Foreign Policy Change Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Foreign Policy Change - Assignment Example Legro presented some arguments related tithe change in the foreign policy of the United States. He raised four issues that needed further clarification. He pointed out an issue that is pertaining to the role of politics in performing relevant jobs that need to be reminded to the policy makers (Legro 2005). The author referred to politics by including activities led by the leaders of that country that are associated with the governance of country. Politics has a strong influence that can affect a country and its economy, businesses, society, education, tourism and many other elements. In order to manage and control all aspects of an economy the leaders should make strong strategies. The effective strategy  can always become difficult to develop and implement because of the contingent political battle among political leaders (Legro 2005). Therefore, Legro gave his views on this issue by focusing only on the holistic nature of ideas. He explained that a change in collective ideas is i nherently conflictual and political, but a focus on the situation of the contingent politics in which continuity is likely or it is not properly defined.

Before Sunset Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Before Sunset - Essay Example The movie has rightfully earned great critical acclaim for portraying the lives of two individuals, who love each other dearly but are always pulled apart because of their circumstances. Moreover, it was not just the plot of the story that was laudable but the premise of the film further entails several themes regarding the geographical and urban design of the contemporary society that has greatly isolated people and restricted interaction on a daily basis. Even in the past, films were tools that were used vastly as a means to promote a particular city or culture. The entire filming before sunrise was done in Paris, providing insight into how urban structure seems to have affected the lives of the masses. The film depicts the life of both the protagonists and the degree to which their lives had changed over the period of their separation. Both Jesse and Celine portray contemporary individuals, who experience the rising problems of an urban society; loneliness being one of the primary issues. This concept is called urban isolation, which arises as a result of the layout of our society that prevents social encounters and interactions. From architecture to the overall communication network, modern civilization has been developed in such a way to protect the privacy of individuals that besides making things easier for people often results in people becoming more and more distant from each other. As a matter of fact, from residential buildings to everyday travel, privacy and seclusion are marketed as an asset and this feature is being made more attractive that makes people want to achieve it. This aspect is ostensible in the movie through the segregation that is believed to have been prolonged because of this aspect of the society. From the first movie, both of them had been heading towards opposite directions, although their circumstances kept them from reaching out to each other, but the period of their separation was further

Business Continuity Planning Pros and Cons

Business Continuity Planning Pros and Cons Advantages and Disadvantages of Business Continuity Planning In a Financial Organization under the Incident Command System Abstract This research paper is primarily focused on highlighting the specific pros and cons of a business continuity plan that is used in a financial organization under the incident management system. The advantages associated with the use of incident command systems in a BCP in any financial organization are paramount including being able to install preventive and corrective measures that can either reduce partial or complete impact in cases of disruptions. However still there exist some cons associated with its usage i.e. fast amounts of time required for its implementation, asset acquisition and in most cases the size of the organization might hinder the implementation of an incident command system. Introduction A business continuity plan is very critical in the facilitation of the smooth running of the organization or guidelines that can help recover from disruptions hence ensuring the provision of services even in cases of disturbances. The process focuses on assessment and identification of all the potential threats that might disrupt service delivery and their potential impacts with the aim of creating measures to ensure the resilience of the system. Technology should enable recovery of applications from disruptions and other critical data through the disaster recovery plan. An incident command system is the technical developments for a given company that entails its main functionality being to mitigate the impacts of the unforeseen incidents that can result in loss of critical data. Business continuity planning are corrective measures established in an organization or an institution to govern the daily and future activities within it (Ramakrishnan et al., 2015). These measures are for ensuring that there is smooth running of the necessary activities. Failure to establish the plan could lead to the company collapsing, low profit in the day to day sales or even shut down of the business which is a big loss to the business. Business continuity planning should be done to any organization that takes its customers or clients seriously. Continuous planning takes the owner of the business miles ahead of the other competitors within the same field (Heng, 2015). Advantages I. During planning the potential of the business booming up is established plus the possible weaknesses and challenges the company might face are outlined and effective solution are established in advance. II. The main advantage that any financial institution stands to gain from the use of an incident command system is the ability to identify potential threats and plan in advance hence avoiding suspension of critical financial operations. The threats might range from natural epidemics, cyber-attacks or just computer failures as a result of hardware or software issues. III. The financial organization has increased abilities to maintain effective coordination and to maintain the response directions. Besides, the organization can gain insights on the importance of coordination of resources and the ability to identify the incident priorities. IV. The financial institution has a good platform for testing and reviewing the most likely threat hence allowing for coordination of BCP with external stakeholders. V. The long-term use of incident command systems is an advantage in itself as it leads to gaining of experience hence I the long run will lead to higher efficiency in restoration and fast recoveries. However, the full implementation becomes a disadvantage as it is time-consuming. VI. The financial section of the organization if it implements the recovery systems well can work as a competitive advantage as it safeguards against financial losses of the organization VII. Although this is later on stipulated as a disadvantage, it can still be an advantage. Incident command system can be used to accomplish tasks that people couldnt do in disaster prone areas hence preventing payment disorder whereas reducing the risks associated with miscommunication between the responder. VIII. Embracing the current evolution computing technology brings efficient fast and timely delivery of the service given by the organization. This can help in record keeping and monitor the business activities. IX. Business continuity planning helps one in marking the best insurance cover that matches the criteria of business. The cover is of great help in case of disasters like fire or thefts or any other disaster that could strike the organization. X. Business continuity planning helps one building best platforms for marketing and branding of the business and products.one is in a position to establish the effective and most suitable mode of reaching out that is fault tolerant and can assure customers of uninterrupted service delivery. XI. The target audience is created. He/she is in a position to outline the reach people or group one is aiming at. This helps one avoid going out of the set individuals. Disadvantages Failure to do business continuity planning one is at a significant risk of either: I. The implementation process is often considered as tedious hence requiring professionals to handle it. Besides the organization has to employ qualified personnel to handle that. No business intends to invest heavily in preparing for unknown threats as they rather wait for it to happen then defend (Systems, 2012). II. The process of using incident command systems as a business continuity planning tool is both costly and time-consuming. This may lead to over investment of funds that could have otherwise been dedicated to other business operations. III. Business collapsing or failure that is as a result of poor management skills, techniques, and evaluation techniques. Hence, one is not in a position to establish the coming danger and ends up regretting the already outcome. IV. The death of individuals could occur after the fire, building collapsing where the insurance covers have been ignored, have not been implemented by professionals or due to lack of adequate testing of the possible scenarios. Conclusions The implementation of a business continuity plan through incident command systems has been faced with numerous advantages and disadvantages. Some of the benefits include; response, recognition of threats, competitive benefits, coordination mechanisms, experience and an excellent testing platform with the option testing and reviewing. The main disadvantages include the need for specialized skills in handling the recovery systems. In addition to this, small businesses cannot implement the system as this may result in losses through maintenance cost. However, analysis of the pros and cons suggests that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. All this indicates the importance for all financial institutions to implement the incident command system as part of the business continuity plan (Drennan, 2014). References Drennan, L., McConnell, A., Stark, A. (2014). Risk and crisis management in the public sector. 2nd ed. Routledge Taylor Francis Group London and New York. Heng, Goh Moh. (2015) Business Continuity Management Planning Methodology. International Journal Of Disaster Recovery And Business Continuity, vol 6, 2015, pp. 9-16. Science And Engineering Research Support Society, doi:10.14257/ijdrbc.2015.6.02. Ramakrishnan, R. K., Viswanathan, S. (2015). The Importance of Business Strategy in Business Continuity Planning. The Definitive Handbook of Business Continuity Management, 31-35. doi:10.1002/9781119205883.ch3 Systems, S. (2012) The CEOs Guide to Succession Planning: Managing Risk Ensuring Business Continuity. SSRN Electronic Journal. http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1633523

Euthanasia: The Right Choice for America Essay -- Argumentative Persua

Euthanasia: The Right Choice for America The ethical debate of euthanasia continues while Oregon remains the only state in which it is legalized in. Based on the success of the Oregon euthanasia law, this law should serve as a model to the rest of the nation and it should be implemented all across the U.S. The success and effectiveness of this law can be seen through many case studies and statistics. Of course, there is a line that is often crossed with doctors who euthanize under unlawful conditions; however, under the right circumstances euthanasia can work. Should the United States of America continue to overlook a patent’s wishes and desires and instead primarily focus on doing everything possible to keep a person alive when there is no need? Where is the rationality in letting a person who is suffering die a slow painful death? Granted physicians are obliged to preserve life at all costs, under many circumstances, there is no need for this effort. If a patient requests death, his wish should be respected and approved. Why must the right to die be taken away? If there is no justifiable reason to preserve someone’s life, there should be no need to do it. One example reflects the experiences of a man named David Miller’s grandmother. He shares a story of her after she was diagnosed with emphysema. The disease contributed to her inability to use her neck muscles, to breath, and to speak. Many question such a doctors’ judgment in keeping such a person, who’s both suffering and serving no purpose to the world, alive. (Miller, 27) Sometimes, doctors need to focus on the quality of life of a patient, especially if the patient is suffering. Terms such as passive euthanasia and active euthanasia are often tos... ...ide Largely Shunned.† The Christian Century Dec 2000: 1267 Buckley, William F. â€Å"Killer Doc.† National Review Dec 1998: 70 Kavanaugh, John F. â€Å"Euthanizing Life† America May 2001: 28 MacQueen, Ken. â€Å"Choosing Suicide† Maclean’s v. 115 no31 (August 5 2002) p. 40-1 Miller, David. â€Å"From Life in Death in a Peaceful Instant.† The Humanist (May/ June 2000) 27 Nichols, Mark. â€Å"Offering a Helping Hand to Those Who Long to Die.† Maclean’s March 1998: 52 Rayner, Clair. â€Å"You Say Murder, I Say Euthanasia.† New Statesman June 2000: 31 Richardson, Andrea E. â€Å"Death with Dignity: The Ultimate Human Right?† The Humanist (July/ Aug 2002) p. 42-43 Sarasohn, David. â€Å"No Last Rights† The Nation v.273 no19 (December 10 2001) p. 8 Welie, Jos V. M. â€Å"Why Physicians? Reflections on the Netherlands’ New Euthanasia Law.† The Hastings Center Report Jan/Feb 2002: 42-44

Information Security Policy Essay

1. Executive Summary Due in Week Nine: Write 3 to 4 paragraphs giving a bottom-line summary of the specific measureable goals and objectives of the security plan, which can be implemented to define optimal security architecture for the selected business scenario. The goal of this security policy is to lay out a basic plan for a secure information system to be used by Bloom Design Group. This policy will protect the company’s systems from threats that can come from humans and from natural disasters as well. The policy will also put into consideration the privacy, reputation, intellectual property and productivity of the Bloom Design Group. The continued operation of this company depends on being able to access and use resources within the organization and being able to remote access with security. Each persons role in the company will be considered and appropriate access will be given to ensure the efficient operation of the business, while not giving access to those who are not authorized. This policy will also help in the company’s adherence to any governmental regulations. Any disruptions of service or security related issues will be dealt with immediately by means of system software that is automated to handle certain threats . More serious issues will be dealt with by the IT staff whose responsibility it is to oversee the everyday operation of the information system. 2. Introduction Due in Week One: Give an overview of the company and the security goals to be achieved. 2.1. Company overview The Bloom Design Group is a company that offers interior design services to businesses and individuals around the world. There corporate office is located in New York with a secondary office in Los Angeles for handling operations on the West coast. They have a web site that offers their customers the ability to work up their designs online and then purchase them through a electronic order processing system. Also, the designers use secure logins and passwords to access the web site. A large number of the workforce work remotely possibly using tablets or ipads connected to secure VPNs or Virtual Private Networks. 2.2. Security policy overview Bloom Design group already provides secure logins and networks to their employees so they already have some type of system setup already. However, this does not mean it is a system that works efficiently. I think the appropriate security policy to implement for this project would be system specific. 2.3. Security policy goals As applies to your selected scenario, explain how the confidentiality, integrity, and availability principles of information security will be addressed by the information security policy. 2.3.1. Confidentiality The policy I plan to implement will help to protect information by reviewing how the company stores sensitive information such as employee and client records, trade secrets, and other sensitive data. 2.3.2. Integrity Since the company will be using passwords and secure logins the system will not be accessible to the public. So the primary focus should be on the employees. Authentication and verification can be done using a data log to keep records of employees activity while on the company’s VPN. Also, the use of a firewall will help with integrity as it will prevent employees from unknowingly accessing damaging websites. 2.3.3. Availability The policy I plan to use will help with back-up and recovery by the possible use of cloud storage or a central data storage center. Although they are already using secure logins for access control the whole system needs to be reviewed. This is to make sure only authorized personnel have access to sensitive areas. 3. Disaster Recovery Plan Due in Week Three: For your selected scenario, describe the key elements of the Disaster Recovery Plan to be used in case of a disaster and the plan for testing the DRP. 3.1. Risk Assessment 3.1.1. Critical business processes The mission-critical business systems and services that must be protected by this DRP are: Payroll, Human Resource Data, POS backup media, and Web Servers and their services. 3.1.2. Internal, external, and environmental risks Examples of internal risks that may affect business are unauthorized access  by individuals who are employed by the company, and those who aren’t employed by the company but still have access to individual store’s computer systems, applications, or areas where the servers and backup media are located. Other external and environmental risks include fire, floods, power outages, hardware failure, software glitches and failure, storms, and other acts of nature. 3.2. Disaster Recovery Strategy Most cases, having an alternative site (a hot site, or cold site depending on the disaster) would be the correct way of dealing with most disasters. With Bloom design group I think having a warm site facility would be the best option. Warm sites are cheaper than hot sites but require more effort. On the other hand, they are more expensive than cold-site facilities but less labor intensive and more likely to be effective in a disaster. Also, having a backup and retention site to work from, and recover from for the main servers and web services is a good idea. 3.3. Disaster Recovery Test Plan For each testing method listed, briefly describe each method and your rationale for why it will or will not be included in your DRP test plan. 3.3.1. Walk-throughs This test plan would be a great way for the key personnel to come together and formulate a plan of action in the event of an emergency. Due to Bloom Design group being spread across a large area it might require some video conferencing and traveling on the part of some employees. 3.3.2. Simulations I think this test plan is the most effective when compared to the others. Simulating an actual emergency is a great way for people to get used to operating in a critical time under pressure. This will show you where your people have their strengths and weaknesses when trying to recover from a disaster. 3.3.3. Checklists This passive type of testing would be a good system to implement on a weekly or monthly basis depending on the needs of the company. This will help in detecting problems before they become a major issue. 3.3.4. Parallel testing Since Bloom Design group is updating their security parameters and do not have an equal type of system already implemented parallel testing would not be appropriate for this security policy. 3.3.5. Full interruption I think this is another very effective way to test the system in the event of an emergency. However, to minimize inconveniences to the customers it would have to be done during off hours. 4. Physical Security Policy Due in Week Five: Outline the Physical Security Policy. Merkow and Breithaupt (2006) state, â€Å"an often overlooked connection between physical systems (computer hardware) and logical systems (the software that runs on it) is that, in order to protect logical systems, the hardware running them must be physically secure† (p.165). Describe the policies for securing the facilities and the policies of securing the information systems. Outline the controls needed for each category as relates to your selected scenario. These controls may include the following: Physical controls (such as perimeter security controls, badges, keys and combination locks, cameras, barricades, fencing, security dogs, lighting, and separating the workplace into functional areas) Technical controls (such as smart cards, audit trails or access logs, intrusion detection, alarm systems, and biometrics) Environmental or life-safety controls (such as power, fire detection and suppression, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) 4.1. Security of the building facilities 4.1.1. Physical entry controls At the two office locations (Los Angeles, New York) for Bloom Design Group I would use employee badges that double as an electronic key to access the building and other sensitive locations. This will work in conjunction with  an access control system that limits entrance/exit to the offices through one main entrance. There will be an employee entrance as well also to be accessed by an electronic badge. 4.1.2. Security offices, rooms and facilities For the security offices I would implement biometric scanners due to the sensitive equipment inside. Other rooms and facilities of a sensitive nature will utilize electronic badges with a photo and name of the employee. 4.1.3. Isolated delivery and loading areas For these areas I would implement electronic key card access with the use of a CCTV system recording to a DVR. With a CCTV camera located on the driver door in the loading area the person responsible for deliveries will know when a delivery is being made and can observe he outside environment before opening the door. 4.2. Security of the information systems 4.2.1. Workplace protection For this part of the security policy I would utilize pre-employment screening and mandatory vacation time. This prevents people from hiding illegal activities while performing their duties. Also, I would setup privileged entity controls so operators and system administrators have special access to computing resources. 4.2.2. Unused ports and cabling For unused ports I would use a piece of security equipment that can be plugged into the unused port and can only be removed by someone with a special key. This will help prevent unauthorized access into the network. For unused cabling I would secure it in a secure storage room which can only be accessed by authorized personnel. If the above mentioned equipment isn’t available then the port should be removed. 4.2.3. Network/server equipment Being that this is some of the most critical equipment for business operations I would use biometric locks and scanners on any room that  contains this equipment. Also these rooms will be environmentally controlled with air conditioners and dehumidifiers to allow the equipment to operate at peak efficiency. 4.2.4. Equipment maintenance Since a lot of the equipment is spread across a large region I would utilize remote communication connections to troubleshoot issues. If the maintenance need is more severe than I would have a small centrally located facility that specializes in assessing and repairing malfunctioning equipment. 4.2.5. Security of laptops/roaming equipment For laptops and roaming equipment I would install all devices with a GPS tracker and encryption software to protect against unauthorized access. The equipment itself would be stored in a secure storage room with access being tightly controlled. 5. Access Control Policy Due in Week Seven: Outline the Access Control Policy. Describe how access control methodologies work to secure information systems 5.1. Authentication Authentication credentials permit the system to verify one’s identification credential. Authenticating yourself to a system tells it the information you have established to prove that you are who you say you are. Most often, this is a simple password that you set up when you receive the privilege to access a system. You may receive an assigned password initially with the requirement that you must reset it to something more personal—something that only you can remember. However, passwords are the easiest type of authentication to beat. Free and widely available programs are available on the Internet to break the security afforded by passwords on most of the commonly used systems. With two or three factors to authenticate, an information owner can gain confidence that users who access their systems are indeed authorized to access their systems. This is accomplished by adding more controls and/or devices to the password authentication process. Biometric scanning uses unique human characteristics to identify whether the person trying to gain access is authorized to enter or not. One common  approach to managing IDs and passwords is to create a password or PIN vault. These programs use secure methods to locally store IDs and passwords that are protected by a master password that unlocks the vault when it’s needed. 5.2. Access control strategy 5.2.1. Discretionary access control The discretionary access control system will be used for Bloom Design Group because this is the favored approach in the corporate environment and due to the wide area of operations this will allow several authorized users to have access to the system at any given time. The principle of least privilege is the predominant strategy to assure confidentiality. The objective is to give people the least amount of access to a system that is needed to perform the job they’re doing. The need-to-know dictates the privilege (authority) to perform a transaction or access a resource (system, data, and so forth). An information owner is one who maintains overall responsibility for the information within an information system. For the Bloom Design Group the information owner is going to be the corporate head of IT operations. 5.2.2. Mandatory access control In a system that uses mandatory access control (MAC; also called nondiscretionary access control), the system decides who gains access to information based on the concepts of subjects, objects, and labels, as defined below. Since the Bloom Design Group is spread out over such a large area I do not think this is the best choice for this scenario. MAC is better suited for military or governmental systems. 5.2.3. Role-based access control Role-based access control (RBAC) group’s users with a common access need. You can assign a role for a group of users who perform the same job functions and require similar access to resources. This would also be appropriate for this scenario because it will allow the information owner to easily assign access to certain groups such as designers, office personnel, customer service associates and so forth. 5.3. Remote access Remote Access Dial-In User Service (RADIUS) is a client/server protocol and software that enables remote access users to communicate with a central  server to authenticate dial-in users and authorize their access to the requested system or service. RADIUS allows a company to set up a policy that can be applied at a single administered network point. Having a central service also means that it’s easier to track usage for billing and for keeping network statistics. A virtual private network (VPN) is another common means for remote users to access corporate networks. With a VPN, a user connects to the Internet via his or her ISP and initiates a connection to the protected network (often using a RADIUS server), creating a private tunnel between the end points that prevents eavesdropping or data modification. 6. Network Security Policy Due in Week Nine: Outline the Network Security Policy. As each link in the chain of network protocols can be attacked, describe the policies covering security services for network access and network security control devices. 6.1. Data network overview Due to the large geographic distances between Bloom Design Group offices a WAN is going to be utilized. WAN covers a larger geographic area than a LAN (technically, a network that covers an area larger than a single building). A WAN can span the entire nation or even the globe using satellites. 6.2. Network security services 6.2.1. Authentication Access to documents can be restricted in one of two ways: by asking for a username and password or by the hostname of the browser being used. For Bloom Design Group employees will need to enter a user ID and password to access restricted documents and sites. 6.2.2. Access control Unlike authentication, which is security-based on the user’s identity, restricting access based on something other than identity is called â€Å"access control.† For Bloom Design group access control to physical locations will be done by controlled by electronic badges. More sensitive areas such as the server rooms will utilize biometric scanners. 6.2.3. Data confidentiality This service protects data against unauthorized disclosure and has two components: content confidentiality and message flow confidentiality. For Bloom Design group all messages transmitted and received through company offices will be encrypted to prevent the unauthorized viewing of sensitive company documents. 6.2.4. Data integrity The goal is to protect data from accidental or malicious modification whether during data transfer, data storage, or from an operation performed on it, and to preserve it for its intended use. For Bloom Design Group the only people who will be authorized to make changes or modifications will be the Head of the IT department and anyone else they deem necessary. 6.2.5. Nonrepudiation A service guaranteeing that the sender of a message cannot deny having sent the message and the receiver cannot deny having received the message. I do not think this will be necessary for Bloom Design group. However, if it does then the proper modifications can always be made. 6.2.6. Logging and monitoring These services allow IS specialists to observe system activity during and after the fact by using monitoring and logging tools. These include operating system logs, server records, application log errors, warnings, and observation of network, switch and router traffic between network segments. I do not think this will be necessary for Bloom Design Group as a whole. However, it will be utilized for any programs having to do with the servers due to its sensitive business content. 6.3. Firewall system Outline the roles of the following network security control devices and how these basic security infrastructures are used to protect the company’s network against malicious activity. Provide a description of each type of firewall system and how it is used to protect the network. Include how the firewall system is or is not applicable to the company’s network configuration in your selected scenario. 6.3.1. Packet-filtering router firewall system The most common Internet firewall system consists of nothing more than a packet-filtering router deployed between the private network and the Internet. A packet-filtering router performs the typical routing functions of forwarding traffic between networks as well as using packet-filtering rules to permit or deny traffic. 6.3.2. Screened host firewall system The second firewall example employs both a packet-filtering router and a bastion host. This firewall system provides higher levels of security than the previous example because it implements both Network-Layer security (packet-filtering) and Application-Layer security (proxy services). Also, an intruder has to penetrate two separate systems before the security of the private network can be compromised. This will be the option chosen for Bloom Design Group based on needs and cost. Since Bloom Design group is not a governmental or military related company then it doesn’t require the most elaborate form of firewall protection. 6.3.3. Screened-Subnet firewall system The final firewall example employs two packet-filtering routers and a bastion host. This firewall system creates the most secure firewall system, as it supports both Network-Layer and Application-Layer security while defining a â€Å"demilitarized zone† (DMZ) network. 7. References Cite all your references by adding the pertinent information to this section by following this example. American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author. Information Security: Principles and Practices, by Mark S. Merkow, CISSP, CISM and Jim Breithaupt.

Henri Bergson

HENRI BERGSON History of Ideas 2012 To: Sir Asad Shahzad 10/21/2012 GROUP MEMBERS: * AMMARAH MASROOR-12779 * ASFIA AZIZ-12718 * SYEDA AREEBA TARIQ-13055 SUBMITTED TO: SIR ASAD SHAHZAD DATE: 21/OCT/2012 TOPIC| PAGE| Henri Bergson – Introduction| 2| Bergson’s Intuition| 3| Intuition: Definition, Explanation, A small practice that led to Intuition| 4| Example, Sinking into Intuition, Explanation| 5| Another Example, Explanation, Intuition as Philosophical Method| 6| Intuition as Philosophical Method| 7|Bergson’s Time and Free Will| 8| TABLE OF CONTENTS: Time and Free Will: Space| 9| Time| 10| Past and Present| 11| Free Will and Determinism| 12| Bergson’s Creative Evolution| 15| Meaning of Evolution| 16| Creative Evolution: Definition, Essence of Life, Elan Vital, Book| 18| Comparison between Darwin’s Theory of Mechanical Evolution and Bergson’s Theory of Creative Evolution| 19| Critics| 22| References| 23| HENRI BERGSON:Introduction: Henri Bergs on (1859–1941) was one of the most famous and influential French philosophers of the late 19th century-early 20th century. Bergson was born in Paris on October 18, 1859; he was the second of seven children of a Polish Father and English mother; both of his parents were Jewish. Bergson was a notably exceptional pupil throughout his childhood. Like his German contemporary, Edmund Husserl, Bergson's original training was in mathematics.Although his international fame reached cult-like heights during his lifetime, his influence decreased notably after the Second World War While such French thinkers as Merleau-Ponty, Sartre, and Levinas explicitly acknowledged his influence on their thought, it is generally agreed that it was Gilles Deleuze's 1966  Bergsonism  that marked the reawakening of interest in Bergson's work. Deleuze realized that Bergson's most enduring contribution to philosophical thinking is his concept of multiplicity. Bergson's concept of multiplicity attempts t o unify in a consistent way two contradictory features: heterogeneity and continuity.Many philosophers today thinks that this concept of multiplicity, despite its difficulty, is revolutionary. It is revolutionary because it opens the way to a reconception of community. (www. plato. stanford. edu) BERGSON’S INTUITION BY: SYEDA AREEBA TARIQ HENRI BERGSON: He wrote a book ‘THE CREATIVE MIND’ in 1946. This book is an introduction to metaphysics which consist of collection of essays and lectures concerning the nature of intuition, explaining how intuition can be used as a philosophical method. Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy in which the nature of being and world is taken into context.Whereas, two important questions are answered 1. what is there? And 2. what is it like? I would be explaining what intuition according to Bergson is and why it is called philosophical method. INTUITION: DEFINITION OF INTUITION: * An immediate cognition of object not inferred or d etermined by a previous cognition of the same object. * Untaught pure knowledge. EXPLANATION: Philosophical definition of intuition says that it is an immediate process of knowing of some object not by reasoning or analyzing the previous knowing of the same object.It is therefore, said to be pure or untaught knowledge that one acquires at an instant. ACCORDING TO BERGSON: According to Henry Bergson intuition is described as a method of ‘thinking in duration' which reflects the continuous flow of reality. A SMALL PRACTICE THAT LED TO INTUITION: Once he was rolling and unrolling thread and said that this represent man’s sense of mortality and the continual gain of new memory; a spectrum of a thousand shades with a current of feeling running through them, collecting and retaining them, to represent how all the moments are heterogeneous.The human has tendency to build new memories and retain them. He said that human memory has stored thousand of new things different from th e one formed and the one that will form every time if they go through the process of knowing. EXAMPLE: Example that he gave was of a piece of elastic which is contracted than drawn out to its limit and we can observe that there is a flow. The elastic produces a line which grows long and long presents that something is pure indivisible mobile unit. SINKING INTO INTUITION: He says that this is duration which can’t be divided.It is the qualitative not quantitative it has multiplicity yet unity and is mobile and continuously penetrating itself. He even says that duration can’t be represented by concept. One cannot experience the feeling if just a concept is there. One can’t grasp duration with concept. But duration is grasped only by intuition. By which one is transported into an object to grasp what is unique and ineffable (can’t describe in word) within it. Intuition is a complete philosophical method that involves placing oneself within the Duration, and e xpanding it into a continuous heterogeneity.EXAMPLE: Take an example a person has captured lots of picture of CBM from different angles and a poet has composed a poem over life here but one cannot replicate the feeling of being in CBM itself whereas the poem can never give the dimensional value of walking in CBM. EXPLANATION: Thus any concept given cannot grasp duration flow of real time but intuition can grasp duration. One can sink into the other object by having intuition an instant knowledge which is unique can’t be explained is gain by person which forms a new memory.Thus intuition is a direct perception and experience of the continuous flow of reality, without the use of any concepts the flow of time as real duration can be experienced only by intuition. ANOTHER EXAMPLE: He uses the example of an artist who makes a series of sketches of Notre Dame in Paris. â€Å"Now at the bottom of all the sketches made in Paris, the stranger will probably write ‘Paris’ by way of reminder. And as he has really seen Paris, he will be able, by descending from the original intuition of the whole, to place his sketches in it and thus arrange them in relation to one another.But there is no way of performing the opposite operation; even with an infinity of sketches as exact as you like, even with the word ‘Paris’ to indicate that they must bear close connection, it is impossible to travel back to an intuition one has not had, and gain the impression of Paris if one has never seen Paris (201). † EXPLANATION: Here he says that if an artist has sketched a model of a city which he has actually seen and drew him would have knowing of the place which he has transferred to his sketches. He is descending from original intuition in order to place his sketches in it.But if a person who has never seen Paris he cannot enjoy Paris sketches as much as the one who saw in actual would transport himself to the sketches and intuit it as an object. The p erson never seen Paris can never feel like walking into the place rather he would make a new intuition of his one within the duration. A person can form an immediate knowing of object different from the knowing of the same object before by actually being in duration through intuition. Why intuition is called as philosophical method-of transporting into object to grasp what is ineffableIntuition is a method through which one cast off or throws his habits of mind that tries to break duration and thus convert the duration into space. To know anything as whole it’s necessary to intuit rather breaking into bits of pieces. Experience can only come from intuition. We hear melody; we hear the whole, not a series of notes one after another. When we  analyze the melody, we may indeed break it into a number of notes, but we are then analyzing the notes, not the melody. The melody, to be known, must be grasped as a whole. In other words, it must be intuited. Thus, the method of intuiti on is at essence the task of metaphysics.Metaphysics is not a synthesis of knowledge, a sort of piecing together of the notes to form a melody, nor is it analysis, the breaking down of a melody into its component notes. Metaphysics is the  experience of melody. Thus concludes Bergson in his â€Å"Introduction to Metaphysics†: â€Å"Metaphysics has nothing in common with a generalization of experience, and yet it could e defined as the whole of experience (l’experience integral). † BERGSON’S TIME AND FREE WILL BY: ASFIA AZIZ TIME AND FREE WILL (1889) – HENRI BERGSON Henri Bergson in his book has explained various different ideas amongst which the most studied are of * Time and Space The Idea of Pure Duration * Free Will and Determinism I will explain each point in detail. This book has influences Sartre towards Philosophy. This book is also considered to be an anti-thesis to Immanuel Kant. Kant proposed that Freedom is something beyond the circle of time and space. Time and space is considered as ‘same’ to Kant i. e. being homogenous. Bergson on the contrary, differentiates time and space and gives forward the concept of duration, a state in which freedom is experienced. (www. stanford. edu) The explanations have been extracted from his book â€Å"Time and Free will- An essay on the immediate data of consciousness† SPACE:Henri Bergson defines space as being homogenous. It is the same and identical to everyone perceiving it. He says that multiplicity exists in space. Multiplicity is the psychic state of being multiple at the same time. It has a connection with the human mind and reason, because reason enables a person to understand the state of multiplicity. Bergson demonstrates two kinds of multiplicity: 1. Quantitative Multiplicity: When we count physically existing materials and we localize them in space, it is called quantitative multiplicity.No symbolic representation and mental images are formed to p erceive this kind of state, because things exist physically in front of our eyes. (Key Writings, Bergson, continuum, p53) Example, when we count the number of sheep in a flock of sheep, we save images of the previous sheep in our minds as our counting progresses. These images are involuntarily fixed by us at a point in space. 2. Qualitative Multiplicity: This is the analysis of the states of consciousness being multiple when we perceive intangible materials or qualities. Here, formation of mental images and symbolic representation is important.Example, when we hear a noise of footsteps, our minds form a mental image of somebody walking and each of the successive sounds of the steps are localized in space; we count our sensations by localizing them into space and this leads to the demonstration of qualitative multiplicity. (Key Writings, Bergson, continuum p53) By defining the existence of multiplicity in space, Henri Bergson then defines space as: â€Å"Space is what enables us to distinguish a number of identical and simultaneous sensations from one another; it is thus a principle of differentiation† Some people say that simultaneous sensations are never identical.To support this point, Henri Bergson states that when we talk about homogenous medium we are talking about the simultaneity of terms which are identical in quality but are distinct from each other. Henri proposes that the higher the intelligence in a human, the more clear the understanding of homogenous space will be. Men have the special faculty of conceiving space without quality and hence we say that the medium where men localize simultaneous sensations and objects are the same for everyone. (Key Writings, Henri Bergson, continuum, pg 57) TIME:Usually many philosophers take time and space to be the same. But Henri Bergson, differentiates between time and space. For him, there are two kinds of time: * Mathematical time: Mathematical time is the time which is used in sciences by scientists. It is homogenous time which is the same for everyone. This is the time which many philosophers consider as space, as it is homogenous. (ibid, p63) Example, the time in hours, minutes and seconds used to calculate speed of a moving body is mathematical time. It can also be called the clock time. * Real Time or Real Duration:According to Bergson, real time is the time that we experience and it is continuous and flowing. It is heterogeneous as it is the qualitative representation of time that differs from person to person. It is also called the state of real duration defined by Bergson as: â€Å"Pure duration is the form which the succession of our conscious states assumes when ego lets itself live, when it refrains from separating its present state from its former states† To understand this, Bergson said that real duration is the state of mind where our ego dominates.Ego is the self of a person and directs the person’s mind to amalgamate the past states with the present states in an organic whole. In this conscious state, all states of mind permeate into one another to form it as a whole. (ibid, p60) Example, when we hear successive rings of a bell, we perceive that sound to be in a continuous rhythm and do not distinguish each ting of the bell. This amalgamation and permeation of the successive rings of bell into one organic whole is what real duration is all about. Past and Present:When Bergson speaks of the past, he does not mean the past, but our present memory of the past. Present is the only moment in the whole history of the world. Past resides in the present and that also changes the aspirations for future. This permeation of former and present states demonstrates real duration. Example, a man has a best friend and he believes him to have all good characteristics. One day, if he sees his best friend lying to him, all his perceptions about the good characteristics would change.This shows that his present will change his past and future too. This is how real duration is experienced in real life. Quotations by Henri Bergson, â€Å"The present contains nothing more than the past, and what is found in the effect was already in the cause. † â€Å"The idea of future, pregnant with infinity of possibilities, is thus more fruitful than the future itself, and this is why we find more charm in hope than in possession, in dreams than in reality† FREE WILL AND DETERMINISM: Real Duration vindicates human freedom and disposes off the path of determinism.To understand this, we must first understand these two doctrines separately. Determinism: It is a doctrine that all human choices, events and actions have sufficient causes and are pre-determined by the states of mind. For a determinist, freedom of choice is an illusion. This illusion can be presented as, that if a person has to select one branch from a lot of branches; the branch that he selects is a choice that is fully predictable because somewhere at the back of his mind he has the idea of which branch to select. www. informationphilosopher. com) In response to this example, Bergson proposed the idea of free will and said that the above choice is a choice through the formation of a mental image localized in space, which is inadequate to symbolize a choice. Choice is a temporal act for Bergson as it is pertaining to the present and conscious state of mind. Free Will: It is a doctrine that the events and actions of human beings are expressed through personal choices and are not governed by other forces or states of mind.Henri Bergson proposes that through experiencing real duration we can be free. The freedom of choice is fully certified by direct experience says Bergson. He describes free will as, â€Å"A man is free when his act springs spontaneously from his total personality and it has evolved up to the moment of action. If this spontaneity is absent, his action will be stereotyped† When man experiences real duration, he gains possess ion of himself and once self possession is attained, the man acts freely and creatively.Freedom has a strong association with personality or character of an individual. Character and personality changes from different situations which in turn changes our self. To demonstrate this idea, Bergson uses the saying of an English writer Stuart Mill: â€Å"To be conscious of free will must mean to be conscious, before I have decided, that I am able to decide either way† Bergson and other defenders of free will would be of the opinion that, when we perform an action freely, some other action is ‘equally possible’ which we leave and make a choice willingly.When a determinist says that our motives determine our action, Bergson says that motives are conflicting. He says that common sense believes in free will, and motives are not a necessity for defining our actions (Time and Free Will, Bergson, p148). To prove that motives are conflicting, Henri Bergson presents the sayings of Stuart Mill as: â€Å"I could have abstained from murder if my aversion to the crime and my dread of its consequences had been weaker than the temptation which impelled me to commit it. † In response to this Henri Bergson said, His desire to do right and his aversion to doing wrong are strong enough to overcome†¦ any other desire or aversion which may conflict them†(TFW, p150) Through this, the only idea that Bergson intends to provide is that the motives of ‘desire’ and ‘aversion’ are conflicting. But when the man decides to select one of them, it demonstrates his free will and freedom of choice. BERGSON’S CREATIVE EVOLUTION BY: AMMARAH MASROOR Let us first start with the basic definition of evolution, MEANING OF EVOLUTION: A process of formation or growth, progressive change or development in the  inherited characteristics  of  biological  populations over successive  generations† Hence the term ‘Evolutio n’ means that certain characteristics or genes starts transforming in a population which then results in a complete transformation of that population’s characteristics which was once inherited by the preceding populations. So it is said that the growth or development which has been taking place as the generations passed has thus completed and now it can be said that this species has evolved.This process of evolution can take place in living organisms as well as in non-living organisms. Some general examples could be the evolution of the bottle of coke or the evolution of airplanes, what we once used to see in cartoons and documentaries and what we see now in reality and in which most of us have travelled is absolutely an evolution. The best example for the evolution in living organisms is the evolution of mankind, the theory that Darwin proposed and the idea that he gave that, ‘Man is the descendant of apes’ CREATIVE EVOLUTION: Henri Bergson proposed the i dea of evolution as ‘Creative Evolution’.He believed that human beings are primarily to be explained in terms of the evolutionary process and that the mechanical process of random selection is inadequate to explain what occurs. According to Bergson: â€Å"Creative evolution is a sort of inner drive which he calls as â€Å"elan vital†, translated as â€Å"life force† and this life force has a connection with the real time that carries the process of evolution perpetually onward. † In order to understand this definition of creative evolution first one needs to understand the two concepts that he highlights in here: Essence of Life:For Bergson the essence of life is duration, the real time – time that is continuously flowing through which we have direct inner experience and is connected with life itself, with the life force that is the elan vital because of which goes on the everlasting process of evolution. Elan Vital: Bergson gives an explanat ion to this terminology as â€Å"an original common impulse which explains the creation of all living species†. The word’s literal meanings are ‘vital force’, ’life force’ or ‘vital impulse’. A combination of both real time and life force causes the process of creative evolution to begin. BOOK – CREATIVE EVOLUTION:In order to further explain his work and concept about creative evolution Henri Bergson wrote a book in 1907 which provided an explanation against Darwin’s Theory of Mechanism. He was also awarded a Nobel Prize for this work of his. COMPARISION BETWEEN DARWIN’S THEORY OF MECHANICAL EVOLUTION AND BERGSON’S THEORY OF CREATIVE EVOLUTION: In order to understand that why Bergson’s Theory is known as Creative Evolution and Darwin’s Theory as Mechanical Evolution let us have a comparison between the two theories. This comparison includes the 4 main points of both the theories and all t he points of each theory are interrelated with each other.The first and the foremost comparison between the two theories are about the approaches they follow. Bergson’s creative evolution follows the teleological approach of traditional finalism that is everything that starts comes to its natural place which ultimately makes the genuine creative creation. Now here the teleological approach comes from the word teleology which means that things should be explained by the appeal to their goal, purpose or functions. For example if you throw a rock it would go to its natural place – the ground, due to the gravitational pull that exists.Teleological whereas can be explained for the existence or presence of biological trait, structure or behavior by appeal to its function. In comparison to this Darwin’s mechanical evolution follows the mechanistic approach which precludes the possibility of any real change or creativity as the products of evolution is given in advance, in the form of pre-existent possibilities. This explains that this process deprives evolution of any inventiveness or creativity because this process is treated as pure mechanism which simply adds existence to something that already had been in the form of possible.Hence there is no difference left between the real and possible. Although both the approaches, to some extent are same because they provide us with the notion that â€Å"Whole is given†. Therefore, neither mechanism nor strict finalism can give a satisfying account of changes in life. The second comparison is about the Tendency Theory. Here Bergson talks about the â€Å"complexification† of life, that is, the phenomenon of its evolution from the simple original vital impulse into different species, individuals, and organs.Here he explains two concepts, firstly he explains that after evolution has occurred species are then differentiated into plants, animals and humans. Then he further explains that life is complex and in order to simplify itself it organizes itself into two great opposite tendencies, namely, instinct and intelligence. Here he then explains the second concept that these tendencies further provides a distinction between humans and animals, that humans have both these tendencies whereas animals only have one that is instinct.This is the reason why Bergson calls this evolution of mankind as ‘Creative Evolution’. In comparison to this Darwin speaks of the ‘Natural Selection’ – the primary mechanism of change over time which includes 4 components * Variation * Inheritance * High rate of population growth * Differential survival and reproduction This is very obvious from the four of its points that he believes that the more the specie is adaptable to change, the variance and tendency to inherit and the more it increases its population through reproduction it has more chances of evolution.The third comparison is that Bergson believes at the pe ripheral of intelligence a fringe of instinct survives which helps us to understand the essence of life. This means that at the boundaries of intelligence a border of instinct is present. His concept is that instinct is the primary factor whereas intelligence is the secondary factor. Instinct comes in first and then the intelligence, this is why instinct came first in all living organisms but then some of the organisms further evolved.Hence because of this evolution they can then be differentiated as animals – with instinct whereas humans – with instinct and then with intelligence (after evolution). Comparing this with Darwin’s theory it can be said that he had no concept of the two tendencies hence focused on the concept of â€Å"Survival of the Fittest†. According to him there exists no such tendencies which helps us to lead our lives, instead there is this concept of â€Å"Survival of the Fittest† where only those species survives that are open to changes, open to use available resources and can fit in the present environment whereas others are there to die.An example could be of the movie Ice Age where all the animals in that movie do not further exist instead they have evolved (the mammoth have now evolved as elephants). The point of Bergson in this comparison can be concluded as there is a little bit of instinct surviving within each intelligent being, making it to coincide with the life force. This partial coincidence is what found ‘Intuition’. The fourth comparison in actual is not a comparison because it is just a one sided difference.Here Bergson puts forward his view and connects it with his previous point of tendencies, that combined result of instinct and intellect is â€Å"intuition†. Through intuition, an individual understands the difference between ‘order’ and ‘disorder’. Intuition means gut feeling, sometimes known as the 6th sense. Bergson says that our way of p erceiving and knowing this world when based on the need for living is then an obstacle. To this obstacle he gives the name ‘Idea of Disorder’. This idea consists of three notions: 1.Order: things happening according to our needs and wants 2. Disorder: simply the order we are not looking for. Although this order may be correct for others but for us it is not happening according to what we want. 3. Nothingness: things that exist in space but we do not consider them to be as existing because it had never been our need. To this point of Bergson there is no comparing point of Darwin because he never came to the point of intuition. His theory stopped at the notions of ‘Natural Selection’ and ‘Survival of the Fittest’. LETTER TO HAROLD HOFFDING:Henri Bergson in one of his letter to Harold Hoff ding which was published in his book key writings said that â€Å"someone who gets a complete grasp on the creative evolution would never then believe on the p rocess of mechanism because in that time is useless†. CRITICS: Although Bergson made his ideas attractive with analogies and poetic metaphors he did not support them with rational arguments. He left them to the readers to understand it themselves on their level of intuition. Furthermore, his critics complained that his ideas did not stand up very well to logical analysis.His defenders replied by saying that he possessed all these characteristics in common with the best creative writers, and that this was because he was offering insights rather than logical arguments. REFERENCES: * www. google. com * www. googleimages. com * www. stanfordencyclopediaofphilosophy. com (plato. stanford. edu) * www. dictionary. references. com * Key Writings – Henri Bergson (continuum) * Modern Philosophy by Bertrand Russell * History of Western Philosophers * 20th Century Philosophy

Draculas first victim Essay Example

Draculas first victim Essay Example Draculas first victim Paper Draculas first victim Paper Essay Topic: Dracula This man was engaged to Lucy before she died and then ironically tries to kill her when she has become a vampire. He is good friends with Dr. Seward and Quincey Morris and the son of Lord Godalming who dies on the same day as Lucy, giving him that title.  Quincey Morris  He is an American originally from Texas who dies in the attempt to kill Dracula. His friends include Arthur Holmwood and Dr. Seward. In the past Quincey proposed to Lucy but was refused. This characters presence is like the human race in that our technology cannot defeat the evil that surrounds us as vampires. He thinks a gun can destroy Dracula but it cannot. This gives the reader a sense of helplessness in that nothing can be done if vampires are real. Renfield  This man lives in Dr. Sewards insane asylum and is in his fifties. He is driven mad by Dracula who promised him eternal life as one of his disciples. Renfield catches and eats small living creatures in his cell such as spiders, flies and birds. He yearns to serve Dracula and calls him master but eventually the vampire kills him. His presence in the novel shows vampires from a different angle and makes people wonder whether being one would be so bad. The Plot  At the start of the novel a young man by the name of Jonathan Harker travels from London to visit the castle of Count Dracula. Harker (an English layer) travels across into Eastern Europe in order to settle a deal with the Count about him buying an estate in England. The castle of Dracula is situated in Transylvania where there are many ancient folklores. On his journey he finally stops at Blistritz where there is much superstition and the local people are afraid of evil. The land and language is foreign and mysterious to Jonathan and a woman gives him a small crucifix to keep him safe. At this point Harker is unnerved by what he has seen and wonders why the locals are so afraid. On the way to the castle along the Carpathian Mountains Harker is on a coach and gets another chance to admire the landscape but gets some strong hints of the doom that surrounds the castle. After some time the coach stops and another one comes along to collect Jonathan Harker on his way to the castle. At this point the weather is very poor and stormy as this dark coach hurries away with Harker. He has an encounter with wolves on the journey that also makes Harker scared. The castle is huge but ruined and as Harker leaves the coach he makes his way to a large door where he goes in. Finally Count Dracula appears and welcomes him in making Harker feel at home. They both discuss the situation with the estate as Harker has some food but Dracula tells him that he has already eaten. As they talk Harker notices Draculas pointed ears, pale skin, and sharp teeth, which give Harker a sense of unease. Harker soon realizes that Dracula is a supernatural and evil being and sees him crawl down the walls of the battlements like a lizard. Harker becomes a prisoner in the castle and comes across three female vampires by whom he is held as the Count travels to England by boat. Harker ends his diary by planning to climb down the castle battlements to escape. Back in England, Harkers fiancà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½e, Mina Murray meets with her friend Lucy Westenra who has been proposed to by three men by the names Dr. John Seward, Arthur Holmwood and an American named Quincey Morris. Lucy then is engaged to Arthur Holmwood. A ship is then found which contains fifty boxes of soil from Count Draculas castle. This strange vessel was found with no crew but a dead captain. A large wolf like creature was then seen getting ashore but then disappeared. Lucy begins to sleepwalk and one night Nina finds her in the cemetery with a dark creature bending over her close friend. As she sees this Nina notices that this creature has red eyes that are menacing. Later on Lucy becomes very ill but no one knows what is wrong with her. Dr. Seward tries to find out what is wrong but finds nothing except two small marks around the neck of the woman. He is unable to diagnose the cause. Mina goes to join Jonathan Harker who has ended up in Buda-Pest suffering from brain fever. Dr. Seward contacts Professor Van Helsing about Lucy and he covers her chambers with garlic (a charm against vampires) that works for some time. Seward and Van Helsing wrongfully take down their guard and Dracula uses an escaped wolf to break into the Westenra house which gives Lucys mother a heart attack. The garlic gets scattered so enabling Dracula to feed. Lucy eventually dies at the same time as her fiancà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s father Lord Godalming. After Lucys death Van Helsing leads Arthur, Seward and Quincey to Lucys tomb where they kill her by plunging a stake into her heart and cutting off her head then stuffing it with garlic. Their next target is to eliminate Dracula who is more powerful. Jonathan and Mina get married and then return to England where they join forces with the others in a plot to kill the Count. They aim to find the fifty boxes of earth that the Count uses for sanctuary in the daylight.  Mina goes to stay at the asylum where they say she will be safe. However, Renfield, who is in the asylum, lets the vampire in who then feeds on the young woman. As she slowly turns into a vampire Van Helsings group destroy most of the boxes with axes and try to cleanse them with holy water. However, Dracula flees back to Transylvania to his castle. The others pursue the Count but he continuously outsmarts them. They finally catch up with Dracula just as he is reaching the castle and give chase along the mountain roads, battling against the gypsies. Van Helsing brings Mina along to the castle where they try to cleanse Castle Dracula with communion wafers and some holy water in the daylight when vampires powers are not so strong. Jonathan and Quincey, who is mortally wounded and later dies, stab two silver knives into Count Dracula just as the sun is setting. This destroys him forever. How Dracula Was Written And What Influenced It  Dracula the book is written in epistolary form which means the story is recounted through diary entries, letters and from the occasional newspaper. This form gives the novel a larger sense of realism and creates a sense of suspense. The novel is structured so that it builds to the death of Lucy Westenra, at which point Draculas powers are at his peak. This is when all of the efforts of Van Helsing have been in vain. At that moment all of the main characters unite and their power grows until Dracula has to flee. The story begins in Transylvania but the main body of the book is concentrated in England. At the end Dracula flees back to his native land where he is appropriately killed. This Gothic work has a strong Christian element in that the only weapons against a vampire are a crucifix, holy water and communion wafers. These are strongly Christian symbols which most people would have connected to in England at the time this book was first released in 1897. The book emphasizes the role of Christianity in the struggle to destroy the vampires evil.  This book has a gothic genre in that it shows the wickedness of the aristocracy and the innocence of female characters, these were classic themes of Gothic fiction. Mina is depicted as being good against the evil of Dracula and through her suffering she becomes a martyr in the battle with the undead. The action also takes place in typical Gothic locations such as: a mysterious Transylvanian castle, a strange and haunted seaside town and a ruined English estate.  I personally really enjoyed reading this novel and think that the way the book is put together in epistolary form works well as you can relate to the characters even more.