UFOS Essay Paper Example For Students

UFOS Essay Paper By: AnonymousUnidentified flying objects, or UFOs, are one of the most controversial mysteries known to mankind. From ancient to present times, unidentified objects have been seen in the sky by millions of people. The question is, of course, what is it that we are seeing in our skies? Are they foreign spacecrafts from distant planets, merely Air Force experiments, or only our imagination? Many people believe that extraterrestrial life is existent and far more advanced then us. Conversely, many believe that aliens are just figments of our optimistic imaginations. What about our governments? Are they hiding vital information from us, the citizens of the world, in belief that we are better off not knowing the truth? Countless government employees have continually denied allegations of UFOs being in contact with our planet. Then again, many of these officials have also allegedly taken part in UFO cover-ups and seen ?flying saucers? for themselves. Is there some huge conspiracy, or are there only attention-hungry people who wish to be in the spotlight? Arguments are incredibly strong for both sides. We will write a custom essay on UFOS Paper specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now There is an excessive amount of information which could lead one to assume that UFOs are fiction, yet there is also an abundant amount of evidence which suggests that UFOs are in fact out there. What, and who, are we to believe? I. On September 1, 1859, Richard Carrington, a renowned astronomer of his time, ?saw two luminous bodies that he said were not meteors flying through the air? (Lore 53). Nine years later at Radcliffe Observatory in Oxford, many astronomers witnessed a ?luminous object that moved quickly across the sky, stopped, changed course to the west, then to the south, where it hovered for four minutes. Then it headed toward the north.? (Lore 53) UFOs. What are they, and where do they come from? Unidentified flying objects, or UFOs, are one of the world?s oldest and most intriguing mysteries. ?UFOs? are commonly called ?flying saucers?, which the American Heritage Dictionary defines as ?any of various unidentified flying objects typically reported and described as luminous discs? (272). Esteemed Idaho businessman Kenneth Arnold coined the phrase ?flying saucer? when in June of 1947 he saw saucer-shaped discs flying over the Cascade Mountains. It was in this year that these unidentified flying object sightings began to escalate. About one month after Arnold saw these objects in the sky the incident at Roswell occurred. July of 1947, Roswell, New Mexico. The spaceships of extraterrestrials flew over the site of a 1945 atomic bomb test site. During flight, one of these spacecrafts malfunctioned and crashed to the earth. Its entire crew was killed. As Charles Moore stated: various portions of this sequence of events were observed on Army Air Force radars and by eyewitnesses. Thus, alerted, the military acted swiftly; a cordon of troops was placed around the impact site; the wreckage and the small, humaniod alien bodies were removed; and all traces of the crash were expunged. (3) On the 8th of July, the public relations officer at Roswell Army Air Force issued a press release which stated that they had ?recovered a flying disk that had been sent on to higher headquarters for examination? (Moore 3). Within hours though, this announcement was repudiated. The general in command of the regional Army Air Force declared that the wreckage was merely the remains of a weather balloon. This latter story was obviously invented to conceal the recovery of an alien spacecraft. Government officials continued this cover-up by threatening eyewitnesses and local reporters with ?severe reprisals if they continued to reveal information about the flying disk? (Moore 3). This was just the beginning of a massive cover-up, which attempts to keep the world?s citizens in the dark. It wasn?t until 1979 when a former military intelligence officer from the Roswell Army Air Force defied the security regulations and spoke out. He told reporters and UFO investigators that the wreckage collected near Roswell in 1947 ?was not that of a weather balloon and that the fragments he had seen and handled exhibited unusual properties, in terms of hardness and strength, that were not possessed by terrestrial materials? (Moore 4). In following years researchers interviewed many people who had firsthand or secondhand knowledge about the Roswell incident. Their testimonies confirmed the crash of an alien spaceship and the recovery of many alien bodies. Three years after the infamous Roswell incident, a Mrs. Trent was in her backyard in Oregon when she saw a huge metallic disk. She was able to snap two pictures of this alien craft, which silently hovered in the air. The U.S. Air Force and many independent investigators scrutinized these photos. In the 1969 government-run Condon Report (a skeptical view of UFO existence), it is stated that ?the simplest, most direct interpretation of the photos confirms precisely what the witness said she saw.? Years afterward, William Spaulding used ?super intense high-tech computer photograph analyzers? to study the same two ?Trent? photos. (Life 138) Spaulding also concluded that the pictures depicted a legitimate flying saucer, and that it was not a hoax. Recently, in October of 1997, a giant explosion created a flash which was seen over El Paso Texas. The shock-wave from this explosion was felt all the way to Las Cruces, New Mexico. One scientist gave the explanation that a meteor had exploded several miles up, but the local sheriff vehemently disagreed. The sheriff stated that ?they can say what they want, but it is like I am standing here in a snowstorm. ? He went on to describe the debris as being ?lightweight and metallic, ?like sequins or the metal flake makeup that ladies sometime wear. (DeBow 9) Many eyewitnesses said that they saw a flash in the sky, which was followed by smoke. Ex-military personnel said that ?the event looked like something had been shot down by some kind of missile? (DeBow 9). Suspicions began when military and scientific search parties refused to allow anybody to look around. Then, ?a major Army helicopter strike equipped with infrared sensors was employed? (DeBow 10). To most people, these actions seem to be very extreme for investigating a meteorite. Some debris from a 1990 UFO crash was recovered and sent to the Space Research Institute in Brussels. The Space Research Institute ?replied that the item definitely came from space? (DeBow 8). It is rumored that there is a highly secretive and specialized military team ?that recovers crashed discs. This team is very similar to the Navy Seals or Green Berets .this unit is known as the Blue Berets.? (DeBow 11) Many former military personnel have also claimed that UFOs have repeatedly crashed on our soil. A former CIA agent, Derrel Sims, has shown x-ray photographs of suspected implants in human legs, arms and feet. ..he also has shown some objects that were removed during recent surgeries. Some looked like small pebbles, another looked like tiny metal sticks, while another was flesh colored and hollow. (Oliphant 2) Unfortunately, the hundreds of UFO hoaxes and government denials have created UFO skepticism. Sure it is easy to laugh at the thought of Martians and flying saucers visiting our planet, but there is too much evidence out there for us to ignore. There have been, and will continue to be, a good share of hoaxes. However, there are also many cases that cannot be dismissed as so. For instance, most of these ?crafts maneuver in such humanly impossible speeds and in gravity defying manners. One moment the UFO is spotted hovering over a house and one second later it can be seen over 25 miles away.? (UFOs? 8-9) In addition, it has been proven that these metallic saucers can cause interference with television signals and even shut off car ignitions. Governments tell us that there is no intelligent life besides that on Earth. Than why do they continually investigate crash sites and blockade the public from viewing them? If the government knows that there are no extraterrestrial beings out there, why did the Army Air Forces begin an official investigatory program entitled Project Saucer two months after Arnold?s sighting over the Cascade Mountains in 1947. Furthermore, ?the Fire Fighter?s handbook has 14 pages dedicated to how to control a disaster when a flying saucer crashes. Chapter 13 is entitled ?Enemy Attack and UFO Potential. (DeBow 1) To posses the knowledge of how to ?control a disaster when a flying saucer crashes? somebody must have had some experience on the matter. .ub24ee8c4d1ba42f97cff87550708146e , .ub24ee8c4d1ba42f97cff87550708146e .postImageUrl , .ub24ee8c4d1ba42f97cff87550708146e .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ub24ee8c4d1ba42f97cff87550708146e , .ub24ee8c4d1ba42f97cff87550708146e:hover , .ub24ee8c4d1ba42f97cff87550708146e:visited , .ub24ee8c4d1ba42f97cff87550708146e:active { border:0!important; } .ub24ee8c4d1ba42f97cff87550708146e .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ub24ee8c4d1ba42f97cff87550708146e { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ub24ee8c4d1ba42f97cff87550708146e:active , .ub24ee8c4d1ba42f97cff87550708146e:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ub24ee8c4d1ba42f97cff87550708146e .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ub24ee8c4d1ba42f97cff87550708146e .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ub24ee8c4d1ba42f97cff87550708146e .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ub24ee8c4d1ba42f97cff87550708146e .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ub24ee8c4d1ba42f97cff87550708146e:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ub24ee8c4d1ba42f97cff87550708146e .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ub24ee8c4d1ba42f97cff87550708146e .ub24ee8c4d1ba42f97cff87550708146e-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ub24ee8c4d1ba42f97cff87550708146e:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: New technology Essay How else could such information be printed on how to extinguish a burning flying saucer? Our governments will try as hard as they possibly can, but they can not keep UFOs a secret for ever. II. Unidentified flying objects, or UFOs, are one of the world?s oldest and most intriguing mysteries. These ?UFO? sightings, if not hoaxes, can usually be explained by astronomical and meteorological occurrences. ?UFOs? are commonly called ?flying saucers?, which the American Heritage Dictionary defines as ?any of various unidentified flying objects typically reported and described as luminous discs? (272). Idaho resident Kenneth Arnold coined the phrase ?flying saucer? when in June of 1947 he supposedly saw ?saucer-shaped discs? flying over the Cascade Mountains. It was in this year that these erratic unidentified flying object sightings began to escalate. Kenneth Arnold saw these ?UFOs? as his private jet was taking off from an airport. He stated: ?the aircrafts were approximately twenty or twenty-five miles away, and I couldn?t see a tail on them. I watched for about three minutes They were flat like a pie pan.? Arnold, being an experienced pilot, clocked the speed of these flying objects at about 1200 miles per hour. (Menzel 4) First of all, if these ?flying saucers? were moving at a speed of 1200 miles per hour, they would have traveled out of his sight in well less than three minutes (in the three minutes that Arnold observed them they would have traveled at least 60 miles away). From his original statement though, they could barely have traveled more than twenty-five miles during that three minutes. Secondly, Arnold also changed his original description of these ?UFOs? from being ?flat like a pie pan? to ?crescent-shaped, with swept-back wings? (Menzel 5). Such discrepancies in Arnold?s so-called ?UFO encounter? greatly lowers his credibility and the likelihood that he actually did observe ?UFOs? from his plane that day. About one month after Arnold saw these ?objects? in the sky the incident at Roswell, New Mexico occurred. One day in July of 1947, New York University weather balloons flew overhead. During flight some of these balloons burst, due to their constant exposure to sunlight, and crashed to the earth. The public relations officer at Roswell Army Air Force issued a press release which stated that the wreckage was merely the remains of a weather balloon. Debris from this crash site included dark grey rubber, tinfoil, paper, tape, and sticks. The NYU weather balloons were made of a thick dark rubber, and the radar targets used ?were constructed using a considerable amount of tape to attach the radar-reflective panels to the balsa-wood structural members (sticks)? (Moore 112). The analysis of the recovered debris is consistent with what would have been recovered if the debris found was from a balloon flight which carried radar targets. This explanation is factual based, and certainly out-weighs the opposition, that a ?UFO? crashed. ?UFO? sightings are known to be caused by many different phenomena, and astronomical objects. One of the most admissible and respected examples of these phenomena are mirages. Mirages are not illusions. They are real objects seen because of abnormal reflection. Mirages are usually seen on hot flat surfaces such as deserts or roadways. Mirages occur when ?light is reflected from a caustic (discontinuity) which forms between the normal air and the superheated air near the surface? (Amateur Science 1). Mountains, planets/stars, and cars are often reflected, and seen inverted in the sky. Many researchers and investigators insist that Kenneth Arnold?s sighting was actually a mirage of the mountain tops, not some ?flying crafts?. Researchers believe that many people who report seeing ?UFOs? are actually not lying, but that it is merely a mistake in identity. Mirages can explain so many ?UFO? reports that many claim the ?UFO? mystery to be solved. The mirage theory has helped conclude to a scientific hypothesis which explains ?UFO? reports. This hypothesis declares that ?there is no need to consider pseudoscientific or more exotic hypotheses; there is certainly no justification for the idea that ?UFO? reports represent evidence for the activity of aliens or paranormal influences? (Amateur 15). The similar appearances of ?UFOs? are easily explained using the mirage theory. Stars and planets can be seen from anywhere on Earth. Our atmosphere is as likely to produce an inverted reflection (mirage) in one place as another. Moreover, the few basic shapes reported are consistent with the protean forms seen in mirages, especially the double ?saucer? shape. The ?saucer? disc is not an imagined shape for alien space craft (after all, our spacecrafts are a completely different shape). It is a real shape seen in the sky. (Amateur Science 15) This real shape is that of different planets and stars. Through reflection though, they appear to be flying objects in our skies. This also explains why ?UFOs? move through the sky at great speeds and perform impossible maneuvers, while making no sound. There are no limitations on the speed or maneuvers of an image, and images do not make any noise. Most ?UFOs? are eventually identified as hoaxes or astronomical events, aircrafts, satellites, weather balloons, or other natural phenomena. According to studies performed by the U.S. Air Force ?less than 2% of UFO sightings remain unidentifiable. .. It is probable that with more information those 2% would be identified as something other than alien spacecraft? (UFOs and Ets 9). Maybe the reason that no logical explanation is credible to ?UFO? believers is because they do not want to hear a logical explanation, or they make little or no effort to find one. ?UFO? existence is not proved just because a logical explanation can not be found. Furthermore, ?UFO? existence is not proved just because it can not be disproved. The fact that some genius cannot come up with an explanation for something does not mean that the contrary is true; a claim does not become true or reasonable if the contrary cannot be proved to be true. Attacking arguments or motives instead of presenting positive evidence is another common tactic of ?UFO? believers. Contradiction is not a substitute for support/proof. It is illogical to assume that because one?s reasons are flawed, that your own are not. In addition, why is it that ?UFOs? are usually observed by untrained skywatchers and almost never by professional or amateur astronomers, people who spend inordinate amounts of time observing the heavens above. One would think that astronomers would have spotted some of these alien crafts. Perhaps the crafty aliens know that good scientists are skeptical and inquisitive. Such beings might pose a threat to the security of a story well-told. (UFOs and Ets 9) An article entitled ?UFOs and Ets? defines ?a UFO as an unidentified flying object which has been identified as a possible or actual alien spacecraft? (2). These objects include meteors, satellites, birds, airplanes, lights, weather balloons, and mirages/reflections. Many photographs of these objects have been taken, but most are blurry and forgeries. As for alleged debris from crashes, landings, and implants, most ?has turned out to be quite terrestrial, including hoaxes? (UFOs and Ets 2). One main reason for believing in ?UFOs? is because of the testimony of many different people. We trust incompetent people that tell us fantastic stories, and distrust all contrary scientific sources. The believers insist that there is a massive conspiracy to withhold the truth, and they aspire for contact with the unknown world above. So far, nothing has ever been positively identified as an ?alien spacecraft?. There is also no physical evidence which undoubtedly supports a ?UFO? landing, and no conclusive justification of ?UFOs? ever entering our skies. Epilogue Are alien spacecrafts out there somewhere, or are we misidentifying these objects in the sky? The question still remains: What is it that we are seeing in our skies? In the pages preceding, Chapter I (only touching the surface of the subject) proved convincingly that UFOs are indeed visiting our planet while Chapter II (again only touching the surface of the subject) proved convincingly that UFOs are indeed a case of falsified information and misidentified objects. .u88197d9fedea1411350c68390c875c59 , .u88197d9fedea1411350c68390c875c59 .postImageUrl , .u88197d9fedea1411350c68390c875c59 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u88197d9fedea1411350c68390c875c59 , .u88197d9fedea1411350c68390c875c59:hover , .u88197d9fedea1411350c68390c875c59:visited , .u88197d9fedea1411350c68390c875c59:active { border:0!important; } .u88197d9fedea1411350c68390c875c59 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u88197d9fedea1411350c68390c875c59 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u88197d9fedea1411350c68390c875c59:active , .u88197d9fedea1411350c68390c875c59:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u88197d9fedea1411350c68390c875c59 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u88197d9fedea1411350c68390c875c59 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u88197d9fedea1411350c68390c875c59 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u88197d9fedea1411350c68390c875c59 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u88197d9fedea1411350c68390c875c59:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u88197d9fedea1411350c68390c875c59 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u88197d9fedea1411350c68390c875c59 .u88197d9fedea1411350c68390c875c59-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u88197d9fedea1411350c68390c875c59:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Dell Computer Essay Both sides of the UFO debate have proven to be extremely convincing. This is why UFOs are, and will continue to be, one of the most controversial mysteries known to mankind; a mystery which may never be solved. Did an alien spaceship crash land into the desert in Roswell, New Mexico? Or did a couple of weather balloons burst and fall to the ground? Many eyewitnesses and military personnel have spoken out and claimed that the wreckage was not terrestrial. On the other hand, others who saw the recovered debris have insisted that it was that of a weather balloon. To add to this uncertainty, the original press release issued by the U.S. Air Force stated that the Air Force had ?recovered a flying disk? (Moore 3). Hours later though, this statement was discarded, and the general in command claimed that the wreckage was that of a NYU weather balloon. Recently, the American Computer Company ?has made claims that the Roswell crash wreckage led Bell scientists to discover the transistor, laser and integrated circuits? (DeBow 2-3). Are such claims bogus? Roswell is a great example of plausible, yet contradicting, evidence. The military may know the answers to all our questions about the Roswell incident, but it appears that we may never get a straight-forward and honest answer from them. Another UFO sighting with two very valid arguments is the Kenneth Arnold sighting of 1947. Kenneth Arnold was a normal businessman in Idaho. As an upstanding and reputable citizen and an expert on flying, Arnold was believed when he said that he witnessed a ship zoom back and forth at approximately 1,200 miles per hour. (UFOs? 8) His story did have discrepancies though. For instance, the description he gave of the flying objects changed from them being ?flat like a pie pan? to ?crescent-shaped, with swept-back wings? (Menzel 5). Some researchers do believe that Arnold was not lying. These researchers claim that the flying crafts he witnessed were merely mirages of the nearby Cascade Mountains, and that the sighting was just a case of mistaken identity. This ?mirage theory? has become more accepted in recent years. Mirages are caused by abnormal reflections which makes real objects appear to be floating in the sky. The similarities in UFO reports can be explained with this concept of mirages. For the most part, mountain ranges are of a consistent shape, stars/planets are of a consistent shape, , etc. When these objects of alike shapes are reflected into the sky, they will yield sightings which describe ?flying crafts? of a couple similar shapes. This constant pattern of sizes and shapes fuels a UFO advocate?s argument. These believers claim that the consistency in UFO reports proves that alien crafts do exist, but many scientists and researchers are now identifying many of these sightings as mistaken identity due to mirages. Also, this well-known configuration of UFOs results in thousands of hoaxes which are made to mimic the authentic appearance of an alien spacecraft. During the middle of the twentieth century UFO sightings greatly increased. Most sightings were evaluated by both UFO advocates and UFO skeptics. The skeptics have attempted to discredit all of the alleged sightings. One which they could not invalidate was the Trent Photos from 1950. To this day they remain officially unexplained, or in laymen terms, authentic photographs of a UFO. The photos were analyzed by a government-run research program entitled The Condon Report. Their conclusion was that ?the simplest, most direct interpretation of the photographs confirms precisely what the witness said she saw,? a UFO (Life 138). The Trent Photos were also proved authentic with very high-tech photo analyzers by William Spaulding, an independent researcher. This single case greatly damages the skeptics? argument, but still fails to prove without a doubt that UFOs do indeed exist. Many people believe that UFO existence has already been proven. These UFO supporters argue that the Trent Photos are just additional evidence to be piled onto the high stack of government documents which confirm that alien spacecrafts have indeed entered our air space. For the UFO advocates in our world, words like conspiracy and cover-up are well-known. Almost all believers claim that governments are hiding information from us. Is this constant denial of UFO existence because our government wants to ensure national safety and prevent potential mass hysteria, or is it because they have genuinely surmised that aliens do not exist? Many ex-military and CIA personnel claim to have seen alien crafts, alien implants and alien beings. Are their claims sincere, or merely a hoax. What about the Fireman?s handbook, and visual/radar affirmation of UFOs by the military? In the Fireman?s handbook there are ?14 pages dedicated to how to control a disaster when a flying saucer crashes, and Chapter 13 is entitled ?Enemy Attack and UFO Potential (DeBow 1). Why would a fireman undergo training for a ?crash? or ?attack? of something that does not exist? Also, in July of 1952, a formation of seven ?blips? entered the restricted airspace over the White House. One week later the ?blips? again appeared, prompting the Air Force to vector two F-94s toward the objects. In a CIA memo dated July 28, 1952, to the Deputy Director/ Intelligence from the Acting Assistant Director of Scientific Intelligence stated: ?In the past several weeks numerous UFOs have been sighted visually and on Radar. ? (Investigate 1) The government ended their investigation of these sightings after ?taking the position that they were nothing more than radar mirages caused by temperature inversions? (Investigate 2). The government, even after indisputable visual confirmation, stated that there were no objects in the sky, but that they were only mirages on a radar. Is this a case of mistaken identity, or is it another footprint in the government?s massive cover-up? Skeptics denounce this cover-up theory. Numerous skeptics believe that people who report UFOs are either fantasy prone, psychopathological, hypnotizable or less intelligent than normal and should not be taken seriously. Studies have shown that this viewpoint is not accurate. It is true that ?stories are sometimes generated by uneducated people, but ?uneducated? doesn?t imply ?unintelligent (Hynek 9). Reports from police officers, military personnel, pilots,.. ., etc are no more reliable than those from anyone else. Furthermore, most people who report UFOs have no interest in the subject and are not professional observers. A claim as incredible as seeing a UFO requires more than eyewitnesses to be believed. There needs to be hard evidence which declares, without a doubt, that what was seen was indeed a UFO. In order to understand the present and ?to predict the future, we must understand the past. The study of the history of Ufology (the study of UFOs) is as important as the history of any other subject if one is to grasp it.? (Bray 37) There are many people that believe UFOs exist, but there are just as many people that dispute the existence of alien beings. Skeptics argue that there is no material evidence of UFOs and aliens. Adversely, UFO advocates argue that no logical explanation has ever been found for many alleged sightings. Unfortunately for these UFO buffs, UFO existence is not proved just because a logical explanation cannot be attained. Likewise though, their existence cannot be disproved just because it can not be proved. A claim does not become authoritative only because the contrary cannot be confirmed. This paper examines just a few of the grounds on which both sides argue. The question is, which side is right? Both points of view have valid claims, yet both are convincingly persuasive. If only ?we the people? could trust our governments? stand on the issue. After all, if UFOs do not exist, why all the secrecy? Again we ask ourselves, what and who, are we to believe? Science

Ethical Dilemma Essays

Ethical Dilemma Essays Ethical Dilemma Essay Ethical Dilemma Essay Fowler, M. D. , Aroskar, M. A. (1997). Ethical Dilemmas Nursing Practice. (5th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc. Desjardins, J. (2009). An Introduction to Business Ethics. (3rd ed. ). Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Ghillyer, A. (2010). Business Ethics: A Real World Approach. (2nd ed. ). Boston: Mcgraw-Hill Higher Education. Klein, E. R. (2003). People First! Professional and Business Ethics without Ethics. Oxford, UK: University Press Of America. MacNiven, D. (1993). Creative Morality. London, UK: Routledge. Narveson, J. (1998). Egoism and Altruism. In R. Chadwick, Encyclopedia of Applied Ethics (pp. 15-21). London, UK: Academic Press Limited. Preston, N. (1996). Understanding Ethics. Sydney, NSW, Australia: The Federation Press. Shaw, W. H. , Barry, V. , Sansbury, G. (2009). Moral issues in Business. (1st Asia-Pacific ed. ). South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia: Cengage Learning Australia Pty Limited.

Charles Darwin Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Charles Darwin - Essay Example The life of Charles Darwin was as eventful as his works. He had keen interest in natural history from his boyhood days. Even though his mother died when he was just a little boy, he had a proper and cultivated upbringing courtesy to the care of his older brother Erasmus who looked after the schooling of Darwin. He picked up things that interested him quickly and paid attention to medical studies in the initial phase of his university life. Later on he learned taxidermy from John Edmonstone, a black slave born in Demarara in the continent of South America. The 'Journey of the Beagle' was the most important voyage that Darwin embarked on to explore the evolution of life on earth. His main objectives during this journey were to collect specimens of natural history and to investigate geology. Theoretical speculations were made along with acute observations on marine invertebrates. Darwin's stature as a scientist rose to dizzying heights by the time the Beagle returned in 1836. He settled in Cambridge to work on the publication of papers on evolution of species. Darwin's experimental observations on the Galapagos birds were among the primary topics of his theory, which were to be reassessed by our team of Darwin scholars. To proceed furthermore with the discussion in hand, let us look at the team that has made a reliving quest in the Galapagos to remind us of the pros and cons of natural imbalance. Our team consists of: 1) Frank J. Sulloway - Darwin scholar 2) William H. Durham - Evolutionary Biologist 3) Mark W. Moffett - Entomologist 4) Greg de Nevers - Botanist 5) Roger A. Lang, Jr. - Conservationist 6) Lance Milbrand - Cameraman 7) Kathy Turco - Sound Recordist 8) Patrick Gambuti, Jr. - Editor 9) Michael Whalen - Composer 10) Bruce Weiss - Producer/Director Frank J. Sulloway is one of the most famous Darwin scholars to have been inspired by the dedication and vision of Charles Darwin himself. Sulloways's life and philosophies have been shaped to a great extent by the adventurous spirit of Darwin. The sphere of his personal works is based on the evolutionary theory. Dr. Sulloway has used the basics of this theory to investigate into the relation between family dynamics and personality development. He has shown through research and supporting evidences that birth order has an impact on personality and behavior. His famous book Born to Rebel: Birth Order, Family Dynamics, and Creative Lives captures the spirit of scientific reasoning along with the indomitable thirst to explore the unknown, much in sync with the mind of his mentor Charles Darwin. (Sulloway.org, 2009) In the context, one might quote the words of Professor John Stevens Henslow at Cambridge University. He viewed Darwin as "the best qualified person I know who is likely to und ertake such a situation." (Sulloway, p. 121) The team collectively put a great deal of effort on its own to recreate the past exploration in the Galapagos Island in 2002. If we trace the similarities between what it was like 160 years ago when a young Charles Darwin made his visit to the island and how it was in 2002, we will first of all observe the physical as well as mental condition of the explorers. Each member of our chosen team of naturalists was at their fittest best when

Final Paper Employee Retension Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Final Paper Employee Retension - Assignment Example Dundon, et al (2004) assert that employees leaving organization(s) can be very detrimental since the firm loses investment in training as well as the experience of the employees who has left. Moreover, losing an employee is a loss in terms of productivity and cost injected in training, facilitating the employee, and his or her replacement. Firms are therefore obliged to be vigilant on the potential factors that are likely to lead to employees quitting their institutions. According to Sarah (2009), the retention of employees is even more difficult in the nonprofit based organizations. They need to attract as well as retain these talents and skills since without these they are unable to achieve their mission and ultimately vision. Nonprofit organizations are perceived to lack the retention strategy of the staff. The retention process is a continuous process. Firms should emphasis on retaining their staff from the onset in that the retention strategy begins from when the employees are on board; during the recruitment process; and throughout the cycle of the employment. However, Zajkowska (2012) explain that employees leave firms for several reasons and this requires employers to pay close attention to the employees need and device appropriate and effectively retentions mechanisms. Some of the perceived reasons for this problem are: the employees viewing their jobs as not to their perceived expectation; lack of coaching or feedback of their performance; lack of prospects for growth and opportunities for advancement; the feeling of their input to the organization being undervalued and not appreciated; the need to balance life and work due to stress that emanate from daily work experience; remuneration of their services; and lack of trust in the individual in the position of leadership or management of the organization. Ruth (2010) elaborates that organizations are in the dilemma on whether to inject more

Motivating Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Motivating - Assignment Example It is otherwise an abstract term, highlighting an inner human feeling emerging out of a churning of physiological, psychological and social component processes for energizing an individual in â€Å"selection of pursuits for maintaining a sustained, goal-directed performance amidst competing alternatives, intensity of effort and persistence of exertion† (Bandura, 1991, p.158). It tends to become complex when different individuals, groups and cultures acquire very different beliefs about what exactly defines control, success and effectiveness at work. Aided by the right level of positive emotions like humour and happiness to induce commitment towards their goals, supported by their cherished values of interest, skill or utility with the right blend of self-belief for facing challenges is what motivating individuals is all about. The factors motivating individuals are realistic levels of self-confidence, positive emotional climates and strong personal values for work related task s. A personal intention to succeed at assigned goals is very motivating for individuals. Against the outdated early theories treating humans as machine-like entities driven by internal or external factors beyond their control, contemporary motivation theories handling issues such as incentives, drives, needs and the like, influencing and tapping human capabilities through self-direction and self-regulation to an extent appear short sighted. Life Systems Framework approach is aimed at a more rational integrated analysis and appreciation of the unitary and component parts of an individual, both in isolation and in unison for assessing the stability and change in the functioning of the component parts of the person and the person as a whole. Coming under the more recent Motivational Systems Theory, a realistic study of all aspects of the characteristics of people in general, and the organisation and the actualisation of these characteristics in persons for assessing motivation in indiv iduals has become meaningful for going into the subject in depth in recent times. The belief that no one can motivate another person leads to individual motivation being invoked always from within. The degree of motivation is governed by the external environment in which individuals function and the demands made of them. The level of involvement that they feel and the degree of interest they have in what they are doing, is directly linked to the individual’s advancement through an organisation. Open business cultures are increasing transparency. We are living in an ‘aware’ culture of work-life harmony with no security of employment. Individual motivation is undergoing a change in tune with the contemporary requirements of fast changing organisations. Modern manager’s role lies in creating the conditions and encouragement that enable individuals to motivate themselves, despite the pulls and pressures. It is important to have self esteem and mutual respect a mong teammates. They must have a collective belief that, they are capable of succeeding as a team. It is of prime importance in motivating teams, as one can see â€Å"in pressure-packed overtime matches where contestants are evenly matched and a mistake brings sudden death defeat ...perceived group efficacy emerges as the sole determinant of overtime performance† (Bandura, 1997, p.383). An environment helping the team members

Competition of Ports with the Panama Canal

Competition of Ports with the Panama Canal Strategies for Older Ports Len Edwards Towards the end of next year, the Panama Canal will open a third set of locks allowing larger ships to transfer the canal. These â€Å"super ships† called Post-Panamax ships will soon have easier access to the ports on the east coast, reducing the travel times for cargo from Asia. This has resulted in aggressive port expansion to accommodate these giants. Many ports have the available room for expansion to handle the influx of containers without many modifications of their operations. However, many older ports desire an expansion although they are limited on room for expansion. How can these cramped ports compete with larger ports in attracting increased cargo volumes in the near future? The first option for smaller ports with limited space is utilizing an off dock sorting area known as a satellite terminal. It is interesting to note that satellite terminal is only one of many terms describing the operation off-dock sorting areas; there seems to be no consensus on the terminology resulting in a wide range of terms including dry ports, inland terminals, inland ports, inland hubs, inland logistics centers, and inland freight villages (Rodrigue Notteboom, n.d., para. 4). The satellite terminal uses dedicated rail service form the dock to a secondary sorting facility further inland. The advantage to this system is the ability to handle the increased volume of container from Post –Panamax ships at ports with limited land for storage of the containers, in effect increasing the ports throughput in crowded urban environments. The containers are loaded onto waiting train shuttles without sorting by destination. The train then carried the containers to a secondary sort ing yard where the containers undergo further transferring to other trains by destination. Additionally the satellite terminals can service the trucking industry. Trucks deliver container to the satellite facility to be loaded on a rail car for delivery to the dock or a terminus inland. The synergy between the port and the satellite terminal creates a new type of maritime / land interface, which essentially results in a regionalized port (Rodrigue, n.d., para. 3). This type of operation is under the process of development at the Port of Baltimore. The rail company CSX, in hopes to attract more ships to the port, is considering a satellite facility 15 miles for the port. The rail line offers to deliver cheaper rates to shipping companies using the port and the devoted rail line. Another area for older ports to focus on is modernization of the existing infrastructure. Besides the amount of containers the port handles, focus should shift to offering specialized facilities at the ports, securing an advantage over larger ports. An example of this at the Port of Philadelphia is warehousing. In 2011 Philadelphia completed a warehouse for storing refrigerated freight, the 686,000-squarefoot building, the largest refrigerated building in North America. The idea was to link the world-class produce market with the premier perishables port in the United States. (O’Brien, 2013, para 17). Additionally, the ports looking to compete with larger ports must look at improving the infrastructure moving freight off the pier in an efficient and cost-competitive manner. The Port of Miami attacked this problem in three ways. First, they secured funding to improve rail lines serving the port, which included the rebuilding of rail bridges linking the port to the rail yard. Th ere are plans to construct three tracks capable of holding trains a half-mile long. Furthermore, the port invested in a new tunnel linking the port to the nearby interstate, while also upgrading surrounding roadways, offering the ability for trucks entering and leaving the port to bypass the congested downtown streets, the only other access to the port. The final piece of the project involved dredging the channel to a depth of 50 feet to accommodate Post-Panamax ships. With Miami’s three-pronged attack — tunnel, rail, and dredging — the port claims it will be able to make inroads into some of the markets that Savannah now dominates (Whitefield, 2012, para. 33). Moreover, Baltimore requires a redesign of the rail system leaving the port. The only rail tunnel leaving the port is 130 years old, lacking in the proper diameter to handle the modern double stack trains or tri-level auto racks. Without railroad redesign in Baltimore, its estimated that Maryland might ev en lose up to 50 percent of its container traffic to a port like Norfolk, Va. — the other East Coast port able to handle the larger ships — costing our region hundreds of jobs and tens of millions in economic activity and tax revenue (Sadowski, 2012, para. 8). One last alternative for crowded ports to compete besides the pervious mentioned options is entering strategic alliances with major shipping companies via a dedicated terminal. This alliance benefits both the ports and the maritime shipping company, this relationship requires a long-term agreement. For the shipping company it secures a port in a profitable location without having to compete with other shipping companies. As for the ports, the shipping company considers the port part of their supply chain, directing a majority of their ship to call upon the port even if there are ports closer or ports containing better facilities. For port authorities, dedicated terminals encourage the development of port facilities allowing them to push for more funding; it is also a useful strategy if there is competition between port terminals (Lun, Lai, Cheng, 2010, p. 182). The Port of Philadelphia remains proactive on attracting ships to their port; they have agents stationed across the world. Likewise, the Port of Baltimore in the late 1990’s attempted to attract two major shipping companies by offering lower dock rates and upgrading facilities around the port. Unfortunately, for Baltimore the shipping companies rejected their offer. Although, this reinforces the lengths that port will go to attract a dedicated shipping company. In conclusion, with the completion of the Panama Canal upgrades soon to be completed, the ports operating on the east coast now face a rush to prepare. The larger ports fare well in this situation, having the room for expansion and up to date infrastructure. The older ports in urban environments scramble to prepare a system to handle the increased demand. There are a few options to aid these ports, depending on the amount of funding available. Some ports like Baltimore are looking to move the sorting of containers to off-site location, depending on rail transportation to deliver the containers. On the other hand, some port authorities are improving the needed infrastructure to allow rapid movements of rail and trucks to and from the facility. Lastly, many ports are securing deals with shipping companies to lure them to make the older ports their main stops in America. This report discussed issues with east coast ports although these strategies are not limited to that area. They are e asily applied to struggling ports across the globe. References Lun, Y.H., Lai, K., Cheng, T.C. (2010).  Shipping and logistics management. London, England: Springer. OBrien, D. (2013, Summer). Pennsylvania’s Homeport: The Port Of Philadelphia.  Catalyst Magazine. Retrieved from http://http://digital.graphcompubs.com/article/Pennsylvania’s+Homeport:+The+Port+Of+Philadelphia+/1445490/0/article.html Rodrigue, J.P., Notteboom, T. (n.d.).  Inland Ports/Dry Ports. Retrieved August 6, 2014, from https://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/ch4en/appl4en/ch4a4en.html Rodrigue, J.P. (n.d.).  The Insertion of a Satellite Terminal in Port Operations. Retrieved August9, 2014, from http://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/ch4en/conc4en/agileport.html Sadowski, J.T. (2012, October 24). The port: Baltimores gateway to opportunity.  The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved from http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2012-10-24/news/bs-ed-port-20121024_1_port-expansion-cargo-activity-intermodal-facility Whitefield, M. (2012, November 18). Competition heats up as U.S. ports prepare for Panama Canal expansion.  Miami Herald, p.para. 33. Retrieved from http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/11/18/3104323/competition-heats-up-as-us-ports.html

Cisco Systems: New Millenium †New acquisition strategy Essay

The case deals with the acquisition policy implemented by Cisco, by giving some real samples. The most interesting point concerns the way Cisco acquired companies during 90s with 4 main goals: a shared vision, shareholders’ satisfaction, motivating value added for employees, shareholders, customers and partners and a perfect â€Å"chemistry† (P.9). Contrary to the global trend of big companies’ acquisition, Cisco was involved in smaller companies, based on selection criteria (presented below) which fit the company’s needs and strategy: * Small companies: the advantage is that those companies are start-ups coming with new disruptive Ideas highly complementary with Cisco’s businesses. * Limited number of employees (but engineers as the large part of them): Cisco gives a huge importance to skilled people, because as they say, those people are the real asset which permits to increase future market shares, So people retention becomes one of acquisitions’ main goals (success driven by a very low turnover compared with the industry). * Very entrepreneurial systems focused on fast growing: the need to grow by forming part of Cisco is one of the motivating arguments to have win-win negotiations. On the other hand, this kind of companies is not risk adverse and promises future benefits to their owners. * Geographical proximity: for large acquisitions, it permits to shorten lost time and get directly to the real acquisition’s implementation in order to share the distribution channels (cost reduction) and obtain the new product earlier. * Comparable cultures and visions: since acquisition leads to the integration of the acquired company to the group, it is necessary to have the same vision of the future strategy and cultures which can be merged to obtain a coherent unit. Last, the company’s strength resides in its ability to decentralize decision making by creating a new business unit at each acquisition, because the acquired company is considered as a master in its domain. This system permits to make acquired company feel independent in the way it is managed (less change management to be processed). Cisco represents a benchmark as acquirer for the entrepreneurial firms which aim to be acquired because it proposes several advantages in terms of independency, people treatment, product valorization and so on, which form part of the most important criteria for acquisition. Moreover, in the last decade, it increased its attractiveness based on the personalized treatment provided to the new joiners and the restructuration by type of technology which makes economies of scale and allows people to share their knowledge with their previous â€Å"internal competitors† and increase their skills. So, in terms of win-win relationship, Cisco acquisition model can be a basis of comparison for any potential acquired company.

Dulce Decorum

Taylor 1 Dying for a State through Poetry Wilfred Owen’s Dulce et Decorum Est uses vivid imagery which removes any romantic ideas that it is sweet and honorable to die for the fatherland. Randall Jarrell’s The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner uses ambiguity to compare death for the state and abortion. Both writings convey the horror of dying for a state. The Death of the Ball turret Gunner begins â€Å"from my mother’s sleep, I fell into a state and hunched in its belly until my fur froze. † This is saying that the gunner was born from his mother’s warmth into a cold state, as he is born in the belly of a high altitude bomber.The â€Å"State† is referred to as cold and less nourishing in Randall Jerrell’s poem. In Dulce et Decorum Est the poem reveals hidden truths of the first world war, and showed the cruelties the soldiers had to face on a day to day basis. Dulce et Decorum est begins â€Å"Bent double, like old beggars† (5) A ll the turmoil’s that young men were put through making them feel and look older than they really were, breaking them down making them lose their spirit they had as young men. What makes this poem unique is the fact that Wilfred Owen was there to witness the horrors of the first world war.Owen continues â€Å"An ecstasy of fumbling fitting helmets. † As the soldiers ran from the gas bombs their helmets bouncing on their heads, putting them at bigger risk of dying for your country. War is often glorified by others that have not experienced how horrifying war can be and they think that they can be hero’s, because of stories they heard as a child from a mother or a father that makes war seem romantic and patriotic so they should enlist in the romance of being that hero not realizing that the war is truly a horrifying experience.Owen states at the end of his poem â€Å"to children ardent for some desperate glory† (25) Children who think it is sweet and honora ble to die for ones country because someone who has no experience has told them stories of romance and patriotism allowing them to believe they will be hero’s in the perfect dream. Taylor 2 Wilfred Owen and Randall Jerrell both tell the gruesome truths of the war and ow it really was to be that unsung hero that watched his friends die and be put into a cart to be hauled off not really knowing if their families and loved ones knew they had passed on, or how it was to be the product of a war and to not live past your first hour because you were born into the freezing belly of a bomber plane and treated like trash when the plane has finally landed and was being cleaned out. How the war today is any different than what both of these authors are trying to say?There is no difference because in Dulce et Decorum est the very last words â€Å"The old lie: Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori. † â€Å"It is sweet and honorable to die for the fatherland. † The recruitment offices of today still tell their soldiers that they are doing America a favor by fighting for them and that it is an honorable way to live life however it is not said that it is honorable if you die but if you live you have better opportunities in life to go somewhere and be someone.What happened to those young men who fought in the First World War? Most of them lost their friend because they were told it was honorable to die for their country, then a lot of them came home from the wars crippled and could not participate in the things they did before they enlisted, and then some of them came home in a plain pine box to families that only then saw the horrors of the war.

Free Essays on Fashion Islam

Firstly the matter of dress. A Muslim woman may wear whatever she pleases in the presence of her husband and family or among women friends. But when she goes out or when men other than her husband or close family are present she is expected to wear a dress which will cover all parts of her body, and which should not reveal the figure. This is in total contrast with Western fashions which every now and then concentrate quite intentionally on exposing yet another erogenous zone to the public gaze! In the past few years we have seen the rise and fall of the minidress, the micro-skirt, the wet look, hot pants, the see-thru', the topless and other garments designed to display or emphasize the intimate parts of a woman's body. One may observe a similar tendency of late in men's dress which has become almost skin-tight, although here the men's fashion designers appear to have come to a temporary standstill until men are liberated enough to accept topless or see-thru' trousers, which is fortunately not yet the case.... Free Essays on Fashion Islam Free Essays on Fashion Islam Firstly the matter of dress. A Muslim woman may wear whatever she pleases in the presence of her husband and family or among women friends. But when she goes out or when men other than her husband or close family are present she is expected to wear a dress which will cover all parts of her body, and which should not reveal the figure. This is in total contrast with Western fashions which every now and then concentrate quite intentionally on exposing yet another erogenous zone to the public gaze! In the past few years we have seen the rise and fall of the minidress, the micro-skirt, the wet look, hot pants, the see-thru', the topless and other garments designed to display or emphasize the intimate parts of a woman's body. One may observe a similar tendency of late in men's dress which has become almost skin-tight, although here the men's fashion designers appear to have come to a temporary standstill until men are liberated enough to accept topless or see-thru' trousers, which is fortunately not yet the case....

The Use of Ambiguity in The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

The Use of Ambiguity in The Turn of the Screw by Henry James â€Å"The Turn of the Screw† is a horror story in all the aspects. Henry James, its author, employs various literary styles and methods to achieve the desired chilling and devilish effect. An outstanding feature in the story is the use of ambiguity. The literary style is applied to develop various themes in the narrative. It is also used to develop the characters. The current paper explores the use of ambiguity in the story.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Use of Ambiguity in â€Å"The Turn of the Screw† by Henry James specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The author analyses the effects of this stylistic device on the reader. In addition, the impacts of the style on the general flow of the narrative are also analyzed. In â€Å"The Turn of the Screw†, Henry James uses ambiguity to make the events in the story intriguing. The style is especially evident in the analysis of the governess, on e of the main characters in the book. â€Å"The Turn of the Screw† is a narrative about a governess who is tasked with the responsibility of looking after two orphans. However, she wants nothing to do with these kids. Her reaction elicits sympathy given that the governess who used to look after the two children has died. The housekeeper of Alby, Mrs. Grose, is kind to the governess and children, Miles and Flora, who appear to be charming kids. Miles is expelled from school after the administration wrote to the family informing of the decision to terminate his presence in the institution (James 4). A few weeks after their arrival, the governess starts noting some extraordinary happenings. She starts to see ghosts of previous servants of the estate. For example, she sees the ghosts of a dead servant named Quint and his lover. She also sees the ghost of another female servant, who is also dead. The governess believes that the apparitions corrupt the minors. In addition, she feel s that they (the ghosts) want them to be dead. However, the children maintain that they cannot see the alleged ghosts. For example, the apparition of the former caretaker appears to the new nanny and the little girl. However, the girl insists that she cannot see it. Consequently, the girl falls sick. As a result, the nanny has to get her out of the house. A battle ensues between the governess and the ghost of Quint. Each of them wants to keep Miles. The governess thinks that she has overcome the phantoms. However, this appears to be a false sense of hope given because Miles dies in her arms (James 5).Advertising Looking for research paper on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More â€Å"The Turn of the Screw† is intricately written in a manner that leaves the reader in awe, if not lost. The events in the story are characterized by twists and turns. Apart from achieving the horror and evil objectiv e of the author, the turns and twists arouse confusion. According to Hill, the tale is maddeningly indirect (53). James purports clarity in the tale. However, the story appears to have a sole objective of losing and confusing the reader even more. The events in the story are very succinct in their ambiguity. Consequently, the themes of doubt and vision are brought out through these events. A case in point is the arrival of the governess in the Bly household. On the first night, the governess claims that she can hear the whimpers of a child. She recounts that â€Å"there had been a moment when I believed I recognized, faint and far, the cry of a child† (James 14). The event is not confirmed anywhere else in the story. Perhaps, the statement is meant to arouse the idea of looming evil in the Bly household. At this juncture, the reader is confused given that Flora is spending the night with Mrs. Grose. The governess is a stranger to her at this point. As such, Flora could be the child who was whimpering, although the event is left unclear. The governess also claims that she can hear light footsteps on the passage before her door (James 14). The event, although questionable, effectively sets the stage for further ambiguity in the story. More vagueness is brought out through the arrival of a letter from Miles’ school. It is obvious that the uncle has seen it. However, he insists that the governess should read it and deal with the issue. The letter does not disclose the actual reason for Miles’ expulsion. The only reason given is that the school cannot take him anymore. The reasons behind the uncle’s disassociation from all the matters to do with the children are also unclear. Even though he receives the letter first, he does not even bother to open it. In addition, he reasserts his initial directive of not to be bothered. Perhaps, this is an acknowledgement of either supernatural acts in relation to the kids or a broken and disturbed fam ily. James leaves the reader guessing so that they could come to their own conclusions based on how they perceive the setting and the characters in the story. Henry James tells the story of Bly bit by bit. However, â€Å"the militant ambiguity with which the characters discuss the happenings leaves readers with a lot of questions† (Dill 65). An example is the apparitions of Quint and Miss Jessel.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Use of Ambiguity in â€Å"The Turn of the Screw† by Henry James specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The reader is left wondering how these figures corrupt Flora and Miles. In addition, it is not clear what Mrs. Gross saw Quint or Miss Jessel do to the children. The beginning of the story sets the dichotomy of what is really happening at Bly. It also sets the pace for the unknown or what the governess refers to as â€Å"it all† (James 59). Shortly after arriving in the Bly household, the governess encounters, or believes that she sees, the apparitions of two former servants who are dead. The scenario brings to the fore the theme of vision in the story. Whether the governess actually saw the ghosts or not remains ambiguous throughout the story. The reader is reminded of the uncle’s directive that she â€Å"should never trouble him - but never, never: neither appeal nor complain nor write about anything† (James 9). Whether the uncle was aware or unaware of the occurrences at Bly is unclear. However, one is led to believe so since he was very categorical while demanding not to be consulted on any matter. The governess is given absolute authority over the household. Regarding the former dead servants, the governess deduces what she knows about them from Mrs. Grose. She is informed that Peter Quint was a manservant in charge of the house, while Miss Jessel was the former governess. According to Mrs. Grose, Miss Jessel and Quint we re â€Å"infamous† (James 37). The infamy about the two is not made clear. All that is said is that Quint did what he wished had been â€Å"too free with everyone† (James 37), including with the children. How he was free with every person is not very clear. All Henry James says is that the male servant had an intimate engagement with Jessel. The death of the two servants is also surrounded by ambiguity. It is not a coincidence that both of them are dead. Henry James does not even link the two deaths to the Bly household in any way. However, one is convinced that their presence in the family certainly contributed to their demise, although the reasons behind the event are not clear. It is apparent that the death of Quint is attributed to an injury on the head after a fall. However, the demise of Miss Jessel is mysterious. The cause of her death is not made clear, except that she left for holiday and never got back. Mrs. Grose confesses that she received the news of Miss Jessel’s fate from the children’s uncle, although she was never told of the exact cause of death (James 22).Advertising Looking for research paper on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The ambiguity surrounding her death shrouds the happenings in the Bly household in mystery. The fact that the children’s uncle never revealed the cause of her demise is also intriguing. In relation to the theme of vision, â€Å"The Turn of the Screw† leaves the reader with numerous unresolved issues and events. For instance, Dill (64) describes the story as one about epistemology. The narrative is about what one sees or does not see. Literally and figuratively, the story revolves around what can and cannot be seen, especially in case of the governess. From the beginning to the end of the narrative, the reader is uncertain whether the sightings are for real or not. The apparitions may be a figment of the governess’s creative imagination. According to Reed (413), there are two schools of thought in relation to visions experienced by the governess, leading to the development of the story. One school of thought proposes that the woman saw the ghosts. The dead servan ts actually returned in preternatural evil flair to haunt the children. On the other hand, the apparitions may have been imaginary conjectures of the woman’s mind. Reed (413) proposes that the governess’s sexually frustrated mind may have generated the ghosts. Another cause of these visions may have been the corrupt atmosphere surrounding the innocent children. In addition to her feminine intuitions, the governess exhibits nothing substantial upon which her allegations of seeing the apparitions can be based. What she visualizes is beyond perception. The reader is left grappling with the ambiguity of her sanity. Her cognitions are visible only to her. It is not clear if Mrs. Grose trully sees the apparitions herself (James 32). It is the governess who beholds the ghosts most of the time. For instance, in her first encounter with an apparition in the Bly household, she confesses, I stopped short on emerging from one of the plantations and coming into view of the house (à ¢â‚¬ ¦) He did stand there!- but high up, beyond the lawn and at the very top of the tower to which, on that first morning, little Flora had conducted me (James 27). The governess cannot attest with confidence to whether what she sees is actually real or a product of her imagination. Her visions are enveloped with ambiguity, leaving the readers to decide on their what is true. As Reed argues, the young governess’s story may be a neurotic case resulting from sexual repression. As such, the sightings may be part of her hallucinations (Reed 414). She tends to attribute sinister significance to trivial events. The predisposition may add validity to the argument that she is insane. For instance, the expulsion of Miles from school is an event she colors with some sinister significance in spite of the fact that there is no evidence to support this. More ambiguity in relation to the governess’s vision arises following her description of Quint. It is obvious that she has not se en Quint before or heard about him. However, when she describes the ghost to Mrs. Grose, it emerges that he is the deceased servant. As such, in a way, Henry James discredits the notion that the governess is mentally unstable or that the apparitions are in her imagination. The description she gives of Quint proves the fact that she has actually seen someone. The additional description of Miss Jessel further strengthens the conviction that the apparitions are real, adding more to the ambiguity wrought in the story. Additional ambiguity in the story arises from the behavior of the children towards the governess and their stance that they have not seen the dead servants’ ghosts. The governess concludes that the children have been exposed to the evil of the previous servants, but they seem to be conspiring with the demons. In addition, the kids seem to know more than the governess and Mrs. Grose. What is not clear, however, is why they are denying seeing the ghosts. Vagueness in the story continues in regard to the relationship between the apparitions and the children. The governess is convinced that the ghosts want to get to the children. However, it is not made apparent why. In spite of this, Mrs. Grose informs that Miss Jessel and Quint were infamous, adding that â€Å"It was Quint’s own fancy. To play with him, I mean - to spoil him† (James 44). By saying that he was â€Å"playing with† and â€Å"spoiling him†, perhaps, the author meant Quint molested the boy sexually (James 44). However, it is unclear if that is the reason why the ghosts wanted the children. In another instance, Mrs. Grose informs that the male servant was an easy going character. He also had a sexual relationship with Miss Jessel. In spite of the conviction that the apparitions had a relationship with the children. In addition to being infamous, the author does not disclose their actual intentions. The reader is left with the task of imagining what the gho sts intended to do with the children though it is disclosed that the kids had known about their existence long before the governess found out. According to Rust (444), Henry James makes the story perfectly vague by relating ambiguity to his purpose in the narrative. Throughout the narration, the story revolves around opposites. Ambiguity is further brought out in the story when one takes into consideration the concept of threshold as elaborated by Rust. Behind the scenes, the Bly household is portrayed as hideous. However, the children are depicted as both angels and devils. On the other hand, the governess is either mad or sane. For instance, according to the governess, Flora is â€Å"†¦ not alone, and at such times she’s not a child: she’s an old, old woman† (James 115). The differences between these depictions are not made apparent in the story. The task of come up with conclusions is left to the reader. Davidson (462) postulates that ambiguity in the st ory is suggested through windows that are portrayed as glasses. The governess sees Quint through these windows. However, the structures can serve another purpose. They can be regarded as mirrors through which she sees herself. As such, James inculcates further ambiguity into the story by merging opposites of reality and unrealism. The line between reality and conjectures is distorted since a clear distinction is difficult to establish. Flora insists that she did not see the ghost. The denial is surrounded by ambiguity. After she is questioned relentlessly by the lake side, the girl argues, I don’t know what you mean. I see nobody. I see nothing. I never have. I think you’re cruel. I don’t like you! Then, after this deliverance, which might have been that of a vulgarly pert little girl in the street, she hugged Mrs. Grose more closely and buried in her skirts the dreadful little face. In this position she produced an almost furious wail. Take me away, take me awa y - oh, take me away from her! (James 122). Whether the girl really saw Miss Jessel’s apparition or not remains unclear. What is clear is that she eventually develops immense hatred towards the governess. The reason for this change is not revealed in the story. Flora requests to be taken away from the governess, leaving the reader wondering as to why she reacted the way she did. Henry James closes â€Å"The Turn of the Screw† with more ambiguity. In the last scene, the apparition of Quint appears to the governess at the window of the room she and Miles have retreated to. The governess insists when talking to Miles that Quint is there. The boy falls after realizing that the ghost is there. The governess catches him in his fall with â€Å"passion†. However, she finds that his little heart, dispossessed, had stopped (James 149). The ambiguity surrounding Miles death leaves one wondering if the boy died as a result of fright on seeing Quint. It is possible that the governess caused his death as she squeezed him in her â€Å"passion†. Henry James applies ambiguity extensively throughout the story. The authenticity of the governess’s visions remains unclear. The denial by the children is also shrouded in mystery. The events surrounding Miles death are also ambiguous. As such, the reader is left wondering if the apparitions are real. They could have been the conjectures of the governess. However, in the long run, the author’s choice for ambiguity has a significant effect on the readers. For example, the story continues in the mind of the reader even after they have finished reading it. In spite of the ambiguities, it is clear that the stylistic device adopted by Henry James may be deliberate. For example, the author may have intended to encourage the reader to form their conclusions that should be based on the reader’s perception of the setting, themes, characters, symbols, and other aspects of the narrative. The ambi guity gives the story an intriguing angle, making it a mysterious read. Davidson, Guy. â€Å"‘Almost a Sense of Property’: Henry Jamess The Turn of the Screw, Modernism, and Commodity Culture.† Texas Studies in Literature Language 53.4 (2011): 455-478. Print. Dill, Elizabeth. â€Å"James’s Gothic in The Turn of the Screw.† The Explicator 69.2 (2011): 64-67. Print. Hill, Robert. â€Å"A Counterclockwise Turn in Jamess The Turn of the Screw’.† Twentieth Century Literature 27.1 (1981): 53-71. Print. James, Henry. The Turn of the Screw. 1898. PDF file. 2 May 2014. ibiblio.org/ebooks/James/Turn_Screw.pdf. Reed, Glenn A. â€Å"Another Turn on James ‘The Turn of the Screw’.† American Literature 20.4 (1949): 413-423. Print. Rust, Richard Dilworth. â€Å"Liminality in the Turn of the Screw†. Studies in Short Fiction 25.4 (1988): 441-450. Print.

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