Thursday, December 26, 2019

Essay on Female Characters in Bram Stokers Dracula

Female Characters in Bram Stokers Dracula Having studied Bram Stokers Dracula as part of my GCSE English Course, I am going to consider the representation of women in the novel. The three main characters I will study are Mina, Lucy, and the three female vampires (belonging to Dracula). I am going to consider the similarities and differences of each character, and how well they compare to traditional Victorian women. I will support my answers with quotes and evidence. During the early twentieth century, the traditional Victorian ideal would be a lady of leisure. A Victorian woman effectively had only two options: she was either a virgin- a model of purity and innocence, or she was to be a wife and produce an heir. If she†¦show more content†¦This is important, because it shows us that she is a virtuous person, and it also shows us her stability; as holding the job as an assistant schoolmistress isnt something that every Victorian woman was thought capable of doing. Later on she uses her domestic chores, to assist her husband with his work, and this shows us that she is a devoted wife. Unlike Lucy, she is not most noteworthy for her physical beauty, which spares Mina her friend?s fate of being transformed into a voluptuous devil. Her sexuality remains enigmatic throughout the whole of the novel, however she does undertake one sexual encounter with Dracula towards the end, but it is forced. Although Mina does not produce an heir during the novel, we do know that she produces a child afterwards, and this is important information. The entire second half of the novel concerns the issues of Mina?s purity, and Bram Stoker creates suspense as to whether Mina, like Lucy will be lost. Mina is far from a ?New Woman?, she is a dutiful wife and mother, whose successes are always in the service of men. She even pokes fun at the New Woman several times, as she notably writes ?Some of the New Woman writers will someday start an idea that men and women should be allowed to see each other asleep, before proposing or accepting. Mina is summed up as having a very good aspiration of a traditional VictorianShow MoreRelatedDracula Movie Comparison Essay1444 Words   |  6 PagesDracula the novel or Bram Stoker’s Dracula movie? Dracula, the most famous vampire of all time, which readers were ï ¬ rst introduced to by Irish author Bram Stoker in 1897 with his novel Dracula, which tells the story of the mysterious person named Count Dracula (Stoker). The book is an outstanding masterpiece of work, which is why it has been a prototype for various movie releases over the decades. Whenever a film director decides to make a movie based on a novel the hope is that the characters concurRead MoreComparison Of Count Dracula In Bram Stokers Dracula And Dracula1449 Words   |  6 PagesDracula is the infamous vampire, that readers were ï ¬ rst introduced to by Irish author Bram Stoker in 1897 when they read his novel Dracula (Stoker). The author conveys the story of Count Dracula, a mysterious being that is half man, half vampire that sucks blood from the neck of his victims to stay alive (Stoker). This novel is an outstanding masterpiece of work, which is why it has been a prototype for various movie releases over the decades, such as Nosferatu, Horror of Dracula, Dracula A LoveRead MoreA Comparison Of Dracula And Dracula1429 Words   |  6 PagesDracula is the infamous vampire that readers were ï ¬ rst introduced to by Irish author Bram Stoker in 1897 when they read his novel Dracula (Stoker). The author conveys the story of Count Dracula, a mysterious being that is half man, half vampire that sucks blood from the neck of his victims to stay alive (Stoker). This novel is an outstanding masterpiece of work, which is why it has been a prototype for various movie releases over the decades, such as Nosferatu, Horror of Dracula, Dracula A Love StoryRead MoreDracula, By Bram Stoker1291 Words   |  6 Pages ​Bram Stoker, author of Dracula, not only creates the early depiction of vampire stories; but writes more to contradict the age old beliefs of women and their role in society. Dracula is more that just a vampire story. There is a deeper level to this. A level in which it can incite change in the way one percieves women. There is a noition that all women were to be the same but Dracula refutes that. Vampire sexuality, as represented in Bram Stoker s Dracula, reveals itself as both a phenomenon thatRead MoreEssay on Paternalism in Bram Stokers Dracula920 Words   |  4 PagesPaternalism in Bram Stokers Dracula      Ã‚   Paternalism is the domination of a society by a male or parental figure that leads or governs much like the way a father would direct his family.   In Victorian society, the idea of paternalism was prevalent.   The idea was also frequently used as a motif in western literature.   Bram Stokers novel Dracula, published in 1897, depicts a paternalistic society through a repression of the female sex and a continuous exaltation of the domineering maleRead MoreDracula, By Bram Stoker1166 Words   |  5 PagesThe story of Dracula is well documented and has stood the test of time since it’s Victorian age creation. More times than not, literature writings are a reflection of the era from which they are produced. In the case of Dracula, Vampire literature expresses the fears of a society. Which leads me to the topic I chose to review: sexuality. The Victorian Era was viewed as a period diluted in intense sexual repression and I believe that Dracula effectively expl oited this as the fear of sexuality wasRead MoreBram Stoker s Dracul Victorian Men And Women1455 Words   |  6 PagesKatherine Fulmer ENGL 3023 Dr. Lawrence 1 December 2015 Bram Stoker’s Dracula: Victorian Men and Women 1. Introduction Bram Stoker’s world famous novel Dracula, blurs the lines between Victorian ideal gender roles by using strong central female characters, such as, the three vampire sisters, Lucy and Mina, to express a powerful female sexuality challenging the Victorian notion of what makes a woman. The Victorian society placed women in a bubble of sexual purity and fragileness, making men the centralRead MoreDracula by Bram Stoker: Modern Man to Enduring Romance1688 Words   |  7 PagesIn Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Dracula is representative of the superhuman ideal that man is striving to achieve. Dracula is a strong willed, powerful, brilliant masculine figure, and through these characteristics, he appeals to the contemporary reader. By the late 20th and early 21st century, vampires have been transformed into creatures that offer endless happiness and immortality on earth. Such a transformation can be seen in Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 production of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. InsteadRead MoreExploring The Depth Of Romance And How Coppola s Dracula1042 Words   |  5 Pagesthat to a modern 90’s audience. TRUE LOVE’S DARK BITE Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 hit, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, reimagines the timeless Dracula tale and creates a twisted love story that allows contemporary audiences an insight into a surprisingly relatable fable, as Taylor Ellison explores†¦ Bram Stoker’s Dracula Love is not black and white and Francis Ford Coppola’s ageless classic Bram Stoker’s Dracula epitomises the many layers that come with romance. The dark love story highlights the romanceRead MoreHow Dracula Is The Most Famous Literary Vampire1658 Words   |  7 Pages An Immortal Soul: Why Dracula is the Most Famous Literary Vampire The title character and antagonist of Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula is an easily recognizable character in the Western canon. Without ever reading the book or watching any of the countless movie adaptations, people will craft vampire characters with feelings and behaviors nearly identical to those of Dracula. However, Dracula’s success is not because it was the first novel of its kind. Vampiric literature had been around for

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Introduction. Equiano Olaudah A Slave From Eboe Who Became

Introduction Equiano Olaudah a slave from Eboe who became an important figure in the history of slavery, was kidnapped at the age of 11/12 years of age along with his sister from their hometown in the village of Essaka (Benin), a state which is now located in the southern region of Nigeria, West Africa. Born in 1745, in an isolated, but a rich kingdom called Eboe, Olaudah Equiano, commonly known as Gustavus Vassa was born. The youngest boy of seven children, he was a favorite of his mother. His narrative has not only played an important role in the history of slavery, but has also made evident some of the harsh treatment that slaves had faced. He had not only spent more time with his mother, but she also decorated him with insignias worn†¦show more content†¦He was later sold to Robert King, a merchant and Quaker from Philadelphia, who not only taught him many things, but also give him plenty of free time he could to find work at other businesses, earning himself extra cash. By July 10, 1766, Equiano was able to buy his freedom, and establish his own corporation. Equiano did things like, â€Å"Working on commercial vessels and occasional scientific expeditions to Central America and the Arctic regions† (Equiano, 2009). Nevertheless, by 1767 Equiano relocated to England were he started a different profession employed as a hair stylist for affluent Londoners. Later in 1792, he met and married Susanna Cullen, an Englishwoman, and together they had two girls. He died on the 31st day of March in 1797 at the aged of (51–52). What do we learn about the Atlantic slave trade through Equiano’s narrative? Looking at the narrative of Equiano and the many details it portrays, we have learned a lot about the Atlantic slave trade and its effect on Africa, its people and the world. According to the narrative, slaves were not only taken against their will, but were separated from their families, loved ones and friends. They were mistreated, beaten, burned, torture, and punish for trying to escape or being disobedient by their masters. In some cases, the torture and punishments were so severe, that they wouldShow MoreRelatedThe Labor Of Slave Women From The Perspective Of Women1328 Words   |  6 PagesAfrican American women. Even though forced labor was the essence of slavery, few have studied the labor of slave women from the perspective of women themselves. The author clarifies and analyzes the meanings that the women bestowed on their labors-meanings that constitute a rich resource of moral value for all who read this book. According to Joan Martin, â€Å"moral agency† for slaves meant autonomy from their masters, but obedience to God. â€Å"Martin moves beyond issues of sorrow and oppression to shed newRead MoreOlaudah Equiano s Influence On African Diaspora History1941 Words   |  8 Pages In 1745, Olaudah Equiano was born in Eboe, which is now Nigeria. When he was about eleven years old, he was kidnapped and sold to slave traders heading to the West Indies. Though he spent a short time in the state of Virginia, much of his time in slavery was spent serving the captains of slave ships and British navy vessels. One of his masters, Henry Pascal, the captain of a British trading vessel, gave him the name Gustavas Vassa, which he hardly used throughout his life. Paul Lovejoy, Canada

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Nuclear Power - a Reliable Energy Source for the Future free essay sample

Nuclear power A reliable energy source for the future India is on the move. Indeed, one of the primary reasons why we are even having this competition is a result of the 8% plus annual GDP growth over the last 8 years. This growth has been driven by strong domestic demand, and with that electricity consumption per capita has doubled from 355KWh in 2000 to 720kWh by 2009. This is a huge increase, but in absolute terms is puny when compared to other countries globally, being only 20% and 3% of the figures for China and America respectively. Juxtapose this with the deplorable fact that about 400 million people are yet to be connected to the electricity grid and the writing is on the wall. In this regard it’s best to compare ourselves to China but it’s already clear that demand is going to soar in the coming years. On the supply side, the power generation figures are much gloomier, and most years hover stubbornly around the ‘Hindu rate of growth’ of 3%. Understandably power generation requires huge capital investment; even so, the pace of growth has been extremely tardy over the past 20 years. In many states (Maharashtra being the notable example) reasonably healthy power surpluses from the early 90s were allowed to stagnate into power deficits by the end of the decade, setting the stage for a huge uphill struggle to cope with the demand surge of this past decade. The net result of all this is that overall national power deficit is around 12% consistently, with no major state being power surplus. There can be no doubt as to what is responsible for this; poor planning and lack of foresight on the part of the Government. Thankfully, it appears to have finally woken up to the challenge, and there are hasty efforts being made to meet the XIth plan revised target of 62,500 MW with a far more ambitious target for the XIIth plan. Given this changed outlook on the part of the Government, I think this is an excellent opportunity to not only work for the short term goal of bridging the deficit, but also looking further ahead and envisioning scenarios for 2020 and beyond. Let’s take a step back and see exactly how we get our power from. At the oment, the predominant source is thermal – a kinder word for what are mostly coal-fired plants. Totally these contribute 64. 6% of the total installed capacity. The other major contributor is hydroelectric powerwhich provides another 22. 6% of total power. Both are hardly what you’d term green; coal powered plants , especially in India are inefficient and polluting whereas large scale hydroelectric projects tend to cause large scale environmental ch anges as well as trigger population shifts. Finally there is nuclear and renewables, which come in at 4. % and 7. 2% respectively. Given the scale of problems associated with large scale hydroelectric projects, it is going to extremely difficult (and not advisable from an environmental viewpoint either) to attempt to build huge hydroelectric projects. Indeed, most of the current capacity has been installed in the immediate years post-independence and there has been little progress with large scale projects in the last twenty years (the Narmada Bachao Andolan and the movements against the Tehri dam come to mind here). It is quite clear therefore, that apart from small scale hydroelectric projects that do not require massive dams on rivers, it is going to be very difficult to raise the conventional hydroelectric generation capacity by as much as is required by the growth in demand discussed above. It is quite an accepted view that the renewable energy sources like wind, tidal and geothermal just will not have the ability to compensate for current fossil fuel generation. Wind and waves could only be used at the coast or in elevated areas in the mountain ranges, and apart from the four monsoon months, wind patterns across the subcontinent are rather subdued. In my view, there are strong reasons for opting for the latter, which I will detail in the paragraphs below. India abounds with coal. Indeed, this is the only fossil fuel we have a huge supply of. Beneath the ground in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Orissa lies about 10% of the known reserves, making India the 3rd largest coal producer in the world. With reserves enough to last for at least another 100 years, it is no surprise then that post-Independence a huge emphasis was placed on enhanced production and utilisation for electricity generation. There are of course other demands for coal, most notably by the steel industry where it is used as a raw material. Like many other areas for the economy, the steel industry has also boomed in the last 20 years with a six fold increase in production. But this may also prove to be too little as demand is increasing at an annual pace of 10%+ and is likely to accelerate given the renewed push for infrastructure development by the government. All of this has meant that once again India is importing large quantities of coal negating the trade cushion that large domestic production naturally affords us. What is the reason for this mismatch? All mines in India were nationalised in the 1970s, and have fallen behind the rest of the world in production standards and efficiencies. Finally, Indian coal has a high ash content and low calorific value which means that larger quantities of raw material will need to be mined. All of these last points highlight the much larger problem with coal- its huge impact on the environment. Fossil fuels pollute, but they do so in two ways- through the emission of particulate matter, S02, N02 and other harmful gases (traditional pollution) and the emission of CO2 and other greenhouse gases. In most of the developed world, the former has vanished almost completely with strict regulations on emissions from plants. In India, with the poor quality of mining and lax environmental normscoal power plants are a huge source of local pollution. This significantly mars the quality of life of the people in the surrounding area, and if a dramatic increase in coal power is planned, a much larger number of people will be affected. Of course, the much bigger problem and challenge is the huge carbon emissions. To many, the whole debate on climate change is a conspiracy by the West. Just when India appears to be settling on a path of sustained growth, the bogey of carbon emissions is raised by nations that have made full use of carbon based industries themselves. Climate change debate in India is extremely low on facts and high on rhetoric and outlooks range from a care-a-damn attitude to holding it liable for everyunusually heavy downpour. Climate change is by and large not a burning topic for public discussion, certainly not one of the aam aadmi issues and so receives short shrift amongst our politicians- many of whom know precious little on the matter. Imagine then the unease, when the whole issue blew up suddenly at Copenhagen in 2008 and India thrust into a prominent position alongside China. No longer an innocent bystander as at Kyoto a decade before, India’s growth and emergence in the world’s eyes have also ensured that it is now seen as essential to the solution. While there was no deal reached on the matter in part due to India and China standing firm, the writing is on the wall for India. Emission limits are going to come sooner or later. Indeed, they may be pretty soon given the unexpected change in the Government’s stance at the current round of negotiations in Cancun. All this makes coal powered plants the real villains of the lot. Spewing huge amounts of carbon in the atmosphere, they can (and especially the ones in India) be highly inefficient. Technologies like Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) exist which can reduce this but is at the moment prohibitively expensive and reduces the efficiency of the plant by a further 50%. There is also the additional problem of safe storage of the captured CO2 so that it does not leak out for 100s of years. If even in the West it will require significant government subsidy to implement, there is not much scope of it taking off in India where there will be no governmental support. A simple modification could be to build gas/oil based plants. While the carbon emissions will be curtailed somewhat, and air pollution unquestionably reduced, these are not a solution to the problems of carbon emissions. And finally India’s oil and gas (despite recent finds) reserves are far short of meeting demand, which would place these plants at the mercy of large fluctuations in international prices or global unrest. Good examples of this are the countries of Europe who are trying hard to diversify themselves away from Russian gas. Now these can be perceived as significant setbacks, or else as a whole new set of opportunities with the chance for a level playing field. I earnestly believe that these two issues- the burgeoning power deficit and the push to eliminate it and the need to begin some action on climate change have fortuitously come at the same time. Nuclear energy has a long association with independent India. Nuclear energy caught the attention of our founding fathers and Jawaharlal Nehru was an eager advocate. In an influential letter Homi Bhabha, the architect of the Indian nuclear program wrote â€Å" Moreover, when nuclear energy has been successfully applied for power production in say a couple of decades from now, India will not have to look abroad for its experts but will find them ready at hand. † But the fortunes of our nuclear ambitions mirrored only too closely that of India’s relations with the rest of the world. The early optimism of the Nehru years disappeared abruptly with the China war, and the 1964 Chinese atomic test only served to highlight India’s isolation from the world’s major powers and the precarious security balance with regards to China. Acquiring a bomb became a national priority; and while the 1974 tests were a triumph for Mrs Gandhi domestically, it spelt doom for civilian nuclear efforts. An outraged international community imposed tough sanctions, which were further intensified after the 1998 nuclear tests. For most people, it seemed that civilian nuclear efforts had been given a quiet burial. But was this really the case? Amazingly, and in what must be one of the greatest triumphs of Indian science and engineering, it was not! Despite tremendous odds, a great deal of effort was put into civilian nuclear technology. Realising that they couldn’t rely on the West, our scientists decided to revisit the entire basis of the nuclear process and press on with phase II of the so called three stage nuclear program. The emphasis would now be placed on Thorium, which is much more abundant in India. There are significant challenges to using this material, mostly due to the fact that it does not produce the fissile stable Uranium 235 as a by-product of decay. A lot of work has been done in this area, and today we are ready to commission projects at phase II and planning work has already begun for Phase III Advanced Heavy Water Reactor systems. However, in that period the Cold War became history and our growing economy and some unexpectedly dogged diplomacy won India the landmark nuclear deal of 2008. While the sceptics may decry the ‘loss of sovereignty’ India is now no longer a nuclear pariah and can trade and develop its civilian nuclear capabilities as it sees fit. What I want to underscore here is just how competitive we are; our atomic energy facilities are in many cases at the cutting edge of nuclear research and certainly the best work on Thorium is coming out of India. So much so that nuclear scientists from the West are extremely keen on using our facilities and collaborating with us. I think the nuclear deal will enable us to leverage our strengths well, and if properly planned out, India could very well turn from customer to supplier, exporting high value technology to other countries around the globe. This is an opportunity that surely cannot be missed! But to return to nuclear energy- does it fulfil the requirements for a reliable source of energy? Well air pollution is extremely limited, and so are carbon emissions as there are no fossil fuels involved (except perhaps for the transfer of the fuel). India possesses vast reserves of Thorium, and electricity from nuclear power will also be cost effective. Sure, it takes longer to build these plants but that in part has been to our lack of experience and the stifling of nuclear commerce pre 2008. This has been taken into account in the growth plans to 20,000 MW by 2020 and then a further tripling to 63,000 MW by 2032. Unlike the solar power targets though, these should be readily achievable. At the moment, Indian industry doesn’t possess many of the skills required by the industry and this will be a great impetus itself for developing high tech industries in India. However, there is the serious issue of disposal of nuclear by products and the catastrophic scenarios that can arise from a nuclear accident. Indeed it is the latter which has led to large amounts of anti-nuclear feelings especially in Europe. The largest such accident was at Chernobyl in 1986 and the radiation from this affected most of continental Europe. But as has been pointed out, safety standards in the Soviet Union were not as stringent as the West, and even these were blatantly violated as the Soviet economy began to crumble. In other words, it was a terrible exception and given correct management, shouldn’t happen again. In many ways this was eerily similar to Bhopal, which is worrying for two reasons. One it shows we don’t have an inbred safety culture and two that such comparisons could be a convenient bogey for derailment of nuclear projects. The solution is to tackle the former and build up a culture of professionalism and discipline at these nuclear power plants, with safety standards that compare with the West and are adhered to. The memories of Bhopal are still fresh in people’s minds and let’s hope the lessons stay with us also. France is a great example of a system that works. 70% of its electricity is generated in nuclear plants and it has an unblemished safety record. So along with technology, we should have no qualms in learning from the best in the trade and imbibing their safety ethic. If this is done, there is a great chance of nuclear technology becoming another transformative sector for the economy like IT was in this decade. Being a nuclear energy powerhouse will have a knock-on effect for Indian diplomacy and our relations with the rest of the world. Given the volatile nature of world events, it is almost a certainty that access to nuclear technology will be continue to be restrictive in the years ahead. All of the world powers today have strong nuclear programs- even Japan is a key supplier for civilian nuclear technology. A strong domestic nuclear sector will add a lot of weight to our voice in the world and hasten India’s ascent on the world stage. Nuclear energy will enable us to make significant progress in meeting any emissions targets that could be set for us and will make clear to the world that India is serious about climate change. Not only is this good for us in the long run (India is particularly vulnerable to rising temperatures) but it will also deflect pressure back on the developed nations who are primarily responsible for the problem. Such a bold move would be another shot in the arm for Indian diplomacy. If a stopgap solution is required, then coal and gas plants are the way forward. Indeed, to meet the immediate deficit, this is the only way. But it is not the technology for the future. At the moment, that mantle lies with nuclear energy. Our country has already done a great deal of work under very difficult conditions to build up our nuclear program. It would be a tragedy to let this slide and not harness its capabilities. Accomplishing this will require vision- but then, that is exactly what is needed to build the India of the future.

Monday, December 2, 2019

Sir Winston Churchill and his Pivotal Role in World War II Essay Example

Sir Winston Churchill and his Pivotal Role in World War II Essay Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965) was one of the greatest leaders this world has seen. He was the British Prime Minister at the time of the Second World War and lead to Britain’s victory over Nazi Germany. His contributions in the form of written books and recorded speeches serve as an insight into history and as a source of inspiration till today. His perseverance and courage were worthy of praise. He strongly believed in spending his life in serving the country. He is still regarded as one of the most significant Englishmen of the twentieth century. SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL EARLY AND JOURNALIST YEARS 1874-1903 Sir Winston Churchill was born in Woodstock in 1874. His parents were too busy for him and he spent most of his time with his nanny who he became very attached to. He had a younger brother. As a child, Churchill was stubborn and annoying. He was educated at the Royal Military College at Sandhurst. It is said that at school Sir Winston Churchill was a poor student and a disappointment to his father.[1] Churchill was chubby and not particularly tall. At the age of 21, Sir Winston Churchill joined the British army which he left four years later.[2] During his stay in the army, Churchill took part in the Battle of Omdurman. Writing was his passion. He used to love writing about his experiences and other prevailing issues. According to Churchill, Writing is an adventure. To begin with, it is a toy and amusement. Then it becomes a mistress, then it becomes a master, then it becomes a tyrant. The last phase it that just as you are about to be reconciled to your servitude, you kill the monst er and fling him to the public. It was during this time that he wrote some of his most famous books. We will write a custom essay sample on Sir Winston Churchill and his Pivotal Role in World War II specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Sir Winston Churchill and his Pivotal Role in World War II specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Sir Winston Churchill and his Pivotal Role in World War II specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In 1896 and 1897, Sir Winston Churchill stayed in India where he worked as a soldier and a reporter. Sir Winston Churchill left the British army in 1899 after which he started writing war related news for the Morning Post. In 1900, Sir Winston Churchill went back to England and became a member of the House of Commons. Thought a Conservative during this time, Sir Winston Churchill switched sides and joined the Liberal party in 1903.   [3] Achievements of Sir Winston Churchill Sir Winston Churchill’s accomplishments began in his 20s when he was an active journalist. His successes continued while he was an active politician and when he became the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He is known as one of the greatest leaders in history. Sir Winston Churchill had a strong foothold of the English language. His works as a writer won him the Nobel Prize in Literature. Sir Winston Churchill always supported European and Atlantic alliance. Eventually this alliance resulted in the NATO. Sir Winston Churchill also introduced reforms for prisons which included not only entertainment activities but also the provision of basic health care facilities for the prisoners. [4] Sir Winston Churchill remained the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom for almost the entire Second World War from the year 1940 all the way up to 1945. Hence all the war time decisions were made by him. Sir Winston Churchill was very well versed with the military and warfare. It was him who formed military bodies that eventually went on to destroy the German forces. His most significant role was his leadership during the Second World War against Nazi Germany.[5] For all his dedication and efforts for Britain on an international arena, Sir Winston Churchill received much praise and honor. He was given U.S. citizenship and the title for one of the greatest Englishmen in history. [6] Special Characteristics of Sir Winston Churchill Sir Winston Churchill was an outstanding orator and author. He was also a well reputed journalist and painter. During his lifetime, he wrote many books and delivered numerous speeches that inspired people. He took keen interest in history and was one of the most significant leaders in the history of Europe. Churchill was far-sighted, focused, determined to succeed, independent, persistent, passionate and brave. He did not believe in the concept of surrender. He was emotionally and physically tough. His trait of being courageous has been proven on several accounts. He was always a keen and dedicated warrior. Sir Winston Churchill was a strong leader. He believed in whole heartedly fighting for his country. The population of the United Kingdom could relate to him and visualize his dreams. He encouraged them to turn their dreams into reality. [7] Lessons we learn from the life, achievements and disappointments of Churchill One thing we note from Churchill’s life is that when children do not feel loved and protected at home, the insecurity and depression they experience then becomes a personality trait and appears on the surface later on. It creates in them the need to make their presence felt. Even Sir Winston Churchill said that if he could not get himself to be loved, he could at least get himself to be admired. The most important thing that we can gauge from the life of Sir Winston Churchill is that perseverance, passion and refusal to surrender leads to success. After the victory in World War II when Churchill participated in the elections again, he was sure he would win because of his recent popularity. To his surprise and disappointment, he lost the General Elections. This fact proves that one can never afford to be laid back. It was after this shock that Churchill revamped his party and went out of his way to regain the lost support. Continuous efforts are required for success. The minute a person starts taking success for granted, before he knows it, it is taken away by someone else. SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL STATESMAN YEARS 1904-1933 Sir Winston Churchill was pro social welfare and joined the Liberal Party in 1904. He won the General Elections in 1906 and formed the Liberal government. Two years later, Sir Winston Churchill got married to Clementine Ogilvy Spencer. He had one son and two daughters with her. His family brought him a lot of happiness. However, one of his daughters died at the age of three. This was one of the reasons for his depression in the years to follow. [8] How did he advance in politics? Sir Winston Churchill’s father was an active politician. This is where Churchill got his political background from. He was an average student. He dropped out of school and joined the army at a young age. Sir Winston Churchill was initially posted in Cuba where he got involved in the on-going civil war. After this he moved to India where he signed up to participate in the rebellion at Malakand.   There was no opening for him on that front so he signed up as a journalist and still went to Malakand to take part in the revolt. While in India, Sir Winston Churchill served as a war correspondent. [9] After his duration in India, Sir Winston Churchill went to Sudan where he took part in the uprisings that occurred in 1898.[10] The first time Sir Winston Churchill fought in the General Elections, he was unsuccessful. Later on, Churchill was taken prisoner for carrying a weapon but he escaped from prison and rejoined the army.[11] In 1906, Sir Winston Churchill participated in the General Elections and won. Thus he formed the Liberal government. After the elections of 1910, Sir Winston Churchill was made Home Secretary. One important contribution he made was the reforms he introduced for the prisons. He generated activities that included the basic essentials as well as entertainment for prisoners. The entertainment included educational sessions and concerts and the essential services included provision of medical and health care facilities. [12] One year later, in 1911, Sir Winston Churchill became Lord of Admiralty. It was during this time that he transformed the navy with advanced equipment. Sir Winston Churchill took special interest in the armed forces. A year later he formed the Royal Naval Air Service. The latter was made modern with the help of new equipment and aircraft. Sir Winston Churchill was so passionate about the navy that he even learnt how to fly an aircraft. It was in 1915 that Sir Winston Churchill rejoined the British Army. During this time Churchill looked after the manufacture of aircrafts, artillery, weapons and tanks. During 1919 and 1920, Sir Winston Churchill also worked under the leadership of Lloyd George as Minister of War and Air and later as Colonel Secretary. Some of Churchill’s actions in war were severely criticized. For instance, he suggested using chemical weapons just to test them on the Arabs. Later on, Sir Winston Churchill became Chancellor of the Exchequer. After 1925, Churchill took on the job of editing the very famous state magazine called the British Gazette. In 1929, the government was defeated and Churchill lost his rank. However, in 1933 when the Nazis emerged and Adolf Hitler gathered immense support in Germany, Sir Winston Churchill led the rearmament movement in the United Kingdom. nbsp; What did he write? Sir Winston Churchill’s career as an author started in 1985 when he began writing for the newspaper. He enjoyed writing about his adventures and experiences. The following year, he wrote his first book titled The Story of the Malakand Field Force. In 1898, Sir Winston Churchill wrote another book called The River War. The next year brought with it two more books by Churchill: London to Ladysmith via Pretoria and Ian Hamilton’s March. In 1900, Churchill’s original called Savrola was published. In 1903 Sir Winston Churchill wrote Mr. Brodrick’s Army and in 1906 he wrote Lord Randolph Churchill and For Free Trade. The former was about his late father. Two years later, Sir Winston Churchill narrated his adventures in Africa via the book title An African Journey. His other books regarding politics include Liberalism and the Social Problem, The People’s Rights and The World Crisis. The World Crisis was published between 1923 and 1931 in six volumes.[13] His other important books include India (1931), Thoughts and Adventures (1932), The War Speeches (1941-1946), The Second World War (1948-1953), A History of English-Speaking People (1956-1958) and If I Lived my Life Again (1974). [14] How did he get depressed? There were many reasons that led to Sir Winston Churchill’s depression. To begin with, his parents neglected him and he always felt the absence of a loving family. Although his marriage did bring him a lot of happiness, the early childhood depression remained. Moreover, one of his daughters passed away at the age of three.[15] In 1914, Churchill came up with the brilliant plan of campaigning in the Dardanelles but unfortunately the plan failed. Churchill was blamed of poor leadership and his allies turned hostile against him. A year later, a British ship sank due to an attack by a German submarine, taking the lives of just under 2000 people on board. Churchill was suspected of being involved in making the ship sink. It was due to all these accusations that Churchill was downgraded from the Admiralty. Following this, Sir Winston Churchill experienced bouts of depression.[16] These fits of depression were aggravated by Churchill’s exit from office in 1930 and his failure in the elections in 1945. He gave his depression the name of â€Å"Black Dog†. Churchill’s depression used to be intense and last for weeks at times. Judging from his mood swings, there have been rumors that Sir Winston Churchill suffered from Bi Polar Depression. nbsp; What did he do before World War II? Before the start of the Second World War, it was Sir Winston Churchill who sensed the danger coming and stressed that Britain become prepared to face the Nazi Germany and the emerging Hitler. By this time he had had adequate experience in the military and in participating in rebellions. This coupled with his political background prepared him for what was to come. [17] Why did he become great during World War II? International Role World War II started in 1939. At this time, the British Prime Minister Chamberlain appointed Churchill as the first Lord of the Admiralty. In 1940 he went on to become the Chair person of the Military Committee. The Chamberlain government failed in the same year and Sir Winston Churchill became the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. As prime minister, Sir Winston Churchill founded a federation government which included people from the Labor Party. He placed these people in top ranks in the government. It was during this time that Sir Winston Churchill communicated frequently with Franklin D. Roosevelt and developed strong ties with him. This was a relationship that was in favor of Great Britain for the rest of the war. Britain was able to engage in an exchange of weapons and other war equipment as a result of this friendship.[18] The government of the United Kingdom further benefited from an agreement with the United States of America called the Lend Lease agreement by which it could acquire weapons from the United States on credit. The benefits of this relationship extended till the end of the war when the two allies jointly asked Germany to surrender in 1943.[19] Under the leadership of Sir Winston Churchill, Britain remained strong and the Germans failed to invade it. Eventually they gave up trying. Sir Winston Churchill was accused of poor leadership and wrong decisions. Eventually his party and the Parliament lost faith in him. On the brighter side, Sir Winston Churchill was a very impactful writer and orator. His speeches that were transmitted using the radio used to move people and inspire them to fight for their country. Even during the war, he kept communicating with his people via speeches that kept their Morales high and their determination going. Due to his dedication and enthusiasm during the war, Sir Winston Churchill surfaced as a hero. After Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, Sir Winston Churchill collaborated with Franklin D. Roosevelt in order to win against Germany and Japan. Sir Winston Churchill was also friendly with the leaders of the Soviet Union. Sir Winston Churchill – Domestic Role Despite his success in the international arena, Sir Winston Churchill was less successful back at home. Many people, such as the working class, despised him for his guts.   At times, Sir Winston Churchill was blamed for regularly changing parties. Britain did win the war, but many people were of the view that Sir Winston Churchill did nothing to improve the United Kingdom as a country. THE FINAL YEARS 1946-1965 What happened after World War II? In 1946 Sir Winston Churchill went to the United States. He was also made the leader of the opposition party. While in the United States, he gave his Iron Curtain Speech which is talked of till today. In fact, former President George W. Bush used an adaptation of Churchill’s speech when he addressed the nation following the attacks on the twin towers in 2001. In 1951, the General Elections were held again and Sir Winston Churchill won yet another time. All the while he kept writing books that became really famous pieces of work. It was after this that he won the Nobel Prize for Literature. Why was he voted out of office? Churchill took part in the elections following the Second World War but to his disappointment, he was defeated. This defeat surprised him because he had just emerged victorious from the war and was confident about his support. The apparent reason for his failure in the elections was that people wanted a change in the reforms. Moreover some people were still suspicious of Churchill’s intentions and actions. What did he do in his last years? After the defeat in elections, Sir Winston Churchill worked to regain the lost support. He made efforts to revamp his party and carried out campaigns involving influential speeches. Through his speeches he cautioned his people about the growing socialist threat. At the age of 75, Sir Winston Churchill started writing his famous book titled The Second World War. In 1949, at the old age of 77, Sir Winston Churchill became Prime Minister again. Two years later in 1953, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II and came to be known as Sir Winston Churchill. It was during the same time that he received his Nobel Prize for his significant contribution to Literature. In 1954, Sir Winston Churchill retired with dignity from the House of Commons. A year later he resigned from his beloved post of Prime Minister. Around that time he completed writing his famous book A History of the English-Speaking Peoples. He spent his last years painting and reflecting on thoughts. He became subdued and even stopped reading.    After suffering from Pneumonia three times and numerous strokes, Sir Winston Churchill died at the age of 90 in 1965 of poor health.[20] CONCLUSION Sir Winston Churchill lived from 1874 to 1965. He was an excellent orator and writer. During his life time he wrote numerous books and delivered several speeches, many of which are still a source of inspiration for leaders today. Sir Winston Churchill served as a reporter in his early life to the Morning Post. He fought in a few battles in Sudan, India and Malakand. Coming from a political background, he was into politics and the armed forces since his childhood. Sir Winston Churchill switched from being Conservative to becoming a member of the Liberal Party. He was often criticized for this. Nonetheless he had adequate experience in the army and warfare. He was even in charge of warfare equipment and artillery. He set up military bodies and supported the development of tanks. All these factors prepared him for the Second World War that he was destined to lead. Sir Winston Churchill’s role in the Second World War was very significant. He became the British Prime Minister at the start of World War II and remained so throughout the war. Under his leadership, Britain was able to fight back the strong Nazi force of Germany under the ruthless Adolf Hitler. It was all because of Sir Winston Churchill that Britain was able to defeat Germany. Besides the experience in warfare and the military, Sir Winston Churchill also built strong ties with Franklin D. Roosevelt. This alliance helped Britain during the war in terms of equipment supplies and so on. Moreover, it was with Roosevelt that Churchill asked Hitler to unconditionally surrender the war in 1945. nbsp;