Aviation rescue and fire fighting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Aviation rescue and fire fighting - Essay Example Technological advances have allowed Aviation Rescue and Fire Fighting to meet the challenges that have come about with its primary function of rescuing passengers and the growing use of air transportation and larger aircraft. Aviation Rescue and Firefighting is unique in its function as at a time of an air crash the members of the Aviation Rescue and Firefighting team face the intense challenge of rescuing a possible of more than 400 passengers from within the aircraft, whose length could extend to ninety meters and a width of five meters. Starting with normal firefighting equipment and volunteers immediately after the Second World War, Aviation Rescue and Firefighting has taken giant strides to keep with the technological advancements that have caused air transportation to transform dramatically and the size of aircraft also to grow to very large extents. The job function calls for highly trained and skilled personnel operating with sophisticated firefighting and rescue equipment. (Airport Rescue & Fire Fighting Index). The main objective of Aviation Rescue and Firefighting is to save the life of the entrapped passengers from the burning aircraft and the protection of aircraft and surrounding buildings and vehicle remain a secondary objective at the time of an aircraft accident or incident. The fire hazard is extremely high and all times the need for extinguishing fires has to be at the forefront of the activities of the Aviation Rescue and Firefighting. Fires may happen when aircraft land and take off, or during an accident or when rescue operation are put into place. The rupture of the fuel tanks of the aircraft could lead to spillage of highly volatile and inflammable aviation fuels and other liquids used by aircrafts. The aviation fuel and inflammable liquids could easily burst into flames by coming in contact with hot metal parts of the aircraft, sparks caused by moving parts of the aircraft or from disruption of the electrical circuits present in the

Question answer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Question answer - Essay Example Notably, finance minister of State X was present at the signing of the agreement between the two parties and after signing the document, the finance minister added the words â€Å"approved and ratified† and the minister also placed his own signature. Later on, a dispute aroused where OIC initiated a settlement proceeding in accordance with the procedures set out in the joint venture contract specifying both IPF and State X. However, State X argued that settlement tribunal has no jurisdiction over it. The major case issue is that whether State X can be excused from participating in the suit or not. With regard to the case, it can be stated that State X cannot be excused from participating in the suit. As the common law of contract in Australia affirms that any third party benefitting from the contractual agreement is liable to sue the other major party under the contractual agreement and vice versa. Nonetheless, privity of contract states that only the major parties entering in to the contractual agreement has the right to sue each other if any dispute arises. Simultaneously, the doctrine of privity of contract denies any obligations or liabilities to third party1. However, the doctrine of privity states that the major party has the right to sue the third party benefiting from the contract. ... over the performance of IPF, it cannot be denied that any action performed by IPC is governed by and taken with the active participation of State X2. Thus, the action of IPC cannot be distinguished from State X. In addition, State X also affirmed the contract by providing its approval and rectification as well as the finance minister of State X placed his signature to the contractual agreement which provided an evidence of State X’s involvement to the contractual agreement entered between OIC and IPF. At the same time, it can be argued that finance minister of State X was endorsing the contract but he was not making government as a party to the contract entered. Despite this aspect, it can be stated that State X should not be excused from participating in the suit. Additionally, the arbitration tribunal has sole power to involve State X in the suit. QUESTION 2: Considering the case of the Republic of Argentina et al v. Weltover Inc. et al., The United States used the Foreign S overeign Immunities Act of 1996 to bring suit against Argentina for a default on bond repayment. According to Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act 1996, statutory method can be ascertained from the United States courts to acquire jurisdiction over non-US sovereign. It offers that any person in the United States can seek for jurisdiction for disputes resulting from business transactions to non-US sovereign. It immunises non-U.S. states from jurisdiction of US court unless any exceptional scenario applies. Accordingly, Supreme Court of the USA has characterised â€Å"commercial activity† as the most important exception. This exception provides the verdict regarding which party can apply for lawsuit against the non-US sovereign in the US court. As part of a plan to stabilise petitioner, the Republic of

Profile the general biotechnology development in the USA Essay

Profile the general biotechnology development in the USA - Essay Example The government has increased its funding to the research and development field through the ministry of agriculture. The overall funding has been steadily increasing in the past four decades, for example in the year 1986, the total funding was estimated at USD 4.4 million, an amount that grew the following year to USD 5.7 million. Majority of the funds allocated are thus used in the development of newer technologies like recombinant DNA which help in the creation of genetically engineered organisms and other products that are highly financially viable (United States Office of Technology Assessment, Congress, 1984, p. 118). Since its inception in the 1980s, the biotechnology industry has also enjoyed a heavy support from friendly and protective policies and laws. The US is known for its long history of regulating both the public and the private sectors. These regulations are meant to ensure safety of the public health while maintaining a good public health (Just, Alston, & Zilberman, 2006, p. 59). Such regulations include the regulation of the type of products that are produced as a result of the technology. The laws demand that any nascent product should be tested extensively to ascertain its toxicity and efficacy (Just, Alston, & Zilberman, 2006, p. 243). The rational regulation of products of the transgenic technology is anchored in the fact that the risks that are posed by the product are far outweighed by the benefits (Just, Alston, & Zilberman, 2006, p. 243). The biotechnology field is also heavily supported by the heavy labor force that is present from experienced research scientists and other scholars. Majority of the funds that are allocated in the research and development field are channeled into the field for employing new workers with experience and skills. Historically, records show that the field has employed the most innovative and well trained personnel and entrepreneurs in the research,

Heat combustion of Alcohol Essay Example for Free

Heat combustion of Alcohol Essay Background Information Alcohols are used as a source of fuel in many countries. For it to turn into fuel, alcohol must be burnt. Alcohol is also a good clean source of energy and heat. In this experiment I will be trying to find out the amount of energy produced when different alcohols are burned. In this experiment, the type of alcohol will be tested is Ethanol. Ethanol is a colourless liquid and is sometimes referred simply as alcohol or spirits. Carbon chains with a hydroxide molecule at the end of the chain make up an alcohol. Ethanol is a straight-chain alcohol and its molecular formula is C2H5OH. Its empirical formula however is C2H6O The heat of combustion of any substance is the amount of heat energy given out when 1 mole of that substance burns completely in air. Every covalent bond existing in the molecule has a bond energy. This bond energy is the amount of energy needed to break the bond or the amount of energy given out as a bond is formed. Concentration of an alcohol is related to the number of moles per decimetre cubed of the substance. The more concentrated the substance the more the substance will burn thus more heat energy is given out. Research Question Will increasing the concentration of ethanol affect the heat of combustion of the alcohol? Hypothesis It is hypothesised that increasing the concentration of ethanol will increase the heat of combustion of the alcohol. Variables Independent The concentration of ethanol (Molar) * 0.5 Molar ethanol * 1.0 Molar ethanol * 1.5 Molar ethanol * 2.0 Molar ethanol * 2.5 Molar ethanol Dependent * Heat combustion of the alcohol (à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C) Controlled What will be controlled How it will be controlled Method of taking the temperature of water The thermometer will be placed in the middle of the conical flask and the tip of the thermometer will be touching the bottom of the flask. The conditions of the surrounding area The experiment will be carried out in standard lab conditions. Avoid contamination and residue to the next experiment when using the thermometer Distilled water will be used to thoroughly clean out the equipments before experiment. Equipments will not be reused for the next experiments. Method Drawing up data tables Molar of Ethanol Trials Initial temp (à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C) Final temp (à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C) Temp change (à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C) Initial mass (g) Final mass (g) Mass used (g) Qualitative Data Getting apparatus ready 1. Set up the electronic scale and attach the metal clamp to the retort stand 2. Using the label stickers and permanent pen, label the beakers that contain the different molar concentration of ethanol accordingly 0.5; 1.0; 1.5; 2.0; 2.5 3. Label the beaker containing water 4. Using the distilled water, thoroughly clean out the conical flasks and measuring cylinders Carrying out experiment 1. During the experiment, record any smell or colour of alcohol and any observation in the Qualitative Data table 2. Fill the conical flask with 100mL of water. 3. Place the thermometer inside the conical flask and record the initial temperature of the water 4. Keep the thermometer inside the conical flask 5. Clamp the flask at a height approximately 2cm from where the spirit burner will be placed below 6. Fill the spirit burner with just enough 0.5 Molar of ethanol so that the wick is half soaked in alcohol 7. Weigh the spirit burner attached with the lid containing the alcohol and record the initial mass 8. Place the spirit burner under the conical flask and use the matched to light the wick 9. When the water temperature reaches approximately 40à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C, blow out and extinguish the flame 10. Record the exact temperature reached when flames were extinguished 11. Using the tongs, move the spirit burner and lid to the electronic scale and weigh the final mass 12. Dispose the water and alcohol inside the spirit burner 13. Repeat steps 1 11, but change the type of ethanol in respect to independent variables 1.0 Molar, 1.5 Molar, 2.0 Molar and 2.5 Molar of ethanol 14. When repeating steps 1 11, make sure a new conical flask and water is used and also a new spirit burner is used 15. When all five experiments of the different molar concentration of ethanol is completed, repeat the experiment another two times for each molar concentration of ethanol in reference to the data table Calculations 1. Final temp Initial temp = Temp change (à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C) 2. Final mass Initial mass = Mass used (g)

Case Study of Nissans Cogent Co-Development

Case Study of Nissans Cogent Co-Development In early 1990s Nissan started its NX96 improvement initiative focusing on quality(Q), cost(C), delivery(D), development and management(M). Thus Nissan could measure QCD performance levels of components from supplier, then set and achieve improvement targets. But that was not the case in development assessment due to diverse range of challenges in terms of widely varying nature of suppliers products and technologies, resulting in poor overall performance and threat for their competitiveness. These deficiencies of development in NX96 initiative were considered and replaced with NEXT21 (Nissan Euro eXcellnce Towards 21st century) incorporating new approach to design and development (DD). Nissans requirement from its supplier base was about 75%. Though suppliers had world class quality levels with defect rate of less than 10ppm, in publics perception Nissan remained below its competitors even after surpassing them in quality data figures. With these feedbacks, Nissan focused on attractive quality apart from basic quality. In 1995 Nissan formulated COGENT, Co-development re-generation tool, an initiative developed with partnership between NETC (Nissan European Technology Centre), Cranfield University and 89 of its suppliers. COGENT has a Latin origin meaning, Drive Forward Together, and runs hand-in-hand with NEXT21 programme. The aim of COGENT was to improve overall performance of product; that is to get best quality at cheaper price with faster delivery. The fact that 80% of quality performance determined at development phase brings in significant overall benefit at production stage justifies the need to focus on component DD itself. The specific goal of COGENT was to bring DD activities of suppliers in close alignment with that of Nissan itself. The objective was primarily to develop better understanding and more effective relationship between Nissan and its suppliers by having open communication at early stages of product development and also to maintain the momentum. Part 2: Overview of theories involved Supply chain management is the integration of each element of supply, design, production, and distribution from extraction of raw material to end customer delivery. (Rudzki et al. 2006). Managing supplier relationships is the vital part of strategic supply management as market changes and trends makes external suppliers a critical part of a firms value chain (Trent 2007). Through a good relationship, supplier development activities by means of collaboration with suppliers in various forms of partnerships, enables to improve overall effectiveness and efficiency of the supply chain as a whole (Ford et al. 1998). One of the important steps in supplier development during Integrative Development stage is Supplier Integration in New Product development (NPD). Suppliers are integrated into buyers supply chain network by means of supplier involvement in DD of new products, processes, and services (Krause 1999 Module note page: 45, Refer appendix Fig. A for supplier development Model Step#10). Early supplier involvement(ESI) is the process of relying on suppliers, either physically or virtually, to provide support early on during strategic planning, demand and supply planning, continuous improvement projects, project planning and development of new technologies and products. ESI is often associated with new product development and the factors that drive include the need for continuous improvement, the need to develop new products, services, and processes quickly and also save cost by doing the design right at first time, thus achieving reduced cycle times of concept-to-customer (Trent 2007). Though there are various expenses involved in supplier relationship management, buyer companies reap the benefits such as achieving are lower production costs by means of right first time design, improved material flow through reduced inventory, and reduced administration costs by means of integrated information systems (Ford et al. 1998). Overall benefits to the buyer company are reduction in material cost, reduction in development and manufacturing cost, reduction in development cycle time, improvement in quality, functionality, features and technology. Table1 presents findings from the study that focused on how different organisations involve suppliers during product and process development and reveal that ESI deliver better performance results (Trent 2007).   Early Involvement Reduction in material costs 20% Reduction in development cycle time 20% Improvement in material quality 20% Reduction in development costs 20% Reduction in manufacturing costs 10% Improvement in product functionality, features, technology 20% Table1. Median Improvements from ESI (Trent 2007:227) . In general, long-term relationships result in improvements in: Supplier involvement focus and ownership of product focus on continuous improvement implementation method focus on quality teamwork on new product introduction shared vision alignment of people and systems clearly defined responsibility and accountability (Burnes and Dale 1998). Part 3: COGENT Implementation and Achievements MDs of some of Nissans supplier companies were invited to NETC to discuss about key points of co-development, what was required to be done for them to achieve world class levels of design by year 2000 and how they would implement changes. NETC and Cranfield University worked together intensively with Nissans first tier suppliers for the first year, trying to communicate the very essence of COGENT. But they realized that the message was not reaching the wide supplier base fast enough. Thus fast-track COGENT was initiated. Suppliers were invited for a day long intensive event to work through three specific workshops that takes through the core messages of COGENT. The fast track COGENT concentrated in three areas for aligning different aspects of co-development aligning perceptions, aligning processes, and aligning project targets and key milestones. The steps followed for each areas of alignment were same where do we want to be, where we are now, how to get there, and implement and monitor improvement plan. Suppliers were asked to consider their current perceptions of their relationship with Nissan, analyse their own existing development processes and their plans to meet NEXT21 targets. Also, they were asked to start thinking about where they want to be in terms of world class performance levels of development and were discussed in each session of fast track COGENT, ultimately leading to the very important question how to get there. This enabled Nissan and suppliers to identify possible improvement activities to strengthen their development capabilities and also to prioritize areas of improvement resulting in a clearly defined improvement plan. Again the suppliers were encouraged to further prioritize their specific improvement actions and to begin generating improvement action monitor sheet from their findings. On completion of fast track activity each supplier is clear with what is being expected of them with a set of mutually agreed action plans for DD improvement. Thus success of COGENT can be monitored against their action to assess suppliers development performance. COGENT was primarily designed to invest more time and resources in starting of development phase itself, thereby avoiding the concern of re-design after testing and verification of trial design parts and also improve lead time. This eliminates majority of waste throughout the whole development cycle and also total resources used are comparatively less. Those suppliers who took part in COGENT initiative displayed outstanding achievement levels in NEXT21 performance appraisal. The fig.1 projects the rate of improvement that suppliers might have achieved by year 1998 to about 1% if they had continued with NX96 and where as NEXT21 targeted at 5%. However, average figures achieved by suppliers who took part in COGENT achieved 11% improvement. Part 4: Conclusion Through the workshop, Cranfield University created an environment to ease effective communication and understanding between supplier and Nissan, and to have a better combined work relationship in order to identify what Nissan and supplier needs to do to stay competitive in the global market. The entire process is not just to find out areas of improvement for supplier, but also a mutually beneficial joint effort of development for future to bring performance improvements and continuous improvement thereafter, which will help eliminate wastes at every stage, from concept to successful delivery. COGENT has enabled Nissan identify what is required to be done to overcome the flaws, under shared basic understanding of challenges and problems they are likely to face during the process of product DD in order to bring about the most effective co-development relationship. The approach as a whole, has not only given a face-lift for measuring success in DD, but also gave an opportunity for Nissan to align its suppliers development processes alongside its own. COGENT has enable Nissan work more closely and effectively in their relationship with its suppliers throughout the whole DD phase. Nissan and its suppliers together are developing future products with attracted quality to satisfy their customer by driving forward together. As more and more suppliers are introduced to COGENT through fast track, the achievements continue to represent a significant step change in performance. By 2000, 90% of Nissan vehicle sold were built in Europe and this demonstrates Nissans vital European operation which was achieved as a result of COGENT initiative, aiding Nissan gain competitive advantage in the automotive market. Part 5: Theory linked to practice Key Learning points In an effective supply chain management suppliers and customers work together in a coordinated manner by sharing and communicating rapid flow of information. Suppliers and customers must have shared goals and vision, and also must participate together in DD of products/processes of the supply chain to achieve their shared goals. In context of Total Quality Management (TQM), benchmarking is essential for assessing current performance to identify possible improvements. Benchmarking is measuring where the company is positioned now and using that as a guideline identify where the company wants to be in future by setting performance goals in each areas of supply chain (Module Note, page 51-54). During the course of mutually benefiting bilateral relationship in supply chain, one of the important steps is ESI in DD, which has a major role in minimizing total cost. This basic understanding brings in the need of co-development, where suppliers are involved in early stages of new product DD and hence most buyer companies are making ESI one of their most important supply management strategies. Effective integration of suppliers into the supply chain will be a key factor for manufacturers in achieving improvements necessary to remain competitive and to improve supply chain as a whole. Part 6: Future trends Automotive manufacturers in general have their own strategy for bring out best quality and cheapest cars in short time to the competitive market. In case of Nissan, they have a pool of potentially capable suppliers who meet the production requirements in terms of quality and delivery with reasonably good cost factors and are driving for continuous improvement towards the achieving further set targets by Nissan. With COGENT initiative, Nissan has started the integrative development by involving its first-tier suppliers in their NPD activities and is essentially the success story behind success of its new products in recent few years. The future trend for Nissan would be to establish performance improvements in second-tier suppliers and also possibilities to establish improvements in third-tier suppliers and so on. These supplier development steps will definitely help Nissan achieve a globally aligned supplier network in future ahead. Part 7: List of References Anon. (1999) Nissans cogent: the co-development regeneration tool. [DVD] Burnes,B, Dale,B (1998) Working in partnership. Hampshire: Gower Publishing Limited Ford,D, Gadde,L, Hakansson,H, Lundgren,A, Snehota,I, Turnbull,P, Wilson,D (1998) Managing Business Relationships. West Sussex: John Wiley Sons Ltd Handfield, Robert B.; Ragatz, Gary L.; Petersen, Kenneth J.; Monczka, Robert M (1999) Involving Suppliers in New Product Development.. California Management Review 42 (Issue 1), 59-82 M25EKM Supply Chain Management Module Notes : Module Leader Phil Southey Rudzki,R.A.,Smock,D.A.,Katzorke,M and Stewar,S.Jr (2006) Straight to the Bottom Line-An Executives Roadmap to World Class Supply Management. Indiana: J.Ross Publishing Trent,R.J. (2007) Strategic Supply Management: Creating the Next Source of Competitive Advantage. Indiana: J.Ross Publishing Part 8: Appendix 1. Fig.A. Supplier Model (Krause 1999 Module note page: 45)

Making Jaun Proud :: essays research papers

The Company is organized into a number of business units. The Company’s North American retail business sells coffee beverages, whole bean coffees and related hardware and equipment through company-operated retail stores in the United States and Canada. The Company’s international retail business consists of entities that own and operate retail stores abroad. These two retail segments are managed by different presidents within the company and are measured and evaluated separately by senior management. The Company operates other business units as well and each is managed and evaluated independently. These other business units are organized around the strategic relationships that govern the distribution of products to the customer. These relationships include retail store licensing agreements, grocery channel licensing agreements, wholesale accounts, and joint ventures. Starbucks Corporation and its subsidiaries buy and roast high quality whole coffee beans. To insure high quality of the product, Starbucks built three roasting plants of it’s own, where highly trained and experienced personnel monitor roasting of beans. Quality standards are so high that entire batches are thrown away after testing if qualifications differ from acceptable standards. Later, beans are sold in primarily company-operated stores along with fresh, rich-brewed coffee, Italian-style espresso beverages, decaffeinated beverages, cold blended beverages, a variety of pastries and confections, coffee-related accessories and equipment, and a line of premium teas. Starbucks sees its success in constant development of its products to bring new experiences and ideas to loyal customers of their coffee-empire. High quality of a product that will appeal to coffee lovers around the world is Starbucks main consideration. Starbucks sells a lifestyle, to customers and employees alike. It has learned from the experience of Pepsi and others to link its brand to new trends. Starbucks' success could be attributed to an objective to meet their customer’s needs, and innovative new product offerings. Selecting a marketing strategy based on a product mix is a key to Starbucks success. Coffee is the second most traded commodity in the world (McMahon, 2001), and as a result, Starbucks was forced to adopt a high product differentiation strategy. This strategy differentiates the company from the competition, making its product unique, by targeting quality, service, and the price conscious customer. Starbucks retail stores are usually located in high-traffic locations and high visibility areas. To reduce risk of failure and economic fluctuations, properties for the stores are leased. Brand name recognition of Starbucks therefore comes from people being frequently exposed to it.

Rage Against Machine Three Rebels Essay

The protagonists of the novels Emma by Jane Austen, My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain all share a rebellious streak that both serves them well and causes them trouble in their respective novels. However, these protagonists didn’t operate with a wild disregard to the rules of their society and times. Rather, all three characters are constrained in the end by the mores of Victorian England, Orthodox Jewish society and 19th century Southern values respectively. Exploring such aspects of Emma, My Name is Asher Lev, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, as theme, historical context, and psychological traits, it will be shown that despite Emma Woodhouse’s disdain for the institution of marriage, Asher Lev’s living in the two seemingly opposite worlds of art and Jewish society, and Huckelberry Finn’s lack of respect for social refinement and rules, the three protagonists did not entirely succeed in their goals of living lives that went against the grain of their societies. Emma Woodhouse was described in the pages of Emma as a â€Å"†¦ handsome, clever, and rich†¦ † (Austen, p. 1, 1816) young woman who was the apple of her doting father’s eye and the mistress of Hartfield, their family estate. Taking credit for the union of her former governess and a Mr. Weston, Emma decided to further hone her â€Å"matchmaking† skills by setting up her friend Harriet Smith with various men of higher social status. This interest in Harriet Smith’s marriage prospects directly contradicts Emma’s own quest to remain single in a society that offered women only bleak alternatives to marriage. Despite Emma’s twin resolves to remain single and find Harriet a suitable mate, Emma eventually caved into the demands that were made on women of high social status when she gets engaged and realized that Harriet marrying a farmer named Robert Martin would forever alter their relationship. Asher Lev, the protagonist of My Name is Asher Lev, had loved to draw ever since he was small. His father, an important figure in the Ladover community, tried to discourage his son from getting too serious about his art while his mother implored Asher to draw pictures that were â€Å"pretty†, an assault to her son’s melancholy artistic temperment. Despite reading in an art book that an artist should be free of religion, country, etc, Asher decides that he will try to balance being a devout Jew with being a passionate artist. Under the guidance of Jacob Kahn, a non-practicing Jewish artist, Asher’s art and his knowledge flourishes as he explores the use of crucifixes in his work. Asher is uneasy about showing the crucifixion pictures in a show, but he goes through with it, being true to his calling as an artist. The crucifixes ultimately prove to be Asher Lev’s undoing as he is shunned by his parents and the Ladover community in general. Huckleberry Finn, the protagonist in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, is an adolescent boy who enjoys looking for trouble with his friend Tom Sawyer way more than trying to become a civilized boy at the hands of the widow and Miss Watson. After running away from his drunkard father, he decides to travel with Jim, who left Miss Watson’s house after he found out that Miss Watson was thinking of selling him. Even though Huckleberry Fin grows attached to Jim, he harbors doubts throughout the story about hiding a runaway slave. He even thinks about turning Jim in before deciding that having a conscience just wasn’t worth the mental agony of losing his friend. In the end, the protagonist’s rebellious act of helping a slave escape his captors prove to be for nothing as Miss Watson, his former master, decides to set him free. All three novels have themes that somehow relate back to rebellion or freedom. In Emma, the protagonist told her friend Harriet Smith that she never intended on getting married, a bold pronouncement in Victorian England. Her reasons are simple: â€Å"Fortune I do not want; employment I do not want; consequence I do not want; I believe few married women are half as much mistress of their husband’s house as I am of Hartfield†¦ † (Austen, p. 74, 1816) What Emma was saying was that her social status allowed her the freedom to chart her own course throughout life, an option given to few women at the time. Another way that Emma tried to rebel against the social customs of Victorian England was to find her friend Harriet a mate of high social status. Since Harriet’s bloodline was unknown, most people would have scoffed at a pairing of Harriet with a man like Mr. Elton or Frank Churchill. Mr. Knightley echoes this sentiment when talking to Mrs. Weston: â€Å"Hartfield will only put her out of conceit with all the other places she belongs to. She will grow just refined enough to be uncomfortable with those among whom birth and circumstances have placed her home. † (Austen, p. 31,1816) Freedom is the overarching theme of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. At the beginning and end of the novel, the protagonist yearns to be free from the rules and civilization of 19th century polite Southern society. For a boy that seemed to be hemmed in by clean clothes and spelling lessons, floating on a raft must have seemed like heaven: â€Å"Other places do seem so cramped up and smothery, but a raft don’t. You feel mighty free and easy and comfortable on a raft. † (Twain, p. 134, 1985) The novel even ends with Huckleberry Finn promising to run away looking for more adventures, claiming that he â€Å"been there before† (Twain, p. 296, 1985) with the civilized life. One of the themes of My Name is Asher Lev is the protagonist’s struggle between life as a devout Jew and life as an artist dedicated to his craft. This battle is evident on the first page as Asher Lev introduces himself to a reader that is already familiar with his work. In this passage, Asher tears himself apart yet defends himself at the same time, showing uncertainty years later with his decision to show the crucifixes: I am an observant Jew. Yes, of course, observant Jews do not paint crucifixions. As a matter of fact, observant Jews do not paint at all-in the way that I am painting†¦ I am a traitor, an apostate, a self-hater, an inflicter of shame upon my family†¦ Well, I am none of those things. And yet, in all honesty, I confess that my accusers are not altogether wrong; I am indeed, in some way, all of those things. (Potok, p. 1, 1972) It was established earlier that Emma rebelled against Victorian society by resolving to stay single and fix up her friend Harriet with a man above her social status. As the novel ended with Emma’s engagement to Mr. Knightley and Harriet’s engagement to Robert Martin, Emma realized that rebellion wasn’t quite her cup of tea, deciding to let her friendship with Harriet fall to that of social goodwill: â€Å"The intimacy between her and Emma must sink; their friendship must change into a calmer sort of goodwill†¦ † (Austen, p. 435, 1816) At the start of the novel, Emma wanted to live her life according to her rules, but by the end became caught up in the social mores of Victorian England. Sharing the psychological trait of rebelliousness with Emma Woodhouse, Huckleberry Finn did everything he could to escape the stifling life of rules and convention, even traveling the length of the Mississippi River with a runaway slave. However, the protagonist almost gave in to social conventions several times when he seriously thought about turning Jim in to the authorities. Huckleberry Finn even wrote a letter to Miss Watson telling her of Jim’s whereabouts, feeling better afterward. However, as Huckleberry Finn thought of all the things that Jim had done for him, he tears up the letter, saying â€Å"All right, then, I’ll go to hell† (Twain, p. 223, 1985) The rebellious streak in Asher Lev started early. Even at a young age, Asher was willing to defend his gift, no matter the situation. For example, when Asher was called into the mashpia’s office for drawing a sinister picture of the Rebbe, Asher boldly stood up for his art to his disapproving father, something a polite Orthodox Jewish kid did not do in those times: â€Å"Foolishness is something that’s stupid†¦ Foolishness is something a person shouldn’t do. Foolishness is something that brings harm to the world. Foolishness is a waste of time. Please don’t call it foolishness any more, Papa. † (Potok, p. 129, 1972) Like Huckleberry Finn, Asher Lev knew how he wanted to live his life at a very young age. Also like Huck Finn, Asher was willing to thwart social conventions in order to communicate this. Despite the rebellious streaks of Emma Woodhouse, Huckleberry Finn, and Asher Lev, the time periods in which the three novels take place largely serve to mute the three protagonists’ individuality. In Emma, for example, women of her class were expected to be married. Those who didn’t were largely seen as pathetic beings on which to take pity. The character of Miss Bates was presented as a ridiculous character, seen as a clown-like figure by Emma and others, and seen as an object of sympathy such characters as Mr. Knightley. Even Harriet Smith saw Miss Bates as someone to be pitied. However, Emma, Harriet, and even Jane Fairfax, thought to be doomed to a governess position, escaped Miss Bates’ fate by marrying according to the social customs of Victorian England. Rebellious in her youth, Emma realizes the â€Å"error† of her ways and did her womanly duty. The vile tradition of slavery provided a subtle color to The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Yes, the protagonist became close friends with a runaway slave. However, it was obvious that Huckleberry Finn was conflicted about this friendship. One example of this conflict occurred when the protagonist meets his friend Tom Sawyer , who was on his way to visit relatives. When Tom suggests that they steal Jim away from the Phelps’ farm, Huckleberry Finn is flabbergasted: â€Å"Well, I let go all holts, then, like I was shot. It was the most astonishing speech I had ever heard-and I’m bound to say Tom Sawyer fell, considerable, in my estimation. † (Twain, p. 235, 1985) In other words, it was ok for Jim to travel with Huck when they were in no danger of getting caught. Once caught, Jim was no longer Huck’s problem. He was even surprised that anyone would go to the trouble of breaking the law to help a slave escape. Huckleberry Finn wasn’t a bad person. He was just a victim of pre-Civil War America. Growing up an Orthodox Jew who was also a gifted artist in the mid 20th century was a unique situation for Asher Lev. Throughout My Name is Asher Lev, the protagonist had tried valiantly to combine being a devout Jew with being an even more devout artist. He observed the Jewish faith despite studying under a non-practicing Jewish artist and living in Europe for a while. At the end, something had to give in Asher’s struggle between Judaism and art, and it ended up being his place in the Ladover community. As Asher walked down the street after the Rebbe cast him out of the community, he contemplates his life thus far: â€Å"I was demonic and devine†¦ Asher Lev†¦ was the child of the Master of the Universe and the Other Side. Asher Lev paints good pictures and hurts people he loves. † (Potok, 367, 1972) From this passage, one can see how Asher Lev wondered whether the sacrifice was actually worth the love of his parents and his community. The protagonists of Emma, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and My Name is Asher Lev all sought to do things that were not really done in their times. Emma Woodhouse sought to raise the social status of her friend by marriage while remaining single herself in a time when both acts were looked down upon. Huckleberry Finn wanted to escape civilization while bringing along a runaway slave for company. Asher Lev wanted to combine the life of faith with the life of art in a time when no one would even think about the two concepts together. Ultimately, the times of the three rebel protagonists proved to be too much, dulling their mutinous acts.