Loneliness in Of Mice and men by John Steinbeck Essay Example for Free

Loneliness in Of Mice and men by John Steinbeck Essay Of Mice and Men, is a novel written by John Steinbeck in the 1930s. It is set in Salinas California and shows us what life was like for migrant workers at this time. The book was set in the time of the American depression caused by the Wall Street Crash. In 1929 Steinbeck himself had taken on unskilled jobs to support himself for 7 years from 1919. South Clara in Northern California was where Steinbeck worked as a farm laborer. It is from there that the scenery, setting and experiences of Steinbeck in Northern California have been etched into the novel Of Mice and Men. The book describes how lonely life can be. There are three different kinds of loneliness these include: isolation, solitude and abandonment. George and Lennie are different from the other characters in the novel as they have each other to look after them aint many guys travel around together. They have been companions from childhood and George has given and oath to Aunt Clara that he will look after Lennie. George and Lennie both share the same dream to own a piece of land that no-one will take away from them. They each dedicate a sum of their wages towards the dream. The characters in this novel are all envious to some extent of the special friendship shared by George and Lennie because they do not have that in their life. All the characters are extremely lonely and unhappy with their lives (except Slim, who is the only character that seems to be confident and happy with his life), and none of them can escape this unhappiness. Economic and social forces control them, and free will seems non-existent. Guys like us, that live on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. George means that if not for each other, then he and Lennie would be all alone, with no friends, like all the men like them, who are migrant workers moving from ranch to ranch without making any friends, and living a lonely life. George and his simple-minded friend Lennie dream, of a place to call their own. The Dream represents a sense of freedom to George and Lennie as they will be their own bosses and can do as they please. Also the achieving of the dream will mean they will not have to travel and have a house which they can really call home. They will not have to wear their uniforms and will have more possessions than a migrant worker. George and Lennie are very different, George is a smart and composed man, who seems to need mental stimulation from a companion, which he cannot have in his relationship with Lennie. Even though they have each other, they are still both lonely at a certain level, even if one does not clearly understand the other. The important thing is human contact and being there together. Somebody who loses his best companion is Candy. Candy is the oldest person on the ranch. We can tell this when he mentions they are going to fire him Theyll can me purty soon also by the boring jobs which he undertakes like sweeping the bunk house, as he only has one hand, he is a liability. He is a very friendly person and knows the rules of the ranch, we see this when he says a guy on a ranch dont never listen nor he dont ast no questions. His life long companion presumably a sheep dog which he had since it was a pup, was shot by Carlson, who was very persistent to take the dogs life as he did not like the way it smelled I dont know nothing that stinks so bad as an old dog. Although pleading with Carlson I had him so long. Had him since he was a pup, I herded sheep with him the only choice Candy was offered was if he would want to shoot the dog himself which he replied No I couldnt. I had im too long. Finally Candy had to let his companion go. The dog which was Candys comfort and enjoyment was now dead. As the gunshot went off in the distance every head in the bunk house turned towards Candy to see the old mans reaction. For a moment he continued to stare at the ceiling maybe remembering the happy memories he and his companion shared. Then he rolled slowly over and faced the wall and lay silent the same action a dog would do when going to sleep. All was not lost, overhearing George and Lennies dream he wanted to share it. He told George and Lennie about what they did to his dog that night maybe to try and win some compassion. You seen what they done to my dog tonight? They says he wasnt no good to himself or nobody else. When they can me here I wisht somebodyd shoot me. This shows Candy is nearing the end of his life at the farm. Being part of George and Lennies dream comforts Candy and would be an ideal way to spend the rest of his life free from worries. George and Lennie accepted him into their dream partly due to the large sum of money which he had to contribute towards the dream. The dream was now becoming a reality. Crooks like Candy is an outcast because the society in which he resides is racist towards black people. With a back injury that gives Crooks his nickname he is more permanent than the other men, we can see this with the possessions he has which include several pairs of shoes, a pair of rubber boots, a big alarm clock and a single barrelled shot-gun. Being alone has made Crooks very unsure about himself and bitterA guy goes nuts if he aint got nobody. Dont matter no difference who the guy is, longs he with you. I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an he gets sick this was Crooks way of establishing a personal connection to Lennie. Like Lennie, Crooks has a relationship with loneliness. Crooks is rejected from every group of people and cannot socially interact with others, just like Lennie who cant socially interact properly because of his mental-disability. Cause Im black. They play cards in there, but I cant play because Im Black. They say I stink. Well I tell you, you all stink to me! Crooks loneliness results from rejection; others treat him unjust because he is different from them given that he is black. Crooks isnt allowed to participate in daily events with white people such as card games. He is treated unfairly and therefore acts the same way toward the white people who have offended him. In an effort to communicate with the outside world in my opinion Crooks reads books there were battered magazines and a few dirty books on a special shelf over his bunk this shows they were well read, maybe even more than once. Crooks is fascinated by the strength of the friendship of Lennie and George, especially how close they are. Crooks said, Well, spose, jus spose he dont come back. Whatll you do then? Crooks asks these questions because he was curious and envious, about the friendship of Lennie and George, noticing that Lennie is retarded, he takes advantage of this situation to make him feel better and ease the pain of having others reject him. He wants the people to feel the way that he did when he was lonely, having no one. He is striving to achieve sympathy and understanding from others. Crooks would work for nothing if it meant communicating with others. He even offers his services to Candy to work on their dream ranch to join in on the friendship and dream shared by Lennie and George, in order to leave behind him his lonely life. Curleys Wifes loneliness is due to her husband. Even though Curleys wife is mentioned frequently, nobody asks what her name is. Nobody wants to talk her because people are afraid of Curley; he is jealous and would start a fight with anyone who tried approaching her also due to the fact that Curley is the bosss son and anyone who tried to do something could loose their job. She does not like Curley, and purely married him to spite her mother we can see this when she says I dont like Curley. He aint a nice fella. Furthermore he doesnt talk to her at all, and theres no one in her life with whom she can share her feelings, and longs for companionship. Candy influences views about Curleys wife in George by telling him Curleys married a tart. She pretends to look for her husband when she really wants to have a conversation with the men in the ranch as she is lonely. Curley treats his wife like a trophy insisting that she should spend all her time in the house. Curleys wife asks the rhetorical question, think I like to stick in that house alla time? showing her unhappiness. Curley does not care about his wife as he leaves her behind whenever he goes out and visits cat houses although he is married. Curleys wife talks to Lennie in chapter five as she knows she can share her secrets and worries without Lennie telling anyone else, due to his mental age. She also indicates she is going to run away as she talks in a hurry. Curleys wife is very vigilant in the way she knows how Curleys hand was broken also in the way she finds the dead pup in the barn. Curleys wife tells Lennie about the chances she had of being an actress and blames her misfortune on her mother. She shows that marrying Curley was her last chance to get away from home. Maybe she was making up stories about her past as she looked closely to see if she was impressing Lennie. Curleys wife is a threat to Crooks as she threatens him with death by hanging if he stands up to her. In those days if a coloured man was accused of something there would be no trial. Curleys wife is the one who ruins the dream as she let Lennie touch her hair and then resisted. She ended up getting killed which meant that Lennie would have to be killed as he committed murder. Her death could be thought of as a misfortune, but as a positive thing as well because it ended her suffering; being the only woman in the ranch and having married a man like Curley she was inevitably destined for loneliness. But now that she is dead, she will not have to worry about being lonely ever again. Curleys wifes case of loneliness was the most severe throughout the novel. She struggled in her society to find somebody that she could befriend in vain. We can draw a similarity between Candy and Crooks; both of these characters have a physical disability (Candy has a one hand, and Crooks has a crooked back) both caused by an accident, as well as another factor Crooks color and Candys old age, those factors make both of them outcasts. Because of their situation, they are both destined to loneliness, each of them deals with it in their own way: Candy has his dog for companionship and makes conversation with the other men that work on the ranch, but Crooks turns towards books Another interesting similarity we can draw is the one between the relationship between George and Lennie, and Candy and his old dog. Both George and Candy are lonely, even though they have companionship; Candy cannot talk to his dog, and George cant have a really serious conversation with Lennie either. Even though they have companionship, they need something deeper and more meaningful. It is also interesting to notice the similar fate of Candys dog and Lennie who will both be shot in the back of the head unsuspicious of what is going to happen. The last similarity drawn is between two of the loneliest characters in the novel; Curleys Wife and Lennie. As weve seen previously, Curleys wife is the only woman in the novel, and her husband forbids her to talk to other men, and because of his jealousy, doesnt let other men approach her or else he picks a fight with them. George also gives orders to Lennie and strictly forbids him several times Dont even take a look at that bitch. I dont care what she says and what she doesyou leave her be well, you keep away from her, they arent allowed to talk to each other, thats what makes the fatal scene in the barn so tragic; Curleys wife wanted to talk to someone so bad, that it drove her to her death. One of the most important lessons we learn in Of Mice and Men is that friendship and human interaction are two very valuable things in life, and that having them is as much as a right as it is a privilege. We must treasure these two things as it keeps us away from loneliness which is one of the worst things a person can suffer from highlighted by the characters in the book.

Analysis Of The Malaysian Communists

Analysis Of The Malaysian Communists The emergency was introduced to Malaya as a mean to eradicate communism. Without communism, the emergency era will not come about. This shows that communism played an important role during this era. Communism was first introduced by Karl Marx in the mid-19th century in his book The Communist Manifesto, Das Capital and The German Ideology. Communism is against feudalism and imperialism and it is determined to change this administrative system to communism trough violence and war. According to Columbia Encyclopedia, 2008, communism is a socio-political movement that aims for a classless and stateless society structured upon common ownership of the means of production, free access to articles of consumption, and the end of wage labour and private property in the means of production and real estate. Communism is followed by several countries that time, for example China and Russia. 2In July 1919, Communist International (Comintern) instructed its party to spread communism to the whole world. In Malaya, communism is spread through Kuomintang (National Peoples Party, established by Sun Yat-sen and Song Jiaoren in 1912) and Nanyang Communist Party. As both the party is from China, it is easier to spread communism among the Chinese. Communism was spread through labour union, political parties, night classes and through publications. Communism was spread among the Malays by Indonesia Communist Party throughout 1924 till1930 but the attempts failed as communism was against Islamic beliefs and their culture. This ideology does not acknowledge the presence of God but in Islam, the God is considered as the highest power of the whole universe. Besides, this ideology uses violence to get their way while in Islamic studies, violence is strictly prohibited except when forced to and to claim ones right. Communism is also not accepted by the Indians. One of the main reasons i s that MCP consists mainly of Chinese which raise the suspicion of the other two races. They were therefore more ready to help the British in bringing down MCP. Karl Marx Father of Communism 3 MALAYA COMMUNIST PARTY In 1930, the Malaya Communist Party (MCP) was established with the objective of forming Republic of Communist Malaya. MCP had recruited a lot of cadres (new members of a political party trained to become loyal followers) and even seeped into most of the labour union. MCP also tried to spread communism to Sarawak but in vain as the people there does not have enough knowledge for politics. In the year 1935, MCPs attempts became more violent. More and more strikes and labour unrest occurred with the greatest strike occurring in a charcoal mine in Batu Arang, Selangor where as much as 6000 workers participated in the strike to take over the mine. As a result, the British sent 300 police to end the strike. Most of the leaders involved in the strike were sent back to China and following that incident, MCPs leader was arrested. When Japan attacked Malaya, MCP offered help to the British to fight off Japan. MCPs members were trained in Sekolah Latihan Khas 101 in Singapore on guerilla war tactics. This school then became the guerilla team headquarters in fighting the Japanese army in Malaya. MCP then formed the Malayan Peoples Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA) and the British supplied them with firearms through another force named Force 136, also one of the anti-Japanese army but mainly consists of Malay members. 4When the war is over, a political vacuum occurred in Malaya.MCP took this opportunity to rule Malaya through its army, MPAJA for 14 days. The MPAJA troops are known as the Three Stars, symbolizing the three main races in Malaya-Malay, Chinese and Indian. MCP ruled Malaya inhumanely, torturing and killing anyone who had cooperated with the Japanese before this. They also imposed high taxes on the citizens making them suffer from poverty. Other than that, villages were burnt at night with its people still inside their houses and mosques were destroyed. Their actions angered the Malays and as most of the members of MPAJA were Chinese, racial tensions occurred. The villagers stood against MCP causing chaos over the whole Malaya. This issue was resolved when British came back to rule Malaya again through the British Military Administration (BMA) in September 1945 as the British thinks that military administrative system was required to restore peace to the country. BMA wanted MPAJA to be disbanded and the firearms to be returned to them. MCP agreed to close down MPAJA but they did not surrender all of the firearms. Instead, they kept part of it for themselves just in case they will have to use it again in the future although the British government paid each of them who returned the firearms $350 and a bag of rice, hoping that this would encourage the MCPs members in returning the firearms. MCP, which had already seeped into the labour union started to be active in political movements. 5MCP openly joined the political process, branching out and concentrating on labour activities. The MCPs legal activities started by becoming a member of the Governors Advisory Council in Singapore in 1945 and were involved in groups like the Malayan Democratic Union and the Malayan Nationalist Party. Their plan was to cause serious disruption and chaos to the economy through strikes and labor agitation and ride the tide of discontent to power. Communist had fertile ground through Chinese schools for recruitment and agitation. Due to the abandonment of BMA, many young Chinese were convinced that the Malay leadership planned to relegate Chinese to permanent second class status. Their future seemed bleak and the communist offered hope. When the Japanese left Malaya, economy was disrupted. Malayan people faced many challenges including low wages, unemployment, scarce and expensive food. Due to the revenue from Malayas rubber and tin industry that was important to the Britishs own recovery, BMA was attempting to repair Malayas economy quickly while there was a large number of strikes and a considerable labour unrest during 1946 through 1948. Harsh measurements such as arrest and deportation were used in dealing with protestors causing them to be increasingly militant. A temporary rubber price drop in the world at 1947 caused employers to seek government action to restrict union operations as the Pan-Malayan Federation of Trade Unions (PMFTU) directly controlled 80-90 percent of the unions in Malaya. Increasing violence especially against European planters convinced the government to strengthen the already stringent law of 1940 to govern the trade union activities. New measures were introduced which requires registration of all unions and condition for registration, certain terms on the eligibility of union officials to hold office were imposed. Situation for workers generally improved however, diminishing influence of the PMFTU and hence the MCP in the labour unions of Singapore and Malaya. 6The MCP was also experiencing serious difficulties within its own organization. The Secretary-General Lai Tek disappeared in March 1947 and later MCP revealed that he had been a double agent. This was a strengthening faction which had consistently argued for an armed struggle. It was decided at the Fourth Plenary Session to prepare for this struggle by moving all party activities underground. Trade unions were encouraged to not only improve welfare of workers but also to lead them to the road of violent action. The authorities were alerted to the change of direction on MCPs policy after a spate of murders and attacks on the European estate managers. BMA did not last long and as soon as MPAJA is disbanded, the British came up with a new administrative system known as Malayan Union. However, the locals did not agree with the system as it threatens their status quo by having jus soli citizenship and due to other factors as well. On the contrary, MCP very much support this kind of administrative system as that will means citizenship for all of them. Furthermore, this system will also not be controlled by the rajas and the Malay officers. This is why, in 1948, when the British decided to change Malayan Union to Federation of Malaya, MCP stood against it. 7In February 1948, a few representatives of MCP attended the Asian Communists Youth Conference in Calcutta, India. The conference encouraged the communist parties to have an armed rebellion to achieve their objective, which is to overthrow the British government and establish the Communist Republic of Malaya. This caused the MCP, led by Chin Peng to form a guerilla unit known as Malayan Races Liberation Army (MRLA) and as most of the firearms not returned are kept in the jungle, this guerilla unit was formed in the jungle itself. MCP started the rebellion by attacking the colonial resource extraction industries, which in Malaya were tin mines and rubber plantations owned by Europeans. (extracted from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malayan_Emergency) Besides that, they also attack the police station, set factories and buses on fire, damage railway tracks, one of the most important means of transportation essential in sending products from factories to the port, and kill people they think works with or cooperate with the British. . Their plan was to cripple the economy in Malaya, conquering big cities, and towns in the outskirts and finally driving the British out of the country. Damaged railway tracks 8 MPAJA cap-shown by the red star THE EMERGENCY ERA MEASURES TO COMBAT THE COMMUNIST THREAT The climax of the MCP violence was on 16 June 1948, when three European estate managers were killed. This incident appalled the British government and spurred them into action to eradicate the communists and their activities. Among the measures taken were the declaration of emergency, enlarging the security force, the Briggs Plan, military steps, psychological warfare ( the Templer Plan), and through the declaration of amnesty. DECLARATION OF EMERGENCY Following the death of the three European estate managers, the British High Commissioner, Sir Edward Gent declared Perak and Johor as emergency areas. A state of emergency was declared on the whole of Malaya a day later. This action is to protect the economic interest of British in Malaya. MCP was finally outlawed on 23 July 1948 followed by all of the leftist parties. 9Following the declaration of emergency, the British government reinforced the Emergency Law of 1948. The Emergency Law of 1948 enabled police and soldiers to arrest and detain communist suspects without a trial. It also allows the police force to ransack houses, move citizens to a new area or quarantine a certain location suspected to be involved in communism. Roadblocks and curfews in areas where communists activities were rife were also imposed. It was called an emergency, not a war so that it was possible for businessmen to claim insurance for damage to property from insurance companies, Lloyds insurers in this case. ENLARGING THE SECURITY FORCE The government also took action in increasing the number of soldiers and police in the country. The police force was reorganized and enlarged until it reaches an amazing number of 70000 people. To increase its military troops, the British brought in soldiers from Commonwealth countries, especially from Australia, New Zealand, East Africa and Fiji to eradicate the communist threat in Malaya. In addition, the government also established the Home Guard troops in the village to assist the police and military force. Members of the troop are of both genders and the establishment of the Home Guard troop heightened the spirits of the locals to defend the country from communists. The willingness and courage of the Malays to fight the communists awed the British High Commissioner, Sir Henry Gurney. Besides that, as much as 24000 Special Constables were trained and sent to isolated estates and mines to prevent the attack of communists against them. The military force also bombed and ambushed areas that nested the communists with the help of the British Air Force. 10 BRIGGS PLAN Sir Harold Rowdon Briggs introduced the Briggs Plan to eradicate communist activities through a strategy that relocate the squatter areas from the edge of the forest to a new village and by launching starvation movement in 1950. He himself became the operation director of the plan. The relocation plan started on 1 June 1950 in Johor. Towards February 1952, more than 400,000 Chinese squatters were relocated to approximately 400 new villages. This plan was aimed at restricting the Chinese from supplying food, medicine and information to the communist guerrillas who were hiding in the jungle. This plan was effective in eradicating communist violence because it weakened Min Yuen activities and forced the communist out of the jungles. The new villages were fully equipped with basic amenities such as houses, schools, medical facilities, electric and water supply. The new village was also fenced with barbed wire and guarded by Special Constables to monitor the movements of the villagers. 11In the new village, each family head is given a food ration card to ensure that all of his family members obtained sufficient food supply. The in and out of the villagers within the new village was also supervised at all times. All these fall under the British plan, the Starvation Movement to ensure the communist will not get any food, weapons, information and medicinal supply from the villagers. This is what that weakens the Min Yuen activity which is formed by the communists to provide food and medicine to them. Most of the MinYuen members are mine and estate workers, either forced in or are involved voluntarily. With the help of road blocks, it will be impossible for the communists to get any supplies from the villagers. They were forced out of the jungle to get the supplies themselves and this made it easier for the British to demolish them. Other means to eradicate communism includes introducing a new registration system that is the same for the whole Malaya whereby citizens above 12 years of age are required to register themselves to the government to be given an identification card to be differentiated from the communists. Briggs also supports the formation of the Malayan Chinese Association (MCA) in 1949 that helps Chinese squatters lead their lives in the new village. MCA has conducted fund raising through the sale of lottery tickets. The lottery proceeds were then donated to the Chinese settlers in the new village to help them lead a more easy life. The Briggs Plan was a success in crippling the MCP networks. MCP started to feel the pressure on them and the downfall of villagers towards them that in their Central Committee Meeting in Pahang, they decided to reduce violence against civilians and to retreat to southern Thailand. MILITARY STEPS Sir Gerald Templer was appointed the High Commissioner of Malaya in 1952 to replace Sir Henry Gurney, who was shot dead by communists, on 6 October 1951, while on his way to Fraserss Hill. 12 As a military general, he used firm military force to fight the communists. His military tactics included the use of 13 battalions of English soldiers, Gurkhas and Malays training 67 000 special Malay soldiers and forming home guards system with 210 000 of them in 1953 and recruiting assistance from the Commonwealth military, such as from Australia, New Zealand and Rhodesia. The strength of the military team enabled the government to launch more aggressive attacks on the communists and ensured that food was not smuggled out for the guerrilla communists. PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE Sir Gerald Templer also launched psychological warfare upon the communist terrorists by the campaign winning the hearts and minds of the people as he realized that the use of force and weapons alone will not be enough to eliminate the influence of communists. Campaigns like Malayans Against Communism Month were held successfully in which the villagers of all three races held banners condemning violence of communism. They also burnt dolls of communists to show their hate towards them. Pamphlets opposing the communists were also distributed throughout Malaya. The psychological warfare implemented by the government starts to grow hate towards the cruelty of communists in the villagers that they volunteered themselves in joining security forces and in the police force to defend their land. 13Besides that, Templer also introduced the system of white and black areas. The white area is an area that is announced free from communist activities, while the opposite is the case for a black area in which Templer introduced curfews as the communist activities were still active and the soldiers were hunting for the communists. By 1954, Templer had announced Malacca, Terengganu, Kedah, Perlis and Negeri Sembilan as white areas. To draw support from the Chinese in supporting this psychological warfare, Templer made it easier for the non-Malays to obtain citizenship that allows 1.2 million Chinese and 1.8 million Indians became the citizens of Malaya. The leniency of state requirements showed the sacrifice of the Malays in creating unity and welfare of all citizens. In the psychological warfare campaign, Templer also increased the value of the prizes offered to citizens who manage to capture or give out information regarding the communists guerillas. Whoever manages to catch Chin Peng, whether dead or alive will be rewarded with $250, 000 while those who capture or kill his assistants will be rewarded with $200, 000. Templer had successfully made Chin Peng the public enemy in this way. The Malay Sultans and officers also played an important role in this warfare by telling their people that those who helped the communists will be considered as a national traitor. The Malays were also reminded of the cruelty of the communists during the takeover of the country by the Three Stars army after the surrender of Japan. The Malays were urged to help the government eradicate communism in the country. The government also made efforts in producing hate towards communists in the citizens by calling them terrorists. 14The government then reinforces the food ration rule which force the communists who cannot obtain food to plant their own food. However, the government failed their plan by spraying poison all over the crop area, leaving them to starve until they surrender. At the same time, pamphlets calling the communist terrorists to give up their fight were also given out with the help of the Air Force. Templers psychological warfare can be said to be one of the factors for the success of the government of the Federation of Malaya in ending the communist revolution. This encouraged the people of Malaya to work together with the government to eliminate the communist terrorists. DECLARATION OF AMNESTY The government offered amnesty to encourage communists to surrender themselves to the government. About 40 000 pamphlets and 12 000 amnesty pass were given out in Chinese, Malay and Tamil. The Malaya Radio will also broadcast the conditions of the amnesty offer daily. Posters were put up everywhere and advertisements and movies are used to help citizens encourage communism terrorists to surrender. 15= Communists who surrendered. THE MEETING IN BALING In the federal legislative council election in 1955, the Alliance Party had come up with a manifesto which promised immediate independence and ending the emergency. Tunku Abdul Rahman also promised that if given credential, he will negotiate with the communists. Chin Peng then wrote a letter to him confirming the negotiation and the negotiation was held in an English school in Baling, Kedah on the 28 and 29 of December 1955.Tunku Abdul Rahman, David Marshall and Tun Tan Cheng Lock represented the government while Chin Peng, Chien Tien and Rashid Maidin represented MCP. In the meeting, Tunku Abdul Rahman requested Chin Peng to disband MCP, lay down their weapons and to surrender themselves. Chin Peng agreed to surrender and to lay down their weapons with the condition that MCP is to be recognized as a valid political party by the government. As Tunku Abdul Rahman realized that communism is not suitable for our multi-racial society, he turned down the offer and the meeting was considered a failure. As a result, the conflict between the government and the communists increased causing other Commonwealth countries to send troops to Malaya to aid British in ending communism. 16 Although the negotiation failed, Tunku Abdul Rahman stated that he is ready to negotiate with the communists again under the condition that it is the communists desire to meet him and that they are prepared to surrender themselves. Although many attempts were made by the communists to resume peace talks with the government, they will not surrender and therefore was not entertained. On 31 August 1957, Malaya gained independence when the emergency law was not over yet. With the independence of Malaya, MCP lost its influence in the people. The last serious resistance from MRLA guerrillas ended with a surrender in the Telok Anson marsh area in 1958. The remaining MRLA forces fled to the Thai border and further east. (Extracted from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malayan_Emergency) The Malayan government declared that the emergency was over on 31 July 1960. Chin Peng moved to Beijing where the Chinese authorities placed him in the International Liaison Bureau, where many other Southeast Asian Communists Party leaders were accommodated. 17 THE EFFECTS OF EMERGENCY IN MALAYA The British government declared a State of Emergency throughout Malaya on the 18th of June 1948. This state of emergency ended officially on the July 31st 1960 and its effects were seen politically, economically and socially. POLITICAL ASPECT The British granted citizenship to the non-Bumiputeras particularly the Chinese who made the bulk of the Malayan Communist Party (MCP). Chinese citizenships were bestowed to over half of the Chinese population in Malaya and they were able to enter the Malayan Civil Service for the first time. Since the government had stressed the need for a united Malayan nation, the creation of communal parties had been viewed. Communal parties such as United Malays National Organization (UMNO) and the Malayan Chinese Association (MCA) successfully contested in the Kuala Lumpur municipal elections of February 1952. Subsequently the Malayan Indian Congress (MIC) comprising of the Indian community formed a coalition with UMNO and MCA into the Alliance Party in 1954. This was cited as a positive step towards the creation of a united Malayan nation. The victory of this unity was demonstrated in the federal elections of July 1955 where the Alliance won 51 of the 52 contested seats. As a result of this vi ctory, the Alliance partys views were given prominence by the Reid Commission, formed in 1955 to prepare a constitution for an independent Malaya. 18The Emergency Law implemented by the British was also seen as a way to curb the left-winged radical parties. As a result of this rule, it gave rise of what we have today that is the Malaysian race which means a single nationality in which all persons qualify as citizens of this country. This is so either by birth or by fulfilling requirements of residence, language and oath of loyalty. This further induced the Chinese and the Indians in particular to cooperate with the government so as to have a win-win situation. ECONOMICAL ASPECT The economy took a downturn. The countrys wealth was spent to suppress the communists activities in Malaya. The government spent about 250,000 to 300,000 a day during the Emergency Rule. This was with regards to upkeep the peace and safety of the people during that time. The money used was to further enhance and expand the police force as well as the home guard. On the contrary, the development of the rural areas was neglected. The governments focus was on the New Village, hence failing to raise the living standards of the people of Malaya. 19The state of emergency which was declared to deal with the danger revealed some of the serious ethnic divisions existing within the community. This happened during the struggle of the British government trying to attain economic goal in the export earnings coming from rubber and tin industry. The Chinese were initially recruited for work in the tin mining industry; the Indians were assigned the task of working on the rubber estates; and the Malays were directed towards providing food for the growing economic machine. These considerations allowed a few privileged members to rise above the economic functions allotted to their particular ethnic groups. By 1957, when the independent Federation of Malaya was announced, the communist threat had faded. But the communal threat remained a legacy of colonial rule which would determine the unity and the survival of a new nation. SOCIAL ASPECT The Emergency Rule saw the destruction of about 21,230 lives which included the general public, whereas 6133 dead were communists. This rule also jeopardized the lives of many. They lived in fear and poverty because of the communist threat. The farmers could not plough their lands due to the laws. Rationing of food forced people to depend on food like tapioca and yam, just like what happened when the Japanese ruled. A new body known as Communities Liaison Committee (CLC) was established to foster unity and close ties among the different races in Malaya. The government also introduced a new national education syllable which is Malaya oriented in hope that it will produce patriotic young generations. Besides that, the usage of the same national language was hoped to be able to produce understanding among the multi-racial society. 20 CONCLUSION From this emergency incident, we can see how important it is for the citizens to not only work with each other but also to cooperate with the government in achieving an aim. Without the support of its people, Malaya will never be able to get free from communism. Malaysians today should keep this in mind and be grateful to the sacrifice made by our ancestors in order to get us here today, in this peaceful society. 21

Continetal drift theory Essays -- essays research papers fc

Continental Drift, the theory that continents move slowly about the earth's surface, changing their positions relative to one another and to the poles of the earth. In the past the theory has been discussed but not generally accepted, most geologists believing the continents to be fixed in place and subject only to vertical movements, such as those observed during mountain uplift. In recent years, however, a sound body of evidence in support of a modified form of the drift theory has been found. Ideas are becoming precise and unified, with emphasis on a moving, evolving ocean floor. The new theory is called plate tectonics. Soon after the Atlantic Ocean had been mapped, about three hundred years ago, it was noticed that the opposite coasts had similar shapes, but it was not until the middle of the 19th century that accurate maps were published demonstrating that the two coasts could be fitted together quite closely. Some geologists then suggested that the fit of the coasts was not an accident--that the continents were once joined and had subsequently drifted apart. None of the suggestions were taken seriously.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1912, however, the German meteorologist Alfred Wegener investigated the fit of the Atlantic coasts more carefully than had his predecessors and grouped all the continents together into one great land mass, which he called Pangaea. He supposed that the mass began to break apart about 200 million years ago. He also showed that some geological features on the opposite coasts could have fitted together, and that there were many striking similarities between the fossil plants and reptiles on the opposite coasts, particularly the coasts of Africa and South America. If the continents were pushed together, the geological, fossil, and other lines of evidence would join together accurately in the way that lines of print on a torn newspaper would join when the paper was reassembled. Wegener also pointed out that ancient climatic zones seemed to have lain in different places from the present zones. He pointed out that where great ice sheets have melted in recent geological times in Scandinavia and North America, the land is rising as fast as a centimeter a year. This vertical uplift, he said, requires horizontal inflow of matter below and implies that flow and motion do take place within the earth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We... ...an isolated continent.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although Wegener and Du Toit proposed that the primitive continents began to break up about 200 million years ago, there is much evidence that drift began long before then, and that continental blocks have slowly been moving about the earth's surface throughout much of geological time. It seems that before the continents drifted apart and opened up the Atlantic, they had drifted together and closed up an earlier ocean. Another place where continents seem to have bumped into each other and piled up mountains between them is the Himalayas, which may have been produced when the Indian Peninsula detached itself from Gondwanaland and gradually drifted into Asia Bibliography  Daley, Robert B. 1986 A study of a changing planet; CEBCO Publishing co. p.418  Bartolini, Annachiara and Larson, Roger L; 2001 Pacific microplate and the Pangea supercontinent in the Early to Middle Jurassic; Geology, Aug2001, Vol. 29 Issue 8, p735-39  Anderson, Don L 2001. Top-Down Tectonics; Science, 9/14/2001, Vol. 293 Issue 5537, p2016-18  http://www.geo.cornell.edu/geology/classes/Geo101/101week6_s01.html

As I Lay Dying Essay -- Literary Analysis, William Faulkner

William Faulkner’s portrayal of women, Addie Bundren specifically, in As I Lay Dying presents an interesting look into the gender politics of the south in the 1930s. Addie lies at the heart of the novel; yet despite being the heart, her presence for most of the story is as a corpse. Faulkner only gives her one chapter to explain herself; and it is her desire to be buried in Jefferson that sets in motion everything that happens in the novel. There is a profound tension at work between words and Truth her chapter: Addie ascribes no value to words, they are nothing more than dead sounds. And despite her claim that words are â€Å"quick and harmless†, she is tricked by them, and relies on them to take her revenge on Anse. While the word â€Å"sin† means nothing to Addie, she is nevertheless consumed by the idea of Sin. The fundamental problem for the reader is how to decipher a chapter of words when Addie says they are empty shapes. Addie’s nihilistic approach to language reveals her attempt to escape her subjugation as a woman: as a â€Å"woman†, Addie cannot help but fall into the traps of â€Å"wife† and â€Å"mother†, and their associated duities. Addie’s chapter placement complicates the novel, as it is placed after she dies; Faulkner does not make it clear whether he is presenting her voice from beyond the grave or if this is supposed to have taken place sometime in the past. From the very beginning of the chapter, Addie shows a darkness in her heart that the reader has not seen before. She hates children (169). She hates her father for bringing her into the world; and telling her that the â€Å"reason for living [is] to get ready to stay dead a long time† (169). She doesn’t appear to take any pleasure in living, except when she punishes her st... ...idelity; she â€Å"merely took the precautions that he thought necessary for his sake, not for [her] safety, but just as [she] wore clothes in the world’s face† (175). She continues her rebellion in her treatment of Jewel: rather than treating Jewel worse because he is a constant reminder of his sin, he is her favorite child, believing that he will save her from the water and the fire (168)—which Jewel does in turn; he rescues her body from the river, and single handedly carries her body from Gillespie’s burning barn. She identifies Jewel as her savior because he is the symbol of her rebellion. Addie’s carries out her final, and most damning act of revenge, by making Anse promise to take her body to Jefferson. This request places Addie’s dead family explicitly above Anse and her children, and she knows that Anse will carry it out because he is bound by his word.

Hamlet: Hamlets Sanity :: Shakespeare Hamlet Essays

Hamlet: Hamlet's Sanity â€Å"Great wits are sure to madness near allied, and thin partitions do their bounds divide.† Though John Dryden's quote was not made in regard to William Shakespeare's Hamlet, it relates very well to the argument of whether or not Hamlet went insane. When a character such as Hamlet is under scrutiny, it can sometimes be difficult to determine what state he is in at particular moments in the play. Nonetheless, Hamlet merely pretends to be insane so that he can calculate his moves according to the situation at hand. There are many situations throughout the play that are enough to bring Hamlet to insanity. Take, for example, Act IV, scene II, after Polonius's death. Hamlet's day has been hectic; he finally determines that Claudius has killed his father. The chance to kill Claudius confronts him, and he comes very close to convincing Gertrude that Claudius killed his father. Hamlet accidentally kills Polonius and finally, the ghost of his father visits him. Though at this point these situations create plenty of reasons for Hamlet to be insane, he remains sharp and credible. â€Å"[Hamlet] concocts this state of madness...his intellect remains clear, his discourse sound and comprehensive,† (Harris, p. 129). Hamlet reveals to his friends and his mother of his plans to pretend act insane. He tells Horatio that he is going to "feign madness," and that if Horatio notices any strange behavior from Hamlet, it is because he is putting on an act. (I, v). Hamlet also tells his mother that he is not mad, "but mad in craft." (III, iv). In addition to his confessions, Hamlet's madness only manifests itself when he is in the presence of certain characters. When Hamlet is around Polonius, Claudius, Gertrude, Ophelia, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, he behaves irrationally. When Hamlet is around Horatio, Bernardo, Francisco, The Players and the Gravediggers, he behaves rationally (Bevington, p. 59). Some of the characters themselves come to realize that Hamlet is not mad. Claudius confesses that Hamlet's "actions although strange, do not appear to stem from madness." (III, i). In addition, Polonius admits that Hamlet's actions and words have a "method" to them; there appears to be a reason behind them, they are logical in nature. (II, ii). Hamlet is also able to make smart remarks to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, comparing them to sponges. "When he (Claudius) needs what you have gleaned, it is but squeezing you and, sponge, you shall be dry again," ( ). This is random and unexpected, as many of his actions, but the comparison makes sense; Rosencrantz and Guildenstern soak up all the kings

Integrating Internet-based mathematical manipulatives within Essay

Integrating Internet-based Mathematical Manipulatives Within a Learning Environment The article explores the development, use and importance of digital manipulatives in a mathematics classroom. These manipulatives are believed to be more versatile, economic and efficient than either the manufactured or teacher-created concrete objects traditionally used in the classroom. Manipulatives have been used from time immemorial and have provided tangible mental picture of abstract mathematical concepts. The digitalization of these manipulatives is an important progress in this process. However, the presumption that the article makes about the efficacy of manipulatives in teaching children along with the supposed teaching potential of the manipulatives is doubtful and smells of commercial publicity. There are several advantages that manipulatives are purported to provide. They concretize theoretical ideas, make the study concrete, build confidence in the learner, help solve problems and make the learning experience interesting. What the paper presupposes is that only the using of digital manipulatives is sufficient to bring each of these advantages. This is not supported by evidence. Let us consider the claim that manipulatives build confidence, if a section of the students is less familiar with web based technology than other students in the class, they are likely to lose confidence-using manipulatives. This may adversely affect their learning of math concepts and unnecessarily handicap them. The paper places some conditions that must be fulfilled to realize the full potential of manipulatives. For instance the parents must experience the system, manipulatives should be used for writing assignment, teacher pronounces the benefits to the students, ground rules are established and students are encouraged to explore more material on the web. If manipulatives are used as prescribed they can improve the understanding of more complex and more advanced math theories. These conditions are impractical. What happens if the parents are unfamiliar with the web? Does it put their children at a disadvantage? A teacher pronounces the benefits of manipulatives to children. This is a straw man. If a teacher uses manipulatives she automatically supports the method, there is no need to sermonize it. A child being encouraged to explore more material on the web is an issue that is not related directly to manipulatives. This opens up a host of debatable issues including the exposure of children to unsuitable material. Digital manipulatives can be downloaded and installed on school computers or distributed to children on CDs to be viewed in their homes. The issue of encouraging children to explore the web is not directly related to manipulatives. Further there is no teacher to guide the children in case of glitches. See what the instructions of a manipulative say. (Public Broadcasting Service, 2006). Familiarize yourself with the rules of this fraction game and have fun creating flag designs with the designated fractions. You can choose to paint by half, quarters, and combinations of quarters and halves and then the program will pick colors for you to paint your design by clicking in the flag. One drawback is that there is no help provided if the fraction portions are incorrect, you can only advance if you have painted to correct fractions. A research that comprised of a survey tested the proficiency development potential of manipulatives in math teaching. The basics tested in the survey were motivation, unique instructional capabilities, and support for new instructional approaches, increased teacher productivity and skills for an information age. Eleven teachers were surveyed using a five-point scale. The results were mixed. The results showed that the teachers felt that the use of digital manipulatives had a high positive impact on motivation, that the digital manipulatives had exceptional instructional capabilities, that the web based manipulatives supported new instructional approaches and that the web based manipulatives provided excellent training for an information age. What the teachers did not agree was that the web-based technology increased their productivity. In addition, the teacher showed apprehension about some issues like their inability to track the progress of the student, tricky web sites, ambiguous instructions and lack of direct feedback. This research is not valid. It does not clarify which constructs it attempts to measure. It does not give the process by which it selected the five variables. In addition, the sample size of eleven teachers is too small to reach any meaningful conclusion. Again, the study does not mention basis or the criteria for the selection of the eleven teachers. The study does not give us the details of how the survey scale was constructed. Was there a pilot test? It seems not. The direct conclusion of the research was that virtual manipulatives encouraged student-oriented erudition. The study assumed that the responses of the 11 teachers were indicative of the affect of the digital manipulatives on children. This is questionable. The background of the teachers is not given. Which type of schools they taught in? What physical manipulatives were the teachers using currently? The teachers were ambivalent as to whether digital manipulatives were better than concrete manipulatives and whether teachers were willing to replace concrete manipulatives entirely with digital manipulatives. The teachers have expressed reservations about their inability to track the progress of the student, ambiguous instructions and lack of feedback. If these concerns are addressed satisfactorily it is doubtful if digital manipulatives will remain student centric. In addition, the paper does not define what it means by ‘student centric’. Currently the digital manipulatives that are available on the net offer innovative, interesting and concrete learning opportunities of otherwise nonrepresentational math theories. The end result is that children manage to learn math concepts that were earlier believed to be too advanced for them. These are believed to increase theoretical learning, deeper understanding of dynamic systems, calculation, communication and innovation in thinking. The paper presupposes that the use of the new technology alone is sufficient for enhanced learning of complicated theories. This is not supported by evidence. The learning experience is a function of the power of understanding of the student, the effort he puts in to comprehend and his analytical skills. In addition, learning is facilitated by teacher inputs and guidance. Digital manipulatives cannot replace teacher inputs nor can they substitute student aptitude and effort. Attributing learning achievements to a learning tool is a lopsided opinion inspired by the sales propaganda of digital manipulatives software developers. In sum, the paper eulogizes the benefits of web-based manipulatives for math learning. These manipulatives are claimed to increase children’s understanding of advanced theories and increase the attractiveness of these theories. These web-based manipulatives are declared to focus on the learner and make an optimal use of web-based technology for visualizing intangible concepts. References: Public Broadcasting Service (2006). PBS Teacher Source: Fraction Flags. Retrieved from http://www. pbs. org/teachersource/recommended/math/lk_onlinegames. shtm on August 19, 2006.

Killing God in Code Geass

Observing Code Seas from a straightforward viewpoint will reveal what it Is generally perceived as. This show is highly rated In Japan, Just as It Is to anima viewers In other countries. Due to Its nature, a Japanese enamel, Code Seas contains plenty of fictional elements and comical scenarios. These can consist of Nightmare frames (palatable fighting robots for combat), superpowers, flying super-fortresses, or high school students who simplemindedly raise a personal rebellion force in Just a few weeks, or build an antimatter bomb in a lab located underneath a school.Despite the far-fetched fiction, each of these examples helps make Code Seas the masterpiece that it Is. It tells a great story which cannot be easily forgotten. If one were to dig deeper into the story Code Seas tells, they may find many more hidden in between the lines. Code Seas subtly makes remarks about modern worldviews throughout the entire series, using simple dialog, names of characters, or certain events as a f oothold. These include racial discrimination, forms of government, and religion.While each of these worldviews is referenced, religion is undoubtedly the cost prominent. Religious allusions in Code Seas are not derived from one belief, but many. Situations In the show can at times reflect mythology, such as Norse and Irish, as well was present-day religions like Hinduism and Catholicism. All of these religious beliefs being tied-in to certain characters and events in Code Seas may suggest that â€Å"overcoming God†, or surpassing religion, may lead to a world peace. What is the power of seas?A â€Å"seas† (realistically known as a gees in Irish mythology) is a supernatural curse, or perhaps a gift depending on how it is used. In Irish looker, a gels Is typically given to a man by a woman who usually ends up being a goddess or noble figure. Essentially, a gels Is a supernatural contract. If left unbroken, it can lead to good fortune, but if that pact is broken, the pers on with the gees could undergo tragic events or even death. In Code Seas, the main character, Lech, receives his seas from a mysterious woman who calls herself CO or C. C, making a fake name out of her initials.When she encounters Lech, [SSL :II] he is in a desperate situation and doesn't really care about what the contract Is, so he agrees o It solely to get out of his current uncovers situation. The terms of the contract are not revealed until much later [SEE 1 5], but unlike a literal gels, the contract Is not life- threatening. Instead, CO wants Lech to end her life because she is practically immortal due to the fact that she has the Code*. When given his seas, Lech is informed that if he makes eye contact with someone, he can make them do anything he wants them to do.The catch Is, he can only use It once per person. Lech uses his seas later In the show to command gods. If a human can control the will of god, then surely the said â€Å"god† Isn't one. Lech takes control o f the gods while at the Sword of Shaky. In Hinduism, Shaky means tether, the place where gods dwell, much like a version of Mount Olympus. In the show, the Sword of Shaky is an ancient place which is meant to be used as a means to destroy the gods. The title of the event of â€Å"destroying all gods† is known in Code Seas as the â€Å"Raglan ¶k Connection. *The Code is the other supernatural power in the series (hence Code Seas) and It grants the owner Immortality and Immunity to any form of seas. By **The gods in the show are made out to be the collective unconsciousness of every unman, living or dead. If they are destroyed, every human that has existed would be mentally merged together as one mind. As a result, the world would become stagnant and without a future. In Norse Mythology, Raglan ¶k is a war between gods that results in the deaths of the gods themselves. After this war, the earth is then flooded with water and then repopulated.This does not only mirror the n ame of the event, but it also mirrors the genocidal goals of the Holy Britannica Empire*. They want to create a new, purely Britannica world, where Britannic is the highest and only power. This would require getting rid of any different intelligent being, which would include the gods as mentioned before. Charles Uzi Britannic, the current Emperor and Locust's father (making Lech also of royalty**), travels to the Sword of Shaky to activate the Raglan ¶k Connection and fulfill that goal of surpassing god.There, he runs into Lech who is there to rescue CO from him***. Charles explains that this way Britannic can finally be superior, while at the same time, world peace would be achieved due to everyone being forced to think alike one another. Lech ejects this and here commands the gods to destroy his father and the Sword of Shaky itself. Even with multiple events that draw dies to mythology and religion, Code Seas doesn't stop there. Characters also play a part in upholding the impli ed worldview of surpassing god. Naturally, all of these characters are of Britannica origin. In the Code Seas setting, Britannic is a dominating world power and the only territory left resisting is parts of Japan (named Area 11 by the Holy Britannica Empire). **Even though Lech is a Britannica Prince, he despises Britannic and is the leader of a Orca to bring it down. He wants the world to be peaceful for his younger sister, Annually. This is because his mother was killed due to a power struggle when he was of a young age. ***Charles Uzi Britannic has taken CO because she possesses a Code. Two Codes are required to activate the Sword of Shaky and he already has one of them.Charles killed V, another mysterious person who gave him his seas, and thus inherited the Code from him. (The seas that Charles has allows him to alter memories of anyone he makes eye contact with. ) Euphemism lie Britannic is one of Emperor Charles daughters. Unlike him, she is kind-hearted and open-minded to eve ryone around her. Most importantly, she treats everyone with respect, even if they are not Britannica*. Euphemism firmly believes that a â€Å"problem must be changed from within† and considers Britain's elitist monarchy a problem.She tries to change this by creating a Specially Administrated Zone, in which all people are treated equally, whether they are Britannica or Japanese [SSL :EYE]. Because of this, she is praised by the remaining Japanese. She and Lech (they are half-brother and half-sister) are discussing Japan's future, which Lech entirely supports, and decides to reveal his seas to her. When explaining his power to make anyone obey any request, he Jokingly tells her that he could make her kill all the Japanese if he wanted to.His seas activates on accident, and she sets out to do just that**. The end result of this mess is Lech gloomily killing her in order to save the remaining Japanese. Euphemism was described as a martyr by the Japanese for the rest of the show. This relates to SST. Euphemism the Martyr, originating from She was tortured and mocked many times for this belief, and was eventually killed cause of it. *Those living in Area 11 who are not Britannica are Japanese. Because they are minority in Code Seas, Britannic discriminates against them and racially refers to them as Elevens. *elf a seas is heavily used, it evolves into an uncontrollable seas that stays continually activated. That is one of the risks of using this power and it is proven when he mistakenly commands Euphemism to kill all the Japanese. Emperor Charles upholds the idea of killing god because throughout the series, he is presented as such. As mentioned before, he too has a seas. He can alter memories f anybody he makes eye contact with. Because of this, Charles has superior power naturally and supernaturally, making him practically untouchable by anyone.He demonstrates this godlike power when giving speeches and receiving unrelenting admiration and obedience from all of the lords, barons, and dukes that serves him. When at the Sword of Shaky, Lech commands the gods to destroy him and the Sword of Shaky, as mentioned before. Somebody managing to defeat Emperor Charles demonstrates the recurring theme of killing god. Another character that has godlike status is Schnitzel el Britannic. He is the son of Emperor Charles and is given the role of Commander of the Royal Army. He appears largely in the second season and heavily impedes Locust's goals.Prince Schnitzel commands the Damocles (a flying castle/warship) that is armed with FLEA antimatter warheads. He can completely erase any area on the surface of the Earth by merely saying he wants it gone. During an aerial battle Lech manages to break through the Damocles defenses and board it. There, he corners Schnitzel and commands him with his seas to serve the Black Knights*. This action is yet another instance of â€Å"dethroning god† that appears in Code Seas. After defeating/killing off th e highest members of the throne, Lech makes himself the Emperor of Britannic [SO:EYE].This also makes Lech himself a kind of god. As emperor, Lech manipulates Britannic as well as the Black Knights (the rebellion force that Lech created with the alter ego of Zero) to despise him. He orders the execution of the members of the Black Knights and the Britannica leaders for their â€Å"crimes,† causing an outrage. A public execution ceremony is held, and all citizens are forced to attend. Lech comes riding in on a military vehicle in all of his loyal â€Å"splendor† Just to make everyone there (Britannic and Japanese) have even more of the same mindset: anger solely directed at him.When Lech is about to give the final order of execution, Zero* sprints up Locust's vehicle and stabs him in the chest, killing him. The prisoners are released, and the show ends with everyone living in united peace, which was Locust's ultimate goal from the start. As of now, all the â€Å"godsâ €  that have appeared throughout the entire show have been killed, and the world is at peace. Due to the fact that the religious ties mentioned are not mentioned even once in the show, only implied, leads me to believe that Code Seas suggests overcoming religion can lead to a greater world peace. When Lech created the Black Knights, he rallied people together as a masked man in a cloak who called himself Zero. Obviously because he had a supernatural ability and was planning a that he was. As the Black Knights became increasingly active, their leader, Zero, was regarded as a terrorist among Britannic, but a hero for the Japanese. When Lech was emperor as mentioned above, none of the Britannic or Japanese knew that he was also Zero. Lech knew his death would now bring a world peace, so he had his best friend and Britannica honorary guard, Suzuki Surging, pose as Zero and kill him.