Saturday, September 7, 2019

The “tanorexics” Essay Example for Free

The â€Å"tanorexics† Essay They’re desperate for a   sun fix. They spend hours incarcerated in hi-tech coffins. Cayte Williams meets the â€Å"tanorexics† Youre lying in a big plastic cocoon. Weird blue light beats down at you through hi-tech glass and there’s a strange humming noise. Youre naked and sweating profusely. Have you been abducted by aliens for experimental tests? No, youre lying on a sunbed and if youre doing it more than once a week then you could be seriously addicted. The Imperial Cancer Research Fund (ICRF) recently released a fact sheet outlining the dangerous effects of indoor tanning. â€Å"There is extreme concern for ‘tanorexics’,† says Christine Suggars, a spokesperson for the ICRF. â€Å"Especially people who have a dangerous desire for a permanent tan and use sunbeds more than once a week.† So who are these walking raisins, and why do they need a regular sunbed fix? Often tanorexics prefer to buy a sunbed rather than visit a suntanning salon. And let’s face it, anyone who’s prepared to fork out  £1,600 on the initial machinery must have one hell of a habit. â€Å"I bought a sunbed 10 years ago,† recalls Jane Horwood, a 37-year- old interior designer. â€Å"I used it once a week at first, but this gradually became once a night. I used to go on it religiously after work and hated it when I couldnt go underneath.† It’s like smoking. Even though I knew I shouldn’t be under there, I couldnt stop myself,† she confesses. â€Å"I wanted to look healthy and was really upset that when I got pregnant my doctor told me I couldn’t go on the sunbed. It’s an obsession with self image and self esteem, like anorexia. If you’re browner, you think you’re going to have a nicer lifestyle, be more attractive. If I hadn’t got pregnant I would never have stopped.† Over use of sunbeds can lead to all kinds of nasty side-effects. â€Å"Apart from premature skin ageing, people who use sunbeds for more than 20 sessions of 30 minutes per year run the risk of developing skin fragility,† says Doctor Julia Newton Bishop, consultant dermatologist at St James’ University Hospital in Leeds. â€Å"The skin becomes very thin with a transparent texture and it bruises and blisters easily. Normally I would only expect to see this problem in the elderly but I have seen some young patients suffering from  this who over-use tanning equipment.† â€Å"An average 30 minutes on a sunbed gives you the same dose of UVA rays as a day at the beach,† says Christine Suggars. â€Å"UVB rays have been linked to skin cancer for many years, but it’s only now that the concern is growing over the effects of UVA rays. UVB rays affect the top layer of the skin, the epidermis, and also the melanocyte cells, to produce brown pigment,† she explains. â€Å"UVA rays penetrate the skin more deeply, damaging the elastin (which keeps the skin supple) and collagen (which maintains the skin’s thickness) in the skin’s middle layer, causing sagging skin and wrinkles.† This is not good news for the suntanning industry The Tanning Shop opened its first branch in the UK in 1992 and now has over 150 branches around the country. The company advocates â€Å"controlled tanning† and specialised programmes can cost up to  £399 a year. â€Å"People arent happy just to pop into a booth anymore,† explains marketing co-ordinator Rachel O’Donnell. â€Å"They want us to tell them what to do.† Customers are warned about the dangers of over-tanning and are given a ‘consultation’ before their first sunbed session. â€Å"They can only ever have a session every second day and fair-skinned people are allowed six minutes a session which might go on to 10 minutes eventually. Customers are more fussy about what they get,† says O’Donnell. The Tanning Shops’ black vertical tanning booths look unnervingly like upright coffins, but tanorexics will not be put off. â€Å"I go two to three times a week,† says 27-year-old accountant, Victoria Williams. It makes me feel healthier, just like when you come back from holiday.† Victoria started using sunbeds to clear up a skin complaint, but now she’s hooked. â€Å"I did worry about addiction,† she says, â€Å"so I didnt go on the sunbed for a month, but I started to get miserable when I got pasty. I wanted that heat and warmth on my body.† Is she worried about the latest sunbed scare? â€Å"You have BSE, listeria, salmonella,† she says defiantly â€Å"I think there is some scare every week and it’s over-hyped. I would only stop using sunbeds if they were banned.† A favourite haunt of the shameless tanorexic is Electric Beach in London’s Covent Garden. Here models and media people pop in for a top-up on a regular basis. On Saturday, the last celebs seen crossing its portats were Luke and Matt Goss, formerly of Bros. Who says tanning isn’t trendy? â€Å"We are looking to cater for those people who  live a London life,† says managing director Philip Hodgeson. â€Å"People go in and they come out tanned. We use bulbs as opposed to tubes with a potassium filter, which filters out 99.9 per cent of the UVB rays.† While women openly admit to tanning addiction, men are much more secretive. Last year Paddy Ashdown suffered great embarrassment when a beautician let slip that he’d checked in for a session on a sunbed. It seemed his rugged outdoor tan was of the indoor variety and the Lib Dem office put the habit down to his doctor’s advice for soothing a minor skin complaint. John Stevens (not his real name), a 28 year old lawyer, identifies with Paddy’s blushes over his ruddy complexion. â€Å"When youre tanned you look healthy, fit and well travelled,† he says, â€Å"and in business it’s good, because it makes you look wealthier, like you can afford regular holidays. But there’s this unspoken idea that a ‘real man’ should get his tan doing something rugged and adventurous. I would never want my mates to know that I use a sunbed.† And, of course, there’s Essex Man with his perennial tandoori tan. â€Å"There’s one who co mes in every night,† says Shauney Taylor of Tanning Trends in Barking. â€Å"He’s in his 30s, he’s working out, and wants the tan to go with it. You know what men are like,† she muses. â€Å"They want to be Peter Andre.†

Friday, September 6, 2019

How to Motivate Student in Their Academic Essay Example for Free

How to Motivate Student in Their Academic Essay I. INTRODUCTION Motivation is the combination of desire, values, and beliefs that drives you to take action. These three motivating factors are at the root of why people act the way they do. Because they ultimately control values, beliefs, and desires, it can influence motivations. This means, if you consider something important and assign value to it, you are more likely to do the work it takes to attain a certain goal. When motivation originates from an internal source and combined with a realistic goal and circumstance, the result of a good outcome or output are greatly increased. II. MAIN DISCUSSION To understand what motivates them, they need to know what is important to them. Consider issues such as family, relationships, learning or school, grades, work, aspirations, achievement, money, social causes, social life, following a dream, and many more. Students goals and desires grow from their values and beliefs. Once they have made their personal list, they begin to think about how the items relate to one another. These issues and relationships are always alive inside of them. By becoming consciously aware of their selves, they can begin to modify, control and understand their selves. Judging the quality and depth of their motivation is important, because it is directly related to their commitment. Often students find that they want a good academic outcome, but they cant seem to make it happen. Sometimes, this gap occurs when there is a clash between what they are striving for a good academic outcome/degree and what they would rather be doing in following a dream. It’s fo r values, beliefs, and desires to be in conflict, it is important to recognize when they are and act appropriately on this information. III. MY POINT OF VIEW One of the keys to college success is having a realistic view of strengths and weaknesses. Do an informal assessment of abilities. Reflect on what they have learned about themself in the past from classroom experiences, conversations with teachers and advisors, standardized tests, projects and activities, and outside activities. Consider specifically their reading, writing, oral communication, interpersonal, and analytic skills. An accurate and honest assessment of their abilities is essential. It prevents them from under-estimating or over-estimating their skills and directs toward attainable and appropriate goals. Having an accurate direction is important in maintaining motivation. Knowing what their value and desire, along with an assessment of their strengths and weaknesses, makes it possible to establish personal goals. Most students already have a mix of short-term and long-term goals in mind for themselves. Students often are aiming towards a particular test, project, class, grade point, degree, graduate program, professional school, or career. These are often complemented by other goals such as living a healthy lifestyle, maintaining personal integrity, volunteering, working, nurturing relationships, or growing as a person. It is not unusual for short-term goals to support long-term goals. IV. CONCLUSION Once I have set goals that match my beliefs, values and desires, I should be in position to act on them successfully. However, my motivation can be undermined if I fail to consider my circumstances or if my circumstances change, but my goals dont. A goal may match my values that I want to earn a degree in Tourism and may be realistically set that I want to do it in 4 years when I began my academic journey, but may need modification and readjustment as time passes. If I earned grades lower than I expected to, I may need to lighten my course load or adjust my work and leisure hours. A loss of interest might mean my need to explore other majors. Changes in relationships or family make-up can also introduce new constraints on my plan. Unfortunately, when circumstances change, students are often unwilling to make related adjustments in their self-expectations. In this case, I as a student rarely perform up to the expectations, become frustrated, and lose motivation. However, motivation and performance can be maintained when personal circumstance is taken into. Students who are willing to redefine their goals to account for their changed circumstances can remain motivated and on the path to success. Motivation, goals, and circumstance are all related to success. I can increase the odds of my success by first, defining what is important to me, establishing goals based on these values, desires, and beliefs, and finally, tailoring my achievement expectations to match my circumstances. If I fail in any of these steps, I will undercut my motivation, fail to work up to my abilities, and diminish my chances of success. V. ANALYSIS Be realistic is setting your goals and always consider your circumstances. When goals arent realistic or when circumstances conspire against you, it is important to adjust. A student who comes to college with the goal of expecting to earn a tourism degree in 4 years, but finds the work more difficult than he anticipated may need to adjust his time frame in order to achieve his goal. Likewise, if this same student found that he needed to work to support his college costs or took on greater family responsibilities, it might be similarly necessary for him to adjust his goals as well. When goals are realistic and match desires, you will be motivated. When youre motivated and work hard towards your goals, you will succeed. When you succeed, your motivation will grow, you will set new goals, and continue to achieve.

Thursday, September 5, 2019

Media Analysis: Banning Beauty and the Beast in Malaysia

Media Analysis: Banning Beauty and the Beast in Malaysia Banning and Censorship of Beauty and The Beast in Malaysia: An Analysis on News Values and News Frames. This article analyses the news reports on the banning and censorship of movie Beauty and The Beast in Malaysia. In order to analyse the news reports, four articles from different media outlets had been selected to compare and contrast the news representation. The articles that had been chosen are the one by Malaysias The Star (Malaysias neutral newspaper), the UKs Daily Mail and The Independent (to compare the news reports taken from a newswire and the one with authors by-line) and a news report by Bloomberg (the first foreign media to report this issue). All these media outlets report news on banning and censorship of Beauty and The Beast as it sparks controversies among Muslim majority Malaysians due to its gay scene. That gay moment has raised concerns among the public as it is inappropriate for children viewing and it is also claimed to promote negative values where homosexuality is strictly prohibited in Malaysia under both religious and secular laws. In the movie, the character Le Fou played by Josh Gad was seen to be confused about his sexuality. Following this issue, Malaysias Film Censorship Board had requested the gay moment scene to be cut, making it suitable for Malaysian viewers, especially children below the age of 13. The main purpose of this analysis is to study the way journalists frame censorship news. Throughout the analysis, the frames and values have been highlighted together with explanations of what makes the frames to be newsworthy. First, all four news articles framed Beauty and The Beast as the gay moment. According to Lupton (2006), event or issues that are considered to have news value or to be newsworthy are indicative of a bigger concern of society. This suggests that in order to select a news frame, the news angle itself has to be newsworthy. Similarly, Gamson and Modigliani (1989) believe that news framing is a media process of highlighting an issue which also could be perceived as to give meaning to an issue. With regards to Beauty and The Beast defined as the gay moment, it sparks a huge debate in Malaysia as media censorship also does not only apply to print and online media but it also bans songs and movies that insult Islam as religion of the constitution, as well as those that encourage acceptance of gay. In an article by The Independent, Malaysias Film Censorship Board chairman Abdul Halim Abdul Hamid described gay moment as unsuitable because many children will be watching this movie despite its very short scene of 4.30 minutes and rated PG 13, indicating some content might be appropriate for pre-teens. According to Wan Mahmud (2007) among elements that are forbidden include contradicting Islamic rules (fatwa) by the State Islamic Councils as wells as those that endanger Malaysian norms and values. Contradictory, an article by Daily Mail portrays that the films director Bill Condon had a very different view as he claims that this is Disneys first exclusive gay moment. Entman (1991) clarifies that framing is measured by a few aspects such as moral judgements, cultural values and what forces create the problem. The different ways of news framing suggest that the way media framed news is to shape what the public should read instead of what the public should know. Goffman (1974) suggests that frame is perceived as the cognitive patterns or maps where the media use to emphasise and render information into a series of newsworthy events. This also suggests that journalists are dep endent on frames to select what to include in a story and what should be eliminated. At the same time, as Islam is the religion of the constitution in Malaysia, news on banning or movie censorship has always been closely related to local customs and culture. Yopp and McAdams, 2003) suggests that when selecting stories, journalists and editors are drawn one or more of the following criteria: i) timeliness, ii) prominence, iii) emotional effect, iv) magnitude v) oddity, vi) proximity vii) impact, vii) conflict. This suggests that media practitioners must strive to report and to package news according to the values and with regards to this issue, it involves proximity, emotional effect and conflict. Not just that, journalists also use news frame to present human interest story. By analysing the news articles, three foreign news outlet emphasised about Malaysias law on homosexuality or gay behaviour in their news reports. In Bloomberg, Daily Mail and The Independent, homosexuality is defined as a criminal offence. Caudill and Ashdown (1989) suggest that uncommon, up-to-date, provocative or affects a large scale of people is most likely to receive coverage by the media. Dunwoody and Griffin (1990) suggests that journalist could gain readership by creating controversy between two or more standpoints. In this issue of banning Beauty and the Beast, religious view and punishment towards homosexuality could be perceived as the standpoints that make the news controversial. This also suggests that journalists will look for anything with the human angle when they have to decide that to write a news report. Goffman (1974) suggests that frame is perceived as the cognitive patterns or maps w here the media use to emphasise and render information into a series of newsworthy events. For example, Daily Mail, Bloomberg and the Independent clearly mentioned that homosexuality in Malaysia would lead to fine, imprisonment and corporal punishment. Nevertheless, Nik Hassan (2007) argues as news frame also suggests treatments for the issue, offers remedies and predicts the likely effect rather than just raising anxiety to public. This is different compared to the local media (The Star) which only reports about the consequences and solution for the issue. In The Star news report, its report is solely on the possible delay for Beauty and The Beast screening, also the consequence that the movie might be pulled out of Malaysian cinema due to Malaysias Film Censorship Board request to cut the gay scene. Consequently, the way media frame news is crucial as they are capable of influencing the publics belief and also to determine the final resolution of publics concern. This is supported by Entman (2007) he suggests news frames are designed to make target audience think, feel and decide in a specific way. Not just that, Dixon and Clarke (2003) believe that controversial reports actively shape the way readers understand the issue. Despite the traditional news values and frames that are already embedded in their routine, some journalists construct news differently from its nature. On the other hand, Daily Mail (by AFP) cited senior mufti for Malaysias northern Perak state Harussani Zakaria, saying that the Western behaviour has gone awry that Malaysian should guard themselves thus, the movie must be banned. This is surprisingly different from Bloomberg, The Star and The Independent as none of these media outlet cited a religion expert in their news report. Myrick (2002) suggests by including diverse viewpoints, journalists could achieve fairness and balance, avoiding distortion by personal feelings and prejudices. With regards to news value and frame, Kiousis (2004) claim that this has to do with the idea that more visible and will be more prominent on publics mind. It is also vital to note that different parties compete to shape the frame of a news story. Moreover, by framing Beauty and The Beast as the negative behaviour of the society, it does meet the standards of newsworthiness such as emotional effect and conflict. For a Muslim majority Malaysians, the p ress desire to publish sensational stories to attract readership is fulfilled hence the focus on controversy, drama, human interest and brevity. Nik Hassan (2007) claims that to present news with human interest value, journalist use framing to package the idea, make sense of it and suggest the issue to the public who rely on mediated news for information. On the other hand, all three foreign media reports were merely focusing on the banning of Beauty and The Beast as the gay moment and Malaysias law against homosexuality rather that educating and informing the public about media censorship in the country. This suggests that the words homosexual and gay play a major role in shaping a news story. Correspondingly, Entman (2007) claims that media framing involves section that highlights certain criteria of an issue to promote salience among the public. Thus, this also proposes that the media has successfully selected the frame of the issue by highlighting a few words that trigger the pu blics attention and emotion. In the nutshell, every media outlet has its own agenda by the way it frames and selects the story where the main news frame is Beauty and The Beast defined as the negative behaviour of the society. Similarly, Maher (2001) claims framing and agenda setting are related that they emphasis on the selection of ideas or criteria in a news coverage to promote its message to the public. By analysing all four articles, it can be concluded that all foreign media articles emphasised on the word gay in their news articles. The Independent and Bloomberg, for example, had the word gay in the title itself which surely catches readers attention. Compared to Daily Mail and The Star, the titles for these two articles are rather neutral and did not come out with anything controversial. Furthermore, Bloomberg, The Independent and Daily Mail had the word gay moment at the lead paragraph which suggest that all these media outlets perceived the word to has its own newsworthiness that it also define the con cept of the movie despite its very short scene. As mentioned, news frames are from time to time tied to agenda setting in exploring how a certain issue become the focus of media, public attention and policy change (McKeever, 2013). By evaluating the content that makes the news, this analysis helps to determine which frames and news value might be the most effective in making the story newsworthy and marketable. References. Caudill E, Ashdown P. The New England Journal of Medicine as news source. Journ Q 1989; 66:458- 62. Dunwoody, S. Griffin, R. (1993). Journalistic strategies for reporting long-term environmental issues: A case study of three Superfund sites. In A. Hansen Entman, R. 1991. Framing US Coverage of International News. Journal of Communication, No. 41, pp. 15-18. Entman, R. M. (2007). Framing bias: Media in the distribution of power. Journal of  Communication, 57, pp. 91-95. Goffman, E. (1974). Frame Analysis: An Essay on the Organization of Experience. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.p. 1. Gamson, W. Modigliani, A. (1989). Media discourse and public opinion on  nuclear power: A Constructionist Approach. American Journal of  Sociology, 95(1), 7 21. Kiousis, S. (2004). Explicating media salience: A Factor Analysis of New York Times Issue Coverage During The 2000 Presidential Election. Journal of Communication, 54, 62-71. Maher, M. T. (2001). Framing: An emerging paradigm or a phase of agenda setting. In S. D. Reese, O. H. Gandy, A. E. Grant (Eds.), Framing public life: Perspectives  on media and our understanding of the social world, pp. 79-84. McKeever, B.W., 2013. News Framing of Autism. Science Communication, 35(2), SAGE, pp.213-240. Yopp, J. McAdams, K. (2003). Reaching Audiences: A Guide to Media Writing  3rd ed. Boston: Allyn Bacon, p. 8.

Wednesday, September 4, 2019

The Life and Political Achievements of Sir Wilfrid Laurier of Canada :: Biography Biographies Essays

The Life and Political Achievements of Sir Wilfrid Laurier of Canada Laurier gained great achievement over his political years because he represented Canada as a whole. His family first came to Canada dating back to the time of New France and the early Montreal years. Laurier's father, a government surveyor and a genial, settled down in Canada and got married to Marcelle Martineau. Wildfrid was their first child who was born on November 20, 1841. Seven years later a tragedy struck the Laurier family when Wildfrid's mother died. Since his mother died when Wildfrid was only seven, his father wanted to give him the best education possible. His father knew if he were to succeed in Canada he would have to learn the english language and ways. When Wilfrid was ten years old he got sent to an Anglo-Protestant family who were Scottish immigrants. Here he learned the english language and the Protestant faith. Later on in his life he recalled "how I fought with the Scotch boys and made schoolboy love to the Scotch girls, with more success in the latter than in the former." Remembering the past Laurier would carefully develop the politics of reconciliation rather than conflict. In the year 1854 the young lad went to college, De L'assomption. In his studies he took subjects such as Latin, Latin classics, pre- revolutionary French literature, Greek, English and some philosophy. The education which Laurier got from this school was to prepare him for priesthood but he decided to study law in Montreal at McGill University. At the University Laurier was very hard working and serious to try to accomplish his first major goal which was to become a lawyer. In 1864 Laurier had graduated at the top of his class and was chosen to give the valedictory address. Some of the things he said in his address were how a lawyer bore heavy responsibilities. A lawyer had to maintain liberty and justice; a lawyer had to defend the individual, especially the weak from bold to strong, and that sometimes included the state and church. Differences of language, religion or history paled in comparison to lawyer's obligation to seek justice and freedom." Laurier started his law career in a small law firm in Montreal but due to bad health he moved to a small town in Quebec called Victoriaville where he carried out practising law and became involved with the newspaper in

Tuesday, September 3, 2019

Order, Memory, and Anxiety in Borges Fiction :: Reading Memorize Memory Essays

Order, Memory, and Anxiety in Borges' Fiction The fundamental questions of how and why we read have an infinitude of answers, none of which entirely 'do the job', simply because they bear too closely upon the automatic, (and therefore, to us, secret) processes of the mind; the act of reading is too closely related to the act of living in the world for us to comprehend definitively. There are few writers who understand and exploit this primal link more persistently than Jorge Luis Borges. One of the ways in which he forces us to examine the parallels between reading and existing (I use the word 'force' because it is not always a pleasant confrontation) is through the thematic use of memory. I. Total Recall "It is because I forget that I read." -Roland Barthes, S/Z One of the most masterful treatments of the memory theme is in "Funes the Memorious", the brilliantly, (and somewhat absurdly), touching story of a man who cannot live under the strain of his natural and inescapable ability to remember everything perfectly. The story begins with the words "I recall", and immediately we are plunged into the realm of memory-we understand that what we are about to read is a semblance of a reminisence. Jon Stewart calls attention to the importance of the repetition of this verb in the opening paragraphs of the story: "The continual use of this verb clearly foreshadows the most important element of the character of Funes-his prodigious mnemonic powers: but there is more to it than this. Borges continually uses the same verb and with it brings together a number of scattered and seemingly chaotic memories that he has of Funes. The point of this repetition is to underscore his own impoverished memory of Funes." (p.74) But Stewart neglects to take this point to its logical and important conclusion; the narrator's 'impoverished memory' is not merely a foreshadowing of Funes' infinitely rich one-it comes to be, in fact, the necessary circumstance, and the subject of the story. Borges tells us that the story grew out of his own bouts of insomnia: "I remember that I used to lie down and try to forget everything, and that led me, inevitably, to remember everything. I imagined the books on the shelves, the clothes on the chair, and even my own body on the bed... and so, since I could not erase memory, I kept thinking of those things, and also thinking: if only I could forget, I would certainly be able to sleep.

Monday, September 2, 2019

The Spanish-American War :: American History Essays Spain Papers

Throughout history, there have been many wars that have been caused by many different reasons. Also, the effects of the wars may greatly impact, good or bad, either side of the fight. One great war in history of the United States was the Spanish-American War of 1898. The Spanish-American War was caused by many things. The war has left a lasting effect of both countries involved, the United States and Spain. Both Spain and the United States were greatly impacted by the war. The Spanish-American War was not started by one thing in particular. It was because of a large amount of reasons that built up until it erupted in war. It started with the explosion of the USS Maine. When Spain sent in General â€Å"Butcher† Weyler to stabilize the situation in Cuba, he put the majority of the population into concentration camps. The US sent the Maine to protect its investments there. The USS Maine was on a â€Å"friendly† mission to wait and rescue any US citizens that may be hurt in the conflict. At 4:40 pm on February 15, 1898, the Maine exploded and sank in Havana Harbor. The source of the explosion was not known. Some thought that it may have been from a Spanish mine. Others thought there may have been a spy on board the ship sent to destroy it. Even though the United States said it might have been an accident on board, the US citizens were sent into a frenzy by â€Å"yellow journalism† that was published by men like Pulitzer and Hearst. The information posted by these yellow journalist increased the anti-Spanish feelings and made more and more people favor war. Also, when Congress passed the Fifty Million Dollar bill, which gave the president 50 million dollars to prepare for a war before it is declared, it made people more and more ready for a war and it also made them support it. Many countries in Europe tried to intervene in the situation without actually getting involved into the conflict. Most of Europe expressed sympathy for Spain and tried to talk to the US, but they would not support Spain in the conflict or in the event of a war. Also, Great Britain supported the United States all through the war and gave them advice. The two countries became uneasy as they both began to prepare their army and navy for a war in the sea and on land.

Sunday, September 1, 2019

The Lord of the Rings in the 21st Century

Films or movies are representative of cultures and the nature of the generation from which it is spun. Films or movies seem to represent a piece of reality within them that seeks to inform its viewers, transform thoughts and ideals of its audience, influence change, and such. However, in this case, the role of the film or movie is to represent our society as it is now in the 21st century.  The Lord of the Rings trilogy, adapted from the books written by J. R. R. Tolkien, represents our generation in the 21st century as it illustrates the war between good and evil that we are battling at present. We exist in a world in chaos, where nations battle for peace and harmony amidst a war-stricken world, and yet like the purpose driven by the Fellowship of the Ring, the people struggle and hope that we may be able to withstand the turmoil to reach tranquility.The Lord of the Rings Trilogy follows the structure of a typical â€Å"good versus evil† movie. The theme was instigated by en compassing feelings of fear – fear from being corrupted and restricted by the malevolent and iniquitous nature of man. Moreover, the vulnerability of man to be seduced by power and authority establishes the central theme of the trilogy.The evil that entices man will lead him to destroy the peace and goodness that exists on earth and seek to annihilate everyone who dares to oppose him in his quest for supremacy. This poses the thought that man is feeble, unable to resist his surrender to wickedness for his personal vested interests.Sauron, the antagonist in the film trilogy, represents the greed for power. The ring, which Sauron seeks, is the symbolism of power, and with this power, the ability to rule all of earth according to his desires. Perhaps this builds on one cultural myth that illustrates the growing need of man to earn power or a valuable position in society. As the world grows and deteriorates into a society that nurtures unfairness, inequality, deceit, war, value f or money and status rather than life, the mind set of people grows and changes along with it.This kind of society builds on competition, such that the more power you have, the more authority you gain to obtain what you want and need. Moreover, this kind of society has instilled in the minds of the people that they need to struggle and compete with other people no matter the cost, just to obtain power. Sauron is greed that grows inside every human being, always in search for that ring of power, believing it to be their saving grace to survive in the mess of the world.On a more practical or technical perspective, the society that we live in at present is more of a capitalist society. The foundation of capitalism is built on the kind of competition already discussed in the previous paragraph. People compete for ownership and profit, without being controlled or restricted, which will lead them to occupy a highly revered position.Under the context of business, capitalists manipulate the people into purchasing what they sell in order to earn profit and obtain ownership over the majority. Moreover, capitalists compete among themselves and will do everything at all costs to obtain an advantage over competitors.Like the characters of Isildur and Smeagol (Gollum) in the trilogy, capitalists have been corrupted by the greed for power (Sauron and the ring).Isildur was a great king and Smeagol was an innocent hobbit, however, their brief possession of the one ring has corrupted them. Isildur chose not to destroy the ring but keep it for himself in order to maintain his position as king, while Smeagol became fixated on the ring which hindered him from having a good and happy life.This is similar with what is happening now. Capitalists have built a world according to their terms where people are urged to earn more money in order to spend it on what capitalism has dictated as their wants and needs – and this is all motivated by greed.Instead of thinking about equality and justice, capitalists chose to be in power and from there obtain more of it by relying on the weaknesses of the people who are at a disadvantage. The people too, who submit to the deceit that capitalists impose on them, are being tempted like Smeagol.People nowadays are never happy about earning a regular salary – they have to earn more. People are not contented with having a roof above them – it has to be a big house with large windows, a pool, overlooking the mountains, etc. The discontentment is caused by the influence of capitalists for people to have more, and by having more, they mean having more from them.