Business Law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 6

Business Law - Assignment Example As in our case, McDougal did not say even a single word and just waved his hand at Krunch, which showed his intention to pay later. Trust and expectation play a vital role in implied contracts. Implied contracts are made on the basis of reason, understanding, and tradition. Silence can be treated as an act of acceptance but in very rare cases. In case of trustworthy relationships, acceptance does not need to be communicated to the other person in order to be effective. For example in case of implied contracts, silence is used as a gesture for acceptance that is based on the factors of trust and confidence in the other party. However, in all other forms of contracts, there must be an agreement between the parties regarding consideration of silence as acceptance because without any such agreement, silence can never be considered as acceptance if the other party do not intend to accept any specific

Cross Curricullum Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Cross Curricullum - Essay Example The process of learning is as important as the content learned (Newby 2005). Professor Colin J. Marsh (2004) suggests that any definition of curriculum gives insight about its main characteristics and emphases. One of his definitions notes the significance of ‘permanent’ subjects such as grammar, mathematics, reading, logic and literature of the Western world which represent necessary knowledge. This has been known as the â€Å"knowledge-based curriculum†. This model of curriculum has been implemented in most schools. An example of this could be the National Curriculum in the UK which has specific content subjects with specific goals for student achievement. It is essential to remember that subjects and syllabi need to be adjusted to fit current culture and the society. One of the most traditional and most commonly used models is â€Å"content or syllabus-based†. Blenkin et al (1992) suggest that curriculum is delineated into subjects and delivered through a bulk of knowledge-content. Education, he states, is the route where these can be transferred to students using efficient teaching and learning methods. This type of curriculum emphasizes students attending schools to learn subject-specific facts. It also helps to use this model in assessment process where students, according to their gained qualification can be grouped in to high and low achievers. Furthermore, it dictates what route a student will be able to take. Students with high grades traditionally would be expected to progress to universities where less successful students would be advised to take a non academic route (i e. study a vocational programme or gain employment elsewhere). It is interesting to note that most of the employers are not as interested in a depth of ones’ subject knowledge but more on practical skills such as problem solving, analysing, evaluating, self-reflection and self discipline which are directly related to work (Ross, 2000). However, this does not discount the fact that subject-based curriculum will always have a place in education. The Review of the national primary curriculum of UK prioritizes the development of: A strong, coherent curriculum which has flexibility to personalise teaching and learning is crucial to driving up standards further. It is central to the ambitions we have set out in the Children’s Plan and to delivering the outcomes of the Every Child Matters agenda. (Rose, 2009, p. 27). The key outcomes of Every Child Matters agenda are the following: being healthy, staying safe, enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution and economic well-being (HM Treasury, 2003).In addition, the Rose review likewise recommends that the curriculum must provide all pupils with a broad and balanced entitlement to learning which encourages creativity and inspires in them a commitment to learning that will last a lifetime. (Rose, 2009, p. 27) Currently, the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, (ATL, 20 06) proposes that changes in the National Curriculum should start with the pupil in mind – his needs and interests and should be designed in terms of the skills and attitudes educators would want pupils to pursue and develop. Emphasis of the curriculum mu

Creativity and Play Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Creativity and Play - Essay Example Creativity likewise has many denotations and connotations in the English language. Creativity is hallmarked by intrinsic motivation, intention, adaptiveness and originality. It is what the person does, either the creative act or something aesthetically brand new and purposeful to the individual child. Original means it is not habitual and shies from routine. Creative has the implication of unconventional and intrinsically motivated. Intentional actions are not governed by conventions or extrinsic rewards (Sternberg, 1999). This essay will reflect on the importance of play in developing creativity. It seeks to analyze the different theories that are posited to reference childhood play and offer an evaluation of creativity across the early childhood curriculum’s in the United Kingdom (UK) namely; the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and the National Curriculum (NC). Reference will be made to personal experience underpinned by relevant theory. It will begin with theoretical descriptions of creativity and play while exploring each construct separately and in relation to each other. The discussion will then follow early childhood education theories. Furthermore, the roles of teachers and parents in relation to creativity and play will be identified. Creativity is defined as a process involving the production of remote associations through thinking outside the box while possessing divergent or unusual, if not, original ideas. In creative play children develop their practical skills through imagining, designing and creating. Educational experts have developed standards defining what children should know and be able to do by certain grade levels. The content children learn in the creative curriculum is guided by these standards. The creative curriculum explains how to teach content in ways that respect the developmental stages of children. (James C. Kaufman, 2006) Teachers

Marketing and Marketing Strategy Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marketing and Marketing Strategy - Coursework Example The first product that I choose was an automobile. This was a high involvement purchase. This is because the product was expensive and would have a significant impact on my life. Moreover, this was a product that I had to spend a considerable amount of time and also effort searching for. This was also so because there were significant differences between the brands that were available at the time in terms of their performance and quality ("Indmedica - CyberLectures - High Involvement Purchase Decisions", n.d., p. 2). However, the second product that I chose, newspaper, was a low involvement purchase since the product was that which is habitually purchased and therefore the decision of choosing it required very little effort. It was also a low involvement purchase because the newspaper had insignificant effect on my lifestyle and was not that an important investment. 1st Product: Automobile The following are the 5 buying decision process that I followed in buying this product. a) Prob lem recognition This is the stage I realized that I actually needed a car. I would want to conveniently travel to my job place every morning but could not do so as I did not have a convenient means of transport. b) Information search This is where I started looking for what could solve my transport problem. I looked for information on the convenient means that I could use to travel to my workplace and concluded on buying a car. c) Evaluation of alternatives Here, I took into consideration all the car models that were available and which one of them would best fit my needs. I also considered the alternatives that were available for me including their prices and the shops selling them. d) Purchase decision After all the considerations and consultations, I decided to buy a model of my choice. This is where I also walked to the shop that I had chosen and actually paid for the car. e) Post-Purchase evaluation This I did after the purchase. I evaluated the car that I had bought; its impor tance and how convenient having it would be. I also confirmed that I had made the right choice. 2nd Product: Newspaper I only followed two processes for my second low involvement purchase. a) Problem recognition This is where I discovered my need for the newspaper and decided to buy one. b) Purchase evaluation Here, I went straight to the nearest and easily accessible shop and bought the newspaper that I wanted. Question 2 My first purchase was a high involvement purchase and this meant that I had to follow all the processes of consumer purchase. I had to make sure that I had put into consideration all the facts and information concerning the product that would make me chooses the right one. Unlike the first one, the automobile was very expensive and therefore there was no room for mistake in my purchase. This required me to carefully evaluate all the then available alternatives and make a solid decision based on facts considerations. In buying this high involvement product, automob ile, I had to first look for information after identifying my problem. I also had to evaluate all the possible alternatives before making my final purchase. Contrary to this, for the second low involvement purchase, newspaper, I did not have to do a lot. This was a product that I usually bought so I knew what I needed. The only thing that I wanted was a shop that was nearby and a place where I could easily; conveniently and quickly buy the newspaper. For these reasons, unlike

Associate Program Material Essay Example for Free

Associate Program Material Essay Answer each question in 50 to 150 words. Provide citations for all the sources you use. 1. What is diversity? Why is diversity valued? Diversity is often used to refer to many demographic variables like race, religion, color, gender, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, age, education, geographic origin, and skill characteristics. Diversity is valued, because it has given our country its own unique strengths and flexibilities. Without diversity, our world would be in way worse shape than it already is today. http://www.doi.gov/pmb/eeo/what-is-diversity.cfm 2. What is ethnocentrism? In what ways can ethnocentrism be detrimental to a society? Ethnocentrism is where a specific ethnic group is brought to attention and centered on, usually being one’s own group. Ethnocentrism can be detrimental to a society, because it can lead to false opinions about the differences with cultures which then can often lead to falsified communication between the majority human beings. http://home.snu.edu/~hculbert/ethno.htm 3. Define emigration and immigration. Emigration is defined as migration from a place (especially migration from your native country in Order to settle in another). Immigration is defined as migration into a place (especially migration to a country of which you are not a native in order to settle there). The two definitions are similar to one another. wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn 4. What are some of the ways groups of people are identified? Groups of people are identified in many different ways. They can be identified by all of the following: race, religion, color, gender, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, age, education, geographic origin, and skill characteristics. Although I’m sure that there are many more categories that people identify others under, there are the most common ones. 5. Why do people label and group other people? People label and group other people for numerous reasons. Some people label and group others, because they don’t want to accept the fact that they are different. Maybe they just don’t understand them or want to understand them. Others label and group to make them feel better about their own selves, because they are lacking self-confidence. 6. Define culture. Is culture limited to racial and ethnic backgrounds? Explain. Culture is defined as the quality in a person or society that arises from a concern for what is regarded as excellent in arts, letters, manners, scholarly pursuits, etc. Another definition of culture is the behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a particular social, ethnic, or age group. No, culture is not just limited to racial and ethnic backgrounds. As it was mentioned in the definition above, culture is pertaining to social, ethnic, and age group, along with race as well. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/culture?s=t

“There Is No Truth in Advertising.” Discuss Essay Example for Free

â€Å"There Is No Truth in Advertising.† Discuss Essay Advertising is omnipresent and inescapable in today’s world. It is claimed that an average person is exposed to 2000 advertisements every day. Due to its all-pervasive nature, advertising has a huge impact on our minds, both consciously and unconsciously. However, the credibility of today’s advertisements should be questioned. As media companies and advertising agents become increasingly profit-driven, advertisements now contain false information, promote biased ideas and sometimes even deveice consumers, in order to sell products. Even some non-commercial advertisements are not telling the complete truth, in order to grab people’s attentions. Many advertisements tend to tell â€Å"partial truth† about their products, which equates to false information that would mislead viewers. To increase revenue and maximise profits, advertising agents use the tactic of â€Å"partial truths† that make use of viewers’ assumptions. Advertising agents skillfully design the advertisements that will only reveal the seemingly appealing characteristics of the product, and deliberately leave the necessary elaboration and explanation, which is the other half of the truth, unmentioned. An advertisement for some cat food purported that it contains a substaintial level of phosphorus, which would lead the viewers to think that more phosphorus is good for cats. But what the advertisements did not mention was that cats actually do not need phosphorous in their diet. Another cigarette advertisement in Bangladesh said that smoking helped to relieve the pain of giving birth, which is true because somking decreases the size of babies. Its detrimental effect on babies was deliberately ignored by the advertising agent. These â€Å"partial truth† are not truths at all. They are misleading lies which, if the consumers believe blindly, may even harm their health. Also, advertisements always ignore the moral truth of gender equality. They contain some stereotypes about gender roles most of the time. While men are usually portrayed as strong and masculine, women are almost always depicted as fragile, weak and feminine. Some advertisements convey the idea that women should devote a lot of money, time and effort into the pursuit of ideal beauty, to please men. There is even objectification of women that turns women into things and objects, which is dehumanising and unrespectful. One advertisement writes â€Å"If I did not lose 49 pounds, I could never be married by now†, which is saying that women should focus on their figure in order to find a husband. Another beer advertisement turns a lady into a robot that contains beer in its belly. While these â€Å"innovate† advertisements may be effective in promoting the products, they are without doubt instilling people with the wrong idea that women and men are not equal in this society, that women is somewhat inferior, which are not the truth. [However, they do reflect and reinforce existing ideas of gender roles and inequality, which is the sad reality. ] Furthermore, advertisements deceive us into believing that by buying certain products, we are able to obtain a desirable lifestyle, gain social status or get into certain social community. Advertisements are not selling merely products, but also the lifestyles, ideas, calues and status that the company want to associate the product with. By constantly linking the products with a certain lifestyle, the advertisements make the consumers believe that buying the product is one easy way to get that desired lifestyle. For instance, Louis Vuitton’s advertisements always show celebrities holding their handbags, enjoying themselves on holiday. This makes many nouveau riche think that having one of such bags would get themselves into the moneyed class and the lifestyle of the rich. However, it is without doubt that buying certain products does not change who you are or where you belong to. It is just a deception created by the advertisements. Some people may argue that advertisements for some cutting-edge technical products that truly benefit people, such as tablets and smartphones, do contain truths. I do not deny that these advertisements do contain some facts, such as the new features of the products, the improved functions and so forth. However, being advertisements, they are more or less exaggerated in order to achieve the ultimate goal of selling. Advertisements of this kind, such as the advertisement for the new iPad, always contain the key words like â€Å"all new†, â€Å"revoluntionary† or â€Å"unprecedented†, but never mention the limitations and the flaws [built-in obsolescence]. Only after a few months when the company launches a newer model would it start to point out what flaws the previous model has. This is the nature of advertising. There is no complete truth. Non-commercial advertisements are believed by many to be absolute true. They argue that these advertisements campaigning for good causes have no motive to lie. However, in order to create greater influence and to raise people’s awareness, non-commercial advertisements also tend to exaggerate and oversimplify the situation. For instane, the advertisements that help Project Hope in China to raise fund often show children who are eager to learn sitting in shabby wooden classrooms, dressed poorly. Though there are many children like this in the rural area, not all of them are passionate about learning, and not all classrooms are in such poor condition. In order to grab public attention, these advertisements are wise to show the pooresr scene to the public. But this kind of oversimplified version is definitely not the complete truth. [emotional manipulation] In all, advertising by nature aims to grab public attention. In oder to do this, there is always some extent of exaggeration. This is how advertisements work. As long as there are no false information or deceptions that mislead people, advertising with some extent of exaggeration is acceptable. People should learn to be discriminating views ant not just believe advertisements blindly.

The Last of the Mohicans and Hope Leslie Comparison

The Last of the Mohicans and Hope Leslie Comparison Introduction Racial issues occupy the principal place in American Literature due to the prolonged racial relations between Native Americans and European colonizers. The aim of this dissertation is to compare and contrast the issue of miscegenation through the principal characters of James Fenimore Coopers The Last of the Mohicans and Catharine Maria Sedgwicks Hope Leslie. The word miscegenation, which consists of two parts miscere and genus and means a sexual racial mixture, appeared only at the end of the nineteenth century; however, this word is usually utilised in the analysis of earlier literary works. Applying to a profound and realistic portrayal of gender and racial relations between Native Americans and white people in the period of Indian and French Wars, Cooper and Sedgwick introduce their own vision of Indians, implicitly maintaining the idea that miscegenation should be prohibited. In this regard, these writers reflect the existing political and social issues that shaped the attitude of white people towards Native Americans. In particular, at the end of the seventeenth century some American states passed specific laws that were aimed at forbidding miscegenation and depriving people of different races, except white population, of their political rights, violating the principles of equality. On the one hand, miscegenation might decrease the differences between two races, but, on the other hand, it was thought to aggravate these dissimilarities by removing people from their usual background and by preventing them to integrate into the new environment. According to Robert Clark (1984), Americas â€Å"vision of itself was in large measure the projection of an ideal and about-to-be-realized condition, rather than an appropriation of the past in the name of reason† (p.46). As a result, America became involved in complex racial tensions and conflicts that were especially negative for Native Americans. This was the main reason for Coopers and Sedgwicks rejection of miscegenation. But in the process of colonization Europeans continued to interact with Native Americans, and these interactions usually resulted in race mixtures that were further reflected in American literature. Some people made attempts to support miscegenation by pointing at the fact that such interracial relations could provide both races with necessary freedom and would allow white females to reveal their sexual desires towards males of different races. However, the existing racial prejudices and social stereotypes against miscegenation not only prevented the spread of such vision among the majority of American population, but also greatly influenced the representation of Native Americans in the nineteenth-century fiction. Being closely connected with political and social ideologies, this fiction was divided into two parts: some novels tried to maintain the status quo, as is just the case with the narrations of Sedgwick and Cooper, while other literary works pointed at the necessity of social changes. Gender relations and miscegenation in the novels America is the country that has united people of different races since the period of colonization. However, in the process of interaction colonizers made constant attempts to destroy cultural and religious beliefs of Native Americans. According to Arthur M. Schlesinger (1992), â€Å"when people of different ethnic origins, speaking different languages and professing different religions, settle in the same geographic locality†¦ tribal hostilities will drive them apart† (p.10). The indigenous population of the country wanted to preserve their cultural identity and opposed to the ideals of white people. Such refusal resulted in many racial conflicts and had a great impact on the attitude of White Americans towards the issue of miscegenation. In patriarchal America any relations between a white woman and a Native American were strongly prohibited, and, as Martin Barker (1993) states, â€Å"it is this running concern about miscegenation with its connected fears about interracial sexual attraction that leads to death† (p.27). In those times it was thought that if a person was engaged in sexual relations with a person of a different race, then both people should be killed in order to prevent the spread of miscegenation. Such complex racial relations and rejection of miscegenation are especially reflected in the novels of James Fenimore Cooper The Last of the Mohicans and Catharine Maria Sedgwick Hope Leslie. As Stephanie Wardrop (1997) puts it, Coopers The Last of the Mohicans â€Å"presents a world in which the mixing of races is morally repugnant and anathema to the American project of nation building† (p.61). Throughout the narration Fenimore Cooper contrasts people with mixed and unmixed blood, as if wishing to reveal the differences between the characters of various races. Despite the fact that Hawkeye is culturally connected with both white people and Indians, he is presented as a person â€Å"without a cross† (Cooper, 1984 p.4). The same regards Alice Munro who is â€Å"surprisingly fair† (Cooper, 1984 p.378) and Chingachgook who is an unmixed Mohican. Contrary to these characters, Cora, the elder sister of Alice, is of mixed race, and it is she who protects her sister at the cost of her life. Belonging to the race of West Indians, Cora comes from â€Å"that unfortunate class who are so basely enslaved to administer to the wants of a luxurious people† (Cooper, 1984 p.310), and thus, she is prohibited to marry a person from the South. In this regard, miscegenation was treated as blameworthy in those times, and when Magua proposes Cora to marry him, she claims that â€Å"the thought itself is worse than a thousand deaths† (Cooper, 1984 p.124). These words prove that only Uncas and Chingachgook are presented as noble people, while all other Native Americans are regarded as cruel savages. Thats why miscegenation between a white person and an Indian was widely restricted. Although Catharine Sedgwicks Hope Leslie also reveals this restriction, she points at the possibility of miscegenation between some secondary characters. Contrary to Cooper, the writer provides a rather humane vision of Native Americans. Faith, the sister of Leslie Hope, manages to marry Oneco, the brother of a Pequoud princess Magawisca. According to Leland Person (1985), Sedgwick belongs to those American female authors who in their novels reflect how an â€Å"Indian male, reverential and loving rather than possessive and authoritarian, offers a romantic contrast to the arbitrary authority of Puritan society† (p.683). This can be also true in regard to Coopers narration, where the writer introduces such Indian character as Uncas with noble features and attractiveness. However, similar to Magawisca who is not able to become a wife of Everell and instead she has to regard him â€Å"as her brother† (Sedgwick, 1987 p.30), Uncas is also prohibited to marry Cora. Due to serious racial prejudices, Magawisca is an inappropriate match to Everell, while Hope Leslie suits for the position of Everells wife. By the end of the narration the writer shows that any marriage should be based on love, as Magawisca claims, â€Å"Ye need not the lesson, ye will each be to the other a full stream of happiness. May it be fed from the fountain of love, and grow broader and deeper through all the passage of life† (Sedgwick, 1987 p.333). Thus, the writer proves that some Native Americans possess wisdom and nobility; however, they are not able to unite with European Americans. Magawisca is rejected by both societies, as Wardrop (1997) claims, â€Å"from the white for her association by blood with savages and from the Pequod for her association with the whites that leads her to rescue Everell† (p.64). Magawisca saves the person she loves at the cost of her own rejection and isolation, but she is not able to marry him. Similar to Sedgwicks women, female characters of Cooper are divided into â€Å"those who can be married and those who cannot† (Baym, 1992 p.20). In this regard, racial and cultural differences are aggravated by gender stereotypes that put women in subordinate positions and make them act in accordance with the existing social and moral norms. On the example of their female characters Sedgwick and Cooper reveal that women are prohibited any freedom and equality, especially concerning their choice of marital partners. Those women, who prefer to ignore racial prejudices and assigned roles, are either rejected by society or die. This is especially true in regard to Magawisca and Cora who try to act, according to their moral values, but their attempts result in negative consequences for both women. But, above all, these women are appreciated for their racial characteristics. Alices racial purity is explained by her pure unmixed blood, while Cora, being a daughter of a Creole woman and a British soldier, is regarded as sinful. Implicitly opposing to miscegenation, Cooper prefers to kill Uncas, Cora and Magua in order to prevent an unsuitable marriage. As Terence Martin (1992) states, Fenimore Cooper â€Å"cannot conceive of a marriage between the daughter of Major Munro, no matter her background, and an Indian, no matter how noble† (p.63). The writer eliminates these relations, thus revealing his support for pure, unmixed marriages. As a child of miscegenation, Cora is unsuitable for both white and Indian worlds. According to Wardrop (1997), â€Å"Earlier Indian romances seem to present the hero more often as half-blood, perhaps mitigating the taboo of miscegenation somewhat by presenting a hero who is at least half white† (p.73). But it is the character with unmixed blood that becomes popular in further romantic literature. Although Maria Sedgwick points at the possibility of miscegenation, she still considers it inappropriate in the majority of cases. Similar to Cora, Sedgwicks character Magawisca appears to be banished from both societies, but the writer presents â€Å"a more sympathetic view of both Native Americans and women†¦ concentrate[ing] more on the domestic and interpersonal than the martial [issues]† (Wardrop, 1997 p.63). Cora and Magawisca are powerful and unusual women with many virtues; however, they suffer as a result of their parents miscegenation. According to John McWilliams (1995), â€Å"Cora is one of those characters who show us both the limitations of societys racial and gender boundaries and the dangers of stepping over them† (p.74). Cooper considers that Coras marriage to Uncas would be a threat to the existence of both societies, therefore the writer â€Å"appears to have believed in the purity of the races† (Barker Sabin, 1995, p.21). Their deaths are presented by Cooper as the only possible outcome, because it is better for them to die than to be rejected by their own societies. As Barker (1993) reveals, in this novel â€Å"the twin deaths of Uncas and Cora prevent the reality of interracial sex with the disappearance of the Mohicans† (p.27). Applying to these characters, Cooper points at the fact that miscegenation between White Americans and Native Americans is impossible, until the indigenous population adheres to the cultural and social norms of the colonizers and destroys their culture. On the other hand, the writer suggests that Cora and Uncas will be connected with each other after death, while Hawkeye opposes to this view by claiming that â€Å"the spirit of the paleface has no need of food or raiment – their gifts being according to the heaven of their colour† (Cooper, 1984 p.346). Contrary to some other characters, Hawkeye rises against miscegenation and considers that there is â€Å"no ideal bond of union† (Cooper, 1984 p.348) that would result in mutual cooperation between different races. The marriage of Alice and Duncan, persons with pure blood, symbolises the subsequent spread of unmixed marriages, while the death of Uncas, the last of the Mohicans, reveals the gradual disappearance of Native Americans and the power of civilised society. As sagamore Tamenund claims at the end of the narration, â€Å"The pale-faces are masters of the earth, and the time of the red-men has not yet come again† (Cooper, 1984 p.350). The inability of Cora and Uncas to marry because of racial prejudices points at moral disintegration of American population. Their deaths reveal that miscegenation is considered wrong by both white people and Indians, resulting in the impossibility to achieve peace and mutual support. However, love between Uncas and Cora shows that racial prejudices are able to separate people, but they are unable to eliminate powerful feelings. The same regards Everell and Magawisca who experience certain attraction to each other, but who realise that their desires should be eliminated because of cultural and racial differences. Therefore, Sedgwick reveals that cultures control peoples lives, depriving them of the possibility to follow their own paths, because culture is connected with both private and public spheres. As a result, both Cooper and Sedgwick discuss miscegenation through political and social contexts, pointing at the fact that the relations between two races are considerably complicated by the occurred events and the established standards. As a result, such character as Hawkeye opposes to both races, claiming that â€Å"to me every native, who speaks a foreign tongue, is accounted an enemy, though he may pretend to serve the king!† (Cooper, 1984 p.50). He doesnt belong to either society and he doesnt believe in the possibility of miscegenation. To some extent, such viewpoint can be explained by the fact that when a person of one race integrates with a person of another race, he/she takes part in either assimilation or acculturation. However, in many cases miscegenation is mainly based on sexual mixture between people of different races, but not on cultural mixture. As a result, people are rejected by their own society and are not accepted by another society. This is just the case with Cora and Magawisca who are not allowed to be engaged in sexual relations with males of different races, because their cultures prevent them from the mixture with each other. Both Sedgwick and Cooper demonstrate that the existing stereotypes reflect the ideas of cultural purity that are closely connected with racial purity. Such vision is rather paradoxical, because even the purest race is certainly a mixture race, but White Americans prefer to ignore this particular fact, making constant attempts to achieve dominance over Native Americans. In this regard, it is easier to understand Sedgwicks and Coopers attitude towards miscegenation. Cora, as a child of two races, is considered less pure in comparison with Alice, because Cora is an embodiment of two bloods and two cultures, and it is this particular mixture that White Americans tried to prevent. They did not want to be assimilated with another culture, because in that case they would lose their dominant position over the indigenous population. In addition, such attitude was considerable shaped by political ideologies of those times; opposing to miscegenation, American rulers tried to prohibit any social changes within the country and simultaneously they utilized racial tensions and conflicts for their own benefits. It is obvious that miscegenation was a threat to the existence of white supremacy, because it eliminated specifically inspired differences between two races. The attitude towards miscegenation was also aggravated by the fact that it provided people of mixing blood with those features that were prohibited by American society. Cora greatly differs from her half-sister Alice; Cora is more powerful and independent than Alice. The same concerns Magawisca, a rather strong and wise female who takes her own decisions, which are consistent with her moral values. In this regard, women began to occupy an equal position with men or were even superior to them, and such changes couldnt be easily accepted in the patriarchal world. Miscegenation allowed women to reveal their sexual desires towards males of another race and become more independent; however, natural instincts were a norm only for men, while women were not considered to experience powerful sexual desires. It was thought unnatural for a white woman to feel compassion or love towards an Indian or a black person, and vice versa. Despite the fact that Cora is a half-Indian, she is brought up among people of white culture, thus she is prohibited to marry an Indian Uncas. Magawisca is also deprived of the opportunity to marry Everell, as Sedgwick points out that love relations between Magawisca and Everall are impossible and unnatural because of their cultural and racial differences, while the relations between Hope Leslie and Everall are natural. Miscegenation reflects the mixture of two races, of two cultures, one of which is the culture of the colonizer and another is the culture of the indigene. Thus, miscegenation was especially connected with female sexuality that was widely controlled by the state to prevent undesirable inheritance. However, women who couldnt achieve equal positions with men in political and social spheres began to readily support miscegenation. But in their novels Cooper and Sedgwick reveal that their attempts are vain; almost all female characters that interact with people of different races lose at the end. Many females understood people of other races, because their positions were similar; women, like Indians and black people, were regarded as inferior to men and they usually experienced suppression and humiliation. For women, miscegenation was the way to destroy subjugation and overcome social stereotypes. Although Magawisca is prohibited to marry Everall, her attraction towards him helps Magawisca to understand many important things and save this character at the cost of her own reputation. Cora prefers to die rather than marry a person whom she abhors. But despite such courage and independence, these female characters continue to experience social and cultural pressure that deprives them of the opportunity to choose their own path. However, the situation is different in regard to Alice, who not only survives at the end of the narration, but she is also going to marry Duncan and create another family with pure blood. The same regards Everall and Hope Leslie who finally unite with each other. Although initially Hope finds it difficult to accept a marriage of her sister Faith with a person of a different race, because she doesnt believe that Faith loves Oneco, she soon realises her mistake and agrees with her sisters choice of a marriage partner. In fact, Hope Leslie is a female character who rejects the existing social, cultural and religious norms and who is constantly blamed for her lack of â€Å"passiveness, that, next to godliness, is a womans best virtue† (Sedgwick, 1987 p.153). People with whom Hope Leslie interacts are not able to understand her independence, including Everell. As one female character tells Hope, â€Å"you do allow yourself too much liberty of thought and word: you certainly know that we owe implicit deference to our elders and superiors; we ought to be guided by their advice, and governed by their authority† (Sedgwick, 1987 p.180). However, Hope proves to be the best Christian who is able to follow her heart, even if she has to reject some religious principles to save her family and friends. Destroying certain social norms, Magawisca and Hope simultaneously ignore oversimplified assumptions in regard to people of different race. As McWilliams (1995) puts it, white culture was regarded as civilized in those times, while the culture of Native Americans was considered as savage (52-53). Thus, according to this particular viewpoint, two cultures could hardly successfully interact with each other. However, Sedgwick rises against this stereotypic vision. Close relations between Magawisca and Hope, women of different races and cultures, point at the possibility of one culture to exist with another culture. Despite the fact that Magawiscas race and religious faith differ from her own beliefs and culture, Hope is unaffected by the existing stereotypes of the seventeenth century and is able to overcome them, if she has to do so for the sake of her family. But the writer reveals that Hope still finds it difficult to interact with other Indians. The situation is different with Hopes sister Faith who is captured by indigenous people and is brought up with them. As a result, she marries an Indian Oneco and becomes greatly involved in the Indian culture. In this regard, miscegenation of these secondary characters is rather successful, because Faith changes her white culture and Christian religion into Indian culture and Catholic religion. She rejects her people and decides to live with Indians. However, other characters of the novel refuse to accept another culture and strongly oppose to miscegenation. Mrs. Grafton represents a stereotypic female who acts precisely, according to the established social norms, and who avoids any interactions with different races. For her, miscegenation is unnatural and wrong. Esther Downing is obsessed with her religion and is very subordinate to males, but she rightfully considers that â€Å"marriage is not essential to the contentment, the dignity, or the happiness of a woman† (Sedgwick, 1987 p.371). Similar to Mrs. Grafton, Esther avoids any contacts with people of different races and she meets Magawisca only when she attempts to convert this Indian female into Christianity. Esther opposes to any race mixture and doesnt believe that two different cultures can exist together. Opposite to these docile female characters, Magawisca is presented as a woman that rises against any cultural and racial prejudices of the seventeenth century. She possesses many virtues and tries to achieve equal position with males. Although Magawisca realises that miscegenation and racial relations are rejected by white people, she reveals devotion to some members of white culture. Nelema is another female character who, despite her anger towards the Puritans, provides help to Cradock at the cost of her life. Unlike other characters, Everell manages to maintain good relations with both Indians and his own people, but he is especially devoted to Magawisca. Though they belong to different cultures, they are very close to each other, because they ignore their racial differences. Unfortunately, miscegenation between these characters is still impossible because of the social pressure and the existing stereotypes that prevail in their societies. In Sedgwicks Hope Leslie miscegenation appears to be a powerful obstacle for the characters. Throughout the narration Everell interacts with three women – Hope Leslie, Magawisca and Esther. Two of them are white, and the third woman is an Indian princess. Although Hope and Magawisca are similar in their views and values, although Magawisca saves Everell and is admired by this white male, Everell chooses Hope Leslie as his wife, being unable to perceive Magawisca as an appropriate marriage partner. Everells nature rejects her; despite admiration and desires, he is not able to establish close relations with a woman of a different race. As he claims, â€Å"I might have loved her – might have forgotten that nature had put barriers between us† (Sedgwick, 1987 p.214). However, Everell is not able to overcome his own prejudices towards a person of another culture; these prejudices are too powerful and they continue to implicitly create barriers between Everell and Magawisca. Thus, racial mixture in Sedgwicks narration greatly depends on the possibility or impossibility of people to destroy the natural barriers. According to Person (1985), for a person who is brought up in a civilized society, it is rather difficult, even impossible, to get accustomed to the uncivilized culture of Indians, and vice versa (pp.680-682). In this regard, biological differences are not as important as cultural differences. Although Cora is half-Indian and Uncas is Indian, they are brought in different cultural environments and they are not able to marry because of these differences. Despite the fact that Hope and Faith are sisters and belong to one race, they appear to be separated by various conditions of their upbringing. The same concerns Magawisca and Everell who understand that their marriage is impossible. The marriage between Everell and Hope or Alice and Duncan is considered normal, because in these relations the characters are equal to each other. However, there is a great difference between the relations of these two pairs of white people. In the case of Alice and Duncan, the characters adhere to the traditional representation of a family, where a wife is inferior to her husband, while in the case of Hope and Everell, their union is based on the principles of equality and freedom. On the other hand, both pairs are culturally identical to each other, while miscegenation was considered as a sexual mixture of two people with different cultures. It was thought that it was impossible to create a strong family only on sexual relations; in those times cultural and religious similarities were regarded more crucial for a normal family than sex. As Calloway (1987) claims, any mixed relations were exposed to the threat of becoming â€Å"degenerated† (p.117). And children who appeared as a result of such relations couldnt live in the world of white people. However, if a person of different race agreed to convert to Christianity, a marriage between a white person and an Indian could be accepted by American society. Under these complex conditions, such characters as Magawisca and Everell, Cora and Uncas understand that their relations with each other will fail as soon as they interact with the rest of the world. Conclusion Analysing the issue of miscegenation through the characters of James Fenimore Coopers The Last of the Mohicans and Catharine Maria Sedgwicks Hope Leslie, the dissertation compares and contrasts the representation of racial relations between Native Americans and European Americans. Although both writers oppose to miscegenation in their novels and maintain the idea of racial purity, Sedgwick mentions the possibility of relations between white people and Indians on the example of her secondary characters. Such rejection of miscegenation responds to the existing social and cultural standards that inspired inequality between the indigenous population and European colonizers, depriving both races of freedom. Dividing their characters on mixed and unmixed people, Cooper and Sedgwick reveal that persons with pure blood were more easily accepted by American society, and thus had more possibilities to survive. However, persons with mixed blood couldnt find their places either in the world of white people or in the world of Native Americans. Such attitude can be explained by the wish of White Americans to control people of other races and prevent any social changes, while miscegenation erased any differences between two races, taking away their power and superiority. As racial relations were closely connected with gender issues in those times, miscegenation could provide females with freedom that they were deprived of. As White Americans wanted the indigenous population to conform to their own culture and religion, they were not allowed white females to be involved in sexual relations with the Native Americans, applying to different measures to prevent miscegenation. Bibliography Barker, M. 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