Our Previous Samples

In Book IV of Gulliver's Travels, Swift presents a narrative that aims to continually change his audience's opinion by offering an array of perpetually shifting standpoints. From the start of the journey we see the tale unfold in the same manner as Gulliver experiences it. On his first encounter with a Yahoo, Gulliver does not see any parallels between that beast and himself, and when he is approached by a Houyhnhnm, he does not think the creature is anything more than a horse. The tale takes a turn as Gulliver discovers the reality of this realm and readers are presented with his opinions on the Houyhnhnms, as well as the Yahoos. This journey does not boast much plot action, but rather, renders interactions and conversations between Gulliver and the inhabitants of this strange land, mostly the Houyhnhnms. From these exchanges, Gulliver yields admiration towards the Houyhnhnms and abhorrence for the beastly Yahoos. His observations first seem agreeable as the two species seem to depict opposing values of what is and what is not the desirable way to live. However, as Gulliver's observation causes him to undergo change, becoming shameful of his similarity to the Yahoos and imitating Houyhnhnm gestures, the reader cannot help but question his judgments.

Chapter XI stands out as a section that best explores the absurdity of Gulliver's transformation. Gulliver's radical change revealed in this section not only portrays him as comical but also repulsively delusional. Whereas in previous chapters and especially in the very beginning of this tale, Gulliver believed himself and mankind to be of a different species than the Yahoos, he now detests the thought of returning to his home and dwelling among, not humans, but Yahoos. Gulliver even calls himself a "poor Yahoo" (300) when confronted by the Portuguese sailors. If man is Yahoo, then the notion of Gulliver mending his shoes with "skins of Yahoos dried in the sun" (289) and building his canoe with the same material is quite sickening. Gulliver's equating man with Yahoos is illogical since his very being and presence throughout the tale suggests that man is different from Yahoos.

This is not solely Gulliver's error but also one the reasonable Houyhnhms make, who, if not referring to man as Yahoo, mark man as a worst and inferior type of Yahoo. It seems rather odd that the highly rational horses have trouble distinguishing Gulliver from the Yahoos and are able to differentiate themselves from the asses they wish to cultivate (283). Surely the Houyhnhnms cannot be as wise and praiseworthy as Gulliver describes them.

Not only is Gulliver's devotion to the Houyhnhnms questionable, but the Houyhnhnms and the values they represent become uncertain as well. At the beginning, in comparison to humans, the Houyhnhnms appear superior because they are truthful and live their lives rationally, and when Gulliver makes harsh statements about European society his comments are, for the most part, fair. However, as the system of Houyhnhnm life is revealed, they are depicted as dull and passionless. "Courtship, love, presents, jointures, settlements have no place in their thoughts," and marriage is "one of the necessary actions of a rational being" (281). They are also just as unfeeling about death, for "their friends and relations express neither joy nor grief at their departure" (287). Even more shocking is their "regulation of children." For instance, "if a Houyhnhnm hath two males, he changeth one of them with another that hath two females; and when a child hath been lost by any casualty, where the mother past breeding, it is determined what family in the district shall breed another to supply the loss" (282). Their inability to feel affection and attachment for even their own offspring is immensely unattractive and proves that Swift did not mean to equate the Houyhnhms as ideal. Oddly enough, the only Houyhnhnm that possessed any sign of compassion is the sorrel nag, a lowly servant who cries out as Gulliver departs their land, "take care of thyself, gentle Yahoo" (297).

Greatly affected by Houyhnhnm values, Gulliver undergoes assimilation into human society in Chapter XI, and the result is sometimes comical, but mostly irritating. He is amusing as the Portuguese sailors laugh at his "strange tone in speaking, which resembled the neighing of a horse" (300). However, it is not comical but rather annoying when Gulliver exclaims, "I never heard or saw anything so unnatural; for it appeared to me as monstrous as if a dog or cow should speak in England, or a Yahoo in Houyhnhnm-land," at the sight of seeing the sailors speak. Has three years of living among the Houyhnhnms changed Gulliver so drastically that he would think it "unnatural" for humans to speak? Beyond that, these three years have resulted in Gulliver not only re-identifying himself as a Yahoo, but also, all of mankind.

Whereas in previous chapters Gulliver's overbearing veneration for the Houyhnhnms is aggravating, in this chapter, his hatred toward humans is repulsive. Once banished from Houyhnhnm-land, Gulliver wishes to live in solitude and not return "to live in the society under the government of Yahoos" (297). When he is discovered by the Portuguese sailors, he begs for his freedom, explaining to them that he is "a poor Yahoo, seeking some desolate place where to pass the remainder of his unfortunate life "(300). Once on the ship, he even attempts to jump overboard and swim for his life "rather than continue among Yahoos" (301).

Gulliver's loathing towards humans is unjustified in this chapter, and his interchange with Don Pedro de Mendez depicts his unsound judgments. Gulliver describes Don Pedro as generous and gracious. However, like the uncompassionate Houyhnhnms, his best effort in returning kindness is to "treat him [Don Pedro] like an animal which had some little portion of reason" (301). As time passes on this voyage, Gulliver states, "in gratitude to the Captain I sometimes sat with him at his earnest request, and strove to conceal my antipathy to human kind" (302).

Gulliver's obsession of bodily odor is also silly as he is "ready to faint at the very smell of" the Captain and his crew during the voyage (301). This silly fixation on the body blinds him from acknowledging Don Pedro's kindness on many occasions. Gulliver recounts, for instance, "the Captain had often entreated me to strip myself of my savage dress, and offered to lend me the best suit of clothes he had. This I would not be prevailed on to accept abhorring to cover myself with anything that had been on the back of a Yahoo" (302). In another instance, as they arrive in Lisbon, Gulliver states, "The Captain persuaded me to accept a suit of clothes newly made; but I would not suffer the tailor to take my measure...He accoutred me with other necessaries all new, which I aired for twenty-four hours before I would use them" (303). After what seems like a long ordeal, Don Pedro persuades Gulliver to take a walk in the streets; however, in order to do this, Gulliver must stuff his nose with rue or tobacco (303). Once he returns to England, he purchases some horses and explains that he favors the groom for the smells it produces in the stable (304).

Gulliver, while forced into rejoining humanity, has nevertheless mentally and emotionally exiled himself from society. As he gradually works his way from the innermost rooms of Don Pedro's house to the streets of Lisbon, his fear of man lessens, but his "hatred and contempt seemed to increase" (303). He only resolves to go home to his wife and family because Don Pedro convinces him that "it was altogether impossible to find such a solitary island" (303). Although Gulliver's inability to appreciate Don Pedro is appalling, his reaction upon seeing his family is far worse as he recounts "my wife and family received me with great surprise and joy... but I must freely confess the sight of them filled me only with hatred, disgust, and contempt" (304).

Gulliver's attachment to the Houyhnhnms might not seem so ludicrous if he were capable of seeing the positive in human society such as Don Pedro and his own family. However, he is unable to experience or feel anything pleasant, and this makes both himself and the Houyhnhnms ambiguous, if not loathsome, figures to the readers. Like the Houyhnhnms who fail to see the difference between Gulliver and the filthy Yahoos, Gulliver loses sight of everything agreeable in humanity.

The events of Chapter XI not only change the readers' perception of both Gulliver and the rational horses, but also change the message Swift makes through his satire. It seems as though Swift had meant to tell his readers that life based on reason is ideal, commenting on appalling human practices such as war and the courts of Europe. However, by the end of the tale, life based on rationality seems inadequate as it is the cause of Gulliver's isolation.

Works Cited

Keep in mind:
This is only a sample.

Get a custom paper now from our expert writers.

Swift, Jonathan. Gulliver's Travels. New York: Signet Classic, 1999.

An opening title card introduces the 1996 movie Fargo as one that is not only based on a true story, but with the exception of name changes made at the request of the survivors, a film that proceeds to present the events of that true story exactly as they occurred. In fact, not a single event presented in Fargo is based on a true story (Chaloupka 163). On the other hand, the opening credits of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid significantly tamp down its claims of authenticity relative to Fargo with a title card suggesting that “Most of what follows is true” and then proceeds to live up to that promise surprisingly well for a Hollywood western. In between those two extremes lie a seemingly endless number of movies that profess to be factual, but deliver the goods in an amazingly inconsistent manner. From the way in which Hollywood constantly tries to lend its product some kind of greater value with claims to authenticity, it would appear that the mistrust of fiction so strongly urged by Plato thousands of years ago remains firmly in place (Halliwell 50). A significant amount of the voluminous satire that permeates through every page of Gulliver’s Travels is directed toward this deep-seated suspicion of the worth of fiction and the often ridiculous extremes to which creative artists will go to create worth in their own creations by attaching a perception of authenticity to it that, paradoxically, is utterly fictitious.

The mistrust of fiction is always at its greatest when the medium for delivering that fiction is new and unfamiliar. Such was the case for the novel during the period in which Jonathan Swift was composing Gulliver’s Travels. When that new medium of presenting fiction occurs during a period in which scientific exploration was beginning to displace old notions of religion, superstition and myth, asserting an empirical verisimilitude within the fiction takes on even greater importance. "The transference of detail to manifest fictions may create verisimilitude, for it appropriates to fiction a strategy of recording reality, the world of brute and unignorable fact. But the impetus for it involves ways of thinking and experiencing rather than a rhetoric calculated to convince doubters. Novelists repeatedly assured readers that the substance of their story was real and historical and that their account was faithful--a reporting of actuality" (Hunter 200).

Nowhere, perhaps, Swift engage this aching need of authors the earliest British novels in the mind of the reader a curious recognition of quantifiable authenticity than when he has Gulliver first provide an excruciatingly detailed account of what it was like to eat, and sleep and go the bathroom among the giants of Brobdingnag was like only to then explain why he has just expended so much time over explaining a situation the reader hardly needs to know at all. “I hope, the gentle Reader will excuse me for dwelling on these and the like Particulars; which however insignificant they may appear to grovelling vulgar Minds, yet will certainly help a Philosopher to enlarge his Thoughts and Imagination, and apply them to the Benefit of publick as well as private Life; which was my sole Design in presenting this and other Accounts of my Travels to the World;* wherein I have been chiefly studious of Truth, without affecting any Ornaments of Learning, or of Style” (Swift 82). What sort of philosopher might be capable of enlarging his thought and imagination to the point that he could utilize the information Gulliver has provided on any of the matters he details so precisely can only be imagined, but Gulliver does provide a clue in the form of a satirical arrow aimed with great precision when he admits to editing “out several Passages of less Moment which were in my first Copy, for fear of being censured as tedious and trifling, whereof Travellers are often, perhaps not without justice, accused" (Swift 82).

The “Travellers” that Swift targets for overindulging in detail designed to lend a greater sense of verisimilitude and a voice of authority are not the Irish Gypsies selling their wares, but writers of travel adventures that were an enormously popular antecedent to the novel and essential in its early evolution. "The first novelists openly tried to capitalize on the contemporary popularity of travel books by suggesting the similarity of their wares" (Hunter 353) and one of the most successful was Daniel Defoe. Defoe, Aphra Behn and other early English novelists all managed to incorporate a little bit of travel adventure into many of their stories and the adoption of the techniques of establishing authenticity are a vital a part of those prototypes of the modern novel as the preface.

Perhaps Jonathan Swift was as bewildered by the necessity of a work of fiction needing prefatory material as the modern day reader. Most novelists today and for some time have not felt the need provide information in the form a preface, which is a stylistic convention typically associated with non-fiction material. English novels of the 18th century almost invariably contained a preface and usually for the purpose of creating that false sense of authenticity. The prefatory material of 18th century novels was the “Based on a True Story” of film and TV.

The fact that the preface is associated with non-fiction and used to extensive effect in these novels is neither incidental nor accidental. Their entire purpose is establish in the reader the idea that he is about to read something real and true-to-live, if not necessary factual. Such is the inherent preposterousness of the preface of many novels to establish such veracity that Swift provides a satirical perspective on them in the form of not, not two, but three different pieces of prefatory material existing only for the purpose of creating a foundation of reality for the story that finally starts about a dozen pages in. The advertisement, the letter from Captain Gulliver to his cousin Sympson and the direct address to the reader from the publisher would all—in a work of non-fiction—help the set the stage of the believability of the story they are about to read. In the hands of the English novelists who adopted the preface for their works of fiction, the material accomplishes nearly the same thing.

In the hands of Jonathan Swift, however, the sharp edge of the cutting satire which is the intent of the prefatory material reaches attains the status of lethal weapon with the appearance that the publisher himself is taking the time to publicly assure readers there "is an Air of Truth apparent through the whole; and indeed the Author was so distinguished for his Veracity,* that it became a Sort of Proverb among his Neighbours at Redriff, when any one affirmed a Thing, to say, it was as true as if Mr Gulliver had spoke it" (Sympson xxxvii). That Defoe may once again be considered a prime target of Swift’s satire seems easy enough to prove in consideration of the very similar pronouncement by the supposed editor of Robinson Crusoe that he believes it to be nothing more nor less than a history of fact.

Ultimately, the accumulation of facts as supportive evidence of an authentic truth is both what exists throughout 18th century novels and what is the focus of much of the satire of Gulliver’s Travels. Or, as John Mullan defines the situation so accurately, “detail is presented as if it were synonymous with credibility” (Mullan). So ingrained into the very fabric of the English novel even by the time it was ripe for satire at the end of Swift’s pen was this misapprehension of detail upon detail upon detail as a substitute for credible authenticity that the attention of the reader does even have to be directed toward the questionable conclusion to be drawn for Swift’s humor to slice through.

Upon being released from his constraints after washing ashore on in the land of Lilliput, Gulliver is directed to submit a search of his pockets after which is compiled an inventory of possession and belongings found upon his person including, but not limited to: silver and copper coins, a purse with nine large pieces of gold and several small pieces, knife, razor, comb, silver snuff box, journal, scimitar, pistols and a pouch (Swift 23). Of course, it is worth noting that the description of the search which results in this inventory is far more verbose with exhaustive detailing of not just the objects, but the process of searching that located them. While the compilation of details of what is found in Gulliver’s pockets does have the cumulative effect of presenting what was quite likely a fairly credible account of the items that a traveler such a Gulliver might have equipped himself with on such a voyage, the ultimate point realization that arrives as a result of such a compilation is far more biting in its satire.

Plainly put: just how, exactly, did Gulliver manage to make it from the ocean in which he found himself adrift and struggling for survival to the shores of Lilliput with such a comprehensive collection of belongings still intact? The mind positively boggles as the equitable struggle it would take for any reader to accept such a factual account of a real life survival story without blinking an eye. What really seems to be at stake throughout much of what the reader learns from Gulliver about his travels is not so much a satirical undermining of conventional beliefs about the nature of man as he relates to other creatures or as a creature of rationality and scientific inquiry so much as the much more specific nature of his gullibility. In Gulliver's Travels, Swift's satirical lens magnifies with each successive voyage the distinctly irrational insistence by authors throughout time to impress upon their reader an inherent validity and utilitarian purpose to their stories through the act of attaching to it a paradoxically unreal source of authentication of its veracity.

Works Cited

Chaloupka, William. Everybody Knows: Cynicism in America. Minneapolis: U of Minnesota, 1999.

Halliwell, Stephen. The Aesthetics of Mimesis: Ancient Texts and Modern Problems. Princeton, NJ: Princeton UP, 2002.

Hunter, J. Paul. Before Novels: The Cultural Contexts of Eighteenth-Century English Fiction. New York: W. W. Norton, 1990.

Keep in mind:
This is only a sample.

Get a custom paper now from our expert writers.

Swift, Jonathan. Gulliver's Travels. Ed. Paul Turner. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1998.

Introduction: Let’s imagine, for a moment, that nationwide gun restriction laws were put in place. Weapons of home defense would be banned. Nobody would be able to defend themselves against armed intruders. This will likely result in the completion of many thefts, but will also come with an increase in homicide rates. It is clear that the United States is suffering from a mass shooting epidemic. Because of this, typically the people in favor of providing a solution for the problem have turned toward gun control. These advocates represent this idea that if we restrict the guns seen in mass shootings, we may see a change. Although this may be true, most of these people have their statistics wrong. Many people believe gun control will solve our mass shooting epidemic but this is not the case. Obviously, everyone would like to see our school shooting and mass shooting epidemic put to an end. It seems that the only logical answer is to restrict the weapons being used in most school shootings. Gun-control advocates automatically turn toward banning weapons such as the AR-15 because “AR-15 rifles were used to commit every major mass shooting in the United States since a 2012 attack in an Aurora, Colorado movie theater”.

Background: However, most advocates of gun-control have their statistics wrong. Firstly, most mass shootings don’t even involve rifles like the AR-15. It is apparent that gun-control advocates argue against assault weapons such as the AR-15, and they claim that they are the most popular weapons used among mass shooters. Therefore, gun-control seeks to only limit the purchase of certain guns, mainly assault weapons. In hindsight, handguns actually outnumbered assault weapons when it came to mass shootings. The statistics show that the use of handguns vs. assault rifles was 141-55 in every mass shooting in the United States from 1982 to 2019. If most mass shootings aren’t even occurring with the use of assault weapons, why are we only looking to restrict them? It seems like gun-control advocates don’t want to face the problem directly. They seek a step-by-step approach to the problem that, in my opinion, will only make things worse. If we choose to limit the problem rather than abolish it entirely, we will only be creating more problems within each step of the process. Thesis statement: This is why gun control is a bad alternative for solving our mass shooting epidemic. It will only lead to the creation of more problems such as gun trafficking. To illustrate, gun-control will only increase the amount of criminal activity occurring in the United States. We will inevitably see a rise in gun trafficking. Surely, we used to have a drug problem in America, so we made most drugs illegal. What did that do? Increase the amount of drug trafficking, cartels, and illegal drug smuggling organizations. Why would this outcome not be the same for gun control? Evidence & citing: It has become apparent that someone seeking to cause as much damage to human life as possible, will stop at nothing to achieve there goal. Among this, more firearms will be purchased illegally. With the inevitable rise in gun trafficking, more consumers will be purchasing from these illegal gun trafficking organizations. Commentary: If a mass shooter has a goal to do as much damage as possible and release all of their hate, is it really likely that a simple gun restriction will stop them? For example, the two kids who committed the mass shooting at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999, obtained some of their firearms illegally–the rest were stolen. They went through months of preparation to plan and proceed with this attack on their classmates. The illegality of the situation did not stop them from obtaining their weapons. Among that, it did not stop them from proceeding with the attack. A person focused on causing as much damage as possible is not going to abide by the law. Therefore, it is only logical to assume that restricting assault weapons will not stop mass shooters from obtaining them.

Topic sentence: Furthermore, that concept is irrelevant, as previously mentioned, most mass shootings occur with handguns, which aren’t being looked at when it comes to gun-control. Evidence & citing: On top of the effects, it is likely that extreme second amendment supporters may invoke their second amendment rights and defend themselves against the tyrannical government. Taking away someone’s constitutional right will surely cause someone to question whether or not their government is seeking to limit their rights entirely. Commentary: To a gun supporting constitutionalist, this will likely result in violence justified by self-defense. Overall, the misuse of firearms is heavily outweighed by the positive aspects they bring to many Americans. To elaborate, firearms save more lives each year in self-defense than the number of lives taken by the use of a firearm.

Evidence & citing: According to Capitalism Magazine, “roughly 11,000 lives have been lost through non-suicide deaths involving a firearm each year… Almost all national survey estimates indicate that defensive gun uses by victims are at least as common as offensive uses by criminals, with estimates of annual uses ranging from about 500,000 to more than 3 million per year, in the context of about 300,000 violent crimes involving firearms in 2008.” According to the statistics, as many as 3 million people are saved due to the use of a firearm each year. On top of that, only 11,000 people are killed each year due to a firearm. This number is including all mass shootings, homicides, and accidental discharge. Topic sentence: The number of lives saved due to a firearm is already significantly higher than the amount taken, yet gun-control advocates seek change in hopes of limiting the deaths caused by firearms? Commentary: Also, taking away people’s rights to gun ownership will not help prevent future shootings. Evidence & citing: Shootings like the Southerland Springs shooting would not have been stopped and would have ultimately resulted in many more deaths if gun-control laws were put in place. This shooting occurred on November 5, 2017. Twenty-six people were killed within this massacre. Thankfully, an AR-15 owner, Stephen Willeford, was nearby and was able to respond faster than the local authorities. He heroicly discharged his firearm and killed the shooter. Commentary: If he had not had his AR-15, and instead had a handgun, it is likely that he would not have been able to stop the attacker because he would have had to get into a close-quarter, out-gunned, fight with the shooter. Among the shootings like this that would not be stopped, people will not be able to defend their homes in the case of a home invasion. Evidence & citing: According to Skilled Survival, the AK-47 is a prime weapon for home defense. It allows for easy close-quarter and distant combat. On top of that, it is relatively inexpensive with a low upkeep price. Commentary: If gun-control restrictions were to be put into place, assault weapons such as this would not be an option for eager home defenders. Some advocates might argue that American’s don’t need an assault weapon to defend their home, a handgun will do just fine. However, it does not make sense for gun-control advocates to favor handguns.

Topic sentence: As mentioned numerously throughout my argument, handguns are the primary firearm used in most mass shootings. Why would someone seeking to limit mass shootings favor the very gun that is being used in the majority? This is because many of the gun-control advocates are not educated on the real statistics. They are primarily fed propaganda that is used to persuade uneducated people. After everything considered, what is the best solution to this problem? Commentary: We need to stir away from gun-control and seek better alternatives. As clearly mentioned, gun-control is not an effective preventative when it comes to limiting the number of mass shootings occurring within America. Instead, perhaps we should look at the signs leading up to a mass shooting and develop a system based on them. Evidence & citing: According to Steve Helling, “several organizations and foundations have developed warning signs to identify possible mass shooters”. In order to limit the number of mass shootings, why not test the people who are subject to these warning signs? Simply require them to undergo a psychological evaluation to determine whether or not they are suitable to roam the public. If the test concludes that they are deemed unsafe for the public, send them to a facility where they will be housed and provided for. Sure, some people might find this idea to be extreme, but wouldn’t it be more beneficial to require a simple test that only affects those showing the signs of a mass shooter, rather than tampering with the second amendment which affects every citizen in the United States? If we were to simply perform a psychological evaluation on every person showing the signs, proclaimed by gun-control advocates, we would certainly see a decrease in the number of mass shooters roaming the streets. Of course, there is a chance for innocent people to be placed into custody, but there is that chance with almost every law put into place as well. It is much more beneficial to have a system that works actively in preventing something from happening, rather than taking a step-by-step approach toward prevention like the gun-control laws seek to do.

Topic sentence: In response to gun-control supporters, it is amazing to see someone putting their foot down and attempting to solve a very real, serious, and devastating problem. However, gun-control is a solution that is simply not going to work. There are a lot better and more effective solutions that will result in a much better outcome for everyone. Commentary: Seeking to place a ban on the weapons that many people find fundamental to their well-being is not a wise decision by gun-control advocates. On top of that, most of the arguments proclaimed by gun-control supporters are faulty. Evidence & citing: The number one argument gun-control advocates are stating is “gun control saves lives”. It is alarming to know that once the actual statistics are looked at, the number one argument that gun-control advocates proclaim is actually false. Gun-control will not save more lives and that is proven. Limiting the availability of firearms will undoubtedly affect nearly 3 million people each year that are saved from armed robbery, home invasion, etc. due to firearm use. To put that number into perspective, only about 11,000 people are killed each year due to firearms. That number includes all mass shootings, school shootings, and homicides.

Topic sentence: Furthermore, the second most common argument made by gun-control supporters is “you do not have the right to own any gun you want”. This argument is also false. Evidence & citing: According to the constitution of the United States of America, we have the right to own whatever firearm necessary in hopes of being able to defend ourselves against a tyrannical government. The second amendment is already limited as it is. Commentary: If a citizen wants to purchase a firearm legally, they have to undergo extensive background checks, wait a certain amount of days (typically thirty) to even receive that firearm, and among that, you cannot buy any gun you want. Fully automatic weapons are practically unobtainable by ordinary citizens. Topic sentence: Finally, the third most common argument proposed by gun-control supporters is “fewer guns means fewer gun crimes period” (Rooney). Yet again, this argument can be proven to be faulty as well. Theoretically, it seems as though fewer firearms circulating within America will contribute toward fewer firearm deaths. Although this may be true, this is not the argument imposed by gun-control advocates. Evidence & citing: They believe that fewer guns will result in less gun-related crime. Wouldn’t that only increase the number of gun trafficking incidents in America? What happened when we made drugs illegal? We have seen a drug smuggling epidemic, the formation of cartels, drug rivalries, etc. Commentary: Implementing laws that restrict guns entirely will most certainly increase gun trafficking rates which will result in an increase in gun crime. It seems as though every argument made by gun-control advocates can be disproven.

Conclusion paragraph: Does America have a mass shooting problem? Yes. Does America need a change that will result in fewer mass shootings? Yes. Is gun control the answer? Absolutely not. These problems we are facing in America are real and desperately need solutions. However, the main solution, gun-control, is not an effective means. There is a lot more that can be done to stop the shooting epidemic occurring within America. We need to consider the outcomes and come up with a solution that will work for the majority. Gun-control is a very heated topic that is in no way favoring the majority. With any problem, there is no way to satisfy everyone, but we can at least try our best to satisfy most people and come together to stop this horrific epidemic. Overall, the mass shooting epidemic in the United States is a real and serious problem. Obviously, something needs to be done to limit it as much as possible.

Keep in mind:
This is only a sample.

Get a custom paper now from our expert writers.

However, restricting gun rights will do nothing but cause more issues when it comes to gun ownership and firearm distribution. There will likely be a revolt in America. We will see the millions of dedicated gun owners become furious with the government and they will likely go to extreme and desperate measures to prevent the government from altering their fundamental rights. On top of that, more lives will be lost due to the limitation of self-defense. Establishing gun-control will severely limit American’s right to self-defense. With the very limited forms of defense that will become available after gun-control laws are put into place, many people will have no form of defense. If a robbery or home invasion were to occur, these people would most likely be victimized without a chance to fight back. That alone is an alternative that makes gun-control look like a terrible solution. More lives will be lost at the hands of gun-control than the lives that will be saved according to the gun-control advocate’s goals. Finally, many mass shootings that are inevitably going to occur will not be stopped by heroes on the street. People like Stephen Willeford will never be heard of. The mass shootings that will inevitably occur, most likely through the use of gun trafficking, will be extremely severe and the only people that will be able to stop these shootings are the authorities who are sometimes restricted by certain laws and procedures.

Works Cited

1. Baron, Christof. “Weapon Types Used In The United States between 1982 and August 2019.” Statista. Statista 2019. Web. August 2019.
2. Chronis, G. Peter. “Gunman’s Prom Date Airs Story.” The Denver Post. 1999 The Denver Post. Web. Dec. 10, 2019.
3. Elder, Larry. “How Many Lives Are Saved By Guns–And Why Don’t Gun Controllers Care?” Capitalism Magazine. Capitalism Magazine 2019. Web. Apr. 6, 2019.
4. Garcia, Arturo. “Were AR-15’s Used In Every Mass Shooting In The United States After Aurora?” Snopes. Snopes 2019. Web. May 18, 2018.
5. Helling, Steve. “How To Spot Warning Signs of Potential Mass Shooters, After Spate of Arrest For Threats.” People.com. Merideth Corporation. Web. Dec. 9, 2019.
6. “The Hero Of Southerland Springs Shooting Is Still Reckoning With What Happened That Day.” Texas Monthly. Texas Monthly 2019. Web. November 2018.
7. Swearer, Amy. “Broad Gun-Control Restrictions Are Not The Answer.” The Heritage Foundation. 2019 Heritage Foundation. Web. Nov. 16, 2018.
8. “10 Best Survival Rifles To Protect And Defend Your Family.” Skilled Survival. 2019 Magazine Pro Theme. Web. Dec. 10, 2019.

Introduction

Should follow an “upside down” triangle format, meaning, the writer should start off broad and introduce the text and author or topic being discussed, and then get more specific to the thesis statement.

Background

Provides a foundational overview, outlining the historical context and introducing keyinformation that will be further explored in the essay, setting the stage for the argument to follow.

Thesis statement

Cornerstone of the essay, presenting the central argument that will be elaborated upon and supported with evidence and analysis throughout the rest of the paper.

Topic sentence

The topic sentence serves as the main point or focus of a paragraph in an essay, summarizing the key idea that will be discussed in that paragraph.

Evidence & citing

The body of each paragraph builds an argument in support of the topic sentence, citing information from sources as evidence.

Commentary

After each piece of evidence is provided, the author should explain HOW and WHY the evidence supports the claim.

Conclusion paragraph

Should follow a right side up triangle format, meaning, specifics should be mentioned first such as restating the thesis, and then get more broad aboutthe topic at hand. Lastly, leave the reader with something to think about and ponder once they are done reading.

Increased cases of gun violence in the United States have resulted in increased calls for stricter gun control regulations. In 1994, an armed civilian named Nicholas Cruz entered a Florida school and shot at students using an AR-5-style rifle and killed a number of them. Debates on gun control in the United began in 1994 after the shooting occurred in Florida (Bingham and Amy, 2017). The debates resulted in the enactment of various laws on gun control. AR-5-style rifles were afterward prohibited under the federal assault weapons ban that was passed by the U.S Congress and signed into law by Bill Clinton (Spitzer and Robert, 2012). Gun control measures applied by the United States government in its endeavors to curb gun violence in the country include banning possession of certain types of guns, arming teachers and extensive background and mental screening for gun buyers. Gun control in the United States is necessary for combating gun violence.

Firstly, lack of gun control measures results in possession of guns by inappropriate individuals. Mental and background screening is one of the strategies proposed to curb gun violence in the country and is aimed at ensuring that firearms are possessed by psychologically fit individuals (Winkler and Adam, 2011). According to Winkler and Adam (2011), 5% of the total gun killings experienced in the United States have been perpetrated by mentally ill individuals. Even though the statistics are meager, it is evident that psychological aspects contribute to gun violence in the country. Moreover, individuals from violent backgrounds such as neighborhoods that harbor gangs should be restricted from accessing guns. Easy access to firearms for gang-affiliated individuals is probably one of the reasons that neighborhoods harboring gangs experience more cases of gun violence compared to other areas (Bingham and Amy, 2017). The U.S government has established the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) that is used to screen potential gun buyers. The system is meant to identify individuals that are domestic abusers, convicted felons and mentally ill and prohibit them from purchasing guns. The program has not been very useful in regulating the purchase of guns because many private sellers are still unregulated. The U.S government should implement the program effectively since it is likely to be effective in curbing gun violence. Screening background and mental status of gun buyers will ensure that guns fall into the right hands hence, reducing cases of gun violence in the country.

Similarly, effective gun control will ensure that appropriate guns are sold to the public.

People are fighting of we should gun control and gun rights. People are side with gun control are against to gun rights. Gun control is like the set of laws or policies that people are safe with gun control like they have nothing to worry about if one person come out of nowhere with guns, it's against the law and they will be arrested. People are side with gun rights are against to gun control. Gun rights is like we have rights to carry gun everywhere and anytime. People who got guns for a reason. For example, they have guns because they want to protect themselves, so they’re self for not getting harm. For another example, people who have family have a gun because they want to protect, they’re family safe. For those two of gun control and gun rights, it's hard decision to which law you want to pick. I made my decision that I am with gun rights and I’m against gun control. All citizens and people have rights to have guns

All Citizens have right to carry guns to go everywhere we want. People who have guns to carry with them all day long have good reason to carry guns with them. If a person wants to harm someone or harm you, you have a gun and you can defend the person or yourself by the person will harm on someone or you. With a gun control, if the person has a gun wants to harm someone, you realize that you’re with gun control and you can’t protect yourself and the person too. That is why gun rights can allow you to have guns to defend yourself or defend a person. Gun rights always help you for a defense that reason the second amendment was created. The second amendment means “A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” Back in a long time ago when George Washington was president, there was some reason they created gun rights

All teachers should have right to carry guns for protection. All the people think about that teachers should have a gun because they need to defend, they’re self and defend all the students too. Many teachers and students died by someone who came to school, and shot at them. Teachers should carry guns with them for in case someone will attack the school but they can’t because gun control. If they gun control, they can’t defend they’re self and all the students too. All teachers can’t carry a gun because school policy of gun control. One day, someone will might come to the school and attack all the students and teachers. The school will have to let all the teachers carry guns for protection sometimes.

All the employee has rights to carry guns with them. Many employees died by the person crime using a gun on them. I saw some employees at the gas station carrying a shotgun and hand gun for protection if case someone is robbing the store. Here’s the question we want to know, “Can Employee bring guns for their work?” The answer is yes. All employees can bring gun for protection for a store if somebody robs the store. Here’s the fact part. Employers can ban guns in the workplace, they need to know of state laws that give employees the right to store a firearm. About half of U.S. states have such laws. It’s like Employee tell all the people that you can’t carry guns at a store. People can’t bring guns at a store because gun control. The Employees can bring guns at the store for protection because gun rights for them.

People have right to buy a gun for protection. Many people get killed from criminals because they follow the gun control law. Many people did not get killed from criminals because they use guns for gun rights. Let’s say, for example, the elder on her way to store but suddenly the criminal came out of nowhere and wanted to rob on the elder. The elder have a gun and tell the criminal person to go away or else that criminal will be harmed by the elder gun. That’s for example. Here’s the fact part from democrats, “Democrats believed stricter gun laws were what most Americans wanted.” All American does not want the gun control law. Some do want the gun control law but some of us want the gun rights.

All the U.S. military retirement have rights to carry guns. All the U.S. retirement soldiers could carry guns because they learn so many things for the past 20 years in military. Lot of retirement soldiers completely know of what’s going on in a whole world. The cops saw the retirement U.S. soldier carrying a gun and did not come to ask them. Maybe it’s the reason the cops did not ask the U. S. soldier's retirement because they know the U.S. retirement knows what they’re doing and aware. Lot of people know that U.S. retirement soldiers carry guns because protection. There are some states that would let the retirement soldiers allow to carry guns and some states would not allow them to carry guns. But I say that all the states should allow them to carry guns for protection.

People still fight that what should we keep and what should we get rid of. Lot of Americans with gun control wants to make the congress change the law of no more gun rights. Here’s the one problem. Congress can’t get rid of gun rights the second amendment. The gun rights always be here no matter what cost of trouble. There is a lot of reason for President George Washington created the second amendment. People with gun rights know what they’re doing good reason to carry gun for protection. Here’s the one problem for people who don’t know about it. What sides are you on? If I were you, I should be with gun rights. Look people, we have a good rights to carry a gun with us for protection and no matter what people said about gun rights is bad, you will always have protection with gun rights.

References

1. 'Gun Control/Gun Rights.' UXL Protests, Riots, and Rebellions: Civil Unrest in the Modern World, edited by Tracey Vasil Biscontini, vol. 2, UXL, 2018, pp. 233-262. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints

Gun violence in the U.S. can exhibit many different aspects from the modern liberal theories of Kant, Locke, and Smith. First, Kant’s exploration of social criticism can play a key role in why people participate in gun violence. Not all, but many perpetrators who use firearms to harm people in their community feel victimized or threatened by the structure or acts of society. A key example of this can be seen in school shootings. Often times, kids experience bullying or unfair treatment for either physical features, academic performance, or other character traits that they have no control over. When experiencing such negative feedback from society, many shooters feel as though they need to take social criticism into their own hands. Some examples of bullied kids taking action against society include the Columbine High School shooters as well as Nikolas Cruz, the recent graduate of a Florida high school who opened fire on his alma mater.

Two more theories can be applied to gun violence in the U.S. Smith’s idea of self-interest as a foundation of liberal social order may be connected to individuals’ tendencies to purchase guns simply for their protection. Having a gun may put them at the top of the social pyramid. Additionally, gun violence can be attributed to Locke’s idea of tabula rasa. This concept, which means “blank slate,” stipulates how people are products of experience. When people experience violence in the home in their early life, they may be more inclined to participate in violent tendencies in the future. This idea is also paralleled in the presence of guns in a child’s home. When guns are present throughout a person’s childhood, it may seem commonplace for guns to be around.

By definition, terrorism is “the use of violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims” (Oxford dictionary). No modern liberal theory can explain this better than the critique of social systems and government. Acts of domestic terrorism are perpetrated by individuals who feel that radical change will only happen if they take violent action against the political systems that control society. Kant’s idea of social criticism made the firm distinction between free thinking and disobedience. While terrorists try to make a forceful stand against the systems they deem unfit for society, they definitely do cross over to the side of disobedience. International terrorists are different in their motivation, so I will not expand on them.

Terrorism may act as a counter culture against the social contract, which constitutes that people follow a universal moral order. Locke’s social contract says that no one is forced to be a member of society; one must opt to be a member, or they will remain in the state of nature. Terrorists contradict the social contract by committing violent acts against their own people (or people of another country for international terrorists).

People nationwide are debating about ways to reduce gun violence. Guns have always been a part of America. In the beginning, guns were a key part of survival. They were needed to kill animals for food and for protection. However, in modern times, guns have gone from tools of need to novelty toys. Generally, people own guns in this century for sport or for protection. The simplicity of a gun and the lack of effort it requires owning one has lured many people to acquire a gun, and now there are hundreds of millions of guns in the United States. This event leads to the reality of our modern culture. As a machine that can kill many people very quickly, a vast amount of violence is naturally going to result from its existence.

For example, “On December 14, 2012 Adam Lanza, a 20 year old with Asperger’s syndrome, shot his way into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut . According to the final report by the state attorney’s office he got in the school at 9:30 AM in the morning and shot the principal and the school’s psychologist that went out to the hallway to check loud bangs they heard. He then moved on to classrooms where innocent children were learning and started shooting and by 9:40 AM, just ten minutes later, he took the lives of twenty six people, including twenty children age twelve and below and six adults before taking his own life”. Also, “Oct. 1, 2017: Stephen Paddock opened fire on an outdoor music festival on the Las Vegas Strip from the 32nd floor of a hotel-casino, killing 58 people and wounding more than 500. SWAT teams with explosives then stormed his room and found he had killed himself and Oct. 27, 2018: Robert Bowers is accused of opening fire at Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, during Shabbat morning services, killing 11 and injuring others. It’s the deadliest attack on Jews in the U.S. in history.” The list goes on and on and just keeps growing by the day. Gun violence has been and continues to be one of the major issues in the United States.

The increasing rate of gun violence is a very significant problem in the United States. Loopholes in the gun control laws are allowing prohibited people to access of firearms easily. As the country with the largest stockpile of privately owned firearms, we aren’t doing much to prevent them from falling on the wrong hands. According to The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act “convicted felons, drug users and abusers, and mentally ill people are prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms”. However, convicted criminals and mentally ill people are acquiring firearms without any difficulty and are using them for the wrong reasons because of weak laws that regulate the sale of firearms. Firearm sales at gun shows are not regulated by the FBI and buyers are not required to go through any kind of background checks at the time of purchase. According to a report by the UC Davis Violence Prevention Research Program titled “Inside Gun Shows: What Goes on When Everybody Thinks Nobody’s Watching”, more than 40% of gun sales occur privately without regulation. That is very scary and something needs to be done to fix this.

My first step to reduce gun violence is having permitted to purchase laws. These laws will require anyone interested in purchasing firearms to apply to law-enforcement agencies first. It will take about a month to get a full background check on the individual interested in purchasing a firearm. The additional time given for background checks leads to better prevention of mentally ill and people with criminal backgrounds getting ahold of firearms. Also, it may reduce impulsive gun purchases. My next step is safe storage practices. Unloading guns when storing them; use of lockboxes, trigger locks, cable locks; and other safe storage practices make it less likely that children or adolescents could access guns. Safely storing firearms also leads to a reduction in theft of firearms which in most cases end up on the black market, which is where criminals and the mentally ill can get them. My next step is red flag laws. “These regulations allow law enforcement agencies or a person’s family members who notice the person shows “red flags”— that the individual may pose a threat to themselves or others — to seek a court order to seize the person’s firearms temporarily”(2018). Lastly, ban all firearms besides handguns and shotguns. In my opinion, there is no need for a person to own an assault weapon and those are the main guns used in mass shootings, so banning everything but handguns and shotguns will reduce the effects of the shootings.

Controlling firearms is just part of the solution to gun violence. We need to understand why certain individuals decide to shoot up a school, or other places and once we figure that out we can get the people that have those urges the help they need to prevent any more mass shootings from occurring again. We already have a general idea of why people commit crime. People commit these crimes due to the routine activities theory which states, a crime occurs if there is a motivated offender, suitable target, and lack of guardianship. Also crime occurs because of strain theory which states that stress leads to crime and nowadays people are stressing more than ever thus leading to an increase in violent crime such as shootings. So we need to tackle this issue psychologically.

In conclusion, I do not agree with the way gun violence is being handled here in the United States, and that something needs to be done as soon as possible. My solutions are: Permit to purchase firearm laws need to be established, safely storing your firearms, red flag laws need to be established, all firearms should be banned excluding handguns and shotguns, and designating more resources to understanding why people commit gun violence. Therefore, there is no easy solution to gun violence and my solution is a fantastic start. Gun violence has been and continues to be one in each and each and every of the most quintessential troubles in yank. The U.S. has the very exceptional cost of gun possession internal the world and subsequently the very magnificent fee of gun violence and fatalities in distinction to choice developed countries.

Throughout the years gun violence has brought on many families to go via ache and suffering. I agree with that if we all got here together to an agreement to exchange gun laws and compromise, there would be much less gun violence, much less loss of innocent lives of each adults and children. Gun violence in America has been a brilliant trouble to society.

Works Cited

1. Alcorn, T., & Jansen, B. (2018). A national-level database of mass shootings in the United States, 1966-2017. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 088626051877329.
2. Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. (2021). The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. https://www.bradyunited.org/.
3. Cook, P. J., & Ludwig, J. (2019). Universal background checks and gun violence: Evidence from California. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 38(1), 63-80.
4. Giffords Law Center. (2021). Giffords Law Center. https://giffords.org/.
5. Hemenway, D., & Solnick, S. J. (2015). The epidemiology of self-defense gun use: Evidence from the National Crime Victimization Surveys 2007-2011. Preventive Medicine, 79, 22-27.
6. Koper, C. S., & Woods, D. J. (2019). The effects of gun shows on gun-related deaths: Evidence from California and Texas. Journal of Urban Health, 96(1), 49-58.
7. Krouse, W. J. (2012). Gun control legislation. Congressional Research Service.
8. Rosenfeld, R., & Fornango, R. (2014). The impact of concealed carry laws (CCWs) on violent crime: Evidence from county-level panel data in the United States. Journal of Law and Economics, 57(2), 351-382.
9. Siegel, M., & Rothman, E. F. (2016). Firearm ownership and suicide rates among US men and women, 1981-2013. American Journal of Public Health, 106(7), 1316-1322.
10. Swanson, J. W., & McGinty, E. E. (2018). Reducing gun violence in America: Evidence for change. JHU Press.

Table of contents

1. Introduction
Pathophysiology of Parkinson’s diseaseTaxonomic structure of the microbiome in Parkinson’s diseaseMicrobiome composition as a diagnostic marker for Parkinson’s diseaseProposed functional mechanisms of the microbiome’s impact on Parkinson’s Disease pathology
2. Conclusion
3. References

Introduction

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the progressive cell death of dopaminergic neurons and the cytoplasmic aggregation of the protein alpha-synuclein. Gut microbiota has been found to play an important role in the pathology, influencing both the accumulation of Alpha Syn and the activation of microglia responsible for the inflammatory response to neuronal damage. Gastrointestinal tract (GIT) disorders account for one of the most common non-motor symptoms with 50-80% of PD patients displaying such dysfunctions. This alteration of bowel function, mainly in the form of constipation, can precede the prototypical motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease by over a decade. There is a marked difference in the composition of gut microbial populations in PD patients versus healthy controls with the relative abundance of specific bacterial genera being sufficient to distinguish between the different forms of PD. The initiating factors of Parkinson’s disease are currently unknown. However, environmental factors influencing primarily through the gut are likely to play a key role, most probably against a background of genetic vulnerability. This essay will discuss how gut-brain interactions influence Parkinson’s disease by describing the proposed mechanisms by which the microbiome impacts its pathology. It will also explore the value of microbiota as biomarkers for early detection of the disease and the potential for therapeutics to relieve non-motor symptoms.

Pathophysiology of Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson’s disease impacts 1-3% of the population over the age of 65 and is a type of amyloidosis featuring the cytoplasmic accumulation of fibrils of ?-synuclein. Despite the characterization of the disease relating to the residence of these neuropathological hallmarks in the dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra and striatum, there is evidence for ?Syn accumulating in the gut and propagating via the vagus nerve to the brain. For example, vagotomised individuals who have had part of their vagus nerve removed are at a decreased risk of Parkinson’s disease. Neurons in the enteric nervous system and olfactory bulbs were also found to contain aggregated ?Synuclein in early-stage PD patients. The vagal nerve is a crucial mediator of communication between gut microbiota and the brain and relates to the pathway by which the microbiome would exert its effects on the pathology of Parkinson’s disease. This ENS affection to the CNS is consistent with the clinical observation that GIT dysfunctions sometimes precede the motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease by years. However, the diagnostic value of having these ?Syn positive aggregates present in the ENS is uncertain due to their presence in the healthy colon mucosa. There is debate over whether PD does truly begin in the gut, however, the agreement is made over the potential role of the gut microbiome in Parkinson’s disease pathology.

?Synuclein derived from the exosomes of neurons in PD patients triggers the activation of microglia. These activated microglia are important in normal biological function and normally respond to neuronal damage by removing the damaged cells by phagocytic function. However, the chronic production of inflammatory products such as cytokines, reactive oxygen intermediates, proteinases, and complement proteins by microglia characterize the slow destructive process of Parkinson’s disease. There are several microbial molecules that mimic host structures and promote an immune response during the development of PD.

The resultant loss of dopaminergic neurons leads to the cardinal motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease patients: rigidity, slowness of movement (termed bradykinesia), and a tremor. These symptoms progressively worsen as the disease advances.

Taxonomic structure of the microbiome in Parkinson’s disease

The human body possesses not solely its own genome but also harbors the genetic information of all the microorganisms living in and with it, the so-called microbiome. Current available studies of the colon, oral and nasal microbiome have shown results regarding PD-specific alterations to bacteria, most convincingly those of the GI tract. These studies are mainly based on the technique of 16S rRNA gene amplification. The technique allows the diversity of this single ribosomal gene to be surveyed, allowing analysis of the genetic diversity of microbial communities. However, it may be biased due to the unequal expression of the gene between species leading to a skewed perception of abundance. Deeper insight into the community biodiversity and function of the microbiome can be gained through metagenomic sequencing, a process which allows genes of thousands of organisms to be sampled in parallel. There are also drawbacks to this technique relating to its inability to provide deep enough analysis to detect rare species. Accumulatively these techniques have shown bacteria associated with an altered intestinal barrier or immune function to be either significantly over or underrepresented in PD patients. In particular, Akkermansia & Lactobacillus increase in relative abundance, whilst Facalibacterium and Prevotella genus decrease. It has not yet been established whether there is a temporal or causal relationship between the gut microbiota and the core features of the disease. However, this dysbiosis allows PD cases to be distinguished from healthy individuals at a very early stage. A comparable microbial shift is found in REM sleep behavior disorder which is a risk factor for the later development of synucleinopathies including Parkinson’s disease. And also, is sufficient to distinguish between different forms of PD. Patients with the tremor-dominant phenotype of Parkinson’s disease display significantly lower Enterobacteriaceae than those with more severe postural and gait instability. High Enterobacteriaceae abundance is also correlated to a more severe PD phenotype. This accumulation of evidence indicates that alterations in the human intestinal microbiome represent a risk factor for Parkinson’s disease and are correlated with disease progression.

Microbiome composition as a diagnostic marker for Parkinson’s disease

Following these discoveries, the possibility of using modifications in the microbiome as a marker for early diagnosis has been stated. However, confounding variables that can affect the microbiome were likely responsible for the results of early studies, as has been noted and subsequently controlled for. These include the DNA isolation methods and experimental cohorts being recruited from PD patients with variations in diet, age, the severity of the stage of disease, and current medication. Therefore, it is important to interpret the data of these studies with caution as reproducibility and consistency can be below.

For example, a 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing study conducted in 2015 by Scheperjans and his team found the prevotella enterotype to be underrepresented in PD patients. The link to PD pathogenesis was attributed to decreased mucin synthesis associated with increased gut permeability when prevotella levels are low. This could lead to local and systemic expression of bacterial endotoxin, an environmental trigger of PD, and increased alpha Syn expression in the colon. However, no PD association to prevotellacea family was reported in the 2017 study by Hill-Burns and her colleagues involving 16S rRNA sequencing with a larger sample size (197 compared to 72) and statistical analysis included to control potential confounders. Therefore, following suggestions such as those of the Scheperjans study to investigate the effects of supplementing neuroactive sort chain fatty acids and the vitamins thiamine and folate to account for this deficit in prevotella and act as a potential therapeutic in PD patients could be regarded as premature. Other papers have also highlighted the reported inconsistencies in the influence of the prevotella genus and have stated that the change in abundance may only be present in the early stages of Parkinson’s disease. Attempts have now been made to standardize protocols in microbial studies to allow easier comparison of results.

Proposed functional mechanisms of the microbiome’s impact on Parkinson’s Disease pathology

Under normal conditions, Akkermansia muciniphila exerts beneficial effects on the mucosal layer of the intestine and improves the barrier function of the gut epithelium. In PD patients the relative abundance of this species is increased from the normal equilibrium. This may seem counter-intuitive regarding its link to the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease; however, the mucus is utilized as its energy source and degradation of the barrier could be caused if bacterial abundance is too high. Without sufficient barrier function, microbial antigens of opportunistic pathogens may activate immune cells and thus have inflammatory potential. A schematic representation of the process by which microbiota may increase the permeability of the blood-gut and blood-brain barrier is found in figure 1. The diagram is not specific to Akkermansia though does highlight the general process by which a route of transmission between the gut and brain could be formed following microbial dysbiosis and formation of fibrillar ?Synuclein induced. Products of the microbiota such as LPS and metabolites would then be able to gain access to the CNS via the compromised barriers with detrimental effects.

Increased Lactobacillacae is associated with decreased levels of ghrelin, a hormone known to regulate nigrostriatal dopamine function and possibly restrict neurodegeneration in PD. Lactobacilli are also thought to modulate the activity of neurons of the enteric nervous system which as discussed previously is thought to be implicated in Parkinson’s disease. This modulation may affect cellular ?-synuclein secretion, also a hallmark of PD. Currently, these links are still conceptual with insufficient data to support them conclusively. However, Lactobacillacae levels are thought to increase in line with Parkinson’s disease progression which does indicate this family of bacteria is important to the pathology in some form.

There are reduced levels of Lachnaspiraceae bacteria reported in Parkinson’s disease patients. These bacteria produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) which are microbial metabolites that play a role in PD. Depletion of SCFAs is an attractive hypothesis implicated in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease and could potentially explain inflammation and microglial activation in the brain plus the gastrointestinal features of the disease. The molecules are also featured in the schematic of fig 1.

There is currently little evidence of one underlying bacterial change having a significant impact on Parkinson’s disease risk, it is more likely that changes in the complex equilibrium of the entire microbiome will be correlated to PD. However, certain bacteria are capable of mimicking host molecules which may initiate the same destructive immune response found in Parkinson’s disease. The unclassified bacteria operational taxonomic unit 469 expresses an endonuclease with a domain like ?Syn. Despite the extremely low abundance of such bacteria, it is possible that as a consequence of specific interactions with the host, the pathophysiology of Parkinson’s disease can be significantly modified.

Keep in mind:
This is only a sample.

Get a custom paper now from our expert writers.

Conclusion

The link between the gut and Parkinson’s disease is well established. However, the characterization of the mechanisms by which the microbiome elucidates its effects is yet to be determined in full. Analysis of the bacterial composition of the colon may be predictive for PD allowing discrimination between its forms, but only once studies have determined the relevant biomarkers through analysis at the highest possible resolution with confounding variables adequately controlled for in reproducible studies. Beyond this, a functional link between dysbiosis of particular genera comprising the microbiome and the pathophysiological markers of PD requires more evidence. Once this has been established, it would be feasible to develop Parkinson’s disease therapeutics targeting aspects of the microbiome.

References

1. Araki, K. et al., 2019. Parkinson's disease is a type of amyloidosis featuring accumulation of amyloid fibrils of ?-synuclein.. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 3 9, 116(36), pp. 17963-17969.
2. Barichella, M. et al., 2019. Unraveling gut microbiota in Parkinson's disease and atypical parkinsonism. Movement Disorders, 21 3, 34(3), pp. 396-405.
3. Bedarf, J. R. et al., 2019. Das Darmmikrobiom bei der Parkinson-Krankheit. Der Nervenarzt, 31 2, 90(2), pp. 160-166.
4. Braak, H., Rüb, U., Gai, W. P. & Del Tredici, K., 2003. Idiopathic Parkinson's disease: possible routes by which vulnerable neuronal types may be subject to neuroinvasion by an unknown pathogen. Journal of Neural Transmission, 1 5, 110(5), pp. 517-536.
5. Dinan, T. G. & Cryan, J. F., 2017. Gut instincts: microbiota as a key regulator of brain development, ageing and neurodegeneration. The Journal of Physiology, 15 1, 595(2), pp. 489-503.
6. Fitzgerald, E., Murphy, S. & Martinson, H. A., 2019. Alpha-Synuclein Pathology and the Role of the Microbiota in Parkinson’s Disease. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 24 4, Volume 13, p. 369.
7. Gerhardt, S. & Mohajeri, M., 2018. Changes of Colonic Bacterial Composition in Parkinson’s Disease and Other Neurodegenerative Diseases. Nutrients, 1 6, 10(6), p. 708.
8. Heintz-Buschart, A. et al., 2018. The nasal and gut microbiome in Parkinson's disease and idiopathic rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder. Movement Disorders, 1, 33(1), pp. 88-98.
9. Hill-Burns, E. M. et al., 2017. Parkinson's disease and Parkinson's disease medications have distinct signatures of the gut microbiome. Movement Disorders, 1 5, 32(5), pp. 739-749.
10. Miraglia, F. & Colla, E., 2019. Microbiome, Parkinson's Disease and Molecular Mimicry.. Cells, 8(3).
11. Pereira, P. A. et al., 2017. Oral and nasal microbiota in Parkinson's disease. Parkinsonism & Related Disorders, 1 5, Volume 38, pp. 61-67.
12. Perez-Pardo, P. et al., 2017. The gut-brain axis in Parkinson's disease: Possibilities for food-based therapies. European Journal of Pharmacology, 15 12, Volume 817, pp. 86-95.
13. Qian, L. & Flood, P. M., 2008. Microglial cells and Parkinson’s disease. Immunologic Research, 30 7, 41(3), pp. 155-164.
14. Radisavljevic, N., Cirstea, M. & Brett Finlay, B., 2019. Bottoms up: the role of gut microbiota in brain health. Environmental Microbiology, 13 9, 21(9), pp. 3197-3211.
15. Sampson, T. R. et al., 2016. Gut Microbiota Regulate Motor Deficits and Neuroinflammation in a Model of Parkinson’s Disease. Cell, 1 12, 167(6), pp. 1469-1480.e12.
16. Scheperjans, F. et al., 2015. Gut microbiota are related to Parkinson's disease and clinical phenotype. Movement Disorders, 5 3, 30(3), pp. 350-358.
17. Shah, N., Tang, H., Doak, T. G. & Ye, Y., 2011. Comparing bacterial communities inferred from 16S rRNA gene sequencing and shotgun metagenomics.. Pacific Symposium on Biocomputing. Pacific Symposium on Biocomputing, pp. 165-76.
18. Svensson, E. et al., 2015. Vagotomy and subsequent risk of Parkinson's disease. Annals of Neurology, 1 10, 78(4), pp. 522-529.
19. Thameem Dheen, S., Kaur, C. & Ling, E.-A., 2007. Microglial Activation and its Implications in the Brain Diseases. Current Medicinal Chemistry, 1 5, 14(11), pp. 1189-1197.
20. Thompson, L. R. et al., 2017. A communal catalogue reveals Earth’s multiscale microbial diversity. Nature, 1 11, 551(7681), pp. 457-463.
21. Wang, Y. et al., 2018. The Gut-Microglia Connection: Implications for Central Nervous System Diseases.. Frontiers in immunology, Volume 9, p. 2325.
22. Xia, R. & Mao, Z.-H., 2012. Progression of motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease. Neuroscience Bulletin, 25 2, 28(1), pp. 39-48.

A famous short story, "Two Friends," was translated by Gordon R. Silber. This story took place during the Franco-Prussian War that began in 1870. This war was a conflict between France and Germany. As Maupassant's story begins, the city in on the verge of surrender. Two men try to ignore this violence and fish often and become true friends. This essay will carefully examine how Guy de Maupassant used six different literary elements in creating this outstanding short story known as "Two Friends."

In this paragraph, we will look at how the author uses the setting and tone in and throughout the story. The story takes place in early 1871 in France. The author uses many descriptive words describing the setting throughout the whole story. The tone of this story is overall very gloomy and dull. He conveys this tone through many quotes throughout the text such as, "They started to walk side by side, absent-minded and sad" (1235). Maupassant emits this sad and dull tone through many quotes similar to that. The setting and tone contribute to the purpose and figurative language in the story as well.

You can see that the author uses figurative language in a few different instances throughout the text. He uses figurative language along with many other literary elements to show the purpose of the story. As you many know, figurative language is where the author uses words or expressions that mean something different than the literal interpretation. Maupassant uses his words from beginning to end to show figurative language such as when he writes, "And a feeling of unease paralyzed the two friends as they faced this deserted region (1236)." The two friends were not paralyzed, therefore this is figurative language since he is saying one thing to interpret another. Many elements are used to create the purpose, which is what the author is hoping to accomplish or communicate through the text. The purpose of this story is to teach a lesson of friendship. It shows that you can connect with people even when times are rough. It also shows that you should try to be positive and live life to the fullest because you never know when death is upon you. The purpose helps convey the theme, which is the overall general message which is very similar to the purpose.

The author's theme he is trying to show is that friends stay loyal to each other even while looking death in the face. Another theme he conveys is that even though many people want peace all through humanity, it will never happen. Maupassant also uses symbolism when he explains throughout the story that the men went to the river to fish regularly before the war started; now that it has begun, it is dangerous and the days aren't as bright, the sun shines less. This shows that the weather is a symbolic item because before it used to be bright and now times are sad and gloomy.

The author wrote this short story using many literary terms such as tone, setting, purpose, figurative language, theme, and symbolism. The story started brightly before the war but as the war started things started to get darker, but the two friends remained loyal to one another. In all short stories, we must take a closer look to see what the author is trying to convey throughout it.

Table of contents

1. Organization Structure
ProsConsPros of Having Bargaining Department in BasementCons of Having Bargaining Department in Basement

H.L. Reed’s is a family owned business and operated by the grandson of founder. Its sales performance drop to 940 suits in 1989, 35% decrease compare to 1985. The slow response to H.L.Reed’s declining sales could be contributed to below reasons.

The continuity of family business rely much on the personal abilities, social network, industry knowledge and management skills originated from the owner. These are intangible assets to the company but not likely to transfer to his successor. Selecting successor from family members may not be the best alternative as the option is limited. During the ownership transfer, i.e. when the president retires or pass away, the successor may not possess the same capabilities to run the business with smooth transition. They may act differently to same problem.

Organization Structure

H.L.Reed’s as a family business tend to have a lower efficiency and motivation compared to its competitors. The third generation president may not have the interest to run the business. The company exists for reasons other than profit making. The family could merely let the business run without going deep into operation performance, sales figures and profitability. Even though the industry player intensified the competition, the book still shows profit every year in past few decades. This may also lead to slow response to market competition. At employee level, they may find limited growth opportunities in a family business since the family members occupy all leadership positions. H.L.Reed’s is difficult to retain talented and ambitious employees when there is better job opportunity. This means, the slackening demand are not spot at operational and management level.

H.L.Reed’s enjoy a long history and target at upper-middle class with high markup in the area. Customer loyalty is very high. Several generations of families have purchased their clothes at Reed’s. For so many years Reed’s has been focusing on high-end market, leaving the moderate-to-low market undeveloped. Maulouf strategy is to get into mid-to-low price market in order to build solid customer base and eventually get into high-end market. With the salary increase by age, low income class may eventually go into middle or high income class. However, Reed’s did not aware of market change and respond timely but stick to its current customer base.

2. In response to declining sales, Reed's will adopt several measures trying to regain its market share: adding two low priced lines men's suit below $189, retail reduction adjustment and increase level of advertisement. According to projected figures, overall sales unit will be tripled from 359pcs to 1292pcs. This campaign is expected to make total gross profit $73,938, more than a double compare to profit derived from existing price line ($29,054).

3. Followed by Reed’s price cut, it stimulates consumer to spend which result in increase in sales volume and profit to Reed’s as a first mover in price reduction.

Given that the department store industry and men’s suit market is a free market with no entry barrier, it will lead to competition from both existing and potential players trying to get share of profit. As a result, the number of players in the market is expected to increase. In long run the men’s suit market may become unprofitable if there is over competition. Market leader with cost advantage may see opportunity to takeover some small companies.

The most common practice to respond by competitors is making price reduction same as Reed’s. By the law of demand, quantity demand is increased when its price is lowered. If the market is price sensitive, the percentage of quantity demand increased will outweigh the degree in price reduction, which means the total revenue will be increased by price cut.

Reed’s price cut will drive away demand for low price men suit market. Thus, existing players in this market will try to defend their customer base by increasing customer loyalty. This may include increase in product quality under same price, provide value-added service (i.e. lowest price guarantee, better after-sale service), membership & loyal customer program. This helps the competitors to differentiate its products and market position from Reed’s, and with quality products, consumer will choose the suppliers which best fit their needs and worth for dollar.

Within the organization, they will provide products at lowest possible cost by sourcing globally, archiving supply chain excellence, etc. Consider the brand assortment, department store may re-organize its product mix between menswear and women’s apparel to avoid over competition in men’s suit. Innovative marketing campaign across markets and product lines like shopping day for family in weekend maybe better options than merely focusing on menswear.

4. In response to declining sales, Reed's will adopt several measures trying to regain its market share: adding two low priced lines men's suit below $189, retail reduction adjustment and increase level of advertisement. According to projected figures, overall sales unit will be tripled from 359pcs to 1292pcs. This campaign is expected to at least double the total gross profit to $73,938.

Pros

Given that the advertising expense is increased on both high- & low priced men suit, Reeds can enjoy cost benefit in launching its marketing campaign. It needs more air time, media space for its product exposure, which increase its bargaining power to enjoy a lower marketing cost during negotiation with advertising agents. It helps reeds to identify the best channel to promote its products.

Consumer perceived Reed's as a premium and quality brand before the reform. After the change, it covers a wider price range with all income groups. As low-middle income is a new market segment to Reed's, advertising all its product the same time can deliver message to its target customer directly.

One of the advertising purpose is getting into low-middle income customer. With such advertisement, they understand the product mix Reed's offer and tend to make their first purchase on low price products. With the increase in income over time, these customers may eventually move to more profitable price lines or lead to opportunity for cross selling.

The advertising campaign is expected to bring position sales impact on both low- & high priced price lines. Reed's can improve resource allocation efficiency with the increase in sales volume. It is more likely to make better logistics consolidation, price negotiation, sales planning & coordination, global sourcing and supplier collaboration.

Cons

Reed's has solid customer base and loyalty in high-end men suit market. The existing customer associated Reed's as premium brand and purchasing from Reed's a prestige. If Reed's turn to the mass market, it dilutes Reed's corporate image in high-end market and some loyal customer will be driven away.

Following point 1, Reed's has to consider the right mix of advertisement content so that the decrease in high-priceline sales will be offset by increase in mass market sales. Reeds has to ensure the customer aware of the advertisement and the content could stimulate and change their consumer buying habit.

The advertisement will bring in new customers to low and high pricelines. However, each customer group may desire different needs from Reed's. The services Reed's provided to high priceline may not be applicable to its low price counterpart. Reeds is also inexperience in low price market and it takes time to fine tune the best strategy to maintain its competence in this market.

We simply divide Reed's priceline into two. The low price market generate relative low share of total profit. This accounts for 33% in exhibit 1 and 15% in exhibit 2. The sales in low price market relative to profit share is not proportional. This means the advertisement will attract low profit margin customer. These customer tends to be price sensitive and a lot more resources is needed to keep them as repeat customers.

Pros of Having Bargaining Department in Basement

Reeds discount store will attract price seekers who look for best price. This will increase total traffic to Reed's as a whole. This creates opportunity for Reed's to demonstrate its products to all incoming customers. As a result, this can create positive impact on cross selling, unintentional purchase when the visit time in the store is increased.

Setting up basement discount store allowed Reed's to segregate the customer groups. It helps the company to identify the needs from each market segments. Reeds can further analyses sales data to build up customer database to enhance better customer relationship and formulate better marketing strategies. This provides opportunity to turn irregular shopper to frequent customers.

The basement bargaining store will be selling old fashioned, outdated, obsoleted and leftover items. These items are usually unfavorable to customers. If Reed's is selling these items in normal shop space, it affects the shop layout, sales turnover and stock slows the cashflow. Thus, a basement bargaining store offers the channel to clean up inventory to prevent deadstock.

Cons of Having Bargaining Department in Basement

If a bargaining store is a long term strategy of Reed's, it will affect customer expectations in following ways. Overwhelming traffic will hamper shop experience. Customer may associate bargaining store as poor quality and low end. The effectiveness of having basement bargaining store is lower when customer get use to such strategy.

Bargain items are usually in low value with poor margin. It requires subprime shop space as demonstration and capital investment which could be used for other items promotion and development. Bargain items are fast moving due to low cost. Reeds needs to allocate resources like manpower to manage stock replenishment however product assortment. Even the bargaining store may generate high sales volume, however it may not be a wise decision to adopt this strategy as the corporate focus is driven away.

Keep in mind:
This is only a sample.

Get a custom paper now from our expert writers.

It is uncertain bargaining store could generate profit. Incoming traffic maybe windows shopper. They are likely to make one time purchase due to price seeking behavior. In low end market, the products tends to be homogeneous and price oriented. If Reed's cannot keep its price competitive from time to time, price sensitive customer will be taken away by its competitors.