Compare And Contrast Beowulf And King Arthur - 901 Words

Since the beginning of time, on every corner of the earth, there have been heroes who possess traits that make them important gifts to the world. The specific qualities that heroes possess influence their own lives and those of the people around them, specifically like the heroes in the epic â€Å"Beowulf† and the novel The Once and Future King. Each trait that Arthur and Beowulf possessed impacted major events in their lives, such as defeating Grendel in â€Å"Beowulf† or removing Excalibur from the stone in The Once and Future King. In both literary pieces, Arthur and Beowulf embark on quests in order to save their people. For both heroes, the effects of their actions differed, as well as many key happenings throughout their journeys. Both†¦show more content†¦The way in which these heroes fought their battles reveals their strengths and weaknesses. Beginning in Beowulf’s first quest, his bold personality allows him to undertake his task head on and wi th bravery. When Beowulf fights Grendel, he is daring and noble enough to fight the monster without any weapons. If Beowulf had a weak personality he would not have been courageous enough to fight Grendel without weapons although he does mention that it is the honorable thing to do. During Beowulf’s final quest he willingly fights the dragon for his people although he knows he will die doing so. â€Å"...---a king, before, but now / A beaten warrior.† Beowulf’s strong personality allowed him to be noble whereas Arthur’s frail personality did not allow him to stand up for what he knew was right. Arthur’s wife Guenever was involved in an affair with his best friend Lancelot. Knowing that this was occurring, Arthur failed to address the issue, slowly causing him to become a sad old king. Arthur was also much weaker than Beowulf because Arthur failed to overcome the temptation of Queen Morgause, thus committing incest. Not only does the strength of ea ch character affect their quests, it also affects the use of symbolism through the sword in each tale. The importance of the sword in both stories plays a major role in the development of the character traits of each hero. In the epic â€Å"Beowulf†, there are two important swords, Hrunting given to Beowulf by Unferth, a coward, and theShow MoreRelated Compare and contrast images of heroism in these two poems. Essay1421 Words   |  6 PagesCompare and contrast images of heroism in these two poems. Heroism is a trait that we seem to have no problem identifying, yet when asked to define what a hero is a myriad of answers emerge. This phenomenon is not unique to today’s society; the definition of a hero is something that is constantly under revision and debate. An example of this can be seen in two older pieces of English literature: Beowulf, written circa 750-900, and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, written circa 1375-1400Read MoreEssay on Ideal Women vs Real Women in Beowulf and The Wife of Bath1486 Words   |  6 Pageschallenges a man belief; and does not symbolize perfect women. In the epic poem Beowulf majority of the characters are males; with the exception of a few females in the poem. When going back to the information of the women in Beowulf; there are some concepts that define women. One is being that women have assertive and firm role. The mother of Grendel is a female character that becomes a threat to the Danes, as well as Beowulf. Then it became clear, Obvious to everyone once the fight was over, ThatRead MoreThe Sonnet Form: William Shakespeare6305 Words   |  26 PagesShakespeare’s Sonnets William Shakespeare The Sonnet Form A sonnet is a fourteen-line lyric poem, traditionally written in iambic pentameter—that is, in lines ten syllables long, with accents falling on every second syllable, as in: â€Å"Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?† The sonnet form first became popular during the Italian Renaissance, when the poet Petrarch published a sequence of love sonnets addressed to an idealized woman named Laura. Taking firm hold among Italian poets, the sonnet

Economic Questions Free Essays

Because of scarcity, every nation is faced with â€Å"The 3 K eye Economic Questions: Who – consumes the goods services produced in society? â€Å"For whom? ‘ is a public choice question. All economic systems must determine e which goods and services will be available for public use and which for private use. What -?goods services should be produced? â€Å"What to produce? ‘ is an allocation question. We will write a custom essay sample on Economic Questions or any similar topic only for you Order Now All economic systems must date ermine how to allocate productive resources in the form of land (natural resources/ raw materials), labor (work for which we earn pay) and capital (human education job training) (physical buildings, equipment tools). How – should goods services be produced? â€Å"How to produce? † is an efficiency question. All economic systems must deter mine how goods and services will be produced. How do different economic systems respond to the 3 Key Economic questions ? First of all, we need to define exactly what an â€Å"Economic System† is: The institutional framework of formal and informal rules that a society uses t o determine what to produce, how to produce and how to distribute goods and services. Another, more popular term for economic system is economy. An economy, o r economic system, is he structural framework in which households, businesses, and governments undertake the production and consumption decisions that allocate limited resources to satisfy unlimited wants and needs. An economic system is primarily characterized by its key institutions, especial y those relating to the ownership and control Of resources and the means Of production. Two realtor economic systems that differ based on key institutions are capitalism and communism. Capitalism is an economic system in which ownership and control is largely in private hands (b genuineness and households), as opposed to public hands (government). One of the key institute actions underlying capitalism is private property rights. Communism, in contrast, is an economic system in which ownership and control predominately rests with government. Socialism is a the rid noted economic system that borrows institutions from both capitalism and communism. Economic systems can be categorized according to who makes most Of the De concisions in an economy. Most economies can generally categorized as one of two kinds: ; Market Economy An economy that relies on a system of interdependent market prices to local tee goods, services, and productive resources and to coordinate the diverse plans of con mummers and producers, all of them pursuing their own selflessness. ; Command Economy An economy in which most economic Issues of production and distribution AR e resolved through central planning and control. So, how do different economic systems respond to the three basic economic questions? In a socialist or command system, the central authority determines what, how, an d for whom goods and services will be produced. A Mixed System incorporates elements of both corn and and market systems in determining answers to the three questions. Mixed economies wit h Strong market monuments also include a public goods and services sector, just as command economies like Cuba include a private goods and services sector. In a market economy, most of the decisions in the economy about what to pr educe, how to produce it and who receives it are made by individuals and firms. At the other end of the spectrum: In a command economy, government officials make most of the decisions in t he economy about what to produce, how to produce it and who receives it. Most economic systems also contain elements of tradition or repeating decide ions in ways made at an earlier time or by an earlier generation. Today, nearly all economies are actually mixed, in that some economic decisions are made by individuals and private firms, but some e are also made by government officials, either through rules and regulations or through govern mentored firms. The U. S. Economy leans toward the marionettes side of the spectrum. An economy like Cuba or North Korea is near the command economy side of the spectrum. Buy t the dividing line between market and command economies in most nations is blurry rather the an bright. Market Economies (â€Å"Capitalism Capitalism is undoubtedly at the top of any list of economic systems operating in the modern world. This system is based on: (1) private appropriative ownership of resource recess and the means of production, (2) individual illiberality freedom on the part of the resource o Wieners to use their resources as they see fit, and (3) competitive markets system of relatively co imitative markets. Ender capitalism, governments establish the basic rules of the game and are responsible for the production of public goods, but the vast majority of resource allocation De concisions are undertaken by individuals, as either consumers or producers. The United States is one of the more noted examples of capitalism. However, most modern industrialized economies of Europe, A sia, North America, and South America operate under capitalism. Command Economies (â€Å"Socialism†) In theory, socialism is the transition between capitalism and communism and is based on: (1) government ownership of resources and the means of production, (2) worker control of government, and (3) income distributed according to needs. As practiced in the real world, socialism is an economic system based on (1) nationalized intergovernmental ownership and control 01 of key industries and (2) central polycrystalline detailed, but not comprehensive, resound:e local ion decision making by the central government. Ender real world socialism, governments exert extensive control over resource e allocation decisions, primarily involving key industries such as transportation, energy pr deduction, communication, and health care. While Sweden exemplifies modern socialism, several Europe an nations have practiced varying forms of socialism over the decades. Command Economies (â€Å"Communism†) In theory, communism is an economic system based on : (1) a classless society , (2) common ownership of resources, (3) no government, and (4) income distributed accord ins to needs. How to cite Economic Questions, Papers Economic Questions Free Essays string(55) " as well as the Chinese people and the Chinese nation\." QUESTION 1 What are the THREE (3) basic economic questions that all economies must answer? Describe the differences in the way capitalism and socialism answer these questions. Scarcity, Choices, Opportunity Costs We live in a finite world. No matter how seemingly bountiful the quantity of our natural resources may be or how carefully human try to conserve them, if we keep using them, they eventually are going to run out. We will write a custom essay sample on Economic Questions or any similar topic only for you Order Now Our tastes for goods and services are virtually limitless and this creates scarcity. Like the Rolling Stones song says, â€Å"You can’t always get what you want. Because we can’t have it all, we’re forced to make choices. When we making a particular decision, we forsake opportunity to choose the alternative option. Briefly, opportunity cost analysis is an important part of decision making process. All economies must decide WHAT to produce, How to produce and FOR WHOM to produce with its limited resources. These are the three basic economic questions that every society must consider when making choices. 1) What goods and services will be produced? – 2) How will they be produced? 3) For whom will they be produced? Economic system refers to the way in which the society solves the basic economic problems of scarcity of resources. Different economic systems have addressed the three basic questions in radically different ways. [Samuelson 2005, pg. 7] Capitalism In a capitalist system, economic questions are answered by buyers and sellers at mutually agreeable terms. Capitalism refers to an economic system based on a free market, open competition and profit motive in which property is owned by either private individuals or corporation. Capitalism encourages private investment and business, compared to a government-controlled economy. In a capitalist economic system most productive assets are held by private owners, and most decisions regarding production and consumption is made by the use of ‘price mechanism’ in the market rather than government fix. Most prices are determined by the interchange of numberless and typically anonymous buyers (demand) and sellers (supply) within a competitive markets. The law of supply and demand is what drives the free market economy. Supply and demand is what sets the prices of goods and services in the free market economy. As supply goes up the prices go down. When the demand goes up the prices go up. Due to low government control, people are free to spend their money the way they want to. Capitalism thus suggests a system of economic regulation that involves minimal government involvement. The authorities do not have a say in the economic decisions of individuals. Some examples of countries close to capitalism are The United States of America, Germany, and England. Under fully developed capitalism, like in the USA, it is the class of capitalists that exploits the class of workers. [FLVS, 2000-2006](Online) Socialism On the other end of the spectrum is a socialist system. The answers to the basic economic questions are made by a central authority, usually the government. Socialism is an economic system whereby the means of production are seized and monopolized by the government without compensation to the builders of the capital, and where investments, production, distribution, income, prices, and economic justice are subject to administer substantially by the government. Socialism seeks to prioritize human welfare over other goals, such as profit and wealth. In socialism, there is very little private property and the government is directed for all major economic decisions including prices. A central authority draws up plans that establish what will be produced and when, sets targets and objectives, and makes rules for allocation of resources accordingly to achieve the targets. Individuals are not allowed to take risks so there are no rewards to benefit from. China, Vietnam, North Korea and Cuba are example of socialist countries. Ranjeeta Prasad, May 2000](Online) QUESTION 2 For many years American referred to the peoples’ Republic of China as â€Å"Communist China. † Why would that label be misleading today? Communist China The Communist Party of China is the ruling political party of the People’s Republic of China. The Communist Party of China was founded in 1921 and the party was small at first, but grew intermittently through 1920s. It became formally allied with the Kuomingtang (KMT) in 1923. In 1927 the Communist Party of China split from the Kuomingtang party. The only major section of the party which survived was the section built around Mao Zedong. The Peoples’ Republic of China was regarded as Communist China. Since it was established in 1949, it has been led by the Communist Party of China. Chairman Mao is the founder of the People’s Republic of China in 1949 and one of the founders of the Chinese Communist party in 1921. He is known as one of the most prominent Communist theoreticians. The Communist Party of China takes Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of Three Represents as its guide to action. From 1921 to 1949, the Communist Party of China led the Chinese people in their tough armed struggle and finally succeeded in overthrowing the rule of imperialism, feudalism and bureaucrat-capitalism and establishing the People’s Republic of China (PRC). After the founding of the PRC, the CPC led the Chinese people of all ethnic groups in defending the independence and security of the country, successfully completing the transition from new democratic revolution to socialist revolution, carrying out systematic large-scale socialist construction, and achieving economic and cultural progress unparalleled in Chinese history. From 1979, the CPC began to carry out the reform and opening-up policy initiated by Deng Xiaoping. In more than two decades since the initiation of the reform and opening-up, China’s economic and social development has been crowned with remarkable success and the country has taken on a new look. This has been the best period since the founding of the PRC in which the Chinese people have reaped the most material benefits. The Communist Party of China is the forefront of the Chinese working class as well as the Chinese people and the Chinese nation. You read "Economic Questions" in category "Essay examples" It is the core of leadership for the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The Party represents the development trend of China’s advanced productive forces, the orientation of China’s advanced culture and the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the Chinese people (the Three Represents). The Chinese Economic Reform From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [Online], the Chinese Economic Reform refers to the program of economic reforms called â€Å"Socialism with Chinese characteristics† in the People’s Republic of China that were started in 1978 within the Communist Party of China led by Deng Xiaoping and are ongoing as of the early 21st century. The goal of Chinese economic reform was to create sufficient surplus value to finance the modernization of the mainland Chinese economy. The initial challenge of economic reform was to solve the problems of motivating workers and farmers to produce a larger surplus and to remove economic imbalances that were common in command economies. Economic reforms started in the late 1970s and early 1980s consisted of opening trade with the outside world, instituting the household responsibility system in agriculture, by which farmers could sell their surplus crops on the open market. The economic reforms of the late 1980s and early 1990s focused on creating a pricing system and decreasing the role of the government in resource allocations. The reforms of the late 1990s focused on closing unbeneficial enterprises and dealing with insolvency in the banking system. Chinese economic reform has been an economic success, generating over two decades of rapid economic growth. The standard of living of most Chinese has improved markedly since 1978. Throughout China one can observe the fast modernization of infrastructure, such as new superhighways, airports, and telecommunications conveniences. The first parts of Chinese economic reform involved implementing the household responsibility system in agriculture by which farmers were able to maintain surplus over individual plots of land rather than farming for the collective. This was followed by the establishment of Township and Village Enterprises (TVE’s), which were industries owned by townships and villages. The second phase of reform occurred in the 1980s and was aimed at creating market institutions and converting the economy from a government-controlled economy to market economy. This difficult task of price reform was achieved using the dual-track pricing system, in which some goods and services were allocated at state controlled prices, while others were allocated at market prices. At the end of 1988, in reaction to a surge of inflation caused by accelerated price reforms, the leadership introduced an austerity program. China’s economy regained momentum in the early 1990s. During a visit to southern China in early 1992, China’s paramount leader at the time, Deng Xiaoping, made a sequence of political pronouncements designed to refresh the process of economic reform. The 14th Party Congress later in the year backed Deng’s renewed push for market reforms, stating that China’s key task in the 1990s was to create a â€Å"socialist market economy. † The 10-year development plan for the 1990s stressed continuity in the political system with bolder reform of the economic system. . QUESTION 3 How far has China evolved into a market economy? To what degree has this evolution contributed to China’s economic growth? Effect of the Economic Reform Gross Domestic Product (GDP) GDP stands for Gross Domestic Product and is defined as the total market value of all the goods and services produced within the borders of a nation during a specified period. Since economic reforms, China’s economy has grown substantially faster than the pre-reform period (see Table 1). Chinese statistics show real GDP from 1979 to 2004 growing at an average annual rate of 9. 3%, making China one of the world’s fastest growing economics. Real GDP grew by 9. 5% in the first quarter of 2005. Time Period Average Annual % Growth 1960-1978 (pre-reform) 5. 1979-2004 (post-reform) 9. 3 1990 3. 8 1991 9. 3 1992 14. 2 1993 13. 5 1994 12. 7 1995 10. 5 1996 9. 7 19978. 8 1998 7. 8 1999 7. 1 2000 8. 0 2001 7. 3 2002 8. 0 2003 9. 1 2004 9. 1 2005 (first quarter) 9. 5 Table 1. China’s Average Annual Real GDP Growth Rates, 1960-2005* Economic Growth After 1949, the single most important policy objective of the Communist Party led by Mao Zedong was to make China politically uni ted, economically strong, and above all to eliminate poverty. Economic development over the period 1949-78 was very impressive. Apart from the three years of great food crisis in 1959-61, people’s living conditions were rarely much better than in the pre-1949 period. However, due to many political struggles, especially the Great Leap Forward Movement (1958-61) and the Cultural Revolution (1966-76), production incentives were covered up and the economy failed to perform to its potential [Lardy, 1983]. Economic growth in China since 1978 has been magnificent. People’s living standards has been improved. Rising incomes, however, have been unevenly shared among the people. In the early years of reforms (1978-84), massive growth in agricultural production and rural incomes was unleashed by the household production responsibility system and a great improvement in agriculture’s terms of trade. The following decade (1985-94), however, witnessed government’s unhelpful attitude towards rural prosperity, when state policies were geared towards supporting the urban economy and subsidizing state-owned enterprises. Fast growth of TVEs enabled the rural population to improve their living standards considerably. However, uneven development of TVEs has contributed to the ever growing inter-regional inequality among the rural population. In those provinces where TVEs have grown fast, rural people enjoy a similar lifestyle to that of their well off urban counterparts. However, in the backward and still largely agrarian areas, the improvement of living standards has been minor. Although official data show that 200 million people have been lifted out of poverty, when measured using the higher poverty line, China still has 170 million people living in poverty Employment Based on the overview of Wayne M. Morrison, 2005, China will enter a new era of building a moderately prosperous society in an all-round way in the first two decades of the 21st century. The Chinese Government is clearly aware that in this period the country will still face severe employment pressure due to various factors, such as the huge population base, age structure of the population, population migration, and the process of social and economic development. In the coming 20 years, China’s population above the age of 16 will grow by 5. million annually on average. By the year 2020 the total population of working age will reach 940 million. In the period of the Tenth Five-Year Plan (2001-2005), the population of working age is growing at the fastest rate, increasing by 13. 6 million annually on average. While the population of working age keeps increasing, there are now 150 million rural surplus laborers who need to be transferred, and over 11 million unemployed and laid-of f persons who need to be employed or reemployed. The contradiction between overall supply of and demand for labor is thus sharp, and the problem of structural unemployment, characterized by a mismatch between the quality of the Chinese labor force and job requirements, is becoming more and more conspicuous. However, in the early years of the 21st century there are many favorable conditions for solving China’s employment problem: The Chinese Government pays close attention to the problem of employment, adheres to the principle of putting people first, keeps to the concept of overall, coordinated, sustainable development and promotes the all-round development of society and man, thus aying an ideological basis for further solving the problem of employment. After many years of exploration and practice, the general policy for solving the employment problem has been settled, with a clear direction and matching measures, and a market-oriented employment mechanism has taken shape, thus providing guarantees in policy and mechanism f or solving the problem of employment. The economy keeps developing in a sustained, rapid, coordinated and healthy way, revenue is growing rapidly, the readjustment of the economic structure is progressing smoothly, enterprises are gaining better economic returns and tertiary industry is developing at a faster rate – all these will certainly contribute to increasing job opportunities. The implementation of the strategies for promoting the coordinated development of different areas, such as developing the western region, revitalizing old industrial bases in the northeast and other regions, promoting the rise of the central area, and encouraging faster development of the eastern area, as well as accelerated urbanization, will bring new opportunities for solving the problem of employment. With the in-depth implementation and improvement of various policies for increasing employment, the policy effects will be further released and the environment for employment and starting businesses will be further improved. Standard of Living Before 1949 the Chinese economy was characterized by widespread poverty, extreme income inequalities, and endemic insecurity of livelihood. By means of centralized economic planning, the People’s Republic was able to redistribute national income so as to provide the entire population with at least the minimal necessities of life and to consistently allocate a relatively high proportion of national income to productive investment. Equally important to the quality of life were the results of mass public-health and sanitation campaigns, which rid the country of most of the conditions that had bred epidemics and lingering disease in the past. The most concrete evidence of improved living standards was that average national life expectancy more than doubled, rising from around thirty-two years in 1949 to sixty-nine years in 1985 . [geographic. org] (Online) In 1987 the standard of living in China was much lower than in the industrialized countries, but nearly all Chinese people had adequate food, lothing, and housing. In addition, there was a positive trend toward rapid improvements in living conditions in the 1980s as a result of the economic reforms, though improvements in the standard of living beyond the basic level came slowly. Until the end of the 1970s, the fruits of economic growth were largely negated by population increases, which prevented significant advances in the per capita availability of food, clo thing, and housing beyond levels achieved in the 1950s. The second major change in the standard of living came about as a result of the rapid expansion of productivity and commerce generated by the reform measures of the 1980s. After thirty years of austerity and marginal sufficiency, Chinese consumers suddenly were able to buy more than enough to eat from a growing variety of food items. Stylish clothing, modern furniture, and a wide array of electrical appliances also became part of the normal expectations of ordinary Chinese families. How to cite Economic Questions, Essay examples

American And Nigerian Culture Essay Example For Students

American And Nigerian Culture Essay American and Nigerian CultureAmerican and Nigerian cultures are alike in some aspects of life, whilebeing dissimilar in other aspects. This idea is clearly exemplified when onecompares their own experience and knowledge of culture in America to thatdescription and portrayal of Nigerian culture as seen through Buchi Emechetasnovel, The Wrestling Match. Both of our societies can be looked at as parallel in how teenagers aretypically stereotyped, rivalry among towns/villages, and the attainment ofmanhood or maturity through experiences or accomplishments. Contrary to the similarity of the cultures, there are also some basicdifferences. One of the main distinctions is that we live in a technologicallyadvanced empire while Emecheta shows us that Nigerians are more typically aprimitive nation. No matter in what culture you find teenagers, they will probably bestereotyped. This is evident in the novel as well as in our own culture. Forexample, the Akpei people (neighbors to the nearby Igbuno village) havefound that someone has fished and trampled in their stream. ( This is a verybad thing because the vegetation and fish are now no longer available) The blameimmediately lands upon the Uma aya Biafra, or teenagers of Igbuno. There is noquestion, it is just assumed that teenagers were involved. (Unfortunately, Uche,a teenager from Igbuno, has committed this heinous crime). Also, when the peopleof Akpei find that someone is stealing from their huts, again without anyevidence, they surmise that teenagers are to blame. Lastly, Okeis ( Okei is ateen who lives in Igbuno and is the novels main character) Uncle Obi Agiliga isconvinced that the teenagers of Igbuno are setting an terrible immoral examplefor the upcoming generation. How many teenagers in our society have not had an immediate finger ofblame pointed at them when something happens or goes wrong? How many of us havenot been told what a terrible example we are setting for our younger siblings?Teenagers seem to be synonymous with rude, obnoxious, and difficult, stubborn,etc. Another similarity of cultures gleaned from Emechetas writing isreaction to rivalry. A very important event to the villages in the novel wasthe wrestling match which pits the Akpei Uma aya Biafra against the Igbuno Umaaya Baifra. There is much preparation of the athletes and many people attend. In addition, at the market, the Akpei people would not purchase produce fromJosephine Kwutelu and other girls also from Igbuno since they are from thecompetitors side. A similar event we have right here in the Pennridge Community is theannual Pennridge -Quakertown Football game. It generates quite a rivalry, muchtime is spent in preparation and many many people attend. Finally, in both Nigerian and American cultures, it is perceived thatmanhood is dependent upon certain achievements. The wrestling match symbolizesthe coming into manhood of the Nigerian teenager. Also, working on the farm withyour father in Nigeria is another step toward manhood. In America, a job, the right to vote, graduation from high school, andeven owning or driving a car seem to be thought of as indications of manhood ormaturity. Though our cultures seem alike in the above ways, they are verydifferent in their technological status. We in America enjoy computers, modems,faxes,video equipment, cellular phones, huge supermarkets, and discount stores,etc. These are not restricted only to city dwellers or the upper class, many ofthese things are commonplace. In Nigeria however, the bulk of the populationlives a much more primitive lifestyle without the advantages,privileges, andbenefits that these modern conveniences provide. ( Of course, they also do nothave the problems generated by these modern wonders).

Oliver Twist Essays (2313 words) - Charles Dickens, John Dickens

Oliver Twist Have you ever thought about how it would be to live in a time of poverty? How would life be if you were poor and did not know from where you would be getting your next meal? What would it be like to be forced to live in a workhouse? These are some of the questions you might ask yourself if you were living in early nineteenth century England. Dickens addresses these issues in his timeless masterpiece Oliver Twist. In the story of Oliver Twist, Dickens uses past experiences from his childhood and targets the Poor Law of 1834 which renewed the importance of the workhouse as a means of relief for the poor. Dickens' age was a period of industrial development marked by the rise of the middle class (Wagenknecht 219). In the elections brought about by the accession of William IV in 1830, the Tories lost control of the government. Assumption of power by the Whigs opened the way to an era of accelerated progress (Kaste 8). In this time period children worked just as much, if not more, than some of the adults. After 1833, an increased amount of legislation was enacted to control the hours of labor and working conditions for children and women in manufacturing plants. The Poor Law of 1834 provided that all able bodied paupers must reside in a workhouse (8). Widespread hostility was felt to the new law; many believed that life was harder in a workhouse than in prison (Rooke 22). The plan was successful from one standpoint, for within three years the cost of poor relief was reduced by more than one-third. However, this system was sharply censured. The increased prevalence of crime was attributed towards it. Inmates of the workhouses became objects of public stigma, and to further heighten the unpopularity of the institutions, living conditions were deliberately made harsh (Kaste 8). Poverty was at it's peak around this time in England. Houses were overcrowded, packed together in narrow streets and courts which were often piled deep in rotting refuse (Rooke 33). New problems of food and public health were faced by a parliamentary and economic system which was better suited to the eighteenth century. On June 20, 1837, Queen Victoria came to the throne of England as the long period of middle class ascendancy was gaining momentum (Kaste 8). The Victorian age, which this time period is often referred, comes from Queen Victoria. In 1840, it was thought that only twenty percent of the children of London had any form of schooling. The 1840s were years of crises. The character on English life was being transformed by industrial expansion and by great movements of population towards urban life. Charles Dickens was born in Landport, Portsea, on February 7, 1812. He was the second son of John Dickens. John Dickens was a clerk in the Navy pay office. His improvidence would eventually lead to imprisonment in the Marshalsea, a debtor's prison for debt (Hardy 41). As a child Charles Dickens explored London and the fascination that he felt for this booming city remained with him throughout his life (Rooke 15). Dickens received his first instruction from his mother and later attended regular schools in Chatham. When John Dickens, his wife, and their four children went to the debtor's prison, Charles Dickens didn't go. He soon became intimate with his father's small collection of literary classics. He also revealed early signs of genius. Dickens' recollections of early life were centered in Kent and he often regarded himself as a member of that region (Kaste 9). Dickens was sent to work at the age of twelve in Worren's Blacking Warehouse. After his father's release he went back to school.. When school was complete he went to work in an attorney's office. He spent much of his time exploring the busy and varied life of London and decided to become a journalist. He mastered a difficult system of shorthand and by March 1832, at the age of twenty, he was a general and parliamentary reporter. In 1829 he met and soon fell in love with Maria Bendnell, but her parents found him socially inferior (Hardy 41). Not long after, in 1836, he fell in love with and married Catherine Hogarth. They had ten children together. In 1858 Dickens fell in love with Ellen Terron, an actress. This was soon after Dickens and his wife Catherine separated, ending a long stream of marital difficulties. In1842, Dickens traveled to the United States hoping to find