Juveniles in adult prisons Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Juveniles in adult prisons - Essay Example Misbehaving juveniles are often not spared the incarceration process for their criminal activities.As a result,they are punished with the corresponding penalties for their criminal actions.There are,however,major issues raised in the incarceration of juveniles, especially if their incarceration is in adult prisons. One of these issues is the fact that juveniles are exposed to different types of abuses in these adult prisons. These abuses may cover physical, emotional, and even sexual abuse. They are also exposed to other criminal elements in these prisons which often make them even worse offenders upon their release. Based on 2005 statistics, there were about 2200 youths in adult prisons in the US. Majority of these youths were serving life sentences without possibility of parole for crimes they committed when they were minors (Campaign for Youth Justice, n.d). Studies also indicate that juveniles in adult prisons are twice more likely to be beaten up by a staff or by another inmate; and they are 50% more likely to be attacked with a weapon (Campaign for Youth Justice, n.d). Considering these circumstances, this paper shall now critically evaluate and discuss the issue of juveniles in adult prisons. This paper shall be conducted in order to establish a comprehensive and thorough analysis of the issue and its appurtenant highlights for improvement. Discussion The juvenile justice system was conceptualized about a hundred years ago in order to safeguard children from the abuses they were previously subjected to in adult prisons (Schiraldi and Zeidenberg, 1997). Trends indicated that in the traditional system, the children were often returned to society as hardened criminals. A juvenile system was therefore devised for juveniles in order to ensure that they would be housed in centers different from adult offenders where they can undergo rehabilitation, retraining, and other appropriate reformation processes. However, in recent years, due to the increase in the num ber of juvenile offenders, as well as the crowding of juvenile detention centers, moves to incarcerate juvenile offenders with adult offenders have been suggested (Schiraldi and Zeidenberg, 1997). Needless to say, that this suggestion has been met with much opposition from child advocates, law enforcement officers, criminologists, and other interest groups. They primarily point out that placing juveniles in adult jails would have negative and detrimental effects on the juveniles, especially as their incarceration seems to exacerbate the criminal behavior of these juveniles after their release. Law enforcement officers are one of the first to point out that locking up a juvenile with murderers, rapists, and robbers promotes the same future criminal behavior among incarcerated juveniles. These officers also point out that for the most part, juvenile offenders need proper adult guidance from appropriate role models. And these â€Å"appropriate† role models would hardly be found in these adult jails (Dilulio, 1996, as cited by Schiraldi and Zeidenberg, 1997). Surveys also document instances of juveniles being subjected to various. In fact, in Ohio, a juvenile placed in an adult jail for a minor infraction was reportedly assaulted by a deputy jailer; and in another case, in Kentucky, 30 minutes in a jail cell prompted a 15 year old to hang himself (Schiraldi and Zeidenberg, 1997). Four other deaths were seen in Kentucky jails among juveniles who were incarcerated with adults for various minor offenses (Schiraldi and Zeidenberg, 1997). In the paper by Sapp and Reddington, (1997) the authors have established that the number of juveniles in adults jails have increased in recent years. Based on some laws passed, some states have already revised their transfer laws first, by decreasing the age of by which these juveniles can be transferred to adult jails and second by expanding the criminal activities which merit adult jail

Undecided Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Undecided - Essay Example In 1641, Massachusetts announced that slavery was legal thus became the first colony to legalize slavery (Lee 14). The Transatlantic slave trade that had begun around 1500 was the major slave supplier to America. New Haven, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Plymouth adopted fugitive slave law and in 1650, Connecticut legalized slavery. In 1662, Virginia passed a hereditary slavery decree that directed that children of black salves would be bond or freed depending on the condition of their mothers. Maryland legalized slavery in 1663, the same year that slaves in Virginia revolted. In the following year, New York and New Jersey legalized slavery while a law was passed in Maryland illegalizing marriage between white women and black men (Lee 15). Many states passed laws directing that Christian baptism would not change the status of slaves and slaves were not allowed to possess firearms. In states like Virginia, slaves were banned from meeting in large numbers and those who assaulted whites or tried to escape were severely punished. In New York, slaves were not allowed to sell commodities. In 1688, the first formal antislavery resolution was passed in Pennsylvania. Rice cultivation in Carolina intensified slave trade in the state. Some states such as Massachusetts penalized slave masters who freed their slaves. In Connecticut, slaves who disturbed peace or assaulted whites were whipped (Lee 16). Slaves in Rhode Island were required to carry passes when walking at night. In some instances, for instance in Virginia, slave masters were allowed to kill and destroy runaways. From 1711, slave trade started losing popularity in most states. For instance, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island prohibited the importation of black and Indian slaves. Even so, slaves were not allowed to marry or operate businesses without the permission of their masters. Occasionally, slaves got infuriated and revolted killing whites and their captors. In most states, slaves were not

The role and the purpose of the US Special Forces during the Vietnam Era Essay Example for Free

The role and the purpose of the US Special Forces during the Vietnam Era Essay Introduction: What is theory? Theory is other man’s experience. Otto von Bismarck put it this way: â€Å"Fools say they learn from experience. I prefer to learn from the experience of others.† Vietnam War taught many a new tactics to the US army in counter-guerrilla warfare. But the crusade in the jungles of Vietnam war not a happy experience for the US Army. The guerrilla warfare was not part of the US military culture. Vietnam War taught voluminous lessons to the US military. The Special Forces branch (Special Forces, SF, or Green Berets) is an elite special operations force; a part of the United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC), a component of United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM).Special Forces units given many types of special responsibilities. â€Å"During the Vietnam war, special forces played an important role. Among their number were the US armys 5th Special Forces Group, Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP) units, the Military Assistance Command—Vietnam—Studies Observation Group (MAC-V-SOG), US navy Sea Air Land (SEAL) teams, US Marine Force Reconnaissance units and USAF Air Commandos, special operations squadrons, and combat control teams of forward air controllers.† (Special Forces..) During the Vietnam War era, some of the assigned duties to these forces were unconventional warfare, special reconnaissance, foreign internal defense, counter terrorism, psychological operations, and proliferation and information operations. Vietnam War was a special type war for America. It was the war in a small country in a big way. The war was not ending even when they wished to terminate it early. It prolonged, went beyond their control, and ultimately Vietcong emerged victorious humbling the mighty USA. Humiliation and defeat were the two words which the US Army found hard to digest, yet they had no other alternative. What were the matchless guerilla warfare skills of the Vietcong, which contributed to the defeat of the mighty military force, including the US Special Forces? The task of fighting a war for a Western country like USA in an Asian country poses the language and communication problems. A wing of the Special Forces is trained in local language skills, familiarizes itself with the local culture and acquires special skills in working with foreign troops. The listing of their duties is fairly long and duties are added depending upon the contingencies. Some of the important duties taken care of by the US Special Forces during the Vietnam Era are peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance, de-mining and counter-drug operations, combat search and rescue, coalition warfare and support etc. Many of the operational techniques of the U.S. Special Forces are secret but doctrinal manuals are available for the common man, press and research scholars. Their official motto is De Oppresso Liber (Latin: â€Å"To Liberate the Oppressed† Special Forces are not under the command of the ground commanders, unless otherwise specified. While in theatre, mostly they report directly to the United Sates Central Command. The Special Forces organized Civilian Irregular Defiance Groups (CIDG) during the Vietnam War. For most of the duration of the War, the 5th Special Forces trained and led CIDG mobile strike forces. To create such forces, minority tribes and groups from the border and mountain regions were drafted. Small-unit patrols defended their home bases in the border areas, to deter the Vietcong and North Vietnamese regular units of the army. Initially this plan succeeded and the U. S. Special Forces units encountered success after success. (U .S. Army†¦) â€Å"Whats more, during 1966-67 American field commanders increasingly employed Special Forces-led Mike units in long-range reconnaissance missions or as economy-of-force security elements for regular units. Other CIDG-type forces, called mobile guerrilla forces, raided enemy base areas and employed hit-and-run guerrilla tactics against regular enemy units†Ã‚   (U. S. Army†¦)From recruits amongst the Nung tribes, three units were formed, Dela, Sigma and Omega, which formed part of the Special Forces. They were both reaction forces and put on duty of reconnaissance. Their contribution to the war effort was significant. The 2500 regular soldiers of the U.S Army raised and led an army of 50,000 tribal fighters. Being familiar with the local conditions and geography, they operated successfully in some of the most difficult terrains and areas of Vietnam. â€Å"The CIDG patrolling of border infiltration areas provided reliable tactical intelligence, and the units secured populations in areas that might have been otherwise conceded to the enemy.†Ã‚   (Clarke, pp.196-207) In short, the CIDG, CAP, and CORDS programs encountered success in pursuing the counterinsurgency in Vietnam. They contributed in greater measure to the scope and area of actionable intelligence. They provided valuable experience and lessons to the US army as to how to fight wars in Vietnam-like situations. In war situations and in an ongoing conflict, it is futile to talk about permanent victory or permanent defeat. Only permanent efforts matter. In the initial stages, the US offensive led by the Special forces in many areas and departments of the war were successful. But soon, problems began to surface one after another. The once US solutions became the present US problems. The seeds of hostility between the South Vietnamese and the ethnic minority groups of the CIDG strike forces blocked the US efforts to Republic of Vietnam Special Forces take command of the CIDG program. The second drawback was that the villagers became habituated to the security cover provided by the Special Forces. They proved incapable of defending themselves, due to poor leadership and equipments. Conclusion: In the end, even the well-trained Special Forces of USA, assisted by the Vietnamese, were no match for the grit and determination of the Vietcong. They proved capable to fight a prolonged war in their own territory, and in the unconventional war, they succeeded in conducting surprise ambushes and giving telling blows to the Special Forces. They excelled in every area, guerrilla warfare, subversion, evasion and escape and sabotage. â€Å"Clear and hold† counterinsurgency strategy by the American military including the Special Forces, in the concluding stages of the Vietnam War, doomed the American military might. The policy of General William Westmoreland to seek out every soldier and kill him (â€Å"search and destroy†) proved counter-productive. He was replaced by General Creighton Abrams, who reversed the earlier order by another strategy—controlling and defending patches of territory and population. But even that did not work. The people began to hate Americans intensely. Tiny villages and hamlets were bombed by the American army. The civilian casualties were heavy. In a six-month operation, the US 9th Division, counted 10,000 dead, but only 751 weapons were recovered. This indicates a large number of civilian causalities. Viet Cong did suffer heavy losses from 1968-1972, but soon the US Administration realized that the Special Forces had outlived their role in Vietnam. The debate whether the U.S. political authority   let down the war efforts or was it the   awesome ordeal of fighting the war for two decades, that contributed to the eventual defeat of the American forces   still goes on unabated. To fight a interminable guerrilla and conventional war in the enemy territory for such a long period is no ordinary job. The long run had the telling effect on the morale of the army, which was haunted by corruption and factionalism. The popular support had dwindled. At such a juncture, the Communists took to the offensive and the defeat of the American Army was round the corner.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚           References: Special Forces: Definition and Much More www.answers.com/topic/special-forces 95k Retrieved on June 14, 2008 U.S. Army Professional Writing For much of the Vietnam War, the 5th Special Forces Group†¦ www.army.mil/professionalwriting/volumes/volume2/august_2004/08_04_02pf.html 43k Cached – Retrieved on June 14, 2008 Clarke, Jeffrey J:   Advice and Support: The Final Years (Washington: US Army Center of Military History, 1988), pp. 196-207.

The Legal Definition Of Crime

The Legal Definition Of Crime Explain how crime can be considered as a social construction and contrast this with legal definition of crime. Our nation, from the start, has been divided by class, race, national origin and has endured class conflicts throughout history (Zinn as cited in Welch, 2009). The purpose of this essay is to show that crime is constructed socially rather than individually. In order to do so, I will focus on describing how crime can be viewed as a product of social construction, explaining different factors contributing to the way people perceive particular behaviour as criminal as well as contrasting concept of crime being socially constructed with its legal definition. After discussing theories created by Howard Becker and Karl Marx , it will conclude that criminal behaviour and its consequences are indeed socially constructed. Reaching consensus over an appropriate term defining crime has undoubtedly been challenging for criminologists as there are no purely objective definitions; all definitions are value laden and biased to some degree (Barak, 1998, p.21). Hence, it is not an easy way to give an exact definition to something so diverse. However, the legal definition of crime suggested by Tappan (1947) is agreed by many to be the most precise and clear so far. It states that Crime is an intentional act in violation of the criminal law (statutory and case law), committed without defence or excuse, and penalized by the state as a felony or demeanour. Although, it has also met with criticism from others who believe that it is too narrow definition (Milovanovic, D.). Only harms defined as such by state are considered in Tappans theory which is also limited to those crimes legally guilty (Milovanovic, D.). It is also vital to mark that legal definition of crime not only excludes white collar crime but also fai ls to acknowledge cultural and historical context of law, such as on gambling and prostitution that may be different depending on state or nation (Henry, S. 200). Essentially an act becomes a crime when it breaks the law established by the government of particular society. Of course what accounts as crime varies depending on different cultures, laws and religions, although there are three main elements determining crime which remain consistent: harm, social agreement and their reaction. The way society responses to the particular harmful behaviour may differ depending upon the society. For example, theft conducted in UK may result in getting a warning or minor sentence, whereas in Muslim societies the same person would have his hand cut off for such an offence. Looking also from historical perspective, attitudes towards certain acts considered then as criminal have also changed as many of those are no longer viewed as crimes. Therefore it is clear that the definition of crime has un doubtedly gone through changes and most probably will continue to change. The main aspect which legal definition of crime seems failing to consider is that some behaviours are considered as crimes whilst others not. This brings us to the social construction of crime, an idea created and essentially developed by society in terms of held perceptions, morals, beliefs and values of individuals living within it. These shape the way we are such as personality, character and our roles within the society. As people are measure beings, they often judge themselves and people around them. The concept of social construction sees criminal behaviour as a mutual interpersonal activity involving actors and audiences (Henry,S.2009). Therefore, the way someone is identified and located within a scope of the society has significant consequences for the way we act towards others (Becker, 1963). Societies define crime by their own norms, believes and rules. Whereas rules, which govern everywhere, determine as well correct and incorrect behaviours within the society. „Cri minal law often mirrors a fairly extensive point that particular behaviour violates some social standards and values (murder, rubbery, etc.). However, actions considered as criminal may vary depending on different cultures, laws or religions. In short, crime is what particular society chooses it to be. Furthermore, crime is a fundamental part of deviance, theory suggested by Howard Becker. Deviance is not a quality of the act a person commits, but rather the consequence of the application by others of rules and sanctions to an offender'(Becker, 1963). It is not only a result of humans actions but also depends on the audience judging particular behaviour as negative or positive. Becker argued that deviance can be defined as a kind of behaviour which differs from the normal, rule-breaking behaviour that is unacceptable in society and depends on what people see as unacceptable. In such situation where society labelled particular person as a deviant, it often results in isolation of this person who eventually finds the only way to survive through involving in criminal activity. Most importantly, crime often arises where the obvious segregation of the rich and poor occurs. Karl Marx, on the other hand, suggested that class struggles are underlying problems in societies where the basis o f power is wealth and which as a result leads to injustice and inequality. Sheptycki (2006) says that the roots of crime lie in the social structural inequalities of wealth and power. This viewpoint perceives capitalist societies as ones which choose individual interest over social welfare. Therefore, from the social constructionist point of view, crime is a behaviour defined by powerful and privileged people with authority to make laws that recognise some acts as offensive. Once more, regarding Becker, powerless people, no matter how bad the damage they done could be, they are likely to be arrested and judged. People who hold more power create then some kinds of illusions that people at the lower levels of social hierarchy (measured on the basis of their income, education degree or even race)- are seen as dangerous to the society. It not only creates place where people are dependent on state but also discriminates people one way or another. Government, could also be an example here . It defines what crime is by choosing to outlaw some particular act. For instance, the issue with drugs which government made illegal. Money tracking laws or tax evasion fall into different category, which relates to government who creates crime for their own interests. This suggests that crimes are created by lawmakers who limit citizens freedom on the ground of their own moral standards. Taking into account all of the aforementioned factors, we can conclude that crime has inevitably been a product of social construction. Notwhistanding the fact that crime is a complex and diverse concept without one, accepted definition, what accounts as criminal varies depending on cultures, laws and religions which proves that crime is a product of social sonctruction. Definitions of crime are constructed by both cultural norms and values as well as power relations. In adition to that we socially shape the meanings of behaviours and their consequences.

Southern Musical Tradition and the African Tradition Essay -- Music Mu

Southern Musical Tradition and the African Tradition The second major tributary of the southern musical tradition comes from the African continent and is the heritage import of the five million slaves brought to North America against their will to provide the bulk of the labor in the pre-industrial agrarian south. Contemporary blues, while not exclusively black music by any means, remains largely black in terms of its leading performers and, to a lesser extent, its listening audience. The forerunner of the modern urban blues was, however, almost exclusively black and was completely southern and rural. It was, and is, a music born out of the experience of slavery and Jim Crow segregation with their attendant poverty, alienation and suppression. As a musical genre, this remarkable and durable expression has an enormous relevance for the historical development of southern music in general and the southern black experience in particular. Modern blues evolved out of the southern "country blues" and became an urban phenomenon in the same social, economic and demographic processes which urbanized black Americans during the two or three decades prior to World War II. Thus, an examination of the black country blues provides a potentially fruitful vehicle for the study of southern rural culture viz a viz the black experience. At the very least, it provides a means for assessing the perceptions of southern culture which were held and articulated by a sensitive group of observers -- the bluesmen and blueswomen of the rural south. The extent to which their music was received, popularized and appreciated by their audience provides a broader look at the hopes and drea... ...cal development, display similar structural and thematic content and have, since the 1960s, begun to recognize and celebrate these commonalities. Works Cited: Chapple, Steve and Reebee Garofalo. Rock and Roll is Here to Pay. Chicago: Nelson Hall, 1977. Elkins, Stanley. Slavery: A Problem in American Institutional and Intellectual Life, 2nd ed. Chicago: U. of Chicago Press, 1968. Morthland, John. The Best of Country Music. Garden City: Doubleday, 1984. Oliver, Paul. Savannah Syncopators: African Retentions in the Blues. London: November Books, Limited, 1970. Smith, M.G. "Social and Cultural Pluralism," in Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 83 (January, 1957):763-777. Van den Berghe, Pierre. Race and Racism: A Comparative Perspective, 2nd ed. New York: Wiley, 1978.

The Importance of Airline Safety Essay -- Airlines Airplanes Aviation

The Importance of Airline Safety Many people travel by airplane all around the world. For some people it is the only way they can get to where they are going. On a daily basis, averages of 28 to 30,000 seats are filled on airplanes (Bear, Stearns Co. URL www.hotelonline.com). At each airport, there are hundreds of arrivals and departures worldwide. Even though airline officials say flying is safe, accidents kill many people because airlines neglect to prevent human error or repair faulty equipment. Sometimes I think the only reason an airplane could crash is if something on the plane were to break. However, most of the time that is not the case. A survey conducted by Boeing found that flight crews were responsible for at least seventy-three percent of all fatal airplane accidents. (Gray 17). Forty-one percent of these accidents occurred during landing because of unstable approaches. Also an investigation by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration on the causes of airline accidents revealed that more than eighty percent of all airline accidents involved some degree of human error (Helmreich 62). This is very alarming when people are putting their lives in the hands of flight crews. Forty-four passengers died aboard a new British Midland 737 after its crew shut down the wrong engine after the other one malfunctioned (Greenwald 40). Do you really think that flying on an airplane, over which you have absolutely no control is very safe? Reasons for flight crew error can be explained by the conditions under which they are flying. Flight crew fatigue is a largely increasing problem on many of the jumbo jet flights today. Although there are laws that prohibit cockpit crews from sleeping in flight, there have been many weary pilots that have been known to nod off on occasion during some of their seventeen hour, non-stop flights (Urquhart 15). Perhaps laws should regulate the number of hours a flight crew is in the air instead of prohibiting sleep in flight. Another condition, alcohol abuse, has been found to inhibit the abilities of some flight crews. A northwest crew flying from North Dakota to Minnesota was found to be intoxicated on the job ("Air Safety" 61). Some people refuse to drive at night because of the number of drunk drivers on the road. Would passengers want a drunken pilot to be responsible for their... ... since the 1960s (Shrontz 40). Getting to some places throughout the world depend solely on air travel; therefore, people must trust their lives to flight crews, safety inspectors, and maintenance crews and believe that all problems are being addressed and corrected. Bibliography 1. Bear, Stearns, Co. Internet Connection. URL www.hotelonline.com 2. "Air Safety". Time Magazine. Compact Publishing, Inc. Business Notes. 26 March 1990: 61. 3. Gray, Paul. "Our Regularly Scheduled Crash" Time Magazine. Compact Publishing, Inc. Grapevine. 20 August 1990: 17. 4. Greenwald, John. "Tarnished Wings". Time Magazine. Compact Publishing, Inc. Business Notes. 13 March 1989: 40. 5. Helmreich, R.L. "Managing Human Error in Aviation". Scientific American. May 1997:62. 6. Nelan, Bruce W. "Are 747s Safe To Fly". Time Magazine. Compact Publishing, Inc. Europe. 19 October 1992: 52. 7. "New Qualms about the DC-10". Time Magazine. Compact Publishing, Inc. Nation. 7 August 1989:20. 8. Urquhart, Sidney. "This is Your Captain Snoring" Time Magazine. Compact Publishing, Inc. Grapevine. 7 October 1991: 15.

Mr. Darcy

Mr. Darcy  is an intelligent, tall, fine, handsome, wealthy and reserved gentleman, who often appears haughty or proud to strangers. Mr. Darcy has a strong moral fibre and a natural and somewhat embarrassed kindness. Mr. Darcy is the owner of the fictional estate of  Pemberley, he is described as the perfect landlord, a sensible and honourable manager of the estate. He has a great responsibility to keep the estate running – and the locals who depend on it for a livelihood are lucky to have such a good master.Mr. Darcy's inflated personal pride, snobbish indifference and arrogance causes him to consider  Elizabeth Bennet  as low-born and plain, â€Å"tolerable† and â€Å"not handsome enough to tempt him†. However, afterwards he becomes attracted to Elizabeth, and courts her clumsily while struggling against his continuing feelings of superiority. His arrogance and rudeness enhance his desirability, and they are reconsidered later as a sign of his repressed passion for Elizabeth. Pride and Prejudice Writing StyleSurprising Turns of Phrase, Sarcastic, Subtle, Pointed Austen is the total master of the slow, subtle burn. It's like poetry in motion – you just watch as sentence after sentence starts out nice and predictable and then – BAM! – right in the kisser. Let's watch and learn how a pro does it in this paragraph that introduces Sir William Lucas, Charlotte's dad: Sir William Lucas had been formerly in trade in Meryton, where he had made a tolerable fortune, and risen to the honour of knighthood by an address to the king during his mayoralty.The distinction had perhaps been felt too strongly. It had given him a disgust to his business, and to his residence in a small market town; and, in quitting them both, he had removed with his family to a house about a mile from Meryton, denominated from that period Lucas Lodge, where he could think with pleasure of his own importance, and, unshackled by business, occupy hims elf solely in being civil to all the world.For, though elated by his rank, it did not render him supercilious; on the contrary, he was all attention to everybody. By nature inoffensive, friendly, and obliging, his presentation at St. James's had made him courteous. (5. 1) First we go swimmingly along, as Sir William is shown to be a well-off guy who even gets to make a speech in front of the king. Then, though, check out the long third sentence, as the narrator asterfully goes from Sir William's point of view (he now finds actually working for a living â€Å"disgusting† and moves to a house in the country) to an outside perspective on Sir William's growing egotism (all he does now is â€Å"think with pleasure of his own importance†), and then, finally, rounds it off with an amazing judgment on the way climbing the social ladder creates a useless man out of an industrious one (Sir William is free from the â€Å"shackles† of his work and now just spends his time b eing â€Å"civil†).Funny – but we're not done yet. The problem isn't really just that Sir William himself has become totally purposeless ever since getting his knighthood and becoming too high class for his business. The narrator next expands the issue further, pointing to the culture at large, which is more than happy to go along with Sir William and his new attitude.Check out how, because he's all fancy and titled, in the eyes of his neighbors he gets a fancier adjective to describe his behavior (instead of simply â€Å"friendly† he's become â€Å"courteous,† which also carries the pun of â€Å"court† (as in royal court) inside it – the place where Sir William has picked up his new status). By the ‘two themes' I assume you mean pride as one theme and prejudice as the other? Because there are many, many more themes to the text than that: don't be led astray into thinking they're the only ones (or the most important; the novel's title is somewhat arbitrary).One of my personal favourite ways Austen plays with language in P&P is how, once married, Charlotte Lucas is often lumped into conversation as if she is property and little more than an animal (the quote that comes to mind is something about Lady Lucas enquiring of the ‘welfare and poultry of her eldest daughter' after the visit to Rosings — apologies I don't have to text to hand to find the exact quote). If you're looking for Irony, look carefully at practically anything Elizabeth says, particularly in conversations with her mother.Elizabeth says an awful lot in jest, where as her mother is very literal and very closed-minded. In fact, any exchange that involves Mrs Bennet tends to include some irony as she never realises she is being laughed at. Take a story's temperature by studying its tone. Is it hopeful? Cynical? Snarky? Playful? Ironic, arch, wry, full of witticisms and bon-mots, arm's length Reading this novel is kind of like having a conv ersation with someone who says snarky things in a deadpan voice while onstantly raising her eyebrow. You know what we mean? Austen is just so clearly amused by her characters and their nonsense and also totally committed to discretely pointing out their foibles. It's not that she hates them or is disinterested or anything, but her narrator definitely keeps a distance and functions as an observer who is always elbowing the reader to look at the next funny thing. Check out this description of the aftermath of Mr. Collins proposing to Charlotte: In as short a time as Mr.Collins's long speeches would allow, everything was settled between them to the satisfaction of both; and as they entered the house he earnestly entreated her to name the day that was to make him the happiest of men; and though such a solicitation must be waived for the present, the lady felt no inclination to trifle with his happiness. The stupidity with which he was favoured by nature must guard his courtship from any charm that could make a woman wish for its continuance; and Miss Lucas, who accepted him solely from the pure and disinterested desire of an establishment, cared not how soon that establishment were gained. 22. 2) Both Charlotte and Mr. Collins are clearly mocked here, although, obviously, Mr. Collins is a much easier and bigger target. Look at the different ways the mockery works, though. First, we've got the overhead view, meaning the narrator takes in the scene and shows us the ridiculous in all its glory: it's funny to try to picture just how not â€Å"short† Mr. Collins's â€Å"long speech† would be. There's also that great joke in the idea that the proposal is â€Å"settled to the satisfaction of both† (because the satisfaction is kind of pragmatic since Charlotte is Mr.Collins's third choice and he is her choice only because he's got a job and a house and it beats living at mom and dad's). Next, we get to laugh at Mr. Collins more from Charlotte's point of view. Even though they aren't in quotes, the words about his â€Å"stupidity† and the lack of â€Å"charm† in his â€Å"courtship† are clearly her thoughts as he goes on and on in his pompous way. Finally, we circle back around to the narrator mocking the characters again, as we check out how Charlotte is going to deal with the fact that she can see how lame Mr. Collins is. Answer: she's going to wait as long as possible to actually get married. ) What’s Up With the Title? You know what's funny about this title? Well, you know how nowadays, the book jackets for novels written by the same author are usually really similar – same font, same general layout, and so on? (Think about those endless  John Grisham novels. ) That's because publishers are going for an if-you-liked-that-you'll-also-love-this approach. Pride and Prejudice  is basically the result of the same kind of thing, turn of the 19th century-style.Originally, the novel was going to be calledFirst Impressions, but after Austen hit the big time with the blockbuster sales of  Sense and Sensibility, her publisher asked if they could try for a little branding magic by sticking to the same title formula: noun-and-noun. This is all well and good, and sure enough, this new novel went over like gangbusters. Does anything change, though, about how we might see the novel when we go from the first title to the second? Well, with  First Impressions, readers are right off the bat being shown things from the characters' point of view.After all, it's Darcy and Elizabeth that are going be to be making and having these impressions, and, this title suggests, we're going to experience these impressions right alongside them. Also, think about what first impressions are all about – people interacting with each other. A novel called  First Impressions  puts the idea of people meeting with and reacting to other people front and center. The focus is on manners, behavio r, and outward appearance. Not to mention, oftentimes first impression are wrong. On the other hand,  Pride and Prejudice  turns the thing around 180 degrees.With a title like that, we're no longer looking at things through the characters' eyes. Instead, the title sounds like someone is being called names – and it's up to the reader to try to figure out who is who. The reader isn't buddy-buddy with the characters any more, but is instead totally supposed to be all judgy and superior from the get-go. With  Pride and Prejudice  as the title, our novel BFFs aren't Darcy or Elizabeth at all. Instead, our main pal is the narrator, who knows ahead of time that someone's full of pride and someone else is probably full of prejudice.Also, we've now moved into some deep psychological territory here. Feeling prideful and being prejudicial are things we do in the privacy of our thoughts, not things we wear on our sleeve. A novel named in this way makes readers immediately get rea dy for being all up in the characters thoughts, seeing how they make decisions and what their value systems are all about. Which title do you prefer? Why? ————————————————- Style Pride and Prejudice, like most of Jane Austen's works, employs the narrative technique of  free indirect speech.This has been defined as â€Å"the free representation of a character's speech, by which one means, not words actually spoken by a character, but the words that typify the character's thoughts, or the way the character would think or speak, if she thought or spoke†. [8]  By using narrative that adopts the tone and vocabulary of a particular character (in this case, that of Elizabeth), Austen invites the reader to follow events from Elizabeth's viewpoint, sharing her prejudices and misapprehensions. The learning curve, while undergone by both protagonists, is disclosed to us so lely through Elizabeth's point of view and her free indirect speech is essential  Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ for it is through it that we remain caught, if not stuck, within Elizabeth's misprisions. â€Å". [8] Clear, Witty, Sarcastic In this dialogue-driven novel, wit and sarcasm predominate the text. Pride and Prejudice is often an exercise in reading between the lines, as Austen’s characters must almost always use polite language to mask their true intentions. The greatest exception is, of course, when Elizabeth chews Darcy out after his proposal. ) We’ll offer two examples up for you. Mr. Bennet’s response to his wife after she subjects him to a play-by-play of Mr. Bingley’s actions at the ball: â€Å"If he had had any compassion for me,† cried her husband impatiently, â€Å"he would not have danced half so much! For God's sake, say no more of his partners. O that he had sprained his ankle in the first place! † Mr. Bennet clearly doesn’t mean the se things. What he’s really saying is that he wishes his wife would spare him the details.The following snippet of conversation between  Lady Catherine  and Elizabeth takes place at the end of a long interrogation from Lady Catherine. â€Å"‘Upon my word,’ said her ladyship, ‘you give your opinion very decidedly for so young a person. Pray, what is your age? ’ ‘With three younger sisters grown up,’ replied Elizabeth, smiling, ‘your ladyship can hardly expect me to own it. ’ Lady Catherine seemed quite astonished at not receiving a direct answer; and Elizabeth suspected herself to be the first creature who had ever dared to trifle with so much dignified impertinence. See what we mean? Elizabeth dodges Lady Catherine’s question, but does so in the politest way possible. We call it†¦polite resistance, and it requires a great deal of quick thinking. STYLE Jane Austen's graceful, economical narrative style was un ique in her time. It was an era in literature given to flowery wordiness and emotional excess. Readers of the day could take their choice among collections of sermons to improve their minds, tales of sin and punishment to improve their morals, and horror stories to stimulate their circulation.Pride and Prejudice is told in a readable prose without a single superfluous word, and it frequently breaks into dialogue so lively and so revealing of characters that entire scenes have been lifted bodily from the novel and reproduced in dramatized versions for stage and screen. In some passages the author enters into the mind of one or another of her characters, most often into her heroine Elizabeth's, and there she reveals her character's capacity for humor and self-criticism. Austen's style is so deceptively lucid that we can hardly believe she submitted her writing to so much polishing and revision. | POINT OF VIEW Pride and Prejudice is mostly written from the objective view of an externa l observer. However, from time to time the novel departs from this objective storytelling approach to explore the thoughts and feelings of a character-either Darcy as he slips little by little into love with Elizabeth, or Elizabeth as she considers her own behavior and the behavior of others. Whatever the approach whether through Elizabeth's mind or through the voice of a narrator, the point of view is always and unmistakably Jane Austen's.It is always her sharply critical eye, youthful though it was when she wrote the novel, that observes and subtly comments on her society's follies and foibles, making us laugh but also making us aware. When we finish her book we know very well the defects she saw in the people of her world, but we also know how much she enjoyed her life among them, faults and all. FORM AND STRUCTURE Like her writing style, the structure of Jane Austen's novel is deceptively simple. She appears to be telling a straightforward story, character by character and happe ning by happening, exactly as it occurred in chronological sequence.We can in fact read the novel that way. But on closer look we find that Pride and Prejudice is not merely a record of events. Instead, it is an interweaving of plot and subplots, an intricate pattern with various threads. The main plot follows the far from smooth course of the romance between Elizabeth and Darcy and the conflict of his pride and her prejudice. Their feelings, born of first impressions, are not the only obstacles between them. Three subplots complicate their relationship. The first is Bingley's attraction to Jane Bennet and Darcy's intervention to save his friend from what he sees as an undesirable marriage.The second is Wickham's involvement with the Darcy family, and his ability to charm Elizabeth and deepen her prejudice against Darcy. The third is Charlotte Lucas' marriage to Mr. Collins, which throws Elizabeth and Darcy together and sharpens their differences. Elizabeth ends up rejecting Darcy i n what we come to see as the first dramatic climax of the story. The Wickham subplot brings on the second dramatic climax: his elopement with Lydia and the scandal and probable ruin of the entire Bennet family. Austen maintains an air of suspense to the very end. She also keeps her three subplots alive with a novelist's juggling skill.In the end, all three subplots contribute to the resolution of the principal plot, and the hero and heroine come together in happiness at last Writing Style: In Pride and Prejudice there is very little focus on natural surroundings such as trees, bushes, flowers, or descriptions of the weather. Rarely does Austen describe character’s psychological states, instead this aspect of the characters is revealed through dialogue. The unnaturally flowery language in Pride and Prejudice may be seen by modern audiences as â€Å"cold† or â€Å"sterile,† but it is this use of language that helps to develop the characters and themes.Exaggeration and hyperboles (in a melodramatic form) are also common writing styles of Austen. In terms of style conventions, the usage of â€Å"Miss† and â€Å"Mr. † in Pride and Prejudice makes it at times unclear which character is talking, and therefore at times very confusing to follow the story. The frequent dialogue between characters also makes it difficult to distinguish which character is speaking. A number of plot points are also advanced in Pride and Prejudice through the writing of letters between essential characters, which tend to be some sort of monologue regarding a possible theme or conflict in the story.