War & Medicine and Neuroscience & War (This is not a official title, Essay

War & Medicine and Neuroscience & War (This is not a official title, you can make one) - Essay Example First, it is apparent that the combat mortality rates of the American military have remained constant at 20% as at the Vietnam War. This is despite improvements in antibiotics, hospital facilities in theater, the advent of blood transfusions and preventative health methods such as improved nutrition. The one exception evident in the war has been the reduction in death in military combatants due to infectious illnesses and diseases. The reduction has been because of the introduction of the prophylactic use of antibiotics, improvement in sanitary conditions and hygiene (Wiesmann et al, 227). The high rate of development in weapons posses an equal challenge to come up with life-saving skills in the battlefield. Research, on the other hand, has proved that battlefield medical care of the future will evolve rapidly to obtain the capability to quickly diagnose the severity and nature of the battle injury. The American military has gone a step ahead in implementing a R&D investment in medicine. The R&D investment involves preventative vaccine development, infectious disease research, protective gear and the point-of-care devises. It is apparent that military medical requirements lead to the development of practical medical devices that support military missions. The advances end up being applied in the civilian healthcare in the cases of civilian trauma incidence. Military has been proven to be the first in the use of healthcare technology. Statistics has shown that 3 to 5 percent of the mainstream medicine is derived from warfare (Wiesmann et al, 230). Military has improved healthcare in various ways. One is from the American Revolution where the first command ordered immunization program for the inoculation of smallpox. Also, a three-tiered evacuation system was developed due to the increasing number of the wounded in the battlefield. First was an Aid station that was located next to the battlefield.

Short Stories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Short Stories - Essay Example Louise Mallard is portrayed as a delicate individual as a result of her heart condition who seems to be in a happy marriage with her husband. Her ability to accept the bad news concerning her husband’s death and her need to be alone in order to deal with it shows that she is not only a strong woman, but also one who prefers her independence. The thoughts that she has about her husband are based on their good times that they had together and the love that he openly showed her. Her memories of these events lead her to sob over his death because she realizes that her life is never going to be the same. As she is weeping for her husband, Louise looks at the sky and sees it covered with clouds that have patches of blue showing through. The clouds symbolize the grief through which she is undergoing and the patches of blue in the sky are used to show the hope that she will be able to move on and come to enjoy her life than she had before. However, Louise also starts thinking of the potential freedom that she is going to have as a result of her husband’s death. She comes to realize that she no longer has to live according to the whims of her husband but in her own terms; a realization that allows her to het over her grief swiftly. Louise comes to have hope in her life and this is through her belief that because she is still young, she has a long time in which to live the way she wants. This belief in her new found freedom is a reflection of her possibly having been in a marriage that did not make her happy even though her husband loved her. This is exemplified through the statement â€Å"And yet she had loved him—sometimes†, one that shows that she might not have married for love but out of convenience. This story ends up being ironical because despite Louise’s expectation to live the rest of her life in her new found freedom, she is not able to accomplish her dreams. This is because in her husband ends up being alive and well and when she sees

Homeland Security Essay Example for Free

Homeland Security Essay Homeland Security is a cabinet level agency in the federal government. Its birth came after the terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001. Its main goals were to deter terrorism on U. S. soil and the safety of the American infrastructure. It has been reported many times the trouble this department is having getting off the ground. â€Å"Hardly a day goes by without some fresh report on a contract gone bad, a new technology that does not work, a new Coast Guard cutter that is not seaworthy, or more cargo that slips through port without inspection† (Light, 2007). Every year new assessments of the department including Congress, the 9/11 Commission and the departments own inspector general gives it low grades for job satisfaction, management, and leadership. Just some of the problems it is having are high turnover, internal bureaucratic struggles and structural problems. So with all that said it is having problems reaching many of its outlined goals. It still needs funding, authority, better strategy for protecting American soil, personnel, better screening at airports for passengers and employees, and better technology to find weapons such as explosives. Improved intelligence capabilities are probably the most important. Border security issues were the founding fathers main focus when he was with the agency and I am in agreement. Securing our countries boarders on a daily basis is the Homeland security’s main concern. The military that has done that job up until now but with the world being global we need to separate the two and give each their own set of ground rules to operate at an optimum level. The merging of immigration and customs enforcement can only help in making this department function at a level the American public can be proud of with the goals of this office being completed (Magleby, O’Brien, Light, Peltason, Cronin, 2006). Even with all its imperfections I still believe that it is a needed department in our government. A somewhat more rigid department to handle military type action on homeland soil was needed and was realized on 9/11. We had been living in a glass house and it was just a matter of time. The partnership it is creating with state and local governments especially with intelligence from federal sources will build a safer America. After the disaster of Katrina in 2005 it was more obvious that this newly formed department would need some redesign in its structure. But I think with having Homeland Security it will help to build a better military. This would allow more forces to be deployed outside our borders when needed. I think now if Homeland Security had been up to par, would we still be in Iraq or would the troops the Republicans so desperately want to send be there and back by now? Reference: Light, P. (2007, Spring). The homeland security hash. Wilson Quarterly, 31(2). Magleby, D. B. , O’Brien, D. , Light, P. , Peltason, J. W. , Cronin, T. E. (2006). Government by the People: National, State, and Local 21st. Ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

Flow Of Charge And Electric Current

Flow Of Charge And Electric Current Man has always been curious about the works of electricity; why a shock occurred at times, why something clung to something else. There were once many theories of why what we now understand as electricity was created   one of the ancient theories being magic. Moving forward in time, it is now understood that the building blocks of electricity are the proton, neutron, and electron. A proton has a positive charge, the neutron has no charge, and the electron carries a negative charge. Now, everything around us is made of matter, which in turn is filled with atoms , and the atom is where the protons, neutrons, and the electrons thrive. The protons are trapped in the center of the atom, also known as the nucleus, and because of this, the electrons moving outside the nucleus along their orbital are one reason why electric current occurs. However, there are special types of electrons called free electrons. These come off of their atoms and zoom around, which makes electricity easy to flo w through certain materials, such as metals. These free electrons are referred to being electrical conductors, because they conduct electricity   simple. Electricity not only works miraculously in the world around us, but also deep within our human bodys. Electricity flows through our nervous system and directs to our neurons the building blocks of the nervous system; thus, giving our brain and body power to function properly. Flow Of Charge And Electric Current Even though electricity is based upon the negatively charges electrons, many people assume the electric current is also always negative. Actually, in most cases, electricity is a flow of positive charges, but it can be a flow of negative charges, or a mix of positive and negative charges flowing in opposing directions. However, the direction of the flow depends upon the type of conductor being used. The conductors have atoms in them, and as said before, the atoms have the protons, neutrons, and electrons embedded in them, which in turn creates electricity. In terms of our everyday electrical devices, only the proton with its positive charge and the electron with its negative charge are being used. Some sources, such as a text book, state that electricity is made up of electrons, and only electrons. In reality, electrons and protons alike make up electricity, and they carry an equal strength of charge. Now, protons embedded in solid metal, such as in a copper wire, do not flow. An exa mple of an electrical charge that is based on the protons instead of the electrons would be the everyday battery. While the battery is, lets say, powering a flashlight, the flow of electricity is moving through the inside of the battery. The flashlights electrical current seems to be a flow of both positive and negative atoms, and there is no doubt an electrical charge of some sort flowing through the battery to power the flashlight. Yet, no single electron streams through. The real flow of the charge is in both directions within the battery, part of the charge is from positive atoms, and the rest is of negative atoms moving in the opposing direction. Now, do not confuse current with flow. Electric current is the rate of the charge flow past a specified spot in an electric circuitand is measured in amperes. The atoms in a battery can have an absence of electrons, causing a positive charge. Reversing it, if the atoms have more electrons, then it carries a negative charge. A charge fl ows from one end to the other, and it only flows when there is a potential difference, which is a difference in the voltage (potential), between the ends of a conductor. The charge will flow until the potential levels out, then there is no longer a flow through the conductor. So, in order to keep the electricity flowing, the difference in potential need to remain different. Another term for the flow of electric charge is electric current, and it is measured in amperes. An ampere is simply the flow of 1 coulomb (the standard unit of charge) per second. Alternating Current And Direct Current An electric current could be either an alternating current (AC) or a direct current (DC). The main purpose of electric current, AC or DC, is to transfer energy from one place to another without a sound, without a hassle, and without inconvenience, which is exactly what we have achieved. Digging deeper, an alternating current does just that alternates. The electrons in a circuit move in one direction first and then in the opposing direction and repeats this process over and over; thus, alternating back and forth. Alternating directions of charge is caused by alternating voltages. Many AC circuits have voltages and currents that alternate back and forth 60 times per second, also known as 60-hertz current. Different frequencies are used for different things, and although frequency systems vary by country, most electric power is produced at either 50 or 60 Hz (hertz). However, a low frequency is used for low speed electric motors, such as traction motors for railways, and higher frequen cies are used for higher motor speed. Airplanes and space shuttles, for example, use a higher frequency to transmit a larger amount of power to their motors. An advantage of alternating current is its ability to change the voltage of the power, using a device called a transformer, which transfers energy from one circuit to another. This saves companies money by using high voltages to transmit power over long distances. Now, direct current is a bit different and is not used as much as it used to because alternating current is more efficient with high power applications. DC produces a constant flow of charge that only goes in one direction. In order for a direct current generator to produce a constant voltage, there are many different sets of coils making irregular intervals that stop and start (intermittent) contact with the brushes. And once again, the battery proves itself a good example, except this time with direct current. The ends of the battery, or the terminals, have an uncha nging positive and negative charge. Since the electrons constantly flow through the circuit in the same direction, from the negative terminal to the positive terminal, it is considered a direct current. Converting AC To DC Converting an alternating current to a direct current might be hard to perform yourself, but the concept of how it works is not difficult to grasp. The conversion process from alternating current to direct current begins with inserting a diode , which is a mini electronic device that allows electrons to flow through it in only one direction. The goal is to make the back and forth current flowing through something to only flow in a single direction; thus, converting it to direct current. Lets take a wire that has an alternating current flowing through it, and cut it in half. If a diode is inserted correctly to connect the two wire pieces together, the diode will stop the current from moving in both directions by completely ridding of one direction and only allowing the other. For example, the function of a diode is comparable to a two lane street, cars on one lane flowing south and the cars on the other lane flowing north. A car then gets into a car crash (representing one function of the diode, which is stopping the flow of electric current   in this case, the cars) on the lane flowing south, blocking the entire road. Assuming that the lanes go north and south forever, with no turn offs, the cars flowing south would have to slowly squeeze their way into the lane flowing north. This is where an officer (representing the second function of the diode, which stops the current, then allows it to flow again. Stops, lets flow, stops, lets flow, etc.) comes in and directs how many cars on the lane flowing south can turn into the lane flowing north to begin moving again. Lets assume the officer lets two cars from the south move into the north lane at a time, then stops the next two before letting them go again. Furthermore, a rectifier is a device used to convert AC to DC through a process called rectification. A rectifier can be made up of a series of things, such as a vacuum tube; however, we will be focusing on the diode makeup. Now, dont confuse a rectifier with a diode   a rectifier describes a diode that is being used to convert alternating current to direct current. Of course, in order for anything to work efficiently, a multitude of that product is needed. In this case, what is needed to convert AC to DC is the diode, and a single diode works, but not nearly as well as multiple diodes in one circuit working together. There is something called a half-wave rectification (see Figure 2), and this only requires the use of a single diode in order to work, but can also use up to three. During the half wave rectification process, only the positive or negative half of the sine wave is approved to go through at a time, so the diode will only permit the current to flow only during either the positive or negative part of the alternating current sine wave; commonly used with radios. Another form is the full-wave rectification (see Figure 4), which is more powerful than the half-wave rectification process and uses two or more diodes. During this pro cess, the whole wave is made either a continuous positive or negative output. Ohms Law One day a man named Georg Ohm discovered that the current in a circuit is equal to the voltage passed across the circuit divided by the resistance in the same circuit. In other words, current = voltageresistance, more commonly seen as I=V/R. It is up to resistance to say how much current can rush through an object. The objects that create resistance are called resistors, which simply control the voltage and current in the circuit so if the resistance is high, then the current will be reduced. The nice thing about resistors is that they keep a circuit from blowing up because the resistors keep the circuits from overheating. Furthermore, if the resistance stays the same, then the current and voltage are equal. When the voltage goes up, the current goes up as well. The unit of measurement used for current, voltage, and resistance is called an ampere   one ampere is equal to one volt divided by one ohm (1 ampere = 1volt/1ohm). So four amperes would be four volts divided by one ohm, an d so on. Now lets get to the fun part and start calculating values! If you have an imaginary light bulb that is connected to a 120 volt circuit and brings in 12 amperes of current, how many ohms would that produce? Taking resistance = voltage/current, resistance would = 120 volts/12amperes which = 10 ohms. So what happens when you are trying to calculate the current instead of the resistance? You simply re-arrange the formula to suite your needs. You take the regular resistance = voltage/current and multiply each side by current over one. By doing this, you will get resistance x current = voltage, and you want current on one side by itself, so divide resistance through both sides, making the equation exactly what you need   current = voltage/resistance. Given this formula, how much current is drawn by an imaginary microwave that has a resistance of 100 ohms when 50 volts are passing through it? Current would equal 50 volts/100 ohms, which equals .5 amperes. The Speed Of Electrons In A Circuit Taking the remote control to the television and pushing the power button makes the television click on instantly. Likewise, when you press the call button on your phone it connects the circuit which sends an electrical signal to the phones processor at almost the speed of light. Since the signal of the button is being sent through the wire quickly, the electrons must be rushing through the wire at the same speed, right? Wrong. It is only the signal that moves through the wire at this speed, not the electrons. When it is room temperature, the electrons in a wire or open circuit have a velocity of a few million kilometers per hour, they produce no current because the motion is completely random and in all directions, and there is no net flow in any one direction. However, when something such as a battery or generator is connected, and the circuit completed, an electric field (the space that confines the electrically charged particles) is established inside the wire at almost the speed of light. Even though the electric field is established, the electrons continue to move randomly. But as the electrons move randomly, they are being pushed along the wire by the electric field toward the end of the circuit. The reason the electrons do not move as fast as the signal does is because the electrons have obstacles in their way atoms. These unmoving atoms make the electrons collide into them, which constantly delays the movement of the electrons so that their average speed is extraordinarily slow. Now, the conducting wire acts as a guide for the electrical field lines and inside the wire the electric field is directed along it. The conduction electrons speed up because of the electric field, but before they reach a nice speed they bump into those motionless ions and transfer some of their energy to them in the process this is why the wires that carry currents become hot. With an alternating current circuit, the conduction electrons do not make any net progress in any di rection. In one cycle the electrons move a teensy fraction of a centimeter in one direction, and then the same distance in the opposing direction. Because of this, the electrons rhythmically move from side to side along relatively fixed positions. So when you call your friend and talk to them over the telephone, it is simply the structure of the to and fro motion of the conduction electrons that is carried to where your friend is at close to the speed of light. The electrons that are already within the wires simple vibrate to the rhythm of the structure.

Leagility Defined for the Supply Chain Essay example -- essays researc

Leagility Defined for the Supply Chain Two words, lean and agile, combine to make the word leagility. Supply chain managers need lean supply lines to eliminate waste and keep costs low. They also require agile supply chains to get the right amount of the product to the right place in order to satisfy the ever-changing nature of the marketplace. Traditional management recommended a lean supply chain for products with a stable demand, yet low profit margin. Conversely, products with a high profit margin and volatile demand should have an agile supply chain (Van der Vorst). Modern managers may benefit from studying hybrid supply chains that are both lean and agile. Lean supply chains work best with products that sell in high volume and low variety (Christopher). The reason for this is clear when one considers a type of product meeting this criterion. Toilet paper sells in predictable volume and while there is some variety with this product, it is basically the same from brand to brand. The consumer is more likely to buy this product as a result of price rather than bells and whistles. A manager of a supply chain of toilet paper can use many tools to keep the logistics cost low. Sales of this product are likely to be tied to population size with little of no variation in sales†¦except in college towns where TP sales may be higher during rush week. This consistency allows managers to ship regular orders of the product. Consistency allows for long-range contracts with shippers, wh...

Environmental Essay -- Biodiversity, Ecological Systems

Biodiversity is the makeup and interconnectedness of ecological systems. Biodiversity makes up all the diversity among living things within a specific system. This diversity of life is invaluable to human existence for countless reasons; it is a primary source for environmental resources that shape the economics of a region, it provides the scientific community with what seems to be an ever-growing source of data that can be used for things like medicine, and provides food and aesthetic value to human life. Ontario is a privileged province of Canada as it contains over 25,00 different species of plants and animals. (†¨Lemieux, Scott. 2011) With such a vast collection of biodiversity Ontario has the obligation to ensure its protection and growth of the thousands of years of evolution that lead to the complex array of life it now contains. With the growth of the human population biodiversity is shrinking, as the globe becomes one species orientated the externalities of human exist ence threaten biodiversity. One example of these externalities are the impacts anthropogenic climate change, the changing climate due to human activities threatens wildlife as it changes their habitats at rates that most wildlife cannot adopt and evolve to live in. (Lemieux, Scott 2011). Considering the excess of 25,000 different species in Ontario, the province has a large obligation to protect and maintain this biodiversity from the dangers that human existence pose to it. The federal and provincial governments have created many laws and regulations that relate to the protection and management of the environment and biodiversity. More specifically the provincial government of Ontario has the Endangered species act, which will be the focal point of analys... ...he environment and biodiversity by protecting species at risk of extinction and their habitats. After analysis and discussion it is clearly evident that the statue was a positive movement towards a better-managed environment but has many areas of concern. The act deals with problems in a reactive nature when it should be a proactive one in maintaining biodiversity. Secondly it comes into conflict when the species concerned overlaps with private property and unjustly puts the social cost of helping the species to the hands of the private landowners, better management between landowner and government polices should be made to fix the conflicts which arise from this. Finally the act needs to deal with the scope of biodiversity being centered around a one species orientated nature, and by this should focus a better management of human interaction with the environment.

Good and Evil (a Wrinkle in Time, and Frankenstein Review) Essay

â€Å"Life is neither good or evil, but only a place for good and evil. † – Marcus Aurelius. A Wrinkle in Time is a book about the journey through the war of good versus evil and the ultimate triumph of love. Every character is clearly distinguished with either good or evil: the â€Å"good† characters include Meg, her family, Calvin, the Mrs. W’s, Aunt Beast, and the Happy Medium; the â€Å"evil† characters include IT, The Dark Thing, and the Man with the Red Eyes. Frankenstein, on the other hand, is a story told in a series of letters, as Robert Walton, the captain of a ship bound for the North Pole, recounts to his sister back in England the progress of his dangerous mission. Successful early on, the mission is soon to be disturbed by seas full of impassable ice. Trapped, Walton encounters Victor Frankenstein, who had been travelling by dog-drawn sledge across the ice and is weakened by the cold. Walton take him abroad the ship, helps nurse him back to health, and hears the fantastic tale of the monster the Frankenstein created. This tale that Frankenstein is reciting reveals the two sides that a person, or a living creature can portray: good and evil. Frankenstein was banned in South Africa for being â€Å"obscene† and â€Å"indecent†, while A Wrinkle in Time was banned for having a fantasy-related genre throughout the plot, including witches and demons. Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work. â€Å"Slave, I before reasoned with you, but you have proved yourself unworthy of my condescension. Remember that I have power; you believe yourself miserable, but I can make you so wretched that the light of day will be hateful to you. You are my creator, but I am your master; — obey! † (Shelley 149). In Frankenstein, the monster represents evil, as it comes to life, and terrorizes its creator. Dangerous knowledge is an ideal theme in Frankenstein. The pursuit of knowledge is right in the middle of Frankenstein, as Victor attempts to go beyond accepted human limits and find out the secret of life. Likewise, Robert Walton attempts to pass the past human explorations by being determined to reach the North Pole. In A Wrinkle In Time, comfort and individuality is a major theme that I saw throughout the plot. The main character, Meg, is caught between the desire for conformity and the expression of her own creative nature. At the beginning of the novel Meg feels embittered towards other students at her school that make fun of her and tease her for being different, as well as those who see her little brother as being weird or odd. She desperately wants to be more like her twin brothers who have little problem fitting in. The theme that the two stories share, and that I have mentioned before, is the theme titled good and evil: â€Å"Suddenly there was a great burst of light through the Darkness. The light spread out and where it touched the Darkness the Darkness disappeared. The light spread until the patch of Dark Thing had vanished, and there was only a gentle shining, and through the shining came the stars, clear and pure. Then, slowly, the shining dwindled until it, too, was gone, and there was nothing but stars and starlight. No shadows. No fear. Only the stars and the clear darkness of space, quite different from the fearful darkness of the Thing† (L’Engle 102). It’s interesting that the defeat of the Black Thing doesn’t lead to the universe being lit up like a baseball stadium, but rather to an absence of unnatural darkness. It’s almost like the battle isn’t so much between evil and good as between evil and the normal. Characters are â€Å"Plot is no more than footprints left in the snow after your characters have run by on their way to incredible destinations† – Ray Bradbury. In Frankenstein, the main character or the creator of the monster. Victor becomes obsessed with the idea of creating an artificial human form and eventually attempts to make it. Immediately after creating the monster, he falls into a depression and starts to fear. He leaves the school and returns home to his family, where he finds only tragedy. Not fully aware of the consequences of his creating a new human, he ends up really spending his entire life trying to destroy the same creation he was working to make for so long. In a Wrinkle In Time however, the protagonist is portrayed a bit differently: Meg Murry, The book’s hero, an awkward, but loving high school student who is sent on an adventure through time and space with her brother Charles Wallace and friend Calvin to rescue her father from the evil force that is attempting to take over the universe. Meg’s greatest faults are her anger, impatience, and lack of self-confidence, but she changes and overcomes them, and in the end is victorious, as the story ends with a stereotypical kid’s-story ending. A happy ending for the protagonist. The main differences that I saw between the two are the two protagonists: Meg Murry (A Wrinkle In Time), and Victor Frankenstein (Frankenstein), are to begin with, set in different times. A Wrinkle In Time could be set anywhere in the recent past. Frankenstein however, is set in the late 18th century. The whole concept of Frankenstein is much darker, and in fact I would say it could be classified as gothic science fiction, as the characters are much darker, and seem more serious and cold-hearted by the way Shelley describes them compared to the other book. A Wrinkle In Time is much lighter, as the characters, their actions, and abilities are all easier, and always give the advantage to the â€Å"good guys†. Also the whole concept of the book, and the idea of it, is more for a child’s imagination to handle and comprehend compared to Frankenstein, and I would classify it as plain science and fantasy fiction. Although these differences shape the stories in totally different directions, there are some similarities: The similarities between the characters and their traits are that they both have solid downsides to them. As I mentioned before, Meg’s (A Wrinkle In Time) faults are her temper, impatience, and lack of confidence in herself, and Victor’s (Frankenstein) faults are that he is in a depression and great fear throughout the plot after the Monster is created and is woken. Another trait I can compare between the two protagonists, are their determination to reach their final goal. Although I cannot see it in either book, but both books were officially banned in one place or another for ridiculous reasons. Frankenstein was banned in South Africa for being â€Å"obscene† and â€Å"indecent† in 1955. Maybe 57 years ago there were different rules and traits a person had to portray to be defined as â€Å"good†, but to make this specific book banned for being â€Å"obscene† (which means that it is offensive or the opposite of accepted manner). A Wrinkle In Time is banned for having witches, crystal balls and demons. Also, because Jesus is listed among the names of great artists, philosophers and teachers, and it is banned in the U. S. â€Å"Thus strangely are our souls constructed, and by such slight ligaments are we bound to prosperity or ruin† (Shelley 37). All in all, these books have more differences than similarities in my opinion. Although both are really good, one is dark while the other is light compared. The similarities that I saw in the characters, the themes, and the reason they were censored are mostly because of the relationship between good and evil throughout it. Studying these two books and the reason for them being banned has surprisingly changed my life in a minor way, as I learned how people from different cultures and education they grew up with react to different things, and I learned to compare and contrast, not only the books, but real life situations such as the South Africans who banned Frankenstein versus my lifestyle and way-of-thinking. â€Å"Life is neither good or evil, but only a place for good and evil. † – Marcus Aurelius. A Wrinkle in Time is a book about the journey through the war of good versus evil and the ultimate triumph of love. Every character is clearly distinguished with either good or evil: the â€Å"good† characters include Meg, her family, Calvin, the Mrs. W’s, Aunt Beast, and the Happy Medium; the â€Å"evil† characters include IT, The Dark Thing, and the Man with the Red Eyes. Frankenstein, on the other hand, is a story told in a series of letters, as Robert Walton, the captain of a ship bound for the North Pole, recounts to his sister back in England the progress of his dangerous mission. Successful early on, the mission is soon to be disturbed by seas full of impassable ice. Trapped, Walton encounters Victor Frankenstein, who had been travelling by dog-drawn sledge across the ice and is weakened by the cold. Walton take him abroad the ship, helps nurse him back to health, and hears the fantastic tale of the monster the Frankenstein created. This tale that Frankenstein is reciting reveals the two sides that a person, or a living creature can portray: good and evil. Frankenstein was banned in South Africa for being â€Å"obscene† and â€Å"indecent†, while A Wrinkle in Time was banned for having a fantasy-related genre throughout the plot, including witches and demons. Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work. â€Å"Slave, I before reasoned with you, but you have proved yourself unworthy of my condescension. Remember that I have power; you believe yourself miserable, but I can make you so wretched that the light of day will be hateful to you. You are my creator, but I am your master; — obey! † (Shelley 149). In Frankenstein, the monster represents evil, as it comes to life, and terrorizes its creator. Dangerous knowledge is an ideal theme in Frankenstein. The pursuit of knowledge is right in the middle of Frankenstein, as Victor attempts to go beyond accepted human limits and find out the secret of life. Likewise, Robert Walton attempts to pass the past human explorations by being determined to reach the North Pole. In A Wrinkle In Time, comfort and individuality is a major theme that I saw throughout the plot. The main character, Meg, is caught between the desire for conformity and the expression of her own creative nature. At the beginning of the novel Meg feels embittered towards other students at her school that make fun of her and tease her for being different, as well as those who see her little brother as being weird or odd. She desperately wants to be more like her twin brothers who have little problem fitting in. The theme that the two stories share, and that I have mentioned before, is the theme titled good and evil: â€Å"Suddenly there was a great burst of light through the Darkness. The light spread out and where it touched the Darkness the Darkness disappeared. The light spread until the patch of Dark Thing had vanished, and there was only a gentle shining, and through the shining came the stars, clear and pure. Then, slowly, the shining dwindled until it, too, was gone, and there was nothing but stars and starlight. No shadows. No fear. Only the stars and the clear darkness of space, quite different from the fearful darkness of the Thing† (L’Engle 102). It’s interesting that the defeat of the Black Thing doesn’t lead to the universe being lit up like a baseball stadium, but rather to an absence of unnatural darkness. It’s almost like the battle isn’t so much between evil and good as between evil and the normal. Characters are â€Å"Plot is no more than footprints left in the snow after your characters have run by on their way to incredible destinations† – Ray Bradbury. In Frankenstein, the main character or the creator of the monster. Victor becomes obsessed with the idea of creating an artificial human form and eventually attempts to make it. Immediately after creating the monster, he falls into a depression and starts to fear. He leaves the school and returns home to his family, where he finds only tragedy. Not fully aware of the consequences of his creating a new human, he ends up really spending his entire life trying to destroy the same creation he was working to make for so long. In a Wrinkle In Time however, the protagonist is portrayed a bit differently: Meg Murry, The book’s hero, an awkward, but loving high school student who is sent on an adventure through time and space with her brother Charles Wallace and friend Calvin to rescue her father from the evil force that is attempting to take over the universe. Meg’s greatest faults are her anger, impatience, and lack of self-confidence, but she changes and overcomes them, and in the end is victorious, as the story ends with a stereotypical kid’s-story ending. A happy ending for the protagonist. The main differences that I saw between the two are the two protagonists: Meg Murry (A Wrinkle In Time), and Victor Frankenstein (Frankenstein), are to begin with, set in different times. A Wrinkle In Time could be set anywhere in the recent past. Frankenstein however, is set in the late 18th century. The whole concept of Frankenstein is much darker, and in fact I would say it could be classified as gothic science fiction, as the characters are much darker, and seem more serious and cold-hearted by the way Shelley describes them compared to the other book. A Wrinkle In Time is much lighter, as the characters, their actions, and abilities are all easier, and always give the advantage to the â€Å"good guys†. Also the whole concept of the book, and the idea of it, is more for a child’s imagination to handle and comprehend compared to Frankenstein, and I would classify it as plain science and fantasy fiction. Although these differences shape the stories in totally different directions, there are some similarities: The similarities between the characters and their traits are that they both have solid downsides to them. As I mentioned before, Meg’s (A Wrinkle In Time) faults are her temper, impatience, and lack of confidence in herself, and Victor’s (Frankenstein) faults are that he is in a depression and great fear throughout the plot after the Monster is created and is woken. Another trait I can compare between the two protagonists, are their determination to reach their final goal. Although I cannot see it in either book, but both books were officially banned in one place or another for ridiculous reasons. Frankenstein was banned in South Africa for being â€Å"obscene† and â€Å"indecent† in 1955. Maybe 57 years ago there were different rules and traits a person had to portray to be defined as â€Å"good†, but to make this specific book banned for being â€Å"obscene† (which means that it is offensive or the opposite of accepted manner). A Wrinkle In Time is banned for having witches, crystal balls and demons. Also, because Jesus is listed among the names of great artists, philosophers and teachers, and it is banned in the U. S. â€Å"Thus strangely are our souls constructed, and by such slight ligaments are we bound to prosperity or ruin† (Shelley 37). All in all, these books have more differences than similarities in my opinion. Although both are really good, one is dark while the other is light compared. The similarities that I saw in the characters, the themes, and the reason they were censored are mostly because of the relationship between good and evil throughout it. Studying these two books and the reason for them being banned has surprisingly changed my life in a minor way, as I learned how people from different cultures and education they grew up with react to different things, and I learned to compare and contrast, not only the books, but real life situations such as the South Africans who banned Frankenstein versus my lifestyle and way-of-thinking.