An act of courage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

An act of courage - Essay Example o researchers on behaviors working closely with the police administration, the results obtained have more to tell regarding the manner in which some families conduct themselves. According to Natasha, in the article Where are the Men?, results indicate that most of the children involved in crimes and drug trafficking are the ones brought up by single mothers. Additionally, another group of the children affected by this syndrome come from families where the father is inactive in playing the role of shaping his children in learning good morals and in become self reliant. Fatherless homes suffer from invasion from any outsider since the father figure is absent in such families. There is no complete love that children should draw from both parents. The mother is therefore left with a big burden that she cannot bear on her own. Later in life, I learnt that my first cousin, Johnson, engaged in drug and substance abuse due to lack a sound father in his life figure to emulate. Johnson had been reared by an industrious mother who would try her best in providing for her family. The cousin, by the name Johnson, cleared his junior school and instead of proceeding with studies, he opted to start his own business in the city. His initial business was a small shop selling clothing. The business succeeded and within four months he had registered a significant profit. Everyone in the family got amazed at the outstanding work of Johnson. After another three months, the performance of Johnson’s business started dropping, something that shocked everyone who had hope on him. The question on everyone’s mind was, "what could be wrong?" The poor performance was as a result of lack of sound business skills. Johnson did not know the concept of saving or even reinvesting. He used to spend almost every sale he makes. Johnson’s mother approached Johnson’s father requesting him to have a talk with the son, hoping that he would sustain the business. Shockingly, instead of addressing

Structure of Collagen Proteins

Structure of Collagen Proteins Collagen forms the majority of the protein that is found in mammalian organisms and constitutes 30% of the total protein mass of a human. By being used as a gibbet, collagen is utilized by body cells towards the molding of their surroundings. This eventually creates an atmosphere favorable for normal cell function as well as the development of the tissues. Apart from providing mechanical support, collagen have several ligands which improve the performance of factor receptors and integrins that can control cellular procedures such as cell union, cell migration commonly known as chemotaxis, remodeling of tissues, as well as the healing of wounds. Collagen comprises of between 25 and 35 percent of the total protein tissue present in a mammals body. The hair, connective tissues as well major connective tissues are made up of collagen. Collagen is structured into fibrous strands, precise to their role (Lamberg 226). Collagen is broken down into several sub-units known as tropocollagen. A Tropocollagen has a form of a triple helix attached to a hydrogen bond to form a polypeptide chain. A sample Collagen is predominantly made up of amino acids. It has high levels of proline and glycine alongside hydroxylysine and hydroxyproline. Vitamin C is essential during the building up process of collagens, although it is not a direct constituent of the amino acid chain. Currently, there are 29 known collagen types of fiber. The most prevalent in the body are the type 1, 2, 3 and 4. The type one collagen is present in all soft tissues inclusive of the internal organs, the bones and tendons as well as the skin. On the other hand, Type 2 collagen is found in the cartilage of the body structures while type 3 is common in reticular membranes and tissues. Additionally, Type 4 collagen is only found in the membranes of the cell basement. If the formation of collagen happens inside the cell, then the process is known as vivo formation. In this process, three peptide chains appear in the ribosomes all along the rough endoplasmic reticulum. On the contrary, if the collagen is formed outside the cell, then the method of formation is known as vitro formation. According to this process, Collagen is produced in a laboratory through manual procedures. One collagen is made up of a chain of five small tropocollagen molecules. The protein strand is made up of the ami no acid base. The staggered arrangement of Tropocollagen molecules permits them to adhere to adjoining strands and thus providing the fibers with additional strength (Murrieta 16). By designation, a collagen molecule is made up three ÃŽÂ ± chains also known as polypeptide chains and contains on the least, one domain having a repeating Gly-X-Y sequence in all of the essential chains (Myllyharju and Kivirikko 26). At present, all vertebrates are made up of at least 27 collagen types each having 42 distinct ÃŽÂ ± chain. A number of collagens make up homotrimers having three ÃŽÂ ± chains whereas others have two or even three distinct ÃŽÂ ± chains. The X and Y locations can contain any amino acid apart from glycine. Characteristically, proline is only available in the X spot with 4-hydroxyproline in the Y position. Whereas 4-hydroxyprolines are necessary for the solidity of the triple helix, glycines are essential for filling the three chains into a coiled-coil configuration. This formation is exemplified as a left-handed helix that is wound about a regular axis to form a triple helix with a one-dimensional right-handed superhelical pitch, producing the ultimate arrangement of a rope-like rod. Collagen Types With the aim of avoiding confusion, collagens are given roman numerals in the order that they have discovered. Whilst referring to the composition of a collagen, each of the three ÃŽÂ ± chains is initially quantified for chain number (1, 2, or 3) and thereafter the type of the collagen is identified. For instance, ÃŽÂ ±2 (I) refers to the second ÃŽÂ ± chain is type I whereas ÃŽÂ ±1 (II) refers to the first ÃŽÂ ± chain is type II collagen. Collagen division into families is made essentially by the apparatus and organization of matrix gathering. The following are the nine collagen families along with their respective types. fibril-forming (I, II, III, V, XI, XXIV and XXVII), fibril-associated collagens with interrupted triple helices (FACITs) positioned on the exterior of fibrils (IX, XII, XIV, XVI, XIX, XX, XXI, XXII and XXVI), hexagonal form (VIII and X), basement membrane forming (IV), beaded filaments (VI), affixing fibrils for basement membranes (VII), transmembrane domains (XIII, XVII, XXIII and XXV), and the family of type XV and XVIII collagens (Kivirriko 123). Definite collagens are articulated in a tissue definite approach, as depicted in types II, IX and XI that are set up almost entirely in cartilage, although type XVII is just found in skin hemidesmosomes. In addition, some collagen forms are ordinary in the majority of extracellular matrices, as in the case of type I. Furthermore, collagen fibrils that frequently comprise more than one kind of collagen. Such a type I collagen may also possesses smaller amounts of types III, V and XII. Additional heterogeneity in the super family may be as a result of unusual splicing of the records of several genes as well as the use of option promoters in a number of genes. Through the huge figure of structurally distinct members of the super family involves being caught up in numerous biological functions (Kadler 124). Collagen assembly Most of the collagens have a similar formulation procedure thats characteristically linked with type I. By starting inside the cell, three peptide chains are produced in ribosomes all along the Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum (RER). The chains formed are then referred to as preprocollagens and each one of them possess registration peptides on the end as well as a signal peptide. Upon completion, these peptide chains are then sent into the lumen of the RER somewhere they are slashed into their procollagen shapes. Whilst in the RER, the chains progress to undertake a chain of efficient changes. Initially, the lysine as well as proline amino acids are hydroxylated, a procedure that depends on ascorbic acid. Subsequently, precise hydroxylated amino acids are glycosylated, permitting the three chains to relate into a triple helical formation. Lastly, the procollagen is transported to the Golgi apparatus for packaging as well as secretion in a process known as exocytosis. The moment the collagen is outside the cell, it is again reordered into a functional matrix. listing peptides are sliced via procollagen peptidase, to form tropocollagen, which can which has the potential to aggregate itself and form collagen fibers. In the case of non-fibular collagen, the N- and C-propeptides remain in the cell where they assist in directing super molecular assembly. Following the formation of fiber, inter-chain cross-linking of collagen take place between lysine and hydroxylysine residues subsequent to deamination from lysyl oxidase (Kivirriko 123). Molecular Structure A collagen molecule also known as tropocollagen is a sub-unit of bigger collagen collection as in the case of fibrils. The molecule has a diameter of around 1.5nm and is 300nm long. It is made up of three polypeptide strand, each having left-handed helix conformation. In addition, the three left-handed helices are twisted collectively to form a right handed super helix, a joint quaternary structure alleviated by several hydrogen bonds. The association of type I collagen with possible fibrillar collagens to form a branded triple helix is referred to as microfibril. Every microfibril is interdigitated with its adjoining microfibrils to an extent that may propose that they are independently unbalanced even though within collagen fibrils they are so well structured to be crystalline. Since glycine is the least amino acid having no side chain, it has a unique responsibility in fibrous structural proteins. In the formation of collagen, Gly is essential at all third position since the assemblage of the triple helix holds this residue at the inner (axis) of the helix, wherever there is no gap for a larger side group than glycines sole hydrogen atom. For similar basis, the rings of the Pro and Hyp should point outward. The function of the two amino acids is to help stabilize the triple helix. Fibrillar Structure The tropocollagen subunits impulsively assemble itself with recurrently spread out ends, into even bigger arrays in the extracellular vacant places of tissues. In the case of fibrillar collagens, the molecules are spread out from each other by 67nm. Each and every D-period has 4 and fraction molecules of collagen. This is due to the fact that if you divide 300 by 67 doesnt yield a large integer. Therefore in each D-period duplicated of the microfibril, there exists a part having five molecules in a cross-section known as overlap. On the other hand, the part consisting of four molecules is known as the Gap. The triple-helices may also be prearranged in a hexagonal or quasi-hexagonal arrangement in section, both the overlap region and the Gap. Equally the gap and overlap regions (Xie 549). There exists a covalent is cross connections in the triple helices, as well as an amount of covalent cross connections involving tropocollagen helices outlining a well structured collection like fibrils. Bigger fibrillar bunches are produced with the support of numerous diverse categories of proteins as well as diverse collagen brands, proteoglycans and glycoprotein to shape the diverse kinds of fully-grown tissues from alternating blends of the similar major players. The insolubility of collagens has been a barrier to the research carried out on monomeric until it was discovered that tropocollagen from immature animals could be removed since by then, is it not yet completely cross connected. Nonetheless, progress in microscopy systems microscopy of electron (EM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) and the diffraction of X-ray have facilitated those doing research to acquire gradually more comprehensive figures of collagen configuration in situ. This afterward progress is predominantly significant to improved perception of the system in which collagen configuration influences communication in both intracellular and cell-matrix stages, and how tissues are build in development and restoration, and altered in growth and infection. For instance by means of AFM -based nanoindentation, researchers have been able to show that a particular fibril of collagen is a varied substance alongside its axial course with extensively diverse automatic functions in its fissure and partly covered areas, connecting with its diverse molecular associations in these two areas. The fibrils of collagen are partially crystalline collections of molecules made of collagen. Collagen fibers (filaments) are bunches of fibrils. Fibrils/ collections of collagen are prearranged in diverse arrangements and attentiveness in a variety of tissues to offer unstable tissue elements. In fillets, complete triple helices of collagen are positioned in a parallel, reeled display. Forty nm spaces involving the endings of the tropocollagen subdivisions-roughly equivalent to the breach section- almost certainly act as nucleation position for the deposition of long, hard, fine crystals of the mineral component, which is (approximately) hydroxyapatite, Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2 with some phosphate. It is in this way that certain kinds of cartilage turn into bone. Type I collagen gives bone its tensile strength. Prolyl 4-Hydroxylase (P4H) As formerly stated, hydroxylation of the Y-position proline residues is a critical modification for generating stable triple helical collagen. This modification is carried out in the lumen of the RER by the enzyme prolyl 4-hydroxylase (Tandon 199). The vertebrate forms of these P4Hs are ÃŽÂ ±2 ÃŽÂ ²2 tetramers in which the ÃŽÂ ² subunit is identical to the protein disulfide isomerase PDI (Myllyharju, 2003). Various isoforms of the catalytic a subunit have been found in organisms of varying size and complexity; from humans to Drosophila. Another family of P4Hs in the cytoplasm has been uncovered and has been linked to the regulation of the hypoxia-inducible transcription factor HIF. Cytoplasmic P4Hs have no PDI subunit, require different sequences flanking the prolines that are hydroxylated, and have markedly higher Km values (Kivirikko and Myllyharju 199). No overall amino acid sequence homology is detected between the collagen and the cytoplasmic HIF P4Hs, with the exception of critical catalytic residues. HIF is continuously synthesized and under normoxic conditions a critical proline residue in a -Leu-X-X-Leu-Ala-Prosequence is hydroxylated by the cytoplasmic P4Hs, not by collagen P4Hs. The resulting 4-hydroxyproline residue is essential for HIFÃŽÂ ± binding to the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) E3 ubiquitin ligase complex for subsequent proteasomal degradation. However, under hypoxic conditions hydroxylation ceases, allowing HIFÃŽÂ ± to escape degradation and instead forms a stable dimer with HIFÃŽÂ ² (Jaakkol a, 2001). Once formed, the dimer is translocated into the nucleus and becomes bound to the HIF-responsive elements in a number of hypoxia-inducible genes, such as those for erythropoietin, vascular endothelial growth factor, glycolytic enzymes and even for the ÃŽÂ ±(I) subunit of human type I collagen (Takahashi 200). Illinois Institute of Technology biologist Joseph Orgel used the high-energy X-rays produced by the APS to examine the structure of collagen, a protein that composes more than a quarter of all protein in the human body and forms the principal component of skin, teeth, ligaments, the heart, blood vessels, bones and cartilage. In these tissues, collagen molecules pack themselves into overlapping bundles called fibrils. These fibrils, which each contain billions of atoms, entwine themselves into collagen fibres that are visible to the naked eye (Xuyang 2760). Scientists have known the basic molecular structure of collagen since the 1950s, when several different international groups of scientists discovered that it had a triple-stranded helical structure. However, researches had never before had the ability to study the structure of an entire fibril in the same way that they could study an individual collagen molecule, according to Orgel. Orgel and his team performed diffraction studies on intact collagen fibrils inside the tendons of rat tails in order to understand just how the protein functioned within unbroken tissue. We tried to draw a highly accurate map of the molecular structure of tissues, Orgel said. By doing so, we hope to transform a very basic understanding that we have of the molecular structure of tissue into a much more tangible form. Since the scientists kept the tendon tissue intact, they could see how the collagen molecule binds to collagenases, a class of enzymes which when working properly help to regulate the normal growth and development of animals but when malfunctioning can lead to the metastasis of cancerous tumors or rheumatoid arthritis. The visualization of this interaction could help drug developers to create an inhibitor to prevent the pathological action of the enzyme, Orgel said. Previous studies of the structure of collagen had looked only at crystals of small fragments of the protein, so scientists had little idea of how it looked within intact tissue. Its impossible to get the information that we did by removing tiny chunks of the tissue, Orgel said. We couldnt obtain this data by single-crystal crystallography. This research was made possible only because of the BioCAT beam line provided by the APS. Applications Collagen has been extensively used in beauty surgical procedures, hemostats, mechanism coatings, recovery fluids, formulation recipients, tablets, cartilage rebuilding, medicine release, in addition to skin substitutes for patients with burns. However, both medical and cosmetic use is declining because most commercially available collagens are derived from bovine or porcine tissues. Mainly enriched in type I collagen, these preparations also contain small amounts of type III as well as other collagens that are difficult and expensive to remove from the desired material. Moreover, there is a high rate of allergic reactions from animal-derived collagens, causing prolonged redness. Using collagen derived from cows also poses the risk of transmitting prion diseases such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). The scientific community also uses collagen in its studying its role in tissue development and disease. Extracting sufficient quantities of nontraditional or less prominent colla gens is a costly and difficult task (Kadler 196). A processed form of collagen commonly used is gelatin. Derived from denatured collagen, gelatin is composed of a mixture of collagen chains of different length, structure, and composition. This distribution depends on what type(s) of collagens are extracted, the extraction method, as well as the pH and ionic strength of the solution used for processing. Because gelatin is a heterogeneous composition, especially in size and isoelectric point, the resulting products will inevitably have variable gelling and physical properties. This variability presents a significant challenge for medical applications where stability, safety, and control are necessary (Crissman 192). Cheaply produced recombinant collagens and gelatins have the potential to alleviate many of the issues associated with animal derived versions. Given the large number of aforementioned applications there is also a large market in this area. Scalable technology is needed to make microbial expression of recombinant collagens a viable alternative to tissue extraction. Using microbes to engineer collagen allows for greater control over collagen synthesis and organization, which in turn increases the quality, consistency, and safety of collagen production. It would also provide an easy platform for introducing altered primary sequences into recombinant collagens. Such genetic control over collagen structure is crucial in studying the impact of specific mutations on collagen structural hierarchical assembly and associated functions and also would allow for the creation of designer collagen-mimetic materials. Recombinant expression would also allow for the extraction of sufficient quantities of native collagen forms that are present at low levels which are otherwise mainly characterized at cDNA and genomic levels. This would allow for structural and functional analysis of these rarer collagens (Baneyx 114). Biomaterials applications for collagens in hemostats, as skin substitutes, in cartilage reconstruction, and for drug delivery can benefit from the improved purity of cloned sources of collagen. Purity in this case would include both reducing other extracellular matrix components that may be carried through the purification process leading to potential inflammatory responses, or bioburdens with potential impact on human heath, particularly neurological disorders due to prion concerns. Recombinant human collagen seems to avoid immune reactions previously described and is therefore more biocompatible. Recombinantly derived collagen was shown to have superior mechanical strength and haemostatic activity compared to animal derived collagen when formed into a matrix. They can be altered to include bioactive peptide sequences as well as to be collagenase resistant. Recombinant gelatins can be tailored to alter their gelling temperature by controlling their hydroxyproline content. Moreover, they have been shown to be less allergenic. As they are widely used in the food and drug industry, recombinantly derived gelatins can be made animal-free and thus open for consumption by vegetarians (Baez 252).

The Cask of Amontillado Essay example -- essays research papers

The Cask of Amontillado   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Irony and symbolism are tools used in writing to convey individual messages throughout the story. It is Edgar Allan Poe’s intense use of symbolism and irony throughout the Cask of Amontillado that gives this short story its suspense and horror filled theme.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Cask of Amontillado is a horror short story, which revolves around the themes of revenge and pride. The plot involves two men: Montresor, the narrator, who is an Italian aristocrat seeking revenge against the second main character: Fortunato, a proud man that flaunts about his knowledge of wines and who finally walks into his own death. Irony is defined as words or actions that convey a reality different from appearance or expectation. The use of such device in the story gives it humor and wit. The continuous use of irony is detected through style, tone and the use of exaggeration from Montresor, the narrator. From the start we can blatantly see the irony in the story. The name Fortunato implies that this man is of good luck, when in actuality he was about to face the end of his life. The setting itself in which the story takes place also contains an ironic element. It is during Venice’s Carnival that the characters meet. Carnival is supposed to be a time of celebration and happiness for everybody. However, in the tale it is a time for revenge and death. The mood changes drastically when the two characters leave the carnival for the d...

Corruption of Power Essay

The corruption of power, or the power of corruption is a common theme found in texts of many different types of media and in many societies and cultures around the world. In the texts I have selected, I have come to the conclusion that, all characters in the pursuit of power are corrupt. In the texts I have selected, which include, The Crucible, The Godfather, Animal Farm and Akira, the portrayal of corruption is closely linked to that of power. How is corruption of power shown/represented in the texts?Lord Acton, a key influence on this essay, once said, All too frequently men with the mentality of gangsters get control.This quote could hold no more relevance to any other text than that of The Godfather. In The Godfather the story revolves around that of Michael Coleone, and his rise to power as the head of a the family, a gang that deals in various underground activities. Michaels character undergoes a dramatic development as the film goes on. At the beginning of the film we can see that Michael appears to be a moral and upright character. He is a war hero, and is not involved in anyway with the family business. However as the film progresses, and Michael stats gaining power in the family, he becomes more amoral, firstly killing Sollozzo, a gangster who attempted to take Michaels father, Vito Corleones, life. At this sudden and dramatic change in character Michael justifies his revenge saying, Its not personal, Sonny. It’s strictly business. The term, just business is used throughout the film to justify corrupt behaviour, immediately associating the character as materialistic and amoral. The film hence suggests that Michael, perhaps like all of us, always had the potential to be materialistic, (and therefore amoral,)but did not previously hold a position that enabled him to commit any acts or corruption or evil.This corruption is also evident Animal Farm, where the pigs, and more specifically Napoleon, strive for power as a means to commit acts of corruption. Here, however, the initial motivation is the inverse, and yet the same of what we see in the Godfather. Where Michael uses corruption to achieve power, Napoleon uses power as a means to commit selfish act of corruption. Napoleon and Snowball, two authoritative pigs assume leadership over the farm. However corruption soon becomes evident as Napoleon exiles Snowball, through a long setup plan, in order to gain full control of the farm. Just the fact that Napoleon assumed leadership and had an agenda proves that he was corrupt before he gained power. Napoleon being the only leader almost immediately becomes dictator and inevitably sets up a bureaucracy, which goes against the most important rule of Animalism, All animals are equal. So as Napoleon assumes full power, his corruption materialises, as he has no opposition to challenge him. In The Crucible too we can see that when absolute power is attained absolute corruption is gained. Powerful characters are always evil. Danforth and Abigail, the two best examples are both willing to kill in order to get what they want. For Abigail, he object of desire is Proctor, and she is willing to kill Elizabeth. While Danforth will do everything he can to protect the power he holds, allowing innocent people to be hung when he knows that the girls are lying. The characters Hale and Proctor both give up their position of power to do the right thing. Proctor for example repents and admits to adultery in order to prove to the court the grudge Abigail holds against Elizabeth. So within the play corruption is therefore represented as power itself; those who hold power, to put it bluntly are corrupt. In Akira however, corruption exists in all if not most characters. A clear sign of corruption in the movie is through the use of violence. Characters such as Kaneda who from the beginning use violence are seen as corrupt, and as we see Tetsuos character develop he becomes more and more violent, firstly beating people, then eventually killing them. Gentle or passive characters on the other hand are much more pure and, represent the good guy. We can see that as Kaneda attempts to kill Tetsuo he achieves nothing but to further enrage him and cause more destruction, but as Kaneda becomes sympathetic towards Tetsuo eventually trying to save him, he is rewarded by surviving the explosion that destroys Tokyo. What was the context in which the text was created. How does it affect the way corruption of power is portrayed?Context plays an important role in all texts, specifically in those that are allegorical, and represent reality at the time in which they were made. For example the book, Animal Farm and the play, The Crucible both are metaphorical and allegorical and both are critical reviews on an event or person at the time. In Animal Farm the protagonists are metaphorical, or rather allegorical representations of key political figures at the time. For example the character of Napoleon is Stalin in reality, while the character of Snowball is Trotsky. Both were communist revolutionaries, but both had different contradicting views on Marxist theory. The text therefore portrays Napoleon in exactly the same way as Stalin, making the character commit acts that were parallel to that of Stalins. Such as the exile of Snowball/ Trotsky, and the execution of many suspected soviet/animal enemies. In The Crucible too we can see a direct representation of corruption, as the text is metaphorical of the McCarthy trials in the 1950s. The character of Danforth, while not directly parallel like Stalin/Napoleon, has many similarities to the U.S senator McCarthy. Much like in the McCarthy trials characters in the crucible use hysteria and jurisdiction to charge rivals with crimes they did not commit. McCarthy used charges of communism against many of his opponents inside and outside of office, in the same way that characters such as Abigail used charges of witchcraft against her rival Elizabeth. Again time period plays an important factor in the portrayal of corruption. We can see that in The Godfather 1972, corruption is portrayed as one and the same thing as materialism. Vito Corleone, who is the original head of the family, may be a mob boss, but he is viewed as a moral upright character. This is because of the humanity and sense of justice that he carries with him. The opening scene of the film has the character Bonasera asking Vito to kill two boys who abused his daughter, I ask you for justice, but Vito replies, That is not justice. Your daughter is alive. Unlike almost  all the other mobsters in the film, Vito never uses the phrase just business, this emphasises yet again the humanity of his character, and contrasts with Michael and the other gangsters materialistic values. For example when one of the Corleone gangsters kill a mole within the family, he comments soon after saying, Leave the gun. Take the cannoli. This quote shows how irrelevant human life is compared to material wealth, as the killer pays no notice, let alone respect to the dead. The film is therefore a negative review on American society, and its capitalistic or materialistic values at the time. Akira is also an important text in relation to a culture or society. It is different from the other texts I have studied because being made in Japan, it is not western. This is an important fact, as we might not notice but western films are very biblical and often justify the use of violence for the good guys to defeat the bad guys. In western film evil is often much more of an external force than what we find in Japanese film. This is related to the fact that Buddhism being a major religion in Japan, influences a lot of media. Much like in The Godfather materialism is seen as evil, but the main indicator for corrupt characters in Akira is violence. All characters who commit violence are immediately considered corrupt, however these characters can be forgiven very easily by simply changing their ways and becoming more moral. What comparisons can we make between the portrayals of John Dalberg-Actons standpoint on corruption of power in the texts? What differences are there?In all the texts, those who strive for power are evil. Power is seen as a means to carry out the selfish and generally immoral goals of a character, and that is why it is valued. In The Crucible, Danforth commits evil deeds in order to stay in power. He and the other ministers recognise that the girls are lying, but if they admit they were wrong, their power will be undermined. In one particular scene Hale tries to convince Danforth to postpone if not cancel the hangings, as the girls are strongly suspected of lying, but Danforth replies saying, Twelve are already executed; the names these seven are given out,  and the village expects to see them die this morning. Postponement now speaks a floundering on my part; reprive or pardon must cast doubt upon the guilt of them that died until now. At the risk of losing authority Danforth is willing to sacrifice numerous lives in order to keep his position of power, he is therefore seen as extremely selfish and corrupt character. Abigail we can see is clearly corrupt even before she holds any power. After the girls are caught dancing in the forest, Abigail threatens them saying, We danced. That is all, and mark this, if anyone breathe a word or the edge of a word about the other things, I will come to you in the black of some terrible night, and I will bring with me a pointy reckoning that will shudder you!The Crucible does however fail to show any moral or even ethical characters develop into dishonest corrupt ones. Nevertheless we do see characters such as Hale and Proctor throw away their power and reputation, for the right thing. This nevertheless emphasises my point, as ultimately in the crucible no moral figures can have any authority. Hale starts the play being amoral, or rather naà ¯ve, but by the end is willing to throw away his reputation in order to save those he has damned. He confesses to witchcraft in an attempt to convince the judged to do the same, therefore saving their lives, he says, I come to do the devils work. I come to counsel Christians they should belie themselves . . . can you not see the blood on my head!In Animal Farm, one clear difference we can see from the other studied texts, is that Napoleon, the head pig has an agenda from early on. This serves to emphasise my point that characters that seek power are inherently corrupt. However Animal Farm may go as far to say that, Napoleon underwent little to no transformation in character at all. He took the potion of leadership so that he could set his plans in motion. In The Godfather it is less strongly suggested as it is in the other texts that the corrupted character was in fact corrupt to begin with. However if we re-examine the portrayal of corruption, which in this case is materialism, we can still use this text to support my theory. We as the audience first see that Michael is corrupt when his materialistic views are made noticed. Before he even gains any power, he offers to kill Sollozzo an enemy to the family, for business, Michael is then instantly seen as an amoral character, as he much like many of the other gangsters are very  materialistic. Michael later becomes more and more materialistic, and therefore becomes more corrupt. As we can see through the numerous killings he orders, including the death of his brother in law, and the casino owner Moe Greene who previously refused to sell Michael his casino. In the texts we can see that any character that seeks power, does so as it allows them to commit acts of corruption. In a text like the Crucible, it has even gone as far to say that those in power must be corrupt, and that moral leaders cannot exist if they have power. Those who are moral and hold power, forfeit their power out of selflessness, while those who retain or seek out power do it for selfish means. Referenced material http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Godfatherhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cruciblehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_Farmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akira_(film)#Themeshttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068646/quoteshttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094625/quoteshttp://books.google.co.nz/books?id=Ik73H7d4x8gC&pg=PA189&lpg=PA189&dq=%22I+-+I+have+no+witness+and+cannot+prove+it,+except+my+word+be+taken.+But+I+know+the+children%27s+sickness+had+naught+to+do+with+witchcraft.%22&source=bl&ots=38RBlzudbW&sig=sNt3tl0PGtcGTt2oHGQtm8hBcGU&hl=en&ei=UDMfSuWVJ53osgOM9JiQCQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2#PPP1,M1http://www.george-orwell.org/Animal_Farm/index.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_McCarthyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_StalinAnimal Farm, George OrwellThe Crucible, Arthur MillerThe Godfather, Francis Ford CoppolaAkira, Katsuhiro Otomohttp://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/l/lord_acton.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Dalberg-Acton,_1 st_Baron_Acton

Decentralization under Articles of Confederation

The constitution adressed the problems of decentralization powers under the Articles of Confederation. Three problems that existest were no national currency, unicameral legislature, and cogress had no ability to tax. The tension between decentralized and centralized power are argued to still exist through environmental policy, gun control, and disability access. These tensions are illustrated in deforestation, no â€Å"national police† to control firearm distribution, and the Americans with DIsabilities Act. One major problem of decentralized powers under the Articles of Confederation is that there was no national currency.Each state had a different type of currency that could only be used in that state. For example, money in maryland could not be used in virginia and sometimes even had a different value. The Constitution created a national standard and a National Bank to solve this problem. Another problem of decentralized powers is that the Aticles of Confederation had a un icameral legislature, which meant no power check. The three branches of government could not hold any sort of power over the other so it opporated more like three separate functions rather than one government for the people.The newly created bicameral legislature took care of this problem in the Constitution. A third problem was that congress had no ability to tax. After the Constitution was passed, congress could tax and therefore could have money to fund things like job creation and war. There are ongoing tensions between state governments and the federal government when it comes to power and its control over citizens. An environmental policy example is that some states find it more difficult to abide by federal guidelines for deforestation because they have big populations that are growing even larger.A gun control example is that since there is no â€Å"national police† to control the distribution of firearms (both legal and illegal) it will have to be handled by the stat e police which costs states money. State buildings and private buildings are required to be built to accommodate people with disabilities because these people are protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Since their civil rights can not be violated, they have to have equal access. This, again, costs states money to bring buildings, streets, etc, up to standard.In central governments the national government has a national policy, in decentralized government states have to meet the guidelines created by the law or face fines/removal of federal funds. The Constitutions was an attempt to address the problems of decentralized goverment which were no national currency, unicameral legislature, and cogress had no ability to tax. The tensions between decentralized and centralized power are still agrued to exist today in environmental policy (deforestation), gun control (no â€Å"national police† for firearm distrabution), and disability access (Americans with Disabilities Act ).