Monday, September 30, 2019

Why Did Men Continue to Fight in Ww1?

Why did men continue to fight in WWI? The Great War was fought between 1914 until 1918. It took the lives of millions of men and it is said to have had horrible conditions, the question still remains. Why did men continue to fight in the Great War? Was it because of their discipline in the army? Did they fight because of their friends in the army? Or were the conditions in the trenches not as bad as people say they were? This essay will argue that, even though all of these reasons were very important, the main reason men continued to fight was army discipline and comradeship.Army discipline was definitely an important factor for why men continued to fight. The army aimed to keep soldiers as disciplined as possible, therefore they made severe punishments for misbehaviour. For example, if soldiers refused to walk through â€Å"no mans land† the punishment would be to be shot by a firing squad, the firing squad would be your own battalion. This would be done to increase the disci pline of the rest of the battalion. They knew that if they were to disobey orders their friends and comrades would shoot them.However, around five million men served in the British army during the war; out of all these men, 3080 men were sentenced to death but only 364 were actually executed. This evidence suggests that perhaps army discipline was not the most important factor, however, 364 men might have scared most men enough to not disobey orders. The conditions of the trenches were said to be horrific and devastating, however the British army had very high standards of cleanliness and they were aware of what the soldiers needed to keep on fighting.They aimed to keep morale as high as possible and therefore provided more than sufficient amount of food, very good medical care, and tried to generally make the soldiers’ living conditions better. Efforts were made to keep the trenches cleaner; for example, rats were a big issue at the beginning of the war but as the war progre ssed, they were quickly eliminated from the trenches. Lice were also a problem so they fumigated, washed and ironed soldiers’ uniforms when they came out of the line. Since soldiers got taken care of, this was definitely one of the reasons they continued to fight, or at least made ighting more bearable. The men who fought in the war would often make friends in their battalions. This would definitely keep the men strong and able to fight. The soldiers did not want to let their friends down, and they all wanted to fight for their fellow soldiers. None of them wanted to die, but it was worst to die alone without their friends. They fought to keep their friends and themselves alive, so they could bear the war in the company of people they cared for. Sometimes, soldiers became such good friends, they went mad if their friend died, or they would continue to see each other after the war.Comradeship was a very important factor that helped them get through the war. You cannot generali ze why men continued to fight. Different men fought for different things. But most men probably fought for various reasons. The fact that the conditions were not so bad probably helped men a lot, as well as being able to fight with their friends. But the fear of death by the hand of their friends was probably what drove most people to keep on fighting in the war. It probably also helped other soldiers encourage their friends to keep on fighting, and therefore army discipline and comradeship are the most important causes.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Lab Report: Environmental Control of Sex Determination Essay

Introduction Ceratopteris richardii, known as a C-fern has a lifecycle referred to as alteration of generations, which consist of neither haploid nor diploid dominant. C-ferns are homospours plants which are important in that they can produce hermaphrioditic gametophytes in order to be able to self fertilize. However, some of the homospourous C-ferns only produce male gametophytes .The life cycle of Ceratopteris richardii starts as a diploid sporophyte which then, by meiosis, produces haploid spores. These spores then undergo mitosis to produce a haploid gametophyte, which can be either hermaphrodite( producing eggs and sperm), or a male gametophyte (producing only sperm). Gametophytes then produce gametes by mitosis. The hermaphrodite gametophyte will produce both eggs and sperm,while, the male gametophyte will produce strictly sperm. The gametes from the hermaphrodite gametophyte fertilize one another producing a diploid zygote which grows by mitosis into a diploid sporophyte ready to start the cycle again (Lab Manual). Chromosomal sex determination is determined by the inheritance of sex chromosomes, while, environmental sex determination is influenced by environmental factors such as temperature and parasite invasion(Lab Manual). Humans use the system of chromosomal sex determination by combining their X and Y chromosomes to produce a zygote determining the sexual phenotype in humans. Alligators use environmental sex determination when incubating their eggs.Temperature influences the sex of the offspring meaning; warmer incubating temperatures produce male development while cooler temperatures produce female development (Lab Manual). Our hypothesis for the Ceratopteris richardii was that gametophyte population density influences sex determination. Our first prediction was that the percentage of male gametophytes would increase as the population density of the gametophytes increased. Our second prediction was that the percentage of male gametophytes would decrease as the population density of the gametophytes increased. Results The graph of our results showed the percentage of male gametophytes increasing and then leveling off (Figure 1). This was our trend because most of the points followed this pattern, however; there was a potential outlier at point (68, 32.3). The distribution of gametophytes on the culture plates varied. Plates A and F had even distribution but were very crowed with gametophytes, while plates D and C were evenly distributed but had less gametophytes. Plate E had clumping of gametophytes in the top left corner and plate B had clumping the the bottom right corner. Figure 1. The relationship between the population density and the percentage of male gametophytes. Discussion The prediction that the percentage of male gametophytes would increase as the population density of the gametophytes increased, and the prediction that the percentage of male gametophytes would decrease as the population density of the gametophytes increased were not supported by our results. When the population density was low, the percentage of male gametophytes was relatively low because there would not be enough eggs to fertilize the sperm produced from both the hermaphrodite,and the sperm produced by the male gametophyte. When the population density was high, the percentage of male gametophytes was higher but still less than fifty percent because of the same reasons.The data from our results did support our hypothesis that the gametophyte population influences sex determination in the C-fern because, the higher the population density, the more level the percentage of male gametophytes became. The reason for this leveling out at the top of the graph was due to; if the percentage of male gametophytes kept increasing linearly, then there would be too many male gametophytes and not enough eggs being produced from the hermaphrodite gametophytes to be fertilized causing an unbalanced population. The outlier pertained to this because the population density was so high but the percentage of male gametophytes was relatively close to the other points supporting that male gametophyte production does not increase as population density increases. Even thought the population density was so high, the percentage of male gametophytes was relatively the same as the other points because the hermaphrodite gametophytes were trying to increase in number so that they could produce enough eggs to be able to self fertilize and reproduce with the male gametophytes, causing a leveling off in the graph. C-Ferns might have evolved this system of sex determination for many reasons. Being a hermaphrodite allows them to self fertilize, so by having this ability,C-ferns can produce eggs when there is sperm, so they always have the ability to reproduce. Unlike hermaphrodites, having separate sexes does not always guarantee you a parter so there is not guarantee in reproduction. Cross fertilization and self fertilization are important when discussing variation. Cross fertilization allows for different genetic material to be combined causing variation. Variation allows natural selection to act on and therefore, plants that are better adapted to the environment survive. Self Fertilization allows plants that have the adapted survival gene to self fertilize, producing less variation but more of sustainable plant. This relates to the offspring produced by hermaphrodites because they mostly self fertilize so they are producing more of themselves but less variation. The offspring produced by separate sexes produces more variation but stands less of a chance against natural selection because the hermaphrodites are reproducing well adapted offspring while the separate sexes are producing a new combination of genetics. A Labratory Manual for BIO 114. 2011. Environmental Control of Sex Determination, pp.163-166. James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA. ———————–

Friday, September 27, 2019

Beautyism in the Workplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Beautyism in the Workplace - Essay Example for their beauty and this knowledge comes to them by whatever means, they would have no reason to work as hard as they would have in the opposite circumstances. As is human nature, they focus more on being attractive and remaining in that state as that is what got them the position in the first place. Even though it is humanly impossible to overlook one’s attractiveness, it is important to try to analyze that in comparison to their skill set (Sartore, 2006). Hiring people based on their attractiveness does very little for the motivation of other employees. Employees should be made to direct their efforts towards increasing their productive ability. The observance that the management’s focus is in the opposite direction rubs off on them and sends them into confusion. The action of the one person in the management body affects the outlook of employees towards the entire body and not of that particular person. In the case facing the College of Business Administration, the chairperson’s action could be interpreted as the stand of the entire management body, inclusive of human resource. The staff body usually works in parallel direction with the management. Therefore, if they not that the management focus is on productivity in terms of skills, then they equally focus on that. However if they find that other aspects such as beauty are more important they shift focus to that rather than to improving and sustaining their skills. From the same management-employee relationship perspective, Beautyism damages the faith of employees in their management. In whatever circumstances, the management is meant to illustrate integrity in order to establish faith and goodwill (Commisso, 2012). In the event that beautyism becomes a management’s limitation, employees begin to question other aspects of that relationship. Employees begin to worry that they could be biased on other aspects as well leaving them on the losing side. For this reasons, it is important to avoid

Mythology compare Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mythology compare - Research Paper Example Social insights are much more prevalent as each culture is able to pull out those elements of a story that has specific meaning within that culture. In relaying important cultural and societal ideologies, myths are also useful learning tools for the young people of society as they begin to learn what is expected of them individually and the consequences if they fail to behave according to plan. These differences in social and individual outcomes are often due to the differences in religion and environment in the region in which the myth originated. These ideas can be best understood when comparing myths from two different cultures, such as the myth of creation found among the Iroquois people of the North American continent as compared to the Judeo-Christian creation myth we are more familiar with today. The Judeo-Christian creation myth is presented to us in the Book of Genesis in the Bible, which is purported to be the actual word of God given to us through the hand of man. In this myth, there is a divine being that exists in some kind of void. Tired of this existence, He decides to make something, which turns out to be the land as it is separated from the sky, the sun and the moon; then as it is separated from the sea and then as it is covered in plants and made to be teeming with life of various different forms. All of these things were created by this Divine Being, God, as He called them forward out of the nothingness during a period of five days. On the sixth day, He created people, one man and one woman, gave them the entire Earth to live on with one area in particular, the Garden of Eden, being the most perfect place for them to live as long as they didn’t eat from a specific tree. Of course, the people did eat from this tree and so they were banned from the garden an d forced to work for their welfare and to raise children to populate the earth. In Iroquois legend, the world was formed as a

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Genetically Modified Crops) Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Genetically Modified Crops) - Research Paper Example When it comes to food, one has to be absolutely sure about safety and health of human beings. Absence of surety makes GMC unsafe for human health. There are also risks that some genetically modified crops can increase resistance of different antibiotics and this can lead to health issues (Conway, 2000). This type of resistance can render any antibiotic useless and can prolong illness. In genetically mutated crop, different genes are artificially introduced and some of these genes can increase resistance to important medicines like antibiotics. Genetically modified crops are also unpredictable because no one knows how they will be reacting with natural human genes and our bodily function. The pose risk to human health because modified genes can react with human body and lead to health issues and other types of illnesses. GMC has also been found to produce health defects and organ failures in animal testing (Dona & Nitoyannis, 2009). This is also a significant reason to worry about genetically modified food and crop. Animal testing has showed its dangers and therefore it is only logical to assume that these crops might also pose risk of organ failures in human beings. One of the main benefits if genetically modified crops is that that it can end famine and shortage of food problem from the developing countries. Most developing countries face shortage of food and this can be eradicated through use of genetically modified crop as it increases efficiency of crops and make it more resistant to pests. Genetically mutated crops can also help farmers of developing countries where soil is not fertile enough to sustain good crop yields. Through these crops, farmers can increase their output which can in turn lead to prosperity for farmers. There are also economic benefits of the crop as it offers protection from pests. Farmers can save significant amount of money on pesticides. Also these crops increase output and this makes it more economical

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

You need to choose 2 questions and answer it and each question should Essay

You need to choose 2 questions and answer it and each question should have 2 pages answer - Essay Example This represents a difficult position for the change leader in the fact that the shareholders that they will be integrating with will likely to view an understand the way that the company or firm should proceed in a much different way than the new change leader. Although a difference in perspective is not necessarily a bad thing, it will doubtless be difficult for a new change leader if he/she is faced with a situation in which seniority within the firm becomes a central issue. This of represents a situation in which the â€Å"momentum of the organization† is aligned against that of the change leader. Although this is not an impossible situation to engage with, it puts the change leader in a distinct disadvantage. As a means of drawing such a situation to his/her ultimate benefit, the change leader must first seek to integrate a further and more complete understanding and appreciation for the way in which the firm has operated for the past several years. This is of vital due to the fact that many change leaders are tempted to merely dismiss the way in which shareholders have become accustomed to performing certain tasks out of rather egoistic motives. Whereas the change leader is oftentimes tempted to approach a given situation with the understanding that the old ways are inherently flawed, this is ultimately something that must be guarded against. Though it is oftentimes the case that the old ways are inade34quate for leading with certain eventualities, they are not always all bad and require a thorough review from the change leader prior to outright deciding which particular approach is best for furthering the goals and ends of the given organization. As a function of this level of understanding, one of the primary activities that the change leader should engage upon is a thorough and complete review of all of the ways in which business has been previously conducted. Rather than coming into an organization and demanding that all former culture must be d one away with in order to usher in an era of new dynamics, the change leader should be mindful of whether these former cultures contribute to or take away from the unique motives and activities which he/she wish to promote. All too often the change leader is so focused uon instituting his/her own level of procedures and organization that they lose sight of the fact that some of the prior organizational structure can actually work to achieve a degree of synergy with their own designs. As such, seeking to utilize these means rather than forcibly demanding that the participants outright deny the past means which they both are comfortable with and have grown accustomed to can oftentimes lead to a greater degree of net benefit than demanding otherwise. Question 2) The first issue that must be engaged with regards to question 2 is an appreciation and heartfelt discussion with the employee. As Pat believes that his grievance is of merit, it is incumbent upon the change leader to take his c harge seriously as well as integrate his concern into the change process and consider its overall merit. Regardless of whether or not Pat’s particular point of view is useful in furthering the goals of management, the fact that such a central shareholder in the process believes that the project itself is starting off on the wrong foot and going in the wrong direction is worthy of consideration by the change leader. Likewise, as his point of view represents the fact that the team is in conflict it is the responsibility of the manager to seek to identify with and understand his unique concerns before proceeding on with a particular point of view. Although it is impossible to include each and every point of view

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

The Dragonfly Film Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Dragonfly Film Analysis - Essay Example This "The Dragonfly Film Analysis" describes the general characteristic of the short movies and "The Dragonfly" movie. The film begins with the young boy seen running through a long hallway and down a series of stairs, through a parking garage and into a darkened park. There is then a sudden flashback to this same boy lying on his stomach on his bed and drawing. The film then begins to jump back and forth between the boy running in the present and moving about his room in the very recent past. In this past, he is seen several times looking out at the night and the full moon that seems to float just outside his reach, most often from the outside ground perspective. This has the effect of reducing the boy to a tiny lonely face peering out of a single lit window among a bank of darkened windows. As the boy reaches the safety of the playground, the flashbacks illustrate the boy’s caretakers coming home, obviously drunk and stumbling, and beginning to argue as they push their way u p the narrow stairs. This is what caused the boy to run. The film ends as the boy swings on a swing to try to touch the moon and magically transforms himself into a glittering green dragonfly that flutters away into the night. The pace of the film is deliberate and quick. With only a five minute duration, it is necessary for the story to be told quickly and there is not a lot of time for excess dialogue. The boy is seen running through much of the film, giving it a stronger sense of urgency in its approach in addition its short duration.

Monday, September 23, 2019

Analysis of Post-Feminism Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analysis of Post-Feminism - Term Paper Example While society of course has now become much more complex, at least until recently, this role differentiation has not significantly changed. That is, men leave home to be breadwinners, with their wives saddled with the domestic responsibility. While the feminist revolution has freed some women from being captive to their homes, it has also placed additional burdens on them if they work outside, unless husbands contribute to the domestic chores. Therefore there must not only be less role differentiation by gender in the workplace to give women greater career opportunities but also in domestic life, Douglas and Michaels’ Critiques of Dowd’s Perspective If Douglas and Michaels were critiquing Dowd’s perspective, I expect that they would complain that she focuses only on courtship issues involving single men and women. I think they would argue that this is much less stressful than having to live up to media hyped demands of perfect motherhood, possibly while at the sa me time pursuing an outside career. While career women may have difficulty finding compatible mates because men, used to being in control, are not comfortable with aggressive career women whose achievements rival or exceed their own, they at least have options. They can â€Å"dumb down† by hiding their success, pay attention to their appearance in an effort to compete with younger women, or give up entirely on looking for a marriage partner.(Dowd 2005) By contrast, women responsible for their children, especially if the father is absent or not contributing to domestic duties, may feel trapped particularly if they do not have marketable occupational skills. Dowd’s approach is post feminist because it is based on the assumption that women have attained some degree of equality of opportunity in the workplace with men and also the social right to initiate and pursue relationships. Given the sense of entrapment many women feel in having to pursue unrealistic standards of mo therhood, I suspect Douglas and Michael would dispute that we live in a post feminist age.(Douglas and Michael p. 5) Douglas and Michael’s versus Dowd’s Understanding of Feminism Dowd describes feminism in terms of women’s legal and social rights that is to have equal access with men to educational and career opportunities, to initiate and pursue relationships, and to dress and make lifestyle choices as they please (Dowd 2005). However, she decries early feminists who felt they had to mimic men’s attire and habits rather than wear sexy clothing and pursue girlish interests(Dowd 2005) Essentially she feels that feminism means women’s right to pursue their own lifestyle and career choices on an equal footing with men and without legal and social impediments. Douglas and Michael argue that we still live in a paternalistic society, and while women may have attained some legal rights, there are still social impediments and pressures hindering their effo rts to gain actual equality, and therefore they have yet to achieve the feminist goals of meaningful equality. For example, mothers are bombarded with media messages from celebrity moms instructing them how to be a better mom (Douglas and Michae

Sunday, September 22, 2019

John Smith Essay Example for Free

John Smith Essay Dear Hiring Manager: In response to your recent advertisement for Customer Service Manager, I have enclosed a copy of my resume for your review. As you will note, I have spent more than five years in the Customer Service profession in different positions of increasing responsibility. I have a track record with assisting customers and am skilled in communication and computer applications. My career is chronicled by meritorious promotions and the fact that I am well versed in interpersonal skills is a significant contributing factor to the successes I have achieved. I am seeking to further my career in the customer service field where I can maximize my communication and organizational skills to further business goal and bottom-line objectives. In my candidacy, you will find: A team oriented professional with a positive work ethic and deep commitment to providing excellent results A track record of excellent performance as an employee at my various places of employment The proven ability to build genuine rapport. Your review of my enclosed resume to explore a possible match between your needs and my skills is much appreciated. I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you in person to learn more about your business and to explore employment possibilities. You may reach me at 802-555 5550 or via email at [emailprotected] com Thank you for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you soon. Sincerely, John Smith Enclosure.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Elizabeth Woodville Essay Example for Free

Elizabeth Woodville Essay -Elizabeth meets Edward IV as he rides through her town. Elizabeth marries Edward IV in secret three days before he goes off to battle. Edward IV wins the battle and officially becomes King of England. -Elizabeth’s marriage to Edward is formally announced, angering many of Edward’s advisors. -Elizabeth has three daughters. -Elizabeth’s father and brother are taken by Warwick’s army and are beheaded. Her mother is also accused of witchcraft. -Elizabeth curses Lord Warwick and Duke George. -Elizabeth enters sanctuary as Edward goes once again to battle. -Elizabeth has a son named Edward. -Elizabeth also has another son named Richard. Also a short while later another named George. -Elizabeth sends her son Edward to Wales with her brother Anthony. -Her son George dies along with her mother. -Elizabeth has her last two children Catherine and Bridget. -Takes her children into sanctuary not trusting Richard to protect them. Richard captures Elizabeth’s brother Anthony, her son Edward, and her son Richard Grey. -Elizabeth’s marriage to Edward is declared invalid. -Elizabeth attempts to organize an uprising against Richard III. -Elizabeth is told that Richard III has killed her sons Edward and Richard. She does not believe this. -Elizabeth finally believes that her son Edward is dead. -Elizabeth after agreeing that her daughter will marry Richard III she sends for her son Richard and he is restored to her. The climax of Elizabeth’s character is when she finally believes that her son Edward is dead (489). This is because throughout the book her goal has been to make sure that one of her sons becomes the King of England. After this point she seems to come to terms with the fact that her family had its time in power and there is no more that she can do to further her family’s power. Elizabeth’s character goes through many changes throughout the novel. She begins not wanting to further herself in the royal court simply to get her husband’s lands returned to her. But when she finds herself falling in love with the king she gets a taste of the power of the Queen of England and cannot seem to give it up even when she could have saved many people by surrendering the throne. Edward IV -While riding out to battle meets Elizabeth Woodville and her two sons. -Calls for troops to muster and in doing so sees Elizabeth again and asks her to marry him in secret. -Edward wins the battle against King Henry VI, officially becoming King of England. -The King announces his marriage to Elizabeth and calls her to court. -His most trusted advisor the Earl of Warwick turns against him and puts his support behind Edward’s brother George Duke of Clarence. -Edward is captured by Richard Neville the Earl of Warwick’s army. Edward is released by the Earl of Warwick. -Edward is once again called to battle against Warwick, and Edward wins. Edward and his two brothers kill the old King Henry VI in the tower of London. -Edward learns of George’s plot against him and has him executed for treason. -Edward becomes ill. -On his deathbed he makes his advisors and his wife promise to work to protect his son and work together. -Edward dies leaving his brother Richard, as Royal protector. The climax for Edward’s character is when he becomes ill (341). His character in the story has been centered on him growing from a young naà ¯ve boy to a man of the world. He reverts back to his childish ways when he becomes sick. â€Å"As if he were still a boy and could take such risks with his health† (340). This is the climax because from this point on he tries to reconcile everything he can but ultimately fails in doing so before he dies. Edward’s character undergoes many changes throughout the portion of his life that is illustrated in this novel. He began as a young man who believed he was invincible and saw Elizabeth as the most beautiful lady in the country and felt that he had to have her. During his life in the novel he grows to understand that he is not invincible and he becomes very scared. This shows not that he was unintelligent at the beginning; he simply had not seen the terrors of the world yet. Then at the end of his life he returned to his childlike persona and tells Elizabeth â€Å"I am afraid again† (342). Shortly thereafter he dies. Part 2: Plot * Edward and Elizabeth meet and are married in secret. * Edward wins a battle against the old King Henry IV and becomes the official King of England. * Edward tells his advisor Richard Neville, the Earl of Warwick that he is already married when Warwick tries to make him marry someone else. * Edward and Elizabeth have three daughters named, Elizabeth, Cecily, and Anne. * Warwick creates an uprising in England to usurp Edward IV and make George the Duke of Clarence king of England. * Warwick kills Elizabeth’s father and her brother. Warwick also captures but eventually releases Edward IV. * Elizabeth has a son named Edward. He becomes Edward the Prince of Wales. * King Edward with his brothers defeats Warwick in another battle. * Together Edward and Elizabeth have four more children. Only three survive past the age of two. * King Edward IV dies, leaving as his heir Edward the Prince of Wales under the protection of his brother Richard. * Elizabeth takes what is left of her family and moves into Westminster Abbey claiming sanctuary. * Richard declares Elizabeth and Edward’s marriage invalid and therefore he is the rightful heir to the throne. * Elizabeth receives news that Richard III has killed her sons. But does not believe that it is true. * Elizabeth sends her daughters to court after she finally understands that her son Edward most likely not returning to her. * Elizabeth’s daughter Elizabeth falls in love with Richard III. * Elizabeth’s daughter gains Elizabeth the right to return to court with her son if he is in hiding. Which he is. * Elizabeth’s son Richard is returned to her. The climax of the novel is when Elizabeth says â€Å"If Edward is alive, then pray God he will find his way to me. And there will always be a candle in the window to light his way home, and my door will never be locked, in case one day it is his hand on the latch.’ ‘But you don’t expect him anymore?’ ‘I don’t expect him’† (489). This is the climax because Elizabeth does not need her son to be King anymore she simply wants him to be alive. She seems to have given up her ambition to be mother of the heir to England. Part III: Symbolism/Theme Theme I: Loyalty is always changing; therefore do not expect anything from someone without giving them something in return. Theme II: Ambition Theme III: There can be no peace when fighting is within families. â€Å"These are hard times, and England is a country of sorrows. No mother can be sure that she will not bury her sons. When a country is at war, cousin against cousin, brother against brother, no boy is safe† (133). This is a theme of the novel because Symbol I: The Tower of London represents false security. This symbol can be tied to the theme that no one is safe when fighting is between families. Symbol II: The white rose represents loyalty to the House of York but it is also represents hidden loyalties because in this time Loyalties could be seemingly to the house of York but really to the House of Lancaster. The white rose represents the theme of changing Loyalties. Symbol III: The River represents that even in Death life goes on. Part IV: Figurative Language 1. â€Å"It is an enchantment? You are Melusina? A beautiful goddess bathing in the woods and he that just departed was a knight sworn to your service? This is Camelot now? An honorable love?† (58). The allusions to both Melusina and Camelot enhance this passage in showing Elizabeth’s brother Anthony’s point of view on the marriage of Elizabeth to Edward. He was against it and used the allusions to compare well known love stories of Guinevere and Lancelot to show Elizabeth that her marriage was not honorable and was not for love. 2. â€Å"No one knows better than she how to plow the furrow that is Royal England† (77). This metaphor enhances the novel by comparing the royal court to a narrow trench; it is like saying that there is only a small margin for error in anything small and tight. Thus, by comparing the Court to a furrow, the metaphor is characterizing the Court of England as a small tight group of people not likely to accept mistakes. 3. â€Å"It is as if there are ghosts here. Are my boys staying here tonight?† (97). This statement is foreshadowing because Elizabeth instantly dislike the Tower of London but cannot say entirely why, but as illustrated through her question about her children it is somehow connected to them and as the story goes on the reader learns that her son dies in the tower. 4. â€Å"At once she takes a pair of silver scissors from her pocket and cuts the other two threads so whatever was tied on is swept away into the dark waters. ‘What were they?’ ‘They are the things that will never happen; they are the future we will never know. They are the children who will not be born and the chances that we won’t take and the luck that we won’t have,’ she says. ‘They are gone. They are lost to you. See instead what you have chosen.’† (143). This exchange between Elizabeth and her mother is used as foreshadowing. It foreshadows the death of her two sons by the two threads that represent the future that they will never know. Just like they will never fully know what happened to Elizabeth’s sons. 5. â€Å"Let you be the last York who dies in the Tower of London. Let it end here† (333). This shows foreshadowing because as the reader learns her sons, Edward and the page boy she sent to pretend to be Richard, die in the Tower of London. This enhances the passage because it makes Elizabeth seem partially responsible for the deaths of her children. Part V: I mostly agree with Philippa Gregory’s portrayal of Elizabeth Woodville in the White Queen, although there are a few things that I do not think were entirely historically accurate. Gregory’s use of magic throughout the novel as seen through the water goddess Melusina, did not appear in my research. Although she was accused of witchcraft once I doubt she practiced it as often as the novel suggests. I also do not agree with the plot point that Elizabeth sent a pageboy instead of her second son to the tower to be with her first, sending her second son away, because if she had done so the second son would have appeared in history. Therefore I think that Philippa Gregory took some liberties in writing the novel but most other aspects were accurate. Essential Question Essay â€Å"To truly test a man’s character, give him power.† These wise words of Abraham Lincoln apply perfectly to Elizabeth Woodville. The White Queen by Philippa Gregory raises many points about humanity, but the character flaw constantly suggested is need for power. When do the costs of power and ambition become too much to outweigh the benefits? Elizabeth Woodville first learned of the costs that come from the need to expand power when she lost her first husband in the Battle of St. Albans (22). He was fighting for King Henry VI, who was being usurped by the House of York who were fighting to claim what they believed was their rightful place as the rulers of England. Elizabeth gained no benefits from the York’s ambition to become King. She had also lost her husband’s lands and had no way to gain them back. After marrying the King, Elizabeth had her first taste of power. She greatly influenced many marriages and placed her family in high positions of power. The costs for these great successes were also quite significant. In an attempt to place her family in even higher positions she alienated the Earl of Warwick, Richard Neville, who had not liked her from the time he met her. Warwick was not content to sit by and watch as his control was taken away. So in return he attacked the Kingdom and in doing so killed Elizabeth’s father and brother. To Elizabeth’s mother, the death of her husband and son began to weigh heavily on her, as much as she had wanted her family in power, she was not willing to sacrifice her entire family for the York cause, and died shortly thereafter. Elizabeth’s daughter, Elizabeth sees the many costs that her mother’s ambition has caused her family. The young Elizabeth recognized unlike her mother that by caring more for the crown than she did for her children, her mother caused more harm to come to the family. The young Elizabeth also believed that in sending an innocent boy in place of her son, who would be killed in the Tower of London, her mother overstepped the boundary between what was right and what was wrong. Elizabeth never fully came to the understanding that her ambition was a significant part in the death of many of her kinsmen. Through her voice in the novel she never takes the blame for the death of her family but does continue to search for power. When Richard III had taken the throne he had left her with nothing to go on. She had thought her heirs were dead but then when her daughter is asked by Richard III to marry him, Elizabeth shows that, â€Å"despite my own caution, despite my own fears, I start to hope. I start to think that if King Richard marries Elizabeth and makes her his queen I will be welcome at court again, I will take my place as My Lady, the Queen’s Mother† (509). Elizabeth in saying this at the end of the novel shows that despite the deaths that her ambition has caused she was still willing to risk many more to further herself and her family in England’s royal court. Gregory uses The White Queen to express an essential flaw in human nature: the spoils of pride. The addressing of when ambition is taken to far is not in what the characters feel and express it is in what they do not express where the answer is illustrated. At the commencement of the novel Elizabeth’s character is rel atable but throughout the novel she becomes harder to relate to.