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Analysis of the Novel, 1984 by George Orwell

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Analysis of the Novel, 1984 by George Orwell

Introduction

The novel, 1984, by George Orwell qualifies to be considered a classic piece of literature going by the depth in the content and relevant insights it contain and the unique style that it adopts. Using the experiences of character Wilson Smith, Orwell attempts to highlight the influence that a totalitarian government would have on the society members. The dangers arising from such a government lie in attempts to control the lives of its civilians. Through this, the government manipulates civilians’ minds undermining their ability to make decisions for themselves. These totalitarian tendencies are the ones that Orwell is disturbed with as they give way to widespread oppressions as the government seeks to control and monitor the lives and movements of civilians.

While capitalist nations such as the United States claim to rubbish totalitarian tendencies, it is gradually becoming evident that they are embracing the same tendencies. Events that have taken place after the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001 points towards authoritarian government tendencies covered in the novel 1984. Legislations, revelations of illegal wiretapping and government sanctioned torture and assassinations that have taken place relate to the tendencies that make George Orwell disturbed. As a result, the democracy that the US has traditionally been associated with has been progressively contracting. Relating totalitarian tendencies established in 1984 and the current ongoings in the US administrations, it is becoming evident that tendencies mentioned in the novel are creeping into the US and they pose dangers to and are counterproductive to the democracy that the country has been advocating.

Constant Surveillance

George Orwell has effectively discussed the issue of constant surveillance, where government authorities watch over the lifestyle of its citizens in order to look out for any signs of rebellion. For instance, the government establishes a slogan of, “big brother is watching you” (Orwell 3). This is meant to ensure that the citizens became cautious of whatever they are doing. Additionally, the government authorities use telescreens to monitor the activities of its citizens. These screens are found in public places. The police are also strategic and George Orwell depicts them as flying around residence using helicopters, peering into people’s windows.

Government authority is vested in the Party, signifying that the Party is the government. Curiously, the Party uses members of the family to survey the activities of fellow members. The Party uses children to get information about the activities of their parents. Orwell provides a picture in which spies of the party train children to be devoted members of the party, thereby making them to relay information about the activities of their parents. The fact that children are allowed by the party to eavesdrop on their parent’s conversation makes adults to even fear their own children. Sometimes, parents denounce their children, and the party’s propaganda machine, The Times, would write an article praising this act as heroic. The child would be branded as a ‘hero’ for abandoning his family for the well-being of the party.

Other forms of surveillance can be depicted when party officials warn the citizens against allowing their thoughts to wander aimlessly. The consequence of this according to party officials is that some negative thought could easily be registered on the public telescreens. For instance, if a citizen has a negative facial expression when victory is announced, he would be facecrime. The author says, “Your worst enemy was your own nervous system. At any moment, the tension inside you was liable to translate itself into some visible symptom” (Orwell 64).

In the US, the situation is the same as in Oceania. As has been witnessed in Oceania, police officers are not ashamed of using helicopters to even look through the windows of their citizens. In the US, many government officials have been mandated to enter into private homes without any warrants. These powers have been offered to them by the Patriot Act of 2001, which was signed into law by former US President George Bush (Fincen 3). This Act was extended by President Obama in 2011, suggesting that the citizens would continually have their homes checked without warrants. The aspect of using children to monitor the activities of their parents can be equated to the habit of US authorities keeping computerized information of citizens. The fact that children would relay information of parents to party officials is akin to the danger of private information being fed into a centralized data bank (Bennett 3). Government officials have effectively used Media outlets like CNN to spread western ideals. In this sense, both the Obama and Bush administrations have traditionally used media houses to paint a good picture of Western countries. This makes non-western nations to look ‘bad’.

Unending Propaganda

The inner party uses propaganda as a strategy to force its viewpoint on its citizens. Those who rebel against the assertions of the propaganda are tortured and sometimes brainwashed in order to conform to the dictates of the party. It is quite apparent that rumors, false ideas and myths control the minds of citizens in the fictitious country, Oceania. One of the most distinct propaganda machinery used is the party slogan that reads; “War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.” This slogan is doublespeak because it does not express any form of absolute truth. A clear analysis of this slogan reveals key issues. For instance, the slogan spreads a distinct propaganda that discourages citizens from looking for freedom because it is a form of slavery. Additionally, the party slogan creates the impression that the ignorance of the citizens on government affairs is a great strength. In this sense, the propaganda asserts that the secret to happiness lies in ignorance.

The slogan has effectively been used by the government to control its citizens into believing that the INGSOC government alone that can make them happy. Another slogan, “Big brother is watching you” is an effective propaganda that is used by the party through the media to control the minds of its citizens. From the surface, the slogan creates the impression that the citizens are safe in the hands of the authority. However, the slogan is meant to spread fear among the citizens that without the Party, there would be no safety. This makes the citizens not to rebel against the establishment.

Of course, it has to be acknowledged that the ‘Big brother’ is composed of the Party and the INGSOC. In general, propaganda has been used to brainwash the citizens of Oceania into believing that ‘big brother’ intends to make them happy. These propagandas have effectively been used to prevent rebellion because it makes citizens to feel safe and protected. The apparent belief in an ideal society through propaganda can therefore be described as one of the most lethal weapon that has been used by the Party to control the citizens of Oceania. Indeed, the aspect of brainwashing is quite successful. When Winston visits Parsons’ place, he notices a full-sized banner of ‘big brother’ (Orwell 27).This is the party paraphernalia within the house of a citizen, highlighting the fact that ‘big brother’ has been effective in spreading propaganda to households.

President George Bush was a master propagandist, especially during the time of the Iraq war. Having known that the public was not supportive of the Iraq invasion, he tried to use some phrases which were meant to hide the truth. Terms such as,’ axis of evil’ were meant to whip public sentiments for the war. Although it was quite apparent that there existed no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, the then US president was more concerned about regime change in order to install a regime that was favorable to the oil interests of the US. By suggesting that Iraq falls within the axis of evil was a strategic language that was meant to convince the public that the country was making nuclear weapons.

Distortion of Language

Like other literary scholars, George Orwell has effectively abused and misused the English language in order to drive his message home. Government authorities deceive and manipulate the citizenry by language. As a result, the people are able to exhibit unquestionable loyalty to the regime. Distortion of language is highly exposed through the media. Quite apparently, the media is skilled in engineering the ‘truth’. For instance, Winston’s job in the ministry of Truth is to modify news items and other documents that expose the Party in bad light (Lewis, Florence and Moss 47). After replacing the original document with a modified one, he destroys all the original files. Orwell says:

This process of continuous alteration was applied not only to newspapers, but also to books, periodicals, pamphlets, posters, leaflets… Day by day and almost minute by minute, the past was brought up to date. In this way, every prediction made by the Party could not be shown by documentary evidence to have been correct; nor was any item of news, or any expression of opinion, which conflicted with the needs of the moment, ever allowed to remain on record (Orwell 42).

Of course, the aspect of distorting language was meant to make it difficult for the opposition to grow. Additionally, the totalitarian state of Oceania is in constant war, and the Party has to keep the public satisfied with this warfare. The authorities are quite aware that if the public becomes dissatisfied with the warfare, then it would resent the shortage of food and other commodities and possibly rebel against the party (Berkes 7). Therefore, the use of language through the media has been used to distract public attention away from the negative side of warfare. Media uses soothing words, which creates good news of victory. For instance, Winston’s telescreen announces, “Our forces in South India have won a glorious victory. I am authorized to say that the action we are now reporting may well bring the war within measurable distance of its end” (Orwell 28).

In many instances, the media relies on the contention that any piece of information that is repeated often becomes accepted truth. This is something that Winston comes to discover, when he becomes amazed that his friends and colleagues accept the lies that emanate from the media. Therefore, in order for doublespeak to be effective, “you just say things frequently and people eventually understand and say it themselves” (Chilton 27).

In another instance, politicians abuse language to hide the truth. Orwell offers the example of how politicians can twist words in order to deceive people. For instance, defenseless villages are bombarded from the air and the inhabitants are driven away from their homes. When millions of peasants are robbed of their farm produces, the authorities’ uses jargon filled English to pacify the general republic (Orwell 148). Orwell in fact castigates this heavy reliance on ready-made phrases.

The Obama administration can be accused of the distortion of language using aspects of double speak. In doublespeak, the administration has distorted language through the application of semantics and euphemism. Obama has on many occasions been overheard suggesting that he accepts debate on civil liberties. This has not been true because his administration has been known for penalizing whistleblowers who volunteer information to the public about the secret dealings of the state.

Historical Revisionism

Historical revisionism is normally achieved through the deliberate distortion of historical records in order to legitimize negative events that happened in the past. Sometimes, it would entail denying some crimes that happened in the past. This is normally achieved through the aspect of forging documents, and manipulating statistics. As has been visualized earlier, the Party used the media to engineer truth through language. In this sense, Orwell acknowledges that the Party has the ultimate control over history. In fact, language according to Orwell is linked to history. The work of Winston at the Ministry of Truth is to modify news items and other documents in order to erase the truth that happened in the past. Quite apparently, this whole process of falsification of documents amazes the reader of the novel, when it is found out that Winston, the master forger of documents has problems recalling reality of the past.

Oceania is at war but Winston is not sure whether the country is at war with Eurasia or Eastasia. This is because the Part keeps changing history (Orwell 42). Falsification of documents also happens in the ministry of plenty, where economic figures are made up to create the impression that the economy has improved greatly. This is meant to make a contradiction between the past, and the present, in order to make the citizens believe that the current regime is better than the former ones. This is not true because the ‘big brother’ regime is involved in numerous warfare, which makes the economy slow down.

In a different instance, the government of Oceania has the habit of continually revising records that are historical in order to conform to the politics that occur in the current realm. It is quite apparent that Oceania is currently at war with Eurasia with records indicating that this country has been a constant enemy of Oceania. However, the records are changed in order to brainwash the public into believing that the country is actually an ally. In essence, historical revisionism is an effective tool that is used for propaganda purposes by the ministry of truth. Orwell witnesses the aspect of changing the truth of the past to conform to the current setting in this statement; “he who controls the present, controls the past. He who controls the past, controls the future” (Orwell 37).

The aspect of distortion of historical records has been achieved by the Obama administration largely. The hunt for Osama bin laden has been filled with a lot of discreetness and few Americans know what happened. Distortion of information during Osama’s killings was achieved through censorship. No information has been availed to the public concerning how the al-Qaida fugitive met his death. Although much remains to be desired as to how the man was killed, the Obama administration has convinced the public that he was shot and dropped in the ocean in order to prevent Muslims from making the terrorist a hero.

Fear

Technological surveillance features prominently within the novel, where telescreens are being used to monitor the daily activities of the citizens. This is meant to instill fear within the general population that any action beyond what is acceptable by the establishment would attract heavy punishment. Ironically, the aspect of surveillance is received positively by the citizens, who view it as an aspect of a caring government that protects them from potential danger from enemies of the republic. In this sense, widespread fear is initiated into the enemies of the establishment. This helps to cement the authority of those in government because they get assured of ultimate obedience from the citizens.

In the same spirit, Americans have accepted technology as a form of surveillance for security purposes. Most Americans regard technological surveillance as favorable. This acceptance hinges on fear of terrorism. Therefore, Americans have no problem with government authorities tapping their telephone conversations because they believe it is a worthy sacrifice for their security.

Perpetual War

George Orwell’s book rotates around three states, Oceania, Eurasia and Eastasia. At any time, Oceania is at war with any of these states. In this sense, there can never be a time in which Oceania is in alliance with both states. When it is at peace with one state, it must always be at war with the other. The theme of perpetual war is therefore consistent in the novel. This is similar to situations in the US. The US is always in a condition of perpetual war, and barely in time for peace. This traditional was precipitated during the Bush regime, when the war on Afghanistan began. The end of the Afghanistan war was associated with the commencement of the Iraq war, and it is quite apparent that the end of the Iraq war shifted attention to Iran due to its nuclear program. Therefore, the states of Eurasia and Eastasia can be compared to Iraq and Afghanistan, which seem to change positions of war.

Torture

The Party has an exclusive room through which all forms of torture are carried on individuals who seem to have ideologies that contradict the manifesto of the ‘big brother’. Room101 is a torture chamber within the Ministry of Love, where political prisoners are forced to recant their convictions. Indeed, the protagonist Smith undergoes untold anguish within the confines of room number 101. In the book, Smith undergoes physical torture where he receives incessant blows in order for him to confess even things he has not done. The intellectuals of the party administer drug injections and electric shocks in order to make a forced confession.

The Detainee Treatment Act of 2005 has shielded the US from the atrocities that were being done on war prisoners in Guantanamo Bay. Before the Act, torture was used as an interrogation tool for the prisoners, who were mostly, associated with terrorism (Greenberg 114). Like the use of drugs and electric shock in room 101, war prisoners in Guantanamo Bay were initially forced to accept fabricated charges. Therefore, the Detainee Treatment Act that was signed by former President Bush can be described as a great success in prohibiting inhumane treatment of prisoners. Nevertheless, the amended Act of the same law has been criticized by human rights organizations like Amnesty International for providing loopholes that can precipitate torture of prisoners. In this sense, the amended version is akin to allowing the torture activities that happen in Room 101.

Lack of Habeas Corpus

The principle of Habeas Corpus ensures that an individual under arrest is brought before a court of law. This ensures that a prisoner is not detained unlawful. The novel 1984 by George Orwell exposes situations in which individuals are arrested without trial. Thought police arrest Winston and never provide any trial. This denied him the chance to prove himself innocent. When Winston Smith is arrested, he is taken through torture even before any court of law proves him guilty.

The aspect of preventing someone from declaring himself innocent until proven guilty is quite visible in our society. This signifies that there is a lack of the principle of Habeas Corpus. In the US for instance, former President George Bush suspended the Habeas Corpus and it has never been reinstated up to date (Monacellib 5). Therefore, innocent people can be arrested and sent to jail without any trial. Even when in jail, it becomes quite difficult for such people to prove themselves innocent in order to afford them freedom and a fair trial. This signifies that contemporary Americans are not quite different from Winston’s case, who suffered torture at the hands of the party officials.

Conclusion

The novel 1984 by George Orwell can be acknowledged as having predicted the advent of totalitarianism in the contemporary society. Surprisingly, totalitarianism is not being practiced in communist countries like Russia and China alone. The threat of terrorism after the 9/11 has forced the US to adopt these practices. The United States has therefore become the new Oceania, and abandoned democratic ideals for totalitarian ones.

Works Cited

Bennett, John. Orwell’s 1984: Was Orwell Right? 2013. 7 November 2013 <http://www.ihr.org/jhr/v06/v06p–9_Bennett.html>.

Berkes. “Language as the “Ultimate Weapon” in Nineteen Eighty-Four.” 27 February 2000. Berkes. 7 November 2013 <http://www.berkes.ca/archive/berkes_1984_language.html>.

Chilton, Paul. Orwellian Language and the Media. London: Pluto Press, 1988.

Fincen. USA Patriot Act. 2001. 7 November 2013 <http://www.fincen.gov/statutes_regs/patriot/>.

Greenberg, Karen J. The Torture Debate in America. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006.

Lewis, Florence and Peter Moss. The Tyranny of Language in Nineteen Eighty-Four in 1984. London: Comedia Publishing Group, 1983.

Monacellib. “1984 and Orwell’s Predictions.” 5 June 2011. Swsd. 7 November 2013 <www.swsd.k12.wa.us/…/Big_Brother_is_watching_you_articles.pdf >.

Orwell, George. Nineteen Eighty-Four. London: Penguin Books, 1949.

Analysis of the Montana 1948 by Larry Watson

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Introduction

Authors have always used their literary works to convey a certain message or to depict some evil in the society within which they live. This is clearly depicted in the novel “Montana 1948″ by Larry Watson. The novel revolves around the life of a boy named David Hayden, who lives with his extended family in a minute town known as Bentrock, Montana. The Hayden family is known to be extremely powerful in Mercer County and incorporates members such as a war hero and the local sheriff. However, the summer of 1948 marks the turning point in David’s life as far as his point of view of the things that he has ever known is concerned. First, David’s nanny named Marie Little Soldier fell sick upon which David’s uncle Frank was called in to examine her. Marie, however, refuses to be examined by him and confides to David’s mom Gail, that Frank molests Native American patients. Ultimately, Marie dies, but David Hayden admits to his dad that she may have been sexually abused and murdered by Uncle Frank. This leaves Wes, who is David’s father and the local sheriff in a dilemma as to the legal action that he is supposed to take. He has to decide whether let Uncle Frank remain free and maintain his loyalty to his family, or be loyal to justice of the land and arrest Uncle Frank. Ultimately, there is an agreement that Uncle Frank should be locked up in David’s house cellar until such a time when an appropriate decision is made pertaining to his fate. However, Uncle Frank ends the reigning dispute when he commits suicide with the cellar.

One of the most dominant themes in the novel is racism. Daisy McAuley, one of the local women uses the term “squaws” in reference to the Indian women. This is a racist terminology that incorporates terms such as “redskin”, “black gin” “nigger”. It is worth noting that these things are a symbol of racial inferiority. Daisy has always known that doctor Frank Hayden rapes Indian women but does not care much about that. This is because the entire community bears some prejudice against Indians and opines that they are ignorant of what doctors should do when examining them.

In addition, racism is shown to be a function of misunderstanding and ignorance with Julian Hayden as a prime example. This key symbol of Julian’s opinions is his two story “dude ranch”. While Europeans conquered the west thanks to their guns and brute force rather than their intelligence and knowledge, Julian is quite ignorant of this fact in his opinion. He uses the term “red meat” to refer to the Sioux thereby denigrating them as objects that may be used anyhow by his son frank. Julian’s crude and boorish nature are exhibited by his regular use of foul language, as well as his reference to bodily functions in describing other races.

While it may be assumed that Wes was free of racial prejudice against the Indians, subtle expressions of the vice may be noticed in some of his behavior. For example, Wes prevents his son David from wearing moccasins that had been given to him as he believed that the shoes would make David as lazy and flat-footed as Indians. The use of shoes in reference to Indians may point at the fact that the society believed that there was nothing wrong in keeping them under their feet, as that is where they belong. Wes’s prejudice is seen especially in the fact that he thought them to be irresponsible, superstitious, ignorant and lazy, of course, with a few exceptions.

Analysis of the picture, Nkisi Nkondi

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Nkisi Nkondi

Also referred to simply, as the Nkisi, the Nkisi Mkondi is a sculpture representing a magical container in the human form that is believed to hold the spiritual power that can be used for various cultural practices. These cultural practices include protection from evil, performance of magical spells, as well as, exerting spiritual powers on a certain group of people (Dallas Art Museum 1). This sculpture is distinctive to the communities living within the Democratic republic of Congo, and for that reason is a significant piece of art for these communities. Originally sculptured through the use of various materials such as wood, ceramics, cowries, animal skin, and blades, the sculpture stands at 45 inches in length, 15 inches in width, and 11 inches in breadth (Dallas Art Museum 1). In layman language, the sculpture is also refers to as the standing power figures and it comes in various forms such as pots, wood figures of animal or human form, shells or cloth bundles. Each of these forms of the Nkisi is accorded a special name, purpose and ritual. Accordingly, these containers are filled with special empowering medicines, which can be placed on the head, belly, or back of the Nkisi (Dallas Art Museum 1) The medicine put in these containers is referred to as Bilongo, and it is usually made of various elements such as minerals, plants, animal deposit and grave dirt among other things. This specific Dallas Nkisi originates from a class of Nkisi called the Nkondi. It belongs to a class of Nkisis which are considered as having hunting powers for the tracking of wrongdoers in relation to matters of civil law (Dallas Art Museum 1). For that reason, this Nkisi is used by authoritative figures in the community such as judges, chiefs, priests and even doctors.

This paper provides a critical Analysis of the picture, Nkisi Nkondi, illustrating the form, content, technique, historical connections, and value of this piece of art.

Analysis

The sculpture of the Nkisi Nkondi was specifically chosen for this study because of its visual appeal, as well as, the cultural elements associated with this piece. At the outset, the sculpture appeals to its audience in that it looks like a miniature caricature of an African medicine man ready for the performance of a traditional event. Notably, the human figure in the sculpture seems to have metal blades coming out of his chest area, which signifies the amount of power that in turn spikes a level of interest in the piece of art. Additionally, this sculpture was chosen for this study because of the indirect comical factor in the piece of art. The bulging eyeballs, face painting, as well as, the torn clothe-like materials on the sculpture indicate an interesting story behind the existence of this piece of art.

Form

In terms of form, the sculpture incorporate various principles and elements of art. Visually, one notices five main artistic factors such as color, use of line, and diverse textures, in relation to the principles of art. The color used for the sculpture is brown, which represents the skin color of the African community. This color gives the piece of art a sense of belonging as it links the piece of art to the Jungles of Africa. The colors white, red and yellow can also be identified in the sculpture as they are used in unity or contrastingly to the dominant brown color. The use of line in the sculpture is used in two main ways including the 3D imaging of the sculptures, as well as, the individual line drawings on the sculpture such as around the eyes.

Content

As explained in the museum text of the sculpture, this piece of art is intended for hunting purposes. This implies that the sculpture has special hunting and capturing capabilities of evil spirits. A closer look at the sculpture gives the “hunter” feel of the Nkisi Nkondi, in that it appears to have magical powers. The blades emerging from the chest of the sculpture provide the audience with the sense that the sculpture’s forces are around its chest and belly. The seed-like form at the centre of the belly also gives the sense that the sculptures power is around the belly area.

Technique

As illustrated in the museum text, this sculpture is made from 13 different artistic materials including wood, iron, raffia, ceramic, pigment, kaolin, red camwood, resin, dirt, leaves, animal skin, and cowrie shell (Dallas Art Museum). Speculatively, the wood was used to sculpt the overall shape and form of the sculpture, whereas all the other materials are added on to the sculpture by gluing.

Historical Connections

The sculpture of the Nkisi Nkondi is historically connected with the Kongo Nail Fetishes, stories about the mystic nails that had spiritual powers during the time.

Value

This piece of sculpture has both spiritual and expressive value. The expressive value of the piece of art is illustrated in the way the sculpture has been made using the different artistic materials. This piece of art is an expression of the culture of the people living in the DRC. The piece of art also has a spiritual value as it is used for spiritual purposes for the community.

Work Cited

Alisa, “Mangaaka Power Figure (Nkisi N’Kondi).” The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin

66.2 (2008): 22, 40.

Bassani, Ezio. “Kongo Nail Fetishes from the Chiloango River Area.” African Arts

10.3 (1977): 36-40.

MacGaffey, Wyatt, and Michael Harris. Astonishment and Power: Kongo Minkisi and the Art of

Renée Stout. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press for the National Museum of African Art, 1993. p. 44. 21. Print.

“Standing Power Figure: Nkisi Nkondi”. Dallas Museum of Art.

Thompson, Robert F. “The Grand Detroit N’kondi.” Bulletin of the Detroit Institute of Art

4.1 (1978): 206–221.

Vanhee, Hein (2000). “Agents of Order and Disorder: Kongo Minkisi,” New

Perspectives on African Collections of the Horniman Museum. London and Coimbra, (2000); 89-106.

Wyatt, M. Religion and Society in Central Africa: The BaKongo of Lower Zaire Chicago:

University of Chicago Press, 2000. Print.

Analysis of the statement bother not building peace; instead, prepare for war

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Analysis of the statement “bother not building peace; instead, prepare for war”

Going to war is a common occurrence to human life, and has, therefore, existed both in history and in the modern days. Most political analysts believe that people prefer to engage in war, as compared to the better option of peace building (Brubaker & Cooper, 2000. 12). They argue that the need for control is part of human nature, thus the reasons for war. It is through conquests of war that power is obtained, and this is at the expense of the citizens of the nations engaging in this act. Accordingly, many countries especially those in the Middle East have often engaged in warfare, without the consideration of acquiring peace.

Evidently, those in authority, as well as, the citizens of the nation have the option of search for peace but notably, this has not taken place. However, some nations at war do engage in peace negotiations but without progress. This, therefore, suggests that nations often opt for war, as opposed to, making peace (Brubaker & Cooper, 2000. 18). The concept of war has been the center of plenty of debates in both in academic and social circles. Whereas some believe that war is immoral and should therefore not be practiced, others argue that war is justified. Political scientists and philosophers have sequentially taken up to the discovery of this phenomenon, and have developed various theories regarding why nations prefer going to war, as opposed to, attaining peace.

This paper provides an analysis of the statement “bother not building peace; instead, prepare for war”. Specifically, the paper examines how the feminist and constructivist perspective responds to the statement above, as well as, the contention that peace is purely a brief intermission between wars.

Constructivist and Feminist Perspectives

Constructivist and feminists have different views concerning the concepts of war and peace war and peace. The constructivist view argues for security in relation to war, whereas the feminist view utilizes the woman’s experience in the war. As previously mentioned, the constructivist perception argues for the importance of maintaining national security (Frances, Bartowki. & Kolmar, 2005. 36). According to this perspective, security is a vital matter for humanity, which compels nations to engage in war rather than seek peace. In their argument regarding war and peace, constructivists claim that authorities are charged with the responsibility of ensuring national security, which in turn rationalizes the choice for war. Nations who engage in warfare use this theory to defend their decision to go to war, and they claim that they are fulfilling their duties to their respective nations. With this perspective, nations believe that when attacked by another country, they should retaliate as a way of ensuring safety and security for their citizens. The military through the orders of the president plays a role in waging war. Thus, every chance that these nations obtain, they will not hesitate to engage in bloodshed (Katzenstein, 1996. 69).

Often civilians, who are innocent, are the ones who lose their lives. The military will for a short period, enhance peace and latter, they will engage in the war they were trying to prevent. This is extremely ironic, taking into account that they are the ones meant to maintain peace and at the same time fight during war. However, the constructivism perspective does not consider power and gender as essential parts in international relations; something that the feminist perspective believes in.

The feminist theory, on the other hand, considers the role and contribution of women in matters such as war and peace. According to this perspective, the gender roles of women are often ignored. Women are only mentioned for their roles, which are domestic (Schlee, 2004, 150). The world is believed to be extremely socially constructed. In turn, it has influenced the manner, which peace and war is viewed. Women are seen as being key contributors to the society, and for that reason, their lives need to be protected at all times. The feminist theory argues for the protection of the female population, which has in turn affected how war has been viewed. In essence, the feminist theory gives a lot of emphasis on the female population, which has prompted the need for the protection of this gender.

In relation to war, the feminist theory argues that as long as war harms the female population, then it is an act that should not be taken up by nations. However, nations that are at warfare have used this theory to defend their acts of warfare in that they argue that they engage in war for the protection of the female population. In most cases, nations that engage in warfare avoid harming the female population, thus illustrating their consideration of the concepts presented by the feminist perspective. Their argument is that they engage in warfare so as to protect their own female population, and for that reason will retaliate to the harm of their female population. They also believe that because they do not attack the female population in their enemy countries, then their warfare is wholly justified. Accordingly, three feminist concepts have been considered in relation to this including analytical feminism, empirical feminism and normative feminism. All of this have been used to define the women’s role in society, thus the need to protect the female population. Based on this perspectives, it is, therefore, clear why the nations at warfare would easily choose war over peace, thus making tha attainment of peace a hard objective.

Evidently, both theories presented above argue for the maintenance of peace, however these theories have been modified in such a way that they are used for the defense of war. Using the constructivist theory, nations argue that war is essential for national security, which sequentially makes it impossible for the attainment of peace. Relevantly, with the feminist perspectives nations argue that war supports the protection of the female population, and for that reason, the achievement of peace becomes near impossible. In conclusion, it is extremely clear that war is an occurrence, which is taking place regularly. The chance of a solution being found to get rid of wars does not seem likely. Peace is a concept, which needs to be known by everyone. The impact of war is expressed in various mediums especially in the news. Death, Injury, lose of homes and livelihoods, are some of the effects of war (Kalyvas, 2003.488). More efforts should be put to ensure that peace is enhanced, in turn; the world will be extremely safe. The different sociological perspectives, which exist, explain a great deal concerning peace and war. Thus, it is not correct to claim that war should occur, instead of finding a solution to obtaining peace.

Work Cited

Schlee, Günther. “Taking Sides and Constructing Identities: Reflections on Conflict Theory”,

Royal Anthropological Institute, 10, (2004):pp. 135-156.

Brubaker, Rogers, & Cooper, Frederick. ‘Beyond Identity’, Theory and Society, vol. 29, (2000):

pp. 1-47.

Katzenstein, Peter. (ed.) The Culture of National Security: Norms and Identity in World Politics,

New York, Columbia University Press, 1996.Print.

Kalyvas, Stathis. ‘The Ontology of “Political Violence”: Action and Identity in Civil Wars’,

Perspectives on Politics vol. 1, no. 3, (2003): pp. 475-94.

McFarlane, Alan. The Savage Wars of Peace: England, Japan and the Malthusian Trap, New

York: Blackwell, 2003.Print.

Frances, Bartowki. & Kolmar, Wendy. Lexicon of Debates”. Feminist Theory: New York:

McGraw-Hill, 2005.Print.

Analysis of views concerning utilitarianism

Utilitarianism

Many philosophers have had their thoughts on utilitarianism be known. According to this thought, happiness occurs when it is experienced in great numbers. This approach is admirable in matters concerning happiness. It is often referred as being a response or a stimulus approach. Its main focus lies on pain and pleasure, as well as associations, which are either positive or negative. It is through punishment and praise that the latter occurs (Moore, 2006).

This paper seeks to give an analysis on the different views, which exist, concerning utilitarianism according to various philosophers.

Analysis of views concerning utilitarianism

People associate Peter Singer with being a modern utilitarian. This is because he is known for matters, which concern animals and human beings. Many of the activities he engages in include issues on poverty, abortion, animal rights, among others. In turn, he has received a lot of condemnation and praise as well. This is the reason why he is not like other thinkers in the academic field. According to Singer, the consequences of actions are the ones, which are judged (Stuart, 2002).

On the other hand, two approaches, which are distinct, exist concerning moral theories, according to John Mill. They are the inductive and intuitive schools. The approaches are similar in that there is a belief of a normative, which is high as well as single. If happiness is promoted, then actions are deemed as being right. Also, if happiness is not achieved, the action is dimmed as being wrong. The latter is the difference between the approaches used by Singer and by Mill. Sensual pleasure and intellectual are used to describe happiness according to Mill. Human beings prefer pleasures, which are intellectual, because of their dignity and this is opposed to pleasures, which are sensual (Moore, 2006). The process of an action’s consequences being assessed is known as the utility principle. Agents such as character traits and motives are not extremely vital. In order for moral principles, which are secondary to be generated, the utility principle must exist. In turn, it ensures that happiness is promoted. It is as a result of secondary principles that human beings are judged. When people are faced with dilemmas of a moral nature, they should obtain help through the utility principle. The latter only applies when there is conflict between two principles of a secondary nature.

Most people, who criticize utilitarianism, believe that actions, which have consequences do not relate to morality. According to them, justice is a key concern. Mill equates utilitarianism to justice. He goes further to use the explanation of utility to be the same as that of justice. This is his main argument in matters concerning the negative aspects of utilitarianism (Robinson & Groves, 2003). The counter arguments, which are offered by Mill, are two. Justice notions are due to moral elements that are governed by social utility. In ‘notion of Justice’ rights violation and punishment are present. Social Empathy that is collective, as well as moral components brings the components of revenge. All the different elements have their origins from utility. People are secure and protected because of social utility. Lastly, the other argument given by Mill is that ambiguity occurs due to justice and in turn, justice becomes foundational. Justice is associated with matters in society such as taxation, and wealth distribution. Solution to disputes will occur if utility is implemented. Also, justice should not be ignored as it is extremely genuine.

Barnard Williams also has his own views concerning utilitarianism. According to him, happiness is related to love as compared to numbers. Sentiments should not be involved in matters related to utilitarianism, as they bring about problems. There are implications of a personal nature when people want to obtain happiness. There should not be standards, which are universal concerning what should be wrong or right (Stuart, 2002). According to him the problems, which are associated with utilitarianism, are that it is impractical, insufficient, impossible, as well as being distasteful. Thus, it is possible to claim that Singer is justified in his arguments. They concern what gives human being happiness at the expense of other things. This means that people who live in American are in society, which is extremely individualistic .Most people are concerned about their own issues at the expense of others.

Despite agreeing with the arguments presented by Singer, there are certain limitations. It is not easy to give up ones possessions, so that others can benefit. Even if a person’s life will be saved, it is impractical to do so. Happiness should exist for everyone, no one should benefit while others suffer (Robinson & Groves, 2003). People who do not give all their wealth to charity are still considered as being moral. In accordance to Singer’s philosophies, they are not practical as human nature cannot allow. No one has the right to call others selfish, as people have been brought up differently. Singer is concerned with matters that will benefit everyone in society, which might have many repercussions. In conclusion, the philosophies on utilitarianism should be well thought off as they have different interpretations.

References

Moore, W. (2006).Philosophy As a Humanistic Discipline. New York: Princeton University Press.

Robinson, Dave. & Groves, Judy. (2003). Introducing Political Philosophy. New York: Icon Books

Stuart, Mill. (2002). A System of Logic. Honolulu: University Press of the Pacific.

Analysis of white collar, burglary and theft crimes

Economics

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Institution

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Analysis of white collar, burglary and theft crimes

Edwin Sutherland came up with the term white collar crime, some decades ago, while addressing the American Sociological Association. This took place during an address to the then American president. This type of crime is often compared to other crimes, such as theft and burglary. White collar crimes are committed by criminals and they involve stealing of other people’s property and money. Burglaries and white collar crimes are committed by people known as scroungers. They are people who seek to prey and benefit from other people’s resources. In the United States, as much as 15% of people are theft and white collar crime victims (Friedrich, 2004).

The powerful and the rich are known to commit white collar crimes. They crimes are committed by the people of high status and respectability, while carrying out their professions. This crime mostly benefits the organization the person works in, in that it earns a lot of money in profits. This can take the form of antitrust, embezzlement, fraud, among others (Friedrich, 2004). Most times those who commit this crime often escape punishment, due to their influence on the legal system.

Theft and burglary are also known as larceny as they involve taking other people’s property of a personal nature, through stealing. There are several categories, which theft, as well as burglaries is based upon. They include; Petty Larceny also known as misdemeanor whereby, small amounts of theft occur. The other is Grand Larceny whereby, large value items are stolen and the guilty person sent to prison for felony. In the different states, boundaries are set to determine the nature of the theft (Friedrich, 2004) .For example; South Carolina charges its boundaries above twenty dollars. Burglary occurs when a criminal enters and breaks into a house or premises and commits a felony. According to the law, burglary has to occur at night, where people reside, as well as forced entry being used. Research has found out that most burglars are young and from the male gender.

Unlike the crimes of burglary and theft tried in criminal courts, white collar crime is conducted in civil courts. The sentences served by the white collar crime offenders are usually short as compared to the other crimes. Also, they have the benefit of paying monetary fines. As compared to thieves and burglars, those who commit white collar crimes are sentenced in prisons, which are of extremely high standards (Friedrich, 2004). Prosecutors in white collar cases try and protect the image if the offender. They try and maintain the image of the offender by ensuring that they are not compared to common criminals.

In some recent news at Wetumpka, it was found out that a burglary took place and the stolen item was a flat screen television. There were three robbers but only two were caught. The criminals used a gun and this added onto their charges (Henninger, 2011). The two culprits are being charged with robbery of the first degree as the police seek to apprehend the other culprit. The law applied in this case concerns robbery through burglary and theft. An example of a white collar crime is concerning the fraud matter at Medicare (Taylor, 2011). The matter is still in court as it involves many prominent people. In conclusion, the different types of crime are punishable by law and no one should be exempted from their crimes.

References

Friedrich, David. (2004). Trusted Criminals. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson.

Henninger, Jeff. (2011). Why Congressman Anthony Weiner was not hacked and why he claims he was. White Collar Crime News. Retrieved from http://whitecollarcrimenews.com/

Taylor, Kevin. (2011). 2 arrested on burglary, theft charges. The Wetumpka Herald. Retrieved from http://www.thewetumpkaherald.com/news/article_23a471d0-c35f-11e0-a9b5-001cc4c03286.html

Analysis of William Shakespeares, The Tempest

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Analysis of William Shakespeare’s, The Tempest

William Shakespeare’s, The Tempest takes place on an island located in Italy and is among the established European settlements at the time.

The plot mostly focuses upon the character Prospero, who witnesses a massive storm, and in turn, his enemies arrive at the island. Prospero is aware of the danger ahead as he recognizes the king of Naples and his subjects. He feels that he might lose his position as ruler of the entire island. He finds a way in order to control the land, so that his beloved daughter Miranda can inherit it. Prospero is the main protagonist due to the activities he engages in to get rid of his enemies from the island. Fortunately, he is able to acquire minions (Arial and Caliban) to bid on his behalf through the use of magic, spells and deceit (Cartmell, Deborah, p 213).

On the other side, of the island, is the king of Naples, who travels to the island accompanied with his son, brother and servants. King Alonso, the antagonist threatens Prospero’s position as ruler at the time. Alonzo’s brother Sebastian proves to be extremely aggressive, as he plans to take his life so that he can gain control of the kingdom. When the party arrives, they settle in a different part of the island. This means that the king and his son the heir, known as Ferdinand are separated.

Ferdinand is able to survive the harsh environment and later, becomes Prospero’s property. This is not surprising as Prospero is used to dictating everything around him to his advantage. Prospero loves Ferdinand like a son and makes sure that he falls in love with his daughter Miranda. The two get married, and this is an advantage to Prospero. Prospero is keen on protecting what belongs to him, and this is due to his brother Antonio. The latter tried to remove him from power as the duke of Milan twelve years back (Potter, p. 261).

The conflict is as a result the actions of Prospero’s brother who attempts to banish him from the island. Alonso’s plans are not quite successful. He becomes disappointed when Prospero manages to trick him and gain control of the new island through lord Gonzalo’s help.

It is vital to hope for the best as there might be a time when one will face situations that are unexpected.

Biography

In the year 1564, in the month of April 23rd, William Shakespeare is recognized for his notable contribution to the works of literature during his time. His writing style makes his play different from the rest due to his excellent use of poetry, drama, and tragedy. These qualities were seen in all his plays, thus making them vital aspects of a successful Shakespeare play. Shakespeare’s plays depicted his life and is quite fascinating. Tempest shows his exit from the world of literature, which is seen in Prospero’s last speech against his critics. This exit strategy shows his thoughts about his work, fans and critics, also, the world of literature.

The Tempest is the last book Shakespeare wrote before his retirement. Shakespeare is inspired by the cultures and events that occur around him. His chose to focus on Italy as Britain ventured into other parts of the world in order to explore. His books are about nature as they view life in different countries by following various rules concerning life (Krueger, p. 314).

The tempest is based on Prospero’s need to survive the uncomfortable environment that has been created by his enemies. Antonio, his younger brother and who is the main antagonist envies Prospero’s title of the Rightful heir and Duke of Milan. He manages to ensure that Prospero and his daughter Miranda are sent to the new island. Here, they meet the local natives such as, Ariel and Caliban the child of the evil Sycorax. Ariel is under the spell of Sycorax who is referred to as Satan. Ariel exists in spirit form and spends most of his time bidding for Prospero’s. Despite the works of Antonio who is evil, Prospero obtains help from a friend and ally known as Gonzalo. He provides refuge for Prospero and his daughter Miranda, who spends most of her childhood in the island. Sebastian and Antonio plot to kill Alonzo. This plot is similar to the one that was unsuccessful twelve years ago. During that time, he cast Prospero away to the island in order for him to perish. Alonzo survives this attempt and becomes motivated to search for his son (Ingham, p. 178).

When the king’s party arrives, the play dynamics changes due to the direction he intends to pursue. This is stopped when his brother becomes rebellious. Since Prospero has some control of the island, he arranges for a masque party for Ferdinand and Miranda. This marks the beginning of a new life that secures the future of the two as the new leaders of the two islands. Apart from the wedding celebrations, the masque is meant to make sure that the entire community is aware about the future.

Prospero uses the masque to air his grievances against the people who spent their lives planning his demise. The wedding shows Prospero’s success against his enemies and the outcome of his manipulative ways. During the betrothal, Prospero is crowned as the rightful Duke of Milan in front of the king and his party. Antonio, Alonzo and Sebastian, are confronted during the imaginary banquet, and they look for refuge in some other place (Graf, p. 145).

Alonzo meets his son for the first time after they had been separated. He becomes apologetic due to his evil deeds against Prospero, in the beginning of the play. Alonzo and Prospero realize that they are in the same situation and have a similar life due to their circumstance. Prospero forgives his brother a traitor, who is not remorseful due to. Stefano, Tranculo and Caliban, are punished for plotting Prospero’s death, later on, they are accused and confronted.

“We are such stuff that dream are made on” (Act IV scene 1)

The book displays a significant amount of imagery through the use of magic. This is seen when Sycorax places a spell on Ariel the servant of Prospero in order to be imprisoned. Prospero also makes use of spells when he creates an imaginary banquet during the final scene. He also uses Arial the spirit to spy on his enemies during many instances. The characters, in the book, exist in both human and subhuman form. This shows Shakespeare’s love for drama and entertainment.

“Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows” (Act 11 scene 2)

A majority of Shakespeare plays exhibit tragedy as witnessed by the antagonist. This is enhanced by their envy and need for revenge, so that they can inflict pain on their victims. Also, the antagonist in the play is Antonio, Sebastian, Caliban and Alonzo. All these characters have their grievances and plot against each other in order to outdo each other. This leads to an uncomfortable environment that is miserable due to the intense suffering that is associated with the trade. Prospero uses his experiences to ensure that he does not fall victim to his predators. This makes him a character that is constantly scheming, in order to control most of the events in the play.

The use of the third person narrative makes the writer be distant from the play. This is the preferred form of writing as it gives the characters their own unique personality. It also makes their point of view credible, because it reduces the personal experiences the writer has with the character.

The last scene is about the resolution of the conflict in the beginning of the play. Prospero confronts all the characters in the masque as a result of their actions against him. He then reinstates the rightful heirs back to the throne in order to appease the new community in terms of providing efficient leadership (Krueger, p. 215).

In conclusion, The Tempest is Shakespeare’s way of leaving the genre of the entertainment industry. He does this with style as witnessed during Prospero’s last speech to his audience. Furthermore, it proves that people will at times face challenges, and in order to overcome them, they need to be always hopeful and positive. The audience at the play’s end is symbolic to his readers and fans. Writers have analyzed Prospero’s last speech, which shows Shakespeare’s real thoughts about his life as a novelist. Indeed, people should aim at having a character that is similar to that of Prospero, as witnessed at the end of Tempest. This is because no one knows the future and its outcomes.

Works cited

Cartmell, Deborah . “Interpreting Shakespeare on screen” Journal on Shakespeare plays 2(3)72-77. Palgrave MacMillan. 2000.

Graf, Sandra. Is He a Monster? – Caliban in William Shakespeare’s ‘the Tempest’. München: GRIN Verlag GmbH, 2009.

Ingham, Muriel B. “The Tempest.” Masterplots, Fourth Edition (2010): 1-3. Literary Reference Center. Web. 22 Jan. 2012.

Krueger, Susan H. The Tempest. New York: Marshall Cavendish Benchmark, 2010. Print.

Potter, Lois. Temptest: Journal of Shakespeare in performance. 4(9)12-14.2002

analysis on whether the super powers were involved in colonization during the Cold War

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Colonialism

It seems that colonialism will never become extinct because the super powers are still engaging in it. Even now, one can witness how the United States has its presence in many countries such Iraq and Iran, among other countries. In the book ‘All the Shah’s Men’ by Stephen Kinzer, information is provided concerning colonialism efforts by super powers in third world countries. Furthermore, he proves that the United States is the reason behind colonialism in the modern world.

This paper seeks to give an analysis on whether the super powers were involved in colonization during the Cold War. Also, it seeks to give a comparison regarding the 1800’s and 1900’s colonial interventions.

Analysis of the Cold War in terms of the super powers colonialism efforts

There was a lot of intervention by the superpowers in various third world countries. The latter is referred to as colonialism that was furthered by the super powers during the Cold War. In the year 1954, there was an increase of support towards the Egyptian Gamal Nasser’s government. Economic and military support by the super powers was offered to Egypt. The Middle East became the target of the western super powers in a bid to have dominance over the region (Gamal Nasser, 20011. 19). It also ensured that the super powers had strategic control and presence in the countries they took over. For example, the soviets helped the Middle Eastern Arabs in their fight against the Israelis (Kinzer, 2004. 67). The Suez Canal is a key element that attracted the French and British to try and colonize Egypt.

Another element is the Aswan Dam that needed to be constructed in order to benefit the Egyptians. The need to prevent the Egyptian military from gaining power in the year 1956 is another reason why the super powers were concerned. Since the soviet advocated for the Arabs against the Israelis, it won the 1956 Suez War (Kinzer, 2004. 67). It had garnered the support of Egyptians who wanted to ensure that they were not colonized. This victory also took place in Iraq whereby, through a coup d’etat the government that was pro western became defeated. Through the formation of a Central Treaty Organization known as the Baghdad pact all this became possible (Baghdad Pact, 2011. 18).

On the other hand, Iraq, Syria and Egypt were viewed as countries subjected to Western Imperialism. According to Kinzer, they were regimes that were extremely progressive and were oriented as socio, economic socialist countries. The need to ensure that they were not colonized made the three countries be against western colonialism. In turn, they ensured that a United Nations Trusteeship Council was formed in order to act in their favor. It wanted western colonialism to be eradicated through all means possible. The Soviet Union was better off in matters concerning colonialism when compared to the United Nations (United Nations Partition Proposal, 2011. 13). In Cuba, Fidel Castro wanted to have a political system that was socio-economical based on the Marxist-Leninist theories. In turn, it obtained help from Russia in order to gain advantage over the United States (Kinzer, 2004. 69). Colonialism was felt in most African states such as Congo, Guinea, Ghana, and Mali. The latter had a connection with the colonial powers that ruled them. The disadvantage was that the relations were extremely strained. This is because they wanted to be independent without the help of the colonial powers. For example Patrice Lumumba, the Congo Prime Minister did not succeed in obtaining help from the soviets. The help took the form of military aid which that was prohibited by the United Nations. The latter ensured that people would not enter Congo easily as it closed the airports found in Congo.

Various similarities existed between the 1800’s and 1900’s colonial interventions by the super powers. According to Keinzer, (P.69) most of the leaders of the modern regimes who have evaded colonialism are being targeted. For example, the leaders of Iran have been viewed as fanatics and heroes by different people. In turn, it made the people of Afghanistan form the Taliban. The result is that terrorism is continuously threatening people’s lives all over the world. Furthermore, American presidents have been accused of enforcing colonialism in many Middle Eastern countries. They always seem to be part of the crisis that has taken place and that, which is taking place (Kinzer, 2004. 72). Also, there is a difference between the 1800’s and the 1900’s colonialism. In the 1800’s the colonized countries were not as active as the today. The super powers were not as brutal as they are today and they used negotiation tactics as compared to scare tactics of the 1900’s. An example, of a scare tactic is through terrorism whereby people and buildings are often bombed (Bombing of the King David Hotel, 2011.12). During the cold war, super powers set to make their territories known in a direct way as opposed to that which is today through force.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the superpowers played a vital in colonizing the third world. This is because they intervened through many ways in order to make their power known. The Cold war assisted tremendously in colonization as it gave a mandate to the super powers to acquire territories. Indeed, the Cold war is a vital part of history that seeks to be known and the role it played in colonization.

Work Cited

Kinzer, Stephen. All the Shah’s Men. New York: Wiley John, 2004.Print.

Middle East, PowerPoint Class Notes. Slide 1-26. 2011. Print.

Analysis whether food additives are harmful or beneficial to human beings.

Family and Consumer Science

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The Effects of Food Additives

For many centuries, substances have been added to food in order to make its appearance attractive, increase flavor, as well as to preserve it. Even before the invention of the refrigerator, fish and meat were preserved using salts. Fruits were preserved by having sugar added onto them. In most ancient cultures, spices and wine were preserved using sulphites. Also, in order to enhance the flavor of food, colorings were put into the food. Currently, in the food that people consume, it is estimated that there are many food additives in them. According to the database established by the Food and Drug Administration there are many food additives and are 3000 in total. The food additives are found in kitchen cabinets, in items such as baking soda, sugar and salt. People are ignorant about what the food additive does to their health as well as their safety (Winter, 2004).

This paper seeks to give an analysis whether food additives are harmful or beneficial to human beings.

Critical analysis of the food additives

Substances that are added to food in order to change its characteristics are known as food additives. The food additives can either be indirect or direct. The latter refers to additives that are added into food and are for specific purposes. They can be sugar or salt and are found in food labels, as they have been listed as ingredients. The food additives that are indirect occur as trace amounts, and this is as a result of other handling, and package storage. As compared to other times in history, color and food additives are today more strictly monitored, regulated and studied. Before products are put on the market, the FDA must approve that they are safe, and this is after many rigorous tests have been conducted (Winter, 2004).

Fierce controversy exists concerning food additives as well as the health risks that they pose. Fortunately, in the United States, the law on food additives ensures that food is safe for consumption. People should at the same time be cautious about the chemicals found in the food that they consume. An example is phenylalanine that is an amino acid that occurs naturally as a protein. Various foods are manufactured using phenylalanine, and it is also used in the manufacturing of aspartame an artificial sweetener. This additive is known to cause problems in young children when they are growing up as it affects their brain development. This means that when children are being fed, the amount of phenylketonuria should be limited (U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 1993).

Another common food additive is lactose, and there are some people who are lactose intolerant. It means that they cannot easily digest the lactose that is found in milk sugar. Those prone to becoming lactose intolerant are people with African and Asian origin. They have to take a diet that has limited amounts of dairy foods and milk. In turn, they tend to develop symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, abdominal pain and indigestion. Other common and dangerous chemicals include; saccharin, nitrate, nitrite, monosodium Glutamate and caffeine (Blaylock, 2006).

Conclusion

In conclusion, food additives have more harmful effects as compared to beneficial purposes. Many people continue to consume food without knowing the food additives that they have. In turn, many people have suffered as their health has been affected. It is vital that people try and avoid food additives and instead use natural spices.

Work Cited

U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (1993). Everything Added to Food in the United States. Boca Raton, FL: Smoley.

Winter, Ruth. (2004).A Consumer’s Dictionary of Food Additives: Descriptions in Plain English of More Than 12,000 Ingredients Both Harmful and Desirable Found in Foods. New York: Three Rivers Press.

Blaylock. Russell. (2006).Health and Nutrition Secrets That Can Save Your Life. Health Press NA Inc.