And Now Miguel Essays - House Of Braganza, ...And Now Miguel

And Now Miguel Essays - House Of Braganza, ...And Now Miguel And Now Miguel People around the world have had responsibility throughout theirs lives. With being responsible anyone can achieve anything that they want. America is a great country with people that taken responsibility in their whole lives. Thats why America is so strong and containing with great people who built America from pieces to pieces. Mostly for the families that living, farmers for example; it was hard to take care of livestocks because it was expensive. If animals are lost the farmers will lose part of the family stock. It was a family business job, so everyone in the family helped with the work; men, women, boys, and girls. However, not everybody had the responsibility to take care of the family business. If one failed to perform a duty, the family business might fall apart. and now Miguel by Joseph Krumgold shows that through taking responsibility with ones actions and behaviors, a person can mature enough to be able to follow their heart. The main character Miguel wants to follow in the shadow of his father. He wants to do everything like his father does. He wants to be a part of the family business; he wants to help out with raising the sheep. He feels like he could be a part of something and he wants to get credit for what he does. But for me, I have the wish to be part of everything that happens, even it is not happening to me (Krumgold, 16). Miguel wants to be a part of the team and experience the happiness or sadness based on the investment that others in his family share. He doesnt care if the family finds a pot of gold and they want to share. Miguel doesnt want the gold; all he wanted was to be there when the pot of gold is found; to be a part of the experience. Miguel wants to prove that he can be a part of the family, to his father and mother. He tries so hard to fit in with his family but hes rejected by his family. But still I am glad that Im growing up to be a shepherd, if only it doesnt take too long (Krumgold, 21). Miguel would do anything to prove to his father that he can be just like him. Instead of being a policeman or an airplane pilot, Miguel wants to be a shepard its in his blood. His grandparents were shepards and his parents are too. He thinks what his father would want him to be. Meaning that the expectations are on high steaks about Miguel being a shepard, that is how Miguels father grew up; by taken responsibility on part of the family business. Miguel does get the chance to prove to his father that he can be responsible and be part of the family. He knows that he would do anything for his fathers eyes to see him as a grown up. He would use any chance that he gets to prove that he can do anything. Miguel go up to the mountains one day to find the lost sheep, while he is there he think about how he can prove to his father that he did it. He wants to show his father that he got the sheep. Actually he was glad that the sheep went away, because of the sheep he gets the opportunity to prove to his father (Krumgold, 92). Miguel goes up to the mountains to find the sheep, and he finds them. He thinks that by getting the sheep, it will prove to his father that he can be responsible. Miguel wants to go up to the mountains again because only the men go up to the mountains. Miguel wants to be a man. He proves to his father that hes responsible, because Miguel goes up to the mountains without knowing what dangers lies before him. Still Miguel goes up and tries to bring the lost sheeps. Although, his father denies that Miguel is still too young. So Miguel reaches the last person who might help him go up to the mountain. San Ysidro or Saint Ysidro, he is what the people in the Miguels village worth

Movies on Patriotic theme essays

Movies on Patriotic theme essays The economic downturns of the Great Depression contributed to the countys fascination with gangster genres. As Americans lost their jobs or saw their farms foreclosed on by the once admired establishment or banking system; with public endorsement gangsters descended in spirit from Americas frontier outlaws such as the James Gang, and led by desperadoes like Pretty Boy Floyd, Baby Face Nelson, and Machine Gun Kellyrose up to assault the system. Because of Prohibition, the Great Depression and World War II, gangsters became the modern gunslingers and outlaws. The gangster saga replaced the Western as the American myth. It told the story of modern America. Young Americans enjoyed watching gangster films during the 1930s. Before President Roosevelts New Deal, gangsters were without doubt the American cinemas most striking heroes. The film industrys love affair with members of criminal gangs was only natural, they were colorful, violent, and charismatic men and women whose law-breaking ac tivities were followed by millions of law abiding Americans. But when brought to the screen, gangster films more than any other Hollywood genre created problems not only for the usual censorship lobbies but also for judges, lawyers, teachers, policemen, mayors, newspapers, and local councilors. Many respectable citizens believed that gangster films based on the lives and activities of Prohibition-era criminals, led to an increase in juvenile delinquency and accused Hollywood of delivering impressionable youth into a career of crime. The harmful effects of fast-moving and exciting gangster films on young cinema patrons thus became a prominent concern of those eager to control and censor this pervasive new mass medium. After a series of sex scandals rocked the American film industry, in 1922 Hollywoods Jewish moguls hired a midwestern Presbyterian gentleman and influential Republican William Harrison Hays, former Postmast...

Analyze and research 2 original works of art Paper

Analyze and 2 original works of art - Research Paper Example However, there are exemptions and contradictions to the said expression of belief in art. An example of this can be exemplified through the marble statue of the Old Woman. At the present, both are located in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. These two pieces, when studied closely, have seemingly diverse themes in artistic approach. Both have also left numerous mysteries and secrets with questions and answers waiting to be revealed – revelations of stories each once told. In this light, this paper will focus on the mentioned classical marble monuments that exhibit extensive pieces of evidence about the classical period. It will describe each of the respective piece’s physical characteristics and figures. Then, an analysis of artistic style based on the classical techniques will be given. Thereafter, both will be compared based on the individual analysis conducted. The mentioned statues will also be historicized based on the prevailing themes they possessed. Such historical study will explain the type of society and political atmosphere where these statues were conceptualized. In the physical and technical attributes of the marble statue Hermes, it can be said that the piece is a close life size depiction of Greek god Hermes, the messenger to Zeus. It stands at 71 1/4 x 29 1/2 x 23 1/2 inches. The statue’s left hand, nose, and tips of some fingers have been duly restored in its present museum condition. Its artist, Polykleitos, displays Hermes with a graceful stance. One can begin to imagine how the sculpture came about. In the viewer’s plain sight, it was as if Hermes was present and posing for the artist. Polykleitos depicts Hermes’ stance using contrapposto, meaning â€Å"counter poise.† This particular stance applies all of the subject’s weight shifting to his left leg, with his right leg slightly bent ahead of the other. He stands tall, with might, shoulders back and head tilt forward. This pose causes the figur e’s hips and shoulders to rest at opposite angels and gives it a slight and almost unnoticeable s-curve to the torso. The statue’s head is tilted forward, as if he gazes down upon something and with his left arm, reaching out for something. Such particular pose implies the notion of the god giving a hand out to travelers, as if to assist them in a safe and easy journey as many Greeks would do when they called out and made sacrifices to Hermes before any trips were conducted.2 The statue’s chitin is held at his left shoulder, draped off the body with remainder of the material gathered in the left arm. The marble statue of Hermes is of many similar Greek originals and Roman copies, as they constantly display desired physical beauty and idealism in lieu of concrete beauty and realism. It is from this technical characterization that the style where Hermes was based can be deduced. From what was mentioned earlier, the classical Greek art can be attributed to the them es of naturalism and idealism. The technique of naturalism is evident within Hermes through the very image of the Greek god where the male figure exhibits nudity. Nudity, in a classical and artistic sense, can be seen as being one with the natural world. The utter simplicity in physical attributes can be shown through the sole use of a piece of clothing draped upon one’s shoulder. This natural attachment to the world is the core

Planning for sustainable water quality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Planning for sustainable water quality - Essay Example In the past, majority of ecological and human crises originate from inadequate access to, and mismanagement of water resources. Aquatic ecosystems, land, and community goals may be destroyed in the process of harnessing water. The growing population may increase water-related problems, and the state has to plan for sustainable water projects. Sustainability guarantees access to basic amounts of water necessary for sustaining human health and to sustain the ecosystem. Sustainability of water resources provides room for renewal of these resources ensuring a constant supply of water. Environmental planning agencies have to assess water quality changes associated with land use activities. The main factors influencing water quality are vegetation, farming methods, and soil type. Rain water contains dissolved gases and minerals (150). These minerals react chemically with the soil constituents when rain water reaches the ground. Land use alters the composition and texture of the surface soi l. The initial interference involved dumping of human and animal wastes into water systems. Improved farming techniques such as the use of fertilizers and pesticides interfere with water quality. Fertilizer and pesticides runoff increase the nutrient levels present in water naturally. Most of these pesticides contain harmful chemicals that cause water poisoning and chemical reactions in the water. Some of the chemicals are volatile and deposited in the air due to exposure to the atmosphere. Chemicals dissolved in water affect natural minerals in the water and they affect marine and human lives. Deforestation is popular in forests, which are also the catchment areas of rivers. Some farmers practice poor farming methods that loosen the soil structure. Activities such as overstocking and overgrazing deprive the land vegetation cover that cements soil particles together. Runoff from these areas contains sediments that are washed into water sources. Sediment loading increases the amount of soil particles and minerals in water sources. In urban areas, industries produce chemical effluent and gases that contaminate water pathways and the atmosphere (157). These gases dissolve in rain water to form acidic rainfall or increase chemical components in the water. Industrial waste washed into watersheds contains poisonous metals and chemicals that cause health complication in animals and humans. Planners must consider the effect of different land uses on the water quality. Minimizing effluent from industries and agricultural can improve the quality of water distributed to homesteads. The federal government passed the Clean Water Act that regulates discharges of pollutants into water bodies and regulates the quality standards for surface water. In this act, EPA has implemented programs to control water pollution such as setting wastewater standards for industries. According to CWA, discharging pollutants from a point source into navigable waters is unlawful unless a permit is acquired. Point sources are conveyances such as man-made ditches and pipes that carry water. The act also provides assistance to public water treatment projects that improve wastewater treatment (160). These projects convert wastewater to safe water that can be utilized by ordinary citizens. Industries cannot discharge waste water directly into public water treatments areas without prior purification. The pretreatment aims at reducing toxic wastes discharged into these treatment works. EPA has also

Getting A Scholarship To Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Getting A Scholarship To Study - Essay Example The scholarship not only served as a financial assistance but was also a unique opportunity to display my academic prowess. There is no doubt that scholarships are more prestigious and that they play important role in enhancing one’s resume and at the same time help one to pay for his or her education. Scholarship has provided me with enormous financial benefits as it has helped me to study without incurring substantial costs or not getting into debts. This helped me to concentrate on my studies and in the future, it will help me to focus on my career without thinking about repaying loans. By removing financial barriers, the scholarship made my career and education goals easier to obtain. In addition to financial and educational benefits, the scholarship provided me with career benefit. Earning a prestigious scholarship makes me a more attractive job candidate. Most employers understand the competitive nature of the scholarship and as such, they recognize scholarship as an acc omplishment. It demonstrates to potential employers that I have exceptional abilities in the academic realm. Listing scholarship in my resume helps me to stand out when searching for a job and possibly help me to achieve the career that I want. The scholarship also came with personal benefit; it made a significant difference regarding how much resources and time that I had during college to spend to enhance my knowledge and experience through internships, volunteer opportunities, and service-learning.

Analysing Post Apartheid Gender Inequality In South Africa Politics Essay

Analysing Post Apartheid Gender Inequality In South Africa Politics Essay Despite the South African constitutions commitment to equal rights for women, the demand for gender equality is incompatible with the preservation of traditional authority in the post-apartheid era. Discuss. Women in South Africa have the most clearly spelt out legal rights in the whole of Africa and when looking at the newly formed constitution the situation for women in South Africa seems to have made a dramatic move in the right direction. After all the constitution prohibits any form of discrimination on the basis of not only gender but sexual orientation. And although it validates both gender equality and the institutions of traditional authority, if they come into direct conflict it is gender equality that will prevail. The national parliament has also moved from being 141st in the world, in regards to the percentage of women members, pre-1994 to 7th post-1994.  [i]  This signals a new era in South Africa, and is mainly down to the ANCs undoubted dedication to gender equality and the introduction of its quota in national elections. However despite the leaps forward in gender equality the fight for womens rights is far from over and it is in the rural areas that the discrimination is most severely felt by women. The South African constitution may be one of the most gender sensitive in the world but this did not come about uncontested by the traditional authorities,  [ii]  who believed the introduction of gender equality would lead to the end of some African traditions, such as, Lobola,  [1]  and in the long term their very institutions. Traditional authorities are seen to be the biggest obstacle facing the women in rural South Africa. This essay will discuss the history of traditional authorities and how the colonial and apartheid eras have influenced and shaped them, the affect they have had of on the development of womens rights and their relevance to understanding the rural womens position. Also the broader tension felt between the principle of elected representation and the continuation of non-electe d chiefs that has implications for the position of women and the country as a whole. And finally a brief look at the question; why did the ANC make concessions to the chiefs at the time of transition. But ultimately that the ANC-led governments belief that they can recognise the institution of traditional leaders while at same time upholding the constitutions principles of gender equality and representative democracy is completely contradictory. Today in post-1994 South Africa the term traditional authorities is an all-encompassing term in which it refers to chiefs of all different ranks and that have jurisdiction over rural people.  [iii]  But this concept of traditional authority has, over the years, has been reshaped and moulded to not only benefit the white ruling governments that have dominated South Africas history but also the patriarchal systems. The two main institutions that were reconstructed were chieftainship and customary law. In the colonial era they were used as a cheap form of administration, later to ensure the successful use of the migrant labour system. In the apartheid era they were used in the states attempt to divide the African population into their ethnic groups so that they would be easier to control. Customary law may be seen by some as a long African tradition but others, as illustrated by Cherryl Walker, believe that customary law is not only sexually discriminatory in the extreme but also a construct of the past hundred years.  [iv]  The chief was also reinvented to become dependent on approval from the centre, for any chiefs that were perceived to be disloyal to the dominant white state, were removed and replaced by more compliant individuals. During this time the most valuable power the chief possessed was the power to allocate land, and it remains so today. This power was beneficial to the apartheid state but has caused massive complications for the reconstruction of rural areas under the new ANC-led government,  [v]  and has been hugely detrimental to the population of rural women and gender equality. The issue of land allocation was one of the largest issues to be resolved facing the new post-apartheid government, and remains so to this day. For the first ten years the new ANC-led government has been very vague on the issue of traditional authorities and land allocation. Traditional authorities took advantage of this indecisiveness and used to their benefit. Things were further complicated by the fact that the constitution recognised the institution of traditional leaders but failed to specify the roles, functions and powers of said authorities. This resulted in massive confusion for the people on the ground and when elected councillors were introduced in 1995/96, the lack of a clear definition led to tension between the newly elected councillors and the traditional authorities, as neither were clear as to what role they would play and considered the other institution to illegitimate. When the ANC came to power and the new democratic constitution was enforced many South Africans believed that the newly elected councillors would take over the function of land allocation, the government indicated that it would become the responsibility of the Traditional rural councils (TRC) however the old apartheid laws were effectively still in place, government officials still used, with a few adjustments, the apartheid procedure and did not recognise the elected councillors as having power to allocate land, as a result by 2000, (the end of the transition period) the rural people had become dissatisfied with the rural councillors.  [vi]   It wasnt until the combination of the Traditional Leadership and Framework Act  [2]  (framework act) in 2003 and the Communal Land Rights Act  [3]  2004, that the government finally clarified the role of traditional authorities. The combination of these two acts drew criticism from a huge range of civil society organisations, ranging from gender activists to land activists, such as, the programme for Land and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS) and the National Land Committee (NLC) they considered these new traditional councils to be, as Ntsebeza illustrates, a retreat from democracy and the Communal Land Rights Act was an attempt to revive a defunct apartheid institution which was above all extremely discriminatory of women.  [vii]  The reason that the traditional authorities being in control of land allocation is such bad news for women is because of their continuing use of customary law.  [4]  Despite the fact that gender equality should, according to the constitution, prevai l over institutions of traditional authorities, in practice customary law and practice tend to win in matters marriage, divorce and property ownership (with most chiefs still unwilling to allocate land to women) resulting in deeply patriarchal decisions that lessen womens rights to those of their husbands, fathers or even sons.  [viii]  The principle of customary law has even been upheld in the Supreme Court rulings (2000) despite what is clearly stated in the constitution.  [ix]  This elevation of hereditary chieftainship to a privileged and protected position within local government seriously compromises rural womens access to and influence on local governments.  [x]  The framework act has created councils that are dominated by traditional authorities whilst the Communal Land Rights Act has given these structures extraordinary powers, combined they have effectively given the traditional authorities back the powers that they had enjoyed in the apartheid era under the Ba ntu Authorities Act.  [xi]  Through these acts the national government has majorly failed the women in rural areas in relation to land and womens right over its allocation and use, in effect the government has failed to uphold the very principles in the constitution of equality all they have done is further entrench the concept of male-domination in both peoples minds and the institutions in rural South Africa. One of the major reasons behind the increase in dominance in the traditional authorities in rural areas is due to the lack of a significant civil society movement in particular a powerful Womens movement post-1994 to push for equality. Before the first democratic elections in South Africa, the general womens movement was much stronger. Successfully contesting the traditional authorities proposals to have customary law exempt from the gender equality clause  [xii]  and later defeating their bid to have customary law entrenched itself. The womens organisations also managed to successfully mobilise itself after being sidelined in the constitutional negotiation process to form the Womens National Coalition in 1992, with the aim to draft a charter for womens rights, that would be included or at least consulted when the constitution was drawn up. However this coalition didnt last long after the charter was formalised, the ANC womens league become suspicious and believed that other part ies would use the coalition to better themselves and not women as a whole, and as a result dropped out. This left the womens movement in tatters.  [xiii]  There was a further blow to the movement when the ANC was elected to government as many women that were at the forefront of the womens movements became members of parliament on ANC tickets. Leaving the majority of the womens organisations without key players and leaders. The situation was worse in rural areas for these organisations due to the fact they were predominantly urban based and were nowhere near as organised as the traditional authorities. As a result it was far more difficult for rural women to come together against the repressive nature of the Traditional Authorities as they had no organisation or figurehead to unite under. The traditional nature of rural South Africa is also felt within the rural local councils, where the number of women is actually lower than that of the national parliament. This goes against the western norm that women usually do better at the local level.  [xiv]  Gotez and Hassim illustrate two main reasons for this, firstly that traditional patriarchies can be more intense and immediate in their repressive effect on womens engagement at local level compared to the national and secondly that womens movements capacity to support women in local politics and help develop gender equality policy platforms can be fragmented by decentralisation.  [xv]  The lack of an effective womens movement post-1994, has had a negative effect on the development of gender equality. Another problem women face in rural councils is that they are set up to accommodate a male councillors way of life and not a womans who still have to uphold their traditional responsibilities for the home and family, C onnell argues that this holds dangerous potential for fostering exclusivity in political leadership.  [xvi]  Many believe that there are too many meetings that run late and seem to discuss the same issues over and over, which is just not practical for women councillors who have a family and a home to look after alongside their job as councillors. Unfortunately due to the smaller number of women in local councils than in the national parliament they are unable to ensure that matters such as hours of sitting and childcare are addressed, instead their concerns are ridiculed as womens problems by the male-dominated councils.  [xvii]  These issues enforce the perceptions that women are not capable of serving as councillors and damage the potential contribution of women councillors. Problems like this show just how deeply entrenched male-domination still is in South Africa,  [xviii]  and not just in rural areas but on the national scale. The male domination on real power is st ill very evident. The ANCs history towards Traditional Authorities is very important in understanding why the act the way they do towards them. The ANC was formed in 1912 and many of its founding members were traditional authorities who opposed to the Union of South Africa. However as time when on the ANC became a more radical movement and combined with pressure from its youth League and its communist allies the ANC split in two when it came to what to do with Traditional authorities today; the first being pro traditional authorities providing that they were critical of government policy. The second, who were clearly influenced by their communist allies, argued that the institution of traditional authorities belong to a previous feudal era and should be replaced by a more democratic institution.  [xix]   One of the main questions to be looked at is why the ANC has made so many concessions to the traditional authorities at the time of transition at the expense of gender equality, in spite of their obvious commitment to equality, in particular gender equality, both in the constitution and their own party politics (i.e. the election quota). The ANC has always been split and extremely ambiguous in its views and policy towards the institution of traditional authority. It is also widely accepted that tampering with the power of chiefs threatens to create a mass amount of political problems.  [xx]  Because of this most politicians feel the issue is best left alone. There are a number of possible reasons this. The first being that the ANC is fundamentally urban based and has always been considered to be very weak in rural areas, alongside that it has never had a coherent programme to build alternative democratic structures in the rural areas to try and combat this problem.  [xxi]  And as a result the ANC has been and remains depended on traditional authorities to be their main representation in rural areas. This originated when the party was in exile but has continued to the present day, which makes it difficult for the ANC to alienate them. The ANC has to also remember that it has to take peoples commitment to custom, culture and tradition seriously if it wants keep its support in rural areas and if any program of rural construction is to succeed.  [xxii]  The ANC cannot just rush in and dismantle peoples beliefs and way of life as a large number of people still believe in and support traditional authorities and what they stand for, it will be long and slow process that will have to be carried out with the upmost care, Ismail [1999] illustrates this point well that traditional leaders cannot be abolished overnight without causing some political disequilibrium among the indigenous people especially in rural areas.  [xxiii]   The ANC has also faced direct pressure from the traditional authorities themselves, both through the Inkatha freedom Party (IFP), the Congress of Traditional Leaders in South Africa  [5]  (CONTRALESA) and the right-wing Zulu nationalist chief Buthelezi, who is recruiting chiefs who opposed the ANC during the anti-apartheid era.  [xxiv]  The ANC feels it must maintain a good relationship with CONTRALESA so that it wont lose the support of the traditional authorities who are members and their followers, who the ANC consider to be important voter blocks. Ultimately the ANC had a choice to make; to take the Traditional Authorities head on in order for womens rights to not only be written in the constitution but actually be put into practice and be experienced by women throughout south African society, or to appease the Traditional Authorities and allow for gender inequality to continue despite this going against the very constitution they wish to uphold. Unfortunately (for womens rights) the ANC has seemed to favour the latter option. But the very fact that the ANC has need to make a choice between the two is evidence of the incompatibility of Traditional Authorities and the concept of gender equality. One thing that the womens movement must remember is that getting women into parliament is not a guarantee that she will help promote gender equality as not all women have feminist interests and will most likely represent their parties interests not that of women,  [xxv]  this can be partly due to the party-list system used in South Africa, which means if you want to stay high on the list and remain in parliament you have to tow the party line. There is also the problem that women just dont feel comfortable enough to raise the question of the prolonged gender inequality within South African society, this is generally down to the traditional view upheld by many South Africans. Friedman actually argues that by putting women on committees when they are not comfortable with being in a position of authority may actually be counterproductive for and long-term strategy for empowering women.  [xxvi]  This can be down to the inexperience and uncertainty of women councillors which may l ead to them being unable to effectively articulate their opinions and concerns, leading to the reinforcement of not only the opinion that women are not cut out to be involved in politics but also the very concept of inequality. This is shown very clearly by Goetz and Hassim with their study in Temba in 2000, in which women councillors had made no concrete suggestions except to second motions.  [xxvii]  According to the women in Temba this is because they feel intimidated by the men who still hold the traditional values of women being inferior. men in the council laugh and interrupt our contributions.  [xxviii]  This is a problem that is widely known about to the majority of ANC members but still little is being done to address the issue. It is clear that if gender equality is to be a success then it is not just the traditional institutions that need to change, it is the peoples views about gender as well. Men need to accept women as their equals and women need to be empowere d so that they can be confident enough so that they can stand up for their opinions, concerns and rights. Traditional authorities in their current state are most definitely incompatible with the demand for gender equality. However as customs and traditions are never set in stone but a product of a complex and dynamic history of contestation, co-optation, reconstruction and invention,  [xxix]  traditional authorities could, if they learn to incorporate gender equality and accept the legitimate role of the democratically elected local bodies, in theory be a legitimate part of the South African democracy. However if they continue to push of their unelected body to have increased power and refuse to recognise the legitimacy of rural elected bodies and that women have equal status then they should not have a place in a democratic South Africa, as the very nature of traditional authorities is undemocratic. It is up to the government to follow through with their promise of equality, and particularly for this case gender equality by either removing them completely (which will inevitably be u npopular with a large proportion of the population especial in rural areas) or alternatively force them to become more democratic. In the current state it is unlikely that the government will do so as it could very well play into the hands of their opposition. Therefore there is a desperate need for a strong womens movement to not only put pressure on the government but to also mobilise the women of South Africa to stand up for their constitutional right of equality.

Could The Suicide be The Executive after a life of failure? :: English Literature

Could The Suicide be The Executive after a life of failure? Although The Suicide might not be The Executive after a life of failure, there is strong evidence that he is. The Suicide might not be the Executive for an obvious reason and that is that the poets are different. Louis McNeice might not have read John Betjeman’s poem ‘The Executive’ and this could just be a coincidence but I strongly believe the poets are talking about the same person. There is good evidence that ‘The Suicide’ is ‘The Executive’. One good point is that they are both set in the late 60’s. ‘The Executive’ is because it says ‘I do some mild developing. The sort of place I need is a quiet country market town ’, he is saying he needs a small town so it is easier to get away with. ‘That’s rather run to seed’, this is a metaphor that the town has got past it’s prime and not spending money anymore like the flower – all its efforts go into making seeds then after that it has gone past its prime and its pretty much useless. This is the 60’s because there was not a licence of housing until after this period of time. No one could just knock down buildings then. Another aspect of the poem, which makes you consider it is in the 60’s, is that Betjeman has written in his poem ‘I have a Slimline briefcase’, which were only used around that time because they are like the equivalent of modern palmtops. Therefore, if the Executive was so rich he would have the best up to date technology to show off for work. In ‘The Suicide’ it indicates that it is set in the 60’s because McNeice writes in his poem ‘Through which he had wandered deliciously till he stumbled’, which is a 60’s song. ‘The executive’ was so high flying, so cocky and arrogant. Betjeman is satirising The Executive. He was so insecure about his life he had to go talk himself up to strangers who probably don’t even care. ‘I am a young executive’ this line shows he was talking to an older person and it was not a woman because they were not any businesswomen then. You can tell immediately that he is trying to sell himself to this other person just from two lines ‘No cuffs than mine are cleaner; I have a slimline briefcase and I use the firms Cortina’. He’s trying to say he is so successful and rich he can afford all these expensive, modern items like by saying ‘I’ve got a scarlet Aston Martin-and does she go?