Life and Crimes of Harry Lavender Essay Example for Free

Life and Crimes of Harry Lavender Essay The Life and Crimes of Harry Lavender is crime novel about contemporary Australian life, written with all the ambiguity and moral sophistication of most â€Å"who dun-nits . It looks like crime, and sounds like crime, and sells like crime, but it’s Literature! Its Opening is a subversion of the genre a reversal of expectation as we are duped into believing this is your typical male private eye (P. I. ). The role reversal a female in a traditional male dominated field; women can do everything men can do challenges the stereotypes of traditional crime fiction. Purpose: (themes, concerns, issues main ideas.) 1. To create a sense of place — Sydney. Marele Day had spent four years travelling the world and when she came back to Sydney recognised its special charm and atmosphere. She became determined to write a book about it and its special appeal. a) Find references to Sydney, favourable and unfavourable. * what aspects are emphasized? * In totality how does Day present Sydney? * what are the links with the past? * what is meant by the â€Å"facade of Sydney’? 2. Corruption and suspicion vs probity and trust. 3. Effect of technology — have we become dehumanised? Will technology take over from humans? * What is the relationship between humanity and technology? 4. Isolation — Most of the characters are isolated in one way or another. * Find as many examples of isolation as possible. * What overall comment is made about isolation? * Is there a connection between it and technology? II. TECHNIQUE 1. Day uses a lot of the technique of modern day films especially the â€Å"black and white† scenes on Harry Lavender. How is he portrayed? He is very detached and aloof. We the audience get to see and hear what Claudia is not privy to. Are these extracts from the book Mark Bannister was writing? 2. Comment on Claudia Valentine’s PhrasingÃ'Ž Claudia speaks in the manner of a hard-boiled worldly wise Private Investigator (P. I. ). slick, glib, swaggering, at times sassy (cheeky) and sometimes tongue in cheek. â€Å"Live fast, die young, and leave a good looking corpse† (22) â€Å"I was changing cars more often than I changed my underwear† (101) â€Å"But it’s one â€Å"It’ll be dead end if you don’t. Now move† (162) Word Play Double entendre (meaning) â€Å"It must have been a plant. † â€Å"A lavender plant. † (126) â€Å"Terminal illness† (6, 17, 20, â€Å"Alter, (141 â€Å"curse, cursor (143 heart ( 55, â€Å"waiting for the developers to give them a new lease of life, or maybe just a new lease. † (69) Humour â€Å"wit† â€Å"I wait for bald men to pass by and ash on their heads (23) one of the former and two of the latter, and the former is former† her reply to Steve regarding her marital status. ( 27) â€Å"You put it away, Otto, you don’t know where it’s been. † â€Å"That’s the trouble,† he moaned, it hasn’t been anywhere lately. (53) social commentary â€Å"Divorced? † â€Å"Isn’t everyone? † (27) â€Å"I had made a mistake getting into a car with a law-abiding policeman† â€Å"You young folk are always in a hurry,† she said managing a smile. (45) â€Å"pollution and syringes (54), women (54), fast food (68)Ã'Ž

English: The Official Language?

English: The Official Language? For better or for worse, like it or not, English is in effect the official language of the planet. It is the most commonly used language of international commerce, politics, science, diplomacy, and the most commonly used language on the Internet. It is a lingua franca, or vehicular language, i.e. a language spoken and utilized outside of the country or countries of its origin, as opposed to a vernacular language, i.e. a language spoken within and amongst native speakers in the country of origin. English, like other lingua franca of the past, is often used as a second language to effect common communication for a specific purpose (such as diplomacy) between people for whom the lingua franca is not their first language. For example, French was once the lingua franca of diplomacy up until around World War I, only to be supplanted by English; scientists themselves declared English to be their lingua franca in a 1989 article in The Scientist magazine bluntly entitled The English Language: The Lingua Franca Of International Science. One may view the domination and global use of English as linguistic and cultural imperialism, and indeed we shall explore this notion further, but the simple fact is that the situation is unlikely to change any time soon. It is everywhere. Some 380 million people speak it as their first language and perhaps two-thirds as many again as their second. A billion are learning it, about a third of the worlds population are in some sense exposed to it and by 2050, it is predicted, half the world will be more or less proficient in it. (The Economist, 2001). It is thus in the best interest of citizens and governments of any nations that wish to participate on the global stage economically, politically, scientifically, etc., to embark upon official programs to ensure that people have the opportunity to learn English; in fact, it may be argued that the teaching of English should be mandatory in such nations. While there are cultural drawbacks to the institutionalized teaching of English in non-ENL countries, the benefits seem to outweigh the drawbacks, and we shall explore both as well. To understand the merits of education in English, as well as its drawbacks and the practical requirements therein, we must first understand something of the merits of the English language itself, the historical circumstances and cultures that spawned it, and why it continues to be durable and vital as a universal language. The global influence and power of the British Empire, and then subsequently the United States as the British Empires scope gradually eroded, is primarily responsible for the primacy of English as a de facto official international language. Latin, once the lingua franca for most of Europe, was gradually supplanted in the 17th and 18th century as global exploration and colonization; for a time, scholars and clerics who regularly traveled across the boundaries of national languages continued to use Latin and their lingua franca. But as knowledge of Latin declined and the rise of merchant and professional classes produced travelers unschooled in Latin,people sought alternative means of international communications. (Graddol,2000, p. 6) The victory of the Allies in World War II cannot be underestimated in terms of representing a huge step in cementing the destiny of English as the language eventually destined to be the universal language of the globe. The only two potential rivals at the time were French, mostly due to historical inertia, and German, mostly due to the astonishing rise to military and economic power of Nazi Germany in the 1920s and 1930s. Had the U.S. not lent its economic and military might to defeat the Germans and the Japanese, English might be a quaint relic of the planets short-lived experiment in democracy. Had Hitler won World War II and had the USA been reduced to a confederation banana republics, we would probably today use German as a universal vehicular language, and Japanese electronic firms would advertise their products in Hong Kong airport duty-free shops in German. (Eco, 1995, p. 331) Unlike almost every other major nation that fought in World War II, the United States emerged with its economy not only intact, but also thriving. It was therefore no surprise that the United States took the lead in forming and administering institutions to aid the reconstruction and reintegration of Europe, Japan, and many other regions of the world. In short order, English-speaking nations were also exporting their culture, not simply their goods and goodwill. The ongoing hegemony that the United States and Britain enjoy in terms of cultural communications film, television, books, music, etc., helps perpetuate the influence and staying power of English as an official language. Even such cultural communications that are translated into the native languages of individual countries are not immune to the Englishness of the communications, i.e., the distinctly American and/or British cultural elements that inform the language of the communications and therefore necessarily survive any competent translation and are inculcated into the minds of the listener/viewer/reader. In ways too intricate, too diverse for socio-linguistics to formulate precisely, English and American-English seem to embody for men and women throughout the world -and particularly for the young the feel of hope, of material advance, of scientific and empirical procedures. The entire world-image of mass consumption, of international exchange, of the popular arts, of generational conflict, of technocracy, is permeated by American-English and English citations and speech habits. (Steiner, 1975, p. 469) Other than the cultural, military, and political hegemony of the British Empire and of the United States, what might account for the staying power of English as a lingua franca? From a linguistic perspective, English is hardly the most sensible choice for a quasi-official global language. English, simply put, is not the most efficient and consistent language. English is an irregular and fractured language comprised of influences from Latin and Celtic, and later Scandinavian and Norman French tongues. Its syntax, construction, verb conjugation,spelling, and other grammatical constructions, etc., are riddled with maddening inconsistencies that at times befuddle even native speakers, to say nothing ofthose who struggle for years to master it as a second language. English lacks the simplicity and consistency of the Romance languages to the extent that it varies from its Latin and French influences, though it is certainly easier to learn and utilize than some Asian tongues. However, these same elements that make English a flawed language are also believed by many linguists to be strengths that assist in the durability and adaptability of English; it has historically adapted to and incorporated language influences with ease that it has encountered from around the globe. English has always been an evolving language and language contact has been an important driver of change Some analysts see this hybridity and permeability of English as defining features, allowing it to expand quickly into new domains and explaining in part its success as a world language. (Graddol, 2000, p. 6) As English owes its existence to the fact that it absorbs, not rejects new linguistic and cultural influences, its inherently hybridized nature makes it all the easier for English to assimilate characteristics of other cultures and languages, instead of reject them or demand they conform to some sort of rigid structure. As the rules of English are a bit fast and loose, English is well-suited to evolve on the fly. There are a variety of challenges facing both those who wish to learn English as a second language and those who wish to teach it. Some of these challenges are cultural, some are practical, but the utilization of English by non-native speakers in non-ENL nations is never as simple a matter as it might seem. Culturally speaking, some aspiring English speakers may feel pressure from the more traditional and/or conservative members of their own cultures to resist what they may label as American cultural imperialism, the decadent influence of consumer capitalist values from the West that are transmitted through theEnglish language. To embrace these values at the expense of ones own language and culture is frowned upon in many conservative cultures, for example, particularlyin fundamentalist Muslim cultures which have suffered from seriously strained relations with the United States in the past six to ten years. Often, proficiency in one or more indigenous or native tongues will co-exist, mingle, and/or exist in hierarchal forms of usage with English. The acquisition of English skills does not necessarily lead to the supplanting or replacement of the native tongue with English; the choice of which language to speak is often context- and audience-dependent. For example, in some cases speakers will employ code-switching, in which two participants in a conversation, who know both English and a local vernacular language, will switch back and forth between the two tongues as a means of negotiating and navigating their relationship, in some cases even alternating back and forth between languages within the same sentence. Graddol (2000) outlines some fascinating examples, including a situation in which a young job seeker enters an office in Nairobi, Kenya, seeking employment. The vernacular language in question is Swahili; the young man commences his job inquiry with the owner of the establishment by speaking in English. The Kenyan manager of the office, however, insists on using Swahili, thus denying the young mans negotiation of the higher status associated with English. (Myers-Scotton, 1989, p. 339) Their conversation goes as follows: Young Man: Mr Muchuki has sent me to you about the job you put in the paper. Manager: Uitumabarua ya application? [Did you send a letter of application?] Young Man: Yes,I did. But he asked me to come to see you today. Manager: Ikiwaulituma barua, nenda ungojee majibu. Tutakuita ufike kwa interviewsiku itakapofika. [If youve written a letter, then go and wait for a response.We will call you for an interview when the letter arrives.] (pause) Leo sina lasuma kuliko hayo. [Today I havent anything elseto say.] Young man: Asante.Nitangoja majibu. [Thank you. I will wait for the response.] (Graddol, 2000,p. 13) The managerasserts his authority as both manager and adult in a position that commandsrespect, and he utilizes his insistence on the vernacular tongue to indirectlycommunicate this authority and demand for respect from the young man. Theyoung man is shrewd enough a native speaker of Swahili to grasp the subtext ofthe exchange, which is in essence a command to show proper deference and notwalk into a shop trying to exploit the connection with a mutual Kenyan friendby speaking English. It is not that the manager does not speak English; hedoes, but he insists on a certain element of cultural integrity by insisting onSwahili. The young man picks up on this, and therefore switches to Swahili tobid the manager farewell and tacitly submits to the shopkeepers authority byconforming to his wishes. Had the young man entered the office and spokenSwahili, he might have been granted an interview on the spot, though it ispossible the boy meant no disrespect and in fact wished to display hiseducati on by speaking English. In any case, this example shows thefascinating, multi-layered cultural and personal interchanges that go on duringcode-switching. (Note also that the manager chooses to use the English termsfor interview and application, perhaps because there is no directequivalent in Swahili, or perhaps to illustrate his own ability with English asa point of both pride and warning.) As further examplethat the finding of linguistic common ground is not the cure-all forcommunications difficulties, we now turn to the topic of how speakers interactwhen they share only one language in common, i.e., English, instead of sharingin common speaking ability in both English and their own native, vernacularlanguage. Graddol (2000) provides us with another scenario from the studies ofFirth (1996), in which international phone calls between Dutch and Syrian goodstraders were analyzed to see how the respective parties interacted in English.In some cases, where one speaker is less proficient than the other, the formerwill employ a conversational strategy termed let it pass, in which the lessproficient speaker will mask his lack of understanding of what is being said bythe other by delaying a request for clarification, in hopes that what the firstspeaker said will become understood as the conversation continues. Onehumorous exchange went as follows, in which a Dane (D) and Syrian (S) discussan order of cheese that had gone awry. S: So I told himnot to send the cheese after the blowing in the customs. We dont want theorder after the cheese is blowing. D: I see, yes. S: So I dontknow what we can do with the order now. What do you think we should do withall this blowing, Mr Hansen? D: Im not uh(pause) Blowing? What is this, too big, or what? S: No, thecheese is bad Mr Hansen. It is like fermenting in the customs cool rooms. D: Ah, its goneoff! S: Yes, itsgone off. (Graddol, 2000,p. 13) What this exampledemonstrates is that an entire skill set and mode of sub-communication developsbetween non-native speakers who do not have another frame of reference incommon, i.e., the same vernacular language, further complicating theutilization of English in business and/or commerce situations. There are alsonumerous practical considerations that affect the utilization of English,particularly in teaching it to non-ENL speakers. For example, which versionof English should be taught? Despite the extensive global use of English, itis far from a homogenous language spoken and written in the precisely samemanner in each country. English, as befitting its history, is a language ofmany diverse dialects; British English is different from American English,largely in pronunciation, accent, and certain vocabulary words, and American Englishitself is sub-divisible into any number of different sub-dialects, includingBlack/African-American English, which in its purest form is so unique inaccent, grammar, and slang that it is almost completely unintelligible to manynative English speakers, to say nothing of speakers of English as a secondlanguage (ESL). The numerouschallenges presented by English pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary may alsoserve as a roadblock for both students and teachers. The difficulty ofteaching the ambiguities of unstressed vowels, consonant phenomes, and stresstiming is considerable. English grammar and verb conjugation is extremelyirregular, requiring a considerable amount of rote memorization, instead of theapplication of logical and consistent rules, as found in Romance languages(Spanish and French rely on a consistent set of 13 verb tenses with largelyregular characteristics; English does not.) English vocabulary also requires a large amount of rote memorization, as the innumerable linguistic influences from which English draws its unusually large lexicon make it difficult to extrapolate and create words from basic linguistic structures as a speaker of Spanish can do. For example, the Spanish words pertaining to meat are all rooted in the Latin word carnivorus, whereas in English, they are not: carne = meat; carnicero = butcher; carnicerÃÆ'Â ­a = a store where meat is sold. For Spanish speakers, learning the underlying root word of a concept means the speaker should have little trouble deducing how to say related words; in English, there is no such consistency and therefore the barriers to effective learning and usage are high. On the other hand,there are inherent flaws in other major world languages, for which Englishprovides a natural compensation. One such example is Japanese, an ancient andbeautiful language rich in complexity and the capacity for subtlety and nuanceof expression, but also notorious -for those same reasons for itsinefficiency and lack of clarity when it comes to matters of politics, law,debate, and decision-making. In 1999, one of the most influential Japanesenewspapers, Asahi Shimbun issued a hotly debated call for English to beadopted as the official language of Japan, citing advantages ranging from theobvious greater Japanese ability to participate in science, internationaltrade, politics, etc. to the unusual, i.e., the newspaper asserted that theuse of English would in fact strengthen the usage of Japanese, whose linguisticweaknesses, the paper asserted, played a large part in the inefficiency of thegovernment. Quoting Yoshio Terasawa, a former director of Japans Economic Planning Agency, former member of the House of Councilors, and former president of Nomura Securities U.S. division, the newspaper delivered a stinging indictment of its own native language and recommended the usefulness of English when it came to decision-making in business and government: Japanese is fullof vague expressions, so people rarely talk in terms of black and white and itis very easy to blur responsibility. It is an everyday occurrence forgovernment ministers to spend 10 minutes answering a question in the Diet [theJapanese Parliament] without actually saying anything. But if Diet memberscould put their questions in English, it might be possible to do away with thenon-committal bureaucratic language that is too wishy-washy to translate intoEnglish. People wouldnt be able to fudge the issues any more, and not just inpolitics. (Kinomoto, 1999) The article wenton to remark, with some astonishment, that the expected outcries of culturalimperialism and the imminent demise of the celebrated individuality andindependence of the Japanese culture, were few and far between. The Japanesehave yet to make English their official language, unsurprisingly given theirhistoric national pride, but the open advocacy of the virtues of English usagewas remarkable. In the end, theutilization of English as a lingua franca second language has clear benefits.While the potential obliteration of cultural diversity worldwide, a constantsource of worry and debate, seems valid, one only need look as far as theexample of the Swahili-speaking office manager to see that indigenous speakersare finding ways for English and their own vernacular languages to co-exist,even with a bit of unease. So the challenge becomes not so much about whetheror not English is of neutral or positive benefit; it self-evidently is; butrather how to go about navigating the parallel use of English with otherlanguages across the globe, both augmenting the strengths of and compensatingfor the weaknesses of local cultures and local tongues. BIBLIOGRAPHY/ REFERENCES Fennell, Barbara. A History of English:A Sociolinguistic Approach, Blackwell Publishing, 2006. Garfield, Eugene. The English Language:The Lingua Franca Of International Science, The Scientist Magazine,1989, 3(10):12, 15 May 1989. The Triumph of English: A World Empire byOther Means, The Economist, 20 December 2001. Graddol, David. The Future of English?The British Council, 1997, 2000. Eco, U. The Search for the PerfectLanguage. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 1995. Graddol, David, Dick Leith JoanSwann. English : History, Diversity and Change London: Routledge, 1996. FBailer, R. M. Gorlach,(eds.) Englishas a World Language. Ann Arbor: Michigan University Press, 1982. Myers-Scotton, C. Code Switching withEnglish: Types of Switching, Types of Communities, World English, Vol.8, No. 3., pp. 333-46. Kachru, B.. The Alchemy of English.Pergamon Press, 1982. Trudgill, P. J. Hannah. InternationalEnglish: A Guide to Varieties of Standard English, Arnold Publishers, 1982. Kinomoto, Keusuke. Should English Be Madethe Official Language? Asahi Shimbun, 29 August 1999.

Portrayal Of Women In Hip Hop Songs English Literature Essay

Portrayal Of Women In Hip Hop Songs English Literature Essay Disrespecting and Violent Attitude toward Women. It has been around three decades since hip hop emerged on the American cultural scene. The music genres which are associated with hip hop cultural phenomenon, especially gangsta rap and R B are believed to define street youth culture. These two hip hop music subgenres seem to be more influential than the other as there is more emphasis put on lyrical content than the music itself. The abundance of explicit words and messages in the songs makes them also controversial. Before listening to gangsta rap songs, one must be prepared most of all to hear extremely explicit language. The great number of derogatory terms embedded in the song lyrics is especially disturbing as they are greatly addressed to women women of colour in particular. Most of the cases involve name calling and violent attitude directed more likely at women in general than a particular person. Women in those songs are mostly placed in a sexual context and called e.g., bi tch, whore, hoochie, slut. Promoting violent sex theme was well documented in the Kubrin and Weizers research on the sample of 403 Amercian hip hop songs produced throughout the 1992-2000 but also noted in other articles/books etc. on the songs from the period 1987 1993.  [1]  The scholars have found that the main purpose of such songs is to justify violence against women and make it a legitimate tool of social control.  [2]  In such a view hip hop music promotes a set of gendered norms and enforces sanctions for those who do not abide those set up rules. Eminems song Kill You,  [3]  for example, describes women as vile, venomous, volatile bitches. Many other popular rappers, like Redman, Outcast, degrade women to being a chickenhead coined by association with giving oral sex. Whilst such terms are commonly perceived as pejorative, there are instances they may sound somewhat positive. One of the most successful rappers, Ludacris, in his hit song Pimpin All Over the Wor ld raps: I used to think that it was way too cold, til I went to Canada and saw some beautiful hoesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ã‚  [4]  And according to Ja Rule every thug needs a down ass bitch  [5]  , i.e. a girl who is tough, and demonstrates her solidarity with her man and the gang they belong to. While these terms may not carry derogatory connotations in these songs, women are still positioned here within the sexual perspective. Interesting to notice is a fact that offensive terms aimed towards men are usually words with feminine connotation (bitch, pussy): Im slick and slippery/ On a high-speed chase all the way to the victory. / Yall niggaz is stone cold mysteries. / Too weak, cant stand in the ring with me. / Put a pussy back in his place, straightlaced.  [6]  It also seems like to humiliate women goes hand in hand with getting respect from the other men. Men are referred to be pimps who can get a lot of hoes. (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) Legalize pimpin for all the pleyas, puttin fine a ss bitches in the streets and the hood.  [7]  While in most of the songs degrading women motif would appear randomly throughout the song, there are also cases in which that would be the main theme. The best example is Too $horts Aint Nothing Like Pimpin: Aint nothing like a mother fucking bitch! / You nasty, once a month bleeding, mother fucking, nasty ass, mother fucking bitch! / I hate your mother fucking ass. To justify their attitude towards women, many rappers give many reasons for doing so, such as women being too shallow: We couldnt get no play from the ladies. / With seven niggas in a Nav [Navigator] is you crazy?/ So we all said fuck you bitch and kept rolling.  [8]   Sometimes verbal disrespecting turns into violent threatening. According to Kubrin and Weizer aggression towards women appeared in almost 18 percent of the hip hop songs analyzed by them.  [9]  Extreme hostility towards women represent the songs of Eminems where he attacks his relatives, especially his mother and ex wife in Under the Influence : all bitches is hoes, even my stinkin ass mom.  [10]  He even threatens to kill them: Bitch Ima kill you! / You dont wanna fuck with me. / Girls leave you aint nuttin but a slut to me. He also seems to be perfectly aware of the fact his lyrics cause controversy. In the same song he admits to that: Oh, now hes raping his own mother/abusing a whore, snorting coke/ and we gave him the Rolling Stone cover? (Eminem, Kill you)  [11]   Violence covers a broad spectrum in hip hop. Not only is it perceived as a legitimate tool of manipulation between men but also serves as an answer for disobedience of women. Such insubordination is interpreted in many ways. According to the rapper Dr. Dre: snobby-ass bitches get slapped out of spite.  [12]  Another popular performer Mase warns his potential sex victims to get tested on sexually transmitted diseases beforehand or else: If she make my nuts itch, I kill that slut bitch.  [13]  Eminem seems to have issues with women in general and promotes violence as the only communication means between men and women. Usurping and assuming power on women in hip hop songs are often represented by descriptions of rough sex: Hit you with the dick, make your kidneys shift/ Im guaranteed to fuck her till her nose bleed.  [14]  Kubrin and Weizer noted four recurring instances of violence in the American gangsta rap songs. Rappers pride themselves on sex acts that are harmful to women. They justify other acts of violence and threaten women who try to defy male supremacy. They also seem to encourage other men to resort to violence acts whenever they find it suitable. Violence seems to be the most appropriate response to women who abuse such gendered protocol, i.e. dont know their place. Women as Sexual Objects The notion of sexual objectification means that a person is perceived through the prism of physical attractiveness with disregard to the persons intellectual abilities.  [15]  Kubrin and Weizer, in their paper on the misogyny in rap music stated that sexual objectification of women was noted in 67 percent of the songs analyzed.  [16]  The main conclusion drawn from these lyrics is that women are only good to satisfy mens sexual pleasures. The title of one of the N.W.A songs, Findum, Fuckum, and Flee. may serve as creed of the street code, according to which mens goal would be pursuit of pleasure and sexual exploitation of women.  [17]  Puff Daddys intentions are brazenly blatant in: Call me Sean if you suck, call me gone when I nut. / Thats the end of us, get your friend to fuck  [18]  . While his fellow rapper, Too $hort, honestly admits the only thing he would try to get from women is sex without strings attached: I aint Romeo, Prince Charming, or a knight in shinin g armor./ Im only out to fuck a bitch, fuck tryin to charm her. I treat a fine ass bitch like dirt./ No money in her purse, a fuck is all its worth./ Cause Short Dawgll never cater to you hoes./ And if you aint fuckin, I say later to you hoes.  [19]   A pretty disturbing fact surfaced in this Xzibits song. Judging by the lyrics, women are considered to be mens property: You got titties and ass./ But I got a dick and some cash./You aint talkin bout shit./ Then Ima smash, bitch./ On three, on me, bitch, you my property.  [20]  This brings back to life one of the atrocities of slavery, when black women were often forced to keep exploitive sexual relations with their slave masters in exchange for better treatment, food, or simply to satisfy the oppressors urge.  [21]  It seems that even though the American society has come a long way from the times of slavery, black women are nowhere near to being treated as free, independent individuals. As the American culture critic bell hooks points in her book Aint I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism, that black women in America have been oppressed from the seventeenth century till today by white men, black men as well as white women. She argues that women of colour have been omitted by the white feminist movement as well as the civil rights movement. The author perceives feminist movement as being a white middle and upper class struggle which showed no interest in issues of women of colour. Black women found themselves trapped into confines both gender and race. Thus, they have never been liberated from the institutionalized sexism patriarchy, and racism. Additionally, in bell hooks opinion the Black Power movement was both patriarchal, misogynistic. As much as it aimed to overcome racial divisions it also sought to reinforce the sexist ones.  [22]  Black male attitude towards their female counterparts presented in number of hip hop songs manifests their pursuit to keep women subordinate. Nowadays many rappers often express how they would put women in the right spot, as Too $hort: Hoes be nothin but slaves for me, / ready to go to their graves for me. (Too $hort, Pimp Me)  [23]  , or Xzibit: (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) Im hard on my hoes thats how it goes./ Bitch, get up off your toes, and get my six-four [Chevrolet] (Xibit, Pussy Pop).  [24]   Daniel Patrick Moynihan, an American politician and sociologist, in his report The Negro Family: The Case for National Action, also known as Moynihan Report, released in 1965 analyzed the data from the U.S. department of labor and drew a conclusion that black women had significant advantages over the black men to be employed thus they could provide for the family more effectively. He also suggested that the traditional African American household is ruled by the matriarchal and emasculating women, an archetypical Mammy, which would imply that black men were symbolically castrated by their female counterparts. In order to stop degradation of the Negro family, black men need to seek the ways to restore their manhood.  [25]  The lyrics of contemporary hip hop songs suggest that by degrading women, rappers may seek to regain their manhood. They suggest that the only desirable image of a black woman is the promiscuous and oversexed one as in Redmans: I turn an independent woman back in to a hoochie.  [26]  Notorious B.I.G. humiliates educated girls: I like em educated, so I can bust off on their glasses.  [27]  These stereotypical images have their roots in the times of slavery in America. Southern white males would consider black men and especially women as possessed by their hypersexuality. The reason for such supposition might be cultural differences between Western Europe and Africa of the time. European travelers who visited Africa were often stunned to see semi nude native black women and commonly accepted polygamy. Nakedness in that time was perceived as a manifestation of indecency. The travelers embraced such a shocking experience by assuming that all black women are promiscuous by nature. They contrast between the clothed Victorian ladies and naked native African women may have prompted assumptions that white women, on the contrary to black women, are civilized and sexually pure. Hence the symbol of black women reinforced by such depiction was Je zebel.  [28]  It seems that African American women could not escape from the image of an instinctively promiscuous Jezebel assigned to them back in the slavery era. Stereotypes that were set at that time still affect black women nowadays. What is more, the stereotype of a seductive and lewd black woman has been perpetuated by their male counterparts. As the Jezebel image applied to black slave women might have been a way to justify maltreatment they were given, such reasoning applies also today.  [29]  Another justification for disrespecting women may be a fierce peer pressure on young men in ghettos. Male promiscuity is highly valued there.  [30]  Casual sex with no commitment gets a man proud patch of a player, proves of his masculinity and helps to get respect from the others: I had niggas making bets like, did he fuck her yet?/ Ask her did he touch her bra, when I say nah they say ahh / So tomorrow I use that pressure to undress her.  [31]  The Kubrins research s hows that bragging about sexual achievements was present in 58 percent of the songs.  [32]  Most of it implied how easy for a player is to talk a girl into having sex: You see I order one bottle, then I fuck with one model/ Then I order more bottles, now I/ got more models/ Im from that city where them niggaz dont play mayn/ I take a chick to my/ room like caveman/ So ask your girlfriend my name (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦).  [33]   Women are also treated as a symbol of achievement. Having a lot of casual sex proves that you are either a player or have a lot of money. As these seem to be the only means of getting a girl into sexual intercourse in the ghetto: Say dog, what kinda nigga be on top of the world?/Million dollar status got me on top of ya girl.  [34]  Ability to sexually please a girl is perceived as a symbol of your high status. Below there is an example of how the rappers fondle their ego in that matter: While your bitch be crying please dont stop. . . I fuck her like I know you wont./ If thats your bitch, homeboy youd better keep her Cause she wont stay off my beeper.  [35]  The female is used here just to partake in a sexual competition between men. Women cannot be granted any respect from the rappers, as they are described to be as much interested in heavy drinking, sex, and money as men. The only difference here is that a man will be positively referred to as a player or a pimp but a girl will be always called a bitch. Lyrics imply that if a girl is being promiscuous and greedy it also justifies the maltreatment she receives from men as in hit song The Gangsta, the Killa, and the Dope Dealer: All on the grass [marijuana], every bitch passed [out]/ A first not last, when we all hit the ass.  [36]  Women are treated as a commodity which can be consumed, used, passed to someone else and given out: I know the pussys mines, Ima fuck a couple more times/ And then Im through with it, theres nothing else to do with it./ Pass it to the homie, now you hit it/ Cause she aint nuthin but a bitch to me.  [37]   Prostitutes are the classic example of sexual objectification and exploitation. Such image of a woman is to be expected in hip hop music since it has emerged out of ghetto setting. This theme has been found present in one-fifth of the songs analyzed by Kubrin and Weizer.  [38]  Prostitution and pimping are celebrated by rappers and classified as a justifiable means of economic achievement.  [39]  These themes do not seem to be taken into consideration by any other music genre. Some rappers to get more credibility claim to have been a real life pimps ( Ice- T, Snoop Dogg, Jay-Z, K-Luv). Pimping has a broader meaning in hip hop than just managing prostitutes. To pimp something can mean to sponsor it or to accessorize it. The term pimp is often used as a substitute for player, a man who mastered in seducing women or hustlers who show off with their nouveau riche assets  [40]  . This kind of a pimp chic imagery is a popular topic among rappers. Some even devote the whole song s to glamorize such lifestyle: The fancy cars, the women and the caviar. /You know who we are/cuz were pimpin all over the world.  [41]  There is also a number of rap songs in which we can find a lot of references to the standard definition of a pimp man who headhunts and employs prostitutes. Kubrins research takes into account this standard definition and notes that this theme was detected in 20 percent of the misogynistic songs.  [42]  Most of them contain the same message that women are good only to sell sex and men can usurp the right to access to their bodies: No need for rest haven these hoes Lets show em what they pussy made fo Lets me and you lay in these hoes And show em what they pussy made foà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ . Lets leave without payin these hoes And show em what they pussy made fo.  [43]   Such images are present even in RNB which is supposed to be focused more on the rhythm and music than less abundant in explicit lyrical content: Ace mizzy get all the hoes. /Gonna teach them shit they want to know. / Like fuck that pussy ass 9-4 girl./ Make that bucket a pot of gold.  [44]  These lyrics convey extremely disturbing misogynistic messages especially that hip hop aspires to be considered as a true voice of the urban ghetto. In that case, judging by the lyrics, the ghetto seems to inhabit pimps, pimps in training and prostitutes. While women are being described as sexual objects, men get the message to cherish the life of a pimp. Women seem to be painted with the same brush and not considered as an individual human beings. The only interaction between these two parties boils down to a scenario of what a pimp would do to a prostitute. Women Not to Be Trusted Another piece of advice, recurring in many hip hop songs, is the one that a man has to be careful of whom they put trust in. And women seem to be the least trustworthy. According to Kubrin and Weizer almost half of the misogynistic songs exposed such attitude of distrust towards women.  [45]  Another fact worth noticing here is that the lack of trust is directed at all women with no exception. All women in general are considered tricky evil creatures. For some rappers a question How could you trust a ho?  [46]  is rather a rhetorical one. Others unveil specific reasons why they cant trustem. In a song byà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ a young girl is not only promiscuous but also will surely lie to you about her age which will get you in trouble and most likely put you in prison: See nowadays man you got to know these bitches age/ Cause they ass be real fast when they be goin through that phase. / You fuck a girl thats young, and you gonna end up in the cage.  [47]  Women solidarity is c riticized. There will be no point in defending yourself as the mother will be on her little girls side: Cause her mom aint tryin to hear that you never knew her age.  [48]  Not only do women stand up for one another but will also try to get some material compensation from you. Some rappers, like Nas, warn that it is a bad idea to force women into having sex, not because of the atrocity of this act, but rape accusation that may follow: Dont take the pussy, if she fightin/ Cause you saw what happened to Tupac and Mike Tyson./ Specially if you large [famous], some hoes is trife [petty]/ Get you on a rape charge, have you servin your life.  [49]  Despite being convicted of rape, a legendary boxer Mike Tyson and rapper Tupac Shakur, were considered as the most celebrated heroes of the hip hop generation in 1990s. This fact well illustrates the gender conflict of that generation. During and after the trial, many black male church leaders defended Tyson claiming that the whole proc ess was an attempt of the white supremacist to destroy a well-known black man. The president of the National Baptist convention in USA was suspected for offering a bribe to the Tysons complainant. For a substantial back male part of the society the issue was not about gender but about racism.  [50]  This example proves of an extreme solidarity within African American male society. Countless hip hop lyrics strongly reinforce the idea of conspiracy theory that is supposedly drawn by the evil system and women. Tyson was accused and sentenced for a date rape on 18- year-old Miss Black Road Island. Tupac Shakur heard the same charges from his groupie whom he forced to have a group sexual intercourse with. These two events may have influenced a number of hip hop artists who eagerly express a lot of distrust in beautiful women. Such attitude against beautiful women permeates throughout many hip hop songs. It seems to be more than certain these ladies will try to deceive you with their looks and take advantage of you in no time. They are considered by the rappers to be decoys for set up. There are number of songs which describe such procedure: You know they [women] might be the one to set me up. / Wanna get they little brother to wet [kill] me upà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦/ Bitches be schemin, I kid ya not. / Thats why I keep my windows locked and my Glock cocked.  [51]   Another way for women to set men up is to get pregnant. This seems to be not only the concern of the rappers, but also a common prejudice among the male in ghetto neighborhoods. Anderson states that to claim a child is against the street code of hit and run  [52]  . The rappers warn their male audience: Why plant seeds in a dirty bitch, waitin to trick me?/ Not the life for me.  [53]  Owning up to pregnancy means not only breech of the code but also commitment which is condemned by the peers. But the greatest concern of men would be paying child support: I aint lettin nothin leak cause if things leak, then Im a get caught/ And I cant get caught cause you know how they do it about that child support./ Shit, bitches is cold on a nigga who aint got his game tight/ Getting 18.5 percent [child support payments] half your life.  [54]  Generally speaking, collection of child support is a problem in the times of crisis, especially for unqualified African-American workers. A tough choice has to be made, whether to cater for your own needs or your childs. As the money for the children upbringing goes to their mothers pockets, the male frustration and resentment towards women grows. Being broke does not match the image of the self-proclaimed pimp or a player. No more player, no Shorty the Pimp I get paid, divert a check and get 40 percent. All the homies talkin bad, hair down, walkin sad Got the broad livin with me, baby sayin Dad!à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ I could try to mack again but the bitches wont want me Cause Im all washed up, broke, fat, and funky. I lost everything that I worked to be Never thought Id be a trick, payin hoes to serve me.  [55]   The lyrics make it obvious that women cannot be trusted because they are a hazard to men pimps. If they do not get you in prison or ridicule you in front of your peers and hinder your image of a thug, they well surely drain your pocket. And this is what rappers seem to be the most anxious about. Getting rich ( à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦or die trying by 50Cent)  [56]  seems to be the mostly frequent motive of all. And the streets seem to be filled with gold diggers on the prowl only interested in you because of your money: Watch the honeys check your style/ Worthless, when they worship, what you purchase./They only see ice [diamonds], not me, under the surface/Whats the purpose?  [57]  Gold Digger by Kanye West may serve as the best example of a song that describes a seductive, yet greedy woman who takes advantage of men.  [58]  This type of a woman is mostly feared by those men who climbed up the social ladder, became businessmen, or celebrities and like to show off their recently acquired wealth. They (who?) are considered to be the easiest targets as they feel no limits for dispensing money and boast about their affluence. She (who is she?) is described as a very tricky cutie the bomb. Once she has set her sight on her super rich male target, the first thing she will try to do is charm him by her gorgeous looks, and seduce him. She will try to blend in his elite circle to get to him. In no time she will make him spend money on her and her friends and he will do it just to impress her. And if you expect to get a chance with her you would better comply with the rules of her game. Her main goal is to secure her life with her preys money. If she fails to drag his feet down the aisle, she will get pregnant just to get secure her life with his money anyway. Oftentimes it happens that after eighteen years of paying the child support the baby turns out to be not his. Whilst men in hip hop songs do not see anything wrong in taking advantage of women, they seem to fe ar of getting such favor returned by them. Their concern is also not to get ridiculed in front of other men. If that happens, Kanye West gives them a self explanatory answer back: she aint messin wit no broke niggaz.  [59]  There is also a message to black women in general in the last stanza of this song. No matter if you are a gold digger or you are being a down to earth girl and stick to your man regardless of his material status, there is a bad ending for you anyway. If he is ambitious enough, he will get rich sooner or later. However when it happens, he will: leave your ass for a white girl. This suggests that white women are ranked higher than black women in the hip hop social hierarchy. According to the findings of the study on the he effect of images of African American women in hop hop on adolescents sleek hair texture and lighter skin tone would be considered as the main determinants of female attractiveness  [60]  . These traits would be most sought for by both mal e and female who participated in the survey. Also historically these features were used as measures of social, political and economic significance for African Americans. Those who resembled European Americans would be located higher in the American social strata.  [61]  Such supposition may have influenced the pursuit of white women by black men. The image of a strong, emasculating black woman versus a pure and submissive Vi

There are no Truly Victimless Crimes Essay -- essays research papers

A man chooses to take cocaine. He understands the risks he is taking, and he believes that taking the cocaine is worth the risk. Should he be allowed to take the drug? Or should the government force him to abstain from it, in his own interest? He is not hurting anyone but himself, so why should there be a law against it? This debate has raged since the beginning of civilization. J. S. Mill, in his Essay on Liberty, takes the position that is commonly accepted: the government should not interfere with matters that do not involve more than one person. These matters are often called "victimless crimes." Mill - along with the majority of people in today's world - claims that if a person commits a crime against his or herself, such as harming the body by taking certain drugs or suicide, the person should not be prosecuted. The argument is that no other person is affected. All involved parties consent to the arrangement, so they should be responsible for whatever happens. A few com mon victimless crimes are prostitution, taking harmful drugs, and suicide. These are perceived as having no negative effect on anyone but the people who agreed to accept the negative effects. In reality, all victimless crimes cause problems for other members of society. J. S. Mill did not understand that "victimless" crimes do not actually exist. Prostitution is one of the most debated of the victimless crimes, because the US has been "slow" in adopting it legally. Only ten Nevadian counties out of the entirety of the 50 United States have passed laws that legalize prostitution, while in Holland prostitution is a recognized occupation. Holland even has a union for prostitutes. It is argued by proponents of legalized prostitution that the business is ... ... cases, this can go so far as to cause suicide by a survivor, repeating the cycle. Besides those negative psychological effects, survivors of suicide usually experience some need to place blame. This can either be manifested in anger towards the suicidal person, to a third party that may have the blame placed on him, or on the survivor himself. It is very common for a survivor to feel self-loathing and to entertain the idea that there was something that could have been done to save the lost loved one. Suicide is not a victimless crime. These are only three of the "victimless crimes" that have been postulated by people such as J. S. Mill. While he may have had strong urges for social liberty, he never understood the fact that there is no such thing as a victimless crime. All crimes have a victim, and no amount of philosophy or political theory can change that.

Wife of Martin Guerre :: essays research papers

Throughout my travels I had always been mistaken for Martin Guerre, that is how I have come to be here today. He was always spoken about with such respect. A dignified young man, from a well respected peasant family, it was a let down to me that I myself was not a respected man like this Martin. As these occurrences continued to happen I began to wonder about his life, why such a well respected man could leave his wife and son behind, I had been told that he had left his family in Artigues for many years, and they were waiting for his return. His father had past on, and the farm was now waiting for their master. I had no place to go and thought that if I am mistaken so many times for martin then maybe I could go to his household, my intentions were not to stay even this long, but only enough to collect some gold and silver. Over the last few days I have been drawn to the loving and caring nature of this household. Built on strong foundations I have been welcomed back like a triumpha nt army from a great war. Praised for returning, as if nothing had happened.. The feast that was prepared was like none that I had seen before, all they would do was listen to the stories of my travels. This family did not about the eight years that had past, without notice or communication, but relief that the family is complete again. My past has not been one that I have been proud of. I have not been loyal to my family, nor my Kingdom. My family has put a lot of trust in me, but I have let them down, traveling with the wars from town to town. I know it upsets them, and I cannot return to them. I do not want to put some more false hope in their hearts, as I am sure that my past will catch up with me, and again let them down. I am also not one who has abided by the law in the past, committing crimes of theft from many as I pass by, not two weeks ago had I stolen from a man traveling on the same road as I. But since I have come to this caring and loving family, I have seen what I myself have neglected and betrayed in my home town.

A Comparison and Contrast of Ideas of Beauty

It has often been said that â€Å"beauty is in the eye of the beholder.† This may well be true, but many people, particularly women, have trouble seeing their own beauty, especially when they do not look just like everyone else.The three short stories that were assigned, â€Å"Beauty: When The Other Dancer Is The Self,† by Alice Walker, â€Å"Mirrors,† by Lucy Grealy, and â€Å"The Story of My Body,† by Judith Ortiz Cofer, all share the same premise. In each story, each young woman is faced with trials due to the way they look. The way that they choose to deal with these trials, however, is different for each one.â€Å"Beauty: When The Other Dancer Is The Self† is the story of Alice Walker’s life as a child. She thrived on being considered cute and â€Å"sassy.† At one point in the story, she even mentions that she was fond of staring at people, just so they would notice her and how beautiful she was. Unfortunately, all that changed wh en she was accidently shot in the eye with a BB pellet.She lost sight in that eye, and the eye formed a large white cataract that people would stare at and comment on. Walker refused to look anyone in the eye for years. She became extremely uncomfortable with the idea that she was no longer beautiful in the traditional sense, and her social and scholastic abilities suffered for it. When she was older, she had the chance to have the cataract removed, and nothing but a blue scar remained.This did wonders for her confidence, until she had a child of her own. She worried about what the child might think of her blind eye, but a television show featuring a blue globe gave the child the idea that her mother had a world in her eye. To the child, this was a wonderful thing. Walker, gaining acceptance from her child, was able to finally accept herself.â€Å"Mirrors,† by Lucy Grealy, is the story of the author’s battle with cancer of the jaw and the disfiguration it caused. Greal y was young when she had to have part of her jaw removed, so along with the normal trials of growing up, she was forced to deal with the pain of chemotherapy and the stares and taunts of insensitive children and adults.When the reconstruction of her face failed time after time, she gave up looking into mirrors. In fact, she avoided any shiny surface. She stayed in the library most of the time, reading books about the Holocaust and other dreadful times in history to make her pain seem less significant. When she finally had a chance to have work done on her face overseas, she jumped at the chance.She seemed to think that having a â€Å"perfect† face would solve all of her problems. Instead, the surgeries caused new problems. She had to have work done on the healthy side of her face to make a match, and she ended up looking nothing like what she thought she would. Not being able to reconcile with her new face, she ignored mirrors for a whole year. However, at the end of her stor y, she encountered a man who made her feel good about herself. Finally, she had the acceptance she needed to peak at her reflection in a window.â€Å"The Story of my Body,† by Judith Ortiz Cofer, tells the tale of what is was like for the young Cofer to grow up Puerto Rican. In her own society she was considered light skinned and tall. When she moved to the United States, she was considered dark and short. This instant change in the way people perceived her was very hard for the child to take.She got to the point where she no longer wanted to look at herself. She was an outcast at school, so much so that her parents had to send her to live with her grandparents in order to attend a different school. Unfortunately, things weren’t much better for her there. She was bone-thin at the age where most teenagers start to blossom.She was also considered â€Å"dirty† by white people, and was unable to date the boy she loved because his parents would not allow him to date a â€Å"dark† girl. However, Cofer excelled in school. It was the one thing that she could do right. When her good grades got her into college, she was in a different world where people found her â€Å"exotic† and beautiful. Being accepted came, oddly enough, by being different.These three stories have much in common. For instance, all three women gave up looking at themselves for various amounts of time. Being told that they were â€Å"ugly† and â€Å"dirty† took a toll on each one’s self esteem. Each woman had a physical problem. Walker had a discolored, blind eye, Grealy had a terribly disfigured face, and Cofer, along with being the exact opposite of the standards for beauty, had chicken pox scars all over her face.All of these reasons, although they vary in severity, were more than enough reason to make a young woman want to hang her head. No one ever said that the teenage and young adult years were easy, anyway. Perhaps the most important thi ng that they all had in common was the need for something to better their perceptions of themselves. For Walker, it was her child. Once she had acceptance from her little one, she was free to face the world.For Grealy, it was having lunch with a man who did not seem disgusted or turned off by her deformities. His attitude towards her was enough to make her want to see what he saw in her. For Cofer, it was excelling in school and making it to college. There she found people who didn’t care if she was different, and some that actually seemed to like her better because she was different. She could finally think of herself as pretty again.The stories also have some contrasting themes. The types of suffering experienced by the women were vastly different. Although one can emphasize with Cofer over being picked last in gym and looking different, her suffering was much less than Grealy’s loss of a portion of her face or Walker’s loss of sight. The way that each woman o vercame her difficulties is also different. Cofer used her smarts and her mental ability to rise above those who tortured her. Walker was partially freed by having her cataract removed in order to look more â€Å"normal.†However, Grealy turned her back on her femininity for a while and withdrew into books, not wanting to accept the fact that she lived in the real world. She was perked up by the man mentioned above, but she fell into a sad life of drug addiction and eventual suicide. This is perhaps the largest contrast. While Walker and Cofer found their beauty, Grealy apparently never did.In conclusion, these three stories have a lot to teach us about our reaction to suffering. We should not hide ourselves away from the world because of our problems, but neither should we cause other people to want to hide away because of our stares and comments. Beauty is subjective. Magazines and movies would have us believe that only one kind of beauty is acceptable, but that is not the c ase.People who rise from adversity are often left with beautiful souls, and that is what we should look for in a person. All these women mentioned were beautiful because they persevered, and it is a shame that Grealy could not come to see herself in that light. If nothing else, these stories should show the reader that beauty really is in the eye of the beholder, and we should never do or say anything to steal another person’s beauty from them.

Administrative Law Rev Essay

Freedom of Information Act 1982 is entirely in the interest of public who can have access to various documents of government of Victoria and its public agencies for verification or for any other useful purpose.   The sole objective of FOI Act is to bring awareness among public whether the functioning and operations of government are in order   and how public analyze the same. Section 22 provides about the charges to be paid for having access to specific documents.   The section provides technical details of payment of fee that is calculated with time that is taken for search of documents.   This is particularly due to the fact that   the time taken for search of documents may vary depending on the date of publication of document. This is also in order to reduce the payment of fee to be paid by public.   All sectors of public may not afford to pay high rate of fees for having access to government documents.   In view of such as these reasons, hourly rate and time taken for search of documents has been included in this section. The section also covers transcription (h)   and routine requests (g)   and in case of inspection of documents no charge shall be calculated (f) in pursuance of Section 8(1) or 11(1). Section 27 clearly states about reasons of refusal of documents by a Minister of state to that effect, applicant shall be informed about the reasons in writing.   This section is somewhat complicated with the fact that a minister or a government official is a servant of public and with that motive, public must be provided access to the documents which is the sole purpose of FOI Act. This section is likely to give rise to conflicts between and may bring a deep dissatisfaction to public. Some of the documents that contain health information are also restricted with the provisions of Health   Records Act 2001, which of these reasons are also to be stated to applicant.   Although there are clauses for applying of review of decisions, launch complain to Ombudsmen, it is both time consuming and   undecisive for applicants to move further with such grievances. Section 50 deals with applications for review which would be pending with Tribunal for decisions.   This may pertain to a request for document, charge made, decision for access, or any other specific request regarding information under FOI Act.  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Tribunal in all respects has to deal with each individual case, giving its due importance of provisions along with genuine reasons. This section is in favor of public, as Tribunal shall reconsiders and reviews the decisions and grants permissions to public in various aspects that are relevant to FOI Act. The Tribunal may refuse the decision of Minister or agency and give an order in favor of public. Those issues or requests for documents which were not considered by Minister, are very well resolved at Tribunal by applicants. Section 51 states that an applicant may apply to Principal officer or Minister for review of decision, which was given in the deemed absence within 28 days   for review of decision or refusing to give access to health documents as per Section 36 of Health Records Act 2001. This section offers powers and opportunities to public   for   reconsideration of requests for having access to documents.   Applicants have to be excessively vigilant in deriving the maximum benefit from the government bodies and officials.  Ã‚  Ã‚   This section is both useful for public and for principal officers to check the veracity of facts in all respects. Section 51A  Ã‚  Ã‚   deals with conciliation of Health Service Commissioner   which state that issues that were deferring in Section 50 and 51 in the matters of health documents, may suitably be taken up by applicant with this section and apply for Health Service Commissioner’s decision.   In case Health Service Commissioner fails to conciliate a request, to that effect an notice in writing must be issued to both applicant and Principal Officer. This appears as a last resort for applicant as the decision of Health Service Commissioner is the final approach for an applicant. Conclusion The enactment of FOI is made with a view of regularizing the functioning and to increase the   working efficiency of governments.   Apart from this fact, the public are also provided an in-depth knowledge about information and working status of governments. Although there are many technicalities involved in FOI Act, each section, sub-section and clause, a significance of reason is attached to it for the benefit of both public and governing bodies.