Maguindanao Massacre Essay Example for Free

Maguindanao Massacre Essay Stories and worldwide condemnation of the Maguindanao massacre still grapple the Filipino people in disbelief. Focusing on the victims that include lawyers and journalists in the company of scions of a political clan, the manner of mass execution was the most gruesome, so animalistic, and the most barbaric act of the new century. Fifty-seven of them, men, women, and children were killed and decapitated; bodies were mangled and riddled with bullets. This satanic act was allegedly masterminded by the incumbent mayor of the place, who is said to have been able to command and give orders as he pleases even to the extent of a massacre. The idea of good governance, rule of law of human rights and democracy has hardly been heard in existence in this far-flung poor province in Mindanao. Politicians are motivated to run for public office to absolutely control and influence the civilians and the police. The existing system is heavily politicized making the police underdogs of the politicians. Thus, anybody who wants to seek justice feels the absence of any protection mechanism. Government tried to calm the situation by asking the allegedly mass murderer to surrender; but will his victims get justice? Praying for justice to prevail in this country, Lasallians were called to express indignation to this assault to humanity. Students wore black ribbons on their chest to sympathize with the victims and their loved ones, and to shout and rage against the inhuman act. They lit candles and prayed for peace, and were in one in expressing the gloom and grief the whole country has experienced. We call on the wheels of justice to move swiftly without deception of wealth and power. Otherwise, record of inhumanity of the sadistic, brutal, and cruel Maguindanao massacre may be enhanced when the Government still fails to mete out the punishment for the perpetrators.

Kite Runner Connections with Skrzynecki Essay Example for Free

Kite Runner Connections with Skrzynecki Essay The Kite Runner is set in Afghanistan, about a young boy named Amir who feels that he must win the kite tournament in order to redeem himself to his father. Because his mother died while giving birth to Amir he feels somehow responsible for his mother’s death. His servant is his best friend, Hassan, who runs the kite for him. Amir feels as though he is not acknowledged or accepted by his father, therefore not feeling a sense of belonging when Baba (father) shows his love toward Hassan. This motivates Amir to not do anything about Hassan’s rape which later leaves him with guilt. Those who do not belong may commit acts that are not within their desire in order to belong. For example, after Hassan was raped Amir lied to his father saying that Hassan stole his watch and money from him causing them to be kicked out of their house as servants. Amir’s thoughts were that once Hassan had left, Baba’s love would be pointed toward him only, hence giving him a deeper sense of belonging to his father. Hassan on the other hand felt as though he belonged to the Afghan home of Baba and Amir even as a servant as he is treated with the same respect as the members of the family. However being Hazara’s, a minority ethnic group, Hassan would not have felt a sense of belonging on the macro scale for the reason that his rape was motivated due to the ethnic group he is from i.e. the minority in Afghanistan who are continuously discriminated against. After the Soviets invaded Afghanistan the country became a war-zone causing Amir and Baba to flee the country leaving all the memories and reminiscences in their country. Connections are shown with several of Skrzynecki’s poems, for example, St Patricks College. In St Patricks College it is signified that the poet has been at his school â€Å"for eight years† however he has still formed no sense of belonging. This connects with the relationship that Amir has with his father, Baba. Baba has raised Amir on his own for almost a decade however Amir feels as though Baba does not love him causing him to feel an insignificant amount of belonging.

Development of Primary Health Organizations in New Zealand

Development of Primary Health Organizations in New Zealand Body The delivery of healthcare services to the people in every nation had always been a problem for the government considering there are a lot of factors affecting its delivery. New Zealand is an example of a government which delivers healthcare to its citizens and permanent residents through public subsidies and private insurance. Even with the help of private insurance, there still exist a number of problems faced by the government. These problems revolve in the availability and accessibility of healthcare services. New Zealand has its concerns and these barriers to healthcare can be categorized into four: economic barriers, utilisation and socio-economic status, interplay of material, cultural and geographic factors, and the implications for the wider health system (Barnett R. and Barnett P. 2003). All of these factors have had an implication in the shaping of the national healthcare policy. The social and economic inequality within New Zealand has widen substantially, thus new initiatives have been made to address such problems. The government has learned its lessons from the previous health system and is now undergoing constant changes and improvements. The policy formulated is now more focused on cooperative over competitive models of service provision and giving emphasis on the delivery of primary care as the key in achieving its goal of health for all and as a sign of overall improvement in the health system (Barnett R. and Barnett P. 2003). Ref: Barnett, R., Barnett, P. (April 3, 2003). Primary Health Care in New Zealand: Problems and Policy Approaches. Retrieved from https://www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/journals-and-magazines/social-policy-journal/spj21/21-primary-health-care-in-new-zealand-pages49-66.html Evidence of New Zealand’s attempts to develop better equitable policies was the implementation of New Zealand Health Strategy and Primary Health Care Strategy (Minister of Health, 2001). The former had anticipated new arrangements and have chosen district health boards (DHBs) to implement these new policies. Within the charter of DHBs is the Primary Health Care Strategy (more recent) that suggests new organisational structures. This newly proposed structure is known as primary health organisations (PHOs), to solve problems relating to accessibility and availability in the provision of healthcare services. Moreover, primary health organisations address the lack of co-ordination between health providers. Although the district health boards (DHBs) are well established and setting up of Primary health organisations is going well, there still lies uncertainty about achieving equity in the provision of health (Barnett R. and Barnett P. 2003). Economic Barriers to Primary Health Care in New Zealand Just like in many other developed countries, the economic restructuring in New Zealand and the abolishment welfare state had led to the increase incidence of poverty (Waldegrave et al. 1995, Jamieson 1998) and socio-economic disparities in health (Ministry of Health, 2000). In the beginning with the legislation of Social Security in 1938, medical services have been provided as free of service to the people through government subsidies. However, it is also true that the subsidies did not cover 100% of the total cost of patient care. At first the effect to the masses was minor during 1970s where there is â€Å"long boom† of prosperity in New Zealand. Then again, in 1980 the utilisation of the GP and other health services from the ethnic groups, including the positive class are diminishing due to the economic restructuring and growing cost of doctor fees (Gribben 1992, Barnett and Kearns 1996). Utilisation and Socio-Economic Status The utilisation of health services according to socio-economic status is mixed in New Zealand. A recent survey from the National Health Survey 1996/97 (Ministry of Health 1999) reports that people with low-income status are more likely to have a higher frequency of visits to General Practitioner than families from a more affluent areas or people with a higher income. However, the results from the survey shows that people living in a less well-off area have a late seeking behaviour and less visits to GPs because of cost. Key results from the survey are as follows: People had continued to express their dissatisfaction towards the cost of GP fees. The percentage of patients who considered the GPs fee expensive as â€Å"too high† or â€Å"far too high† rose from 32.3% to 68.3% from people paying $10 – $14 and $15 $19 and some rose to 90% from people paying $25 or more (Fergusson et al. 1989). Patients with financial difficulties in obtaining health services opt to have a number of strategies, both active and passive, such as; late seeking behaviour of care, delay in obtaining medication and seeking financial help from GPs (Barnett R. and Barnett P. 2003). Patients frequently change their doctors even when they don’t want to. The introduction of Community Service Card (CSC) in 1992 is relatively ineffective in accessing the health provision of care. There is a high level of unmet need among CSC population. The reason for a rising unmet needs among the population group was partly due to low usage by those entitled and the stigma attached to it (Barnett R. and Barnett P. 2003). Interplay of Material, Cultural and Geographic Factors Low utilisation of health services in relation to health needs cannot be attached to cost alone. According to Barnett et al. (2003) it is also because of the interplay of factors; material, cultural and geographic factors. It was proved in a survey that MÄ ori and low-income New Zealanders have a low rate of GP utilisation given that the centres where set up to provide service in a low-income population. The health centres were there to improve access to care to MÄ ori and low-income populace. The cost for the provision of service was reduced as compared to the average cost. It was clear in the survey that financial barrier was not the reason but rather cultural values and expectations as well as the benefits from the services rendered (Barnett R. and Barnett P. 2003). It is also important to consider the geographic factors in understanding the levels of GP utilisation. There is a strong relationship between distance and patterns of use in both hospital and GP services; it is also not surprising that there is a sub pattern to it. People with poorer population have a 30% less expenditure or budget in health as compared to the well-off population with 40% over funding as computed by the Health Funding Authority (Malcolm 1998b). It shows that the basing on the budget in each region, the number of GP available is also dependent on the budget, thus with low budget comes less number of available GP and health centres while areas with higher budget comes a larger number of GPs available (Barnett R. and Barnett P. 2003). Implications for the wider health system New Zealand research had been focused on the different patterns in GP and hospitalisation utilisation. However, there is also another reason that can be attributed to the low health status among low-income population in the access of health care services. There is a relationship between patient admission and average length of hospital stay. Reducing the average length of stay contributes in the increased rate of readmissions within the poor (Barnett R. and Barnett P. 2003). One factor that might have an effect in the rate of readmissions among the poor is that the access to primary care is prevented by circumstances such as distance, cost and availability of the service itself. It is said that the importance of primary care is great in reducing or limiting hospitalisation (Barnett R. and Barnett P. 2003). Primary Health Organisation Model To address the problems New Zealand has in the delivery of health care and to provide equity to all, new initiatives were created. The development of primary care organisations (PHOs) created new frameworks for health service delivery and an avenue for change. Not only it involves the general practitioner and the community but it includes a wide variety of health providers to achieve the goal of giving equity in the access of health care provision. PHOs are a broad based organisation comprised of many primary care providers. These providers include midwives, iwi groups, and non-government organisations aside from General Practitioners. The new system is locally based, funds were computed through the affected population and PHOs are given an important role in formulating new public health initiatives. Partnership with MÄ ori and with Pacific communities is expected and where if needed, Ethnic group representation in the governance is allowed (Barnett R. and Barnett P. 2003). Potential Benefits of PHOs Upon the development of Primary Health Organisations, there are three potentials benefits that can be gained. One would be the likelihood of improving the population health is higher as compared to before, the rate of hospital admission will decrease and an empowerment to both the health providers and the consumer. Although after the introduction of capitation, in itself, is not an assurance of an improved population health and access to health. However, there are evidence claiming that a country with strong primary health care and a fewer barriers to healthcare accessibility have a better health outcomes (Barnett R. and Barnett P. 2003). A better primary health care have another advantage of potentially reducing the rate of admissions in hospitals. It is an important factor in determining health outcomes in New Zealand, given the case that it has a high rate of hospital admissions. With higher rate of admissions means higher hospital expenditure for the government. Although, there is no clear relationship between access to primary care and hospital admissions, there exist evidence that shows a reduction in healthcare cost reduces Ambulatory care sensitive (ACS) admissions just like in the United States. Some studies in New Zealand back it up with data showing after the removal of patient charges for consultation; a significant decline in hospitalisation was seen (Barnett R. and Barnett P. 2003). Lastly, with the development of primary health organisations with a greater emphasis in community will have the potential in increasing social empowerment in the poorer and disadvantage populations. This is important because cultural and economic barriers influence health seeking behaviour of an individual. Moreover, with the goal of fostering a broader links between health organisations, the potential of having a more holistic and social model of health is made. It has the possibility of not only improving the access to care but also other social conditions that foster inequalities in health (Barnett R. and Barnett P. 2003). Conclusion The development of the Primary Health Care Strategy and the recent move toward the development of PHOs in New Zealand has the potential to improve equity of access to care, reduce unnecessary hospitalisation and improve overall population health. It represents a fundamental shift in national primary health care policy away from an individual to a population focus (although this has been emerging among primary care organisations for some time), and from fee-for-service to a funding approach stressing capitation with reduced co-payments, with inter-regional distribution of funds based on population need. The potential is for a fairer system of primary health care where services will be more freely available to those in need (Barnett R. and Barnett P. 2003). However, improved equity of access may be difficult to achieve, given the problems and risks in developing PHOs. In New Zealand these include fragmentation of providers, inadequate attention to the regional sensitivity of allocation formulas, concern over the extent to which funding should be based on individuals or areas, and the extent to which full participation of both providers and the public is secured. Given the significant additional investment by the government, PHOs will need to demonstrate not only fairer access to primary care reductions in health inequalities, but also improvements in population health overall (Barnett R. and Barnett P. 2003). . Gribben, B. (1992) Do access factors affect utilisation of general practitioners in South AucklandNew Zealand Medical Journal, 105:453-455. Barnett, J.R. and R.A. Kearns (1996) Shopping around?: Consumerism and the use of private accident and medical clinics in Auckland, New ZealandEnvironment and Planning A,28:1053-1075. Waldegrave, C., R.J. Stephens and P. Frater (1995)Most Recent Findings of the New Zealand Poverty Measurement Project, The Family Centre, Lower Hutt. Minister of Health (2001a)Minimum Requirements for Primary Health Organisations, Minister of Health, Wellington. Minister of Health (2001b)The New Zealand Health Strategy, Minister of Health, Wellington. Jamieson, K. (1998)Poverty and Hardship in Christchurch, Christchurch City Council, Christchurch.

An Examination of Rubyfruit Jungle and Her Critics Essay -- Rubyfruit

An Examination of Rubyfruit Jungle and Her Critics  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   Rita Mae Brown's first novel, Rubyfruit Jungle made waves when it was first released in 1973. Its influence has not gone away over the years and is in its seventh printing. While mainstream critics failed to acknowledge Rubyfruit Jungle in their papers, magazines and discussions on contemporary literature, there are plenty of non-mainstream voices to fill the void. While these lesser-known sources are not always credible, and certainly not always accurate they have created a word-of-mouth reputation of the novel and have facilitated its continuous success. The problem in researching such a novel is that there is very little criticism. One cannot rely on book reviews from unknown magazines and personal websites in order to properly examine secondary sources. Knowing that there is virtually no critical analysis on Rubyfruit Jungle changes the questions that the novel itself raises, and forces one to examine why this novel was not worthy of discussion. There could be several answers to this mystery, the most obvious being that it was written by and is about a lesbian. America has never fully allowed people to "come out" without reprimand and up until the time of this novel, the only fiction that focused on lesbians emphasized their shame and grief over their sexual identity. The idea that Rubyfruit Jungle has not been looked at in academic circles simply because it is a novel about a lesbian who feels no shame or guilt about her sexuality is only part of the problem, it is not the only reason why Brown's first novel is not discussed. While Molly Bolt is a lesbian and proud of it, other lesbians are not so proud of her and what she stands for. Rubyfruit ... ...unity that is still often ignored in literature. Could it be that one must wait until the next millennium in order to find voices in literature that accurately represent the society in which it is portraying?    Works Cited    Brown, Rita Mae. "Book Reviews." Rita Mae Brown Homepage. 2 December   1999.<http://www.ritamaebrown.com/books/rmb.html>.    Brown, Rita Mae. Rubyfruit Jungle. New York: Daughters Publishing Company,   1973.    Fishbein, Leslie. "Rubyfruit Jungle: Lesbianism, Feminism, and Narcissism." International Journal of Women's Studies 7.2 (1984): 155-159.    Innes, Charlotte. "Rita Meter Maid." Los Angeles Times 30 Nov. 1997: 3.    Ward, Carol. Rita Mae Brown. New York: Twain Publishers, 1993.    Webb, Marilyn. "Daughters, Inc.: A Publishing House is Born." Ms. Magazine   2:6 (1974): 37.   

The Roosevelt Era :: American History

Chapter 30 American on the World Stage 1899-1909 Summary: Foreign affairs led Roosevelt from domestic to international involvement. Page:673-681 Columbia blocks the Canal Foreign affairs absorbed much of Roosevelt’s energy and had more knowledge of outside world than most of his predecessors. Americans from Spanish-American War wanted canal across the Central American isthmus to augment the strength of the navy by increasing its mobility, defend recent American acquisitions (Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Philippines, and facilitate operations of American merchant marine. Initial obstacles was legal ones. Ancient Clayton-Bulwer Treaty with British in 1850 U.S Could not secure control over such route. 1901 with unfriendly European power and Boer War, British consented to Hay-Pauncefote Treaty it gave the U.S. right to build canal and right to fortify it as well. Locations of the canal was a controversy. Many Americans like the Nicaraguan route but the French Canal Company was not want this failing S-shaped Panama. New Panama Canal company suddenly dropped the price of its holding. Nicaragua was objected because of its volcanic activity. Congress accepted the Panama route after Hanna persuasion. U.S. negotiation with Colombian a treaty favorable to the U.S. It lease the 6 mile for $10 million and annual payment of $250,000. Colombian rejected because it was its most valuable natural assets and later truth was $ not enough. Eager to be elected prez and mad at the outcome. 1904 proclaimed he want the canal built and critizen the treaty rejector blocking the onward march of civilization. Uncle Sam Creates Puppet Panama Panamanians ready for another revolt because fear prosperity would be gone it U.S. now turn to Nicaraguan route. Buanu-Varilla did not want company to lose money + revoluntionists+fire fighters+Colombian troops. 1903 Panama revolution occurred when Colombian troops were gathered to crush uprising but U.s. naval forces would not let them cross isthmus with justification of treaty 1846 that U.S. was obligation to maintain perfect neutrality of the isthmus against outsiders. Roosevelt quickly made Panana it outpost of u.S. Buanau-Varilla (now Panamanian minister) signed the Hya-Bunau-Varilla treaty in WA. Everthing the same but canal space widen and French company pocketed money from U.S. treasury. U.S. suffered from Roosevelt because European imperialists scorn at America’s uperior moral pretensions. Completing the Canal and Appeasing Colombia Panama made an ugly U.S.

Myths about the sun and the moon :: essays research papers

Myths about the Sun and Moon The sun and the moon are powerful beings that bring life and death to all living creatures. They control when it is day or night, which season it is, and the weather. They fascinate humans and a considerable amount of mythology has been dedicated to the creation of the sun and moon and why or how they travel across the sky during the day and night. This paper will discuss and compare some of these myths and the gods attributed to their care and existence. The sun and the moon are such influential powers that the creation of them is right along with the creation of the world and humans in some of the better-known mythology. The story of creation in Christian Bible tells of God’s creation of the sun and the moon. On the fourth day â€Å"God made two great lights - the greater to rule the day and the lesser to rule the night... God set them in the dome of sky to give light upon the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness.† (Genesis 1.16-18). A similar myth of the creation of the sun and the moon is found in the Qur’an, "It is Allah Who hath created the heavens and the earth and sendeth down rain from the skies... He has made subject to you, the night and the day; the sun and the moon; and the stars in subjection by His command." (Qur’an 14:32-33). These two myths are from monotheist religions in which the sun is just created out of nothing, they describe the creation but they lack explanation as to how and why the sun and the moon where put in the sky and have no detail about the orbits or movement or them. â€Å"The Creation of the Sun and the Moon† by Michelangelo is a large fresco of God creating the sun and the moon. In the foreground he has one hand pointing towards a large yellow ball, the sun, and in the background he is pointing towards a large bluish ball, the moon. He is looking forcefully at the sun in the foreground. This fresco is just one person’s take on the creation of the sun and the moon as the bible explains it. The Egyptian sun god was Re. His name meant sun and he represented strength.

Short Story Analysis

Short Story Analysis In this essay, your purpose is to fully explain an element (theme, characterization or symbolism) in a short story of your choice. I will provide you with examples of each element from stories by Hemingway, Updike and Vonnegut ; you may write about any of these authors except the ones that we have discussed in class. However, you may choose to investigate an author of your own choice. Below I have listed some contemporary authors and story collections you may want to check out: Jhumpa LahiriFlannery O'Connor Raymond Carver William Faulkner David Sedaris Tobias Wolff Ernest Hemingway John Updike Kurt Vonnegut Carolyn Ferrell E. Annie Proulx T. Coraghessan Boyle Melissa Bank John Edgar Wideman Jim Ray Daniels Kevin Canty Nathan Englander Amy Tan Z. Z. Packer Thom Jones Sarah Vowell â€Å"The Best of Non Required Reading† Series All-Story Magazine *If you choose an author not listed above, please clear your choice with me before you begin drafting. __________ _________________________________________________________ Below re definitions of the three elements that you can focus on for your analysis. Characterization – the creation of the image of imaginary persons in drama, narrative poetry, the novel, and the short story. Characterization generates plot and is revealed by actions, speech, thoughts, physical appearance, and the other characters’ thoughts or words about him. Theme-The idea or point of a story formulated as a generalization. In American literature, several themes are evident which reflect and define our society.The dominant ones might be innocence/experience, life/death, appearance/reality, free will/fate, madness/sanity, love/hate, society/individual, known/unknown. Themes may have a single, instead of a dual nature as well. The theme of a story may be a mid-life crisis, or imagination, or the duality of humankind (contradictions). Symbolism- A person, place or object which has a meaning in itself but suggest s other meanings as well. Things, characters and actions can be symbols. Anything that suggests a meaning beyond the obvious.Some symbols are conventional, generally meaning the same thing to all readers. i. e: white= purity, fire=passion/intensity, Spring=rebirth Short Story Analysis Requirements You will complete 2 short story analyses for this unit; you will choose 2 of the 3 elements (theme, characterization or symbolism) to focus on. You may do the 3rd element for extra credit. In this essay, write as if your audience is not familiar with the story; therefore, you may have to do some summary of the story and provide some background so that you discussion would be understandable to your audience.Here is what you will need for this essay: 1. A great title that alerts your reader to the content of the discussion. 2. A full introduction in which you present the title of your story, the author’s full name, and your thesis about the story. 3. A multi-paragraph body in which yo u explain the major element you are focusing on (theme, characterization or symbolism). 4. Strong transitions that move the reader smoothly through the discussion. 5. A wealth of evidence from the story in the form of plot summary and quotation that SHOWS what you are saying is true. . Parenthetical references to show where your quotations come from. 7. A Works Cited page showing where you found your story. 8. A suggested total length of not less than 500 words (excluding Works Cited, title, etc. ) 9. An authoritative tone that displays a thorough understanding of the story in question and the particular element being analyzed. 10. A conclusion that provides a sense of closure and leaves us with a strong thought or observation about the story or its themeWithout Politics: An Analysis of Symbolism in Ernest Hemingway’s â€Å"The Old Man at the Bridge† Masterpiece. We tend to overuse that epithet today, but Ernest Hemingway’s short story â€Å"The Old Man at the Bridge† is certainly deserving. Set during the Spanish Civil War, Hemingway’s tale is a masterpiece of conciseness and verbal economy, and the plight of the defenseless old man who is â€Å"without politics† clearly demonstrates the author’s condemnation of the senseless brutality and destructiveness of modern war (Hemingway 79).In this brief glimpse of war, Hemingway weaves several important symbols into the story to enhance his theme and point out the tragically ironic features of war’s ability to destroy even the most innocent creatures in its wake. The story’s most obvious symbol is the bridge itself. The nameless old man of the title has walked over six miles from his home in San Carlos and now finds himself exhausted at the foot of the bridge over the Ebro River. There he is met by the narrator, a scout for the anti-fascist forces, and warned to move along. Unfortunately, the old man is too tired to journey any further.On the far side o f the bridge lies Barcelona, which symbolically represents the possibility of safety and refuge. On the near side, only certain destruction awaits as the old man was warned to evacuate his hometown because of the impending shelling by fascist artillery. In short, the bridge symbolizes the point of no return for the old man: if he crosses over, he may be safe but he must give up all that he knows and loves in San Carlos; if he stays, however, he will most likely share the fate of his beloved animals he cared for in San Carlos.The unseen animals are also important symbols in Hemingway’s story. The old man tells the narrator that he cared for â€Å"two goats and a cat and then there were four pairs of pigeons† (Hemingway 79). Caring for the animals is the old man’s sole purpose and joy in life, and because he does not have the strength to bring them with him to safety, he has had to leave them behind. Their fate troubles him. He tells the scout, â€Å"The cat, of course, will be all right. A cat can look out for itself, but I cannot think what will become of the others† (Hemingway 79).When the narrator tries to assure him that the birds will also be fine, the old man says, â€Å"Yes, certainly they’ll fly. But the others. It’s better not to think about the others† (Hemingway 80). Of course, the animals are all that the old man is thinking of and concerned about, and their safety is more important to him than his own. Unlike the warring factions, the old man feels compassion for those who are not equipped to survive the massive destruction about to be unleashed.Also, the different animals were able to live together peacefully with the old man’s care and love, but the two human armies, ironically, cannot. The significance of the old man’s birds is heightened when the narrator asks the old man if he left â€Å"the dove cage unlocked† (Hemingway 80, my emphasis). By referring to the pigeons as dove s, the narrator is alluding to the traditional symbolism of the dove as a bird of peace and innocence. In such an environment of hatred and carnage, these symbols of peace have no place and must â€Å"fly† or face death.Their beauty and gentle nature are not fit for survival under such conditions, just as anyone who stands for peace will have no effect on the bloodshed to come. The narrator also points out that the story is set on Easter Sunday, a Christian holiday meant to celebrate Christ rising from the dead. The irony is apparent; no one will rise from the dead, only join the dead, when the shells begin to rain down and the skies clear to allow the fascist bombers to make their runs. Easter is symbolically viewed as a highly anticipated, welcome time of rebirth, renewal, and possible change.For the old man at the foot of the bridge, this Easter brings only inevitable death and the destruction of all that is meaningful to him. Finally, he most important symbol in the story is the old man himself. His symbolic innocence is seen when he tells the narrator, â€Å"I am without politics† (Hemingway 79). The unarmed old man does not belong to either side and he has no interest in participating in the conflict. He is 76 years old and has barely enough strength to make it to the bridge; he clearly poses no threat to anyone.Even so, his fate is made clear when the narrator ominously tells us that the momentary delay of the imminent bombing â€Å"and the fact that cats know how to look out for themselves was all the good luck that old man would ever have† (Hemingway 80). Since the Spanish Civil War was a precursor to World War II and alerted the world to what horrors would lie ahead for innocent men, women, children, and animals all over the planet when the conflict spread, Hemingway shows us what happens to the innocent and the powerless in this new brand of total war.There is no place for sympathy—beyond alerting the old man to keep movi ng and possibly hitch a ride to Barcelona, the narrator does not go out of his way to help the defenseless old man. Since the old man cannot help in the war, he is a hindrance, as is feeling any excessive emotion for him that might detract from performing one’s military duty. The scout tries to reassure the old man that his animals will be fine, but he is not going to go retrieve them for the old man.He advises the old man to cross the bridge, but he is not going to move the old man himself. After all, he has the â€Å"business† of war to tend to (Hemingway 78). This is as much kindness and compassion as the innocent can expect, and it is nowhere near enough to ensure survival. In the end, Hemingway captures the inhumanity and barbaric nature of war. Ironically, he does so without a single shot being fired or one drop of blood being spilled in his tale of a nameless old man at a forgotten bridge.His symbols are carefully placed and subtly developed, allowing readers to focus on the tragic fate of the old man without being sidetracked by heavy-handed literary devices. We feel sympathy and sorrow for the old man and ultimately realize that he is a symbol of all those caught in the crossfire, those who have died and will continue to die in the wake of and the inhuman â€Å"business† of modern war. Works Cited Hemingway, Ernest. â€Å"The Old Man at the Bridge. † The Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway. New York: Macmillan, 1986. 78-80.