The Internet Essays (2083 words) - Cybercrime, Cyberwarfare

The Internet The Internet is, literally, a network of networks. It is made of thousands of interconnected networks spanning the globe. The computers that form the Internet range from huge mainframes in research establishments to humble PCs in people's homes and offices. Despite the recent publicity, the Internet is not a new thing. Its roots lie in a collection of computers that were linked together in the 1970s to form the US Department of Defense's communications systems. Fearing the consequences of nuclear attack, there was no central computer holding vast amounts of data, but instead the information was dispersed across thousands of machines. A protocol known as TCP/IP was developed to allow different devices to work together. The original network has long since been upgraded and expanded and TCP/IP is now an overall standard. The Internet has gone on now to fulfill a great deal more than it's intended purpose and has definitely brought more good than bad. Millions of people worldwide are using the Internet to share information, make new associations and communicate. Individuals and businesses, from students and journalists, to consultants, programmers and corporate giants are all harnessing the power of the Internet. For many businesses the Internet is becoming integral to their operations. Imagine the ability to send and receive data: messages, notes, letters, documents, pictures, video, sound- just about any form of communication, as effortlessly as making a phone call. It is easy to understand why the Internet is rapidly becoming the corporate communications medium. Using the mouse on your computer, the familiar point-and-click functionality gives you access to electronic mail for sending and receiving data, and file transfer for copying files from one computer to another. This flood of information is a beautiful thing and it can only open the minds of society. With the explosion of the World Wide Web, anyone could publish his or h er ideas to the world. Before, in order to be heard one would have to go through publishers who were willing to invest in his ideas to get something put into print. With the advent of the Internet, anyone who has something to say can be heard by the world. By letting everyone speak their mind, this opens up all new ways of thinking to anyone who is willing to listen. A very important disadvantage is that the Internet is addictive. One of the first people to take the phenomenon seriously was Kimberly S. Young, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at the University of Pittsburgh. She takes it so seriously, in fact, that she founded the Center for Online Addiction, an organization that provides consultation for educational institutions, mental health clinics and corporations dealing with Internet misuse problems. Psychologists now recognize Internet Addiction Syndrome (IAS) as a new illness that could ruin hundreds of lives. Internet addicts are people who are reported staying online for six, eight, ten or more hours a day, every day. They use the Internet as a way of escaping problems or relieving distressed moods. Their usage can cause problems in their family, work and social lives. They feel anxious and irritable when offline and craved getting back online. Despite the consequences, they continue using regardless of what their friends and family say . Special help groups have been set up to give out advice and offer links with other addicts. Internets Anonymous and Webaholics are two of the sites offering help, but only through logging onto the Internet. The effects of IAS lead to headaches, lack of concentration and tiredness. Robert Kraut Doctoral Psychologist says referring on the subject: We have evidence that people who are online for long periods of time show negative changes in how much they talk to people in their family and how many friends and acquaintances they say they keep in contact with. They also report small but increased amounts of loneliness, stress and depression. What we do not know is exactly why. Being online takes up time, and it may be taking time away from sleep, social contact or even eating. Our negative results are understandable if people's interactions on the net are not as socially valuable as their other activities. Another considerable drawback of the Internet is that it is susceptible

Free Essays on Marketing Economic Paper

MKP: Economic Paper on Spain Executive Summary When looking to Spain’s economic activities for information about entering the market to do business in the country a few major points arise that may not be common knowledge or different from your self-reference criterion. Spain has the 30th largest population in the world, with a majority of this population being between 15 and 64 years old. The largest population is found in the captial city of Madrid followed by Barcelona. Spain is a highly developed country. Tax burdens to Spanish citizens and companies are lower than those found in the United States, and also have a lower federal tax burden. A majority of the goods and services sold there is a value added tax rate of 16%, but also a reduced rate of 7% on sales and imports of food items, water, pharmaceutical products, and private homes. Working conditions in Spain are good, and most workers have fixed contracts. This may cause issue if the company does not wish to employ based on a contract system. If a contract system is adopted then it should be noted that it becomes more difficult to fire employees under this system. The typical pay schedule for Spanish employees is 14 times a year, 12 monthly and two bonus payments. There is also a serious unemployment rate in Spain which is creating new labor laws and economic policies that may affect hiring and firing of new local employees. Primary industries in Spain currently are services and tourism. Spain allows for many foreign investment opportunities, but if seeking to employ a foreign citizen there may be difficulty receiving a work permit unless the company is registered in Spain or has a sponsor on the application. Spain also allows for 100% foreign ownership in most sectors. Spain currently has a balance of payment surplus exporting more than they import. There are no bilateral trade agreements between Spain and any other developed nation. Th... Free Essays on Marketing Economic Paper Free Essays on Marketing Economic Paper MKP: Economic Paper on Spain Executive Summary When looking to Spain’s economic activities for information about entering the market to do business in the country a few major points arise that may not be common knowledge or different from your self-reference criterion. Spain has the 30th largest population in the world, with a majority of this population being between 15 and 64 years old. The largest population is found in the captial city of Madrid followed by Barcelona. Spain is a highly developed country. Tax burdens to Spanish citizens and companies are lower than those found in the United States, and also have a lower federal tax burden. A majority of the goods and services sold there is a value added tax rate of 16%, but also a reduced rate of 7% on sales and imports of food items, water, pharmaceutical products, and private homes. Working conditions in Spain are good, and most workers have fixed contracts. This may cause issue if the company does not wish to employ based on a contract system. If a contract system is adopted then it should be noted that it becomes more difficult to fire employees under this system. The typical pay schedule for Spanish employees is 14 times a year, 12 monthly and two bonus payments. There is also a serious unemployment rate in Spain which is creating new labor laws and economic policies that may affect hiring and firing of new local employees. Primary industries in Spain currently are services and tourism. Spain allows for many foreign investment opportunities, but if seeking to employ a foreign citizen there may be difficulty receiving a work permit unless the company is registered in Spain or has a sponsor on the application. Spain also allows for 100% foreign ownership in most sectors. Spain currently has a balance of payment surplus exporting more than they import. There are no bilateral trade agreements between Spain and any other developed nation. Th...

Conference Even Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Conference Even Plan - Essay Example ?s library with the goal to increase reading participation and literacy applying the principles of planning, marketing, sponsorship, human resource management, workplace health and safety, staging, issues for events, logistics, financial control, legal issues, and event evaluation. The event is a fund-raising concert show that will feature teen star Miley Cyrus as guest star with local performers to fill-in majority of the show slot. It shall be called â€Å"Miley Learns to Read.† The concept is to target a massive audience / participation in order to generate more funds. The priority for this event is to invite and convince a major celebrity to perform for free. There are various ways that a performer’s management may consider this: use the event as a donation to the foundation and can be credited as tax-deductible. Other ways to convince a management of the talents include use of the endorsement of local authorities such as the city or town mayor of the said project to generate credibility. After being able to book a major talent or celebrity, the next work to be down is to recruit local performers to perform for free. Same approach as above shall be employed. Once the performers are lined-up, the rest shall follow and much easier to handle. Once performers are confirmed, the venue must be found. An appropriate one will be a closed coliseum or like structure that will withstand weather changes. Unpredictable weather such as rain or storm can adversely affect attendance of audience in an open space such as a stadium or baseball arena. Permits and licenses must also be secured in order to coordinate security and police force within the locality. Sound system, lighting, and other logistical needs should also be addressed. The targeted audience and how to maximize attendance comes next. The organizers must utilize all possible ways to generate the most of income in the said event through proper marketing communication strategies. Likewise, securing the support

Poverty contributes to environmental degradation.Discuss Essay

Poverty contributes to environmental degradation.Discuss - Essay Example n which are often related to the altered global atmospheric condition such as global warming or the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO), shortages of freshwater supply, biodiversity losses, enormous land degradation like deforestation, and the depletion of fisheries and agricultural resources also significantly increases. (McMichael, Patz, & Kovats, 1998; Flood, 1997) Most economists believe that global poverty arises from the widening of gap between the rich and the poor. Among the few well-know economic concepts that could explain the increase of inequality in terms of income distribution and work opportunities are capitalism and globalization. Under a capitalized economy, business people in general gather a group of laborers in exchange with minimum wage. Since businessmen could earn a large sum of profit out of the lower income population, the gap between the rich and the poor increases over time. The same theory applies with globalization except that rich businessmen aim to maximize their wealth by hiring low-income individuals living in developing countries. degradation. Not only does the use of modern technologies such as industrial machines, motor vehicles, and airplanes contribute to the increase in air and water pollution which could seriously damage not only the water ecology but also the atmosphere, forest, and land resources. As part of determining the relationship between poverty and environmental degradation, the student will first discuss the differences between renewable and non-renewable resources followed by identifying and analyzing the major factors that causes serious damage towards the environment. Based on these factors, the student will examine and thoroughly discuss whether or not poverty contributes to environmental degradation. When it comes to maintaining a well-balanced ecological sustainability, we need to know that there will always be a trade-offs between the utilization of our environmental and natural resources with the

Collaborative networks Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Collaborative networks - Research Paper Example A major characteristic of having a distributed structure is that even though communications of the team may occur from face to face at times, most part of the work is accomplished when the members are usually geographical separated (Johansen, 1999). Using computer databases resources of papers in Information Technology, Communication and Geography, we will be able to construct collaboration networks among the globally distributed team engaged in airport construction in the third world countries. The reason for selecting these papers is because they will give a variety of the properties that are required in developing a model for an effective global network. The papers will also provide apparent differences that are involved in collaboration networks. The aim of this research paper is to come up with a model that will support globally distributed teams that are engaged in airport construction in the third world countries. Third world countries are known to have low stock based on their infrastructure capability especially in transportation and energy as well as the potential of information technology which have not yet been harnessed fully. The importance that is brought by air transport in countries cannot be measured as it is highly satisfactory. Airport construction in these regions that are not well exploited should be enhanced in order to improve the connectivity as well as the global reach. The need for airport facilities in the third world countries has to be enhanced not only by the quality and amount of physical infrastructure but also by the way in which the distributed team engaged in the construction of the airports are managed. It is necessary for communications and control to be steered up between the distributed te am in the regions for better results. In order to curb the gap that exists in the third world countries with regards to the infrastructure the proposed approach of building

Social Exclusion and Social Capital Theories: Urban Areas

Social Exclusion and Social Capital Theories: Urban Areas Introduction The idea of social exclusion, the forces within society which have contributed to it, and results of social exclusion are all issues that have been described in the following terms by Musterd, S and Ostendorf, W ((1998) p1): ‘The excluded lose the opportunities, the means and finally the ability to participate in society, which is expressed by a lack of labour market participation, low school participation, a weak position in the housing market, limited political participation and restricted socio-cultural integration†¦[1]’. Levitas, R (1998) has a slightly different view of social exclusion and her views have been described in the following way: ‘The MUD moral underclass discourse is rooted in neo-conservatism. Levitas describes this discourse as equating social exclusion with the development of an ‘underclass’†¦.[2]’ Therefore, while there are those who question the very existence of social exclusion problems: ‘†¦..the term does not necessarily imply either a positive or a negative state. It is simply a way of describing the established patterns of human relations in any given society†¦.[3]’, what the arguments of Levitas (1998) and Musterd, S and Ostendorf, W (1998) show is that social theorists have mapped an increasing trend within society which has entrenched wide gaps between social groups in terms of wealth and social status, and this trend has been noticed particularly in regard to urban areas and in terms of low income families. Social exclu sion has led to an explosion at both extreme ends of the socio-economic scale, with increases in households that have a low income, seen to expand proportionally with increases in the amount of households with high income and skills that are highly sought after. Those at the bottom of the scale are frequently referred to as ‘excluded’ and those at the top are those who benefit from social inclusion. The broad policy of redistributive justice has been seen as a way to redress this socio-economic imbalance. Redistributive justice refers to a process whereby the political process encourages the distribution of property and wealth, by introducing schemes such as taxation, which can channel wealth from the wealthy to the poor in society. This concept has been associated with Marxism, Socialism and Pluralism. Therefore, whether one accepts the discourse of an underclass propelling social exclusion, or whether one simply holds the view that social exclusion is mainly caused because of socio-economic reasons, it is plain to be seen that the UK government has recognised social exclusion as a problem which needs to be addressed in terms of policy. The effectiveness and coherence of these policies is of course, open to interpretation and criticism and two government policies will be examined in this essay to highlight the problem of social exclusion and to critique the government’s response to it. Two specific policies have been chosen by the writer with which to use as a focal point in the further discussion of the topic of social exclusion. The first policy is a policy called ‘Programme for Partnership’ which is aimed at narrowing the gaps that social exclusion imposes with regard to those living in urban areas of Scotland. The second scheme within the social capital and social exclusion area is the ‘Tackling Exclusion from Education’ scheme which proposes to see social exclusion as a problem which starts at an early age and which aims at improving the problems of social exclusion through the improvement of the education system in the UK. Urban and the City Few people doubt that the problems of social exclusion emanate in a substantial way from city life and problems associated with deprived urban areas. This scenario can be seen to produce an ‘underclass’ that live in these areas. As Martin (2004) has demonstrated underclasses, whatever their construction are a product of post industrialisation. Martin argues: ‘There are various interpretations of the term underclass. Indeed, Bovenkerk (1984) and Mann (1992 in Mann 1999: 150) argue that Murrays account of the underclass sounds remarkably like Marx and Engels accounts of the lumpenproletariat, and the term itself has been attributed to the work of the Swedish economist Gunnar Myrdal. According to Gans (1995: 2) the underclass is a redefinition of an economic term originally introduced by Myrdal in 1963 to describe the workers being forced out of a new economy, now often called postindustrial..[4]’ Therefore the first chosen policy which will be discussed in regards to the urban and the city topic is one which is aimed at dissipating the problems of an urban underclass. The scheme has only recently been announced by government and it relates to urban regeneration in Scotland. The scheme itself has been entitled ‘Programme for Partnership’ and it involves formulating ideas which will influence the long term lifestyles and opportunities of those living in deprived urban areas. This programme has held at its core the idea of ‘regeneration partnerships’ which encourages a level of cohesion between agencies charged with the responsibility of dealing with the problems of social exclusion in urban Scotland. For example, through directing resources to target inequality in the healthcare system, the ‘Programme for Partnership’ is intending to indirectly deal with the problems within the educational system such as low attainment which can be linked with poor health. This scheme therefore has been aimed at reducing inter-related problems linked with city life which combine to produce what has been described as: ‘†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦the horrible reality of being cut out of our credit-based, plastic card economy†¦[5]’. Other initiatives which have have been borne from this ‘Programme for Partnership’ initiative have been aimed at tackling the problems associated with homelessness, which is another sign of social exclusion. What the Partnership initiative has recognised is that homelessness is not a singular problem which randomly befalls those it affects. Homelessness, a problem endemic in urban areas can often be associated with poverty, low educational attainment, drugs, poor healthcare (particularly for the mentally ill) and family problems including abuse. Therefore, the government has formulated a new Code of Practice which encourages urban social service actors to develop strategies to deal with poverty which incorporate a holistic approach to dealing with the social problems that cause social problems, and not just isolated problems. The Cabinet Office’s social exclusion unit and the Scottish Office work closely to supervise and to help implement the ‘Programme for Partnership’ scheme. The Scottish Executive has recently been quoted as saying: ‘Part of the social justice strategy is the†¦.development of person-centred services (and) involves the breaking down of the old vertical hierarchies, such as the historical division between the UK Benefits Agency and Employment Service, which have recently been merged†¦[6]’. Yet, rhetoric does not solve the problem of social exclusion, and this scheme may be of little use if its effectiveness cannot be measured and attuned to the fluid distribution of the problems of social exclusion in urban areas. There is a fundamental problem which arises when one attempts to tackle a broad problem with an inter-agency approach and this problem involves measuring the success and/or failure of the policy, and targeting appropriate solutions within this grey area. The resulting subterfuge may be of benefit to a government seeking reelection, but how far it has gone to reduce continuing problems associated with social exclusion in urban areas is difficult to see through the rising crime rates, the continuing problems of anti-social behaviour and rising poverty, problems which those in urban areas are particularly susceptible to. Social Capital and Social Exclusion As we have seen earlier from the explanation of social exclusion provided by Musterd, S and Ostendorf, W (1998), the problem of social exclusion mainly affects those at the lower end of the socio-economic scale. The government has recognised that this problem in many ways reflects the way that poor children are treated in the education system. Statistics have suggested that there are links between a person’s educational and social development and this is particularly true of those who enter the educational system from a deprived background. Commentators such as Archer (2003) have pointed to a core problem relating to social exclusion and the educational system: ‘†¦.educational inequalities not only persist, but in some cases have increased†¦[7]’. Therefore the New Labour government have recently launched the ‘Tackling Exclusion from Education’ scheme, which is a scheme again aimed at local authorities and which encourages them to develop sch emes aimed at improving literacy in young people and teenagers. This scheme therefore aims to facilitate the progression of young people within the education system and one of its objectives is to tackle problems associated with emotional and behavioral difficulties in young people, problems which contribute to the problems that have been described above in an urban context. Truancy is also a big issue in this regard and the ‘Tackling Exclusion from Education’ scheme encourages local authorities to introduce pilot schemes within schools to look at alternatives to excluding children, and to improve attendance records. In this way the problem of failure in the educational system can be seen as a root cause of those problems described in the above urban and city section, as problems in school often persist into later life, and these problems can often be seen within cities. Linked with this Education initiative are schemes aimed at improving confidence among young people, and these schemes include out of hours activities which are funded by the National Lottery. As Majors (2001) has argued, ‘England is experiencing an education revolution. Few would deny that in the four years since the Labour government came to power they have made major advances in education and social inclusion.†¦[8]’. Yet, again, this scheme suffers from the same inadequacies as the later scheme. The difficulty again lies with separating rhetoric from success. While it is true that the problem of social exclusion can be tackled in the ways described above, it is not clear whether these schemes are actually effective, in light of the poor comparison Britain makes with other Western European educational systems. An intrinsic problem which has dogged other areas of political life is recognised as ‘political spin’. This New Labour propensity to cloud probl ems with ‘spin’ has permeated the social sector as much as it has the political sector. This leads to a problem of measurement and of recognition and the increasing inconsistency that can be seen from looking at what the government says it is achieving and reconciling this with poor educational attainment, truancy and other problems which afflict poor, young people in British state schools. Conclusion This essay has looked at the idea of social exclusion both in urban areas and in terms of social capital. In many ways social exclusion, begs questions about the definition of freedom; questions about redistributive justice which Marx and Engels have asked many years ago. Therefore, few could argue that the problems of social exclusion emanate in large part from industrialisation and this has been a theme of the essay. While Bashford and Strange (2003) have argued that: ‘†¦new political imaginings of freedom†¦ (and)†¦the invention of liberty as an inalienable right†¦[9]’ have improved the situations of many, the problem of social exclusion persists, as it argued by Rosenfeld and Tardieu (2002): ‘The very poor are shut out; the social institution is shut in. Both live with a sense of defeat and mutual misunderstanding To the extent that there are overtures from either side, these seem doomed to failure and make no sense to the other side. Nothin g is going on; there are no surprises, no exchanges, no meeting points. There is no story to tell†¦.[10]’. Therefore government policy which aims to target these problems must address social exclusion, not just in terms of description, but in terms of effectual strategy which measures success and failure in a fair and unbiased way. Bibliography Books and Articles Archer, L. et al. (2003) Higher Education and Social Class: Issues of Exclusion and Inclusion. Publisher: RoutledgeFalmer. Place of Publication: New York. Publication Year: 2003. Bashford, A. and Strange, C. (2003) Isolation: Places and Practices of Exclusion. Publisher: Routledge. Place of Publication: New York. Publication Year: 2003. Bollens, S. (2002) Urban Planning and Intergroup Conflict: Confronting a Fractured Public Interest. Journal Title: Journal of the American Planning Association. Volume: 68. Issue: 1. Page Number: 22+. Johnson, M. (2001) It May Not Grab the Headlines, but Tackling Financial Exclusion Is Social Democracy in Action. Magazine Title: New Statesman. Volume: 130. Issue: 4530. Publication Date: March 26, 2001. Majors, R. (2001) Educating Our Black Children: New Directions and Radical Approaches. Publisher: RoutledgeFalmer. Place of Publication: London. Publication Year: 2001. Martin, S. (2004) Reconceptualising Social Exclusion: A Critical Response to the Neoliberal Welfare Reform Agenda and the Underclass Thesis. Journal Title: Australian Journal of Social Issues. Volume: 39. Issue: 1. Publication Year: 2004. Page Number: 79+. Musterd, S. and Ostendorf, W. (1998) Urban Segregation and the Welfare State: Inequality and Exclusion in Western Cities. Publisher: Routledge. Place of Publication: London. Publication Year: 1998. Riddell, S. and Tett, L (2001) Education, Social Justice, and Inter-Agency Working: Joined Up or Fractured Policy. Publisher: Routledge. Place of Publication: New York. Publication Year: 2001. Rosenfeld, J. and Tardieu, B. (2002) Artisans of Democracy: How Ordinary People, Families in Extreme Poverty, and Social Institutions Become Allies to Overcome Social Exclusion. Journal Title: Social Theory and Practice. Volume: 28. Issue: 3. Publication Year: 2002. Internet Sources The Scottish Stationary Office (Undated) Social Exclusion in Scotland: A Consultation Paper. Available at:  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library/documents1/socexcl.htm >>. United Nations Research Institute for Social Development. (1994) Social Integration: Approaches and Issues. Available at:  http://66.249.93.104/search?q=cache:cbPDnQ4TsgkJ:www.unrisd.org/unrisd/website/document.nsf/ab82a6805797760f80256b4f005da1ab/510920da18b35a6880256b65004c6a7b/%24FILE/bp1.pdf+social+integrationhl=enct=clnkcd=17 >>. Anonymous (2002) Social Inclusion/Exclusion. Available at:  http://66.249.93.104/search?q=cache:aRXxsOaWPLkJ:www.rwbsocialplanners.com.au/SOCIAL%2520INCLUSION.pdf+moral+underclass+discoursehl=enct=clnk>>. Footnotes [1] p1. Musterd, S. and Ostendorf, W. (1998) Urban Segregation and the Welfare State: Inequality and Exclusion in Western Cities. Publisher: Routledge. Place of Publication: London. Publication Year: 1998. [2] Anonymous (2002) Social Inclusion/Exclusion. Available at: www.rwbsocialplanners.com.au/SOCIAL%20INCLUSION.pdf+moral+underclass+discoursehl=enct=clnk>>. [3] United Nations Research Institute for Social Development. (1994) Social Integration: Approaches and Issues. Available at: http://66.249.93.104/search?q=cache:cbPDnQ4TsgkJ:www.unrisd.org/unrisd/website/document.nsf/ab82a6805797760f80256b4f005da1ab/510920da18b35a6880256b65004c6a7b/%24FILE/bp1.pdf+social+integrationhl=enct=clnkcd=17 >>. [4]p1. Martin, S. (2004) Reconceptualising Social Exclusion: A Critical Response to the Neoliberal Welfare Reform Agenda and the Underclass Thesis. Journal Title: Australian Journal of Social Issues. Volume: 39. Issue: 1. Publication Year: 2004. Page Number: 79+. [5]Johnson, M. (2001) It May Not Grab the Headlines, but Tackling Financial Exclusion Is Social Democracy in Action. Magazine Title: New Statesman. Volume: 130. Issue: 4530. Publication Date: March 26, 2001. [6]p3. Riddell, S. and Tett, L (2001) Education, Social Justice, and Inter-Agency Working: Joined Up or Fractured Policy. Publisher: Routledge. Place of Publication: New York. Publication Year: 2001. [7] p2. Archer, L. et al. (2003) Higher Education and Social Class: Issues of Exclusion and Inclusion. Publisher: RoutledgeFalmer. Place of Publication: New York. Publication Year: 2003. [8] Majors, R. (2001) Educating Our Black Children: New Directions and Radical Approaches. Publisher: RoutledgeFalmer. Place of Publication: London. Publication Year: 2001. Page Number: 1. [9] Bashford, A. and Strange, C. (2003) Isolation: Places and Practices of Exclusion. Publisher: Routledge. Place of Publication: New York. Publication Year: 2003. Page Number: 3. [10] Rosenfeld, J. and Tardieu, B. (2002) Artisans of Democracy: How Ordinary People, Families in Extreme Poverty, and Social Institutions Become Allies to Overcome Social Exclusion. Journal Title: Social Theory and Practice. Volume: 28. Issue: 3. Publication Year: 2002. Page Number: 519+.

Comparing Pursuit of Perfection by Poe and Hawthorne and the Realism of

Pursuit of Perfection by Poe and Hawthorne and the Realism of Melville and Jacobs   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the elements of Romanticism is the pursuit of perfection. While Poe and Hawthorne's characters strive in vain for the perfect woman (or rather her perfect attribute) or the perfectly engineered person, Melville already knows that perfection is an illusion. Melville paints a more realistic portrait of the imperfections of society. The women writers take Melville's assessments of the world and the human condition even further. Phelps and Jacobs' know first-hand about the misconceptions of perfection and the inability to capture that image. The burden of seamless domesticity wears on the women in these stories. Jacobs' story carries the heaviest burden of all being undermined by the repression of women and the hardships of slavery.   Ã‚  Ã‚   In Poe's Ligeia the narrator is captivated by his wife's beauty and intelligence, with which he becomes obsessed. He is particularly attracted to "the dear music of her low sweet voice". Her "rare" and "immense" learning makes her unique and intriguing. However, because "her knowledge was such as" the narrator had "never known in a woman" she is a threat. Johanyak says that, "Poe's intellectual heroines are first idealized and then feared or misunderstood by men who fail to understand or accept their quest for knowledge" (63).   The narrator admits that he had "never known her at fault". In essence, he is conceding that she was in fact the perfect woman. In the fateful pattern of Poe's female characters, such perfection must be punished. She dies and the narrator agonizes over his loss. It is not until this retelling of their marriage that the narrator truly appreciates all that she was and all that ... ... Dayan, Joan. "The Identity of Berenice." Studies in Romanticism 23.4 (1984) 491-513. Holly, Carol. "Shaming the Self in The Angel Over the Right Shoulder." American Literature 60.1 (1988): 42-60. Johanyak, Debra. "Poesian Feminism: Triumph or Tragedy." CLA Journal 39.1 (1995): 62-70. Morgan, Winifred. "Gender Related Differences in the Slave Narratives of Harriet Jacobs and Frederick Douglass." American Studies 35.2 (1994): 73-94. Rosenberg, Liz. "The Best that Earth Could Offer. The Birth-Mark: a Newlywed's Story." Studies in Short Fiction 30.2 (1993): 145-51. Rowland, Beryl. "Sitting up with a Corpse: Malthus According to Melville in Poor Man's Pudding and Rich Man's Crumbs." Journal of American Studies 6 (1972): 69-83. Zanger, Jules. "Speaking of the Unspeakable: Hawthorne's The Birth-Mark." Modern Philology 80.4 (1983): 364-71.