Bipartisanship :: essays research papers

Recently, the debate of whether bipartisanship has completely left this country incapacitated due to the lack of cooperation between Senators and House members with conflicting opinions has grown especially due to the Clinton Impeachment Debates. Many individuals feel that the only reason William Jefferson Clinton was impeached in the House was due to the fact that the majority of the House is republicans. This research proposal will attempt to define if the concept of bipartisanship does exist. If it does exist, what are the contributing factors to it (convincing individuals, convincing corporations, money, the Senators or House member’s families)? These can be considered to be the independent variables. Presently, the Internet consists of numerous, almost uncountable, sources on bipartisanship. Many magazines and newspapers are major contributors to this subject as well. The amount of scandal contributing to this particular issue creates a level of curiosity that intrigues a ll aspects of this society. When the public seems to want press on a particular issue, they seem to get it. The most notable feature of the current state of journalism in the U.S. is the total dereliction of duty on the part of national political reporters. More than fifty congress critters, senators, and state governors have announced their retirements in the past year, after they received packets from a group of hackers called the Fifth Column detailing illegal and unreported income from bribes, kickbacks, payoffs, and whatnot. This story of the wholesale sell-out of the U.S. political process should rank as one of the top stories of the decade. But the national media blandly reports the contrived explanations ("I just want to spend more time with my heretofore neglected family") and speculates on the sad loss of Washington country-club camaraderie that used to keep such fine people in public office forever. There are certain hypotheses in question on this particular issue. Hypothesis #1: Other than wartime issues, republicans seem to vote with republicans while democrats choose to vote with their fellow democrats on various issues. Hypothesis #2: Money, big corporations, and fellow party affiliates affect the voting patterns of Senators and House members. Hypothesis #3: Due to the fact that there are contributions coming in at both sides for different politicians, nothing actually gets accomplished. This can compared to a negative (-1) added to a positive (+1) which eventually comes back to equal 0 (consequently resulting in some aspects of government effectiveness going back to â€Å"square one†).

Enzyme :: essays research papers

The plot of enzyme activity Vs. pH is often "bell shaped" since two different amino acid groups of the enzyme are being titrated to different states of ionization at the different pH values. This means that only one of the two possible ionization states of the amino acid side chain is effective in enzyme catalysis - in other words, if an acidic side chain like Glu is involved in catalysis, it probably only works when it is ionized; since Glu side chain carboxylic acid groups have a pK around pH 5, at pH values below this pK, the enzyme will be less active; while at pH values above the pK, the enzyme will be most active. At higher pH values, another group, for example, the amino side chain group in a Lys may control the activity. So at pH values below the pK of the Lys amino side chain, which is about pH 9, the enzyme is active, while at pH values above the Lys side chain pK, the enzyme will be less active. In the end, the pH optimum lies somewhere between the pK values for these two groups that control the enzyme's activity. B. Temperature Optimum Most enzymes have an optimum temperature, which may be related to the type of organism from which the enzyme was isolated. Some organisms like plants grow well near room temperature and so their enzymes are most active at a temperature around 30 to 40Â °C. A general rule of thumb from chemistry is that a reaction's rate approximately doubles with a 10Â °C increase in reaction or assay temperature. However, since enzyme are held together by weak non-covalent bonds, at higher temperatures, the enzyme catalyzed rate slows down rather than increases: Of courese, at low temperatures, all the molecules in the solution slow down and so does the enzyme catalyzed reaction. At high temperatures, the thermal movement of the molecules become to great for the enzyme to hold its shape or conformation and so it begins to denature and lose its activity. Animal enzymes often have temperature optima near 37Â °C (especially human's since this is body temperature). For thermophilic organisms, like ba cteria or blue-green algae which grow well in near boiling hot springs, much higher temperature optima are found; some enzymes even have temperature optima near 90Â °C. In the end, the temperature you use for an enzyme assay may depend on the equipment available to you in the lab.

Why Isnt Consciousness Empirically Observable? Emotional Purposes As Basis For Self-Organization :: Logic Philosophy

Why Isn't Consciousness Empirically Observable? Emotional Purposes As Basis For Self-Organization ABSTRACT: Most versions of the knowledge argument say that if a scientist observing my brain does not know what my consciousness 'is like,' then consciousness is not identical with physical brain processes. This unwarrantedly equates 'physical' with 'empirically observable.' However, we can conclude only that consciousness is not identical with anything empirically observable. Still, given the intimate connection between each conscious event (C) and a corresponding empirically observable physiological event (P), what P-C relation could render C empirically unobservable? Some suggest that C is a relation among Ps which is distinguishable because it is multi-realizable; that is, C could have been realized by P2 rather than P1 and still have been the same relation. C might even be a 'self-organizing' process, appropriating and replacing its own material substrata. How can this account explain the empirical unobservability of consciousness? Because the emotions motivating attention direc tion, partly constitutive of phenomenal states, are executed, not undergone, by organisms. Organisms-self-organizing processes actively appropriating their needed physical substrata-feel motivations by generating them. Thus, experiencing someone's consciousness entails executing his or her motivations. That there is something empirically unobservable about phenomenal consciousness follows from a modified knowledge argument. Traditional versions (Jackson 1986; Robinson 1982; Noren 1979) hold that if experiencing were equivalent with physical brain states, then complete empirical knowledge of brain states should constitute knowledge of everything about my experiencing; but complete empirical knowledge of brain states would not constitute knowledge of everything about experiencing (those alone wouldn't reveal 'what it's like' to have that experience); therefore, experiencing is not equivalent with physical brain states. This argument can be criticized for unwarrantedly assuming that everything 'physical' is empirically observable (from an experimenter's standpoint). E.g., Jackson assumes that the 'what it's like' aspect isn't "expressible in physical language" (291), but the reason for granting this assumption is that 'what it's like' is inexpressible in terms of possible empirical ob servations. Without the assumption that everything 'physical' is empirically observable, we can conclude, not that consciousness is non-physical (since there might be 'physical' processes that are observationally inaccessible), but simply that consciousness isn't identical with anything empirically observable. Still, given the intimate connection between each conscious event (C) and a corresponding empirically observable physiological event (P), what P-C relationship could render C empirically unobservable? If identical, they should be equally observable. I.e., if P Â ® EO and C Â ® not-EO, then PÂ ¹C.

Abusive Relationships: Why Stay in the Relationship and What Determines Leaving Essay

It is often asked why a woman doesn’t leave an abusive relationship. Society tends to assume that the decision is as simple as a normal break-up, if not easier because there is an obvious reason to leave. But there are many factors involved into the relationship and many things to consider when making the decision to stay or to leave. In abusive relationships, what determines staying and what determines leave? It is estimated that annually 3 million occurrences of domestic violence occur and that one in four women will become a victim of such violence. Of those victims, more than four people are killed daily as a result of domestic violence (DVRC). With abuse possibly escalating to a point of death, why would a spouse stay in a relationship? Conclusions have been drawn as to why a woman might stay in the relationship, including internal and external resources. The external resources would include such things as an income, social support, housing etc. Internal resources would include a person’s self-esteem, mental health status, whether they suffer from depression or anxiety. Pamela Choice and Leanne Lamke stated that different theories needed to be taken into consideration when observing a women’s decision to stay or leave. The theories included learned helplessness, psychological entrapment, the investment model and reasoned action or planned behavior. Learned helpless is a situation where the victim feels she had no other options, that not matter what she does the situation will remain the same. Psychological entrapment is where a women tries to make the relationship a nonviolent one, but instead the violence continues causing her to feel that she should have tried harder. This situation often leaves the woman feeling that a nonviolent relationship is attainable and questioning if it is worth the investment, and if so, she then feels that there is too much invested thus far to leave, in turn causing the feelings of entrapment. The investment model determines whether maintaining the current relationship is worthwhile, is she better off to leave and is she satisfied in the relationship. Finally, the reasoned action model is where a women is able to determine if she is able to actually leave, is it within her control and is it more beneficial for her to leave than to stay in the relationship. External forces also contribute to a woman’s decision to leave. Establishing employment, housing and other essential tasks also become extremely difficult during the separation from an abusive partner (Bell 2007). With such struggles, within two months 60% of women end up returning to their partners (Bell 2007). In Carlson and McNutt’s study observing partner abuse and mental health, they looked at the women’s personal history of abuse. Whether or not she been exposed to violence as a child or as an adult. Also the effects the abuse has on a women’s mental health including depression, anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder. They found that many battered women had low levels of social support which in turn lead to higher levels of depression and more difficulty with problem solving. In a self-evaluation, many of the participants reported higher levels of symptoms for anxiety and depression (Carlson 2002). Women in an abused relationship tend to have a certain level of dependency upon their partner, causing them to feel trapped. Women who are more likely to be economically dependent and unemployed (especially with children) are at a higher risk of being in an abusive relationship (Bostock 2008). Bostock et. al studied what reasons were involved in a woman decision to stay in a harmful relationship. They investigated twelve women from rural Northern New England between the ages of 21 and 56, on various aspects of the relationship. Theses aspects included how the abuse began, the ways of abusing, the impact of the abuse, what factors contributed to recognizing the abuse as intolerable and what helped in gaining independence. They concluded that a women’s reason for stay was fear of the abuser, a feeling of commitment to the relationship and insufficient funds or resources. To help leave the relationship the women studied pulled upon their sense of hope, humor and spirituality and reclaiming their identity (Bostock 2008). In 1976 Richard Gelles studied abused wives and why they stay. In his article he stated that women do not break off a relationship for a number of reasons including negative self-esteem, the belief the husband will reform, economic hardship, difficulty of employment, surviving alone, the children’s wellbeing (economically) and the stigma with divorce. He also discovered that a woman would be more likely to stay in an abusive relationship if she had been exposed to abuse as a child, growing up with idea that it is allowed for a man to hit his wife. Another contributing factor to a women’s decision to stay is a lack of outside resources, not seeing many alternatives to the current situation. If the abuse is inconstant and not considered severe, then she will remain with the spouse (Gelles 1976). The decision to leave an abusive relationship was studied by Michael Strube in 1984, and his work was cited through many other journals. The population consisted of 251 women of low to middle income, varying in age from 17 to 69 to have been exposed to moderate of life threatening violence. Of the 251 women, 177 had decided to leave the abusive partner and those who stayed reported doing so because of love-the abuser promised changing behavior, economic hardship or lack of resources. Strube concluded that a woman was more likely to remain with the abuser if the violence was considered less frequent and less severe. Also, if the woman was exposed to violent models as a child she was more likely to remain as opposed to women who had not. But women who had previously been in an abusive relationship were less likely to remain in another relationship, because they had developed intolerance to the abuse. Strube also found that women with fewer resources, such as economic and social support were less likely to leave. Studies have found though that ending a relationship does not end the abuse, violence is often high is situations where the women is separate from the abuser as opposed to if she was involved in a relationship. Another factor involved is how the separation occurred rather than whether or not the separation occurred (Bell 2007). The decision to leave a relationship is difficult it becomes increasingly difficult when the partner is violent. The women, individual mentally have to â€Å"prepare† themselves as such to leave the relationship, and evaluate every aspect of their life and their future. Without sufficient support and resources leaving a dangerous and harmful situation is virtually impossible. To seek the support and resources a certain level of self worth and esteem is essential, providing the woman with an appreciation for her future.

Conflict Family

Ordinary People by Judith Guest is the story of a dysfunctional family who relate to one another through a series of extensive defense mechanisms, i. e. an unconscious process whereby reality is distorted to reduce or prevent anxiety. The book opens with seventeen year old Conrad, son of upper middle-class Beth and Calvin Jarrett, home after eight months in a psychiatric hospital, there because he had attempted suicide by slashing his wrists. His mother is a meticulously orderly person who, Jared, through projection, feels despises him. She does all the right things; attending to Jared's physical needs, keeping a spotless home, plays golf and bridge with other women in her social circle, but, in her own words â€Å"is an emotional cripple†. Jared's father, raised in an orphanage, seems anxious to please everyone, a commonplace reaction of individuals who, as children, experienced parental indifference or inconsistency. Though a successful tax attorney, he is jumpy around Conrad, and! , according to his wife, drinks too many martinis. Conrad seems consumed with despair. A return to normalcy, school and home-life, appear to be more than Conrad can handle. Chalk-faced, hair-hacked Conrad seems bent on perpetuating the family myth that all is well in the world. His family, after all, â€Å"are people of good taste. They do not discuss a problem in the face of the problem. And, besides, there is no problem. † Yet, there is not one problem in this family but two – Conrad's suicide and the death by drowning of Conrad's older brother, Buck. Conrad eventually contacts a psychiatrist, Dr. Berger, because he feels the â€Å"air is full of flying glass† and wants to feel in control. Their initial sessions together frustrate the psychiatrist because of Conrad's inability to express his feelings. Berger cajoles him into expressing his emotions by saying, â€Å"That's what happens when you bury this junk, kiddo. It keeps resurfacing. Won't leave you alone. † Conrad's slow but steady journey towards healing seems partially the result of cathartic revelations which purge guilt feelings regarding his brother's death and his family's denial of that death, plus the â€Å"love of a good woman. Jeannine, who sings soprano to Conrad's tenor†¦ † There is no doubt that Conrad is consumed with guilt, â€Å"the feeling one has when one acts contrary to a role he has assumed while interacting with a significant person in his life,† This guilt engenders in Conrad feelings of low self esteem. Survivors of horrible tragedies, such as the Holocaust, frequently express similar feelings of worthlessness. In his book, â€Å"Against All Odds†, William Helmreich relates how one survivor articulates a feeling of abandonment. â€Å"Did I abandon them, or did they abandon me? † Conrad expresses a similar thought in remembering the sequence of events when the sailboat they were on turned over. Buck soothes Conrad saying, â€Å"Okay, okay. They'll be looking now, for sure, just hang on, don't get tired, promise? In an imagined conversation with his dead brother, Conrad asks, â€Å"‘Man, why'd you let go? ‘ ‘Because I got tired. ‘ ‘The hell! You never get tired, not before me, you don't! You tell me not to get tired, you tell me to hang on, and then you let go! ‘ ‘! I couldn't help it. Well, screw you, then! ‘† Conrad feels terrible anger with his brother, but cannot comfortably express that anger. His psychiatrist, after needling Conrad, asks, â€Å"Are you mad? When Conrad responds that he is not mad, the psychiatrist says, â€Å"Now that is a lie. You are mad as hell. † Conrad asserts that, â€Å"When you let yourself feel, all you feel is lousy. † When his psychiatrist questions him about his relationship with his mother, Calvin says, â€Å"My mother and I do not connect. Why should it bother me? My mother is a very private person. † This sort of response is called, in psychological literature, â€Å"rationalization†. We see Conrad's anger and aggression is displaced, i. e. vented on another, as when he physically attacked a schoolmate. Yet, he also turns his anger on himself and expresses in extreme and dangerous depression and guilt. â€Å"Guilt is a normal emotion felt by most people, but among survivors it takes on special meaning. Most feel guilty about the death of loved ones whom they feel they could have, or should have, saved. Some feel guilty about situations in which they behaved selfishly (Conrad held on to the boat even after his brother let go), even if there was no other way to survive. In answer to a query from his psychiatrist on when he last got really mad, Conrad responds, â€Å"When it comes, there's always too much of it. I don't know how to handle it. † When Conrad is finally able to express his anger, Berger, the psychiatrist says to Calvin, â€Å"Razoring is anger; self-mutilation is anger. So this is a good sign; turning his anger outward at last. † Because his family, and especially his mother, frowns upon public displays of emotion, Conrad keeps his feelings bottled up, which further contributes to depression. Encyclopedia Britannica, in explicating the dynamics of depression states, â€Å"Upon close study, the attacks on the self are revealed to be unconscious expressions of disappointment and anger toward another person, or even a circumstance†¦ deflected from their real direction onto the self. The aggression, therefore, directed toward the outside world is turned against the self. † The article further asserts that, â€Å"There are three cardinal psychodynamic considerations in depression: (1) a deep sense of loss of what is loved or valued, which may be a person, a thing or even liberty; (2) a conflict of mixed feelings of love and hatred toward what is loved or highly valued; (3) a heightened overcritical concern with the self. † Conrad's parents are also busily engaged in the business of denial. Calvin, Conrad's father, says, â€Å"Don't worry. Everything is all right. By his own admission, he drinks too much, â€Å"because drinking helps†¦ , deadening the pain†. Calvin cannot tolerate conflict. Things must go smoothly. â€Å"Everything is jello and pudding with you, Dad. † Calvin, the orphan says, â€Å"Grief is ugly. It is something to be afraid of, to get rid of†. â€Å"Safety and order. Definitely the priorities of his life. He constantly questions himself as to whether or not he is a good father. â€Å"What is fatherhood, anyway? † Beth, Conrad's mother, is very self-possessed. She appears to have a highly developed super-ego, that part of an individual's personality which is â€Å"moralistic†¦ , meeting the demands of social convention, which can be irrational in requiring certain behaviors in spite of reason, convenience and common sense†. She is furthermore, a perfectionist. â€Å"Everything had to be perfect, never mind the impossible hardship it worked on her, on them all. † Conrad is not unlike his mother. He is an overachiever, an â€Å"A† student, on the swim team and a list-maker. His father tells the psychiatrist, â€Å"I see her not being able to forgive him. For surviving, maybe. No, that's not it, for being too much like her. † A psychoanalyst might call her anal retentive. Someone who is â€Å"fixated symbolically in orderliness and a tendency toward perfectionism†. â€Å"Excessive self-control, not expressing feelings, guards against anxiety by controlling any expression of emotion and denying emotional investment in a t! hing or person. â€Å"She had not cried at the funeral†¦. She and Conrad had been strong and calm throughout. The message of the book is contained in Berger's glib saying that, â€Å"People who keep stiff upper lips find that it's damn hard to smile†. We see Conrad moving toward recovery and the successful management of his stage of development, as articulated by Erikson, â€Å"intimacy vs. isolation†. At story end, his father is more open with Conrad, moving closer to him, while his mother goes off on her own to work out her issues. Both trying to realize congruence in their development stage (Erikson), â€Å"ego integrity vs. despair†.

Death by Chocolate Essay

How have the makers of Death by chocolate made their advertisement successful? Discuss the various techniques used and how they have been used. This is an analysis of the advertisement ‘death by chocolate’. It is an advert promoting a chocolate cake. The advertisement is rich in techniques which have been purposely included to tempt consumers to indulge themselves and give in to the temptation of the cake. Looking at both pages of the advertisement it seems that there is a concealed message which could possibly be summarized as, â€Å"go on, be a devil. † It is almost as if such devilish whisperings jump out at us. This message is communicated by the trident shaped fork in the hand of an ambiguous woman. Although we are given a motionless picture, there is an overwhelming sense of movement towards the cake. The makers have included this as one of the techniques of the advertisement so that the consumers feel that they are holding the fork. The visual imagery is designed to ‘bring the devil out in you. ‘ Although the chocolate cake is brown, it is laced with a devilish crimson colour which adds to the Satan theme. It is interesting in this context that the word ‘consumer’ is an old name for Satan which again is another technique used. It is clear that the makers of the advert have worked according to the principle that it is the visual impact of an advertisement that is most effective. Most of the second page is covered with a silky textured crimson colour on a white backdrop that mirrors the combination of the crimson streaked chocolate on a white plate. Red is the colour of the devil, but it is also the colour of danger, excitement and fury. White is the colour of virginity and the plentiful red suggests a loss of virginity. This technique is very effective as the contrast of the colours remind us of the ‘naughtiness’ inside us which drives us to indulge ourselves in this mouth-watering cake. The producers of this advert have also relied upon visual influence and the psychological imagery conjured up by the slogan and larger writing rather than the small text. The slogan, ‘it’s no angel cake’ is designed to reinforce the ‘evil’ theme. The clever remark on the word angel causes reader to dwell on this word and think about its meaning. Puns are always mentally stimulating and enjoyable, and it is as if the enjoyment gained from it is presented to the reader as a sample of the cake itself. In fact one gets the feeling that the designers have tried to make the whole advertisement ‘tasty’. The name of the advertisement itself, ‘Death by Chocolate’ is intended to be entertaining and comical. Although the word ‘death’ is used, the intention is not to bring to mind fear or anxiety, but in fact, the effect is far from gloomy. The reader is invited to ‘die’ and be wrapped up in the chocolate, or at least to be ‘dying to eat the chocolate. ‘ For those who are fully tempted by the advertisement and go on to reading the small text, there is much more in store. The text starts off on the, ‘naughty devil’ theme already developed by the visual imagery. The humour in the image of a vicar in The News of The World adds to the atmosphere of sheer ‘evil’. The use of brackets is another technique used which gives the reader the feeling that they are being told a secret, making them feel more involved with the text. This reinforces the effect of the use of the second person to make the reader feel personally addressed. The next part of the text tries to use words to convert the visual imagery of the pictures and colours into a sense ‘taste. ‘ Words such as ‘cakey-wakey’, ‘dark’, ‘bitter’ and ‘sweet’ reinforce in the words which the readers have seen in picture, and the two together try to combine to bring the images to life. The French word, ‘mi lange’ produces an exotic feeling that appeals to the average person. The combination of the words ‘bitter’ and ‘sweet’, which in this contexts maybe oxymoron’s gives a feeling of devilish menace. The words ‘lascivious’ develop the theme of being ‘naughty’ and gives verbal expression to the stark crimson on a virgin white background. Immediately after this we have a reference to ‘sensual’ pleasure. It seems that the makers of this advertisement are trying to sell a chocolate cake by appealing to peoples sexual desires which nowadays is a very popular technique used by producers. The sexual imagery is completed by the reference to Lolita at the end, who was a youthful twelve year old girl corrupted by an older man. In conclusion I think that the producers have been very successful in making this advertisement effective as a whole by creating strong visual imagery and reinforcing it with subtle but direct language. I feel that there is a clear and successful attempt to appeal to human weakness and carnal desire, which is arguably what makes this advertisement a successful one.

The Hobbit

‘The Hobbit’ is a beautiful story written by J. R. R Tolkien, and is full of happy, emotional quotes and lovely characters. Tolkien gives detailed descriptions of his characters using humour and often captures his young readers’ attention with short poems. For example, he begins his story with the sentence ‘In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ and continues it, which then becomes a legend! Tolkien has spun a fascinating tale with adventure involving dragons, magicians, hobbits, dwarves and skin-changers etc. The protagonist, Bilbo Baggins with his heroism, self-esteem, courage and quirks like stealing skills, is an adorable character. Although he is a figment of the author’s imagination, his kindness and poignant insights infuse him with qualities akin to the best of humans. The author had started this story as a way of entertaining his own grandchild, and true to this, the book adheres to a conversational style of story-telling. For example, he writes ‘The mother of our particular hobbit- what is a hobbit? and starts describing the hobbit before describing Belladonna Took, the hobbit’s mother. The poetic quotes throughout the course of the story also reveal the writer’s style, which tells it apart from other legends, for example – ‘Far over the misty mountains cold To dungeons deep and caverns old We must away, ere break of day, To find our long-forgotten gold’ The author’s use of foreshadowing makes the plot very interesting and keep the reader’s interest alive. For example, Thorin’s key and map are revealed to be an important part of the story towards the end. Readers love these unexpected turn of events and surprises in the story! Another example of foreshadowing is when Bilbo gets the power and courage to overcome hurdles and fear in the battle of the five armies, which he could only access after he got the ring. The author has used a novel way of capturing his young readers’ attention by introducing a chapter full of riddles between Gollum, the goblin and Bilbo, in the Misty Mountains. Using riddles, Tolkien has not only successfully heightened the interest of his readers, but also given glimpses of all aspects of the story! The interesting twists in the story and Bilbo’s good luck at narrowly escaping death or loss at crucial times in the story also have a gripping effect on the readers. Children love to see the arrival of Gandalf, the magician, when Bilbo is in need, as they also delight in his escape from the clutches of the goblins and the elves in barrels after he steals the ring, and his courage and skill in getting out of the giant spider’s trap. I also like the Greek term exemplified in Gandalf’s rescue in the Misty Mountains, which is ‘deux ex machina’, which means a God given man for help. Again, due to sheer luck, Bilbo is able to get away from the dragon’s lair. But a sad part of the story is the destruction of Laketown by Smaug, the dragon. The readers are relieved when Bard slays Smaug. Bilbo and his group get a further taste of adversity when the goblins and wargs, who have also heard about Smaug’s death, come looking for their share and cause the battle of the five armies. Thorin becomes a martyr for their group, while Bilbo is struck with a rock and loses consciousness. The author reveals Bilbo’s wise and compassionate side when Bilbo gives the Arkenstone to Bard in an attempt to stop conflict between Bard and Thorin before the battle. I liked the last part when Bilbo returns back with Gandalf and Beorn, who help their group win the battle of the five armies as well as many skirmishes in Mirkwood before that. The enjoyable part here is that Bilbo gets amused by seeing an auction going on at his place! I love the story and also its moral that we should not let our fears get in the way of what we want to do or be in life. The cheerful quotes and poems provide a lot of fun to the readers as well! The Hobbit This summer I read the book, â€Å"The Hobbit†, by J. R. R. Tolkien. It was a really interesting book with ups and downs just like any other. It was an adventure about a little hobbit named Bilbo who slowly discovers how brave and courageous he is. He is accompanied by 13 dwarves and occasionally a wizard named Gandalf. Together they face Goblins, Trolls, giant Spiders, Elves and even a dragon. There were things that I really enjoyed watching lay out and things that I felt brought the story line down. Throughout the book, I noticed that Gandalf had great confidence in Bilbo. I love the way that he knew Bilbo had potential and wouldn’t let anyone say differently. Bilbo was a weak and timid little hobbit who had no idea what the world was like and what dangers were ahead of him. Gandalf could see the adventurous heart in Bilbo when no one else could. He had chosen him to be the fourteenth member of the team and was not going to be moved by any creature. In the beginning of the book, Bilbo is flabbergasted when Gandalf tells him that he will give him what he asked for. â€Å"I beg your pardon, I haven’t asked for anything! † (Tolkien 7) He was so scared to think that he would have to go on such a perilous journey. He had never been past the safe comfort of his hobbit-hole and was not ready to cross that line. Gandalf somehow knew that deep down Bilbo was longing for adventure. â€Å"In fact I will go so far as to send you in this adventure,† (Tolkien 7) He had an incredible faith for him that showed up quite a few times. Even though Bilbo did mess up, he would still stand up for him â€Å"Let’s have no more argument. I have chosen Mr. Baggins and that ought to be enough for all of you† (Tolkien 19) â€Å"I brought him, and I don’t bring things that are of no use. †(Tolkien 85) Bilbo was extremely unsure of himself and didn’t know how he could be of help. Because of this, the dwarves assumed that he had no significance on their expedition and that he was even a weigh down. â€Å"You! You! You miserable hobbit! You undersized burglar! † (Tolkien 247) They would persistently put him down, but Gandalf always took little Bilbo’s side. It was so fun to see Bilbo become the courageous, sneaky and cunning conqueror that he really was inside. He thought that he would never be able to do the things that he did. Every now and then he would start to warm up to the idea of danger but then catch himself and hide once again. It took quite a while for him to see how brave he was, but he got it in the end. Sorry! I don’t want any adventures, thank you. † (Tolkien 7) Later he fights giant spiders and out-talks Gollum. He turns out to be the bravest one on the expedition! He was the most valuable person and they would not have completed their quest without him. One thing that I really didn’t like was when the dragon came along. The whole book they talked about how the dragon would be the most difficult to handle. When they finally get to the mountain, all the dwarves can think about is the dragon. They have to hide by the secret door and be totally silent so that they don’t wake it. Bilbo sneaks into the mountain to spy around. He finds the dragon and makes it so upset that it tries to destroy everything in its path. The dragon is the only thing holding them back. The thought of the battle they were going to have was exciting. They left you in the suspense of who was going to fight it and who would get hurt and still give everything. As the dragon is rampaging through Esgaroth, Bard shoots it with one arrow. The dragon falls dead. That’s it? I was definitely hoping for something more than that. I felt like they led up to it really well and then didn’t even have anything happen. The way that the characters spoke really reflected who they were. Gollum, for example, called himself â€Å"my precious† and never spoke to anyone but himself. It was almost like his trademark. Gandalf was ‘the wise one’. His word choice made him seem mysterious like an old wizard should be. â€Å"Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on? † (Tolkien 5) On page 41, however, I feel like he ‘lost his cool’ when he yelled at Bilbo for asking an acceptable question. It seemed to make him less wise and more†¦ cranky. Bilbo of course talked of his hobbit-hole and how he wished for food and warmth. The dialogue of the character seemed as if it was their own. I think that they made Bilbo too old for the way he acts. He is always curious to know about things but so scared. He is never ‘just there’. Like a younger person, he is always alert and ready to see what is happening next. He is good at sneaking around and is very clever and active. T he book was very interesting, and I enjoyed reading it, but the speeds changed too much. You couldn’t feel the suspense as much because the same thing happened over and over, and they didn’t go on very long: they would get captured and then they would escape. It was all very creative but I would have liked to be able to get into the moments more. After they get their share of money and fight the Goblins, nothing happens. That should be extremely close to the last page of the book. The story line is over, which leads to the conclusion. When Bilbo and Gandalf go back to the Hills, it is excruciatingly laid out. The next whole chapter was on their slow journey back. The overall theme was that you can think that there is nothing to you, like Bilbo thought about himself, and think that you are small, weak, and afraid, but that is all in your head. When you set your mind to it, you can ‘get it done’, no matter how big or strong you are. â€Å"This is a story of how a Baggins had an adventure, and found himself doing and saying things altogether unexpected,† (Tolkien 4) â€Å"He suddenly felt he would go without bed and breakfast to be thought fierce,† (Tolkien 18) All of his fear was conquered and then came the confidence. â€Å"He soon realized that if anything was to be done, it would have to be done by Mr. Baggins, alone and unaided,† (Tolkien 158).