Greed in The Rocking Horse Winner :: Rocking Horse Winner

Greed in The Rocking Horse Winner  Ã‚     People need money to live, and enough to buy the basic goods one needs to survive, but everybody wants more money. More money means an easier life. The more money one has, the more money one wants, as is shown in the story, "The Rocking Horse Winner" by D. H. Lawrence. At the beginning of this story the family did not have enough money to support their opulent lifestyle. Mr. Lawrence illustrates their situation like this: "Although they lived in style they felt always an anxiety in the house. There was never enough money." (p. 159) The family scrambles to pay the bills at the end of the month. An unspoken phrase "Whispered" throughout the house, "There must be more money! There must be more money!" (p.160) the whispering said. Even though the family had money, they wanted, they needed, more. Paul, the child, knew that his family wanted money, and he knew that he was lucky, betting on the horses. Paul became partners with the gardener. He picked the horse, and the gardener placed the bet. Paul had started out with five shillings but his winnings kept adding up. When he had made 10,000 pounds he decided to give his mother 1000 pounds a year for five years. He wanted his winnings to be a secret so a lawyer handled the money. Paul saw the envelope from the lawyer and asked his mother if she had received anything good in the mail. She said "Quite moderately nice" (p. 168) in a cold voice. She liked getting the money, but she wasn't happy. She wanted more. The same day, she had a meeting with the lawyer who was handling the money. Paul's mother demanded the full sum. She received the money and spent it all. The author informs the reader, "There were certain new furnishings, and Paul had a tutor... There were flowers in the winter, and a blossoming of the luxury that Paul's mother had been used to." (p. 169) The money ran out and the voices in the house screamed, "Oh-h-h, there must be more money.

How to Solve Scarcity in the Economy Essay

SCARCITY: A pervasive condition of human existence that results because society has unlimited wants and needs, but limited resources used for their satisfaction. This fundamental condition is the common thread that binds all of the topics studied in economics. Scarcity is a perpetual problem facing society due to limited resources andunlimited wants and needs satisfied with these resources. Scarcity means that society does not have enough of everything (resources) for everyone (wants and needs). Two Components Consider the two sides of the scarcity problem. * Unlimited Wants and Needs: This is a basic characteristic of humanity which means that people are never totally satisfied with the quantity and variety of goods and services. It means that people never get enough, that there is always something else that they would want or need. * Limited Resources: This is a basic condition of nature which means that the quantities of available resources used for production are finite. It means that the economy has only so many resources that can be used AT ANY GIVEN TIME time to produce other goods and services. Humans live in a world of scarcity. This world of scarcity is what the study of economics is all about. That is why scarcity is usually subtitled: THE ECONOMIC PROBLEM. Scarcity does not preclude technological advances and other discoveries that â€Å"lessen† the scarcity problem with better ways of satisfying wants and needs. In fact, scarcity actually predicts such things. People are motivated to work, go to school, invent products and discover new continents because they do not have all that they want. Why invent, discover, or explore if all wants and needs are satisfied? Increasing limited resources does not make them unlimited only less limited. Scarcity persists. Solutions? Scarcity has been a perpetual, pervasive problem of humanity. There is no reason to think the future will escape the wrath of scarcity either. But why not? Can humans ever hope to solve the scarcity problem? Technological advances in recent centuries have certainly done a great deal to lessen the scarcity problem. A notable share of the world’s population residing in industrialized nations, while not free of scarcity, has achieved a relatively comfortable living standard. Given continued technological advances over the next few hundred years, perhaps society can solve the scarcity problem once and for all? It might happen. Who knows what the future might bring. But such is unlikely, even with technological advances. The reason for this economic pessimism rests with the two, and ONLY two, possible ways to eliminate scarcity. 1. Unlimited resources: Unfortunately, the planet Earth is finite. The solar system is finite. The galaxy is finite. In all likelihood, the universe is finite. None of this bodes well for achieving unlimited resources as a means of solving the scarcity problem. 2. Limited wants and needs: If every human being had finite wants and needs that could be satisfied with a finite amount of resources, then scarcity would cease to exist. But what sort of genetic engineering would be needed for this? Would humans still be human? 3. You allow the market price to rise to the point where demand=supply. The item will still be scarce (because it is not in unlimited supply), but everyone who is willing to pay the price will be satisfied. Alternatively, you can ration by authority. Someone with enough power to coerce people to do what they won’t naturally do would simply choose who gets the scarce goods and who doesn’t. 4. Find economically viable alternatives/substitutes – e.g. instead of petrol, try vegetable oil (it works, but I don’t think cars are made for them). 5. Alter supply – e.g. instead of restricting imports, increase them. 6. Leverage – instead of allowing one unit of electricity to produce one unit of good, you can make one unit of electricity produce 5 units of good. They call this economies/efficiency, but the principle can be applied to various areas outside of production. 7. Increase the price – a side effect of the lack of supply, but you will probably be faced with lobbying groups. 8. Be prudent and prioritise use – if it’s scarce, it shouldn’t be wasted. So cut back on non-necessities. 9. Innovate -R&D to find new ways to solve the problem. Alternatively, you can change a few things and make a massive difference. However, innovation is spontaneous and is often circumstantial. 10. Reduce demand – change what the thing is used or alleviate the thing that it is used for. If the demand for the product is not there, scarcity is not so much a problem. Simpler said than done though. 11. Expansion of the productive capacity of an economy would help. However, it is likely scarcity will always exist as resources are limited but wants are infinite. So generally, it is how to allocate the resources most efficiently rather than how to solve scarcity, as scarcity can’t be solved. Resources have to be allocated at their optimum level, if this doesn’t occur it is known as market failure. The government can intervene in the form of taxation (placed on a good to discourage its consumption), subsidies (given to firms to encourage production of a good, which makes it cheaper therefore encouraging consumption), regulation (laws used to prevent consumption of a good) and pollution permits (allocated to firms allowing them to produce a certain amount of pollution, they’re tradeable which encourages firms to be greener).

Allusions Of John Milton s Frankenstein - 1847 Words

Brandon McCormick Ms. Headley English 2013 8 December 2014 Allusions to Paradise Lost in Frankenstein In the nineteenth century gothic novel Frankenstein, Mary Shelley uses numerous allusions within her novel that can easily be interpreted by the reader. These allusions make it easier for readers to understand the characters and compare their circumstances throughout the story. The most significant and most used was from John Milton’s epic Paradise Lost. It is known that, â€Å"†¦Paradise Lost stands alone in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries atop the literary hierarchy, and Milton’s epic is clearly rooted in the history of Puritanism and in the bourgeois ideal of the individual, the ‘concept of the person as a relatively autonomous self-contained and distinctive universe’† (Lamb 305). This book has numerous parallels that readers can easily interpret to Frankenstein. Victor Frankenstein and his monster can both be identified with several characters from Paradise Lost. Among these characters are Adam, Eve, Satan, and God. Paradise Lost is even mentioned in the novel, after the monster that Victor creates reads the epic as if it was a history book. The Creature states, â€Å"But Paradise Lost excited different and far deeper emotions. I read it, as I had read the other volumes which had fallen into my hands, as a true history. It moved every feeling of wonder and awe that the picture of an omnipotent God warring with his creatures was capable of exciting† (Shelley 124). He is ableShow MoreRelatedThe Themes Of Allusions In Mary Shelleys Frankenstein1096 Words   |  5 Pagesconversation is chiefly remarkable for the summariness of its allusions and the rapidity of its transitions. Before one of them is half through a sentence the other knows his meaning and replies. ... His mental lungs breathe more deeply, in an atmosphere more broad and vast†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Mary Shelley was a young and brilliant author and woman, who if allusionist was a career path, she’d be a trailblazer. Although she has an almost imp eccable hand at allusions, why does she use them? Was it because of her youth in lifeRead MoreFrankenstein: Allusions1112 Words   |  5 PagesGuffey English 100 13 November 2012 Frankenstein: Into the Depths of Allusions An allusion is a figure of speech that is a reference to a well-known person, place, event, or literary work. These allusions are typically used by an author who intends to make a powerful point without the need to explain it. Mary Shelley s Frankenstein provides many examples of allusion s. She connects the story of â€Å"Prometheus†, Coleridge s Rime of the Ancient Mariner, and Milton s Paradise Lost to her own novel toRead MoreAllusions Vs. Mary Shelley s Frankenstein 1520 Words   |  7 PagesAllusions to Paradise Lost in Frankenstein In the classic gothic novel Frankenstein, Mary Shelley creates numerous allusions, or references to another work, to John Milton’s epic, Paradise Lost. Allusions can be interpreted differently by each individual, and do not have absolute meanings. They are indirect, which means that the author does not specifically mention the book or epic that he or she is referencing to. Though in Frankenstein, Mary Shelley directly mentions Milton’s Paradise Lost atRead MoreBeating At The Heart Of Paradise Lost Lies A Common Theme1106 Words   |  5 PagesHis omniscient presence. Stemming from this capacity to create life with an overarching lens, He creates the most favorable outcome for his creations. Contrary to Milton’s God’s all-knowing perspective when creating Adam, in Frankenstein, Mary Shelley estranges Victor Frankenstein from his humanity during his creation of his monster. This validates that man should not play God because man does not have the vision to fully understand his own actions, leading to chaos and violence when he attempts toRead MoreGood Intentions And Mary Shelley s Frankenstein1834 Words   |  8 PagesIntentions and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein Throughout history, there are many examples of noble intentions turning into horrendous actions, such as Cesare Borgia’s idea of unifying Italy turning into a man’s desperate grab for power. Probably the most influential time periods that stand as a shining example of noble intentions turning into horrible actions is the early 1800’s with the French revolution, radicalism in Europe, and the clash political beliefs. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein echoes with examplesRead MoreMetamorphoses Within Frankenstein14861 Words   |  60 PagesThe Critical Metamorphoses of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein You must excuse a trif ling d eviation, From Mrs. Shelley’s marvellous narration — from th e musical Frankenstein; or, The Vamp ire’s Victim (1849) Like Coleridge’ s Ancient Mariner , who erupts into Mary Sh elley’s text as o ccasionally and inev itably as th e Monster into Victor Frankenstein’s lif e, Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometh eus passes, like night, from land to land and w ith stang ely ad aptable powers of speech