Gangs Of New York: The Irish Immigrants

Gangs Of New York: The Irish Immigrants Gangs of New York, directed by Martin Scorsese, depicts how waves of Irish immigrants that came to the United States were treated upon arrival. English and Dutch natives in New Yorks city of Five Points clearly showed that they were not in favor of the newcomers. Bill the Butcher took the case into extremes when he leads a gang of locals into a war with the Irish. Bill kills Priest Vallon, the leader of the Irish, and his son Amsterdam runs away. Years later, Amsterdam reappears and seeks revenge for his father. Gangs of New York a historical film which follows the adventures of a young Irish American man, is a tool that somewhat illustrates history during the time of immigration; important elements discussed in the text of Foners Give Me Liberty were not incorporated into the film. Gangs of New York starts in the year 1846, in which Amsterdams father, a Catholic Irish immigrant, sets out to battle the Protestants already in New York. Irish participation in the war occurred because they did not want Protestant teachings, which they were not in favor of, to be approved by government. After the gruesome scene where Amsterdams father is slain, the film is told from Amsterdams point of view. He describes what happens in the city of Five Points and how the citizens act. In Five Points, Amsterdam says that immigrants are not welcomed nor are they hired by any job. Irish immigrants came to the United States, particularly the in the north, because job opportunities were most abundant and the new arrivals would not have to compete with slave labor (Foner 319) Locals of Five Points did not accept any immigrant newcomers because they were following orders from Bill the Butcher, who seems as if he has total control of the city. Bill is working under William Boss Tweed, head of Tammany Hall. His way of fighting for control of the city is through boxing matches and lighting buildings on fire. Amsterdams point of view shapes the historical narrative in the film by describing what happened during the time period of the 1860s as well as telling the story of his life with his allies, who were also immigrants, and what he had gone through in order to take survive this period. One of Amsterdams allies later on in the film was the pickpocket Jenny Everdeane, a local of Five Points. He quickly falls for her, which had made an impact on the historical part of the film. When Martin Scorsese directed Gangs of New York, he altered history. She was a colleague of Bill the Butcher. In a scene where the two were alone, Amsterdam eventually finds out that she was working with Bill when he asks her where she got one of the several necklaces that were in her possession. His feelings for her dropped upon hearing the news. Martin Scorsese inserted a scene where there is love because he did not want the film to focus just on the historical account of the time period, but wanted to make the film appeal to the intended audience. During the time when Irish immigrants were fighting for their freedom, there probably were not any love affairs going on. Irish immigrants decided to come to the United States was because most of them were trying to escape the disaster that had str uck Ireland, which was the Great Famine during the years 1845-1851. In the actual time period, there were no serious love affections going on after immigration. Due to the films language and sensuality with Amsterdam and Everdeane, the intended audience of the film are high school students and above. The intended audience shapes the storyline and the historical account of the film because they are mature enough to handle some of the grotesque scenes and may be able to understand the storyline. By the time students take a U.S. History course in high school, they will probably cover the time period that Gangs of New York was set in. The high school U.S. History course consists of the beginnings of America up to the present day. In college, however, U.S. History is split into two- early and modern history. The college U.S. History does consist of the time period of the 1860s. After a thorough study of the course, students who watch Gangs of New York will be familiar with the topic of immigrants coming to the United States, although the high school course does not describe in detail the true intentions of the Europeans migration to the most powe rful country in the world. Although the producers of Gangs of New York may have taken a U.S. History course in high school or college, the connection they made with history was somewhat accurate, but skipped two major events that happened in the United States. In chapter 9 of Foners Give Me Liberty, the rise of immigration is discussed. According to Foner, immigrants from Ireland and Germany headed for northern states. Gangs of New York portrayed the Irish immigrants moving to New York accurately. However, the film did not what the Irish were going through after they came to the United States. Scorsese focused more on gang fights in the city rather than concentrating on the issue of the Irish. In the Foner text, the Irish were working low-wage jobs that native Americans avoided by all means. Irish were laborers when they moved to the United States. Labor was done not just by the Irish, but by blacks as well. Gangs of New York had scenes where some blacks were included, but they were not shown as slaves. They were shown briefly in the film being executed by Bill the Butcher, who hated everyone that was against his vision of having a Protestant America. The film was also correct for the racism that the Irish and the blacks went through. Chapter 11 of Foner describes racism, which was that that the white race, meaning the individuals that were born and raised in America, was superior to any other race. The film shows Bill the Butcher as a candidate for racism; he only wanted Protestantism to rule America as well as the thought that natives of the country were the most inferior compared to other cultures that existed in the United States. Racism, Irish immigration, and battles between Catholic and Protestants were important parts of history that affects the present day, however, Gangs of New York would not be recommended as a teaching tool for learning about the Irish-American historical experience during the mid-19th century United States. Although the film is entertaining, it omits certain events in history that students will eventually learn, such as the Civil War and how it affects the North and South. Slavery in New York was not included in the film, even though it had a few scenes that showed how blacks were mistreated. The films focus is mainly on an individual who wants revenge for the killing of his father. Amsterdams father himself was an immigrant to the United States and was eventually killed for his belief in Catholicism. Amsterdam was an American born Irish citizen who did not want to convert to Protestantism. Scenes which show Amsterdam and Everdeane having affection only serve as a distraction to the p erson who wants to learn about Irish immigration to the United States. The idea of Irish immigration is far more important than affection, as well as the labor that they had gone through in order to live among local Americans. Gangs of New York would be recommended for its entertainment, but not as a teaching tool.

Injustice in Tess of the DUrbervilles by Thomas Hardy Essay -- essays

"Life is not fair" is one of the most commonly used idioms in the world today. As recurrent as it is now, it has also been a quite common theme for contemplation throughout history. This unfairness is always blamed on someone or something, but often this blame is misplaced, which is unfair in itself. In Tess of the D'Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy depicts the injustice of life and the effects of mislaid blame through his use of imagery and diction. Hardy uses imagery throughout the novel in order to explicitly define the ways in which life is unjust. This injustice is first displayed at Prince?s death, then again at his burial. Hardy chooses specific words to enable the reader to see exactly what is happing. He describes the mail-cart to be ?speeding along?like an arrow.? He explains that the mail-cart had ?driven into her slow and unlighted equipage,? and now the horse?s ?life?s blood was spouting in a stream and falling with a hiss into the road.? (Hardy 22). The descriptive words, such as ?speeding,? ?arrow,? ?driven,? ?unlighted,? ?spouting,? and ?hiss? allow the reader?s senses to capture the enormity of the situation. This quote also helps the reader to envision the misery of the situation. Tess is only attempting to help her family by bringing the hives to market to draw some income them. Her desire to help her family backfires with Prince?s accidental death, as he was their only form of income. The desperation induced by Prince?s death is shown when Hardy explains that Mr. Durbeyfield worked harder than ever before in digging a grave for Prince. Hardy states that the young girls ?discharged their griefs in loud blares,? and that when Prince was ?tumbled in? the family gathered around the grave (Hardy 24). Hard... ...cept her. ?Unadvisable? gives the impression that Angel does not really care one way or another. All of this is unfair to Tess, as Alec?s decision to rape her was not her fault in any way. Also, Angel?s sexual history is more promiscuous than Tess?s, and yet he sees only her flaws. Hardy uses specific word choices and diction to thoroughly inform the reader of the injustice of Tess?s circumstances. In Thomas Hardy?s novel Tess of the d?Urbervilles, Hardy accurately exemplifies the injustice of life, along with the effects of misplaced blame through his use of diction and imagery. It is a well-known that life is not fair. It is also quite common that blame for this unfairness is pinned on the wrong subjects, an act which is unfair as well. Whether one is blaming himself, another or a superior power for said injustices, blame is not always given where it is due. Injustice in Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy Essay -- essays "Life is not fair" is one of the most commonly used idioms in the world today. As recurrent as it is now, it has also been a quite common theme for contemplation throughout history. This unfairness is always blamed on someone or something, but often this blame is misplaced, which is unfair in itself. In Tess of the D'Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy depicts the injustice of life and the effects of mislaid blame through his use of imagery and diction. Hardy uses imagery throughout the novel in order to explicitly define the ways in which life is unjust. This injustice is first displayed at Prince?s death, then again at his burial. Hardy chooses specific words to enable the reader to see exactly what is happing. He describes the mail-cart to be ?speeding along?like an arrow.? He explains that the mail-cart had ?driven into her slow and unlighted equipage,? and now the horse?s ?life?s blood was spouting in a stream and falling with a hiss into the road.? (Hardy 22). The descriptive words, such as ?speeding,? ?arrow,? ?driven,? ?unlighted,? ?spouting,? and ?hiss? allow the reader?s senses to capture the enormity of the situation. This quote also helps the reader to envision the misery of the situation. Tess is only attempting to help her family by bringing the hives to market to draw some income them. Her desire to help her family backfires with Prince?s accidental death, as he was their only form of income. The desperation induced by Prince?s death is shown when Hardy explains that Mr. Durbeyfield worked harder than ever before in digging a grave for Prince. Hardy states that the young girls ?discharged their griefs in loud blares,? and that when Prince was ?tumbled in? the family gathered around the grave (Hardy 24). Hard... ...cept her. ?Unadvisable? gives the impression that Angel does not really care one way or another. All of this is unfair to Tess, as Alec?s decision to rape her was not her fault in any way. Also, Angel?s sexual history is more promiscuous than Tess?s, and yet he sees only her flaws. Hardy uses specific word choices and diction to thoroughly inform the reader of the injustice of Tess?s circumstances. In Thomas Hardy?s novel Tess of the d?Urbervilles, Hardy accurately exemplifies the injustice of life, along with the effects of misplaced blame through his use of diction and imagery. It is a well-known that life is not fair. It is also quite common that blame for this unfairness is pinned on the wrong subjects, an act which is unfair as well. Whether one is blaming himself, another or a superior power for said injustices, blame is not always given where it is due.

The Role of Forensic Accountants in Corporate Governance

FORENSIC ACCOUNTING & FRAUD INVESTIGATION ASSESSMENT TASKS 1 THE ROLE OF FORENSIC ACCOUNTANTS IN CORPORATE GOVERNANCE Corporate governance is defined as the formal mechanism of direction, supervision and control put in place within a company in order to monitor the decisions and actions of its senior managers and ensure these are compatible and consistent with the specific interest of shareholders and the various other interests of shareholders who contribute to the operations of the company.Forensic Accountants are experienced  investigators  of  legal  and  financial documents  that are hired to look into possible suspicions of  fraudulent  activity within a company; or are hired by a company who may just want to prevent fraudulent activities from occurring. They also provide services in areas such as accounting,  antitrust, damages, analysis, valuation, and general consulting. Forensic accountants have also been used in  divorces,  bankruptcy, insurance claim s,  personal injury  claims, fraudulent claims, construction,  royalty  audits, and tracking terrorism by investigating financial records.Forensic Accountant should have the following skills and knowledge to serve as an effective Forensic Accountant. 1. Ability to identify frauds with minimal initial information The Forensic Accountant needs to be able to identify the possible scheme, the possible manner it was perpetrated and potentially effective procedures to prove or disprove the potential fraud. 2. Interviewing The Forensic Accountant get involved in interviewing in the course of seeking evidence and information. Forensic Accountant must be a way that the process ensures the evidence is admissible in a court of law. . Mind – set A successful Forensic Accountant has a certain mind-set that includes several abilities. He or she is able to think like a crook. 4. Knowledge of evidence It is imperative that Forensic Accountant understand the rule of evidence in court and how to conduct the investigation from the beginning as if all evidence will make it to a court of law. 5. Presentation of findings The Forensic Accountant must have the ability to clearly communicate the findings resulting from the investigation in way understandable to the layperson.Forensic accountants think creatively to consider and understand the tactics that a fraud perpetrator may use to commit and conceal fraudulent acts. Additionally, they need to clearly and concisely communicate findings to various parties, including those with less knowledge of accounting and auditing. Forensic accountants that are not part of the organization or company. They are hired in order to investigate the internal and  external performance  of the company, connected with the  accounting process. They provide independent opinion. Role of Forensic accountantsForensic accountant can play their vital role to improve corporate governance in a company. Forensic Accountants assists in address ing   allegations ranging from kickbacks and wrongful dismissals to internal situations involving allegations of management or employee wrongdoing. * With a strong background knowledge of the legal and institutional requirements of corporate governance, a forensic accountant can help to formulate and establish a comprehensive governance policy that: * ensures an appropriate mix of management and independent directors on the board. sets out the appropriate responsibilities of the board and the audit committees. * has a fair allocation of power between owners, management, and the board. * ensures there is a company â€Å"code of ethics† for employees and management * A Forensic Accountant helps the accounting professionals to have a efficient control system and a accounting system that ensures the proper recording, classification and reporting of all relevant transactions. * Forensic accountant can monitor not only compliance at the top levels of the corporate power, but also management procedures and employee activity.Information gathered as a result of the monitoring can be used to readjust and reformulate governance, ethics, and control policies. * Forensic accountants can ensure that corporate governance policies are formulated to avoid high-risk environments where management is apathetic, pay is inadequate or too high, there is a serious lack of proper training and compliance, or there are unreasonable profit and budget goals. It is also necessary to have well-defined hiring policies that result in honest, well-qualified employees. A forensic accountant can ensure the integrity of financial statements by actively investigating for fraud, identifying areas of risk and associated fraud symptoms, pursuing each anomaly aggressively, and delving into the finest details of accounting and financial anomalies * Forensic Accountants can help in creating policies that clearly state the company’s intent to take strict action against any criminal activi ties, and that such action will apply to all levels of employee, without any exception. At times, a Forensic Accountant can meet with those persons affected by the allegations, rumors, or inquiries. They may view the accountant as an independent and objective party and thus be more willing to engage in discussions. Forensic Accountants can be hired in order to review and strengthen  internal controls, in order to determine if any assets are missing, or to discover if tax laws or accounting rules have been applied correctly to company transactions.They are hired in order to determine if embezzlement has occurred or, if so, how much is missing and how it was done. Conclusion Forensic accountants are currently in great demand, with the public need for honesty, fairness and transparency in reporting increasing exponentially. These forensic accountants need accounting, finance, law, investigative and research skills to identify, interpret, communicate and prevent fraud.As more and more companies look for forensic accountants and professional organizations offer certifications in the area, it is becoming evident that the forensic accountant has a skill set that is very different from an auditor or a financial accountant. The role of the forensic accountant has expanded significantly during the last several years for many reasons, including the requirement for greater scrutiny on corporate governance brought about by the Sarbanes-Oxley legislation and the widespread recognition of the risks and prevalence of financial fraud in today’s business environment.As a result, forensic Accountants are usually retained to support special investigations related to a broad range of subjects. This can include the financial impact of marketplace events, such as intellectual property infringement and anti-trust actions, financial reporting fraud, asset impairment and business valuation. REFERENCE Crumbley, D. Larry (2009). Journal of Forensic Accounting, www. rtedwards. co m. journals/JFA/evidentiary. html, January 9.Golden, T, Skalak, S & Clayton, M 2006, A Guide to Forensic Accounting Investigation, John Wiley and Sons Latshaw, C. A. , â€Å"Fraudulent Financial Reporting: The Government and Accounting Profession React,† Review of Business, Spring 2005, pp. 13-15. Silverstone, H. and Sheetz, M. , â€Å"Forensic Accounting and Fraud Investigation for Non-Experts,† Wiley & Sons, Inc. , 2008. Turnbull, N. (2005) Internal Control – Revised Guidance for Directors on the Combined Code. FRC, London.

Sentence Variety in Alice Walkers Am I Blue

Alice Walkers essay Am I Blue? is a powerful meditation on the effects of slavery and the nature of freedom. In these opening paragraphs, Walker introduces the central emblem of the essay, a horse named Blue. Notice how Walker relies on a variety of sentence structures (including participial phrases, adjective clauses, appositives, and adverb clauses) to hold our attention as she develops her affectionate description. From Am I Blue?* by Alice Walker 1 It was a house of many windows, low, wide, nearly floor to ceiling in the living room, which faced the meadow, and it was from one of these that I first saw our closest neighbor, a large white horse, cropping grass, flipping its mane, and ambling about--not over the entire meadow, which stretched well out of sight of the house, but over the five or so fenced-in acres that were next to the twenty-odd that we had rented. I soon learned that the horse, whose name was Blue, belonged to a man who lived in another town, but was boarded by our neighbors next door. Occasionally, one of the children, usually a stocky teen-ager, but sometimes a much younger girl or boy, could be seen riding Blue. They would appear in the meadow, climb up on his back, ride furiously for ten or fifteen minutes, then get off, slap Blue on the flanks, and not be seen again for a month or more. 2 There were many apple trees in our yard, and one by the fence that Blue could almost reach. We were soon in the habit of feeding him apples, which he relished, especially because by the middle of summer the meadow grasses--so green and succulent since January--had dried out from lack of rain, and Blue stumbled about munching the dried stalks half-heartedly. Sometimes he would stand very still just by the apple tree, and when one of us came out he would whinny, snort loudly, or stamp the ground. This meant, of course: I want an apple. *The essay Am I Blue? appears in Living by the Word, by Alice Walker (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1988). Selected Works by Alice Walker Meridian, novel (1976)The Color Purple, novel (1982)In Search of Our Mothers Gardens, nonfiction (1983)Living by the Word, essays (1988)Possessing the Secret of Joy, novel (1992)The Complete Stories (1994)Collected Poems (2005)