et al. 1995; WHO 1996). Pharmacological interventions for pain management include the use of non-opioids such as paracetamol, aspirin, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) for the control of mild pain. In Europe, oral morphine is the dug of choice for the control of moderate to severe cancer pain, but weak or strong opioids may also be used, either with or without non-opioids. Correct dosing of opioids and effective management of common side effects (e.g. constipation) are essential (Walsh 2000), and adjuvant treatment for specific pain may also be required. Non-pharmacological interventions include the provision of emotional and spiritual support, helping the patient to develop coping strategies, use of relaxation techniques, acupuncture or the use of a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator (TENS). Evidence from a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials assessing nursing non-pharmacological interventions demonstrated these interventions to be effective for pain management but some trials showed minimal differences between the treatment and control groups (Sindhu 1996). Breathlessness is a common symptom among cancer patients which can be difficult to control and may cause considerable distress to both patients and their carers (Davis 1997; Vora 2004). Appropriate management frequently requires both pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions (Bausewein et al. 2008). Pharmacological interventions include the use of bronchodilators, benzodiazepines, opioids, corticosteroids and oxygen therapy (Vora 2004). Non-pharmacological interventions which have been shown to be effective include counselling and support, either alone or in combination with relaxation-breathing training, relaxation and psychotherapy (Bausewein et al. 2008). There is limited evidence that acupuncture or acupressure are effective. Both anxiety and depression are common among patients with advanced cancer but both of these conditions are frequently under diagnosed (Barraclough 1997). Furthermore, these conditions are sometimes viewed as simply natural reactions to the patient’s illness. Pharmacological interventions such as antidepressants should be used if the patient show symptoms of a definite depressive disorder. Non-pharmacological interventions include relaxation, psychosocial therapies and massage (Lander et al. 2000). Optimal management of depression in patients with advanced cancer typically involves a combination of both pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches (Lander et al. 2000). Ethical and legal considerations in palliative care There are a number of ethical and legal considerations in palliative care such as euthanasia and the right to withhold or withdraw life sustaining treatment. Those aspects which were of importance in this account address the patient’s right to know their diagnosis (i.e. autonomy). Evidence shows that the majority of cancer patients wish to know their diagnosis and the likely progression of their disease (Faulkner 1998). This may present a challenge for clinicians and nurses who may wish to try to protect the patient and convey an optimistic outlook even when the prognosis is poor. In the case of Mr Smith, he wanted to know as much information as possible about his diagnosis and treatment and the consultant and nurse answered his questions as openly and honestly as possible. (5) Conclusion Reflective practice is important both as a learning process and for the continuing professional development of nurses. The use of a model such as Gibbs’s cycle enables the nurse to move logically through the reflective process and provides a structured approach. Effective communication is essential in palliative care. Nurses and other healthcare professionals must be able to communicate effectively both with patients and their families/carers but also with other members of the multidisciplinary care team. The nurse plays a key role in the provision of supportive and palliative care and must develop excellent verbal and non-verbal communication skills. Breaking bad news such as that given to Mr Smith is one of the hardest tasks for healthcare professionals, regardless of their level of experience, and it is essential that the situation is handled professionally, but also with empathy and sensitivity, taking full account of the ethical and legal aspects of the situation. The use of non-verbal communication by the nurse is as important as verbal methods of communication. (6) Action plan This incident provided me with a valuable learning opportunity and were I to encounter a similar situation in the future, I would feel much better prepared to deal with this. I have learnt that preparation is important, for example, selecting a suitable environment in which to break the news, and ensuring that chairs are placed correctly within the room. Rather than relying primarily on verbal communication, I would be more aware of the effectiveness of non-verbal methods, particularly touch, if this was appropriate. I have also developed a greater awareness of the ethical issues surrounding breaking bad news in palliative care, and the need to be open and honest with the patient and their family where possible. References Atkins, S. and Murphy, K. 1995, ‘Reflective practice’, Nursing Standard, vol. 9, no. 45, pp. 3135. Bailey, J. 1995, ‘Clinical reflective practice; reflective practice: implementing theory’, Nursing Standard, vol. 9, no. 46, pp. 2931. Barraclough, J. 1997, ‘ABC of palliative care: depression, anxiety and confusion’, British Medical Journal, vol. 315, pp. 1365–8. Bausewein, C., Booth, S., Gysels, M., Higginson, I. J. 2008, ‘Non-pharmacological interventions for breathlessness in advanced stages of malignant and non-malignant diseases’, The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, no. 3. Benjamin 1981, The helping interview, 2nd ed. Houghton Mifflin, Boston. Davis, C. L. 1997, ‘ABC of palliative care. Breathlessness, cough and other respiratory problems’, British Medical Journal, vol. 315, pp. 931–4. de Haes, H. Teunissen, S. 2005, ‘Communication in palliative care: a review of recent literature’, Current Opinion in Oncology, vol. 17, no. 4, pp. 345–50. Department of Health 2000, The NHS cancer Plan: a plan for investment, a plan for reform. Retrieved 1st September 2008 from: http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_4009609 Donnelly, S. Walsh, D. 1995, ‘The symptoms of advanced cancer’, Seminars in Oncology, vol. 22, pp. 67–72. Faulkner, A. 1998, ‘Communication with patients, families, and other professionals’, British Medical Journal, vol. 316, pp. 130–2. Gibbs, G. 1988, Learning by doing: a guide to teaching and learning methods. Oxford Further Education Unit, Oxford Polytechnic. Grond, S., Zech, D., Diefenbach, C., Bischoff, A. 1994, ‘Prevalence and pattern of symptoms in paients with cancer pain: a prospective evaluation of 1,635 cancer patients referred to a pain clinic’, Journal of Pain Symptom Management, vol. 9, p. 372–82. Henley, N. 1973, ‘Power, Sex, and Nonverbal Communication’, Berkeley Journal of Sociology, vol. 18, pp. 1–26. Hinchliff, S. M., Norman, S. E., Schober, J. E. 1993, Nursing practice and health care, 2nd ed, Edward Arnold, London. Jarvis, P. 1992, ‘Reflective practice and nursing’, Nurse Education Today, vol. 12, pp. 174–81. Lander, M., Wilson, K., Chochinov, H. M. 2000, ‘Depression and the dying older patient’, Clinics in Geriatric Medicine, vol. 16, no. 2, pp. 335–56. Liverpool Care Pathway 2004, Liverpool Care of the Dying Patient Pathway. Retrieved 1st September 2008 from: http://www.endoflifecareforadults.nhs.uk/eolc/files/F2091-LCP_pathway_for_dying_patient_Sep2007.pdf Lugton, J. Kindlen, M. 1999, Palliative care: the nursing role. Churchill Livingstone, London. Matzo, M., Matzo, M. L., Witt Sherman, D. 2005, Palliative Care Nursing: Quality Care to the End of Life, 2nd edn. Springer Publishing Company, New York. NHS 2005, The Gold Standards Framework. Retrieved 1st September 2008 from: http://www.goldstandardsframework.nhs.uk/ NICE 2003, Improving supportive and palliative care for adults. Retrieved 1st September 2008 from: http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/index.jsp?action=downloado=28800 Sindhu, F. 1996, ‘Are non-pharmacological nursing interventions for the management of pain effective? – a meta-analysis’, Journal of Advanced Nursing, vol. 24, pp. 1152–9. Smith, C. 1995, ‘Evaluating nursing care; reflection in practice’, Professional Nurse, vol. 10, no. 9, pp. 593–6. Spalding, N. J. 1998, ‘Reflection in professional development: a personal experience’, British Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation, vol. 5, no. 7, pp. 379–82. Tickle, L. 1994, ‘The induction of new teachers’, Castell, London. Urie, J., Fielding, H., McArthur, D., Kinnear, M., Hudson, S., Fallon, M. 2000, ‘Palliative care’, The Pharmaceutical Journal, vol. 265, no. 7119, pp. 603–14. Vora, V. 2004, ‘Breathlessness: a palliative care perspective’, Indian Journal of Palliative Care, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 12–18. Walsh, D. 2000, ‘Pharmacological management of cancer pain’, Seminars in Oncology, vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 45–63. WHO 1996, WHO guidelines: cancer pain relief, 2nd ed. World Health Organization, Geneva. Zech, D., Grond, S., Lynch, J., Hertel, D., Lehmann, K. A. 1995, ‘Validation of World Health Organization guidelines for cancer pain relief: a 10 year prospective study’, Pain, vol. 63, pp. 65–76. Vainio, A. Auvunen, A. 1996, ‘Prevalence of symptoms among patients with advanced cancer; an international collaborative group study’, Journal of Pain Symptom Management, vol. 12, pp. 3–10.

Heroic Archetypes in Film: Symbolism and Adaption

Heroic Archetypes in Film: Symbolism and Adaption Carl Jung (1939) described the personal unconscious as containing personal memories and ideas of the individual, and the collective unconscious the shared ideas, and memories humanity, these shared memories and ideas emerge as themes and characters, which Jung termed archetypes or Primordial Images. Joseph Campbell (1949) evolved these ideas creating the heros journey or monomyth. Campbells work in narratology and comparative mythology showed the use of archetypal patterns bring patterns we all unconsciously respond to in similar ways to a conscious level. The term archetype can be applied to images, themes, symbols, ideas and character types (Jung, 1969). This essay will focus on the symbolism and adaption of Heroic archetypes in film examining the themes of Jung and Campbell and there portal over time, focusing in on how specific genders are represented. The Architypes are present in our earliest images and motifs, however Greek and roman mythology focuses largely on the hero with characters like Hercules playing the main role in their stories. These myths provide a clear pairing of Jung and Campbells theories creating connections with the hero, their quest and the many archetypal characters they will interact with along their journey. These methodologies have repeatedly been adapted and are portrayed in the most successful film franchises of the last sixty years. It is through the exploration of these franchises that I will examine the portrayal of both male and female Hero Architypes. Jung (1969) believed archetypal themes impress, influence and fascinate our ego, invoking deep and intense emotional responses. If Jungs theories are correct the repeated portrayal of masculine dominance on screen has the potential to impact the most important and central architype of the psychic, the self, a representation of wholeness and totality, a unification of the conscious and unconscious mind (Jung, 1969). Jung (Stevens, 1990) emphasised the importance of not assuming the symbolic meaning of a male or female character he believed it is far more important to recognise the characteristics and context of these symbols, establishing if you are dealing with the Animus or Anima, abstract symbol sets that formulate the archetype of the Self. Neither male nor female they are a representation of the masculine and feminine aspects of the psychic Dr. Stacy Smith (2014) realised the study gender bias without borders this study looked at 120 films in the most influential films. The results of this study showed that 23.3 percent of lead or co lead roles in film are female. These figures were mirrored off screen showing that 20.5 percent of filmmakers were female. The results also showed when a film was created by a female, either in directing or writing there was an increase of lead females and the quality of their portrayal on screen. It is clear from these results that there is an issue of gender imbalance on screen. This imbalance could be explained by linking back to Jungs theory (1969), that architypes can influence our physic and comparing this to a statement by Campbell (2004) All of the great mythologies and much of the mythic story-telling of the world are from the male point of view. If all of our great mythologies are from the male point of view, it could be argued that this repeated influence has led to an over attachment to the use of masculine energy in the portrayal of power, Smith (2004) alludes to this stating This explanation reflects the old age, write what you know. To explore these theories, this essay will focus on two of the most successful films featuring female protagonists. The first Alien is written from the male perspective. The second Hunger games, is written from the female perspective. These films will be compared first to attempt to find a link between writer and character and second to explore the possible future portrayal of heroes. Alien Ridley Scotts Ripley is commonly used as a reference to a positive portrayal of a female hero, appearing on screen as the main protagonist of 1979 film Alien. Ripley however was originally created as male. In an interview with Empire magazine (2012) Ridley Scott explains the reasoning behind his female adaption stating She would be the last one you would think to survive, shes beautiful This statement gives credence to the idea of the feminine in Alien being used to display weakness. Alien is widely known as the movie in which all sexual analyses have some basis. In the Alien saga (2002) Dan OBannon explains that sexual imagery was wielded as a tool to unsettle the audience stating One thing that people are all disturbed about is sex. Everybodys always all in a known about sex. I said thats how Im going to attack the audience. Im going to attack them sexually Ellen Ripley, is played by Sigourney Weaver , she fights against two antagonists, the first an alien creature that interestingly dawns both male and female reproductive organs, while the second antagonist, Ash, an android possess no reproductive organs though he is portrayed as a male character. This mix of genders and sexual symbolism makes this film an interesting tool for the exploration of gender bias and architypes. The first introduction to the cast of this film is representative of the birthing of a child. The crew rest in hyperbolic chambers shaped like basinets. These chambers are placed in a circular pattern; at the core of this circle is a locking mechanism, controlled by mother, the ships navigator. As mother awakens the crew the room is flooded with light. This sequence of images could be interrupted as a representation of the Self-Architype and its symbolic circular image (Jung, 1978). The crew, placed in the circle could be seen as the rebirthing and unification of the psychic as it prepares to deal with the path ahead (Henderson 1963). We then see the crew in their ordinary world eating breakfast. The crew are given their call to adventure when mother informs has awoken them due a signal received from a derelict ship. Many of the crew Refuse the call believing this signal could be a warning. Mother acting as the supernatural aid knows the true reason for sending them on this quest Once the crew being to explore their environment as H.R Gigers sexual Imagery becomes clear. The crew approach the openings of the Alien ship, which Giger (2011) admittedly designed to resemble the vaginal entrance. They Cross the threshold and enter. The crew enter the control centre of the ship, in the centre of this chamber sits a large phallic protrusion; inside sits an alien pilot. The placement of this phallic symbol is particularly interesting as the first sexual representation of masculine energy (Fink, 2004) it is depicted in a place of power and control. The crew comes across a derelict chamber resembling the womb or Belly of the whale which holds a large cluster of eggs, one of the crew is attacked by a face hugger and rushed back to the ship. Ripley refuses to allow the face hugger, now attached to a crew member, onto the ship. Ash, Ripleys male counterpart dismisses her command and opens the ship doors. Ash determines that the Face Hugger is keeping Kane alive via the penetrative insertion of a proboscis to his throat; according to Bannon (2002) this was a deliberate representation of male oral rape . Im going to attack them sexually Im going to put in every image I can think of that I know will make the men in the audience cross their legs, Homosexual oral rape. Dan O Bannon This act is an intriguing aspect in regards to gender, on one side men are made as vulnerable a women, but on the opposing side this penetrative act gives dominant power to the masculine energy of the Alien (Dworkin , 1987 ) . Later the corpse of the face hugger is discovered, Ripley does not want the corpse examined but again Ash ignores her command. In this examination the Face huggers underbelly is shown, now in a submissive positon its proboscis is retracted exposing a representation of the female genitalia. The crew are united again for a meal and enter the Road of trials as a phallic shaped Chest Burster is birthed from a crewmate. Bannon (2002) stated that his use of birth in this scene was designed to create discomfort in male viewers, however his process of using a female act to add vulnerability to a male character could be perceived as weakening the feminine. Ripley Later learns the secret kept by Mother and Ash in her meeting with the goddess The Weyland Yutani Corporations true mission is to collect alien specimens acting as the Temptress they view the crew as expendable. Ripley Confronts Ash, in a classic Attornment of the Father scene. The confrontation becomes aggressive. Ash is exposed as an android becoming the Shape Shifter Architype; he overpowers Ripley, rolls up a stack of papers into a phallic shape and forces them down Ripleys Throat , this adds to strengthening of Masculine energy and weakling of the feminine. Ripley is saved by a male crew mate. She reconstructs Ash, entering the Apotheosis stage she gains information from him. Ripley realises their ship must be destroyed for the crew to escape with their lives the ultimate boon. The remaining crew are destroyed; Ripley the sole survivor enters the Magical Fight with the Alien as she tries to make her way to an escape pod before the ship self-destructs. Ripley reaches the escape pod, standing now as a powerful hero she begins to undress, she then bends over in a pose that resembles an animistic display of submission, this scene could be interpreted as a removal of Ripleys power (Fazio, 1986) Ripley realises the alien on-board the escape pod, earning the Freedom to live she rejects the alien into space. Re-entering hibernation, Ripley is shown in the fetal position; this could suggest her return to the womb to be rebirthed as a new character. (Jung, 1978) The Hunger Games The Hunger game is a Science fiction novel written by Suzanne Collins, this novel was adapted into a series of films under the same name. This story follows Katniss Everdeen as she embarks on Campbells Heros journey. We are first introduced to The Ordinary World , ruled by President Snow the archetypical Old King. This kings dominance is depicted in the cultural values of this society. Split in two classes the lower districts, shown to be inhabited by a struggling class of humble and moral people and the capital, Snows domain, lavished in decadence and modernity. Snow rules though intimidation and manipulation. The soulless nature of The Capital is highlighted by its unwavering support of The Hunger Games. These games are cruel and violent, created by Snow, they point to the absence of the Queen archetype. Snow rules alone, he is purely masculine, lacking in totality, with no feminine counterpart. This absence of feminine qualities leaves the people restricted as according to Jung (1995) permanent loss of the anima, means a diminution of vitality of flexibility and of human kindness. The capitol is surrounded by the Lower districts; these districts are forced to participate in The Hunger Games, sacrificing one male and female tribute. To survive these tributes must garner sponsorship, typically from the people of the capital. They must sell themselves by fulfilling the desires of their captors. Katniss Everdeen is the protagonist of this story; her very name draws associations to her character type. Cat an association of the feminine power (Fontana, 1993) sleek, and cunning and evergreen, symbolising natural life the nourishing soil of the soul (Sabini, 2002). Katniss is a young woman, innocent and open she exhibits feminine energy. In her first introduction she appears trusting and humble, unlike the surrounding raped and soulless society. The feminine side of Katniss could represent the potential birth of the new generation, placing her in the role of potential Queen. Katniss also exhibits masculine energy; she shows courage in The Hunger Games while exhibiting physical attributes strength and focuses to master her sill with a bow, a skill she learned to provide for and protect her family. This masculine energy also highlights her ability to fulfil the role of King. Katniss is reminiscent of Artemis, the Greek Goddess, skilled with a bow, strong, nurturing, protective and connected to nature (DEste, 2005). Our first introduction to Katniss shows her hunting a deer, a symbol commonly liked to the portrayal of Artemis. This mix of feminine and masculine energy leads to a potentially interesting dynamic. It could be said that Panem does not merely need a female leader, but a unified one, both male and female, mother and father. Katniss is born in the twelfth district, twelve in Gematria, is a representation of totality (Dennis, 2007), a symbol of synergy between the anima and animus (Jung, 1969). This coal miner district is also similar in design to Nazareth, the domain of Jesus. She understands through her experiences the darkness minorities face under the rule of Panem. Archetypically this could be linked to Judeo-Christian tradition and the tale of Job seeing the dark side of God. (Jung 1969) When in the capital Katniss is a link back to nature, the light in the dark, a place to be purified, embodying what Jung called the the two million-year-old man within. Katniss receives her Call to Adventure when her sister is chosen as tribute. She displays warmth and understanding, sacrificing herself to free her. This symbol of courage is the embodiment of what Jesus believed is needed in a world filled with difficulties; she is as shrewd as serpents and as innocent as doves. (Matthew 10:16) Katniss Crosses the threshold as she boards a train to take her to the capital. She is visibly disturbed by the opulence in front of her which starkly contrasts the modest home she is leaving behind. According to Campbell (1949) every hero needs allies; Katniss is no exception to his rule. Traditionally these allies are unexpected with a unique understanding of the world. It is in his fashion that Katniss meets her literal and archetypal Mentor the drunken Haymitch Abernathy. Katniss soon learns that the Haymitchs battle with alcoholism and disconnected nature is a direct result of his assimilation into the society of the capital, a soulful man in a soulless world , forced to train tributes who will be sent to their death . As Haymitch begins to train Katniss he begins to notice the unique nature of her personally, this is where he transforms into the archetypal mentor teaching Katniss the importance of presentation and catering to the whims of the sponsors. Early in the story we are shown that Katniss does not view her mother in the archetypical sense, it is only when she arrives at the capital that we are introduced to the true Mother Architype, the anima to Haymitchs animus and a symbol of societal oppression, the African American male, Cinna. Cinnas introduction marks the entry to Campbells Tests, Allies and Enemies stage of the Monomyth (1949). Cinna is a sensitive and nurturing character, wielding his knowledge in beauty, grace and sensuous flare he, along with Haymitch, trains Katniss, who now captivates the Capital. Cinnas techniques to transform Katniss are very similar to that of Cinderellas Fairy Godmother. He does not change Katniss; he instead reflects her inner self and beauty to the audience. Cinna supports and balances Katniss keeping her grounded and disconnected from the temptations and power of the capital. Cinna offers her a symbol of comfort, her Mocking Jay pin, as she enters The Inner Most Cave , the arena. When Katniss enters the games she acquires a young ally Rue The Innocent Child. Rues entry to the story marks the beginning of The Ordeal as she directs Katniss to the wasp nest she uses against her attackers. Rue is an African American girl, from the agricultural district; district eleven. Rue could be seen as a representation of slavery and racism in Panem. Despite the attempts of Katniss to protect the child, she soon becomes The Sacrifice, used to empathetically connect the twelve districts. After the death of her friend the game makers change the rules, stating that there may be two victors of the games, as long as they both come from the same district. Katniss seeks out Peeta her fellow tribute from district twelve and soon makes a new ally. Earlier in the story we were shown Katniss and Peeta training together, but she suspected, to save himself, he had turned against her. Peeta is redeemed when he suggests a group of competitors wait her out rather than climbing a tree to kill her. Peeta like Katniss is an interesting mix of feminine and masculine energy, he is strong but does not wish fight, instead he chooses for hide from his competitors. Peeta decorates cakes for a living, this shows his delicate side, but he is also stubborn, insisting the games will not change who he is. Peeta confesses his love for Katniss; he is injured and taking on the role of Damsel in Distress requires her aid. Katniss is now faced with a moral dilemma; the audience views the pair as the Shakespearian Star crossed lovers. Katniss deceives the audience and goes along with this charade to receive aid from the sponsors. Meanwhile her true love, Gale, who name suggests a well-developed anima, is waiting and watching these events unfold from district twelve. This is a difficult decision and turning point for Katniss; she manipulates the people to get what she needs, a very masculine move, more suited to President Snow. This arguably is a skill needed in a potential leader. Katniss retrieves medicine and Peeta is healed; now their only competitor left in the arena is Cato. It is in this final confrontation that we see Katniss Seizing the Sword as she knocks Cato into a pack of creatures and Receives her reward leaving Katniss and Peeta as the victors, at least for a short time. The game makers suddenly change the rules forcing Katniss into The Road Back. There can be only one victor of the hunger games. Peeta offers himself as a sacrifice but Katniss refuses. She shows her cunning side as she enters the resurrection stage of the Monomyth. Katniss decides they will both consume poison berries; this act would kill both competitors leaving the games with no victor. As Katniss predicts the rules are changed again, both competitors win the games. Peeta and Katniss will now live a life of luxury this could be seen as The Return with the Elixer, but the elixir in this story is far more important. Katniss has openly defied President Snow becoming an example to the lower districts. This act could lead to a rebellion. The true elixir of this journey is given to the lower classes at the moment of her victory, hope. Characters like Katniss Everdeen have the potential to change the assumed characteristics of the hero architypes, but this type of portrayal is still an uncommon occurrence, is that occurrence due to a misunderstanding of the hero architype or an overall issue of gender imbalance in media. This character could be marking Jungs paradigm shift and what he believed would be the necessary emergence of positive archetypal feminine energies (Rowland, 2009), a true female hero. Refrences Jung, Carl and Dell, S.M. (1939). The Integration of the Personality (English translation). New York: Farrar Rinehart. Joseph Campbell in The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949), Collected Works of C.G. Jung. Routledge. Retrieved 2014-01-19. Jung quoted in Anthony Stevens On Jung (London 1990) p. 206 Gender Bias without Borders. shared by UNWomen on Sep 22, 2014 An investigation of female characters in popular films across 11 countries.Sep 22, 2014 Joseph Campbell, Pathways to Bliss: Mythology and Personal Transformation, Edited by David Kudler. Novato, California: New World Library, 2004, pp. 145, 159. The Alien saga 2002 special editon C. G. Jung ed., Man and his Symbols (London 1978) p. 120 The Wisdom of the Serpent, Book by Joseph L. Henderson and Maud Oakes ,Originally published: 1963 Lacan to the Letter,April 14, 2004 by Bruce Fink (Author) p 169 Intercourse is a 1987 book by Andrea Dworkin on the Automatic Activation of Attitudes (1986) Russell H.Fazio, David M. Sanbonmatsu, Martha C. Powell, and Frank R. Kardes C.G. Jungs Complex Dynamics and the Clnical Relationship: One Map for Mystery p 55 Brenda A. Donahue , Charles C Thomas Publisher, 2003 Psychology 287 pages The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious By Carl Gustav Jung Page 4 1995 P1 Meredith Sabini 2002 The Encyclopedia of Jewish Myth, Magic and Mysticism: Second Edition Book by Geoffrey W. Dennis 2007 Journal of Analytical Psychology,2009, 54 ,697-715 Ghost and self: Jungs paradigm shiftand a response to Zinkin , Susan Rowland,London