History of Marco Polo

History of Marco Polo The Travels of Marco Polo MarcoPolo was born in 1254 when Italy was split into fighting city states. Thirteenth century Europe saw a huge increase in geographical knowledge and anincrease in trade with the Far East and Western Europe. One country that had the Europeans fascinated was China and they all wanted to establish trade andtravel there. Contact with the Far East was established by such men as Giovanni da Pian del Carpini and William of Rubrouck who were sent by Louis IX of France, which happened before the Tartar conquest of Asia Minor and the beginning of Tartar embassies in the West by the late thirteenth century. Routes of trade and opportunities that existed during Roman rule were reopened. Niccolo Polo and Maffeo Polo, the father and uncle of young Marco Polo, left him behind and set off for an epic journey eastward towards the court of the khan of the Pipchak Tartars at Serai. The brothers Niccolo and Maffeo stayed there for over a year while collecting asignificant profit. The brothers decided to return to Venice, but they found that their path was cut off by local wars. So the brothers made the decision to go to the great khan of China. They arrived in Beijing and were received very graciously by the great khan. After doing business there, the khan wanted toknow about the Christian life and told them to go b ack to Venice to see the Pope and return with Christian missionaries for the education of the royal court. The great khan also wanted them to return through Jerusalem with Holy Oil from the lamp which was kept burning over the Sepulchre of our Lord Jesus Christ. To help their journey, the brothers were given the service of a Tartar guide and anything they needed in Tartar territory. Aftera long and treacherous journey on land to Venice, Niccolo and Maffeo made it in1268 and found that Pope Clement IV had recently died and no successor had been elected. Gregory X was elected the new Pope, and in 1271, Maffeo and Niccolo managed to secure the services of two inept Dominicans who would soon decide to desert the mission. The Polos went back to Beijing anyway, this time taking with them Marco, the teenage son of Niccolo Polo, who would become one of the most traveled people in the world. Marco, his father Niccolo, and his uncle Maffeo began their journey by sea to Acre in 1271. They arrived at the mouth of the Persian Gulf and decided to not travel by sea but to turn north and follow the ancient caravan routes through Iraq and Persia. The Polos went through Turkmenistan and Persia until they hit the Oxus River (now called the Amu Darya). They traveled across the plain of Pamir and crossed the desolate Gobi Desert where they then made it to the mercantile cities of Samarqand, Yarkant (Shache), and Kashgar (Kashi). Located in the northwest partof China, they reached Tangut. After a very long journey, the three Polos were made welcome at Shangdu the summer capital of the Mongol emperor Kublai Khan in 1275. Marco, the youngest Polo, soon became a favorite in the Chinese court ofthe Great Kublai Khan. After studying and becoming fluent in the native languages, Marco Polo became a commissioner in the Mongol government in 1277. Kublai Khan trusted the Venetian Marco Polo so much that he relied on his advice in many important affairs. The descriptions Marco Polo gave of the emperors palace fired the imaginations of generations of explorers andtravelers, all of whom wished to view for themselves the eight square miles of enclosed barracks, parade grounds, vast arsenals, storerooms, living quarters, library, and especially the treasury. As a trusted agent of Kublai Khan for seventeen years, Marco Polo had a very unique opportunity to see a developed and sophisticated way of life not seen by Western culture. Kublai Khan trusted Marco Polo so much that he made him governor of Yangzhou. Marco Polo visited nearly every part of both northern and southern China in his long and loyal service to the great khan, using the imperial horse andpacket-boat system that was kept in readiness for the comfort of governmentofficials. Marco Polo was kept in constant service of the khan by cataloging and describing in detail many huge cities, provinces, and major commercial towns. He was interested in everything, including the manufacturing arts, commerce, architecture, the residents in each area, and many other things. Marco Polo was very impressed and intrigued by the silk industry and the book contains an excellent early picture of silk culture, weaving, dying, and finishing. The treasures of the Chinese cities must have seemed unreal to thirteenth century Europe. Marco Polos description of Hangzhou included the fabled twelve thousand bridges of the city, its many huge markets and bazaars, its cavernous warehouses for its trade with India, and even its consumption of six tons of p epper a day. Marco Polo also visited India on business and in the same great detail recorded its commercial life. He also may have visited the steppes of Asia, or the original land of the Moguls, where Kublai Khans ancestors may have grazed their herds. Even though it is very doubtful that he traveled so far north, it may have been possible that the Venetian made it to Siberia. His accounts of his many journeys also indicate great interest towards the islands south of China, including the Philippines. Around 1292, the three Polos desired to return to their home, but they were so favored that Kublai Khan would not let them leave. It was very hard for him to let them leave, but in reluctance he permitted them to go withan official commission to take the Mogul princes daughter to her wedding in Persia. It took them three years to return home even though they primarily traveled by ship. On the way Marco Polo recorded his impressions of Java also know as the great island, and many other places like Madagascar, Zanzibar, Sri Lanka, Dragoian. They crossed the Red Sea and the adventurers finally reached Venice in 1295. Their extraordinary odyssey that lasted nearly twenty years finally came to an end.   Whent he Polos arrived to their old home their family that was staying there had presumed them dead and didnt believe it was they and would not let them in the house. After some arguing, the Polos convinced them that they really were who they said and their relatives allowed them in. Then Marco Polo was captured by the warring Genoese and imprisoned. While he was in prison, he dictated his experiences to prisoner and writer Rustichello of Pisa. The book was called Divisamentdou monde, later turned into The Travels of Marco Polo, 1579. Marco Polos uncle and father fell into the background and the young Marco Polo became the main figure. The great and in detail story was very readable and made a huge impression on Europe. The book was received in awe and it was not fully believed until other travelers to China verified parts of the tale. Christopher Columbus may have been stimulated to travel by this book and maybe many other famous explorers. Marco Polos account of his travels in Asia was one of the primary sources for the European image of Far East until the late nineteenth century.

Indian Railways Financial Capacity Enhancement

Indian Railways Financial Capacity Enhancement Physical and financial capacity enhancement/capacity building of Indian railways over years To analyze how the physical capacity of Indian railways has enhanced over years. To examine financial capacity enhancement of Indian railways over years In our research we have considered two types of Capacity enhancements one is physical capacity and another one is financial capacity. Capacity enhancement has been defined in multiple ways; its ultimate purpose is to leave behind better skilled and oriented individuals, more responsive and effective institutions, and a better policy environment for pursuing development goals. Capacity enhancement at the institutional or policy level has three main ingredients The country’s resources and capabilities An enabling institutional environment Motivations and incentives/pressures that promote and help to sustain behavioral change Capacity utilization: Capacity utilization is a concept in economics and managerial accounting which refers to the extent to which an enterprise or a nation actually uses its installed productive capacity. Thus, it refers to the relationship between actual output that is produced with the installed equipment and the potential output which could be produced with it, if capacity was fully used. If market demand grows, capacity utilization will rise. If demand weakens, capacity utilization will slacken. Economists and bankers often watch capacity utilization indicators for signs of inflation pressures. The capacity utilization rate is also an indicator of how efficiently thefactors of productionare being used. Economic efficiency: In economics, the term economic efficiency refers to the use of resources so as to maximize the production of goods and services. An economic system is said to be more efficient than another (in relative terms) if it can provide more goods and services for society without using more resources. In absolute terms, a situation can be called economically efficient if: No one can be made better off without making someone else worse off (commonly referred to asPareto efficiency). No additional output can be obtained without increasing the amount of inputs. Production proceeds at the lowest possible per-unit cost. Technical efficiency: Technical efficiency means that natural resources are transformed into goods and services without waste, Situation where it is impossible for a firm to produce, with the given know how, (1) a larger output from the same inputs or (2) the same output with less of one or more inputs without increasing the amount of other input. Technical efficiency is the effectiveness with which a given set of inputs is used to produce an output. A firm is said to be technically efficient if a firm is producing the maximum output from the minimum quantity of inputs, such as labor, capital and technology. Productivity: Productivity is a measure of the efficiency ofproduction. Productivity is a ratio of production output to what is required to produce it (inputs). The measure of productivity is defined as a total output per one unit of a total input. Physical capacity Railway stations Employees Route length Locomotives Total investment Capital at charge Passenger service vehicles Volume of traffic Other coaching vehicles Wagons (To calculate efficiency and productivity we must apply models and tests. Dan bogart and lathika have used cobb douglas production function to calculate efficiency in the operations. Alivelu used a model to calculate productivity. DEA may be used) Locomotives, coaches, wagons and other type of railway vehicles are together called as rolling stock, rolling stock originally referred to the vehicles that move on a railway, it usually includes both powered and unpowered vehicles (Wikipedia). In In some countries the term is usually use to refer only to unpowered vehicles, specifically excluding locomotives which may be referred to as running stock, traction or motive power. In India all the railway vehicles are called as rolling stock. In simple language locomotive is also called as engine, it is a rail transport vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word locomotive originates from the Latin word loco which means from a place and motivus which means causing motion. A locomotive has no payload capacity of its own and its sole purpose is to move the train along the tracks. A wagon is a large container on wheels which is pulled by a train. Goods wagons or freight wagons are unpowered railway vehicles that are used for the transportation of cargo. OTIF definition: a railway vehicle not provided with a means of traction, which is intended to carry goods. A passenger car is also known as bogie in India. It is a piece of railway rolling ,stock that is designed to carry passengers. The term passenger car is also associated with a sleeping car, baggage, dining, railway post office and prisoner transport cars. EMU DMU DHMU (EMU) A set of electrically powered self-propelling passenger rail vehicles able to operate in multiple with other such sets (DMU) A set of diesel-powered self-propelling passenger rail vehicles able to operate in multiple with other such sets. Such units, especially those consisting of a single vehicle, are sometimes termed railcars . A  diesel multiple unit  or  DMU  is a multiple-unit train powered by on-board diesel engines. A DMU requires no separate locomotive, as the engines are incorporated into one or more of the carriages. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country. Diesel-powered units may be further classified by their transmission type: diesel-electric (DEMU), diesel-mechanical (DMMU) or diesel-hydraulic (DHMU). Diesel-mechanical In a diesel-mechanical multiple unit (DMMU) the rotating energy of the engine is transmitted via a gearbox and driveshaft directly to the wheels of the train, like a car. The transmissions can be shifted manually by the driver, as in the great majority of first-generation British Rail DMUs, but in most applications gears are changed automatically. Diesel-hydraulic In a diesel-hydraulic multiple unit, a hydraulic torque converter, a type of fluid coupling, acts as the transmission medium for the motive power of the diesel engine to turn the wheels. Some units feature a hybrid mix of hydraulic and mechanical transmissions, usually reverting to the latter at higher operating speeds as this decreases engine RPM and noise. Diesel-electric In a diesel-electric multiple unit (DEMU) a diesel engine drives an electrical generator or an alternator which produces electrical energy. The generated current is then fed to electric traction motors on the wheels or bogies in the same way as a conventional diesel electric locomotive. [1] In modern DEMUs, such as the Bombardier Voyager family, each car is entirely self-contained and has its own engine, generator and electric motors. [1] In older designs, such as the British Rail Class 207, some cars within the consist may be entirely unpowered or only feature electric motors, obtaining electrical current from other cars in the consist which have a generator and engine. Year No. of railway stations Employees (in thousands) Route length (in kilometers) Total investment (in crore) Capital at charge 1980-81 7035 1572 61240 7448.4 6096.3 1981-82 7072 1575 61230 8164.3 6698.1 1982-83 7068 1584 61385 8882.2 7251.1 1983-84 7065 1592 61460 9401.4 7567.8 1984-85 7093 1603 61850 10377.3 8285.6 1985-86 7092 1613 61836 11492.0 9078.1 1986-87 7105 1611 61813 13306.9 10373.1 1987-88 7084 1618 61976 15177.6 11622.2 1988-89 7083 1626 61985 17239.4 12987.5 1989-90 7076 1647 62211 19730.6 14629.5 1990-91 7100 1652 62367 22200.5 16125.8 1991-92 7116 1654 65458 24808.4 17712.5 1992-93 7043 1646 62486 28524.3 20123.2 1993-94 7050 1625 62462 32212.0 22620.6 1994-95 7056 1602 62660 35618.2 24924.8 1995-96 7068 1587 62915 39816.0 27712.89 1996-97 6984 1584 62725 44627.3 30911.77 1997-98 6929 1579 62495 49057.8 33846.33 1998-99 6896 1578 62809 53657.6 36829.34 1999-00 6867 1577 62759 58353.4 39772.06 2000-01 6843 1545 63028 63341.01 43051.88 2001-02 6856 1511 63140 70117.47 47147.35 2002-03 6906 1472 63122 77915.78 51099.09 2003-04 7031 1442 63221 87474.50 56061.79 2004-05 7133 1424 63465 98490.02 59346.93 2005-06 6974 1412 63332 112180.41 66878.37 2006-07 6909 1398 63327 130168.71 76030.69 2007-08 7025 1394 63273 151434.35 88521.14 2008-09 7030 1386 64015 176726.41 104301.25 2009-10 7083 1362 63974 203315.37 123000.69 2010-11 7133 1328 64460 231615.25 143220.57 2011-12 7146 1306 64600 257958.35 161447.97 2012-13 2013-14 Source: statistical summary- Indian railways Year Passenger carriage EMU DMU DHMU Other coaching vehicles (in units) Wagons (in units) Locomotives(in units) steam diesel electric 1980-81 27410 2625 8230 400946 7469 2403 1036 1981-82 27192 2658 8058 392062 7245 2520 1104 1982-83 26894 2765 7840 383431 6292 2638 1157 1983-84 27311 2837 7751 374757 6217 2800 1194 1984-85 27793 2957 7789 365392 5870 2905 1252 1985-86 27735 2965 7543 359617 5571 3046 1302 1986-87 27629 2988 7336 354041 4950 3182 1366 1987-88 27466 2977 7274 346844 4427 3298 1433 1988-89 27715 3052 7077 345821 3826 3454 1533 1989-90 27969 3100 6861 349661 3336 3610 1644 1990-91 28677 3142 6668 346102 2915 3759 1743 1991-92 29469 3366 6491 346394 2492 3905 1871 1992-93 30298 3444 6158 337562 1725 4069 2012 1993-94 30537 3537 5955 312405 911 4192 2117 1994-95 30036 3618 5536 291360 358 4259 2302 1995-96 29472 3691 5694 280791 209 4313 2387 1996-97 29978 3846 5460 272144 85 4363 2527 1997-98 30739 3971 5432 263981 64 4496 2646 1998-99 31554 4076 5338 252944 58 4586 2785 1999-00 32208 4266 4891 234397 56 4651 2810 2000-01 33236 4668 4731 222193 54 4702 2810 2001-02 34338 4876 4827 216717 53 4815 2871 2002-03 34871 4957 4904 214760 52 4699 2930 2003-04 35654 5278 5519 227752 45 4769 3004 2004-05 37087 5388 5600 222409 44 4807 3065 2005-06 38156 5894 5612 207983 44 4793 3188 2006-07 38855 6454 5905 207723 43 4816 3294 2007-08 40696 6641 6180 204034 44 4843 3443 2008-09 42079 6984 5985 212835 43 4963 3586 2009-10 43526 7487 6477 220549 42 5022 3825 2010-11 45048 8053 6500 229997 43 5137 4033 2011-12 46688 8617 6560 239321 43 5197 4309 2012-13 Source: statistical summary- Indian railways Capacity enhancement in Passenger service Year No. of passenger origination( in million) Passenger kms (in million) Passenger earning (in crore) 1980-81 3613 208558 827.5 1981-82 3704 220787 988.6 1982-83 3655 226930 1161.6 1983-84 3325 222935 1351.9 1984-85 3333 226582 1456.8 1985-86 3433 240614 1719.4 1986-87 3594 256535 1939.7 1987-88 3792 269389 2058.1 1988-89 3500 263731 2453.4 1989-90 3653 280848 2666.4* 1990-91 3858 295644 3144.7* 1991-92 4049 314564 3681.6 1992-93 3749 300103 4311.2 1993-94 3708 296245 4891.2 1994-95 3915 319365 5458.8 1995-96 4018 341999 6113.0 1996-97 4153 357013 6616.1 1997-98 4348 379897 7554.0 1998-99 4411 403884 8526.7 1999-00 4585 430666 9555.6 2000-01 4833 457022 10483.2 2001-02 5093 490912 11162.2 2002-03 4971 515044 12540.8 2003-04 5112 541208 13259.8 2004-05 5378 575702 14072.52 2005-06 5725 615614 15080.77 2006-07 6219 694764 17176.01 2007-08 6524 769764 19783.25 2008-09 6920 838032 21866.48 2009-10 7246 903465 23414.44 2010-11 7651 978508 25705.64 2011-12 8224 1046522 28246.43 2012-13 Source: statistical summary- Indian railways Capacity enhancement in freight service Years Total traffic Tonnes originating (in millions) Total traffic net tonne kms (in millions) Earnings from freight carried 1980-81 220.0 158474 1550.9 1981-82 245.8 174202 2250.3 1982-83 256.0 177767 2865.9 1983-84 258.0 178446 3234.3 1984-85 264.8

Sonnys Heroic Journey in James Baldwins Sonnys Blues Essay -- Sonny

The theme of "Sonny's Blues" by James Baldwin focuses on whether a person should be conventional in making decisions for their life, or if they should follow their heart and do what is right for them. A person begins with strengths, many of which they lose along the way. At some point along their heroic journey a person may regain their strengths and develop new ones. Each phase of this journey will have an effect on them and others around them. According to his brother, who narrates "Sonny's Blues," Sonny was a bright-eyed young man full of gentleness and privacy. "When he was about as old as the boys in my classes his face had been bright and open, there was a lot of copper in it; and he'd had wonderfully direct brown eyes, a great gentleness and privacy. I wondered what he looked like now" (Baldwin 272). Something happened to Sonny, as it did to most of the young people growing up in Harlem. His physical journey growing up in the streets caused a great deal of inner turmoil about whom he was and what kind of life he was to have. One thing for sure, by the time his mother died, Sonny was ready to get out of Harlem. " 'I ain't learning nothing in school,' he said. 'Even when I go.' He turned away from me and opened the window and threw his cigarette out into the narrow alley. I watched his back. 'At least, I ain't learning nothing you'd want me to learn.' He slammed the window so hard I thought the glass would fly out, and turned back to me. 'And I'm sick of the stink of these garbage cans!' " (Baldwin 285). The garbage cans Sonny referred to seem to symbolize the life he physically lived, his inner or spiritual life and how he dealt with it. I was sure that the first time Sonny had ever had horse, he couldn't have ... ...Drama. 7th edition. Ed. X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. New York: Longman, 1999. 272-295. Reilly, John M. " 'Sonny's Blues': James Baldwin's Image of Black Community." James Baldwin: A Critical Evaluation. Ed.Therman B. O'Daniel. Howard University Press. Washington, D.C. 1977. 163-169. Works Consulted Baldwin, James. "Sonny's Blues." N.p.: n.p., n.d. 122-48. Web. 12 May 2015. . "James Baldwin Biography." Bio. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 11 May 2015. . "James Baldwin." PBS. PBS, 29 Nov. 2006. Web. 11 May 2015. . N.d. Poetry Foundation. Web. 11 May 2015. .

Entrepreneurial Revolution :: Business, Entrepreneurs

Kuratko and Hodgetts (2001) mentioned that â€Å"we are having entrepreneurial revolution in this twenty first century†. This is the period where entrepreneurs will grow like mushroom after the raining season. On the other hand in Malaysia, according to department of statistic (2009) the number of people who become entrepreneurs have shown a reducing trend since 1982 to 2008 where it had gone down to 20.9% from 25.1%. This shows that many people prefer to work with private sector or government rather than becoming entrepreneurs. To increase the number of the people to become entrepreneurs especially the Bumiputra(native people), the government has launched many schemes and mechanism to increase their numbers. Education institution has been use as one of the mechanism to promote entrepreneurship to the student in middle and tertiary education. The creations of entrepreneurs are important because they have been proven to contribute to economy wealth and job creation (Turker and Selcuk, 2008). In 1999, Audretsh and Thurik conducted research on past data from 1984 to 1994 regarding the relationship between entrepreneur and job creation issue. The result showed that there is a positive relationship between the two where the number of job rate increases when the number of entrepreneurs increased. In Malaysia entrepreneurship course was started to be introduced in some universities in mid 90’s (Cheng et al.d, 2010). Then in 2007, Ministry of Higher Education made a policy that entrepreneurship course became a compulsory subject to all students in the universities irrespective of whatever faculties ,to encouraged more development of entrepreneurs from the university(Ministry of High Education Malaysia, report 2010). With this policy, universities have become the center to foster entrepreneurship. However unlike the situation in the west, here in Malaysia the situation is different where the number of people who actually become entrepreneur is small compared to the number of people who have taken the course. This is totally difference in other countries. In the United States, for instance, many of the graduates form companies after and during their universities. In the west the impact of the entrepreneurship education have been well known as mention by Ayers (2004) where the â€Å"graduates from Massachuset Institute of Technology have created more than 4000 companies†. In Harvard more than 50% of the students have involved in venture business (Anjan,2005). Similar effect also ha d happen in early research in Europe (Harhoff, 1999) .All these situations indicate that entrepreneurship can be taught through education.

Free Process Essays - How to Organize a Paintball Event :: Expository Process Essays

How to Organize a Paintball Event Ever dream of shooting your boss or coworkers? Perhaps you will get the chance if you offer to organize a company paintball event. It is a great way to promote teamwork and relieve aggression. Even if the coworker from hell is on the same team as you, keep in mind there is such a thing as â€Å"friendly fire† (â€Å"accidentally† shooting someone on your team). The first step is to check out local fields. Some things to look for are, the ratio of referees to players, goggle signs, barrel plugs and personality of the staff. Typically, playing fields are crowded on the weekend. Most fields will open during the week for a group of twenty or more, but do ask. Price is also a consideration; this is an expensive hobby. Expect to pay at least $85 for a case of paint, goggle rental and a paintball marker (gun) rental for a four-hour session. Preferably, try to plan the outing when the weather is comfortable. Playing in the 100 degree Texas heat would be rough on most corporate types. On the day of the event, it is best to dress in layers. Being hit with a paintball does sting. I recommend wearing gloves and a hat as handshots and headshots seem to hurt the most. Wear comfortable shoes, cleats if possible, if not tennis shoes with good tread. Most often, the playing fields are on grass or dirt surfaces. Usually fields have food and drinks for sale but to be on the safe side bring water, as dehydration is common for rookie players. The first stop after arriving at the field is the â€Å"Staging Area†. This area typically has tables to set your equipment on. After picking up the equipment from the staff, the referee will discuss how the markers (guns) work, how to fill the hoppers (what holds the paintballs) and most importantly safety issues. The first is, everyone chronographs their guns to be certain no one is shooting â€Å"hot† over 300 fps (feet per second). Secondly, always wear goggles. Eye injuries are the biggest injury risk of playing paintball and wearing goggles faithfully will prevent it. Thirdly, keep the barrel plug in the gun until the game begins. That way if your finger accidentally pulls the trigger the barrel plug slows down the velocity of the paintball and likely will not cause an injury.

Apologies on Academic Changes

Please receive much apologies for my late reply regarding academic changes. I have already been admitted at UCSD's Economics undergraduate and returned my chosen classes form. However, I recently made some changes on my class choices.Contained in this letter is new lists of subjects and ways on how i will still cover formerly chosen classes, and a request on how i should proceed. I have already chosen new subjects for the Fall, Winter and Summer academic quarters. All the courses contained in my new selection are shown in the university's catalog.I will take several classes that i dropped from my list from the online program. In the upcoming fall quarter, I plan to take Econ 9, 25, and CIS 15A. I will take the rest of courses from either Foothill College or another community college.I have been looking for course offering in these colleges and ha found that they are all available. This is all in the attempts to make sure i get my A.A Degree in 2009. Further, i will be taking Math 11 and 12 at UCSD, which serves the purpose of the required Calculus for Business and Economics. I will also be taking the Math 1C, which you had inquired, in this Summer 2008.Having taken and performed well in other online classes is a good indication that i will perform well in the just mentioned courses. This is because i have gained the much important independent work ethic that is needed in such classes. I have already talked to my academic counselor on this situation reading my academic plans. The counselor has confirmed that independent and online courses are available for the above mentioned programs.This gives me confidence to work towards averting the crisis. Will kindly provide my counselor's contacts so you can communicate when need arises. All this will be in the attempts of ensuring that my studies to make sure that my graduation of academic standing stand unaffected. I have made the point of scheduling the courses so as to have enough time allocation for each course. Thi s will ensure maximum usage of time beyond the expectation of your office.I have already met all the IGETC economic major requirements, meaning that I just need to work on other requirements in order to graduate on time. Having met these key requirements leaves me with enough time to use in the classes listed above.In addition, I promise to work in the process of achieving the goal of meeting University requirements, performing well in my classes, as well as graduating on time. In the meantime, i am preparing myself for the academic challenge that lays ahead of me and i am sure of performing well and graduating on time. Despite my preparations on this matter, I am kindly asking for your guidance on the way i should move forward. I have no doubt that your office will understand my situation.I will make a point of regularly visiting and communicating with your office in order to keep you updated on my progress. Will also have my counselor communicate with your office regarding my plan s and updated tentative plan. I highly appreciate your time and the efforts you have made to ensure my academic progress remains on course.With Thanks,

A View from the Bridge. By Arthur Miller Essay

A View from the Bridge is a play by American playwright Arthur Miller. The play is set in 1950s America, in an Italian American neighborhood called Red Hook near the Brooklyn Bridge in New York. The main character of the play is Eddie Carbone, an Italian American longshoreman, who lives with his wife, Beatrice and an orphaned niece named Catherine. Eddie is Catherine’s uncle, but they are not blood-related. Eddie is very over-protective of Catherine and that he is almost possessive of her. He gets jealous very easily when other men look at Catherine. Eddie’s feelings for Catherine are very strong and he may also have sexual feelings for her. At the beginning of the play, Eddie and Catherine have a very intimate and happy relationship. Eddie has given her the best life he can afford, and in return Catherine loves and trusts him completely. However, their situation changes quite rapidly once Beatrice’s cousins arrive from Italy. After their arrival, a gap seems to form between Eddie and Catherine. Eddie gradually becomes obsessed with trying to stop destiny from changing his life. This obsession soon leads to the violation of every moral he has ever believed in. In Act I of the play, we see that Catherine has a desire to be noticed by Eddie. Her excitement when he arrives home is almost childlike. Catherine also has a desperate requirement of approval she seeks from her uncle. â€Å"You like it? I fixed it different. † Her thirst to be accepted by him seems unnatural. On the contrary Eddie seems to enjoy Catherine in need of his attention, as he continuously draws the topic of conversation back to her. The conversation turns from â€Å"†¦ He’s here B.! † from Catherine, to â€Å"Beautiful†¦Lemme see in the back† from Eddie. It is also that at this very early point in the play we might get suspicious of Eddie’s true feelings for Catherine. This is a result of his constant comments on her physical appearance. While Eddie’s references to her short skirt and her ‘ walkin’ wavy’, could just be a protective father’s worries about the attention she is getting from other men, his intentions are still questionable. When Catherine tells Eddie that she got offered a job, Eddied asks questions and becomes very over-protective, ‘Near the Navy Yard plenty can happen in a block and a half. And the plumbin’ company! That’s one step over the water front. They’re practically longshoremen. ’ Eddie knows that men are going to be looking at Catherine because longshoremen and sailors would be walking up the wards. He does not like the idea of her working in a place where there would be men, who he knows from his own experiences, could take advantage of his pure and innocent Catherine. Eddie shows that this is how he thinks of her, when he calls her ‘a Madonna’. The way in which Miller uses the word ‘Madonna’ is symbolic as just like the Virgin Mary, who most Catholics worship, in his own way Eddie does almost idolize and worship Catherine. When Eddie finally allows her to accept the job, Catherine’s reaction is very childlike in the way she does not control her emotions. She runs up to Eddie and hugs him. This shows the intensity of Catherine’s love and respect for Eddie. This is not only because of her reply to Eddie when he jokes about her leaving him, but because of the way she ‘grasps’ onto his arms, as she shouts out ‘no please! ‘ The very idea of going away from Eddie hurts her. The next scene is the arrival of Beatrice’s cousins, Marco and Rodolfo, who have entered the country illegally, hoping to leave behind hunger and unemployment for a better life in America. Marco is an exceptionally strong man, said by Eddie’s friends to be ‘a regular bull. ‘ He also has a starving family in Italy (a wife, and 3 sons, one with tuberculosis). Rodolfo is in his late 20’s, fair skinned, blond, and unmarried. After their arrival, Catherine starts showing interest in Rodolfo which makes Eddie jealous. Eddie notices this fascination and tries to pre-occupy Catherine with making coffee and other tasks. Later in the conversation when Rodolfo begins to sing ‘paper doll’, Eddie realizes that Catherine is impressed in him and decides that he has to stop him. He makes up the excuse, ‘Look, kid; you don’t want to be picked up, do ya? ’ Eddie says that if Rodolfo sings, people might hear him and he might get ‘picked up’ by the Immigration Bureau. This is just an excuse because Eddie does not want Rodolfo to be impressing Catherine. As the play progresses towards the end of the first act, Catherine and Rodolfo start to go out. As a result Eddie discusses with Catherine about her feelings towards Rodolfo to which she replies by saying, ‘Yeah. I like him’. Eddie is amazed by Catherine’s straightforwardness and as he dislikes Rodolfo, he poisons Catherine’s mind against Rodolfo and tried to turn her against him, by coming up with excuses such as, ‘He don’t respect you’. He says that Rodolfo did not ask him for permission to go out and is disrespecting him. When Catherine denies this, Eddie makes up yet, another excuse, ‘Katie, he’s only bowin’ to his passport’ which means that. Rodolfo is only going to marry her just so that he can become an American citizen, which deeply hurts Catherine and almost poisons her mind against Rodolfo. Towards the end of Act One, Eddie cleverly introduces the subject of boxing, which is fittingly a masculine activity for Eddie, and while pretending to teach Rodolfo how to box, he hits him in the mouth. Eddie believes that he can prove himself right to Catherine by fighting Rodolfo. For Eddie, this demonstrates to Catherine that Rodolfo is weak and feminine while he is the stronger and masculine one. When Rodolfo falls down, Catherine rushes to Rodolfo’s side which horrifies Eddie as he clearly sees where Catherine’s loyalties lie as she shouts ‘Eddie’, which displays her anger. Eddie was trying to put Rodolfo out of picture as he was ‘stealing’ Catherine away from him. Eddie then tells Rodolfo, ‘I’ll teach him again. ’ which could have a double meaning as it could mean another lesson in boxing, or a lesson not to go near Catherine again. This also shows that as the play is progressing, Eddie’s actions are becoming more aggressive. In conclusion, at the end of Act One, Eddie’s love for Catherine has become aggression towards Rodolfo. Eddie’s anger and stress is building up which is told to us by the stage direction of Eddie ‘unconsciously twisting the newspaper’. Here, Eddie is transferring his feeling of anger and frustration to the newspaper. He twists the paper into a tight roll and then bends it which suddenly tears in two. The newspaper represents Rodolfo and he is therefore tearing Rodolfo and getting rid off him. This is what Eddie actually wants to do to Rodolfo.