To what extent was the Crimean War (1853 †1856) ‘disastrously planned and poorly executed’ (Economist 2014) The WritePass Journal

To what extent was the Crimean War (1853 – 1856) ‘disastrously planned and poorly executed’ (Economist 2014) Introduction To what extent was the Crimean War (1853 – 1856) ‘disastrously planned and poorly executed’ (Economist 2014) ; Seton-Watson 1988). The conflict did have important long-term implication insofar as it permanently weakened the position of Tsarist Russia, and saw the ascendency of the France as the preeminent power in Europe. It therefore saw the end of the Concert of Europe, the balance of power that had existed since the Congress of Vienna in 1815 (Bloy 2002a, 2002b). In conclusion, the Crimean War was both poorly planned and poorly executed. This essay has outlined the numerous strategic, tactical, and logistical failures perpetrated by all sides, but especially by the Allies and Britain in particular. However, as important as these moments were in defining the nature of the conflict and solidifying its reputation, it was problematic from the outset. As Clough (1964: 917) puts it: ‘it was not the result of a calculated plan, nor even of hasty last-minute decisions made under stress. It was the consequence of more than two years of fatal blundering in slow-motion by inept statesmen who had months to reflect upon the actions they took.’ Ultimately, while there are many mitigating factors, moments of triumph, and cases of heroism and coordination – especially in the medical sphere – this is a reputation well-deserved. References Bloy, M. (2002a) The Crimean War: ‘Britain in Blunderland’, The Victorian Web victorianweb.org/history/crimea/blunder2.html [Retrieved 10/06/2014] Bloy, M. (2002b) The Crimean War: comment on attitudes in Britain, The Victorian Web victorianweb.org/history/crimea/attitude.html [Retrieved 10/06/2014] Brown, D. K. (1989) The Royal Navy in the Crimean War: Technological Advances worldnavalships.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14517 [Retrieved 04/06/2014] Clough, S. B., ed. (1964)  A History of the Western World. Boston, Heath: University of Michigan Press Curtiss, J. S. (1979) Russia’s Crimean War, Durham, N.C: Duke University Press Curtiss, J. S. (1966) Russian Sisters of Mercy in the Crimea, 1854-1855, Slavic Review, Vol. 25, No. 1, pp. 84-100 Fuller, H. J. (2014) Could Have, Would Have, Should Have? England’s ‘Great Armament’ during the Crimean War, the proposed naval assault upon Cronstadt’s defences and the Peace of 1856: Re-examining the evidence, University of Wolverhampton Gorizontov, L. E. (2012) ‘The Crimean War as a Test of Russias Imperial Durability’,  Russian Studies in History  51  (1), pp. 65–94 Jones, H. P. (2012) Southern Military Interests in the Crimean War, Journal of Slavic Military Studies, 25, pp. 35–52 Lambert, A. (2011) The Crimean War: British Grand Strategy against Russia, 1853–56, Farnham: Ashgate Publishing Seton-Watson, H. (1988)  The Russian Empire 1801–1917. Oxford: Clarendon Press Stephan, J. J. (1969) The Crimean War in the Far East, Modern Asian Studies, Vol. 3, No. 3, pp. 257-277 Sweetman, J. (2001) The Crimean War: 1854-1856, Oxford: Osprey Publishing The Economist (May 2014) What the original Crimean war was all about, Economist economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2014/03/economist-explains-5 [Retrieved 11/06/2014] Urry, J. (1989) Mennonites and the Crimean War, 1854 – 1856, Journal of Mennonite Studies, Vol. 7, pp.10-32

Interview consumers Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Interview consumers - Assignment Example The 8 megapixel camera found in Galaxy S2 has flash and autofocus but no filter (Marcus 2011). The iPhone 4S has larger storage options than the Galaxy S2. It offers storage capacities of 16GB, 32 GB and 64GB. On the other hand, Galaxy S2 has a storage capacity of 16GB and can be expanded up to 48 GB. The iPhone 4S is also smaller with dimensions of 115.2Ãâ€"58.6Ãâ€"9.3mm. The Galaxy S2 has dimensions of 129Ãâ€"66Ãâ€"8.9mm (Smith 2011). Unlike Galaxy S2, iPhone 4S supports the voice-to-text messages. The user can send a voice message to apple via a microphone to Apple and get a reply within a short time. Moreover, iPhone 4S has a personal assistant that helps in sending text and emails, scheduling meetings, giving weather updates, setting reminders, answering complex queries, calling, and computing various conversions. The personal assistant in Galaxy S2 has limited capabilities such as music and launching applications, sending messages, calling and scheduling meetings (Marcus 2011). Consumer B: Galaxy S2 is my smart phone of choice. This gadget has a larger screen of 4.3 inches which has a Super AMOLED Plus display. This display is better than the Retina display of iPhone 4S which is smaller at 3.5 inches (Smith 2011). Galaxy S2 has a RAM of 1GB while iPhone 4S has 512mb. The Galaxy S2 also downloads data at a faster speed than the iPhone 4S. Galaxy S2 downloads data at a speed of 21mbps while iPhone 4S downloads at 14.4mbps. The Galaxy S2 front camera is more detailed than that of ipohone 4s with 2 megapixels. The iPhone 4S has a VGA camera. Galaxy S2 is also lighter with a weight of 117 grams while iPhone 4S weighs 149 grams (Marcus 2011). Unlike the iPhone 4S, Galaxy S2 has capability to transmit payment information wirelessly, thus making payments by credit cards easy and efficient. Galaxy S2 can be used to make wireless payments in purchasing goods, entering

Environmental Studies Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Environmental Studies - Assignment Example overtime in abundance usually comprise of shallow, warm, marine waters, which is exactly the kind of environment that is required by organisms to form a kind of calcium carbonate shell and skeleton and extract the essential ingredients from the ocean water. These organisms soon die out and their shell and skeletons accumulate and settle to form a type of biological sedimentary rock. This rock will contain at least fifty percent calcium along with a multitude of other minerals and materials, namely; Quartz, clay minerals, feldspar and a few more. There are several large limestone deposits in the world that have been extracted for use in industry. In parts of the United States there are extensive deposits of limestone of various ages from a handful of thousands to more than 350 million years old. In India, several deposits of limestone can be found that are used by the local industries for production processes. More than two-third of India's production of limestone comes from five stat es of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh. Each of these contributes more than 9 per cent of the country's output. The areas of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Himachal Pradesh, each of which are producing over 5 per cent of the country's lime ­stone, account for another 28 per cent of the coun ­try's production of limestone. . In India, the regions mentioned above; Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh, were the major sources of limestone that contributed to the nation’s supply. Together, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh had a tremendous total of 2,126 million tones of limestone in weight that contributed a total of twenty six percent to the country’s overall production of limestone. Andhra Pradesh, individually,... This paper approves that limestone is the key ingredient in the creation of cement that is used to construct infrastructure. Despite the fact that India produced limestone in such abundance, there have been several shortages of cement that have halted construction altogether. The purest form of natural limestone that is found in some areas of India where limestone deposits exist, is used primarily for decorative purposes in government buildings, museums, extravagant hotels, and sometimes even homes if the occupants are able to afford it; Pure marble limestone is expensive compared to normal limestone. Limestone marble takes several unique shapes and patterns that make it valuable for these purposes in the form of floor tiles, statues, landscaping and roofing. This report makes a conclusion that sustainability is essential for the welfare of our world and the steady growth of society. We work to increase the sustainability of natural resources and the environment, for that purpose, we offer suggestions and recommendations to organizations. In this case, limestone is the resource in discussion. It is clear that limestone deposits will run dry, in fact, shortages have already begun. It is therefore important to look for sustainable solutions and replacements for limestone that will ensure continued, quality production for the business. A project known as The Efficient Limestone Crusher Project was introduced to increase the sustainable quarrying of limestone using specialized crushers and heavy machinery, applying this method may also prove sustainable for the business.

NetFlix company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

NetFlix company - Essay Example Another reason why the mission statement of Netflix should be reformulated is because its company philosophy does not appear in the statement. The company’s basic beliefs, values and aspirations are not reflected in their mission statement. What is clear in their statement is where their strategies are directed and what they want to be in the future. The firm’s strategy of increasing its streaming subscription globally is the appropriate strategy for the company. Over time, it is expected that their domestic DVD by mail service to decline significantly in the near future; thus, their strategy to focus on their streaming service is a good move for the company. Netflix has decreased its budget in their DVD business to allocate more to its global streaming business (Netflix, Inc. 8). One can say that this strategy of Netflix has produced the desired results because as of the first quarter of 2012, there was an additional three million streaming subscribers; therefore, reaching a total of 26 million global subscribers (Netflix 1). This strategy further strengthened their position as the world’s leading internet TV network (Netflix 1). The domestic streaming service alone contributed $67 million to the company’s profit, which is 13% contribution margin (Netflix 1). Indeed, the firm’s strategy is providing them a relevant competitive advantage and is working well for them. Another strategy implemented by Netflix that is to their advantage is their continuous move to increase the quantity and quality of their TV shows and movies. Their approach is to sign licensing agreement with TV and movie outfits and major film distributors and producers in order to reinforce their content offerings and have a steady flow of new titles (Netflix 2-3). This is a competitive advantage which they enjoy over their competitors. As

Nation Branding: A Tool Of Soft Power

Nation Branding: A Tool Of Soft Power Nations have always cared about their image, but in recent years one witnessed a turning point in methods used by states to build and manage their reputation. In this era of globalization the world is increasingly becoming a gigantic stage on which countries have to compete for all types of resources in order to enhance, and raise their international profile. In light of this, nation branding holds a vital key to win this world contest. Though, it draws heavily from the marketing and public relations realms, this concept is increasingly pertaining the sphere of international relations as states are using it as a tool to reach their desired international aims. In light of this, the aim of this essay will be to evaluate the relatively new concept of nation brand in the context of soft power in international relations. It will argue that there is close link between soft power and nation branding, since the latter if done effectively can enhance a nation soft power and consequently winni ng the hearts and minds of foreign audiences. The second part of the essay will then attempt to shed led on to what extent can state branding can fit within the theories of IR and the eventual implications it can have on the conduct of foreign policy. Soft power, a term that is increasingly used in discourses of international relations, was coined by Joseph Nye who is amongst the most prominent theorists within the Neoliberal theory, to define co-optive power in contrast to the traditional hard power related to the military and economic might. Soft power is conceptualized as the ability to get what you want through attraction rather than coercion or payments. It arises from the attractiveness of a countrys culture, political ideals, and policies (Nye, 2004). Soft power blossomed after the end of the cold war. Definitely, due to globalization and communication the usage of soft power is becoming more important. In fact, in light of this Nye states that, Winning hearts and minds has always been important, but it is even more so in a global information age. Information is power, and modern information technology is spreading information more widely than ever before in history (Nye 2004). Though the concept of soft power was put forth by Nye in recent decades, it could also be seen in previous works such that of Hans J. Morgenthau, Klaus Knorr and Ray Cline (Fan, 2008). Soft power rests on the ability of shaping the preferences of others. Hence, such arguments insist that a nation may address and reach its desired outcomes on the global stage, due to the fact that other states admire its values, imitate its example and seek to reach its level of prosperity and openness. Therefore, it is a significant asset in influencing others, not by using hard military power, but by the ability to attract, which goes beyond influence or persuasion (Nye, 2004). Nye states that soft power relies on primarily three resources the attractiveness of its culture, the appeal of its domestic political and social values, and the style and substance of its foreign policies (Nye, 2004). Due to such factors soft power is intangible and difficult to measure and control. Through such power, nations are able to cultivate specific relations with the other states particularly culturally and economically which eventually result in a better and more favorable public opinion and credibility in the outside world. An interesting aspect is that soft power in contrast to hard power is not controlled entirely by the government but non-state actors can also have a contribution to it. As previously discussed, soft powers most particular and important asset is the ability to attain desirable outcomes without involving any type of force. In todays world, many nations around the globe are suffering from bad image problems which lead nations to embark on initiatives such as nation branding. Image problems are driven by both internal policies and events taking place in the political, economical and social landscape, and also due to certain stereotypes that exist on the external side. Cases in point are the nations of Greece, Spain and Italy which are under investigation in my dissertation. In fact such countries, particularly Greece has currently its image into a storm due to the economic crisis. Apart from that, as in the case of Spain and Italy it suffers from certain stereotypes associated with countries located in the Mediterranean basin. Hence, in order to overcome negative perceptions or turn their potentials into reality countries embark on initiatives such as n ation branding. The practice and theoretical conceptualization of nation branding its still in its infancy, although it must be noted that some researches (e.g. Olins 2002) argue that countries have always branded themselves throughout history. Nation Branding is about applying branding and marketing communications techniques to promote a nations image (Fan 2008). In the marketing field a brand is understood how what a customer thinks about a certain product. On the other hand, the brand state revolves around the idea of how the outside world views a particular country. Hence, this makes nation branding a crossroad between the world of public relations and marketing and international relations. If one looks at the main definition of nation branding, one finds an array of differences in the focus and purpose of nation branding. Fan (2008) made a close examination of the major definitions. Fans (2008) evaluations show that nation branding is about remolding the national identities (Olins, 1999), enhance nations competitiveness (Anholt 2007), embrace political, cultural, business and sports activities (Jaffe and Nebenzahl, 2001), promoting economic and political interests at home and abroad (Rendon and Szondi, 2003) and to altering, improving or enhancing a nations image/ reputation (Gudjossan, 2005). In less theoretical words, nation branding is about building and managing the reputation of a country. Hence, this concept allows nations to better control the image they project to the world, and therefore be able to attract and compete for the right kinds of available resources. Consequently, by this process a nation hopes to boost its international profile in a globalized world where every country has to compete with every other nation for the share of income, power, voice and influence. In fact, nations engage in branding primarily in order to attract tourists, investment, boost exports, restore international credibility and ratings, increase political influence, stimulate stronger international relations, combat negative national stereotypes and enhance nation building by nourishing confidence, pride, harmony and national resolve (Dinnie 2008). Thus, a positive nation brand provides a crucial competitive advantage in contrast to a bad image which hinders the states competitivene ss in the global arena. As Van Ham (2008) states, similar to Nyes soft power resources, a countrys brand is determined by its culture, political ideals, and policies. There are three key components in nation branding, or in other words, a nations brand consists of three sub-brands: political brand, economic brand and cultural brand (Fan, 2008). Such arguments illustrate that nation branding and soft power are certainly two concepts linked. Backing this argument is the nation brand hexagon developed by Anholt in which there six main factors that determine a brand which are tourism, governance, exports, investment and immigrations, culture and heritage and the citizens. Hence, such six factors fall under the three main categories previously mentioned. Evidently, these are also the sources associated with the conduction of soft power. Certainly, nation branding falls under a wide umbrella of postmodern power where soft power and public diplomacy are also located. Van Ham (2008) argues that in academic discourse on soft power, the concept of nation branding has now acquired a place which is still somewhat awkward. Definitely, when one evaluates nation branding within the context of soft power in IR, one has to look also to the links and differences that exist between nation branding and public diplomacy. This is due to the fact that public diplomacy has much more theoretical backing of rich as one of the main soft power tools in IR. For example Melissen states that they are complimentary tools with the practice of branding a nation involves a much greater and coordinated effort than public diplomacy (Melissen 2005). On the other hand Szondi argues that both practices can be seen as distinct but overlapping concepts in that they are oriented toward the same purpose of branding a nation but as different tools in this endeavor (Szondi 2008). Anholt argue that public diplomacy is a subset of nation branding. In Anholts arguments nation branding is how a nation represents as whole itself, whilst public diplomacy is exclusively concentrated on the presentation of government policies, hence the political subset of nation branding. Nevertheless, one must keep in mind governments are assumed to represent the people of a nation, and therefore, there is no getting away from the fact that nation branding is a highly politicized activity (Dinnie, 2007). It must be noted, that the main link between public diplomacy and nation branding is that both concepts aim at the same outcome wining the hearts and minds to create a favorable image of the country. Though it is beyond the scope of this assignment to evaluate in detail the links and difference between nation branding and public diplomacy, it is interesting to have a glance between these tools through the table below Table 1: Table 1: Main differences between Public diplomacy and Nation Branding Public Diplomacy Nation Branding Goal Promoting political interest Promoting (mainly) economic related interests. Context Highly politicized and change according to government. Driven mainly by IR and culture May be de-politicized. Driven by marketing and public relations Target Targeted at key countries Targeted more universal, applicable to nay country Direction Foreign public Both foreign and domestic audience Strategies Relationship building, more emphasis on substance and content Image management, emphasis on visual and symbolic elements Evaluation Short, middle and long term Mostly long-term Definitely, as previously mentioned nation branding has very much in common with the values and issues related to soft power in IR. Fan (2008) states that nation branding can be an important asset in the development of soft power of a nation. Apart from that, a successful nation branding campaign will help create a more favourable image among the international audience thus further enhancing a countrys soft power. Hence, state branding is extensively seen as a vital tool to win over the hearts and minds of foreign audiences and persuade them that their brand is competitive. Bringing, Nyes arguments into light, one finds that reputation is a crucial part in the soft power of a country. This is due to the fact that reputation expresses the total impressions of other soft power recourses, such as for example how culture is perceived in the world. As in the case of soft power, nation branding initiatives are also built on credibility and reputation and determined by the nations culture, political ideals and policies. (Van Ham 2008) In light of the increasing rise of nation branding, a daunting question is: what is the implication of such a concept on international affairs? One needs to evaluate to what extent established theories of international relations have the right theoretical tools to shed light on this new concept that is pertaining the world of international relations. Van Ham (2008) states that The international relations theory of constructivism sheds some light on the functioning of place branding, whereas classical political science tools fail to come to terms with its implications for international politics. Such argument is made in the light of the fact that nation branding, as part of soft power revolve around factors such as values, norms and ideas in international relations. Hence, this is on the same lines of the IR constructivists theory since constructivist explanations of international politics define the global system as a set of ideas, a body of thought, a system of norms, which has been arranged by certain people at a particular time and place (Jackson and Sorrenson 2006). Constructivism assumes that the selves, or identities, of states are a variable; they likely depend on historical, cultural, political, and social context (Hopf 1998, 176). Hence, such arguments are extremely relevant for nation branding since the latter assume that identities are contextual and malleable (Van Ham 2008). Other traditional tools such as realism may find it more difficult to evaluate the rise of nation branding within the field of international relations. Realists are focused on a system of anarchy and balance of power in IR. First, they may find arguments about the relevance of public diplomacy and state branding as trivial and frivolous. (Van Ham, 2008). Apart from that, for realists, states in the international system pursue their egoistic self interest. Hence, regarding nation branding though, this can be a good initiative as such from the viewpoint of neorealism in that it can affect a states economic strength positively and thereby increasing its power and security. Apart from evaluating the implications of nation branding to the schools of IR, its also interesting to investigate the effect of this initiative on foreign policies the real IR world. As Anholt argues, applying nation branding techniques in foreign policies can be a dangerous initiative. Governments need to have a real sense and organized way of what are doing since they can fall their own victims if a brand is found not be credible or it is misleading. Apart from that, developing countries which are in need to brand themselves may use financial resources in branding efforts at the expense of more tangible needed reforms. Nation branding techniques can also backfire. This is highly illustrated with the case of Greece when it hosted the 2004 Olympics in Athens. The political, economic and international standing of Greece were at high levels, however none of government officials or departments took the task to develop the international profile of Hellas (Cromwell, T Kyriacou 2005) In light of the discussed arguments, one could assume that nation branding is inextricably linked with public diplomacy under the wider spectrum of the concept of soft power. However, as in contrast to traditional soft power tools such as public diplomacy, it makes explicit use of marketing and public relations techniques to reach its aims. Definitely, a new game in international politics is emerging about image and reputation. Nation branding provides the state a useful soft power approach in order to create its desired international influence in the international arena. As regards international relations discourses, nation branding is found most at home within the social constructivism theory. This is due to the fact that nation branding revolves around issues such as values, norms. With the increase use of soft power and the ever-increasing competition amongst states, nation branding will continue to gain ground as a concept, whilst further investigation in the IR field need to fu rther developed in order give a better insight on the place nation branding have in the political sphere.

Jack Kevorkian Essay -- essays research papers fc

After talks with her husband, sons, minister, and local doctors; Janet Adkins decided she didn ¹t want to undergo the sustained mental deterioration that Alzheimer ¹s Disease caused (Uhlman 111). She began to realize she had the disease when she started forgetting songs and failed to recognize notes as she played the piano (Filene 188).  ³She read in Newsweek about Dr. Jack Kevorkian and his Å’Mercitron ¹ machine, then saw him on the Å’Donahue ¹ Television show ² (Filene 188). With her husband ¹s consent but objections by sons and doctors, she telephoned him to arrange to kill herself (Filene 188). She still had a life expectancy of at least ten years with the illness, but she wished to die. She wanted to die before the disease robbed her of her competence (Larson 229). Kevorkian later killed Adkins and faced the consequences boldly (Hendin,  ³Suicide in America ² 247). The background, process, and effects of Dr. Kevorkian ¹s questionable first patient, Jane t Adkins, have a very detailed story in them. Janet Adkins led a very productive life up to and even after she had been diagnosed with Alzheimer ¹s, but she couldn ¹t handle losing control of her brain (Filene 188). She was 54 years old and lived in a wealthy Oregon suburb with her stock broker husband, Ron. She was also the mother of three sons, taught English and piano, went hang gliding, trekked in Nepal, climbed Mount Hood, and generally behaved with a lot of energy (Gutmann 20). She and her husband were longtime Hemlock society members, which advocates Euthanasia in some cases (Betzold 22).  ³Doctors at a Portland hospital told her that eventually she would be dependent on her husband for feeding and bathing ² (Gutmann 21). She did not want to take her own life in case she messed it up, and her own doctors wouldn ¹t help her (Hendin ,  ³Seduced by Death ² 132). Though she was still able to carry on clear conversations and demolish her son at tennis; her husband explained that if she was going to go, she ¹d probably want to go to soon rather than to late (Gutmann 21). After hearing about Kevorkian, Ron Adkins contacted him to employ his services (Wolfson 56). Her husband complained to Dr. Kevorkian that he had to remind her of the times of her tennis lessons, and that she kept leaving her purse in the house. After the brief conversation, Kevorkian agreed to meet with her (Gutmann 20).  ³Dr. Kevorkian was a ret... ...termining how ill she was. Also the method of which he carried out the suicide raised questions (Hendin,  ³Seduced by Death ² 130). Among supporters of Euthanasia he became something of an antiestablishment here (Larson 230). This was the first of over a hundred assisted suicides that he would perform (Uhlman 111). Works Cited Betzold, Michael.  ³The Selling of Doctor Death. ² New Republic 26 May 1997: 22-28. Fessenden, Ford.  ³Matters of Life and Death. ² Newsday 10 June 1995: 7. Filene, Peter. In the Arms of Others. Chicago: Ivan R. Dee, 1998. Gutmann, Stephanie.  ³Death and the Maiden. ² New Republic 24 June 1996: 20-22. Hamel, Robert. Must We Suffer Our Way to Death. Texas: Southern Methodist Press, 1996. Hendin, Herbert. Seduced by Death. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 1997. Hendin, Herbert. Suicide in America. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 1995. Larson, Edward. A Different Death. Illinois: Intervarsity Press, 1998. Uhlman, Michael. Last Rights. Washington D.C.: Ethics and Public Policy Center, 1998. Wolfson, Adam.  ³Killing of the Dying. ² The Public Interest Spring 1998: 56.

Motherhood and slavery Essay

As a capable black woman and as a mother, Sethe feels obligated to provide Beloved, whether her daughter or not, â€Å"a bed to sleep in and somebody there not worrying you to death about what you got to do each day to deserve it† (Beloved 67-68). Therefore, her job as mother, as caretaker, as â€Å"life-giver† and â€Å"life-maintainer† is never-ending, and because it is never-ending, it has the potential to take her to her grave. Beyond that, Sethe fears losing Beloved before she can make her understand that worse than killing her own daughter, â€Å"—far worse—was what Baby Suggs died of what Ella knew, what Stamp saw and what made Paul D tremble. † (Beloved 251). Although not entirely true, for Sethe’s best thing is herself, the one thing about herself that she values, that slavery has not taken away from her is motherhood. This, for Sethe, is maintaining a mental survival for her children, preventive medicine for the ills of slavery. As Kubitschek notes, â€Å"On the plantations†¦ black women’s nurturance—from the physical (nursing milk) to the metaphysical (energy and patience)—is used up primarily in working fields and tending white children† (166). But for Sethe, who was able to have her children with her, â€Å"the major means of protecting children from slavery is to value them and to communicate this value to them† (Kubitschek 166). This is a sacrifice Sethe and many mothers, traditional and nontraditional, are more than willing to make. This becomes especially painful in part two of the novel. When Sethe thinks about Beloved and her own actions, she says she will explain it all to Beloved, reflecting, â€Å"How if I hadn’t killed her she would have died and that is something I could not bear to happen to her†¦ I’ll tend her as no mother ever tended a child, a daughter. Nobody will ever get my milk no more except my own children† (Beloved 200). Here we can see transforming and destereotyping potential of Sethe’s actions. She goes on thinking of how she will change, how she can mother now as a free woman. In this case, it is as if Sethe must be a nontraditional, unstereotypical mother in order to accomplish the traditional mothering role she wants to attain. She also reflects on her faults when Beloved returns, how she was distracted by Paul D and should not have been. But it is at this point that she demonstrates the difference between man and woman, between father and mother. Kubitschek argues that â€Å"In the twilight area of an illegal freedom, Sethe has immediately, upon being summoned back to slavery, acted on a slave definition of mothering: presence is all† (167). Being together, even if dead together, was enough. â€Å"Presence is all. † Lucille Fultz cites Marsha Darling’s interview with Morrison in which Morrison asserts: â€Å"Under the theatrical conditions of slavery, if you made that claim†¦ that you are the mother of these children you were claiming the right to say something about what happens to them. † Morrison terms Sethe’s commitment to her children â€Å"an excess of maternal feeling, a total surrender. † This surrender is configured in Sethe’s desire to protect her daughter from the ills she suffered as a female slave. † (40) Sethe takes her protection of her children one step further. Fultz contends that â€Å"Through desire and knowledge Sethe achieves subjectivity for herself and her children. She refuses to subscribe to the system that treats her and her family as objects† (38). She especially needs to make up to Beloved, perhaps because she killed her, or perhaps because the death separated them as Sethe had been separated from her own â€Å"ma’am. † Kubitschek asserts, â€Å"Still defining motherhood as keeping her children with her, Sethe cannot reject the ghost’s presence† (167). Perhaps it is more a loss of a time component than the actual murder component that Sethe regrets. Thus, because she spent so little time with her own mother, she must spend as much time with her daughters as possible, which leads to their month of playing together. Morrison visually paints their month, noting the â€Å"star-loaded sky,† â€Å"sweet milk,† â€Å"string puzzles in afternoon light,† â€Å"shadow pictures in the gloaming,† â€Å"a garden of vegetables and flowers† (Beloved 240). All of this serves Sethe’s purpose until Beloved decides it is not enough, and Denver realizes â€Å"that her mother could die and leave them both and what would Beloved do then? † (Beloved 243). Beloved has no life of her own, no name, and never did. She was never called anything but the â€Å"crawling already? girl† and â€Å"Beloved† as her gravestone marked her. Not a name to cling to. Morrison tells us that â€Å"Everybody knew what she was called, but nobody anywhere knew her name† (Beloved 274) because she is a representation of life, many lives, but does not get the opportunity to live her own. She can be the woman during the Middle Passage; she can be the woman in slavery; she can be the woman who escaped slavery; and she is all of these. She â€Å"embodies each and every woman of the African American motherline†¦ and†¦ is also linked to Sethe’s own mother who, like the murdered granddaughter, remains nameless† (O’Reilly 86, 87). But as a result, she is never herself. Morrison poetically crosses three generations of women, who learn and demonstrate survival skills, in a very matriarchally religious trinity—mother: Sethe’s mother; daughters: Sethe and eventually Denver; and â€Å"holy† ghost: Beloved. Each fights for survival of herself, and of future generations through different means. Sethe’s mother rebels and is hanged, but impresses upon her daughter what truly matters—the self and a sense of connection with one’s own matrilineal line. Sethe escapes slavery with her children and is willing to kill them so that they may â€Å"survive† maintaining their natural selves. Beloved is reincarnated. This is her survival, but it also leads to Denver’s ability to survive on her own, which further protects and preserves the potential for future generations. Essentially, all these women can fight for survival at this point in the novel because there is a sense of belonging, of necessity. Sethe gives herself inherence when she places complete necessity on herself for the responsibility of her children. Morrison describes Sethe as a free woman, as a free mother, writing, â€Å"Freeing yourself was one thing; claiming ownership of that freed self was another† (Beloved 95). But that is what Sethe is able to do. In the Clearing, she claims herself. At this point, she is finally able to attach herself to the self that she can create. As a result, she can also, hi her mother role, help begin to claim selfhood for those around her. Thus, she returned to 124, â€Å"opened the door, walked in and locked it tight behind her† and when â€Å"Sethe locked the door, the women inside were free at last to be what they liked, see whatever they saw and say whatever was on their minds† (Beloved 198, 199). This is all part of Sethe’s role as mother. She defends others, her own girls especially, with her whole body, her whole home. Yet, the one thing she does not immediately understand or establish for herself, until Paul D makes her realize it, is that Beloved, her â€Å"crawling already?girl,† was not her â€Å"best thing. † Sethe is a woman destined for survival early on because of the actions she takes and the decisions she makes as a mother, but she cannot see her personal value beyond powerful motherhood until the end, when she is a free woman: free of slavery, free of Beloved, beginning to be free of the past, free of the blame of murdering her daughter to â€Å"save† her, and free of the blame of making the ink schoolteacher used to assess their animal characteristics and measurements (Beloved 271). Then and only then does she fully comprehend the destereotyped notion of â€Å"best thing† as herself. Redefining motherhood for herself, Sethe also redefines the foundation of humanity. By making her character commit that horrible act, Toni Morrison asks her reader: is the inhumanity in Sethe’s killing of the baby or is it in the horrible system that drives her to commit this act? Playing with the reader’s mind, Morrison dislocates scenes of the slaves’ beating that are prevalent in narratives of slavery. For the image of the master holding the stick, she substitutes that of the slave committing a violent act on her own child. From now on the slave is given the opportunity to have a voice. Why murder her baby? With this infanticide, Sethe’s writing of history undermines the ideology that founded the white masters. This ideology, based on a racial and gendered duality, locates humanity within the white race. It is this vision and appropriation of humanity that Morrison attacks. If humanity lies in the empowerment of the white man who engages in a violent exploitation of the non-white, driving the latter to kill her child, where does inhumanity stand?