Abstract
The paper examines the similarities and significant differences between Jane Smiley's novel "A Thousand Acres" and Shakespeare's original "King Lear". The paper illustrates how "A Thousand Acres" is a feminist re-vision of the Lear tragedy where the patriarchal myth is best grounded. The paper shows how, by giving voice to the women seen as vile in Shakespeare's text, Smiley manages to shed a new light on the traditional story and make it more compatible with modern consciousness.

From the Paper
"Thus, Jane Smiley's re-vision of King Lear works as a displacement of traditional patriarchy: the author demits Lear from his role as a patriarchal figure, persecuted and betrayed by his ungrateful daughters. The main characters in A Thousand Acres, as well as the main directions in the plot, are all mirroring the Shakespearian tragedy: the prosperous farmer in Iowa - Larry Cook/ Lear decides, on an impulse, to renounce the absolute rights on his property, and to divide the family land among his three daughters: Ginny/ Goneril, Rose/ Regan and Caroline/ Cordelia. The names of the characters themselves are plain allusions to the main characters in Shakespeare's text."

Tags:women, patriarch, male, domination, oppression, abuse

Abstract
The paper begins by claiming that Caroline is the most evil of the characters in the novel, and then goes on to argue this point. It explores the nature of sibling relationships and focuses on the communication between the sisters in the novel. Following the plot of the novel, it gives reasons for the claim that Caroline is the most evil character her accusations and her denial of her sisters' pain. The writer's arguments are supported by quotes from the novel.

From the Paper
"The grief process that accompanies child sexual abuse is often a grief process that is delayed well into adulthood. For this reason one of the most important steps in that grief process has to do with gaining validity and acceptance from your peers, often siblings. The dynamics of parent-child relationships, even in rather large families often makes it feel to the individual person that each sibling grew up in an entirely different household. In this narrative the most evil character in the novel is Caroline because she does not lend the support her sisters need when they are beginning the healing process. Yes, the father is evil, yet he is lost to the girls already. There will be no reconciliation because he is to angry and afraid to handle his own demons and he eventually gets lost in dementia so he never has to make amends. The healing the women need must take place in the present, with people who they will know for the rest of their lives, mainly their sisters."

Tags:Caroline, nature, sibling, relationship, communication, sisters, plot, accusations, denial, abuse

Abstract
The paper analyzes the differences between the two stories that make them unique and important in their own way. According to the writer, Smiley's modern version of the King Lear tale is easier for a reader today to understand. The paper gives examples of Smiley's more feminine point of view. The writer also brings passages from Shakespeare's text to illustrate the style of the classic master.

From the Paper
"When reading a tragedy it is necessary to know what constitutes a tragedy in plays. A tragedy usually involves some sort of disaster such as death or plague. The plot of the tragic story focuses around the reaction of the characters to the disaster. Usually a tragedy will be about the main character, or protagonists struggle with moral issues, (as with Hamlet in Hamlet, or King Lear in King Lear). Tragedies raise questions about the morality and psychological stability of human kind. The outcome of a tragedy often seems to be inevitable if the reader is aware that they are reading a tragedy. The main almost always dies along with the main characters nemesis and others along the way. Good does not always win in tragedies either, and that is another aspect of tragedies that makes them more tragic in those cases."

Tags:tragedy, feminism, character, nemesis, morality

From the Paper
"Arthur Meier Schlesinger, Jr., author, historian, political scientist, son of an author and historian, professor of history at Harvard University, special presidential assistant from 1961-1963, eminent man of American letters, would seem to be overly well-qualified to write what he calls a personal memoir of the days when John Fitzgerald Kennedy occupied 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, D.C..

Schlesinger, born in Columbus, Ohio, October 15, 1917, was a contemporary of the assassinated president. An alumnus of Harvard, he was an associate professor of history from 1946 to ... "

Abstract
This paper looks at how in 1542, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, a Portuguese navigator sailing for the Spanish Crown, sailed from western Mexico north to San Diego Bay, claiming the "Island of California" (he was mistaken) for Spain and how later in 1697, the Jesuit missionary Juan Maria de Salvatierra established the first permanent mission in Baja California Sur, which was part of New Spain at that time. The paper examines how the Spanish padres brought European-style agriculture to thousands of acres in California and how they converted many Native Americans to Christianity but poor treatment. The paper also discusses how uneasiness with new and strange cultural ideas contributed to revolts and desertions.

Outline:
Impact of the Missions, especially on the Native Indians
Early U.S. Involvement in California

From the Paper
"The early Spanish settlements in California were also multilingual and multidialectal. Communication was not easy. Some historical experts estimate that there were up to 22 language families and 138 varieties of indigenous languages in and around the missions. Only very small numbers of Europeans came to California during the late 1600s through most of the 18th century (History of California, n.d.).
To encourage settlement, the Spanish government made land grants to the Californios, as the Spanish colonists were called. The Californios established ranchos, or cattle ranches, and the production of hides, meat, and tallow became the mainstays of colonial California's economy. Mexico, including California, gained independence from Spain during 1821-22 (History of California, n.d.)."

Tags:agriculture, colonists, mission, Juan, Rodriguez, Cabrillo

Abstract
This paper explains that Malaysia has been identified by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature as one of 12 mega diversity areas in the world, which means that these areas are very rich in plant and animal species; however, it is estimated that, because of environmental problems, by 2020, almost half of all mammals and a quarter of all birds in Malaysia will face extinction. The author points out that agriculture plays a very important role in the development of Malaysia; large-scale farming has caused thousands of acres of forestland to be ploughed up, destroying the habitat of wildlife. The paper relates that Malaysia entered the industrial age, but at the cost of the environment: (1) Industrial zones have been approved by the government to be set up in mostly forestland and uninhabited areas, (2) many rivers have become polluted by the wastes poured out into these rivers and (3) hotels and resorts are being built on the rivers destroying the forests, thus eroding the soil and polluting the water.

From the Paper
"The dramatic losses of these species obscure equally large and important threats to genetic diversity as well. This could imperil agriculture too. Varieties of corn, wheat, rice, and other crops have rapidly squeezed out of land-races. Farmers and pastoralists bred and maintained a tremendous diversity of crop and livestock varieties. On-farm diversity is shrinking fast thanks to modern plant-breeding programs and the resulting productivity achieved by planting comparatively fewer varieties of crops that respond better to water, fertilizers, and pesticides. The loss of species stems from and invites the loss of cultural diversity."

Tags:mega-diversity, policies, agriculture, industrial, extinction

From the Paper
"This study will compare and contrast the role of Buddhism in Yasunari Kawabata's novel Thousand Cranes with the role of Christianity in Shohei Ooka's novel Fires on the Plain. The argument of the study will be that in each book the religious path chosen or followed by the protagonist is a reflection of the his attitude toward and relationship with the Japanese culture in general.

Despite the fact that both books were originally published in the late 1950s, Ooka writes about World War II, while Kawabata writes about the postwar period. Because of this difference, the emphases and themes of the books stand in contrast. Thousand Cranes explores intimate relationships with larger historical, social and political issues serving only as a contextual backdrop."

Abstract
This paper looks at the problems faced by New York once the huge Fresh Kills' landfill site is closed. Private contractors will take the garbage out of the state by river barge, but in the mean time transfer stations have been set up in poorer areas of the city. The paper discusses the political arguments that have occurred concerning these problems and the huge profits to be made by the companies involved. Waste Management Inc. has a $6 billion 20-year contract for New York. It goes on to discuss environmental pollution from these dumps, industrial pollution in the Hudson River and the problems of carcinogens and clean-ups.

From the paper:

?In the garbage industry, Waste Management, Inc. remains king of garbage hauling after gaining a 20-year $6 billion contract in New York City. Waste Management Inc., based in Houston, Texas, is the largest waste collection and disposal company in the United States and has annual sales in excess of $12 billion. The New York City contract calls for the waste hauler to dispose of its 13,000 tons of garbage a day. This residential, commercial, and industrial garbage will be sent out of state once the Fresh Kills landfill on Staten Island is closed on Jan. 1, 2002. Covering more than 2,100 acres, the Fresh Kills landfill is so large it can be seen with the naked eye from space. (McCrory) It first opened in 1947 and is now considered the largest landfill in the world. The site is unlined and leaches thousands of pounds of toxins into nearby streams. Its odors reach into neighborhoods on both sides of the Arthur Kill, which separates Staten Island from New Jersey.?

Tags:Fresh, Kills, landfill, transfer, station, sanitation, Greenpoint-Williamsburg, carcinogen

Abstract
The United States will probably never see an era quite like it again. The timber boom that took place during the period 1880-1920 was unprecedented and left fundamental changes in agricultural practices, an expansion of the railroads, and tens of thousands of cleared acres of forest in North America in its wake. Although the original boom is over, the North American timber industry is enjoying a modest "boom" today as well, but threats to its continued productivity exist in the form of global warming and foreign competitors. To this end, this paper provides an overview of the timber boom that took place from 1880-1920, compared to the shape of the timber industry in North America today. A summary of the research is provided in the conclusion. Includes graphic.
Outline:
Review and Discussion
Timber Boom - 1880-1920
Timber Industry Today
Conclusion

From the Paper
"The research showed that the timber boom of 1880-1920 was responsible for expanding the North American industrial infrastructure into the wilderness, and for compelling fundamental changes in agricultural practices. This early timber boom was also responsible for depleting tens of thousands of acres of virgin North American forests that have been difficult to replace. Nevertheless, thanks to the efforts of conservationists and industry leaders alike, there may well be another timber boom on the horizons for the North American timber industry. Because of improvements in growing and land management methods, perhaps this next timber boom will be more sustainable than the first."

Tags:expansion, forest, railroads