South Africa Strenght and Weaknesses Notes Essay Example for Free

South Africa Strenght and Weaknesses Notes Essay As a nation, South Africa possesses economic and social strengths that can help it develop a successful IT industry within the country. However, its weakness can derail its success quite easily. Luckily, South Africa has the opportunity to reduce those weaknesses through government policy and increased financial support for IT development. However, should South Africa choose not to take advantage of that opportunity, those weaknesses have the potential of thwarting the nations attempt at competing in IT marketplace. In my analysis, I found the following to be IT strengths and weaknesses of South Africa: Strengths * Large population * High literacy rate * Current South African intellectual property laws * Increasing levels of E-Business and electronic commerce * Telecommunications infrastructure * Targeting the industry via government studies and initiatives * Increasing computing and Internet diffusion * Privatization of telecommunications industry Weaknesses * Inadequate domestic funding for projects * Reliance on foreign aid * Small number of workforce involved in ICT * Poor enforcement of intellectual property laws * High piracy rates * Lack of clear directive from government * Laws that are unresponsive to new issues in e-commerce and e-government nalysis While much of the world staggered in the wake of the global financial meltdown, South Africa has managed to stay on its feet – largely due to its prudent fiscal and monetary policies. The country is politically stable and has a well capitalised banking system, abundant natural resources, well developed regulatory systems as well as research and development capabilities, and an established manufacturing base. Ranked by the World Bank as an â€Å"upper middle-income country†, South Africa is the largest economy in Africa – and it remains rich with promise. It was admitted to the BRIC group of countries of Brazil, Russia, India and China (known as BRICS) in 2011. With a world-class and progressive legal framework, South African legislation governing commerce, labour and maritime issues is particularly strong, and laws on competition policy, copyright, patents, trademarks and disputes conform to international norms and standards. The countrys modern infrastructure supports the efficient distribution of goods throughout the southern African region. The economy has a marked duality, with a sophisticated financial and industrial economy having grown alongside an underdeveloped informal economy. It is this â€Å"second economy† which presents both potential and a developmental challenge.

Analysis of the Theory of Unbalanced Growth

Analysis of the Theory of Unbalanced Growth Do you think that a less developed /developing country should always follow the path of balanced growth? If yes, why and if not why not? Substantiate your arguments with the examples drawn from experiences of development in developing countries. Answer: When Rostow was making attempts to place economic development within a progressive framework, it lead to a debate in the 1950’s and the 1960’s which was primarily fixated on whether development efforts should focus on specific economic sectors within the countries or whether it should be carried out in all major sectors of the economy namely the manufacturing sector, agriculture and the service sectors. In this very context, economist Ragnar Nurkse propounded that development efforts should make synchronized use of capital in order to develop an extensive range of industries in the nations. According to his beliefs, an Intensive overall effort was of utmost importance, which would ultimately drive the developing or the underdeveloped nations away from the vicious circle of poverty where the limited supply of capital originated in the first place, due to the low saving rates. In underdeveloped countries, the vicious circle of poverty is responsible for the small size of the market for their goods. Nurkse was an â€Å"export pessimist† and he believed that the finances required to make investments in less developed countries should originate from their own domestic territories. He did not give any importance to the promotion of exports. The balanced growth approach also supports the big push theory which promotes the channeling of bulk capital to all the sectors at once owing t o the belief that gradual investment in the sectors is not reasonable. Investments should be carried out in a number of industries that mutually support each other, in order to enlarge the size of the market. Investments in the sectors should be made simultaneously such that it brings about a positive drive to overcome the significant barriers to development. With the adoption of this strategy, there emerges new opportunities to distribute the fruits of development more evenly throughout the society and to cure the plights of inequality, inflation and unemployment of resources. On the other hand, the theory of balanced growth has been largely criticized as it ignores the economic notions of all round benefits ensuing from specialization in production and development processes. Since it takes place within a closed economy and is applicable predominantly to a private enterprise system rather than specialization and trade, the doctrine contradicts the whole principle of comparative adv antage. Also, it emphasizes on the complementarity of markets for final goods and primary consumer goods as a stimulus to invest and ignores the immediate goods market. It has been stated to be unrealistic as it expects a country which is developing or is underdeveloped to make bulk investments in all the sectors simultaneously without considering the aspect that if a country had enough resources to invest in all the sectors of the economy all at once, it would not classify as underdeveloped or developing in the first place. Also, the theory makes an impractical assumption that all nations would start from the same zero point, whereas in reality such is not the case. Certain economies are bound to have certain historical strengths and different investment capacities which may vary. This theory has been massively dismissed, when in the 1960’s and 1970’s the actual progress of LDC’s reflected growth without any significant attempt to synchronize the simultaneous i nvestments in all the sectors as a result of which these nations continued to remain comparatively underdeveloped. Contrary to this theory, some theorists also advocated a strategy of investment only in selective sectors as an attempt towards encouraging growth in the developing countries. Economist Albert O. Hirschman put forth the idea of adopting unbalanced investments in specific economic sectors in order to complement the imbalances that already appear to exist within the economy of a nation as such. The unbalanced growth strategy aims at eradicating the scarcities in underdeveloped nations by adopting induced investment decision making. Hirschman contradicted the balance growth theory and argued against it, stating the most obvious that the LDC’S do not have access to adequate resources to adopt and implement a balanced, big push investment strategy. Instead, he proposes that investments should be carried out in strategically selected economic areas, such that there is growth in other sectors owing to the backward and forward linkages that are established, which will further lead to new investment opportunities, thereby paving the path for further economic development. Backward linkages bring about new investments in the input industries, whereas forward linkages do the same in the sectors that purchase the output of the selected industry. Deliberate unbalance, tensions, disproportions and disequilibria brought about in the economy is the most effective strategy to achieve economic growth in an underdeveloped or developing country. Thus the economy is able to gradually move from the track of an unbalanced growth pattern to that of balanced growth. Acknowledging all the advantages of the unbalanced growth strategy, this theory also has its shortcomings. The theory makes an inherent assumption that the success of the growth process can be traced down to external trade and foreign aids. This further upsurges the uncertainty of the growth process. The theory is also seen to emphasize on development through industrialization without taking into consideration the sig nificance of agriculture. Being concentrated on only a couple of industries, there might be situations where the resources are not appropriately utilized. Also, some sectors of the economy will be witnessed to grow at a faster rate while other sectors will remain neglected. This raises a question as to whether investment has been carried out in the correct sectors owing to the aspect that all the sectors of the economy are not invested upon. Therefore, in this particular scheme careful understanding of the situation of each country needs to be carried out, in order to determine what investment in which sector should take place as means to reach an ultimate balance among all the investment sectors in the economy. The theory of unbalanced growth appears to be an ideal strategy proposed by Hirschman at pointing out the ways to accelerate economic development in developing and underdeveloped nations in spite of all its flaws and disadvantages. As we know, with unplanned unbalanced growth there is absolutely no assurance against unemployment, inflation and unequal distribution of income and the strategy is recognized as a doctrine of laissez-faire, which indicates that there is an absence of safeguards against the socially divisive consequences of change. Howsoever, it still appears to be more realistic and feasible than the balanced growth strategy as it tries to take into account almost all the minute aspects of development planning. As a matter of fact, even the various inducements, obstacles and resistances to development are taken into consideration in their appropriate perspectives. Unbalanced growth generates externalities. The existing externalities are explored while generation of the fr esh ones take place. It promotes the growth of strategic industries and thereby, stimulates the growth of other industries. Also, there are technical complementaries which stimulate the growth of related industries along the lines of this strategy. Since investments in the form of Social Overhead Capital (SOC) and Direct Productive Activities (DPA) cannot be taken into consideration simultaneously in less developed or developing countries, owing to the obvious lack of resources, the theory proposes that focus should be established on either one of the two, and as a result of which the other one would be automatically stimulated. In order to achieve this, the growth of the economy should take place either by unbalancing the economy through SOC; by promoting the growth of SOC which would stimulate investment in DPA, or by unbalancing the economy with DPA; such that the investment made in DPA would eventually press for investment in SOC. It is through this process of linkages commonly known as the â€Å"linkage effect†, that the economic growth will ultimately take place. Development should progress with the aim of targeting projects which will have the largest total linkage. However, the main problem can be narrowed down to figuring out the kind of imbalance that is expected to be the most beneficial depending upon the economy of the nation. Hirschman pin points the absence of interdependence and linkage in less developed countries as a result of which the primary production activities for exports have very little development effects on the economy of an underdeveloped country. He therefore puts forth a tactic and advocates the setting up of â€Å"last stage industries first† in order to resolve the problem. He stresses on export promotion and import substitution and favors a mixed economy owing to the fact that unless the SOC pathway of economic development is adopted by the state, it will not encourage any form of private investment in DPA, as private investments in underdeveloped countries fail to create the necessary economic surplus that is a prerequisite for development to continue and even for the sustenance of losses. It has been seen, that despite the weaknesses of the unbalanced growth strategy as illustrated in the beginning of the report, the technique has come to be recognized as suitable for the development of underdeveloped and developing countries. When Joseph Stalin ruled developing Russia, it was one of the first countries to adopt this strategy and by implementing this technique it succeeded in accelerating its economic growth rate within a very short period of time. In the current scenario Russia is recognized as a developed country. Along the same lines, India adopted this strategy with the Second Five-Year Plan. In India, investments in heavy industries were kept at a high level during the five year plans and simultaneously there were consistent efforts made towards stepping up the production of consumer goods. But there was no attempt made to keep the levels of consumption low in order to produce a large economic surplus. Also, there is evidence which suggests that India did not fol low the typical pattern of industrialization. High technology industries flourished as opposed to the growth in the basic manufacturing sector which was lagging. The promotion of the high technology sector has had a negative impact on the manufacturing sector as well as on the aggregate income of the country. Instead if resources were directed towards infrastructure, it would have yielded benefits for all sectors and would have increased the aggregate income as well. Therefore, the unbalanced growth strategy in India did not meet with great success. Even China adopted the unbalanced growth strategy and as a matter of fact China’s unbalanced growth is an investment driven model due to which it has been predicted that growth in china will not be sustainable unless it adopts a more consumption driven model. China’s growth pattern apparently mirrors that of other successful emerging South East Asian economies namely Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore. These countries were successful in the last fifty years in progressing from the middle income group to advanced economies. This transformation was characterized by long periods of high levels of investment after their economic take off, which corresponds to China’s growth trajectory. Unfortunately, many of the other developing economies failed to make it to the upper stage of development or are caught up in the â€Å"middle income trap†. But due to China’s high levels of investments in the last few years which had managed to reach a level, highe r than that of any other nation, it appears that China should adopt a rebalancing growth strategy, like other the countries after their considerably lengthy periods of high investment, which would mark the end of its period of unbalanced growth. However, it looks like China has to go a long way in order to catch up with the economies of the advanced countries in terms of productivity. When Japan and Korea internalized the unbalanced growth strategies, they concentrated their national resources on some strategically chosen industries and targeted principally for import substitution. Japan’s economic growth picked up pace, led by the electronics industry, heavy and chemical industries. As a matter of fact, both Japan as well as Korea, witnessed the growth of an independent national economy through the implementation of import substitution in the heavy and chemical industries as well as the ‘high tech’ industries. This strategy was adopted by yet another developing country in Africa called Zambia. Zambia’s excessive dependence on its mining exports is an apt instance of unbalanced growth which eventually proved to be more of a high risk strategy and hence, was not sustainable. Therefore, Zambia inherited an economy that took to the unbalanced growth strategy, but was unsuccessful in balancing it within the correct time frame. We see, that most of these developing countries adopted the unbalanced growth strategy, but only a few met with success. However, in this respect the balanced growth strategy with its limitations should not be completely dismissed as both these strategies appear to converge at certain points. Both the strategies consider the existence of a private enterprise system that is heavily grounded on market mechanism under which they function. Both the theories disregard the importance of supply limitations and supply inelasticities. Also, both the doctrines assume interdependence which vary in their degrees. This interdependence is seen in balanced growth, when the development of one sector is heavily dependent on the development of the other sectors whereas, in unbalanced growth strategy the economy progresses towards economic development by the creation of tensions, disproportions and disequilibria thereby attaining balanced growth. Thus, both these strategies are based on the interdepend ence that is established among the different sectors of the economy. The choice between adopting the balanced growth strategy and the unbalanced growth strategy is a difficult one. None of the strategies are perfect and both have their own advantages and limitations. Although, keeping in mind the scarcity of resources that a developing country faces, common knowledge directs the developing or underdeveloped nation to adopt and implement the strategy of unbalanced growth. Even under this strategy, it is beneficial if the nation invests on the SOC first, which will subsequently encourage investments in DPA, which would direct the economy further towards the path of balanced growth. In the Indian context itself we can see that unless SOCs such as power, transportation irrigation etc. are developed, the development in the industrial, agricultural and commercial sectors will automatically be retarded. When this strategy is being adopted by developing countries, it is crucial that they should try their best to control the evils of inflation and balance of p ayments. Nevertheless, we see that these strategies should not be considered as an alternative to the other, as they seem to complement each other. By implementing the unbalanced growth strategy as the means, the developing or the less developed nations can attain balanced growth, which is the ultimate aim. - References: Balanced and Unbalanced Growth- Robert B. Sutcliffe, The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Vol. 78, No. 4 (Nov., 1964), pp. 621-640. The Theory of Balanced Growth- S. K. Nath, Oxford Economic Papers, New Series, Vol. 14, No. 2 (Jun., 1962), pp. 138-153. Unbalanced growth and dependency theory in Zambia: A post-independence survey- Mark Ingle. Growth and Development with special reference to developing economies- A. P. Thirwall, Fifth Edition. Theories of Underdevelopment, Balanced versus Unbalanced Growth- Higgins. Is the Elephant Stepping on its Trunk? The problem of India’s Unbalanced Growth- Robin Douhan and Anders Nordberg. Balanced Growth: An Interpretation- Jose Maria Dagnino Pastore, Oxford Economic Papers, New Series, Vol. 15, No. 2 (Jul., 1963), pp. 164-176. Theory of Unbalanced Growth, chapter 29. China: Rebalancing Economic Growth, Chapter 1- Nicholas R. Lardy. The Unbalanced Growth Hypothesis and the Role of the State: the Case of China’s State-owned Enterprises- Carsten A. Holz. Restructuring Korea Inc.:Financial Crisis, Corporate Reform, and Institutional Transition- Jang-Sup Shin,Ha-Joon Chang. Towards more balanced growth strategies in developing countries: issues related to market size, trade balances and purchasing power- Jà ¶rg mayer. China’s unbalanced growth compared with Japan and South Korea- FTAlphaville. African Journal of Business- Review. Tata Institute of Social Sciences. Name: Prakriti Dasgupta. Roll No.: H2013BAMA28. Subject: Developmental Economics, DC7. Teacher: Dr. Poulomi Bhattacharya. BA 2nd Year, Semester: III.

Coexistence of Contrary States in Blake’s The Tyger Essay -- Blake Tyg

Coexistence of Contrary States in Blake’s The Tyger Since the two hundred years that William Blake has composed his seminal poem "The Tyger", critics and readers alike have attempted to interpret its burning question - "Did he who made the Lamb make thee?" Perhaps best embodying the spirit of Blake’s Songs of Experience, the tiger is the poetic counterpart to the Lamb of Innocence from Blake’s previous work, Songs of Innocence. Manifest in "The Tyger" is the key to understanding its identity and man’s conception of God, while ultimately serving to confront the reader with a powerful source of sublimity which reveals insight on Blake’s ideal union and coexistence of the two contrary states. The most significant underlying ideology of William Blake’s poetry is his essential psychomachia - the "contrary states", as Blake himself calls them. The work in which "The Tyger" and "The Lamb" appear distinctly states Blake’s purpose in a preface: "Shewing the two contrary states of the human soul." In "The Lamb", a basic question and an answer are given. The poem is a catechism (Miner 62). The simplistic and comfortable resolution purposely has no doubt or ambiguity surrounding its initial message of love, tranquility, Jesus Christ, and above all, innocence. The speaker sees God in terms he can understand - gentle and kind and very much like us (Reinhart 25). A tremendous void is clearly apparent. The poem’s straightforwardness leaves the reader with a discomforting feeling of the need for a more sophisticated perspective on the relationship between maker and humanity. This instinctual need for a contrary state gives birth to the tiger. The tiger’s imagery is astonishingly vivid. The beast "burning bright" with "fire" indicates ... ...d the Age of Revolution. New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1965. Erdman, David V. "Blake: The Historical Approach." William Blake. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1985. Miner, Paul. "’The Tyger’: Genesis & Evolution in the Poetry of William Blake." Rpt. in Poetry Criticism. Ed. Jane Kelly Kosek. Vol. 12. Detroit: Gale Research Inc., 1995. 59-64. Natoli, Joseph. "William Blake." Notable Poets. Ed. G.E. Bentley. New York: Gale Research Inc., 1995. 79-95. Paley, Morton. "Tyger of Wrath." Twentieth Century Interpretations of Songs of Innocence and of Experience. Ed. Morton D. Paley. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1969. 68-92 Raine, Kathleen. William Blake. London: Longmans, Green and Co. Ltd., 1969. Reinhart, Charles. "William Blake." DLB. Ed. John R. Greenfield. Detroit: Gale Research Inc., 1990. Vol. 93. 23-25.

Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World :: essays papers

Brave New World Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World portrays a society in which science has clearly taken over. This was an idea of what the future could hold for humankind. Is it true that Huxley’s prediction may be correct? Although there are many examples of Huxley’s theories in our society, there is reason to believe that his predictions will not hold true for the future of society. One of the biggest changes occurring in Brave New World was that babies were not being born to parents, but rather being grown in test tubes. These test tube embryos were altered to produce thousands of babies using only one embryo. Our society practices similar procedures. We were first able to grow babies in test tubes, helping people who could not get pregnant. Our next development as a society allowed the ability to clone an embryo and have many where one stood. Another change in Huxley’s society was how people appeared physically as they grew older. In the story, people we given surgery to preserve their attractive peak for the rest of their lives. There is no surgery in our society that makes a person look good for the rest of their lives, but methods of slowing the aging process have been discovered. This new technology allows a person to look younger for a longer period of time. This means that a 60-year old person would look the same as a 30-year old would today. Despite the previously mentioned cases, there are examples of how today’s society is not changing to replicate Brave New World. In the story, there were no mothers or fathers, no family, and no general monogamy. Today’s society still believes in marriage, parental roles, and the family structure. The last difference is that of the government. In Brave New World, there were no political parties and no divisional boundaries. The story portrayed a society with a large group of intelligent leaders that controlled the society.

DEEP WOODS :: essays research papers

Dusk has fallen, and now it’s just starting to penetrate the canopy of the forest. The trees seem to be dancing to the music of the evening breeze and the gentle rustle of leafs compliment the overall atmosphere. The songs of birds have been totally replaced by an orchestra of crickets and other insects, and I seem to be their sole audience. My eyes peer into the gloom trying to make out what lies ahead, without much success. Soon I realize that I have to let my other senses take over in order continue on. I tread onto what seems to be a sea of moss that covers a large portion of the forest floor, forming a thick green carpet. Each of my steps leaves a green depression, which quickly fill up and erase all evidence of my passing . The soft texture of this carpet invites me to discard my shoes and I do so without much of a second thought. The green sea quickly engulfs my feet and I indulge on the velvety texture that brushes them. Reluctantly, I leave my carpet of moss and make an unsuccessful attempt to find my shoes. I venture onto a thin trail that is suffocated with undergrowth and slowly, start making my way down it. I do not seem to feel any discomfort due to the lack of shoes on the contrary the feeling of the soft moist earth under my feet is an unforgettable experience. The stars are just only starting to peer through the intricate patchwork of leafs and light patches of the forest floor. Fireflies dance like fairies and ignite tiny patches of light, which randomly appears and then suddenly disappears. I stop for a moment, captivated by this dance’s beauty, and then I realize that I have made little progress since I came onto the path. My attention shifts back too my walk and I continue on. The aroma of pine peers into my nostrils and attempts to hypnotize me. Its spell is abruptly broken by the unmistakable sound of flowing water. I get lured to a spot where the tall giants of the forest have parted to make way for a small stream. The reflection caused my the moon’s light causes its surface to emit a queer silver glow which causes the trunks of nearby trees to look like foreboding dark phantoms. Even in this light, I am able to make out the array of smooth pebbles that litter the stream’s bed.

Han China vs. Imperial Rome

Han China vs. Imperial Rome After a brief brush of decentralization and the experience of inclusive centralization, China evolved into its most extensive and influential period: Han China. Imperial Rome used the more traditional Republic methods to also grow to be one of the most influential and powerful empires of the classical world. While China differed with Rome on the roots of change and therefore their approach to governing, the want to expand and centralize government could only be achieved through similar paths of trade and domination.Han China chose the middle path between the two diverse methods of government and pursued the policies of administrative centralization and imperial expansion. In contrast, Imperial Rome centralized political and military power which coincided with the preservation of traditional republican offices and form of government. The Han government believed that the network of political alliances in the Zhou Dynasty caused chaos between states, but the tightly woven Qin dynasty diminished the reason for imperial family members the sustain the empire.Han China was preferably divided into administrative districts that were governed by officials. These officials reached the emperor’s expectations, but allowed his authority over them while the bureaucrats implied his policies. Although, original forms of governing were adjusted in both places; the military responded directly to the emperor or ruler to avoid the problems caused by generals commanding personal armies. Imperial Rome progressed, from a previous dictatorship, by fashioning a centralized political government and unifying military power.Imperial Rome, in comparison to Han china, handled governmental functions with more concern. The Roman Emperor accrued copious amounts of power for himself and took complete responsibility during these times. Both Imperial governments expanded their empire while maintaining an imperial government. As well as, incorporated conquered cit izens into their empire’s culture and society; Rome conquered distant lands and integrated them into the Roman Empire, and Han China dominated nearby countries such as Vietnam and Korea and orbited them into the society of the Han.Both imperial governments knew that with the expansion of their empire would come with the benefits of new trade routes. When Roman soldiers charged into less occupied areas, such as Spain, Germany and Britain, they brought with them the ideas of developing local economies and states. A problem occurred with the expansion of the Han Dynasty though, due to high taxes poor harvests and burdens of debt many landowners were forced the sell their land and often enough themselves.As smaller farmers began to fall, large estates grew and social tensions were stressed, creating more problems as well as a higher chance of social immobility in the Han society. Even though Han China was developing expansion and centralization as a new frontier for the Chinese d ynasties, while Rome was just centralizing military and political power based on traditional republican values, both empires had to progress in the same fashion. Once the broad goals have an effective path, the empires can diverge to become unique and more specialized in political power.

Addiction to Science Fiction

What do you think about parent's opinion about science fiction books My dear reader I will be delighted to discuss this topic with you†¦ do you think that parents would accept placing their children's minds in an imaginary world for too long that it may even affect them, would you, if you were a parent!!Science fiction is a world that is full of the writer's imagination or the producer's, and its full of imaginary creatures, such as: vampires, fairies, hosts, ghosts, and all the things that are not real, it's advantage is, expanding the imagination of the reader, when I read the science fiction book that I have, I try to live what's in the book, and for a moment I do, and if I got interrupted by someone, I just feel bothered and annoyed, but parents would say that its some kind of an addiction, which some of them think its wrong, or actually most of them, they go like † we want you to learn from the books that you can read, and we know that you are capable of reading great er books†, they underestimate it, that’s what I actually don’t agree about with parents,Because, well, I am addicted to science fiction, and it actually makes me learn some things and at the same time, I have fun because I lived what's in the book by only reading it, better than a movie, that may ruin the human's view of things, books teach (whatever the genre of the book was), movies destroy (not always but most of the time, especially this generation's movies). So I need parents to listen for their kids for once, â€Å"dear parents don’t just talk, sometimes I guess you have to listen at least for once let us give you our point of view†. Parents, tell me, do you rather give your children books that would make them hate the whole idea about reading or would you go step by step with me. Just by giving them the freedom to choose the book, know that you actually achieved your goal.Science fiction books teach, as a prove, my friend, when you ask her wh at's the goal she achieved by reading the twilight saga, she would say † I just had fun, and read, because I know that reading is important† but when you ask her about what she learned, she would say, † I learned to give my enemy a chance, because I know that there is no such a thing called enemies, but its desires that ruins the human's soul† And there is this other series VA ( vampire academy) an amazing series that me and my friend read, we had so much fun reading it, and at the same time I d like to tell you that I am actually clinging to it, more than any other book that I ever read. It's simply irresistible, and teaches to keep on standing up whenever you fall. I guess there is no harm in reading science fiction book, so don’t make it a must that we have to read realistic books, or some kind of a historical book, because it isn’t a must.My dear reader, that was my opinion, so tell me yours, but after considering my essay, I hope I reached my goal by writing this essay†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Twilight (summary) Isabella Swan leaves Phoenix, Arizona and moves to a new place in Forks, Washington to live with her dad. She does it so her mother can travel around with her baseball player husband Phil Dwyer. Bella didn’t used to stir much water in Phoenix, but after her move to Forks, she soon finds herself in the spotlight at her new school. To her astonishment and dismay many of the guys in class compete for her attention. Fork is rainy and Bella doesn’t enjoy it much – to her it’s boring and pretty lame. There is one saving grace though – Edward Cullen, the stunningly handsome guy she sits next to in Biology.As she’s trying to find out more about this mysterious man, she hears of The Cullens being un-human. Despite all the talk, Bella finds it impossible to believe there’s anything supernatural about him and his strange behavior. During Bella’s first day of school, Edward Cul len displays a strange level of tension toward her. She reasons that it’s because he doesn’t like her that much. Shortly after though, he begins to change his attitude and starts friendly talk. Then one day on a parking lot, an out of control van comes flying at Bella and is about to crush her to death when all of a sudden the van is stopped by an unknown force just before it would have squashed her against her own truck.Completely unharmed realizing she should have been dead, Bella turns her head and sees Edward, whom she saw across the parking lot just a second ago, kneeling next to her with his hand against the van. Bella looks at the hand shaped dent on the van and realizes that Edward halted speeding van with his hand. Bella didn’t tell anyone about how Edward saved her life, but when she approached him to explain how he could get to her across the lot so quickly and stops the van with his hand, he isn’t too keen to confess and refuses to comment. Th e spark between the two continues to grow despite Edwards’s attempts to avoid her. When confronted about it by her, Edward simply comes with excuses Bella is not willing to accept.However he mentions that it’s in their best interest to stay away of each other, as getting involved with her would put her in immense danger. Bella has no more doubts that Edward and the entire family of Cullens are un-human. She is hinted by her friend Jacob Black that The Cullens are a clan of vampires. When attraction between the two grows to a point that neither can be without each other, Edward reveals the truth about his family. He even tells her about his ability to read people’s minds and that he’s dumbfounded by his inability to ascertain what she is thinking. Edward and Bella fall deeply in love, despite the obvious difficulties a love between a human and a vampire presents. Edward is facing his biggest personal challenge in resisting Bella’s scent.The scent of her blood is extremely strong and desirable, and Edward is afraid that the natural instincts of a vampire he is would take over to a point that he wouldn’t be able to contain himself and would harm the woman he loves. Bella’s scent is then picked up by a tracker vampire James who sets on a mission to hunt Bella down for sport. The Cullens, who now consider Bella part of her family are determined to protect her and separate Bella from Edward, sending the girl back to Phoenix. Bella stays in a hotel and receives a phone call from James telling her he had her mom and gave her instructions on what she needs to do if she wants to see her alive.Bella surrenders herself to James, but Edward shows up and fights him. The rest of Cullens joins in to fight the tracker but he manages to bite Bella in her hand before he’s killed. Edward doesn’t want Bella to turn into a vampire and begins to suck venom infected blood from the wound. He now tastes the blood, the smell of which he found so hard to resist. He was urged to stop by his adopted father Carlisle Cullen. Bella was saved and after she’d recovered, she returned to Forks to attend prom with Edward. As the two walk into the night, Bella exposes herself and pleads with him to embrace her and turn her into one of his kind with a bite to her neck.Edward refuses, although the reason for this denial is unknown†¦ New moon Edward Cullen and Alice throw Bella an 18th birthday party. Edward is the vampire she’s deeply in love with. In attendance are the entire Cullen family, Alice, Carlisle, Emmet, Rosalie, Esme and Jasper. Bella accidentally cuts her hand with a piece of paper, this leads to a tense and somewhat violent moment. Jasper cannot control himself at the sight of her human blood and pounces upon her with the intention to feed. Edward has to protect her, an action that forces him to recognize the fact keeping Bella near his family puts her in danger. As they clean her wo unds a pivotal point in the plot occurs.As they speak, Carlisle tells of Edwards belief that Vampires lack a soul and that there is no better place than hell for them if they are killed. He speaks further, telling Bella of Edwards inner struggle, the fact that he doesn’t want to risk turning Bella into one of the damned. Edward becomes emotionally retracted as the story continues, until later his family leave Forks in an effort to reduce the risk of harm to Bella and ensure her safety. He unwittingly upsets Bella by taking the items she hold dear with him. Photographs and pictures that can be used to prove he is alive. Four long months pass, a time in which Bella enters a zombie like state.She exists but really isn’t living like she once was. Charlie is worried and tells her to wake up. To help her get through this difficult time she goes to see a movie with her friend Jessica. Upon the completion of the film she notices some guys with a striking resemblance to the sta lkers who followed her the year before. She hears Edward in her head fears for her sanity. She actually believes it’s her mind giving a wish of fulfillment. Feeling these delusions are her subconscious mind she seeks out alternative methods to trigger them. Jacob Black, her long lost friend who suffered grievous injures in Twilight makes another appearance in New Moon.Bella stumbles upon a pair of motorbikes by the road side and realizes they’re the perfect method to hear Edwards voice once again. She notices they need works and remembers Jacob unusual tendency to fix things. She takes them to see him on the back of her truck and pledge one to him should he get them running once more. Soon they become close and she begins to depend on him, he fills the void in her heart. Jacob on the other hand is romantically attracted to Bella, who is aware of this, she tells him they are simply good friends. As their friendship develops, Jacob begins to trust Bella and tells of the growing unrest and occurrences at La Push – a reservation.Jacob tells her of his fear of the leader of a group of guys by the name of Sam Uley. A close friend of his had the same feelings he was missing for a few days and upon his return had somehow joined the gang. Jacob elaborate by telling of their strange behavior and his belief they’re up to no good. He worries he too could go missing and be targeted. On an outing, Jacob feels ill and develops a strong fever. Shortly after Bella has difficulty getting in touch with him before she finds out he too has returned from his absence as a member of Sam’s gang. She goes to visit him at his house and is told that he must stay well away from her. He doesn’t explain the reason for this when she asks.After the fight and argument Jacob is feeling down and very regretful. He creeps into her room in the middle of the night and tells her what is happening. The only hint he gives her is to remember the legends he info rmed her of when first they met. Bella thinks back and remembers a story about Werewolves and Vampires. She soon realizes that Jacob and his new gang of friends are werewolves. This doesn’t sit well with Bella; there is animosity between Edward and Jacob because deep down they both love Bella. Plus they are enemies because of the natures of the kind. There is real cause for concern because of the rivalry between these two and the fact vampires and werewolves truly hate one another.The return of Victoria further complicates the situation. She wants vengeance for the death of her friend James the vampire tracker. He was slain by Jasper and Emmet following his attempt to kill Bella. As opposed to killing Edward, she feels killing his girlfriend is a fair trade. Therefore, it is down to Jacob to protect her. Jacob and his new found pack encourage Bella and her father to spend time with them at La Push where they can provide adequate protection. Bella begins to spend a lot of time on the beach. She longs to hear Edwards voice again and misses him dearly. Sick of everything she leaps off the cliff and plunges into the see where she almost dies in the hands of the ocean.Jacob comes to her rescue and tells of her friend Harry Clearwater’s plight. He is in hospital following a severe cardiac arrest. Bella immediately feels remorse for diving into the sea and returns to Jacobs’s house to rest and regain her strength. She begins to wonder what her life would bring if she left Edward and became romantically involved with Jacob. Billy, Jacobs’s dad, returns home to break the news that Harry has passed away in his sleep. Bella then gets a ride home with Jacob. On the journey she notices Carlisle’s vehicle and jumps to the conclusion that the Cullen’s have returned to Forks. Jacob rages and leaves quickly. Alice is waiting for Bella by herself.Alice tells Bella that she witnessed her fall into the sea and worries that she was committ ing suicide. Bella denies this but Alice is still unsure and wonders why then she felt the need to dive so far into the water. Jacob bumps into Bella during Alice’s visit and she sees he is still angry with her for choosing Edward over himself. During Jacobs time at the house Edward rings and masquerades as Carlisle. Jacob picks up the phone. He’s asked where Carlisle is by Edward and responds by telling him he’s at the funeral. Edward believes it’s the funeral of Bella in light of the news Alice told him. He attempts suicide. Upon news of this surfacing Bella and Alice leave for Italy to find Edward who is begging a Volturi to kill him.The Volturi deny his wishes so he attempts to enrage them by stepping into the sun and revealing the existence of Vampires to all. Bella arrives just in time and prevents Edward from following through with his threats. Shocked and confused that she is still alive and hasn’t been buried Edward shows affection toward his love. He believes these are the last few minutes the couple will ever spend together. Bella is confused; she believed Edward had no feelings toward her. The pair meets a Volturi leader by the name of Aro; he informs them that Bella must become a Vampire to preserve the secretive nature of the vampire kind. Edward vehemently disagrees but is shown conclusive proof that Bella will indeed become one of the vampire kind in the future.At first Bella is surprised and in virtual disbelief that her long lost love Edward has returned. She wonders if she actually died while leaping from the cliff and whether or not this entire episode is in fact a dream. Edward soothes her concerns and explains that he loves her and that he didn’t wish to leave her at all. He tells her it was for her own benefit and an act to protect her. After a long discussion she realizes that his love for her burns as strongly as hers for him, and that they belong with one another for all eternity. Edward is st ill unsure about turning Bella into a vampire. She sees this and takes the decision out of his control.They visit the Cullen house and start a vote over her mortality, requesting the opinion of all involved and whether they believe she should join the Vampire kind. The results are definitive, all but Edward and Rosalie feel she should become a vampire. Edward is angered but reluctantly agrees she should be turned following her graduation the following week. Carlisle is the one who they decide should perform the embrace considering the fact he’s able to maintain control in the presence of human blood. Bella isn’t happy, she would of preferred the act to be carried out by Edward but settles with whatever the Cullen’s feel is best. Edward agrees but only on the condition they marry first.During the epilogue of the story Bella reminisces and recalls her zombie like existence. She claims it was as if the previous seven months didn’t occur. Jacob returns the mo torbike to Bella in an attempt to stop Edward from seeing her, unaware that he visits her every night by creeping into her room. Charlie is incredibly angry with Bella and grounds her immediately. She isn’t fazed though, she knows with the love her life Edward by her side there is nothing she cannot achieve and that when the dust of turmoil settles everything will be perfect Eclipse This part of the story starts with the note Jake sent to Bella. It speaks of him missing her and that it changes little.Charlie blames Edward for Bella’s disappearance in New Moon as she traveled to Italy and her apparent craziness. He no longer likes Edward and shows with every ounce of his being that the vampire is welcome in the home. Seattle is also hit by a string of unsolved killings. Bella and Edward spend some time filling in college application forms and she tells Edward her plans and need to see Jacob once again. Naturally, Edward is against it, telling her werewolves are random a nd unpredictable, hurting those around them. In the meantime, Alice has a strange vision in which Bella is being hunted by a vampire. Edward hides this information from Bella and plans a trip to Florida with Charlie to see her mother out of town.Upon their return Edward is confronted by an angry Jacob, he demands to know why the return of Victoria is being kept secret to Bella and why they crossed into werewolf territory chasing Victoria. Bella is dumbfounded as Edward informs her that the trip away from Forks was for her own personal safety. Once again, Edward insists Bella's banning from seeing Jacob is to keep her safe and away from the dangerous werewolf. Bella, unbelieving insists that the pack are quite safe and that she’s never in harm’s way around Jacob. Finally, Edward yields and travels to the border with Bella where they meet Jacob and travel on to his house. During one such visit Jacob pleads his love for her and forcefully kisses her against her will. Unab le to resist his power she fights him off with all the strength she can muster.When he ceases the kiss she punches him as hard as she is able but only manages to break the bones in her delicate hands. Werewolves incidentally, are nearly as durable and tough as vampires. When Bella returns home and he learns of this Edward threatens Jacob angrily. Jacob tells Edward what occurred and they finally settle on a deal to work in unison to deal with Victoria. Later on that evening when Jacob has left, Edward and Bella decide to marry but only on the one condition that is they sleep together before she is turned into a Vampire. Edward realizes the severity in Bella’s voice and eventually agrees to try in the future but only once they have married first.Bella speaks of her concerns of what people will say and think if she marries at such a young age, this is partly confounded by her mother’s life and the fact she too married at such a young age. Spending the rest of eternity wi th Edward is of the utmost importance to her though, and when Edward proposes she quickly accepts. In an effort to keep her reluctant marriage secret she refuses to place the engagement ring on her hand. Bella soon realizes that her possessions have been stolen from her room to use for scent and locating purposes. Also, it becomes apparent that the recent killings in Seattle are being perpetrated by a coven of young vampires. Bella realizes the connection and the fact Victoria has been leading these newborns.Alice predicts an epic battle between the combined force of Cullens and Werewolves and the Victoria coven. A meeting between the Quileutes and Cullens is scheduled in the forest. During the gathering Jasper highlights and demonstrates some skills and points needed to excel in combat versus a newborn Vampire. Bella, worried Edward will be harmed asks him to stay away when the combat begins. Bella and Edward camp in the hills as the preparations for battle are made. They are soon joined by Seth and Jacob who too wait for the coming war. They use Bella’s scent and lay a trap to lead the newborns into the hands of the conjoined vampire and werewolf force.Bella enters a state of hypothermia in the freezing cold mountain conditions. Jacob taunts Edward by climbing in the sleeping bag with his girl. Bella pretends to be asleep and eavesdrops on the conversation between the vampire Edward and werewolf Jacob. Jacob speaks of his feeling towards Bella and confesses to Edward. Upon hearing this, Edward realizes that Jacob can give Bella something he can’t and the two come to an agreement. Later in morning once they have risen, Edward speaks to Bella about the engagement, Jacob, who was hiding and listening to their conversation lets out an angered and hurt howl of pain. He leaves quickly before they can catch him. Bella speaks with Edward and asks him to go and find Jacob.Upon their return Edward leaves to allow Jacob and Bella to speak. Jacob threatens to get himself killed by joining in the conflict, upon hearing her dismay and the fact she doesn’t want him to Jacob blackmails her into kissing him. He says kissing him will stop him joining the fight and getting killed. Edward returns, having overheard the entire conversation. He explains that he isn’t angry with her for having such deep feelings for Jacob. This is a fact that makes Bella even more miserable than she was before. Victoria and the newborns attack during the groups stay at the camp. The combined werewolf and vampire force completely decimate and slaughter the inexperienced newborn army.Victoria had this planned though; she skirts the fight and arrives at the camp to confront Edward and Bella alongside a newborn by the name of Riley. Edward pleads with Riley, trying to put him off the fight and explains the fact Victoria is using him. Victoria convinces Riley otherwise and he refuses to switch allegiance. A fight occurs in which Riley is killed by the L upine form of Seth and Victoria is killed by Edward. Bella watches the entire episode, causing Edward to worry for her thoughts and feelings toward him after seeing him as the unstoppable killing machine he is. She is unperturbed and throws herself into his embrace. She loves him dearly and has concerns for his safety and wellbeing alone. The war is over long before the Volturi arrive to tidy things up.Edward is reminded of his agreement to turn Bella into a vampire. Alice replies that they have set a date. Bella goes to visit Jacob who was injured in the fight. She reveals her final decision is Edward. Her love for him is far greater than anyone else alive and she hasn’t the will or desire to live another day without him around. Bella later returns home from La Push. She speaks with Edward who announces that they don’t have to marry, that Bella can have her way without completing her wishes. Bella states that she wishes to do things Edwards’s way, and they agre e to continue with the wedding first. He puts the ring on her finger and they both agree to reveal the great news to Charlie. Breaking dawnBreaking Dawn is split into three separate parts. The first part details Bella's marriage and honeymoon with Edward, which they spend on a private island off the coast of Brazil. Two weeks into their honeymoon, Bella realizes that she is pregnant and that her condition is progressing at an unnaturally accelerated rate. After contacting Carlisle, who confirms her pregnancy, she and Edward immediately return home to Forks, Washington. Edward concerned for Bella's life and convinced that the fetus is a monster as it continues to develop with unnatural rapidity, urges her to have an abortion. However, Bella feels a connection with the child and refuses.The novel's second part is written from the perspective of wolf shape-shifter Jacob Black, and lasts throughout Bella's pregnancy and childbirth. Jacob's Quileute wolf pack, not knowing what danger the unborn child may pose, plan to destroy it, also killing Bella. Jacob vehemently protests this decision and leaves, forming his own pack with Leah and Seth Clearwater. Bella soon gives birth, but the baby breaks many of her bones and she loses massive amounts of blood. In order to save her life, Edward changes her into a vampire by injecting his venom into her heart. Jacob, who was present for the birth, almost immediately â€Å"imprints†Ã¢â‚¬â€an involuntary response in which a shape-shifter finds his soul mate—on Edward and Bella's newborn daughter, Renesmee.This ends the enmity between Jacob and the Cullens, leading Edward and Jacob to regard each other as brothers. The third section of Breaking Dawn shifts back to Bella's perspective, finding her changed into a vampire and enjoying her new life and abilities. However, the vampire Irina misidentifies Renesmee as an â€Å"immortal child†, a child who has been turned into a vampire. Because â€Å"immortal chi ldren† are uncontrollable, creating them has been outlawed by the Volturi. After Irina presents her allegation to the Volturi, they plan to destroy Renesmee and the Cullens. In an attempt to survive, the Cullens gather other vampire clans from around the world to stand as witnesses and prove to the Volturi that Renesmee is not an immortal child.Upon confronting the gathered Cullen allies and witnesses, the Volturi discover that they have been misinformed and immediately execute Irina for her mistake. However, they remain undecided on whether Renesmee should be viewed as a threat to vampires' secret existence. At that time, Alice and Jasper, who had left prior to the confrontation, return with a Mapuche called Nahuel, a 150-year-old vampire-human crossbreed like Renesmee. He demonstrates that the crossbreeds pose no threat, and the Volturi surrender. Edward, Bella and Renesmee return to their home in peace. I HoPe I mAdE My PoInT —————— —– Start with an interesting beginning, or lead, to get your reader's attention.For example: if you were writing about recycling newspapers, you could open your essay by asking how many people have huge stacks of old newspapers in their garages. Let your readers know what your issue and point of view by including an opinion statement In each paragraph, give a reason that will convince your audience†¦ 1-start or end the body of your essay with a bang by arranging your reasons according to their order of importance 2-be sure that you logically support your reasons by using evidence and that you elaborate on your reasons and evidence Restate your opinion in different words, and summarize your reasons in one or two sentences. Close your essay with a call to action that tells your readers what you want them to do or with what strong closing statement.