Lord Of The Flies - Character Study Essays - Fiction,

Lord Of The Flies - Character Study The main theme William Golding focuses on in The Lord of the Flies is his opinion that, when taken away from a civilised society, people will revert back to being primitive, animal like creatures. He portrays this view throughout the book by using very different characters almost all of whom eventually forget their civilised ways. The book tells the story of a group of school boys who, after their plane crashes, are stranded on a tropical island without any adults. At first they seem enthusiastic about the situation and quickly elect one of the boys, Ralph, as a leader, but pretty soon things start to deteriorate. Another one of the boys, Jack, leaves the group to form his own tribe who become more and more violent and obsessed with hunting pigs and the beast, that they believe lives on the island. Their violence results in the killing of two of the other boys, and at the end of the book they try to kill Ralph before all being rescued by a naval officer. The title of the book comes from an episode where Simon, a shy boy, who is described by the others as batty hallucinates that the dead pigs head in front of him is talking to him. The pigs head is surrounded by flies, so Simon calls it the Lord of the Flies. The title could also have another more symbolic meaning, because as time goes on the boys become more like flies themselves. Ralph, the main character in the story is introduced to the reader as a fair and likeable boy, he is the only boy who will listen to Piggy, an overweight boy who is ridiculed by everyone else for being fat and because he wears glasses and suffers from asthma, even though he is the most intelligent of all the boys. When he finds a conch, a type of shell, Ralph listens to Piggys suggestion to use this to call the others. Have a meeting. Theyll come when they hear us. At the start Ralph is well respected and looked up to by the rest of the boys, who choose him as their chief. There was a stillness about Ralph as he sat that marked him out: there was his size, and attractive appearance; and most obscurely, yet most powerful, there was the conch. The respect the boys had held for Ralph did not last for long. Ralph continually stressed to them the importance of making a signal fire on top of the mountain, so that ships would see the smoke and come to rescue them. He tells the boys, The fire is the most important thing on the island. How can we ever be rescued except by luck, if we dont keep a fire going? The rest of the boys as they became more savage were more interested in hunting than keeping the fire going. Ralph could not understand why they ere becoming obsessed with hunting and gradually he became confused and unable to think clearly, Ralph was puzzled by the shutter that flickered in his brain. There was something he wanted to say; then the shutter came down. Ralph began to rely on Piggy to help him when he couldnt remember what to say. Eventually even Ralph and Piggy became savage, if only for a moment. When Simon crawled out from the forest in the dark the boys thought he was the beast and Ralph and Piggy joined in a s they mauled him to death. Out of all of the boys the one who changed the most on the island was probably Jack. He started out far less likeable than Ralph but despite this was very disciplined. He was head boy in his choir, who soon became his hunters, and he was more arrogant than Ralph in his desire to become the chief, saying I ought to be chief, because Im chapter chorister and head boy. His discipline over his choir was also shown when they were voting for the chief, With dreary obedience the choir raised their hands when Ralph asked who wanted Jack to be chief. He also has an unpleasant personality, expressed when he says Shut up, Fatty. to Piggy. The

Populations in freshwater Ecosystems Essay Example

  Populations in freshwater Ecosystems Essay Example   Populations in freshwater Ecosystems Essay Populations in freshwater Ecosystems Essay Essay Topic: Ecosystems Aim: To compare two or more fresh water ecosysterms at the wetlands center. In this study I will want to compare two ecosystems. I predict that pollution in the water will be quite minimal because the freshwater habitats are under conservation . Also the other reason being that the people working on the habitats will try to keep it a healthy habitat with a good balance at each trophic level so that the animals will live. Ipredict that the nitrate levels to be quite high in a habitat with other animals such as ducks. The reason being that the excrement will cause the process of eurification and make the levels higher. I also predict that the Oxygen levels will be quite high (about 8 parts per million), because the conservationists may clean out the excrement .For a healthy habitat the abiotic factors are: * The light level must be good so that- plants can photosynthesize and dont decompose and cause the microbes to use the oxygen. * Temperature is important so that- if the water is too cold the anmals will die and decay and the same if it is too warm. * Flow rate of the water is important so that- the habitat isnt destroyed by the fast water flow. * Nitrate level is essencial- Too much nitrogen is a problem caused by the polluton of algae which restricts the light, this kills the organisms underneeth causing defecation and making organic remains. Then the nitrifying bacteria make nitrates out of the ammonium compuonds. * Oxygen levels- could be a problem if there is the pollution of algae (see nitrate levels), or if there ifs something decomposing then microbes will use up the oxygen. For my investigation I will find the nitrate level by using testing strips and oxyen level by winklers method find the parts per million (ppm). The biotic factors are: * Types of plans- blanket weed and duck weed are both indications of a habitat with low ligh or in the danger of losing light. Mill foil is a good plants as it oxygenates the water. * Features and adaptations of animals- this is something that I will show later on in my investigation. * The number and types of animals- This table shows what species are in high, low or intermediate pollution.(next page) I will look at all three of these biotic factors in my investigation. I predict the more animals there are the less polluted it is because there Is enough oxygen, light, for the organisms to live. I will use various techniqus to examin the different organisms. I will take a sample fron the top, middle and bottom layer of the habitat to get a clearer view. Farmyard freshwater habitat This habitat was shared with some gese aswell as all the animals in the water. This ment that there was a lot of excrement. I was surprised to find out that eventhough there was a lot of excrement, the nitrate level was 0 and the phosphate level was high. The reason being that the water was filterd and removed the nitrates. The oxygen level was also high 9.1 parts per million, due to the water being filtered. The animals that I found ment that habitat was ok, although there was a leech there were not enough to indicate that the habitat was very polluted. The duck weed and algae also indicated the same thing. In the habitat I found: Plants- duck weed and algae Animals- Daphnia, cyclops, leeches and spring tails. Animal What depth found in Number pr sample (A4 paper size tray) estimate Daphnia Top(T), middle(M) and Bottom(B) T= 3500 M= 7000 B= 3000 Cyclops T,M,B T= 100 M= 80 B= 40 Spring tails M M= 2 Leeches B B= 1 Small freshwater habitat This habitat was smaller but deeper thatn the other habitat. It also did not share the habitat with any other animals. This ment that the water would be cleaner thatn the other habitat. This showed in the type of animals and the oxygen level being 9.2ppm. The nitrogen level was 0 again due to the water being filtered. He indications of this habitat being clean was the growth of mill foil and water mites. Plants- mill foil and algae Animals- flat worm, water mite, cyclops, water snail and water flea. Animal What depth found in Number pr sample (A4 paper size tray) estimate Flat worm T 1 Water mite T 1 Cyclops T,B T= 50 B=40 Water snail M M= 1 Water flea M,B M= 20 B= 10 Here is a food web for fresh water habitats: Daphnia flat worm Planarians have extraordinary powers of regeneration and they normally reproduce by pulling in two. The fragments then regenerate their missing parts. water mite Water Mites have a globular, sack-like body and are related to spiders. They have eight legs and a line that separates their thorax from their abdomen. Some water mites are parasitic and suck off the gills of fresh water clams and mussels. Some water mites have special hairs on their legs that help them swim. Cyclops is a genus of copepods named for the animals single eyespot, reminiscent of the one-eyed monster in Greek mythology. Although most species of Cyclops are marine, many are commonly found in quiet freshwater habitats. Common Name: Fresh Water Snail or Planorbis Scientific Name: Planorbis leavis Taxonomy: Animalia Mollusca Gastropoda Pulmonata aquatica Planorbidae Physical Description: This snail appears like a smaller and darker colored version of the garden snail. They have a spiral shell that is almost spherical and a body that is the same color as raw liver. Their shells are a lighter dark brown than the bodies. Behavior: This snail spends its life under the water in calm pools. They stick to rocks and feed on the algae and bacteria that grow on them. Breeding takes place in the spring, and the snails are often hermaphroditic, but still require another mate for fertilization. Prey and Predators: Crayfish, skunks, opossums, and amphibians will eat these small gastropods. The planorbis is hardly an aggressive predator, but they eat the microscopic organisms with less intelligence than themselves. Signs of Existence: These snails can be found on any hard surfaces in the calm parts of the water. They share the same pools as many crayfish, but are more easily spotted because of their large numbers. water flea Water fleas belong to the Crustacea, a large group of jointed limbed animals, most of which live in water. Water fleas are placed in the order Cladocera and are probably called fleas because they move through the water by a sort of hopping. Water fleas are very common in fresh water, in Britain you can find about 80 different species, in The Netherlands about a 100 species. Many of them are rare. The chief characteristic of the water fleas is that the main part of the body is enclosed in a kind of shell, with the appearance of two lids, but made of one piece. Because you can see through them, you can study for instance the beating of the heart and follow the course of the blood cells round part of the body. Their sizes differ from several hundred microns to more than five millimeter for the larger species. The common water flea, Daphnia pulex can be found in almost all sorts of eutrophic (rich in nutrients) waters. They reproduce in summer mostly parthenogenetic, that is, the eggs develop without undergoing fertilization. At the end of the summer, some of the eggs develop into the smaller males, capable of fertilizing the eggs in females, which then develop into the so called winter eggs; mostly only one or two are present in the females. These eggs can also be found in populations under stress, such as during the drying up of a pond. leeches Leeches are classified as annelids, or segmented worms. They are related to earthworms and share many traits. They are found in shallow ponds, lakes, and marshes. Some leeches have even been found to live in small desert water holes as well as in antarctic waters. Most leeches live in water; however, some leeches are amphibious. Other leeches are called land leeches and live in moist regions around the world. Leeches can be found nearly every place there is water. Shallow ponds, lakes, and marshes are popular leech collecting sites. The best time for leech collecting is during the spring and summer. Most leeches are nocturnal and avoid light. Leeches can often be found in shady areas of ponds or in dark places under rocks, logs, and debris of the bottom of lakes. spring tails Springtails sometimes cause alarm to homeowners when seen outdoors in enormous numbers, appearing as piles of soot in driveways, backyards, on mud puddle surfaces, etc. Occasionally, they enter the home where dampness occurs such as in basements, cellars, bathrooms, and kitchens, especially near drains, leaking water pipes, sinks, and in the soil of over-watered house plants. They usually appear in the spring and early summer but can be found all year round. Some are known as snow fleas, appearing on the top of snow during late winter and early spring. These very small, leaping insects do not bite humans, spread disease, nor damage household furnishings. They are usually a nuisance by their presence. Springtails are minute, wingless insects about 1/16 to 1/8 inch (1 to 2 mm) long. Colors vary from white, gray, yellow, orange, metallic green, lavender to red with some being patterned or mottled. They get their name from the ability to catapult themselves (leap) through the air three to four inches by means of a taillike mechanism (furcula) tucked under the abdomen. When disturbed, this appendage functions as a spring, propelling them into the air away from the danger source. Young resemble adults except for size and color. Eggs are spherical. Because both habitats are in conservaton and filtered the nitrate level is 0. The health of the pond is not normally that good in the city due to the pollution given off by cars and so on. For more accurate readings of the animals I could have calculated the sizes more accuraltely. This could have an effect on my results.

The Impact of Online Selling on Small Businesses Essay - 1

The Impact of Online Selling on Small Businesses - Essay Example The paper tells that selling products on the Internet is just another method, in fact, one of the most modern means through which an entrepreneur can utilize the facilities of the Internet in his business. Apart from using it as a selling tool, the wide range of capabilities of the Internet can be made use of customer support, marketing, recruitment, procurement, communication, and for many other functions. Indeed, today there is hardly any business activity in this modern world that does not pass across the Internet. In the opinion of Adam, the most exciting function of the Internet these days is E-commerce and Online selling, where the provider uses the Internet as an intermediary to sell his products and services directly to the consumers in the global market. Online selling is expected to have a greater boom in the global village as the responsive audience is growing by millions every year. It is the process whereby customers are facilitated with the technology to directly buy go ods and services from a seller in real-time, over the internet without any intermediary service in between. While considering the benefits of online selling many seem to disagree that online shopping will affect the percentage of retail sales in the future, arguing that only a small percentage of online selling will only obscure the market potentials. However, as Adam points out, concentrating on this idea a little deeper reveals that even if the Internet sales constitute only 5 percent of total retail within a few years, that still amounts billions and billions of dollars spent on online selling. As more and more organizations and customers are making the use of the internet to collect information before they make the final decision and to purchase online, it is certain that all business firms must have a web presence. Leaving the online selling, if the firm is not existing on the Internet, it does not exist. Another advantage of the small business that uses online marketing is tha t they have the ability to sell a wide variety of products due to â€Å"infinite shelf space†. Afuah also comments that online stores can easily make a higher proportion of their income out of the low-volume items rather than traditional stores, a trend called as the long tail effect. It makes possible for the firm to reach new markets and new customers. On the other hand, buyers can search for information to decide their final purchase and compare the products to see which offer sounds adequate to him/her. Small business organizations, especially in the developing countries have the advantage of diminishing the costs of a search for information as well as costs of the transaction. It broadens the effectiveness of transactions by reducing the time taken for processing, payments and other functions. As Gingrich points out, a small business is highly benefited by information provided about customers and markets together with the valuable details of product design, financial res ources, and process technology. The widespread use of internet and its functions have changed the way the customers as well as the firms acquire information and operate their business.