Social Networking Sites A Way Of Life And A Prominent Form...

Social Networking Sites Social networking sites (SNS) have become a way of life and a prominent form of communication. They provide a platform for users to professionally network, to socialize, to share personal adventures and achievements, and to express emotions and feelings. SNS allow users to observe family members, friends, acquaintances, or even strangers and learn what activities they are participating in or how they might be feeling at any given moment. With access to an abundance of information about others at the tap of a finger, lives have been consumed and overwhelmed with this new form of technology. From 2005 to 2015, nearly two-thirds of American adults report they use SNS and 90% of young adults, age 18 to 29, are involved with social media (Perrin, 2015). Social networking sites have changed the way people live their everyday life. Sherry Turkle, a clinical psychologist, stated, People love their new technologies of connection. They have made parents feel more secure and have revolutionized business, education, scholarship, and medicine†¦They have changed how we date and how we travel. The global reach of connectivity can make the most isolated outpost into a center of learning and economic activity†¦Beyond all of this, connectivity offers new possibilities for experimenting with identity†¦ (2011). SNS have created a portal for individuals to create a profile to share with others, whether it is to expand their social circle or to remain in contact withShow MoreRelatedTrends of Social Networking1362 Words   |  6 PagesThe growth of social networking is one of the fastest growing digital trends to exist. Many social networking sites boast with millions if not billions of members. Prominent examples of these social sites are Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Members of these networks use them daily to communicate, share various types of information or to collaborate with other members. Mark Zuckerberg founded Facebook in 2004 and its sole purpose is to give people the power to share and connect with the world.Read MoreSocial Media And Its Impact On Society1748 Words   |  7 Pagestoday’s society, online networking has been spreading rapidly throughout all generations because of its prominence. Social media are websites or other means of communication utilized by individuals to construct and share information within diverse groups. As these websites are presenting data, it is also interacting with users while providing the information, such as allowing users to comment on a post or to participate in a survey. Conversely, social networking sites are online platforms, whichRead MoreSocial Networking: An Important Aspect fo the Average American1571 Words   |  6 PagesSocial networking has proven to become an important aspect of the average American’s daily life. Statistics show that 73% of all online users utilize some form of social networking. 90% of Internet users aging from 18-29 years old have a social network. (pewinternet.org) There are two prominent stances on the social networking epidemic that has arisen over the years. Many hold the opinion that social networking is an invention to be taken advantage of. Yet, many also believe that social networkingRead MoreThe Effects Of Social Media On Society Essay1644 Words   |  7 PagesSocial media has become prominent parts of life for many young people today. Most people engage with social media without stopping to think what the effects are on our lives, whether positive or negative. Are we as a society becoming more concerned with Facebook friends than we are with the people we interact with face-to-face in our daily lives? What will the longterm effects of today s social media use be? There are many positive aspects, but there are equally as many dangers that come withRead MoreCyberbullying: Are Social Networking Websites The Cause? Essay1320 Words   |  6 PagesOn average, people spend over 700 BILLION minutes on Facebook in one month. (Facebook) In todays day and age, social networking sites have taken over the internet. Sites such as MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr have linked people together in a way that was never thought possible. However, from all good comes bad, and from social networking sites the act of cyber bullying - bullying and harassing someone through the internet was born. Now, whether or not the websites are the cause of cyberRead MoreNegative Effects Of Social Media1297 Words   |  6 PagesIn the twenty-first century, social media plays an extensive part in most people’s lives. Instagram, Twitter, and many other social networks can cause adverse psychological harm and even lead to physical harm. Although many may argue that social media pertains to be useful, there prove to be more harmful aspects rather than helpful aspects of these media sites. These effects are not only psychological, but they may also be physical. Not only do social networks cause depression, anxiety, and cyberbullyingRead MoreThe Information Age Of Modern Society1480 Words   |  6 Pagesthis age of the millennials online social networking sites such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and many more make the world seems as a globalise village where the nook and corner of different continents are well-connected to each other in the virtual time. Millions and millions of people share their personal life information through online networking sites. Almost every student in these days find online networking as the most effective source of communication as they find it a consistent interactionRead MoreSocial Media’s Effects on Modern Information Processing Essay1481 Words   |  6 PagesThe introduction of social media into the world of information represents a massive shift on the landscape of information processing. Social media promises what industrial media can’t: a public voice, not just for experts, but for everyone. I believe that social media has made three important changes to the way humans handle information. First, it has changed who produces the world’s information. Second, it has changed the process by which information is formed. Finally, it has actively encouragedRead MoreThe impact that new media has on society is apparent though various community based forums, user1200 Words   |  5 Pagesare straying from more traditional forms of information and resort to using new media technologies as a source of reliable information. The increase in usage of new media plays a pivotal part in shaping the society of this century. The evolution of social media websites brought forth a negative outcome. Social networking websites such as MySpace and Facebook have become a normal occurrence to find associates or coworkers on. A major transition from traditional forms of information to new media is theRead MoreFacebook : Networking And Societal Impact1475 Words    |  6 PagesFacebook: Networking and Societal Impact Past Communication habits have been changed by the proliferation of social networking sites. While people would wait for days to receive news, the rise of social media has changed the phenomenon. Furthermore, Interactions such as friend-friend communication, teacher-student communication, and company-client communication have changed with respect to time and level of interaction. Facebook, for instance, represents a site, which has gained worldwide fame. The

The Effects Of Sleep On A Public Health Epidemic - 955 Words

Sleep is one of the most important parts of our day it effects many aspects of daily functioning and is essential in order for a person to perform at their best. Unfortunately far too many ignore the importance of sleep and sacrifice sleep in order to meet the demands of daily life. The U.S center for disease control has deemed insufficient sleep a public health epidemic.( ) recent literature has shown that adolescence are one of the most sleep deprived populations. The reason being that sleep patterns begin to change during adolescence causing sleep loss. Sleep loss can seriously affect that quality of life for an individual. This paper will review the literature on the changes in sleep patterns in adolescence and the negative consequence that result from sleep loss focusing on adverse behaviors in adolescence. While the importance of sleep has been well documented not enough has been done specifically on the adolescent population. Sleep studies can help to better understand why cha nges in sleep patterns occur in adolescence as well as educate caregivers and professional working with adolescence improve their quality of life. Sleep is essential for anyone to perform at their best regardless of age sex and gender. While the amount of time and when a person falls asleep varies from person to person everyone must sleep and obtaining the right amount of sleep help can better a person quality life. Far too many adolescence are not obtaining enough sleep in 2009 theShow MoreRelatedThe Body Of Knowledge Regarding Adolescent Sleep Deprivation861 Words   |  4 PagesSleep deprivation or the ability to get adequate sleep is a social issue. Persons in a sleep deprived state raise concerns such as performance and safety. Social issues affecting safety and performance are addressed by our society through policies, regulations, and laws. For example, the Federal Aviation Administration has strict guidelines regarding circadian rhythms and sleep for pilots (FAA, 2012, p. 5). Hundreds of thousands of adolescents in the United States face issues of reduced performanceRead MoreObesity Is An Epidemic Of Growing Propo rtions1103 Words   |  5 PagesObesity in the United States is an epidemic of growing proportions. According to the Center for Disease Control more than one-third (34.9% or 78.6 million) of U.S. adults are obese. (Adult Obesity Facts, 2014). Obesity is defined as a body mass index or BMI, over 30. A person’s height and weight are used to determine BMI but does not measure how much body fat a person has. There are several factors that play into the lifestyle of obese patients. The Center for Disease Control have outlined importantRead MoreHealth Promotion And Disease Prevention Program Essay1556 Words   |  7 Pagesthat you will definitely make up for the lost sleep tomorrow, but it never happens. Though you condemn the alarm, or school, your health is your own responsibility, and that includes sleep. Sleep health has received national attention, with various studies evaluating sleep patterns of the nation, determining the consequences of inadequate sleep, and designating goals to meet in the future. The healthy people program, which in 2010 determined sleep-health a significant topic, intends to improve thisRead MoreThe Family Nurse Practitioner ( Fnp ) Program Online At South University s Online Program865 Words   |  4 Pagesgrowth chart. The goal is a target rate of 14.5%, with a current improvement of 10% over the baseline. There are disparities related to gender, ethnici ty and race, therefore this is very important public health problem and for the future of our country and health care of our citizens. Obesity is of epidemic proportions so there was a plethora of information found at South University’s library site of which will be reviewed in this paper. In a research article by Gee, Chin, Ackerson, Woo Howell,Read MoreObesity And Its Effects On The Health Of Americans And People All Across The World1514 Words   |  7 Pages Obesity is a very serious threat to the health of Americans and people all across the world. A plethora of studies have been done to confirm the adverse effects of obesity on an individual s health. Obesity rates have been skyrocketing in the past 30 years. The year 2000 marked the first time in human history that the percentage of obesity in the human population rose over 50% (Obesity: A Cultural and Biocultural Perspective). Obesity, as well as childhood obesity, is more prevalent than everRead MoreSingle System Research Design : Effect Of Meditation On Sleep1450 Words   |  6 PagesMEMORANDUM TO: Prof. Fontaine Fulghum FROM: S.Zimbaldi DATE: June 20th 2015 RE: Single-System Research Design: Effect of Meditation on Sleep Introduction A single-system research intervention was implemented with a 46-year-old Caucasian female as the subject. The participant is a single personal trainer who lives in Northern New Jersey. The subject has recently dealt with various life changes, such as the death of a family member and the sudden illness of another. She has reported havingRead MoreEssay On Sleep Deprivation801 Words   |  4 PagesAround the world sleep deprivation could be detrimental to people lives and health. Without sleep Im a angry person I get real snappy and grumpy. I would like to know more about the effects of the lack of sleep that effects people’s lives. I know that without sleep you can’t function properly. Why do people choose to push themselves to the limit when they are tired? Who do sleep issues mainly effect? These are some of the questions that I have pertaining to sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation isRead MoreFood Insecurity And Hunger Among Children795 Words   |  4 Pagesor weakness caused by lack of food, coupled with the desire to eat. Food and hunger are some of biggest social and public health issues people are dealing with in the United States. Over 41.2 million people in America live in food-insecure households, while 49 million are having a difficult time trying to provide food. 1 out of 6 people in America face hunger. This epidemic effects children, adults, those with disabilities, even the elderly. Food insecurity and hunger are whats tearing our nationRead MoreI Had No Shortage Of Overweight People1479 Words   |  6 Pagesmy life. As a kid, I watched my dad hook up his sleep apnea machine every night before bed because being overweight had caused him such conditions. My uncle has had to walk with a cane because his knees can t bear the weight coming down on them. Since then, my father and his brother have managed their weight and are happy a nd healthy. However, the majority of people who find themselves in the obese category aren t able to regain their physical health. My family has been lucky enough to be surroundedRead MoreObesity Is A Major Problem1234 Words   |  5 Pagesof obesity in America has been on the increasing end; two out of three Americans are either obese or overweight. The obesity epidemic has become a major problem in the United States which caused many serious effects on individual and society. It is an indiscriminate problem that negatively affect everyone from adults to children; which is a significant threat to the health of humanity that needs to be eliminated. First, we need to know what obesity is. According to Oxford Dictionary, Obesity

Zero Fee Tour-Making an Ethical Decision Free Essays

string(139) " labors and resources in order to save money, to communicate to the stakeholders and to gain others’ loyalty in order to be sustainable\." Zero Fee Tour-Making an Ethical Decision? Generally, ethic is similar to moral value that regulates the behavior of people and we use ethic to justify what is right and wrong. Business Ethic is therefore the standard to justify what is good or bad in making a business decision or in running a business (Geer, 1994). Business ethic is relevant to both conducts of individuals and business organizations. We will write a custom essay sample on Zero Fee Tour-Making an Ethical Decision? or any similar topic only for you Order Now Some of the enterprises just simple ignore the business ethics and run the business practically as profit was the sole target for them. Ethical action may not be practical to a business, while practical action may not be ethical to others. It constitutes an ethical dilemma. A manager should therefore strike a balance between â€Å"ethical† and â€Å"practical† before making a decision. In this paper, I will explore approaches to address ethical dilemma and what aspects will be considered before making an ethical business decision. I will use the tourism industry as an example to examine that can an enterprise only focus on business ethic or the profit and whether or not the business ethics are the key element for it to consider before making decision. I will examine both the positive correlation and negative correlation and draw a conclusion at last. We always wonder what are our ethical standards base on and how can we apply those standard to different circumstances. Many ethicists and philosophers have suggested several approaches to address ethical dilemma. The most common three approaches suggested are the utilitarian approach, moral right approach, justice approach (Velasquez, Moberg, Meyer, Shanks, McLean, DeCosse, Andre, Hanson, 2009). Utilitarian approach is to make a decision base on ethical action that can maximize the benefit or minimize the harm for the majority of people. It deals with consequences and emphasizes the result of a decision. According to the definition, ethical business action is an action that benefits the stakeholders, the community, and the environment most. However, it is difficult to find out what is good due to changing characters and behaviors (Velasquez, Andre, Shanks, Meyer, 2010) and people may not always have the same view on what is a good and what is harm. The moral right approach is based on human nature that people can decide what they want to do on their own. They have the right of free consent, the right to privacy, the right of freedom of conscience, the right of free speech, the right to due process and the right to life and safety (BrowneM. Neil Browne (Author)†º Visit Amazon’s M. Neil Browne PageFind all the books, read about the author, and moreSee search results for this authorAre you an author? Learn about Author Central , Giampetro-Meyer, Williamson,2003). According to this approach, ethical action is the best action to protect and respect the stakeholders’ moral right. Right also imply duty, base on this approach people also have duty to respect others’ rights. However, we cannot ensure that the companies maintain the ethical standards depend on their highest value priority. The justice approach bases on the teachings of the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle that all equals should be treated equally. According to this approach, the ethical actions treat all people equally or fairly based on a standard which is defensible (Conroy, 2010). Favoritism and discrimination are therefore unjust and wrong. However, this approach may not have adequately accounts for the rights and needs of everyone affected and it is difficult to see if the decision is based on a defensible standard or an imbalance of power (Yuter, 2008). All approaches mentioned above help us to address ethical dilemma and to know what we do can be considered as ethical. Although, it is difficult to putting the approaches together as they explain what is â€Å"ethical† in different ways, they give us some information to determine what is ethical in different circumstance. The majority of business decisions contain ethical issues, we only have to decide how to fit the issues into the business actions and weigh how much they should be considered (Cadbury, 2002). We should have the ability to determine ethical issues and then weigh the consideration that should influence our business action in order to make a good decision (Velasquez, Moberg, Meyer, Shanks, McLean, DeCosse, Andre, Hanson, 2009). There are five elements enterprises used to think of before evaluating a decision. They are profit, fairness, reputation, community care and sustainability. Profit generally means economic profit, that is, the difference between the total revenue and the total cost (both explicit and implicit) of an enterprise. As assumed in economics, everyone is self-interested and they tend to maximize their profit to achieve profit maximization. Profit is important in business world, especially in profit-making company as profit and money give motivation for business to survive (Williams, 2010). It therefore is an essential element being considered when making business decision. Fairness and reputation is another two elements. Fairness is the mechanism of how we achieve the ideas of just, equal, good, ethical or moral (Bothamley, 1993). Reputation is the feeling or opinion of other people towards an enterprise. It can be defined as the result of what you do, what you say, and what other people say about you. When a company’s reputation for honesty or safety is damaged, it may cause serious impact on the business (Burkhardt, 2008). Community Care will be considered as an element for making business decision also. Community Care is a firm’s obligation as a moral agent extends beyond its legal and economic obligations, to the pursuit of long-term goals are good for society. Assumed that all businesses obey law and pursue economic interest, community care is done voluntarily, but not what it must do by law or they choose to do because of economic sense (Besser, 2002). Sustainability is the capacity that an enterprise can endure or survive in the market. It is about the doing business better, working with others and staying in business in long run. The enterprise should use division of labors and resources in order to save money, to communicate to the stakeholders and to gain others’ loyalty in order to be sustainable. You read "Zero Fee Tour-Making an Ethical Decision?" in category "Essay examples" Enterprises should consider these five aspects with the approaches mentioned before making business decision. For example, if an enterprise wants to make profit ethically, it should focus more on the fairness when it makes decisions. Take the Hong Kong tourism industry as an example. In March this year, a Hong Kong tour guide of Win’s Travel Agency discontented with the insufficient shopping amount of the tourists. She threatened the mainland tourists that if they did not go shopping, she would not let them to eat and did not provide hotel to them for accommodation. She used unethical method to force tourist to shop in order to earn more. A tourist recorded what she said and has spread the video online, which seriously influence the tourism image of Hong Kong (Sina, 2010). The cause of this case is the introduction of zero-fee tour. Zero-fee tour was introduced during 2003 the SARS period in Hong Kong. It is tour which charges tourists less than the basic cost of airline tickets, accommodation and attraction tickets. As this kind of tour is charged under-cost, the travel agencies can only earn a profit by receiving commission and tipping from shops (Lu, 2006). According to Wong (2010), we can examine the business ethical problems in two ways. In the view of the travel agency, that is the enterprise, they have to transfer the costs to the service providers in order to save costs of the company as the tour is charged under-cost. The travel agencies therefore do not give basic salaries to the tour guides, and force them to push shopping in order to earn commissions from different shops. Also, some of the travel agencies may require the tour guides to pay in some cost component in advance and delay the repayment to the guides. In the view of tour guides, they don’t receive any salaries in zero-fee tours. They will earn nothing if the tourists do not shop therefore they tend to force or even threaten tourists to buy in order to earn shopping commissions and tipping. This damages the tourism image of Hong Kong seriously. Using utilitarian approach, the business action should be base on ethical action that can maximize the benefit or minimize the harm for the majority of people. According to Velasquez, Andre, Shanks and Meyer (2010), to use utilitarian approach we should first determine the course of the business action and then find the benefits and harms of taking the action for all stakeholders. In this case, only Win’s Travel Agency gains benefit. The tour guide has no salary in serving a zero-fee zero, she did not earn much benefit and had to force the tourists to shop. The business action harmed the tourists, as they were treated badly by the tour guide and are forced to shop. The tourists also had to buy things in unreasonable price as the shops marked up the price of their products in order to pay for the shopping commissions. Also, the action harmed the image of Hong Kong tourism. The action is not ethical as the courses of it cannot maximize the benefit or minimize the harm for the majority of people. By using moral right approach, we should first indicate what rights are involved in a specific case, and then see if the business action conflicts with the rights (Hamilton, 2009). In this case, the tourists had the right of freedom; they can refuse to shop if they do not want to. The tour guide’s action was unethical as she threatened the tourists and forced them to shop in order to fulfill the shopping amount. Also, the tour guide’s action conflict the tourists’ right to life and safety as she threatened them that they would not be provided a place for accommodation. We should know the distribution first when using justice approach. We have to know who gain benefits and who suffer from losses, and then see if the distribution of the business action is fair (Hamilton, 2009). According to this case, Win’s Travel Agency gained benefits as it have saved costs and the tour guide suffered from losses as she did not earn any salary. It is unethical that the enterprise did not provide the tour guide with basic salary. The tour guide really provided service for the company, and it was not fair for her to receive no pay while other guides not serving zero-fee tour received salaries. Also, it is unfair that those tourists who bought few products were treated badly as all tourists joined the same tour and they had not required to shop when they joined the tour. Now, I would examine why Win’s Travel Agency made the decision to provide this kind of tour according to the five aspects mentioned. Firstly, the enterprise mainly focused on profit. Providing this kind of tour, the enterprise need not to pay salaries to the tour guides and it can receive a great deal of commission from shops as most tourists from mainland spend a lot in shopping. Also providing zero-fee tour attracts a great deal of people from mainland to visit Hong Kong, the volume of sales of the enterprise would therefore increase (TICHK, 2009). The enterprise considered less in fairness and reputation. It did not pay the tour guide any salary except the shopping commission although the tour guide deserved to get salary after providing service. It is unfair that the enterprise did this action. As the tour guide was not paid, she treated the tourists badly, this not only damaged the reputation of the enterprise but also that of Hong Kong tourism. In sustainability, the enterprise can use division labors and resources to save costs. However, it communicated to the stakeholders unsatisfactorily as it did not know what the tour guide and the tourists needed. Also, it cannot gain others’ loyalty in order to be sustainable. Finally, in community care, the enterprise did less beyond its legal and economic obligations. Other than increased the sales figure in the tourism industry, it did less that benefited the society. Win’s Travel Agency therefore made decision mainly based on profit rather than business ethics. In conclusion, different businesses would make decisions base on different aspects. They should use the utilitarian approach, moral right approach and justice approach to address ethical issues before evaluating a decision base on the five elements. According to the case above, purely base on making profit practically does not really bring much benefit to an enterprise. Enterprises should therefore strike a balance between practically making profit and the business ethics. It is very important for enterprise to consider ethical issues before making decisions as it is unavoidable. Reference Andre . C, Velasquez . M, Moberg . D, Meyer . M. J, Shanks . T (2010), Calculating Consequences:The Utilitarian Approach to Ethics Andre . C, Velasquez . M, Moberg . D, Meyer . M. J, Shanks . T, McLean . M. R, DeCosse . D, Hanson . K. O (2009), A Framework for Thinking Ethically Besser T. L (2002), The Conscience of Capitalism: Business Social Responsibility to Communities Bothamley . J (1993), â€Å"Dictionary of Theories,† London:Gale Research International Browne . M. N, Meyer . A. G . , Williamson. C (2003), Practical Business Ethics for the Busy Manager Burkhardt . R (2008), Reputation Management in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Cadbury . A (2002), Case Histories in Business Ethics, Conroy . M (2010), An ethical approach to leading change : an alternative and sustainable application Geer . H. D. (1994), Business Ethics in Progress Hamilton J,B (2009), How to Use the Justice Test Hamilton J,B (2009), How to Use the Rights Test TICHK (2009), Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong Lu . J (2006), ‘Zero-fee’ practice damages travel industry Sina (2010), News on Sina. com Williams . W. E (2010), Profit versus Nonprofit Wong . W (2010), Chairman of Hong Kong Association of Registered Tour Co-ordinators, News Yuter R. J (2008), A Fair and Balanced Approach to Social Justice How to cite Zero Fee Tour-Making an Ethical Decision?, Essay examples

Social and Emotional Confinement free essay sample

Hardy’s Jude the Obscure was not intended to offend as many people as it did when it was published, but amid the social criticisms, frank descriptions of sexual desire, and a, extremely tragic and disturbing climax, the general public of 20th Century England was completely shocked. For years, critics and the public denounced Jude, while overlooking perhaps the most important conflict within the book. Thomas Hardy, in the introduction to the first non-serial edition of the novel, explains to readers that while the novel did contain many criticisms of socials structures in England, the main purpose of composing the book was â€Å"to tell, without a mincing of words, of a deathly war waged between flesh and spirit, and to point the tragedy of unfulfilled aims†. (Hardy, 3). As protagonist Jude Fawley works against some of the most sacred social institutions in England, he is forever battling uphill against society and fate itself. Jude, hoping to transcend his low social stature and break free from the contract of his marriage, is not only left with â€Å"unfulfilled aims† but is constantly confined; he cannot break from his marriage or from his embarrassing social stature. This idea of a person being confined or imprisoned by society and life itself contributes to the tragic nature of the novel, as Jude finds himself at the mercy of the world around him. Another example of confinement in Jude the Obscure is the institution of marriage. In the context of the novel’s setting and the period in which it was published, marriage, like Jude’s values and goals, are rooted in tradition while facing new values and ideas, some of which are hard to swallow for society and the citizens of Wessex. Many individuals were starting to question the contractual nature of marriage; â€Å"That marriage had become a problem, that somehow it was in crisis and need of reform was an idea very much in the air. † (Howe, 134). What Hardy believes to be the ideal structure for marriage is almost opposite what the church and law governed marriage to be. In the introduction of the original publication of Jude, Hardy outlines his belief that â€Å"a marriage should be dissolvable as soon as it becomes a cruelty to either of the parties† (Hardy, 5); if marriage were this way, than the entire cast of characters within the novel would have been spared of numerous tragedies, as the binding nature of marriage has been â€Å"used in great part as the tragic machinery of the tale† (Hardy, 5). He and a host of other characters are trapped into a marriage that they are rawn back to, regardless of divorce or feelings for other characters. Throughout the novel, Jude feels trapped by marriage, and â€Å"[inquires] what he had done†¦that he deserved to be caught in a gin which would cripple him†¦for the rest of a lifetime† (Hardy, 63). When he is forced into marrying Arabella in response to her announcement of pregnancy, Jude is forced to give up his dreams of the distant Christminster and his future as a scholar, as he informs her that the marriage is a â€Å"complete smashing of [his] plans† (Hardy, 58). When Arabella reveals that she was not actually pregnant, Jude begins to believe that the marriage was a trick, to which Arabella replies with â€Å"What can ‘em do otherwise? Married is married. † (Hardy, 61) Throughout their time together, Jude concludes that ‘[t]heir lives were ruined†¦by the fundamental error of their matrimonial union: that of having based a permanent contract on a temporary feeling† (Hardy, 71), and this contract continues to â€Å"ruin† Jude’s life even after Arabella departs, as Jude is still technically married to despite her departure from his life. A similar marriage befalls Sue, despite her cynical views towards marriage; she believes that â€Å"the social moulds civilization fits us into have no more relation to our actual shapes than the conventional shapes of the constellations have to the real star-patterns† (Hardy, 212), and thereforeâ€Å"[doesn’t] regard marriage as a Sacrament† (Hardy). Unaware of how binding a marriage was, she eventually promises to marry Jude’s former mentor, Richard Phillotson. She and Jude may see marriage differently, yet they are both trapped in tragic marriages caused by forethought. The once individualistic, â€Å"Ishmaelite† Sue has been transformed into a domestic housewife by marriage, even though Jude still believes that she is â€Å"not Mrs. Phillolson†, but is still â€Å"dear, free Sue Bridehead, only [she] [doesn’t] know it! † (Hardy, 194). When Sue’s feelings of regret for marrying Phillotson are revealed to Jude, it becomes apparent that both their dreams and beliefs have been confined by marriage; Sue’s image as an independent woman and Jude’s dream of higher education and marrying Sue are put on hold indefinitely. This confinement, however, eventually inspired the pair of star-crossed lovers to break free from the confines of their marriage and live together. The confinement of their first marriages, however, is not erased by divorce. Jude and Sue find brief happiness as they return to Christminster, free from the tragedies of married life. The following scene shows the bond Jude and Sue share: Sue, in her new summer clothes, flexible and light as a bird, her little thumb stuck up by the stem of her white cotton sunshade, went along as if she hardly touched ground, and as if a moderately strong puff of wind would float her over the hedge into the next field. Jude, in his light grey holiday-suit, was really proud of her companionship, not more for her external attractiveness than for her sympathetic words and ways. That complete mutual understanding, in which every glance and movement was as effectual as speech for conveying intelligence between them, made them almost the two parts of a single whole. Hardy, 298). The touching moment is distrubted, however, by Arabella’s view and commentary of the event. Michael Millgate notes that â€Å"[t]he momentary upward movement is skillfully held in check by the looming background presence of a scornful yet envious Arabella, appearing here†¦as a figure of ill omen. If the promise of what might yet be is strong, so is the blighting threat of what must be† (Millgate, 328). Hardy designed this scene to show that while Jude and Sue may be legally separated from their first partners, their first marriages will continue to bring tragedy into their lives. For Jude, this is symbolically shown through Little Father Time, a product of Jude and Arabella’s marriage that eventually tears Jude and Sue apart for good. Sue is initially upset when she first see’s the child, as she says to Jude â€Å"I see you in him†¦But the other half of him is-she! And that’s what I can’t bear! † (Hardy, 284). When Father Time hangs himself and Sue’s two children, the symbolism is clear; Jude is still confined to his first marriage because it continues to affect his life, and the event caused by his first marriage confine him once again to Arabella as he and Sue return to their original partners. Jude’s ambitions and desires, although inspiring, were implausible at best, and Jude’s failure to realize his dreams contributes greatly to the tragic nature of the story as the societal standards of the novel serve as a trap stronger than marriage. Within the first few pages of the novel, Jude’s fervor for education has already been expressed by his Aunt, who proclaims that â€Å"[t]he boy is crazy for books,’ (Hardy, 14), and eventually â€Å"[becomes] †¦ romantically attached to Christminster† (Hardy, 24), a city filled with the promise of traditional education. However, Jude’s aspirations to attend one of the colleges based in Christminster leads to tragedy, as Jude comes to realize that his social status will prevent him from attending any major university. After a failed marriage and months of working in Christminster, Jude receives acknowledgement from only one college, and this acknowledgement comes in the form of a polite suggestion that â€Å"as a working-man †¦ [Jude] will have a much better chance of success in life by remaining in [his] own sphere and sticking to [his] trade† (Hardy, 121). This is the second instance of Jude’s plans being thwarted, and yet another instance of Jude being confined to his social status. As Jude leaves Christminster, he pursues a career in divinity â€Å"without taking double-firsts in the schools of Christminster, or having anything but ordinary knowledge† (Hardy, 133), but when Jude fails to realize this goal because â€Å"[w]hat Sue had said in warmth was really the cold truth†¦He was unfit, obviously, by nature, as he had been by social position, to fill the part of a propounder of accredited dogma† (Hardy, 224). Jude’s â€Å"nature†, (sexual desire for Sue) would make it social and morally unacceptable for Jude to work in divinity, just as it was unlikely for someone of Jude’s economic status to be accepted to a college, and it becomes apparent that Jude will always be confined to a life of simple labor and a lowly career. Jude becomes increasingly more aware of this as his aspirations shrink after each attempt at improvement is thwarted by disaster. When looking at the entire timeline of Jude’s life, Bloom makes this statement: If we were to represent graphically this pattern of Jude’s progressively declining aspirations and the repeated checks upon them, they would appear as a line with a succession of peak representing his aspirations followed by a subsequent decline, the peaks and valleys becoming progressively lower and flatter, until reduced to scarcely more than a ripple† (Bloom, 91). Jude’s entire life is, when examined in full, confined to not only to the lower social class, but because of the ever-increasing discrimination against him and his eventual family with Sue, it is also trapped in a series of personal failures. The unusual situation of Sue and Jude’s marriage leads to rumors and judgments from the Christminster community, and they are both quite aware. â€Å"’They are talking about us, no doubt! ’ [moans] Sue. ‘We are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angles, and to men! ’† (Hardy, 346). One of the most dramatic outcomes of the social rejection of Sue and Jude’s lifestyle is their eviction following their landlady’s attempt to â€Å"gather something of the circumstances of the family she had taken in† (Hardy, 339). The landlady’s actions are symbolic of how society as a whole snares Jude’s family into a vicious cycle of poverty. While the social institutions of the 20th century confine Jude to a life of obscurity and poverty, the natural forces ensuring Jude’s â€Å"unfulfilled aims† are just as important; even if they are not elaborated on as much as the aforementioned societal road-blocks of Jude’s life, they serve an equally powerful purpose as they take Jude’s confinement to another level. Little Father Time, already a symbol for Jude’s inability to escape his marriage, also serves as a very naturalist view on confinement – that is, Little Father Time is confined to a life of cynicism and poverty simply because he was born into misfortune. When commenting on Little Father Time’s murder suicide, Jude remarks that â€Å"[i]t was in his nature to do it. The doctor says there are such boys springing up amongst us†¦They seem to see all [life’s] terrors before they are old enough to resist them† (Hardy, 345). An even more obvious example of natural prisons for Jude’s aspirations is death itself ignoring Jude when he becomes fixated on killing himself. While Jude taunts Arabella, promising that â€Å"[she’ll] see [his] spirit flitting up and down [their home]† (Hardy 403), Jude â€Å"recovered somewhat, and worked at his trade for several weeks† (Hardy, 408). Class prejudice, marriage, and now death itself have all confined Jude to the obscure life of a common worker with a tarnished past. The cycle of marriages, divorces and remarriages furthers the tragic elements of the novel as it mirrors Jude’s inability to fulfill his aims. As Jude recites his story to a group of former co-workers, he presents to them the dilemma of choosing â€Å"whether to follow un-critically the track he finds himself in, without considering his aptness for it, or to consider what his aptness or bent may be, and re-shape his course accordingly†, and Jude admits that.