The Development of Childhood Throughout History Essay -- Sociology

Throughout the history of childhood development poor social and economic conditions contributed to the many hardships and poor treatment of children. During the early Middle Ages the "paternalist" family concept evolved and the father had authority and control over family matters including the welfare and safety of his wife and children. Discipline was severe, young children both poor and wealthy were subjected to strict rules and regulations and often beaten if disobedient. Children took on the responsibilities of adults at an early age, sharing in the work of siblings and parents. Girls from affluent families were educated at home and married in their teens. Some males were educated at a monastery and others became apprentices to experienced knights. Children who were considered retarded or suffering from disease were abandoned to churches or orphanages. Relationships between parent and child were distant, and younger male and female siblings were considered "economic and social l iabilities." (Siegel 10). Custom and practices such as primogeniture and dower subjected many children to endure suffering and cruel treatment. These customs and practices often caused family rivalry, sometimes led to tragedy and had a significant impact on the role of women and children. Under primogeniture the oldest surviving male inherited family lands and titles. Younger siblings who were not fortunate to receive lands were forced to enter religious orders, become soldiers or seek wealthy patrons. Under the Dower system, a woman's family gave money, land or other wealth in exchange for a potential husband. This system "forced women into the role of second class citizens dependent on their fathers and brothers." Wet nurses took care of newb... ...rs (mandatory sentences) and target hardening techniques (steering locks, unbreakable glass on storefronts). This approach is not consistent with the viewpoint guiding the juvenile court because this type of deterrence punishment interferes with "parens patriae" philosophy. Juveniles are treated more leniently than adults, which limit the power of the law to deter juvenile crime. (Siegel 96). REFERENCES Siegel, Larry J., Brandon C. Welsh and Joseph J. Senna. 2003. Juvenile Delinquency: Theory, Practice, and Law. California: Thomson Wadsworth. Hyperdictionary, (http://www.hyperdictionary.com/search.aspx?define=status+offenders) Flowers, R. Barri. 2002. Kids Who Commit Adult Crimes Serious Criminality by Juvenile Offenders. New York: The Haworth Press.

Black Boy By Richard Wright Essay

Harper and Brothers in New York first published Black Boy, an autobiography of Richard Wright, in 1945. The Harper Perennial Edition, published in paper back in 1998 runs to 448 pages. There is more than one theme which runs through this work, of course, but the over-riding, end-all, be-all message which the author hammers home is that harm is done to fellow humans in the name of racial bigotry. Wright’s theme begins with the very title of the book. Black Boy is an epithet used to denigrate blacks as surely as is Nigger, the title chosen by Dick Gregory for his autobiography in the 1960s. Wright’s story takes place in the early 20th century. He sees racism as a child and as an adult. It is a major force in the development of his personality and influences virtually every facet of his life. In Black Boy Richard Wright explores the theme of racism and ultimately suggests that racism is culturally ingrained and it colors not only relations between blacks and whites, but it also affects relationships between blacks. Black people of the era did not want a young black to ‘rise above his station’ in life. Since Wright is reared in abject poverty his peers did not wish to see him try and break his metaphorical chains. His father is mostly absent and he has no strong male influences for the good. He relates how he got over on his father without being punished, â€Å"I had my first triumph over my father (at age 12). I had made him believe that I had taken his words literally (12). He was physically abused. The institutional racism of that day was called Jim Crow and particularly in the deep south of the United States it was a way of life. He grew up misunderstood even by his own people. Blacks of his day were not supposed to get ‘uppity’, meaning they were supposed to act subservient to white people because a black who disrespected a white person would bring down retribution on countless other black people who had done nothing. The blacks that should have had a positive influence on Wright as a child were either blind to his gifts or chose not to see. They not only did nothing to encourage him but also rather did all they could to hold him back. Likely it was so they would not draw attention to themselves or seem ‘uppity’ but the result was a gifted child who lost years of this life that could have been spent in pursuit of the arts. Wright has criticism not only for the white laws, the white establishment and the white race, but also gives a scathing critique of the black community as well. This book is an indictment of the adult black community of his era that refused to take matters into their own hands to educate and guide the children that so desperately needed such guidance. Wright tells his audience that it is not until later in life when he is exposed to literature that he has any idea of what he is missing. He doesn’t know such beauty and such profound thought even exists. Wright’s life is a struggle against the status quo in his native state and in the north where he finds himself as a young adult. White America does not want an intelligent angry young black man voicing his criticisms of the American way of life and blacks do not want him rocking the boat. This is years before Dr. King and even Brown vs. The Board of Education and no one knows what to do with Wright. Mostly they want him to go away. This in itself influences Wright’s attitudes toward his fellow blacks and reinforces the theme of racism being detrimental even to other members of one’s own race. Wright at first sees only two ways to react to his life, feeling caught as he is between the warring races. He can become subservient and bow to the inevitable. He can drink, steal, lie and fight, which he does at first, or he toss away the stereotype of the illiterate lazy black boy and become someone else’s idea of compliant, giving a graduation speech written for him, †You can’t afford to say just anything before those white people that night,† (175) his professor tells him, not allowing him freedom to speak his mind. Wright tosses off the yoke of conformity and does battle with whites and blacks as the need arises. He sees that it is not the white race alone that is holding him back. The metaphor Wright adopts to show his desire for knowledge is hunger. He tells the reader constantly of his incessant childhood hunger, never totally sated, (14) always wanting more than is available and he means for the reader to equate this physical hunger with his hunger for knowledge. He relates how he consumes food and Proust with equal passion. It is implied that it is both whites and blacks who withhold the food, both physically and metaphorically that he so desperately craves to fuel body and soul. Wright tells the reader that it is blacks that are first responsible for trying to quench the fire of his independent spirit but he rises above them and goes his own way, becoming what his heart tells him he must become. He relates how as a child he and the other black children were not given the education they need to rise above that ‘station’ and he blames not the whites but the blacks for the lack of recognition of bright black children who could do so much more with their lives had they but an education. He faults the black teachers and administrators of his school for kowtowing to the whites and keeping black children in ‘their place’. For these reasons Wright ultimately suggests that racism is culturally ingrained and it colors not only relations between blacks and whites, but it also affects relationships between blacks

Pfizer And Developing Country Access For Essential Medicines

Part A: GlaxoSmithKline and developing country access to essential medicines The case study emphasized the spread of the HIV/AID s virus especially in the Least developed countries (LDC s) where it was not possible for the poor people to be able to afford the expensive drugs used to cure the disease. The pharmaceutical companies were consistently pressurized to take a solution out of this to provide the medicines to the victims. Survey reports indicated that many deaths were happening and many were expected especially in the south Africa where the standards of living and earnings of people were very insufficient to afford the life saving drugs. Critics commented that it was a social responsibility of the industry to help ensure†¦show more content†¦The chief executive team believed that GSK s approach to access of drugs to needy people could have significant strategic, commercial, operational and reputational impact. CEO of GSK showed willingness to reduce prices in LDC s to a non-profit level and GSK announced significant reduction in prices of HIV/AIDS drugs in LDC s, trying to take a step ahead to fulfill its social and ethical responsibilities despite the fact that such reduction might lead to pressures from developed countries as well to reduce prices threatening its business model and innovations. GSK s approach was indicative of a corporate social responsible citizen rather merely an organization with a profit motive. Blood diamonds Issue identified in the text was about the smuggling of diamonds to earn money that was used to fund the armed groups often against the government. These diamonods were termed as blood diamonds . In many parts of the world, diamonds were sold for illegal purposes and were a source of income for the armed groups. Strict actions were necessary to be taken against these illegal acts to secure the lives of people becoming victims of conflict and civil unrest. Diamonds are suitable for smuggling due to their small size, high value and once polished, their origin is difficult to establish. The diamond

Dracula s Power The Weaknesses Of The East During Great...

Dracula’s overwhelming supernatural power is first introduced by Jonathan Harker as he witnesses the â€Å"swept [of] his long arms, as though brushing aside some impalpable obstacle, the wolves fell back and back further still† (20). Knowing that Dracula can command wolves at his will, will send chills down anyone’s spine if they have to make Dracula their enemy. Bram Stoker created a monster that possesses a wide range of powers like: commanding wolves and rats, transformation into animal forms and mist, immense strength, restoring youthfulness by drinking human blood, turning victims into vampires, and being able to control the minds of his victims. With all that being said, Dracula’s power does have its limitations like not knowing his†¦show more content†¦Jonathan concludes that, â€Å"[Dracula] a man who never in the country; and who did not evidently do much in the way of business, his knowledge and acumen were wonderful† (37). F or Jonathan, Dracula seems like a brilliant man and he is, but to readers Dracula is simply testing the waters to make sure it is safe to enter. Dracula has been living at his castle in Transylvania for a long time, and barely makes any contact with the rapidly growing outside world. This is very similar to the far East, because they have a long history, but chooses to keep to themselves until the Europeans start to invade their land. The East started to modernize after the West was far ahead in development of new technology and science. The East starts to fall behind, and their slow response to catch up to the West made them susceptible to invasion. Dracula also made himself vulnerable when he carelessly reveals his hideout in the castle to Jonathan. Jonathan makes several trips to Dracula’s room, and one time he discovers â€Å"in one of the great boxes [. . .] lay the Count!† (50). This initial encounter with Dracula during his sleep strikes fear in Jonathan, and he quickly withdrew from the room. Dracula has no intention of changing his hideout, which gave Jonathan another chance to stumble upon his sleeping body. This time Jonathan picks up a shovel and strikes â€Å"the hateful face† of Dracula (54). If Jonathan knows the proper way to

Mental Illness And Its Effects - 1761 Words

Mental illness is a condition that is described by aggravations in idea, feelings, or behaviour. Emotional instability refers to a wide collection of disorders, running from those that cause mellow misery to those that debilitate a man s capacity to work in every day life. Numerous attempts to make sense of the purposes behind emotional instabilities. These reasons have been taken a gander at and considered for a large number of years. The natural viewpoint sees emotional instability as a substantial procedure. Where as the mental points of view think the part of a man s childhood and environment are reasons for emotional instabilities. Emotional instabilities are a critical issue throughout today s reality (Pierre, 2012). In setting of Australia, mental illness and suicide is higher, particularly with ATSI groups. Therefore, in this exposition will investigate why individual ATSI is encountering higher rate of emotional instability with suicide in a few groups. Some truth and figure will likewise give with respect to psychological wellness sickness in ATSI. It will also investigate social variable connected with higher rates of emotional condition and suicide. Moreover, it will similarly talk about the cultural variable related with it. Besides, One proof based procedure to address it will be recognizes and discussions about in this exposition. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups are known as Indigenous. Indigenous rate as among the most distraught peoplesShow MoreRelatedMental Illness And Its Effects1052 Words   |  5 Pagesforgiving: mental illness. Mental illness is something that I, and millions of others, live with daily. While it can and often does prove to be an obstacle in life, it can also be a valuable learning experience. Because it affects so many people, I believe that mental illness should no longer be something that is swept under a rug. Instead, I think mental illness should be something that is respected and talked about with the tenacity that any physical illness is. Those with mental illness are not peopleRead MoreMental Illness And Its Effects901 Words   |  4 Pagessister Kristin. My sister Kristin suffers from a cognitive disability due to an accident that occurred when she was a child. While completing this genogram, I noticed the prevalence of mental illness within my family. Within this analysis, I chose to focus on mental illness and its effects within my family. Mental illness has been a struggle for the women in my family dating back to my great-grandmother. According to my mother, my great-grandmother suffered for depression and schizophrenia. BecauseRead MoreMental Illness And Its Effects1776 Words   |  8 PagesMental illness has always been present, but the views and treatments have drastically changed through the centuries. In past decades, particularly in and after the 1930s, advances in helping the mentally ill have increased in this field because of the growth of government funding and medical breakthroughs. Additionally, society has become more knowledgeable and accepting of the struggles the mentally ill face; programs and non-life-threatening treatments have been created since society has becomeRead MoreMental Illness And Its Effects1717 Words   |  7 Pages Involuntary psychiatric commitment has been like a pendulum, sometimes in favor as a government policy to treat mental illness, and other times not. Mental illness treatment has been evolving throughout history. Society once believed that mental illness was due to a reversed to an animalistic level of consciousness, possession of demons, a sinful soul, or a chemical imbalance. The medical journal Nature and Genetics, recently reported that, a defect in chromosome number six which has been identifiedRead MoreMental Illness And Its Effects1095 Words   |  5 Pagesaffected by mental illness are violent or unpredictable. Now, this opinion is not entirely erroneous, but it does create an extremely one-sided and unfair outlook for those suffering from a mental illness. Those who negatively stigmatize mental illness cause an immense harm. Stigma is a mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person. If people today would talk about mental illness more, that communication could lead those suffering from mental illness to feel as ifRead MoreMental Illness And Its Effects On Mental Health2155 Words   |  9 PagesThe term mental illness is used to describe a disorder that causes a person to express themselves differently, this may be through their behaviour or thinking (WHO, 2016). According to the BBC website at least 1 in 4 people will be affected by a mental illness, and this could be triggered by an event or some trauma in their life (BBC, 2016). Mental health problems can trigger a mental illness, for most people the signs of mental health deterioration do not develop into a full mental illness, this isRead MoreMental Illness And Its Effects On The Media Essay1324 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Mental illness is often wrongly portrayed in the United States’ media creating stigmatization and misrepresentation. Mental illness â€Å"refers to a wide range of mental disorders that affect your mood, thinking and behavior† (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2015). Examples of disorders include anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Any â€Å"negative attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors are called stigma† (Wilson et al., 2016, p. 2) and stigma can contributeRead MoreMental Illness And Its Effects On Society1461 Words   |  6 Pages Mental illness affects millions of people in the United States and in other countries. Disabling mental illness is seen in and out of local hospitals and other skilled nursing facilities daily. Timby and Smith (2011) define schizophrenia as a thought disorder characterized by deterioration in mental functioning, disturbances in sensory perception, and changes in affect. Schizophrenia effects about one percent of the population and shows no regard to ethnicity, culture, or environmentRead MoreThe Effects Of Abnormality And Mental Illness1284 Words   |  6 PagesThroughout my life, I have had a fair amount of exposure to abnormality, and mental illness. I was exposed early on to abnormality. My father, who spent 20 years of his life in the U.S. Navy, was diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Disorder in 1995, following the riots in the camps of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in 1994. This is not my only experience with mental illness, although it was the most persistent experience I have had with abnormality. My mother went through severe depression when she turned 40. MyRead MoreSchizophrenia And Its Effects On Mental Illness1538 Words   |  7 PagesSchizophrenia is a mental illness that is in a very small amount of the population, 1 in 100 people (1% of the population). Symptoms of schizophrenia include, delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech and behavior, not much emotion if any is present, as well as speech and socializations issues. Ways to t reat schizophrenia are very limited to antipsychotic drugs and therapy. Although there is not one cause to this illness found, there are many factors that explain the cause or result in having

1994 Economic Crisis in Mexico Free Essays

Abstract This is a critical analysis essay discussing one of historical financial crisis, with a major focus on its effects, causes, and lessons learnt. Selected historical financial crisis is ‘1994 Economic Crisis in Mexico.’ Introduction handles the genesis and description of the crisis with the main body discusses causes, effects and lesson learnt. We will write a custom essay sample on 1994 Economic Crisis in Mexico or any similar topic only for you Order Now The conclusion summarizes the findings of the research. Introduction The â€Å"1994 Economic Crisis in Mexico† is referred to as â€Å"The December Mistake† (el error de Diciembre) in Spanish, a term that was derived by the then president Carlos Salinas de Gortari in indication of his successor Ernesto Zedillo’s abrupt turnaround of the earlier government’s policy of stiff money controls (Horowitz Ho, 2001). While many analysts concur that devaluation was essential for economic purposes, Salinas followers pointed out that the procedure was mismanaged at the political stage. The crisis broadly known as the Tequila crisis or the Mexican peso crisis was rooted by the abrupt devaluation of the Mexican peso in late 1994. According to Whitt (1996), in the early 1990s the Mexican financial organization appeared stable. It was increasing following the 1980s’â€Å"lost decade† (Whitt 1996). Furthermore, inflation was being abridged significantly, international investors were venturing capital into the nation, and billions of dollars had been accumulated by the central bank in reserves. Agreement to cap favorable trade condition with US (Mexico’s largest trade partner) was reached through NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement). However, in less than a year after NAFTA took effect, Mexico experienced economic calamity (Krooth, 1995). In December 1994, the Mexican administration devalued the peso. The economic crisis that ensued cut the peso’s worth by half, boosted inflation dilapidation rate, and initiated a harsh depression in Mexico. Causes of the crisis The basic causes of Economic Crisis in Mexico in 1994 are normally ascribed to Salinas de Gortari’s strategy decisions while in presidency, which eventually stressed the nation’s economies. As in the previous election sequences, a pre-election outlook to motivate the financial system, momentarily and untenably, ensuing a post-election financial instability. The causes of the crisis involved over-valuation of exchange rate and the then account deficit in the Mexican financial system (Purcell, 1998). With these predicaments, numerous additional issues assisted to trigger the crisis: a) elections were conventionally linked to devaluation, b) the increase in American interest rates, c) lack of investor assurance due to politically associated assassinations, d) slack monetary regulations in reaction to the decrease in foreign money flows, e) extension of quasi-fiscal costs via development financial institutions credits, and f) changing fiscal borrowing to temporary, dollar-o riented instruments (Purcell, 1998). Garber Lall (1996) notes that several diverse issues could be given as causes of the crisis, but in broad it is the consequence of an unmitigated era of over speculation, concerning both local and international investors. It is evident that during 1994, there were numerous indicators signifying a peso collapse was forthcoming. Most noteworthy was the decrease of foreign exchange reserves, falling from $26B in early 1994, down to a perilously low $2B just prior the American bailout. Subsequently, approximately 80% of the $85B ventured in the country from 1991 to mid-1994 was in the shape of portfolio venture, making just 20% in the type of straight investment. Lastly was the extremely obvious and apparent change from the administration bonds oriented in pesos (the cetes) to those oriented in dollars (tesobonos) for several months. The figure below displays the decline trend. Fig 1. 1994 Reserves, Cetes and Tesobonos in Mexico Effects of the crisis Even though mainstream economists are sensitive to the idea; there is no refuting that Mexico underwent dejection in 1995, as apparent in the fall of GDP of 6.9%. This was at least compared with a decline of 8.6% of GDP per capita (Fig. 2: below). From the eruption of the peso disaster in 1994 December up to February 1995 the worth of the Mexican money had dropped by over fifty percent and inflation had risen to 52% in 1995 from 7% in 1994 (Edwards Mishkin, 1995). The financial crisis brought about the fall of Mexico’s domestic market, compelling consumption to decrease considerably. As pointed out by Baddeley (2010), there was also a harsh shortage of credit as internal financial institutions struggled with bad loans and wanted to establish reserves following their near collapse in 1994. This meant a virtual loss of credit for SMEs. Although it had started in 1993, this auxiliary enforced the barzonista campaign which was an association of debtors, a lot of whom were farmers, necessitating renegotiation of their amount overdue (Edwards Mishkin, 1995). The official joblessness rate rose to a peak of almost 8% in the third quarter of 1995 after being approximately 3% in December 1994 and hanging approximately 6% through much of the dejection period. Although the bureaucrat rate more than two folded in the first half of 1995, it was rather unfair and not an efficient measure. Fig. 2: GDP and GDP per capita Lessons Learnt The first lesson learnt from the 1994 Economic Crisis in Mexico is how hazardous a pegged exchange rate government can be for the up-and-coming market nations. It is obvious that in up-and-coming market nations, a speculative approach on the exchange term that consequence in devaluation can have distressing results on the financial system by destabilizing information flows in economic markets (Diamond, 1984). The second lesson that can be derived from the experience of the Tequila Crisis involves supervision of banking systems. Strong prudential administration of the banking structure is vital to the fitness of up-and-coming market economies and the avoidance of economic crises. Evidently, good prudential monitoring is significant to developed countries (Diamond, 1984). However, since the outcomes of poor prudential monitoring are so catastrophic in up-and-coming market countries, good prudential monitoring is even more significant in these industrialized countries. The last lesson is that conventional measures employed in industrialized nations to extirpate themselves from economic crises may be retro progressive in rising market countries. In developed nations, the standard recommendation for emerging from an economic predicament is for the central bank to be a loaner of final resort and to seek expansionary financial policy. Conclusion The crisis is broadly known as the Tequila crisis or the Mexican peso crisis and was caused by the abrupt devaluation. The causes of the crisis involved over-valuation of exchange rate and the then account deficit in the Mexican financial system. There are three lessons that can be learnt from the crisis: a pegged exchange rate government is dangerous; Strong prudential administration of the banking structure is vital to the fitness for developing economies; and traditional measures used in industrialized countries may not fit emerging markets countries. REFERENCES: Baddeley, A. (2010). International financial crisis. Recent advances in learning and motivation (Vol. 8, pp. 47-90). New York: Academic Press Diamond, D. (1984). Financial intermediation and delegated monitoring. Review of Economic Studies 51,393-414. Edwards, F. Mishkin, F.S. (1995). The decline of traditional banking: Implications for financial stability and regulatory policy. Federal Reserve Bank of New York Economic Policy Review 1(3), 27-45 Garber, P.M. Lall, S. (1996). The role and operation of derivative markets in foreign exchange crises. Brown University, Department of Economics, Providence, RI. Horowitz, S., Ho, U. (2001). The political economy of international financial crisis: interest groups, ideologies and institutions. Singapore, ISEAS. Krooth, R. (1995). Mexico, NAFTA and the Hardships of Progress, McFarland, North Carolina. Purcell, S. K. (1998). Mexico under Zedillo. Boulder [u.a.], Lynne Rienner. Whitt, Jr. A. J. (1996). The Mexican Peso Crisis. Economic Review. Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. Oxford University Press. Appendix How to cite 1994 Economic Crisis in Mexico, Essay examples

The Tempest free essay sample

The Tempest: The Interplay between Time, Power, and Supernatural In The Tempest, William Shakespeare portrays multiple themes that are highlighted as the play progresses. He includes the recurring themes of time, struggle for power, and the supernatural. Prospero, and his servant, Ariel, magically conduct a tremendous storm, which forces the shipmates to land on his island. Prospero, the characters on the shipwreck, and Caliban, and Ariel spend most of the play reacting to this event. Caliban’s character represents a struggle to regain his power, while Ariel has a particular influence on the subsequent plot that relates to the themes of time and the supernatural. A consistent theme throughout The Tempest, is Ariel’s significant role of carrying out Prospero’s powerful mission. Ariel’s presence provides a drama that is calming and mystical. When Ariel is first introduced in beginning of the play he says to Prospero: All hail, great master! Grave sir, hail! I come To answer thy best pleasure. Be’t to fly, To swim, to dive into the fire, to ride On the curled clouds to thy strong bidding task Ariel and all his quality (The Tempest 1. 2. 224-228). Ariel’s courageous character introduces the concept of magic and supernatural to the play. His presence creates a major storm on King Alonsos boat. Ariel says, â€Å"I boarded the King’s ship; now on the beak, / Now in the waist, the deck, in every cabin, /I flamed amazement† (1. 2. 232-234). By generating this storm, Ariel powerfully influences Alonso’s journey and the ultimate arrival of Ferdinand. The storm was conjured up in such a magical way that not a soul was harmed, and â€Å"Not a hair perished† (1. 2. 258). In addition, the shipmates clothing remained fresh, even after the chaotic storm. Throughout the play, as Ariel puts Prospero’s magic into action, he appears in different forms and can even make himself invisible to the public eye. In act three, during the banquet, Ariel even presents himself in the form of a harpy, a loathsome creature with wings. Ariel also displays the use of magic when Caliban complains to Stephano about how he is tormented by Prospero. During this scene, Ariel, in his invisible state, calls Caliban a liar, tricking Caliban, and Stephano that Trinculo is the man behind the insults. As the play develops, Ariel enlightens and impacts the characters with his melodious songs. Towards the end of the play, Alonso makes note and comments that the background music is so powerful that it is almost a form of communication. Ariel uses the power of music to guide the characters in the direction towards fulfilling Prospero’s goal. In act three, scene two, Ariel’s music causes Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo to be distracted from their conversation and leads them to follow after the music. By exhibiting Prospero’s magical commands to perfection, Ariel serves a supernatural role in The Tempest. One of the major themes of The Tempest is the importance of timing. Prospero conducts his scheme in a very systematic manner. Likewise, Ariel displays an aptitude for time in that he is in charge of maintaining Prospero’s schedule. It is manifested early on that Prospero pays close attention, and displays a consciousness towards time. For example, Prospero asks Ariel, â€Å"What is the time o’th’ day? † and Ariel replies, â€Å"past the mid season† (1. 2. 283-284). Prospero then explains to Ariel that the task needs to be completed within a specific timeframe. Prospero says, â€Å"The time ‘twixt six and now/ Must by us both be spent most preciously†. Ariel repeatedly scouts the island, making sure Prospero’s magical plan occurs on schedule and reports back to him. It is striking that Ariel seems to always be present at critical times. In the middle of the play, when Antonio and Sebastian are planning to kill Gonzolo and Alonso, Ariel’s timely presence prevents their plan from following through. He puts Alonso, and Gonzolo to sleep and magically wakes Gonzolo right on time when his and king Alonso’s lives are at risk. Ariel whispers to Gonzolo in the form of song, â€Å"†¦If of life you keep a care, /Shake off slumber and beware. Ariel alarms Gonzolo to immediately wake up, and ultimately saves his and the king’s lives. Prospero and Ariel regard the essential aspect of time to complete their overall mission as planned. A significant theme of The Tempest is Caliban’s constant struggle for power. Caliban, Prospero’s slave, is a dangerous, unique, monster- like creature. He spends much time in the beginning of the play longing for how the island used to be, when his mother, Sycorax, used to control the island. When Prospero initially resides on the island, he takes over and torments Caliban  with slave work. Caliban demonstrates this desire to be in charge of the island when he says, â€Å"This island’s mine by Sycorax, my mother,/ Which thou tak’st from me. † (1. 2. 396-397). Caliban bemoans the loss of his power on the island and wishes to regain his status. Calibans influence on the plot is to directly undermine Prospero. In act four, when Caliban meets Stephono and Trinculo, he becomes drunk and instantly plots to put an end to Prospero’s life. This is illustrated in Caliban’s speech to Stephano and Trinculo when he encourages them to kill Prospero. This is the mouth o’ th’ cell. No noise, and enter. / Do that good mischief which may make this island/ Thine own forever, and I, thy Caliban,†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (4. 1. 241-243). His regret of his lost power leads him to try to regain it in a vicious manner. As Stephen Corry states regarding Caliban’s plan, â€Å"He’s desperate to get his new clownish mates to kill Prospero by knifing, battering, impaling, braining, or more imaginatively, knocking a nail into his head† (â€Å"The Olympics – Shakespeare†). Luckily for Prospero, Ariel distracts the fools with a glistening clothing line and stops Calibans plans before they are carried out. In fact, Ariel’s use of timing is the very thing that undermines Caliban’s quest for power. It is in this part of The Tempest that one can witness how the themes of time and power connect. In summary, the themes of time, supernatural, and Caliban’s struggle for power, play an essential role to The Tempest. As the play unfolds, Shakespeare introduces us to the concept of the mystery in life. So often we think we are in control of our lives; however, this is not always the case. Time after time, there may be forces that we are unaware of that heavily impact the course of our lives and ultimate fate.