Algoeithm Design, Analysis and Implementation Assignment

Algoeithm Design, Analysis and Implementation - Assignment Example This is done by choosing a comparison element and placing all the elements that are less than the comparison element in the first group and the rest of the elements in the second group. This procedure is repeated recursively until the elements are sorted (a part consist of only one element). T(n) = (n-1) + ?1 ? i ? n ti As 1,2,....k-elements are already sorted, we can say that ti =0, where i = 1,2, 3... k. Then, the contribution of quick sort when early stopping is used can be given by, T(n)=(n+1)( ?k ? i ? n ti + ?(1)) = (n+1)( n lg +?(1)) =2n lg +?(n) Thus, T(n) for quick sort =O(nlg(n/k)). Given that, insertion sort is done on a partially sorted array (unsorted k-elements). In general, running time of insertion sort is O(n2 ), where n is the length of the array (total number of elements). In order to provide a solution to this problem, the total array is divided into subarrays of k-elements each, such that k/2? n ? k, then n = O(k) and the running time of insertion sort is O(k2). The total number of such subarrays (m) would then be n/k ? m ? 2n/k., which implies m = O(n/k). The total time spent on insertion sort would then be O(k2)* O(n/k) = O(nk). T(n) for insertion sort = O(nk). Therefore, the total time for this sorting algorithm is as follows: T(n) = O(nk + nlg(n/k) ). ... Solution: From the above problem (1), we find that quick sort sorts k-elements of an n-element array O(n log(n/k)) time. Quick sort sorts by partitioning the given array A[p...r] into two sub-arrays A[p...q] and A[q+1... r] such that every element in A[p...q] is less than, or equal to, elements in A[q+1... r]. This process is repeated until all the elements are sorted. Algorithm for quick sort is given by: A[P] is the pivot key upon which the comparison is made. P is chosen as the median value of the array at each step. If the element is less than, or equal to, the pivot key value, it is moved left. Otherwise, it is moved right. Assuming the best case scenario where each step produces two equal partitions, then T(n)=T(n/2)+T(n/2)+?(n) =2T(n/2)+ ?(n) By Master’s Theorem case 2, T(n) = O(n lg n) In other words, the depth of recursion is log n and at each level/step, the number of elements to be treated is n. If only k-elements are sorted, then the depth of recursion would be n/k and the number of elements would be n at each level, the time taken by this sorting algorithm is given by T(n) = O(n lg (n/k)). 2.2 Show that we can sort a k-well-sorted array of length n in O(n log k) time. As the array is already sorted for k-elements, the remaining steps required to complete the sort would be k (using the results from 1), then T(n) = O(n lg k). 3. Computing the k-th smallest element in the union of the two lists m and n using O(lg m +lg n) time algorithm: Approach 1: Merge sort can be used in this case. It splits the list into two halves, recursively sorts each half, and then merges the two sorted sub-lists. In the given problem, the lists are already sorted; hence, the

Nineteen Eighty-four and People Essay Example for Free

Nineteen Eighty-four and People Essay Imagine living in a world where politics are everything and all forms of individuality and personal identities are shattered. A world where everybody is stripped of their rights to talk, act, think, or even form their own opinions, simply because they do not agree with the government’s beliefs. These aspects are just a few of the examples of things dictators would have control over in a totalitarianism form of government. Aggressive leaders such as Hitler and Joseph Stalin are examples of such dictators. They used their power for terror and murder, and their motive is simply to maximize their own personal power. George Orwell had witnessed World War II, the fall of Hitler and Stalin’s dictatorships, and the fatal outcomes that have come from these governments. To warn future generations of the harsh effects of totalitarianism governments, he wrote the book Nineteen Eighty-Four. Published in 1946, Nineteen Eighty-Four describes life in a totalitarianism form of government, following the main character, Winston Smith, as he takes risks in discovering how he believes life should truly be. Literary critic Irving Howe states, â€Å"Were it possible, in the world of 1984, to show human character in anything resembling genuine freedom it would not be the world of 1984† (62). In Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four, the government uses its power to suppress individuality among the people. To begin, the author shows how the government abolishes individuality through the use of mind control. First of all, the creation of Newspeak restricts the individual from saying things that he/she wishes to say. More specifically, the task of the Party’s philologists is to regulate the vocabulary and language of Oceania to ultimately be able to control the actions and behaviors of the people. Literary critic Stephen Ingle argues, â€Å"The more vocabulary contracts, the more the Party will be able to control behavior† (124). Since the Party has complete control over how the people can talk and what they are allowed to say, they ultimately have the power to control how they act. Through Newspeak, thoughtcrime will become impossible due to the fact that there will be no terms in which to express it. Furthermore, the Party asserts its control over the mind through doublethink. To begin, doublethink is an example of a thought process in which one simultaneously holds two contradictory beliefs while accepting both of them. For example, while in the Ministry of Love, O’Brien uses doublethink to make Winston believe that he can float. Winston says, â€Å"If he thinks he floats off the floor and I simultaneously think I see him do it, then it happens† (Orwell 278). O’Brien cannot float, however through the use of doublethink Winston can say that it does happen. Moreover, the Party also uses thoughtcrime to regulate the people’s thoughts, speech, actions, and feelings towards the government. The Thought Police use psychology and surveillance such as hidden telescreens to discover cases of thoughtcrime and misbehavior. For instance, a telescreen hidden behind a picture on the wall in Winston and Julia’s secret hideout is the reason they are caught in their illegal love affair. Winston describes, â€Å"Thoughtcrime does not entail death: Thoughtcrime IS death† (Orwell 27). Winston is saying that death is definite if one thinks badly about the government or disapproves of the government’s actions. Thus, due to telescreens, people are forced to keep an expression of optimism at all times; because any other emotion will be considered treason (Ingle 127). Consequently, individuality among the people is destroyed through mind control. In addition to mind control, Orwell also illustrates how the government strips the people of their personal identities though their control over reality. To begin, the party uses its power over Oceania’s history to eliminate all records of the past in order to create a future entirely dedicated to politics. Winston states, â€Å"History has stopped. Nothing exists except an endless present in which the Party is always right. I know, of course, that the past is falsified, but it would never be possible for me to prove it† (Orwell 155). The Party has complete control over the history of Oceania, and they choose to delete any and all traces of the past, such as memories. Additionally, the Party uses their control over memories to minimize individuality in the people of Oceania. More specifically, the Party seeks to control the memory of the people because without memory, they cannot remember the past. They remove all documents and records of the past through their memory holes. It is one’s memories that keep the past existing and that shape their lives (Ingle 123). The Party succeeds in abolishing the past by restricting the memories of the people. Moreover, the government reduces individuality with their perceptions of logic. In Oceania, whatever the Party says is correct is correct. If one does not agree with what the Party says, he/she is considered insane; a flaw in the system. To explain, when Winston is taken to the Ministry of Love, they torture him-physically and emotionally to make him accept the logic of the Party. Powerful party member O’Brien explains to Winston that their logic is correct, regardless of what Winston knows is right. O’Brien implores, â€Å"Sometimes they are five. Sometimes they are three. Sometimes they are all of them at once. You must try harder. It is not easy to become sane† (Orwell 207). O’Brien is saying that the government has the ability to alter aspects of their lives that Winston knows are the real thing; however he has no choice but to accept them. He is considered â€Å"insane† because he knows what is right and what is wrong and is hesitant to believe that the Party’s logic is true. Noted critic Stephen Ingle implies, â€Å"Winston conjectures that in the end the Party would declare that two plus two made five and the individual would be required to believe it† (122). In the future, there will be no other types of logic other that what the Party deems to be true. Thus, the government uses its power to control all aspects of reality for the people of Oceania. Equally important to mind control and reality, Orwell also shows how the government’s control over the people’s emotions suppresses their individuality. To begin, the Party extinguishes all forms of pure love among the people. More specifically, if two people wish to get married, they must be approved. If they wish to marry out of love and affection, they will be denied. In the eyes of the Party, marriage must be handled like business-only to produce offspring that will be loyal to them. Winston implores, â€Å"But you could not have pure love or pure lust nowadays. No emotion was pure, because everything was mixed up with fear and hatred† (Orwell 105). Every aspect of the people’s lives in Oceania is robotic and systematic, there are no true emotions. Similarly to the Party’s control over love, they also control sex between the people. To explain, the Party believes that there should not be any pleasure from sex; it should only be used in order to reproduce. The people who are faithful to the party transform their sexual energy into political hysteria (Howe 65). All of their energy goes towards the Two Minutes Hate and their hatred for Big Brother in order to bring some form of unity amongst them. Furthermore, the Party also uses emotional torture to abolish individuality. To justify, when Winston is in the Ministry of Love, he endures not only physical torture but psychological torture as well. He says, â€Å"In the end the nagging voices broke him down more completely than the boats and fists of the guards† (Orwell 200). The emotional torture from the questioning Winston undergoes wears him down and makes him into a mouth that simply utters what he believes they want to hear. The questioners transform him into something that is not even human anymore- merely just a robot. Literary expert Stephen Ingle argues that â€Å"the right and capacity to form one’s own judgment on external events†¦a full emotional life, a private world into which one could retire: those were the bastions of identity which Winston Smith sought to defend† (127). Winston is the last individual with knowledge of things outside of what the Party believes to be moral, and eventually he is stripped from that title and made into one of the other brain-washed citizens of Oceania. Consequently, the Party uses emotional torture to suppress individuality among the people. Hence, the government in Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four has been proven to use their power to strip the citizens of their individuality. For instance, the Party uses their control to take over the minds of the people and restrict what they can/cannot say or do. Also, they have the power to control all records of the past, memories, and the logic they have placed in their society. If that is not enough, the Party also controls their emotions, regulates sex, and forces emotional torture among them to force their logic into their brains. Orwell is â€Å"trying to present the kind of world in which individuality has become obsolete and personality a crime† (Howe 62). Ultimately, if a society allows a dictatorship in which one person or a group of people have all the power over the citizens, the society will transform into an individualized group of robots.

Stem Cell Research and Utilitarianism

Stem Cell Research and Utilitarianism Janelle Akomah What if there was an opportunity to develop a cure for diabetes, HIV, or cancer? However, in order to achieve such a task, research and manipulation of embryonic cells are required. One may question the viability of the cells and if the embryos or fetuses are regarded as human lives. Stem cell research advances the knowledge about how an organism develops from a single cell and how healthy cells replace damaged cells in adult organisms. This paper will focus on the support of stem cell research and its importance in the future of medicine. Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that and renew itself and differentiate to yield some or all major cell types of tissues or organs. The potential in regenerating or manipulating stem cells for future treatment of genetic conditions or chronic diseases is profound and is needed for treatment of medical conditions. Utilitarianism is the theory of justice that is supportive of stem cell research. The foundation of this theory is â€Å"the great est happiness† principle. The lives that can be saved are immeasurable. But what about the embryos and fetuses that are destroyed in the process? If embryos are considered lives, stem cell research can be essentially considered as murder. The primary objection that may apply is that utilitarianism makes no room for individual rights. Sacrificing the life of one to save millions may be worth it and this paper will state the major points of support for stem cell research. Stem Cell Research Controversy Stem cells are undifferentiated cells in tissue that serve as an internal repair system that divide to replenish other cells within the body. These cells are capable of renewing themselves through cell division and can divide and repair damaged or worn out tissue. Human embryonic stem cells are stem cells that are derived from human embryos. Stem cells are able to divide and renew themselves for a long period of time, unspecialized and can give rise to specialized cell types (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2009). Current research of stem cells includes controlling cell proliferation and differentiation through identification of how undifferentiated stem cells convert to differentiated cells that form the tissues and organs. Then controversy in stem cell research involves the creation, usage, and destruction of embryos. Creation of human embryo stem cell line requires destruction of the human embryo. At Harvard University, researchers attempted to transfer the nucleus of a somatic cell into an existing embryonic stem cell to create a new stem cell line. The ethical issue of manipulation and destruction of the human embryo and its stem cells center the debate on stem cell research. The pro-life movement is stemmed from the concern of the rights and status of the embryo as human life. Until recent years, stem cell research included removing tissue from an aborted embryo to get material to evaluate and study. Researchers are now reverting to obtain and manipulate pluripotent stem cells without th e use of embryos. In the past, ethical issues of scientific research on aborted fetuses did not justify medical benefits. Researchers began evaluating embryonic stem cells because they represent the earliest stage of later cell lineages and provide information on how development of tissues arise and treatments to cure or prevent chronic diseases (Robertson, 2010). Those against embryonic stem cell research believe that fertilized eggs used in the laboratory are human beings or individuals with rights, moral and legal statuses of fully born persons. These individuals view destruction of embryos as murder or a sacrifice of the weakest for the interest of others. Those that support stem cell research do not view embryos to have interests or rights and should not be protected at the cost of scientific research. They also do not believe that fetuses develop any neurological capacity to feel pain. Support of Stem Cell Research Stem cell research has the potential to save millions of lives and give a new start to those that may have been threatened by chronic and/or fatal conditions. The conditions considered for potential cures include spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. The possibility of reversing the effects of aging and prolonging life is beneficial for those who are interested. It may also increase the quality of life among many individuals. It is difficult to determine if embryonic stem cells are considered human life. So why not research the early stages of human development to facilitate medical advances for mankind? If we can improve the quality of life for individuals with chronic conditions by exploring the use of embryonic stem cells, why not research them? There can be a comparison of stem cell research of embryonic stem cells to that of individuals in the military. People are recruited, trained, and deployed to protect the country from harm or terror. In the end, it is all done for the greater good and to save lives. In stem cell research, embryonic stem cells are researched by manipulation or destruction to develop a stem cell line or cure for many progressive and fatal chronic conditions. This research is done to provide a line of defense against diseases that are harmful to the human being. When we look at the two examples, although different approaches, the overall goal is to protect the human race. I look at stem cell research as a way to protect human life against many harmful invaders that decrease the overall quality of life and may cause death. Utilitarianism It is known as the â€Å"greatest happiness† principle and utilitarianism argues that justice is maximizing individuals’ happiness and minimizing pain. John Stuart Mill, an English philosopher, stated acts should be considered as morally right or wrong if the consequences are of significance that an individual would wish to act in a preferred manner (West, 2012). These actions support the greater good for the greatest number. Utilitarianism defines morality as the maximization of total net expectable utility for individuals affected by an action or decision. There were multiple philosophers of utilitarianism including John Stuart Mill and Jeremy Bentham. Both philosophers proposed this theory as a form of consequentialism which states that consequences are the ultimate basis for judgment about right or wrong conduct. Bentham stated that every moral argument should draw on the idea of maximizing happiness (Sandel, 2009, pg 32). He notes that the highest principle of mora lity is to maximize happiness and the overall balance of pleasure over pain. Bentham argued that every moral argument should draw on maximizing happiness (Sandel, 2009, pg 32). It is the foundation of moral and political life. When there is a choice to be made between actions, utilitarianism’s theory states that the choice with the greatest utility is the right choice. Utilitarianism can definitely be applied to the controversial issue of embryonic stem cell research. Research of embryonic stem cells is conducted to develop cures and treatments of chronic conditions for the greater good of the human race. When we look at the overall goal and purpose of stem cell research, we can determine it as a morally right consequence. This is determined because the research is conducted in search of a cure for diseases and a treatment course that will increase an individual’s quality of life thus increasing their overall happiness. The definition of justice can be considered as granting each person what they are morally due. Is it not fair to grant each individual a maximization of life and the most quality of life available? Stem cell research seeks to uphold that goal by looking for answers to a growing issue. Many people succumb to chronic conditions for various reasons. If cures or treatment plans that prolong the lifespan are developed, many lives will be saved and healthcare expenditures can decline. The costs for maintenance of diseases such as diabetes, heart failure, Alzheimer’s disease would decrease because if cured, there will be no need for maintenance. The Objection There is no room for individual rights when utilitarianism is in place. This theory explains justice as saving the most lives. If we look at stem cell research and utilitarianism, then this objection can apply. If embryos used in stem cell research are considered the beginning of human life, then we look at individual rights. There are none. The rights of the embryos that are manipulated and destroyed are not taken into account when looking at the overall purpose of stem cell research. The supporter of this objection states that everyone is created equally and no one individual is better or is worth more than another. There is question on how the individual is treated under the theory of utilitarianism. Non-supporters of utilitarianism state that each individual is counted as one on an equal basis; however, it fails to respect the integrity of each person (Seehy, 2002). The objection states that the overall function of the treatment of individuals contribute to the greater good which in turn reflects impartiality. How can the individual rights of embryos/fetuses be taken into account if they are manipulated and destroyed for the goal of researching a cure for a chronic condition? Is it fair to play God and pick and choose which embryo or fetus will be chosen for research purposes? Another example in comparison to stem cell research includes the controversial issue of abortion. If an embryo/fetus is considered the beginning of human life, could we not consider the destruction of them as murder? How are the individual rights of these embryos taken into account? With utilitarianism, they are not beca use the benefits of research outweigh the risks and harm of that individual cell. Is this a fair statement? Is the sacrifice of few worth the greater good of many? Response to Objection Rule – utilitarianism is a term that determines the right or wrongness by finding the best rule of conduct followed by the majority of society (Seehy, 2002). John Mill attempted to respond to the objection mentioned above by presenting a rule and stating that individual liberties should be respected. He mentions that there is room for personal commitments without having to give up everything to help others. Maximizing utility in the long run by respecting individual liberties will lead to the greatest human happiness (Sandel, 2009, pg 47). Is happiness the only thing that matters in response to the objection? In stem cell research, is the only thing that is important is the potential number of lives that will be saved? Happiness is not the only issue when evaluating utilitarianism and stem cell research. Healthcare costs of treatment plans for chronic conditions continue to increase. The potential for cures of chronic diseases from stem cell research can save millions. But why support stem cell research after stating the objection of individual rights? There has not been any research scientifically verifying human life beginning at the embryonic stage. So this research cannot be harming human life. Some individuals believe that morally stem cell research reflects the act of â€Å"playing God† and it is an act that destroys human life. To answer that statement, who is to judge that manipulation of cells is morally wrong? There is no evidence that human life is being harmed and individual rights are not being subjected to foul play. With this not only will happiness occur but the overall consequence reflects the stages it took to achieve an end. Basically, the ending is virtue. Supporters of stem cell research can see no wrongdoing in the act itself. The objection cannot really apply if human life has not been determined. Let’s look at rule-utilitarianism and apply it to stem cell research. Can we maximize utility over a longer period of time in stem cell research to make the topic acceptable? This means, is it possible to do research on limited number of cells over a period of time rather than all at once for the same ending result? Does this make the issue better and can maximum utility be achieved? Conclusion Stem cell research has been a topic of controversy for quite some time. Those who object the idea believe that there is manipulation and destruction of human life and murder is being committed. They believe that human life begins at the embryonic stage. In support of stem cell research, utilitarianism can be applied. Stem cell research seeks to achieve the greatest happiness and maximize utility by saving lives. The primary objection to this issue was the neglect of individual rights. However, if human life has not been determined, individual rights have not been compromised. In support of the greater good, stem cell research is needed in healthcare for medical advancement. References Robertson, J. (2010). Embryo Stem Cell Research: Ten Years of Controversy. Journal of Law, Medicine, and Ethics, 191-203. Sandel, M. (2009). Justice: Whats the right thing to do? New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux. Seehy, P. (2002). Doing the Right Thing (Part II): Challenges to Utilitarianism. Retrieved July 9, 2014, from The Richmond Journal of Philosophy: http://www.richmond-philosophy.net/rjp/rjp20_sheehy.php US Department of Health and Human Services. (2009, April 28). What are the unique properties of stem cells? Retrieved July 08, 2014, from Stem Cell Information: http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/pages/basics2.aspx West, H. (2012). Utilitarianism. Retrieved July 4, 2014, from Encyclopedia Britannica: http://www.utilitarianism.com/utilitarianism.html

Analysis of e. e. cummings’ Poem of all the blessings which to man Essa

Analysis of e. e. cummings’ Poem of all the blessings which to man      Ã‚   As Thomas Reed West puts it, "the predominant literary sentiment toward the discipline of the machine has been one of lament" (xii). Many authors have composed pieces dealing with industrialization and the correlated obsolescence of man. Poet e.e. cummings is among them. In his poem "of all the blessings which to man," cummings describes a world to which progress will doom mankind-- a place where technology rules over humanity.    Cummings's poem opens saying that the most supreme gift progress offers mankind is "the an/ imal without a heart" (3-4). This heartless living thing is the machine. Machines can be made to act, and can often appear as if they think, but cannot feel. This is the greatest present presented to us by progress? To view that as a gift is to hold logic highly supreme over emotion, a preference this piece laments as being unfortunately accepted.    This industrialization and elimination of the need for humans is similarly unfeeling and coldly logical. The age of machinery presents its nearly silent coup d'etat rebels, the mechanical beings themselves, as a huge "collective pseudobeast," aimed at eliminating not only a need for humanity but a need for emotion (5). The poem's speaker notes that this being only preexists "its hoi in its polloi" (8). This shows the aim these machines allegedly have-- not simply to overtake the teeming masses of people but to become the teeming masses (hoi polloi) themselves, even to make humanity forget that they were ever in charge. This hearkens to the government employees constantly rewriting history in George Orwell's 1984, as these machines hope to make the people forget how things eve... ...y have done too good of a job. Their creation will change them from tame rulers to beings whose prolific creation ("teem") overcomes them.    Movies and literature alike have often served to villainize technology. These topics survive and persist, perhaps because we are morbidly fascinated with our own predicted downfall. Many people will admit to being concerned, as cummings is in "of all the blessings which to man," that the world will one day be run by machines. This potential future governing force is "without a heart" and "couldn't use a mind," and that may scare humans most of all (25, 28).    Works Cited Rotella, Guy. "Nature, Time, and Transcendence in Cummings' Later Poems." Critical Essays on E.E. Cummings. Ed. Guy Rotella. Boston: G.K. Hall and Co., 1984. West, Thomas Reed. Flesh of Steel. Charlotte, NC: Heritage Printers, 1967.   

A Martian

A Martian Sends a Postcard Home Craig Raine, 1979 Caxtons are mechanical birds with many wings and some are treasured for their markings– they cause the eyes to melt or the body to shriek without pain. I have never seen one fly, but sometimes they perch on the hand. Mist is when the sky is tired of flight and rests its soft machine on the ground: then the world is dim and bookish like engravings under tissue paper. Rain is when the earth is television. It has the properites of making colours darker. Model T is a room with the lock inside — key is turned to free the world for movement, so quick there is a film to watch for anything missed. But time is tied to the wrist or kept in a box, ticking with impatience. In homes, a haunted apparatus sleeps, that snores when you pick it up. If the ghost cries, they carry it to their lips and soothe it to sleep with sounds. And yet, they wake it up deliberately, by tickling with a finger. Only the young are allowed to suffer openly . Adults go to a punishment room with water but nothing to eat. They lock the door and suffer the noises alone. No one is exempt nd everyone's pain has a different smell. At night, when all the colours die, they hide in pairs and read about themselves — in colour, with their eyelids shut. A Martian Sends a Postcard Home –  Analysis Posted on April 6, 2011 by vincentmli The poem A Martian Sends a Postcard Home by Craig Raine depicts exactly what the title says: a  Martian  sending a postcard home. However, we must take into consideration that the Martian is actually on Earth, sending a postcard back to his own home; therefore the descriptions of our everyday objects are depicted so bizarrely.Every detail alludes to items as well as actions seen on Earth. In the poem Raine illustrates several things from the Martian’s perspective: a book, fog, car, clock, telephone, bathroom, and dream. The author applies a very unique technique in describing all these thing s, he breaks down each object into  unrecognisable  parts and compares them to something similar. A book is illustrated and compared to a mechanical bird with many wings. The flapping wings of a bird imitates the turning pages of a book.Raine also says â€Å"some are treasured for their markings† referring to that fact that some books are cherished by individuals because of their â€Å"markings†, the words written in them. One final things the author does to compare a book to a bird is to remove certain qualities of a bird that don’t fit in the description of a book, such as flight, but also emphasize a similarity; a book sitting compared to a bird perching on someone’s hand. This kind of dismantling of objects and  analysing  them in a new perspective is done for every object Raine depicts.Another excellent example of this would be the author’s depiction of a car. The author says, â€Å"Model T is a room   with a lock inside†, fro m an outside look, a car is nothing more than an enclosed space, exactly what a room is. Raine removes features of a room that don’t apply to a car, a room doesn’t lock from the inside but a car does. The ending of the poem is the most intriguing since it doesn’t depict anything tangible but rather the concept of dreaming or the action of sleeping. Raine states that â€Å"at night when all colours die, they hide in pairs and read about themselves — in colour, with their eyelids shut†.It is very clear in these last stanza’s Raine is illustrating a scene where two people are sleeping. The night is dark and no colour can be seen; but in our dreams, where we learn or â€Å"read† about ourselves, we see in colour. This is the only thing that the author doesn’t compare to another object but simply  analyses  what dreaming truly is, using the simplest of descriptions. | | | | | | | | | | |– Craig Raine |A poem I like becaus e of its way of startling us into new ways of looking at things – which is something I feel is very basic to poetry. Startling similes is Craig Raine's specialty, and this poem in particular displays his skill to such virtuoso effect that it lead to a new school of so-called â€Å"Martian† poetry. But I think that Raine is participating in a very ancient poetic ancient tradition. If you look at the poem as a series of riddles to be deciphered by the reader, then that takes us back centuries to the riddle poems in Anglo Saxon literature.Anyway, have fun decoding the images. Poem Summary Lines 1-6 Based on the first six lines, we understand that the poem will be a description of human culture seen through the eyes of a Martian. The speaker uses the word â€Å"Caxtons† to refer to books. Englishman William Caxton, who lived during the fifteenth century, was the first person to print books in English. In these lines, the Martian compares books to birds. Like birds, books have wings (pages), and, like birds, they are marked in ways that give them value.Birds can be distinguished by their color(s), books by the words they contain. Because the speaker does not know the words for â€Å"cry† or â€Å"laugh,† he says that books can â€Å"cause the eyes to melt / or the body to shriek without pain,† referring to humans’ emotional response when they read books. In lines 5 and 6, the speaker returns again to the comparison of books to birds, focusing on the way in which humans frequently hold books. To the Martian, a book in a person’s hands looks like a bird perching. Lines 7-10 Again, a comparison is made between a manufactured item and a natural thing.By saying that â€Å"Mist is when the sky is tired of flight,† the speaker is suggesting that the sky is like a vessel of some sort, presumably a flying saucer or a spaceship. It is often difficult to see the sky when the ground is shrouded in fog, hence the id ea that the sky is resting itself on the ground. In lines 9 and 10, the speaker returns to the image of the book. We can understand this comparison if we see the outlines of things in the world—e. g. , buildings, trees, mountains, etc. —as looking like words, or â€Å"engravings under tissue paper. This is a complicated image to visualize, but it deepens our own understanding of how mysterious the earth could be to someone who has never experienced it before. Combined with some of the other descriptions of the natural world, this image, in effect, â€Å"de-naturalizes† nature for the reader. Lines 11-12 There are several ways to read these lines. One way is to think of rain as being like a machine, in this case television. Like television, rain makes â€Å"colours darker† by shrouding our view of what is really there. This reading also raises the question of what â€Å"is† really there, suggesting that reality itself s colored by the cultural lens es one brings to the act of perception. Another way of reading these lines is to think, literally, of the static that frequently appears on television sets. We often refer to such static as rain or snow. Lines 13-16 A Model T is an automobile. Not knowing the words for the parts of a car, the speaker instead refers to it as â€Å"a room† (the seats and the space inside the car) â€Å"with the lock inside† (the ignition into which the key fits). After the car is started, it moves. The Martian compares the experience of seeing things go by, to â€Å"free[ing] the world / for movement †¦ The â€Å"film† is the rearview mirror. We can see †¦ â€Å"A Martian Sends a Postcard Home† by Craig Raine Upon first read, Craig Raine's â€Å"A Martian Sends A Postcard Home†, that was written in 1979, may seem to be a poem about random happenings on Earth. However, while reading the poem in depth and interpreting the poem it can be read as a Martian tha t was unfamiliar with Earth and its culture. This poem is filled with metaphors. In Craig Raine's poem â€Å"A Martian Sends A Postcard Home† the very literal in essence it is a Martian writing to his people back home.The theme of difference is represented by the Martians lack of the proper words and terms to describe everyday things. The Martian in the poem does this because he has a conceptual viewpoint. The first time we see a metaphor is in the first line, â€Å"Caxtons are mechanical birds with many wings. † (1) I interpreted this as somebody must have pointed at a book and called it a Claxton, or just referred to it as a Claxton, but the Martian might have thought it was a mechanical bird, seeing how an open book does resemble a bird with many wings.The Martian also notices that some books or â€Å"mechanical birds† are more important than others because of what is inside. In the next stanza the Martian says books â€Å"cause the eyes to melt,† (3) probably referring to people when they cry as they are reading. The next line in that stanza shows that at times the people yell or scream because of the books and what they are reading. In stanza three the Martian has never seen a â€Å"mechanical bird† fly but he has seen them perched on hands before. Someone could have construed this stanza as, he never saw a book fly, but he does see them being held by people in their hands.The†¦ Throughout Craig Raine's seventeen-stanza poem several functional devices become apparent with defamiliarisation being the most prominent. Raine also utilises alienation to enable the audience to observe Earth and human behaviour from a Martian's â€Å"alien† point of view. Marxist theories aid in the interpretation of this poem in that Raine suggests that the printing presses rule the world- or at least its censorship. Freudian literary theories also come in useful when analysing â€Å"A Martian Sends a Postcard Home† especial ly with the last two stanzas being about the metaphysical world of dreams.Raine's unusual world hypothetically assumes a future state, where Martians do exist to the extent that they have landed on Earth and are able to have mail delivered back to their home planet giving the poem a somewhat farcical nature . However this poem makes one of its functions very clear; it raises the question of are we alone in the universe straight to the forefront of our minds for a fresh examination. The structure of â€Å"A Martian Sends A Postcard Back Home† is very much like a postcard in itself, only this is a confused postcard. Postcards rarely require a response however, this one certainly does in the form of clarification.The Martian gets confused with the difference between a baby and a telephone, (st10-12), emphasising the confusion between technology and the natural instigated in stanza one, with â€Å"Caxtons† being â€Å"mechanical bird[s]†, meaning newspapers and book s. The suggestion of literature controlling our emotions brought forth in the early stages of the poem introduces Marxist theory into the poem; ideology in modern capitalist societies suggests that whoever owns the publishing houses controls cultural production, and therefore the strength of capitalism itself .Also reinforcing Marxist theories throughout the poem is the fact that the poem is stereotypical of all human†¦ Poem Analysis from Bob :. â€Å"A Martian Sends a Postcard Home† is a poem with seventeen stanzas. All of the stanzas have two lines. At first the title of this poem was kind of tricky for me because it made me think that it was about an actual Martian. It took me a while to figure out that he was talking about things that happen in everyday life in earth. Basically something a Martian would send home if he was on a vacation to earth is what the poem focuses on.Analysis Raine uses several riddles in this poem to show what the Martian sees when he comes to earth. He does a very good job in doing this. For example, the first stanza of the poem is talking about a book. Caxton was the first English printer of books. Mechanical birds with wings refers to the pages in a book. By saying they are treasured for their markings means that if a person enjoys reading a book they will treasure it. Raine also refers to a book in the next four lines.Stanza six comes out straight forward and lets us realize that Raine is talking about fog. It uses words such as clouds. By using context clues we understand the true interpretation. When Raine says â€Å"rain is when the earth is television† he means that the TV is snowy. This is a very good metaphor for rain because it does kind of make the TV look like it is raining. The seventh and eighth stanzas are talking about a car. This is simple as Raine refers to â€Å"Model T. † Raine gives good examples of the car in a Martiani s eyes.For instance, â€Å"Model T is a room with the locks insi de. † I like this line a lot because I have never seen a car in this way before. Raine says it is a room because you go inside of the car and you are away from the outside world. You need a key to turn the car on and off and to lock the car. In this next stanza Raine did a great job of describing a watch or clock. â€Å"Ticking with impatience† is right of the button. That is all a watch and clock do is tick for twenty four hours a day. Stanza ten, eleven, and twelve are on the subject of a telephone.All the phone is what Raine writes in this poem. It does not do anything until you pick it up and that is what Raine is saying. The cries of the ghost is when it rings. Then you â€Å"talk to it†, or answer it and when you are finished â€Å"put it back to sleep† or hang it up. Yes, we do â€Å"deliberately wake it and tickle it with a finger† when we answer it or call someone else. A â€Å"punishment room with just water† is a bathroom. I just l ove these next three stanzas because I love the bathroom. I just doni t think of it as a â€Å"punishment room. † When Raine writes â€Å"only the young are allowed to suffer openly† he is talking about a baby getting their diapers changed in the open. Yet adults have to go to the bathroom and suffer our pain alone. Raine had exceptional use of metaphors to describe the bathroom. The last two stanzas are about sleeping and dreaming. â€Å"When the colours die† is when we go to bed. â€Å"Reading about ourselves with our eyelids shut† is basically saying we are dreaming of ourselves. Raine put this at a good spot in the poem because the end of the poem symbolizes the end of the day.

Organ Sales

Selling Organs Many people are dying each day because of the lack of organs available. Waiting lists can be as long as 106,000 people. On an average 17 patients in need of transplants die each day. Is this fair to the families or is selling organs a better option? What are the benefits of organ selling and should it be made legal? By legalizing organ selling we would be saving lives. People sell organs on the black market every day; the downfall to this is that the surgeons that remove the organs are not always sanitary or certified. The article legalizing paid organs: pros and cons states â€Å"Establishing a federal agency to oversee organ sales will cut dialysis costs and save lives, of both patients in need of new kidneys and those selling or receiving kidneys illegally by unregulated surgeons. † This is a good point, the organs would be ensured safe. The people donating would be more motivated to donate more organs if there was an incentive of making money. Some people fear that, â€Å"The lawful sale of organs would legitimize human sacrifice. † Although this might be true successful transplants depended on knowledge of characteristics of the donor. The origin of the organ to be sold must be known for it to be used. Although many fear legalization of this may bring about a â€Å"sacrifice spree† others realize that, â€Å"The black market cannot be regulated, but its purpose would be defeated if the sale of organs became lawful†. Also legalizing organ selling will create an unlevel playing field. Meaning that people that could not afford to buy an organ would die and the wealthy people will live. The selling of organs impacts health care workers in many ways. One way could include that the organ is harvested in an unsafe environment causing communicable infections. This puts not only the health care worker at risk but also the other patients. A health care worker could feel responsible if a person that has been on a waiting list dies due to the lack of organs when some other patient bought their organ and lived. An example being that a 4 year old boy dies because a 60 year old man bought an organ that the boy would need. This could place unwanted emotional distress on the medical professionals. A health care worker is also put in an ethical dilemma when they do not know where the organ was harvested from. This meaning that the organ may have been stolen from an unwilling donor and then sold. It could also mean someone was murdered in order to harvest and sell the organs for the sake of profit. I personally feel that they should legalize selling organs but it would need to be regulated. I feel that people selling the organs must first sign a waiver stating what organs they are willing to sell. They then would need to be harvested in a safe sanitary environment by a trained professional. I think that after selling the organs they would then be monitored for a period of time to ensure the safety of the patient. I think that the organs should be then given to the people on the waiting list. People would not be allowed to buy the organs they would go in order with the list. I feel that by giving people the incentive to sell organs buy offering a small amount of money the number of people willing to donate will increase significantly. Where does the money come from that they use to pay the donor? That will be taken off the bill from the hospitals. Surgeons are overpaid as it is, by deducting a small fee towards the donation process it will help in balancing the outcomes. The surgeon will however make up the difference by performing more transplant operations, so by legalizing the sale of organs it will in return solve many of the problems we face with the donation process today. Sources: Human Organs, Sale of http://www. idebate. org/debatabase/topic_details. php? topicID=141 Legalizing paid organ donation http://www. researchsea. com/html/article. php/aid/561/cid/6/research/legalizing_paid_organ_donation__pros_and_cons. html Legal Issues in Payment of Living Donors for Solid Organs http://www. abanet. org/irr/hr/spring03/livingdonors. html