The Good Person of Szechwan Essay Example

The Good Person of Szechwan Paper Extract pg 105-108: As a director, discuss how you would stage the extract in order to bring out your interpretation of it for an audience. Your answer should include justified suggestions for the direction of your cast, and for the design of the piece as appropriate to the style of the play. In this extract, the play reaches its climax, in a typically epic sequence where the audience finally see a collapse of Shen Tehs facade under the pressure of her guilt for not obeying their instruction to be good to others, and instead choosing to follow the precept of being good to oneself. It is in this sequence that Shen Teh finally reveals and explains the reasons behind her falsification of the character of Shui Ta, and due to the very Brechtian nature of this act, as I a director I would want to complement this with a very epic style of acting (Shen Teh is essentially presenting her case, much as an epic actor presents their character). As the director, I would have the gods sitting on a raised level in this section, in order to show their distanced relationship both with Shui Ta, and the situation in Szechuan (they care fairly little for the actual lives of the people, and merely wish to fulfil their task), and how disconnected they are from reality. In order to achieve this, I would use the put the sofa from Shen Tehs shop, and have it lifted onto the counter, and then use the unit of shelving as a desk. We will write a custom essay sample on The Good Person of Szechwan specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Good Person of Szechwan specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Good Person of Szechwan specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer This would be positioned with the Gods backs to the stage right flat (rather than face on to the audience), in order to open up sight lines for when Shen Teh has to adress the Gods (however I would instruct certain parts of this to be directed to the audience anyway). In my interpretation, I would want the Gods to be presented in the guise of archetypal Southern American businessmen, who are looking for good people as evidence that the area is worth investment. My reason for wanting to do this is to highlight the reality of how much power the Gods have, as Brecht makes it clear throughout the play that they are comparatively minor beings who answer to higher powers, and who are in fact entirely fallible and flawed in many ways (for example the first god admits I know nothing of business – a fundamental failing for someone in his position). Moreover, Americas symbolic status as the heartland of Capitalism, and its history of propagating capitalism around the world fits with the fact that emergent capitalism is clearly apparent in Szechuan, as well as the fact that in spite of their high ideals, good people cannot survive in the capitalist world (which in itself brings into question whether the Gods are good people themselves). In addition to this, I would want each God to speak in an American accent and to have a distinguishing piece of eye-wear; the first would have a rose-tinted monocle, the second a pair of sapphire tinted spectacles, and the third a black-tinted pince-nez, that by this point in the play will be left hanging on a gold chain around his neck (he will have removed it in the previous scene on the line our commandments seem fatal). The reason I would want to do this is to make clear the distinctions between the Gods that I have observed through my reading of the text, through the colouring of the glass. To me it appeared that the first God was the most idealistic of the three, thinking predominantly in abstract, absolute ideals (hence the rose-tinted glass). The second, whilst equally adherent to the idea of the precepts, is more pessimistic, blaming the inherent weakness of man for the lack of goodness in Szechuan (hence the sapphire tint). The third also sees things in a black and white attitude initially, and fails to realise the complexity of applying absolute ideals in the real world; however in the scene prior to this extract, he realises that the world is at fault, not necessarily its inhabitants (hence the black tinted pince-nez, which he is no longer wearing by this point). The first moment at which I would want Shen Tehs performance as Shui Ta to falter would be on the line I cannot hold out any longer. Here, Shui Ta would not immediately revert back to being Shen Teh, but as a director I would have him shut his eyes, lower his head and drop his shoulders (almost as if he were being forced down by the pressure Shen Teh is feeling). As he then says Illustrious Ones, I have recognised you! I would have him look back up, wide-eyed and speaking in an earnest tone and with Shen Tehs voice and posture. A few moments later, when Shen Teh reveals herself, I would have her only remove her mask, and not have Shui Ta rip(s) away his costume. My reason for this is that I would not want Shui Ta to change back into Shen Teh (the reverse of which the audience has already seen in the Song of the Defencelessness of the Good and the Gods) – rather I would want the inherent falsity of the character of Shui Ta to be made plain, and by allowing the gods and the audience to observe Shen Teh in the sharp, western attire of Shui Ta, it will highlight Shen Tehs artifice. This practice of allowing the audience to see past the theatricality of the play is one that is key to Brechts theories about the Verfremdunseffekt, in which the audience should be kept at a distance from, or made strange to the action, in order to allow them to observe the plot and its message objectively. In her monologue to the Gods, Shen Teh is essentially attempting to explain herself and her actions to the Gods – and also sub-textually to the audience, who have as yet to be given a direct explanation (even though much of what she says has already been made plain within the action). As such, I would direct Shen Tehs tone to be imploring and sincere in her idealism – which never falters, even upon her realisation that to achieve them in her world is impossible (as opposed to Wang who tries to persuade the Gods to change their precepts, rather than change the world – as Shen Teh wishes they would do). However, tempering this remorse for the fact that she was forced to stray from the path of good, should be undercurrents of indigence and even anger at points, over the injustice of the world. For example, the lines in which Shen Teh switches to use of the masculine pronoun – He who gives help†¦is lost for his own part†¦who could hold himself back – I would want to be more in the style of Shui Ta – her posture should stiffen, and her voice should take on a harsher tone. However, this should be broken on the line, But that was my downfall, at which point she will look down and speak in a softer tone – which will then take on an almost fraught tone on the line forced me into the sludge, which relates back to the apparently prophetic dream Wang related to the Gods earlier in the play. Upon Shen Tehs conclusion to her speech, I would want the first God to deliver his line Speak no further you unhappy creature! , with his head turned away, his eyes tightly shut, and his hand stretched out in front of him, as if shielding himself from this sight of Shen Teh. My reason for this is that I would want to make it appear as if he is almost trying to shield himself from the truth, which he does not want to accept. Similarily a few moments later, when he says A misunderstanding! A few unfortunate incidents. One or two hard-hearted neighbours! A little too much zeal! , he should first slap his hand on the desk, and then wave his hand as if wafting away the truth that he does not want to hear. I would want to do this to show the fact that the Gods still remain unable to reconcile the goodness of Shen Teh with the ruthlessness of Shui Ta, and therefore are unable to understand the fundamental problem with society. Anther point I would wish to emphasize in this last scene is Wangs entrance. I would want him to be leading the crowd of people back into the courtroom as an almost prophetic figure, given the manner in which he has been mans link to the Gods throughout the play. I would have the Gods standing on three rope ladders, that will have descended from the gods on the line Only be good, and all will be well (an ironic line that shows the Gods to have learnt nothing about the complexity of Shen Tehs case), and Wang will kneel before them – raising his hands up as he says show your respect – then beckoning the others to join him on their knees. A few moments later in the Trio of the Vanishing Gods on Their Clouds, I would want the Gods, accompanied by a piano playing in the pentatonic scale (in which most typically oriental-style music is written), so sing the song at a pace that is slightly faster than appropriate to be dignified, ending on a discordant harmony that does not indicate that the song has actually finished (making the ending very abrupt). I would want to do this as in my view the Gods are eager to depart Szechuan (as they say – all to long on earth we have lingered), and in their haste they are essentially leaving matters entirely open ended and unfinished, which is why I would want the song to end in this way. For the last image of the extract, I would have the Gods lifted out of sight on their rope ladders, in order to highlight their haste and how alien Szechuan is to them (the action being reminiscent of people being air lifted or rescued from somewhere they have been stranded). As they disappear, the Player will emerge and pull the half curtain across the rest of the characters, concealing them, and whatever action that may have followed.

Introduction to Political Science Essays

Introduction to Political Science Essays Introduction to Political Science Essay Introduction to Political Science Essay Name: Instructor: Class: Date: Introduction to Political Science Immigration has been a very sensitive issue since history. However, immigration has faced a lot of criticism over the years due to the different stances that countries or governments hold on certain people or religions because they associate them with terrorism. Based on such assumptions countries have been forced to adopt measures that vary from one country to another in efforts of securing the countries and the populace. However, such actions have not been devoid of any criticism because they are considered to be retrogressive and infringe on rights of people by racially profiling them and forcing them to undergo cumbersome security systems to prove that they are no harm. Illegal immigrants are currently identified by their race to determine their origin. In the current modern world, the Middle East has been under alienating the races in such countries based on the beliefs that the Middle Eastern people or Muslims are solely responsible for terror activities, which have led to the adoption of stringent rules for traveling .The Middle East citizens travel with fear because they are usually suspected of terror activity. John Rawls developed a theory of the view that we should have equal liberties and social and economic inequalities should be in way that they provide the best benefits to those who are least disadvantaged in society. Justice is the heart of social institutions and they must be subjected to reform and be abolished so that they do not become biased .in addition different people have varying definitions of justice and thus they should know the ways of assigning equal justice and the distribution of the benefits and burdens of cooperation in the society. Natural justices seems o have a different concept based on the different meanings to different people even thought the sole aim is the provision of justice. An institution is considered just if it does not make distinctions between people and exercises balance among people of all lifestyles. Hence, no one should be at a disadvantage or advantage due to their social or natural fortune in the course of justice. In addition, some principles of justice are justified because they are at times agreed upon during situations of equality. Publius is the false name given to the amending and authorization of the constitution of the United States of America. This gives rise to the opinion that amending the constitution for the greater good of the American population. The fight for popularity is greater than the fight for public good. Moreover the vitality of the government is important to the security of liberty of the people and the state itself .The ambition or zeal with which the government fights for the right of the people is dangerous because of its firmness and efficiency. The constitution should prevent the rule by a group of individuals after their won selfish interests and focus on the large public domain .The ratification process of the constitution is plagued by the power hungry who seek to keep the status quo for their benefits. Augustine calls for association with one another irrespective of our differences based on formation by God. Puts forth the opinion that we are all equal in God’s eyes as he made us all from the same origin thus we should not have difference amongst ourselves. The human race is deterred from doing bad things by laws. Considers punishment is because of going against the laws. Aquinas classifies the man into two societies, one that wishes to live after the flesh and the other that wishes to live after the spirit. Those who live after the flesh do so because the put man’s bodily pleasure are defined as epicurean philosophers whereas those who wish to live after the spirit put the good of men in the soul such that the goodness lives after the spirit. He considers that a man who loves God should love doing good and hate doing evil. States that there is no man who is born evil, we become evil by vice and it should not be hated as people themselves, but the vices should be hate d. No one hates peace, but those who fight want peace that suits them. In addition, if a man fails to follow God’s ways his soul cannot control neither the body nor the vices that are within him, thus it becomes difficult to prescribe any justice to such a man. Immigrants should be judged on their individual deeds and not communal. Those who do wrong should be punished adequately according to their mistakes. The Middle East is made up of evil and good people thus a blanket condemnation would not be sufficient to reprimand those that are responsible for the evil deeds. However, we are all considered equal before the eyes of God. This is very true because the only differences that arise are our races nothing more. Hence laws should be general and not be based on communities or religions. Aquinas tries to provide reasoning between faith and politics in a world plagued by injustices in every level. Considers that politics should have positive role in the world and thus both faith and reason should work mutually for the benefit of the individuals who the law affects directly. Law should not be just a means to an end but it should be inclusive of sufficient reason to reach the result. Law should also provide the utmost happiness to the persons or community whom it affects, thus it should not be oppressive to the community but should be inclusive of the community to result in the greatest good. In relation to illegal immigration, the law should sufficiently bring the utmost peace and joy to that class or group of people whom the law affects directly. The law of controlling immigration should be reasonable such that it considers the individual as part of a community. The immigrants have aided in the growth of countries’ economies and the society’s diversity. Thus, the law should consider their contributions towards these countries. The effect of the law on the community should be for the common good. However, the question arises as to whom common good should affect. Is it the immigrant populace or is it the native population .These questions should formulate a response pattern for immigration issues with sufficient reasoning. What governs us all is the internal dictate based on what is right and wrong, the basis for this internal dictate is eternal law that governs the makers of the laws are beliefs on a superior being in the world. The formulation of the laws on immigration and the Middle East should be based on three dictates, which are human law, natural law and eternal law. Martin Luther explains that law has existed in the world since he beginning of the world through God’s will and ordinance. Luther is of the opinion that if the world were made up of only Christians there would be no need for law, as all would abide by the Christian values and the laws provided by God in the scriptures. Insists that there is no need for law for righteous people because they abide by the laws but for a society with unjust and unrighteous people, they need laws to govern their behavior and to force them to act in the right. If people who are not righteous were not bound by laws, the world would be in total chaos because people would act as they pleased, like savages or beasts as he describes them. Thus, the illegality or legality of immigration is of no consequences to real Christians because they are governed by the laws. True Christian immigrants should not be restricted because they pose no real threat as they are like sheep that follow their leader without question. However, he states that for the common world there should be stringent laws that should govern immigrants who are not Christians. The reason for this is that non-Christians do not follow the laws of God and thus they act as they please as if they were savages. For this reason, the Middle East, which is not a Christian region he states that they should be bound by, laws of the earth like an animal in chains to prevent them from devouring anything and everything around them. According to him adequate laws should be instituted to govern those that are not of the Christian faith to prevent them from going berserk in their ways, thus immigrants who are not Christians should be strictly be governed by stringent laws that would enforce rule and order. As for the Middle East profiling, it should exist to control the non-Christians from becoming wicked in their ways. The laws for Middle East profiling would act as deterrence from evil acts such as terrorism. I disagree with such sentiments because basing law would be tantamount to judging people, which is even against the Christian values that Luther has based his thinking on. Both righteous and non righteous are not pure and are bound to make mistakes or sin thus they should all be bound by the same laws as they are all equal before the laws. Aristotle is of the opinion that man is a political animal who is finds satisfaction in a political community. Considers both man and woman as two different entities .in addition a city must aim at the highest good and the people can only achieve the good things of life if they live as citizens of the state. Moreover, he recognizes the citizenship of a person as being the holder of an office of administering power and justice and lays claim that the identification of a city lies with the Aristotle considers that all the associations in society are formed for the greater good. He defines that a constitution exists in six forms, three, which are unjust, and three, which are just. He later explains that a constitution is just if it benefits those around the society and it is unjust when it aids only the ruling class. He states that when a small class of people rules, the constitution becomes aristocratic when the ruling class is good, but if the ruling class is bad the constitution becomes oligarchy. He acknowledged that there might be abuse of power if the ruling elite is granted full power to rule over the country. However, when the masses rule it becomes harder for occurrence of corruption and other abuses of power if the governing laws are given superior powers than the governing bodies. He puts forth a proposal that there should be distributive justice to enable different people to experience different levels of justice with regard to their contributions to the state. All the philosophers seem to agree on one point that the common good for a community begins with an individual .the individual contributes with his good deeds to the ov3erall goodness of the community and the state at large. Rawl seems to very relevant to the modern day whereby all the immigration and prejudice against the middle east is based on experiences with Muslims due to their activities which are associated with terror. He provides a strong basis for turning away from prejudices against people who are perceived to be different from the natives. He explicitly state that when God made all of us he did not consider and he will never consider us as different from one another but he views as the same in his image. All men are born of good hearts and none is bad, as we happen to pick up vices that corrupt our minds resulting in actions that are deemed as evil. The citizens in the Middle East have picked up vices, which have corrupted their minds to execute actions, which are not good for the human race. The world is an unjust place filled with all the vices that man cannot escape but an individual is tasked with choosing what he or she ought to do

Nakheel Communication Strategy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Nakheel Communication Strategy - Case Study Example Nakheel has so far undertaken its entire developmental works in Dubai only. After having consolidating its position in the real estate sector, the company has established Nakheel Hotels & Resorts, a new hotel and resort investment company since February 2006. With the kind of professionalism that Nakheel has displayed in the real estate business, it is sure to percolate down to this new venture as well. 'Communication' as such is defined as an art of developing an understanding between people, communities, societies, civilizations etc. Communication therefore forms a crucial part of managerial activities. Marketing communication in turn helps a company in building a brand, creating brand loyalties, increase in sales, cutting costs, etc. Dubai, a very attractive destination for anyone around the world, has been shaped by the beautiful developmental projects that Nakheel built on the reclaimed lands. Dubai market is a very diverse market in general which caters to customers/ consumers from different walks of life, different cultures, ethnic groups and age groups. There are very high profile customers that have expressed faith in the abilities of Nakheel. Having a satisfied customer base, in general, helps in spreading good words about the company. This forms part of the communication strategy of any organisation. In today's market driven economy concept, the art of communication to e xisting consumers as well as prospective consumers takes a great deal out of the managerial brain storming sessions. Some of the projects of Nakheel, like The Palm and The World have attracted people from different countries with varying degrees of interest. Buyers on The Palm Jumeirah include many high personalities like David Beckham, Michael Owen, and Shah Rukh Khan. These people, in a way become brand ambassadors for the company, which pays rich dividends in the long run. Now a days Corporations are supposed to remain in continuous touch with their customers, suppliers, bankers, government and the general public. This requires appropriate communication techniques with different groups or segments. Some of the communication happens to be casual, some is made to be informative while some other is designed to be persuasive (Kotler, 1974). If a company can master the art of communication, it can very well take on its competitors. Some of the videos that the company has put up on its website appear to be shot at interesting angles and are very appealing and attractive for anybody desirous of having a look at the company. Though it requires a good amount of money to produce such videos, which are rich in content and quality, but once produced, these types of corporate communication strategies prove to be worth the efforts. In order to remain in touch with its internal and external partners, Nakheel has developed a BrandHub, an easy-to-use project communicat ion tool. In order to leverage the economies of scale and operations, the company has strategic tie-ups with companies like The Trump Organization, IFA Hotels & Resorts, Kerzner International, Island Global Yachting, Greg Norman Golf Course Design, Taj Luxury Hotels, The Fairmont, Mvenpick, Kempinski, Jumeirah Hotel Operators etc. This way the company can forge a mutually beneficial

Need for Organizational Change Management at Kmart Assignment

Need for Organizational Change Management at Kmart - Assignment Example The annual sales thus achieved were in excess of $10 million. Even during periods of financial depressions and wars, this chain of retail stores stood out as a successful player by virtue of its ability to offer products at affordable prices. What is more, unlike other organizations it helped people sustain their families by offering them jobs. Despite the fact that prices have undergone numerous changes with the passing years, Kmart’s business philosophy remained the same – the company strongly believed that the best way to retain customers is by offering them â€Å"products they need at prices they can afford† (Sears Holdings Corporation-a, 2010). Over the decades Kmart has earned endless accolades that have augmented its position in the global retail sector, and during 1976 it created history â€Å"by opening 271 Kmart stores in one year, becoming the first-ever retailer to launch 17 million square feet of sales space in a single year† (Sears Holdings C orporation-a, 2010). However, the picture at Kmart has not been rosy all through. At the beginning of 2002, â€Å"the company filed for bankruptcy after its debt spiralled to more than $10 billion† (Kelly, 2004), and it has been reported that in the next two years the company had closed nearly 600 stores and laid off nearly 59000 employees. This incident helped Kmart make history yet again because the company had almost â€Å"$17.0 billion in assets at the time of their filing, making it the largest retailer the United States had ever seen declare bankruptcy† (Cole, 2002, p.2). In order to survive the financial plights, Kmart merged with Sears Roebuck in November 2004 following a deal worth $11 billion. Although the company is performing well and trying its best to â€Å"create long-term value in a deliberate and logical fashion, while remaining cognizant of the risks and challenges† (Sears Holdings Corporation-b, 2010), problems that still exist are pushing Kma rt to the back foot.  Ã‚  

Strategic Management Essay Example for Free

Strategic Management Essay Toyota Motor Corporation is a famous Japanese multinational corporation, and is considered the world’s second largest automaker of automobiles, trucks, buses, robots, and providing financial services. When Toyota and other Japanese carmakers entered the American market, they were not considered as a threat to the American auto industry because it was believed their cars had no appeal to American consumers However, in the 1970s, due to several problems like environmental regulations, and quality control issues with American cars, a good number of American car owners began searching for alternatives to poorly made American cars. In response to these changes, Toyota and other Japanese carmakers aggressively marketed their cars to Americans as being fuel-efficient, environmentally friendly, and having better build quality than American cars. In addition, Toyota marketed their cars with commercials involving young Toyota drivers jumping in the air. As a result, the Japanese’s marketing campaign along with continuing problems from the Big Three auto manufacturers, allowed import cars to make up about 20 percent of the US car market by 1980. Stage1. General Motors, Ford and Daimler-Chrysler focused in the late 1990s on mergers and acquisitions for improving their business positions to meet future challenges. Toyota, meanwhile, centered its business strategy on technological innovation and persistent environmental product development. The price of oil was not especially high during the 1990s when Toyota started its hybrid car program. Oil prices were below US $20 barrel in 1994 and were to fall to a 50-year low around 1997 when the Toyota Prius was first sold in Japan. Clearly something else was driving Toyota and other Japanese companies to invest so heavily in hybrid car development. There are three probable reasons: 1 . High petrol taxes in Japan, due to the Japanese government wanting to reduce the dependence of Japan on imported oil. While this would have certainly driven the Japanese development of hybrid cars, petrol was cheap in the key US market at this time. 2) The potential to gain a market advantage by developing the key technologies required to successfully commercialize hybrid cars, and then owning these developments via patents. 3) The expectation that ownership of these key fuel savings technologies would become very valuable when world oil prices rise from the lows of the mid-1990s, which was a fair long-term assumption to make during this period. Stage2: Decision Making Process: In 1994, the executive team acknowledged the potential threat of depleting oil reserves and climate change and change their strategy or products to meet the needs of future customers. Course of Action: Toyota set up a group tasked with meeting the challenge of creating a vehicle for the 21st century, which would work within the parameters of natural resource constraints and environmental issues. Commitment to course of action: Toyota pioneered the concept of Hybrid (petrol/electric) technology to mass produce the world’s first eco-efficient vehicle, the Toyota Prius. Evaluation of decision/re-engineering: The first prototype of the car had even faced starting problem. It took almost six months to roll the car. Finally, when the car started, it moved for a few yards only. It was hard to imagine that Toyota, which was known for its efficient production systems, was facing such trouble. Initially it felt that ‘Prius’ was a case of technological problems, impossible demands and multiple miscalculations. It proved how a great company could overcome obstacles and turn a dream into reality. Though ‘Prius’ represented only a small fraction of the nine million cars and trucks that the Japanese company planned to produce in 2006, it would be the first vehicle to provide a serious alternative to internal combustion engines, designed for a world of scarce oil and was branded as ‘The car for the future’. Stage3: Toyota carefully studied the US market and sees there is a growing oil crisis and foresees a need for change in the structure for cars, converting their needs to oil saving cars. While American car manufactures lacked producing such cars, then Toyota caught that opportunity and tried to occupy this niche market. By 2002, it was being sold in North America, Japan, Europe, Hong Kong, Australia and Singapore. Analysts opined that the demand for hybrid cars would rise because of the unstable oil prices and the growing need for environment friendly products. Post Evaluation By examining the external environment and acknowledging the potential threats of depleting resources and increased concern over environmental issues, Toyota have turned a threat into a business opportunity, boosting their reputation both as an environmentally conscious and as technological innovators and established themselves as leaders in this growing market. The car industry faces many complex issues, but the introduction of the Prius provided Toyota with a competitive advantage. RoadMap to the development Process of Toyota Prius. Stage1| Stage2| Stage3| Executive level| 1 Expressed concern about the future of the automobile2. Embarked a new project called G21 to the team3. Communicated the vision and priorities to the team| 1. The executive team acknowledged the potential threat of depleting oil2. Challenged the team for the innovation of new model using new technology| 1. Toyota unveiled the Prius in Japan in October 1997, two months ahead of schedule. 2. Made strategy plans for introducing cars to US and other prospective continents| Management and Team level| 1. Engaged in improving the existing internal combustion engine technology2. Started making refinements to the existing technology | 1. Team committed to the course of action using hybrid technology. 2. Came up with around 80 alternatives. 3. Identified numerous problems heat, reliability, noise, and cost. 4. Narrowed the list to four models. 5. After endless fussing and tweaking, the team finally reached 66 miles per gallon the 100% mileage improvement. | 1. Team has started putting efforts towards with second and third generation Prius. 2. Redesigned the model for making it more appealing to the consumers. | Marketing /Sales Team| 1. Identification of the growing oil prices. 2. Identification of Growing middle class around the world. | 1. Raised the concern that Premium price for the hybrid would make it impossible to sell. 2. Challenged with building consumer technology awareness. | 1. Devised new marketing ways to cut down dealership costs in US. 2. Devised new ways to boost the sales through internet, relied on grass-roots marketing, and public relations events|.

Essay --

Slaves wanted freedom. They wanted to get away from their malicious and abusive owners, reunite with their families, and have a chance at a new life. The Underground Railroad gave them that chance. Before the Underground Railroad, slaveholders became accustomed to the use of this cruel system in which they called slavery, where slaves were often treated worse than farm animals. Slaves were forced to live in terrible conditions, where they were crowded into poorly built huts, exposed to both the freezing cold and extreme heat, worked from sun up until sun down, and were malnourished. Slaves could also be subjected to torturous punishments at the will of his or her master or overseer. As a southern judge once decreed, â€Å"The power of the master must be absolute.† Slaveholders would even aim to break up slave families just so that their absolute control would never waver. (Landau) It is believed that the system of the Underground Railroad began in 1787 when a Quaker named Isaac T. Hopper started to organize a system for hiding and aiding fugitive slaves. The Underground Railroad was a vast, loosely organized network of people who helped aid fugitive slaves in their escape to the North and Canada. It operated mostly at night and consisted of many whites, but predominately blacks. While the Underground Railroad had unofficially existed before it, a cause for its expansion was the passage of the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act. The 1850 Fugitive Slave Act allowed for runaway slaves to be captured and returned within the territory of the United States and added further provisions regarding the runaways and imposed even harsher chastisements for interfering in their capture (A&E). The 1850 Fugitive Slave Act was a major cause of the development o... ...d and inspired blacks to do something about the situation that they were being given, and so they did. Blacks and whites came together to fight on the same side, to fight for the abolishment of slavery. This coming together is what caused the Underground Railroad to expand and evolve, but none of it would have ever happened, or at least not as fast as it did, without the passage of the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act which brought blacks and whites together. In this way the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act was a major cause of the development of the Underground Railroad because it caused people to realize just how cruel slavery was, which invoked an increase in the support and aid of the strong, free, black population, who were a crucial component to the Underground Railroad, as well as abolitionist and anti-slavery white, resulting in the expansion of the Underground Railroad.

Preparation of Cyclohexanol

Introduction: Cyclohexanol is mainly used in the production of caprolactam and adipic acid that is a raw material of nylon 6 (Zhang, et al, 2002). Cyclohexanol can be produce through several methods, which include the oxidation of cyclohexane, the hydration of cyclohexene, or the hydrogenation of phenol (Zhang, et al, 2002). Problem with oxidation of cyclohexene is poor selectivity, extremely large recycles and explosion hazards. (Suresh, Sridhar, Potter, 1988). The purpose of this experiment was to synthesis cyclohexanol by hydration of cyclohexene using concentrated sulphuric acid as an acidic catalyst.In hydration reaction, C=C B bond is replaced by hydroxyl group (Hornback, 2006). Overall reaction: (McFadden, 2012) In the first step, the mixture of water, concentrated sulphuric acid, and cyclohexene was shaken vigorously until it became a homogenous solution. Followed by, the addition of water, and the distillation process lead to the hydrolysis of the alkene. Finally, addition o f diethyl ether to the mixture then distillation took place to be purified and to obtain the final product, cyclohexanol (McFadden, 2012).Diethyl ether was used to extract alcohol from salt-water mixture because diethyl ethers solubility in water is lower than cyclohexanol which helps remove alcohol from the salt-water mixture (Merzougui, A, et al. , 2011). (McFadden, 2012) Cyclohexene is added to water-acid solution, which formed two liquid phases were due to insolubility of cyclohexene in water-acid solution. It is very important that mixture is mixed well to make a homogeneous solution and allow reaction to complete. Cyclohexene was reacted with water and with sulfuric acid to form protonated cyclohexanol and cyclohexyl hydrogen sulfate.Protonated cyclohexanol and cyclohexyl hydrogen sulfate are soluble in water-acid solution (McFadden, 2012). When this mixture is heated, cyclohexyl hydrogen sulfate converts to protonated cyclohexanol which is equilibrium with cyclohexanol (McFad den, 2012). Moreover, distillation technique is used to separate components of a liquid mixture, where liquid is boiled to vaporize and then condensed back into liquid called distillate. Distillate components are collected with a lowest-boiling point to highest-boiling point.In this experiment, distillation is used to separate the organic compound from sulphuric acid solution; azeotrope of cyclohexanol and water is formed as distillate, it also contains some cyclohexene components. Azeotrope has a fix boiling point like a pure compound. Cyclohexanol is considerably soluble in water, so poor yield is expected (McFadden, 2012). Addition of sodium chloride to distillate solution improves the final product yield because it reduces the solubility of organic compound, and extracts cyclohexanol from aqueous phase. It is due to salt’s higher solubility than organic compound.Also, anhydrous potassium carbonate is used to absorb water and to neutralize any trace of acid. During distill ation of pure cyclohexanol, most of the product should be collected as temperature reaches 161? C (Weast, 1988). This experiment also introduces determination of the refractive index; it is one of the most convenient methods used to determine purity of liquid. It is a ratio of the sine of the angle formed when light ray is bent when passing from an air medium into a liquid medium; in other words it is a ratios of the speed of light in a vacuum to the speed of light in the liquid medium.Refrective index (n) = C_vaccume/V_medium (McFadden, 2012). At 20Â °C, the expected refractive index of cyclohexanol is 1. 4641 (Weast, 1988). Procedure: The experiment was done in two parts. Part-A was hydration of the alkene, and Part-B was isolation and purification of the cyclohexanol. To perform hydration of alkene, 7. 0mL of water and then 14mL of concentrated sulphuric acid were added to a 125mL Erlenmeyer flask. After that, flask was placed in ice-bath until it was cold to touch. 16. 4g of cy clohexene was added to weighed 250mL round-bottom flask.In the same round-bottom flask, the chilled water-acid mixture was added. In order to mix the solution, the flask was vigorously shaken for 20 minutes. While shaking, regularly stopper was released to prevent any build-up of vapour pressure. After flask was vented and allowed it to stand without disturbing for about 5 minutes. Because two distinct layers appeared, continued shaking for extra 10 minutes until solution was homogeneous. Next, an additional 120mL of distilled water were added in homogeneous solution with addition of 3 boiling chips.The same round-bottom flask was then set onto a distillation apparatus, and started distillation. Distillate was collected into an 125mL Erlenmeyer flask, and boiling point range of azeotrope was noted. Subsequently, 25g NaCl was dissolved to the distillate, but not all salt was dissolved. After that, flask was covered with parafilm (McFadden, 2012). In the next lab, distillate mixture w as transferred to a separatory funnel. Distillation receiver flask was washed by 20mL diethyl ether, that diethyl ether was then transferred into the separatory funnel.Mixture was allowed to delayer for 3 minutes. Afterwards, bottom aqueous layer was drained into a aqueous waste beaker; and top ether layer was transferred in an another 50mL Erlenmeyer flask which contained 3g of anhydrous potassium carbonate, swirled and allowed the mixture to stand for 15 minutes. Next, no potassium carbonate but only liquid mixture was transferred to round-bottom flask for the distillation. Diethyl ether and cyclohexene were distilled and collected into a flask until it reached 120Â °C, and later discarded in an organic waste.As temperature reached 120Â °C, a clean, dry and pre-weighed flask was replaced to collect final product, cyclohexanol. As soon as flask was replaced, cold water was turned-off and hot water was turned on. Continued to distil until there was no liquid in the distillation fl ask, and boiling chips started to change colour. Small amount of residue was kept in distillation flask to prevent it from breaking. Finally, cyclohexanol was weighted and from small sample the refractive index was determined (McFadden, 2012). Result: Amount of cyclohexene used = 16. 40g = 16. 40g of C_6 H_10? 1/(82. 143 g/mol)=0. 9965=0. 1997mol of C_6 H_10 Limiting reagent is: Cyclohexene Bp range of azeotrope mixture: 85-95. 4Â °C Literature bp range of azeotrope mixture: 97. 8Â °C; edition: 53rd; page: D-16 Bp range of diethyl ether: 34. 6-41. 6Â °CLiterature bp range of diethyl ether: 34. 51Â °C; edition: 53rd; page: Bp range of cyclohexene: 82. 8-90Â °C Literature bp range of cyclohexene: 82-98Â °C; edition: 53rd; page: C-259 Bp range of pure cyclohexanol: 157-161. 0Â °C Literature bp range of cyclohexanol: 161. 1Â °C; edition: 53rd; page: C-257 Weight of pure cyclohexanol = 7. 1g Percent yield = (actual yield (g))/(theoretical yield (g))? 00%=7. 1g/20. 00g? 100%=35. 5 % Theoretical yield= (0. 1997mol of C_6 H_10)/? (1 mol of C_6 H_12 O)/(1 mol of C_6 H_10 )? (100. 158 g)/(1 mol of C_6 H_12 O)=20. 00g Refrective index of pure cyclohexanol: raw 1. 4643 at 21. 2Â °C Corrected 1. 4658 at 20Â °C Correcting refractive index: n_D^20=n_D^21+[0. 00045Â °C^(-1)? (21. 2-20Â °C)] =n_D^21+[0. 00045Â °C^(-1)? (1. 2Â °C) =1. 4643+[0. 00054] =1. 46484=1. 4648 Refractive Percent yield error: ((1. 4648-1. 4641))/1. 4641? 100%=0. 05% Literature refrective index of cyclohexanol: 1. 4641 at 20Â °C Edition of CRC: 53rd; page: C-257 Discussion:Before reaching a concrete conclusion, it is very important to interpret the result that was obtained in this experiment. In this experiment, cyclohexene was hydrated to produce cyclohexanol; because the direct hydration of cyclohexene is very slow, concentrated sulphuric acid as an acidic catalyst is used to speed up the reaction (McFadden, 2012). When cyclohexene was reacted with water and concentrated sulphuric acid, da rk homogenous solution was formed from colourless heterogeneous mixture. The reaction was cyclohexene ? protonated cyclohexanol + cyclohexyl hydrogen sulfate. Both of hese products were soluble in water-acid solution, therefore reaction could go to completion (McFadden, 2012). Moreover, azeotrope of cyclohexanol and water was a positive azeotrope which means boiling point of azeotrope was less than the boiling point of cyclohexanol and water. Moreover, distillation process can prevent side reactions and by removing the products it shifts equilibrium on right hand side to increase percent yield; however, it is not enough to improve percent yield. Cyclohexanol is soluble in water; so addition of NaCl forces cyclohexanol to leave aqueous phase into organic phase.By reducing its solubility in water, NaCl molecules were holding water molecules. It is due to NaCl’s stronger attraction to water than cyclohexanol; solubility of NaCl in water is 360g/L, and solubility of cyclohexanol in water is 36. 0g/L (Weast, 1988). It is a great way to separate azeotrope into different components. However, enough salt is necessary to make solution saturated to separate all cyclohexanol from aqueous solution; for example, 45. 72g of NaCl is needed to make solution saturated in 127mL of water. Required salt can be calculated by multiplying solubility of salt in water with given volume.In part B, there was cyclohexanol found in the condenser because temperature of water running in the condenser was low compare to melting point of cyclohexanol, which is 24Â °C; so some of the cyclohexanol was stuck on the inner-surface of the condenser. Cold-water was turned off, and hot-water turned on when cyclohexanol was collecting during distillation process to remove the cyclohexanol from the surface of condenser and used in the final product. The result shows that the percent yield is 35. 5%. As expected percent yield is low because the strong acidic conditions and solubility of cyclohex anol in water (Hornback, 2006).Observed reflective index is very close to literature value of reflective index of cyclohexanol, which tells that product is pure but there is still some impurities. The result is also due to inefficient experiment procedures. This experiment required precise measurements of data in order to obtain accurate results. But, there are many possible sources of experimental error when performing this experiment. Firstly, if water-acid solution was not cooled enough to add cyclohexene, then some of the cyclohexene have evaporated.Cyclohexene is a limiting reagent meaning it will affect the overall weight of cyclohexanol by reducing the amount. Secondly, not using properly clean and dried equipments may affect on reactants’ activities, such as a flask, beaker, graduated cylinders. Thirdly, solution was not homogeneous; in other words, failing to mix properly for the reaction to go to completion. It was hard to judge due to very dark colour of the soluti on. If reaction was not fully reacted means not all cyclohexene were reacted to form protonated cyclohexanol and cyclohexyl hydrogen sulfate.Fourthly, some potassium carbonate may have entered in distillation flask which resulted in reverse reaction causing to lose more cyclohexanol. Fifthly, a small amount of product might be lost when transferring from one container to another. Sixthly, some cyclohexanol was left in round-bottom flask in order to prevent the round-bottom flask from breaking due to over-drying or over-heating. There are a few methods that would improve the accuracy of the experiments, if considered and followed with care. While recording the volume from the graduated cylinder the goal is to look for at the curve on the top of a standing body of liquid.Before experiment takes place make sure to clean all equipments that are going to be used throughout experiment to avoid any beside reactions in the experiment that may affect the final result. When transferring from one flask to other, sometimes filter paper would be a better solution to prevent unwanted product from entering into a reaction flask, and to prevent any reverse reaction to occur, such as potassium carbonate. Conclusion: In this paper, distillation process for the indirect hydration of cyclohexene to cyclohexanol using sulphuric acid as an acidic catalyst is demonstrated.In the hydration process, double bond of cyclohexene is replaced by the hydroxyl group to form alcohol. Obtain reflective index of cyclohexanol is 1. 4648, and the literature value of reflective index of cyclohexanol is 1. 4641at 20Â °C; which shows that final product was very pure. The result also showed that the percent yield is only 35. 5%, it is due to the strongly acidic conditions and solubility of cyclohexanol.