The Crusades Essay -- essays research papers

The Crusades A major turning point in Medieval history were the Crusades. The Crusades were a series of wars fought between the Christian Europeans and the Muslim Turks, which occurred between the years of 1096 to 1272. In this Holy War the Christians goal was to obtain the Holy Land from the Turks, in which they did not succeed. Although the Christians did not meet their goal, many positives did come out of their attempt. Due to the reason that they did not meet their goal, yet numerous positives came out of their effort, many refer to this as a successful failure. A main cause of the Crusades was the treatment of Christian pilgrims. They were robbed, beaten, and then sold. The main group of Turks, the Seljuk Turks, were threatening and growing in power. The Byzantine Emperor, Alexus I, began to become worried and sent out an urgent plea to Pope Urban II, in Rome. He requested for Christian knights to help him fight the Turks. Pope Urban II did agree to his appeal although Byzantine Emperors and Roman Popes were longtime rivals. He also did agree with Alexus I, in fearing that the Turks were expanding. Pope Urban encouraged French and German Bishops and Nobles to also take part in this. â€Å" An accused race has violently invaded the lands of those Christians and had depopulated them by pillage and fire.† This is when Pope Urban II called for a crusade to free the Holy Land. Urban did agree to this having some of his own motives in mind. He was hoping his power would grow in ...

Characters in Great Expectations Essay

In this first extract there are many hidden connections between the characters and the settings. The first connection is when Pip the narrator describes the graveyard. He describes it as a â€Å"bleak place overgrown with nettles†. The word bleak alone reflects many characters feelings. The word bleak may perhaps represent how Pip feels about the place he has to mourn for his family and how he is in disbelief that a place of death and rebirth could be so uncared for. I think this uncaring for the graveyard is a strong reflection of Pips character, as he himself is uncared for. It could also symbolize Pip’s life so far as being miserable and empty and never having anything to look forward to. However I think the main thing the word bleak is trying to signify is the â€Å"fearful man† Magwitch. This convict’s life will be bleak even he does not go back to prison. This is because he has no option, no friends or family and he is alone in the world. Pip the narrator describes the area surrounding the churchyard as a â€Å"dark flat wilderness†. This quote is another representation of Pip’s life . The word â€Å"dark† indicates Pip’s past and how it is dark and cloudy as he does not know anything about it. The word â€Å"flat† signifies Pip’s life at the moment as being straight forward and plain with nothing changing and the word wilderness representing Magwitch and how Magwitch is going to change Pip’s future from flat and straight forward to wild andchanging. The quote also may represent Pip’s existence as he has always been alone, never knowing any of his family apart from his sister. Furthermore the fact that Pip is alone in this harsh abandoned environment makes the area more scary and dangerous. So when Dickens refers to Pip as a â€Å"small bundle of shivers† it creates an image in the readers mind of Pip curled up all alone in this â€Å"overgrown† â€Å"wilderness† which I think increases the readers sorrow for Pip. Moreover the word â€Å"bundle† emphasises how small Pip is which may increase the readers sorrow for Pip even more. This atmosphere created by Dickens gives a good entrance for the character Magwitch. Magwitch is mirrored through the landscape and the words Dickens uses so that he is not only created through words but from the settings. The words and settings that are used to emphasise Magwitch are mainly employed to dehumanise Magwitch so that he seems more like a monster then a man. Magwitch is first introduced at the graveyard, where he scares Pip not only with his words but with his image. This is shown before Magwitch is even introduced into the play by the narrator. The narrator refers to a wind rushing from a â€Å"savage lair†. I think this wind from the savage lair is Magwitch and how he is being blown ever closer to Pip. I also think that the word â€Å"savage† could be referring to the prison Magwitch was in. As it shows the fact that a prison is a place for savages. This idea increases the reader’s view of Magwitch making him more of a beast then a man. The assumption that Magwicth is a beast is also supported by the fact that Dickens followed â€Å"savage† with the word â€Å"lair† the word lair is mainly used to describe an animal’s home which enhances the idea of Magwitch being an animal. I think Dickens does this to dehumanise Magwitch further and also to create an image in the readers mind just before Magwitch is introduced into the extract. Magwitch is an escaped convict which makes his options â€Å"bleak† that’s why I think he ends up at the graveyard because if your options are â€Å"bleak† you usually only have the worst choices to choose from. The word â€Å"overgrown† suggests how Magwitch is out of control which makes him more like a wild monster. In addition the word â€Å"nettles â€Å"could be representing Magwitch being sharp, painful and dangerous. These quotes show that nature has personified Magwitch into a wild beast. When Magwitch is first described by the narrator, one of the first things that he is described as is â€Å"a man with no hat†. I think this is said because in the times of Great Expectations gentleman usually wore top hats. Dickens is trying to show that Magwitch is no gentleman. At the end of extract one Magwitch asks Pip where his village lies. This I think has a small reference to Mr and Mrs Gargery, as they both are included as the â€Å"village† that Pip points to when Magwicth threatens him in the Graveyard. The village â€Å"lay inshore among the alder trees,†. As a result of this quote we draw together the image of a peaceful village. This quote illustrates the meaning of the word â€Å"lay† as this one word indicates that the village was asleep and unaware of Magwitch’s presence. This extract shows how well the settings of Great Expectations not only contribute to the story but to the characters emotions as well. Extract two takes place in Satis House. This old outdated building creates the feelings and atmosphere for this extract. The extract begins with Pip describing the room he is in and giving us an image of what it looks like. Pip then meets Miss Havisham and refers to her as the â€Å"strangest† thing he has ever seen. Miss Havisham talks to Pip about herself and gives him a brief outline of her past telling Pip how she has never seen the sun since she was left at the alter by her husband. After this Pip meets Miss Havisham’s daughter Estella. Estella and Pip play the card game â€Å"beggar† while they are playing. Estella insults Pip by saying that his hands are all coarse. The extract ends with Pip leaving Satis house and then releasing his hatred towards Estella by kicking a wall while he cries. Extract two on a whole fits into Great Expectations as the Part of the novel that misleads the reader so that the reader thinks that Miss Havisham is the mysterious benefactor who gives Pip money so that he can move to London to become a gentleman. I think Dickens does this to try and remove the character Magwitch from the readers mind so that the reader will not even in the slightest think that Magwitch is Pip’s benefactor and that Magwitch role in Great Expectations has ended. However even though Charles Dickens does this, he still leaves a presence of Magwitch in the novel. This presence comes from the character Estella. Estella just like Magwitch is sprung onto Pip. Magwitch is sprung onto Pip in the literal sense as he just jumps out at Pip scaring him. In comparison Estella is released onto Pip in another way. Pip who finds Estella â€Å"pretty† is just sprung by the insults and â€Å"distain† she shows towards him. The settings in extract two mainly represent the character Miss Havisham showing why she lives her life the way she does and exposing her past to the reader. The character Miss Havisham is not exactly a very believable character as no one in their right mind would live there life the way she does just because they were left at the alter. However even though she is not a very realistic creation from Charles Dickens she is certainly one of the most interesting characters of the novel. Miss Havisham’s whole life is defined by the single catastrophic event of her being left at the alter. From that moment forth, Miss Havisham is determined never to move beyond that day. She stops all the clocks in Satis House at twenty minutes to nine, the moment when she first learned that her future husband was gone. Extract two begins with Pip the narrator describing what the room Pip is in looks like. The room is described as a â€Å"pretty large† room well lit with â€Å"wax candles†. It is also said that the room does not even have a â€Å"glimpse of sunlight. † These quotes create the atmosphere of the room which make it seem mysterious and depressing. In addition these quotes reveal a lot about the character Miss Havisham. The quote a â€Å"glimpse of sunlight† is not only saying that room does not even have a glimpse of sunlight it is also reflecting things about Miss Havisham showing how she herself is the one without a glimpse of sunlight. The fact that Miss Havisham is keeping herself from the sunlight (the sunlight I believe could represent the public) suggests that she is trying to keep her past from the sunlight by staying in the dark. Sunlight is often associated with bliss and happiness. As there is no sunlight in the room it emphasises her life as being unhappy.

Crime Statistics Do Not Reflect True Crime Rates Essay

Crime statistics are not what we are led to believe. We hear a lot about the crime rates going up and down from the media and they tend to expand on specific types of criminal behavior that might be of interest to the public. When politicians are running for office we are told that the crime rates are down due to the tough crime policies that they have been implemented. Citizens seek crime rates for assistance in determining if the area they reside in is safe. Some people wish to get a general idea of the crime rates for a specific neighborhood where they are thinking of purchasing a house. But what is never explained is where do the crime statistics come from and were there any factors that could have had an effect on their†¦show more content†¦By police agencies using this form of statistical classifying, there is a major loss in the data of the lower crimes on the scale. A complete total of certain crimes are not included in the statistics creating several inaccuracies in the totals. The UCR policy does not require all crimes to be reported to the state. Violations of the General City Ordinance and Vehicle and Traffic Law are considered too low for the hierarchy scale. These types of crimes are never included in the monthly submission and we generally never hear about them. Since crime statistics begin at the forefront of the police department, the police officer, this leaves a lot of room for unreliability. Police officers create crime data by completing and submitting crime reports and arrest reports. These reports include all of the pertinent information necessary for the committed crime(s) for a specific incident. There are times when police officers fail to complete written reports of certain crimes or they downgrade the offense of a report to a less serious offense. Meanwhile, some police reports are over-rated in the seriousness of certain offenses. At the end of each officers shift the reports and arrest records are submitted to the appropriate unit or division of occurrence. Within a day or two these records are then transferred to a central records department and maintained at this location. During the transfer from one unit to another these recordsShow MoreRelatedA Comparative Analysis Of Official Crime Statistics And Unofficial Measures Essay1291 Words   |  6 Pagesclaim that crime is increasing or decreasing in New Zealand is a statement with various inbuilt assumptions. Crime is not a simple notion to define, nor is it easy to measure. This essay will perform a comparative analysis between ‘Official Crime Statistics’ and unofficial measures, highlighting that both me thods are limited in reflecting the true nature and scope of crime, as the notion of crime is contested. Official crime statistics follow a positivist approach, assuming that crime is a staticRead MoreThe Usefulness of Ocs in Measuring Crime1380 Words   |  6 PagesDeviance is not usually a crime, but may be seen as one. Deviance is when someone breaks the norms and values of a society, but the act is not illegal. Crime is where a person beaks the law of land, they either do something they shouldn’t, or they don’t do something they should. Crime and deviance can be measured with the use of Official Crime Statistic (OCS). OCS is the crimes which are reported by the victim, and then further recorded by the Police. Not all crimes are recorded by the Police, whichRead MoreEvaluate the usefulness of quantitative methods in sociological research990 Words   |  4 Pagesmeasuring the data, experimental control and manipulation of variables, collecting the data, modeling and analyzing the data. and then evaluating the results. Quantitative methods can be questionnaires or interviews with closed-ended questions, statistics, the use of secondary data and experiments (with a control group and an experimental group). Questionnaires constitute a quantitative approach that is associated with research high in reliability. They may also be viewed as high in reliabilityRead MoreThe Extent to Which Official Crime Statistics Provides a Reliable Estimate of the Amount of Crime Committed in England and Wales961 Words   |  4 PagesThe Extent to Which Official Crime Statistics Provides a Reliable Estimate of the Amount of Crime Committed in England and Wales The Criminal Justice System is an area of the English Legal System that strikes a balance between punishing the guilty and protecting the innocent. This balance has been the subject of much debate in the last 20 years because there has been a large number of miscarriages of justice, where innocent citizens/ people are sent to prison. This then Read MoreThe Uniform Crime Report And The National Crime Victimization Survey1569 Words   |  7 Pagesarguments over crime statistics. The Uniform Crime Report (UCR), Self-Report Surveys (SRS), and the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) are three methods in which the government collects data, and monitors criminal activity in the United States. The Uniform Crime Reports, Self-Report Surveys, and the National Crime Victimization Survey each have both positive and negative attributes that have influenced different aspects of society. â€Å"The Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) provides official crime totals forRead MoreCrime Is Defined And Recorded, And Will1415 Words   |  6 Pagesare determined by those in power, such as the government and police. If someone breaks these rules, they are labelled deviant. This essay will look at the implications of this view in regards to how crime is defined and recorded, and will also assess the effect this has on official criminal statistics. Becker (1963: p. 9) states that, â€Å"‘social groups create deviance by making the rules whose infraction constitutes deviance’, and by applying those rules to particular people and labelling them as outsiders†Read MoreThe Role of Police in Society Essay1490 Words   |  6 Pagesheated and large debate. Many believe that the police should give up their brute type tactics for a more civilized and humanized approach, while others feel that the police should crack down on the most insignificant of offences to type and disparage crimes that are more serious. In this paper, we will be analyzing both sides of this issue, from the look of the police administration to the publics view of it. When we mention todays police force we will be using the New York City police force as areRead Moreâ€Å"Social Change And Crime Rate Trends: A Routine Activity1526 Words   |  7 Pages â€Å"Social Change and Crime Rate Trends: A Routine Activity Approach† takes a unique approach on analyzing crime rate trends by looking not at the characteristics and identities of the offenders of crime, but at circumstances and environmental factors surrounding the crime (in this case only crimes confined to predator violence that involves physical contact) that takes place. The piece analyzes several different aspects of what the authors refer to as ‘routine activities.’ By showing real data collectedRead MoreRace And Crime : Criminal Justice System1460 Words   |  6 PagesRace and crime are interwoven with how justice and criminology are handled. Police have a racial bias against blacks and incarcerate them in larger numbers than any other race. Statistically, blacks have a higher arrest and incarceration rate than other races do. Due to police being taught that racial profiling is a necessary part of the job, blacks have now become a prime target for many false arrests and often serve jail time for a crime they may not have committed. The black c ommunity often expressesRead More1: Crime and People819 Words   |  4 Pagesprogram at Human Rights Watch, how does the growing number of prisoners reflect a human rights problem? â€Å"As many of the people caught up in the criminal justice system are low income, racial and ethnic minorities, often forgotten by society,† Besides juveniles, what other age group is experiencing unprecedented incarceration rates? Does this surprise you? Why or why not? Another age group experiencing unprecedented incarceration rates is with very elderly people. Yes, it surprises me very much. I was