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Lolita: The Book Review

Introduction

The cover of Lolita (1955)

Lolita  is a 1955 novel written by Russian-American novelist Vladimir Nabokov. The novel is notable for its controversial subject, which engages an unethical relationship between a middle aged man and a minor girl. First issued in 1955 by an unorthodox Paris press after being rejected by a string of American publishers; banned by the French government, presumably out of solicitude for immature English-speaking readers (the ban was later quashed by the French High Court); pronounced unobjectionable by that blue-nosed body, the U. S. Customs office; and heralded by ovations from writers, professors, and critics on both sides of the Atlantic, became a near-instant bestseller in the US, shifting over 100,000 copies in its first three weeks alone. The shocking subject matter, gleefully punning unreliable narrator, and Nabokov’s spellbinding sentence-level prowess combined to create a book as repulsive as it was inviting—comic and horrific and utterly absorbing. The novel was later adapted in two movies with the same name of the novel, Lolita(1962) and Lolita(1997) .

Russian writer Vladimir Nabokov (1899 – 1977) in Rome to work on the film screenplay of his most famous book, ‘Lolita‘.

About The Author

Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov , also known by the pen name  Vladimir Sirin, was a Russian-American novelist, poet, translator, and entomologist. Born in Russia, he wrote his first nine novels in Russian (1926–1938) while living in Berlin. He achieved international acclaim and prominence after moving to the United States and beginning to write in English. Nabokov became an American citizen in 1945, but he and his wife returned to Europe in 1961, settling in Montreux, Switzerland.

Nabokov’s Lolita  (1955) was ranked fourth in the list of the Modern Library 100 Best Novel  in 2007, Pale Fire  (1962) was ranked 53rd on the same list; and his memoir, Speak Memory (1951), was listed eighth on publisher Random House list of the 20th century’s greatest nonfiction. He was a seven-time finalist for the National Book Award for Fiction.

Cinematic Adaptation of Lolita (1962), starring James Mason as Humbert Humbert and Sue Lyon as Lolita

Storyline of The Novel

Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov’s immaculate and disturbing masterpiece, is the story of middle-aged paedophile man Humbert Humbert—a handsome, French-born intellectual on the one hand, and unapologetic sexual predator on the other and his tragic love affair with his 12-year-old, bubble-gum popping stepdaughter Dolores Haze, who is fondly called Lolita by Humbert. It’s a post-war road novel, the odyssey of a venerable European man and a prepubescent American girl bouncing across the United States, trying to outrun the past and find a future that doesn’t exist.

Lolita (1962)

Humbert’s sociopathic behaviour might be traced back to a sexual experience when he was 13, when he meets his “first love” Annabel—a 12-year old girl who is travelling with her parents. They lust for each other fervently, with an intensity that leaves a permanent impression on Humbert. He describes his passion with a cannibalistic “frenzy of mutual possession [that] might have been assuaged only by our actually imbibing and assimilating every particle of each other’s soul and flesh.” Their failure to complete the dirty deed leaves an indelible, unresolved tension in Humbert—an impoverished thirst for early-pubescent girls that carries through to adulthood, which he is forced to lie about . He gets married to a widow who he physically abuses to get his own way. He constantly admits himself to sanatoriums, but finds the doctors ridiculous and uses his intelligence to mislead them. He swings from “ashamed and frightened” to “recklessly optimistic,” craving hedonistic intercourse with 11 to 14 year-old girls, but living in the wrong country and century. He tries to justify his urges by recounting accepted paedophilia throughout history, but even his vindications are half-hearted and remorseless—he’s a grown man who wants to have intercourse with children, and there’s nothing to be done about it. He’s an “artist and a madman, with a bubble of hot poison in his loins.” His anguish is illustrated beautifully by Russian-born Nabokov, whose mastery of English is mind-blowing. The animalistic language that he uses is both shocking and enthralling, and some sentences are appalling in their vividness.

Cinematic Adaptation of Lolita (1997), starring Jeremy Irons as Humbert Humbert and Dominique Swain as Lolita

Humbert understands the precariousness of his attachment to Dolores. She’s a hostage who he appeases with countless and expensive bribes, spawning a crippling jealousy that his nymphet will run away with someone else, especially because of her flirtatious nature. The juvenile sensuality of Dolores Haze makes a paedophile and a green-eyed monster of Humbert, who becomes more and more paranoid as the story unfolds. 

Analysis of The Novel

To be sure, this novel isn’t for the faint of heart, but neither should prospective readers retreat to any kind of moral high ground. Nabokov, in fact, threads an unexpected and affirming emotional serenity through his portrait of obsession. His enigmatic narrator leaves us in spellbound rapture. Because for all of its linguistic pyrotechnics — as Humbert confesses, “you can always count on a murderer for a fancy prose style” — and for all its controversial subject matter, Lolita is one of the most beautiful love stories you’ll ever read. It may be one of the only love stories you’ll ever read. This is the most thrilling and beautiful and most deeply disturbing aspect of the novel — and it’s what most persuasively recommends the book — that in addition to finding Humbert’s soul on the page, we also find, like it or not, a little of our own.

Lolita (1997)

The Author has afflicted poor Humbert with a special and taboo variety for a couple of contradictory reasons. In the first place, its illicit nature will both shock the reader into paying attention and prevent sentimentally false sympathy from distorting his judgment. Contrariwise, I believe, Mr. Nabokov is slyly exploiting the American emphasis on the attraction of youth and the importance devoted to the ‘teen-ager’ in order to promote an unconscious identification with Humbert’s agonies. 

Criticism of The Novel

The art that palliates Humbert’s misery has not notably relieved the distress of reviewers, most of whom have felt obliged to ask themselves, how the author could come up with such horrific storyline. Some have concluded, rather desperately, that he hasn’t done it at all. According to one interpretation, Mr. Nabokov has merely written an allegory of a European intellectual who falls in love with America and discovers, to his gentle sorrow, that the country is still a trifle immature. Aside from the difficulty of assigning roles, the fact that the author is obviously capable of writing such a story without the aid of a nympholeptic allegory throws considerable doubt on the argument. It has also been suggested, ingeniously, that Mr. Nabokov really wanted to write a tale of romantic passion in the grand, or nineteenth-century, manner, and found that the only way to make such a passion interesting to the contemporary reader was to disguise it as psychopathology. If this interpretation is correct, one can only say that Mr. Nabokov has beautifully concealed his disappointment at having to portray his heroine as a child.

Lolita (1997)

Despite Humbert’s evil, the fallout from the relationship is heartbreaking. Our empathy for the odious rogue is Nabokov’s greatest achievement in the novel. We both detest and sympathise with him, leaving us feeling confused and perhaps a little guilty. Humbert’s vile actions and fantasies, in which he dreams of painting a mural and re-live hopelessness of falling in love with a girl who could never love him back. Like Humbert’s love for Dolores, Lolita felt like a forbidden fruit, breaking the sturdiest of taboos to illuminate the mind of an infatuated, sociopathic paedophile, which is a mind we rarely get to see. 

Lolita (1997)

Conclusion

Lolita is old enough and infamous enough to be known as a story of unhinged paedophilia. But it’s also a beautiful and depressing love story, with a tortured antagonist who despite his crimes, and due to the skill of the book’s author Vladimir Nabokov, we can eventually empathise with.

THE HANDMAID’S TALE

The Handmaid’s Tale is a dystopian novel by Canadian author Margaret Atwood, published in 1985. It is set in a near-future New England, in a strongly patriarchal, totalitarian theonomic state, known as Republic of Gilead, that has overthrown the United States government.The central character and narrator is a woman named Offred, one of the group known as “handmaids”, who are forcibly assigned to produce children for the “commanders” – the ruling class of men.The novel explores themes of subjugated women in a patriarchal society and the various means by which they resist and attempt to gain individuality and independence. The novel’s title echoes the component parts of Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, which is a series of connected stories (such as “The Merchant’s Tale” and “The Parson’s Tale”)

Plot

After a staged attack that killed the President of the United States and most of Congress, a radical political group called the “Sons of Jacob” uses theonomic ideology to launch a revolution.[7] The United States Constitution is suspended, newspapers are censored, and what was formerly the United States of America is changed into a military dictatorship known as the Republic of Gilead. The new regime moves quickly to consolidate its power, overtaking all other religious groups, including traditional Christian denominations. In addition, the regime reorganizes society using a peculiar interpretation of some Old Testament ideas, and a new militarized, hierarchical model of social and religious fanaticism among its newly created social classes. Above all, the biggest change is the severe limitation of people’s rights, especially those of women, who are not allowed to read, write, own property, or handle money. Most significantly, women are deprived of control over their own reproductive functions.

The story is told in first-person narration by a woman named Offred. In this era of environmental pollution and radiation, she is one of the few remaining fertile women. Therefore, she is forcibly assigned to produce children for the “Commanders,” the ruling class of men, and is known as a “Handmaid” based on the biblical story of Rachel and her handmaid Bilhah. Apart from Handmaids, other women are also classed socially and follow a strict dress code, ranked highest to lowest: the Commanders’ Wives in blue; the Handmaids in red with white veils around their faces; the Aunts (who train and indoctrinate the Handmaids) in brown; the Marthas (cooks and maids) in green; Econowives (the wives of lower-ranking men who handle everything in the domestic sphere) in blue, red and green stripes; young, unmarried girls in white; and widows in black.

Offred details her life starting with her third assignment as a Handmaid to a Commander. Interspersed with her narratives of her present-day experiences are flashbacks of her life before and during the beginning of the revolution, including her failed attempt to escape to Canada with her husband and child, her indoctrination into life as a Handmaid by the Aunts, and the escape of her friend Moira from the indoctrination facility. At her new home, she is treated poorly by the Commander’s wife, a former Christian media personality named Serena Joy who supported women’s domesticity and subordinate role well before Gilead was established. To Offred’s surprise, the Commander requests to see her outside of the “Ceremony,” a reproductive ritual obligatory for handmaids and intended to result in conception in the presence of his wife. The two begin an illegal relationship where they play Scrabble and Offred is allowed to ask favours of him, whether in terms of information or material items. Finally, he gives her lingerie and takes her to a covert, government-run brothel called Jezebel’s. Offred unexpectedly encounters Moira there, with her will broken, and she learns that those who are found breaking the law are sent to the Colonies to clean up toxic waste or are allowed to work at Jezebel’s as punishment.

In the days between her visits to the Commander, Offred also learns from her shopping partner, a woman called Ofglen, of the Mayday resistance, an underground network working to overthrow the Republic of Gilead. Not knowing of Offred’s criminal acts with her husband, Serena begins to suspect that the Commander is infertile, and arranges for Offred to begin a covert sexual relationship with Nick, the Commander’s personal servant. After their initial sexual encounter, Offred and Nick begin to meet on their own initiative as well, with Offred discovering that she enjoys these intimate moments despite memories of her husband, and shares potentially dangerous information about her past with him. However, shortly after, Ofglen disappears (reported as a suicide), and Serena finds evidence of the relationship between Offred and the Commander, which causes Offred to contemplate suicide.

Offred tells Nick that she thinks she is pregnant. Shortly afterward, men arrive at the house wearing the uniform of the secret police, the Eyes of God, known informally as “the Eyes”, to take her away. As she is led to a waiting van, Nick tells her to trust him and go with the men. It is unclear whether the men are actually Eyes or members of the Mayday resistance. Offred is still unsure if Nick is a member of Mayday or an Eye posing as one, and does not know if leaving will result in her escape or her capture. Ultimately, she enters the van with her future uncertain.

The novel concludes with a metafictional epilogue, described as a partial transcript of an international historical association conference taking place in the year 2195. The keynote speaker explains that Offred’s account of the events of the novel was recorded onto cassette tapes later found and transcribed by historians studying what is then called “the Gilead Period”.

Comprehending CHESS through ‘Through the Looking Glass’

  • (Chess being played in Victorian era)

Chess was the most important indoor game of the nineteenth century in England. It enjoyed centuries-old privileged status. It was considered as a ‘rational recreation’. Chess, unlike any other game, deals more with logic and rationality rather than fun, as we know, Rationalism had taken over the Victorian era abundantly.

  • (Alice playing Chess in Looking Glass world)

Alice, at once, recognizes the chess board stretched on the vast land in the Looking Glass World. It shows that although she is just seven and a half years, still familiar to the this game, which signifies the popularity of Chess in England in Victorian Era, especially among the bourgeois class(as it is also called ‘game of royals’) and Alice belonged to the same.

In life we make ‘choices’, in chess we make ‘moves’. In order to attain something valuable in life as to capture the opponent’s castle in chess, initiative has to be taken. Nobody can make decisions for me, I’ll have to play myself, it’s just suggestions that our people may put before us. Here, Alice makes a choice to participate in the game ‘imagining’ her goal where she wants to be in the end. Well, talking about imagination with reference to Victorian era, it significantly brought out a drastic change in society, though previously children along with adults were forced into realism. ‘Imagination’ is quite efficient to presume one’s position in the coming years and then working out to get there can be useful, because life makes it hard to calculate the further possibilities due to lack of information. Alice restrained herself asking the Queens about their arrival, thinking it would be obtrusive, which keeps her away from the information, also we see Alice not able to distinguish between Red Knight and White Knight and actually who’s there to save her declares her ignorance towards information.

Chess is symbolic to attributes of life, we see, there are (apparently) three stages in chess, that is, opening, middle game and the end game, similarly we have childhood, youth and adulthood in life. Alice joins the giant Chess game of life as a white pawn, that is, she holds very limited power and can move once at a time. We always need to start from the beginning, that is, from the very first ladder in order to earn it step by step. Alice has the freedom to setup her ‘goal’ to be a Queen, but she has no power over her inevitable maturation that’s leading her to womanhood. Within the framework of the chess game, Alice has almost no control over her path and she, with certain implied rules of the game, is driven by the corresponding characters in the book, as in chess, every piece moves in answer to the move of the other one. She is pushed towards her goal by the various situations occurring before her in every square, such as, the train ride, no-name forest, Humpty Dumpty and the White Knight. Thus, it can be traced from the narrative that in life, there is some invisible force that’s propelling every individual in the direction of set goal. It can be comprehended that collaboration is the biggest instrument to victory, for example, White Knight saved Alice from the attack of Red Knight without which it had been a Herculean task for her to reach to final square. We will have to rely on our people somehow, otherwise we can’t achieve our dreams just by our own self. In chess, one can take full credit for one’s victories, but in life it would be naive to say that what I achieved is all because of my sole efforts.

  • (Lewis Carroll)

The game of Chess in Through The Looking Glass represents the interest of Carroll in logics and mathematics, and the agent is ‘Alice’. This game is not about luck unlike other indoor/board games, rather brainy. In the same way, Life is more about randomness, it’s not alone in the hands of fate, though life is much more unpredictable. We need statistics as well as probability in both chess and life. Also, chess possesses two different colors, that is, one is light and the other one is dark, where I suppose, they stand for logic and nonsense respectively. Based on this idea, Alice often proves to be smarter, more prudent than the so-called adults she confronts in the Looking Glass world. This might also be a reverse-reflection of actual world, I guess, where we see adults inclined towards logic and children uttering stuff and nonsense and vice-versa, here, in the world of mirror.

  • (Children doing factory chores in Victorian England)

Life of the children in Victorian period was totally opposite to that of present-day children. They were considered as miniature adults and were expected to be highly sophisticated, more in the case of rich class children. Children were not allowed to shout, complain, interrupt or disagree with anyone. The children of rich parents were usually looked after by governesses, no matter humble or strict, and they only used to teach them manners and the way of living. Here, in Looking Glass world, Red Queen, the first character to guide Alice in the reverse world,

  • (Red Queen scolding Alice)

resembles very much like a governess of Alice when she teaches her how to not tweedle her fingers while speaking, how to behave, and to curtsey, and how Alice couldn’t go against her. She says, “when you’ve once said a thing, that fixes it, and you must take the consequences.”, because Alice is a Pawn and a Pawn cannot move backward, it is also allusion to the fact that once you have made the decision/choice, you can’t step back and stay committed bearing with it’s outcome, and she also asks Alice only to speak when she was asked to. Even we see TweedleDum-TweedleDee not ready to converse with Alice before she greets them. When Alice thinks that asking the Queens how they arrived would be impertinent, it shows again the social structure built for children in the real Victorian world.

When we are in a state of childhood, we want to turn into an adult soon. Similarly, Alice is excited about her lone-tour of adulthood through the Looking Glass world as she thinks she will be free of all the scolding, she says, “….no one here to scold me away from the fire….and can’t get me!” In the beginning, Alice was thrilled about her journey but as she is heading forward, she encounters the sense of loneliness in her journey to become a Queen(apparently) and acts adult herself. Though she is surrounded by different creatures many a times, but she feels alienated to their foreign ways. Hence, here Chess is a symbol of journey advancing from childhood to adulthood. She undergoes many crucial experiences, putting forward the idea of challenges one has to face in this journey of adulthood in one’s life. In the beginning, we see Alice being rude to Gnat about his jokes and later we see her kindness with White Knight that declares the change in her attitude as moving towards adulthood. When the Queen gives Alice directions as how to be a proper queen, it indicates that Alice wasn’t actually prepared to become a queen, just as it’s hard to prepare to be an adult in real world. Every square leads her to different characters and every character teaches Alice something significant, as we know, advice can come from the most unexpected places. For example, revelation of identity imposed by the situation in the woods of forgetfulness, the White Queen teaches her to believe in impossible, the fall of Humpty Dumpty symbolizes ‘the fall of man for pride’ and also ‘the fall of innocence’ proceeding towards maturity, and likewise all the other characters. These teachings help Alice to inherent the characteristics of adulthood within her. The crown here, symbolizes the transformation of Alice from childhood to adulthood.

The Red King and the White King are almost doing nothing throughout the game as compared to their Queens. The Red King, as first encountered by Alice, is sleeping and his other pieces are performing their tasks to save him, whereas, the White King seems to be nervous not able to catch up with her Queen.

  • White King
  • Red King

Now these characters resemble in moves of both as that of the White and Red King in the real chess board. These actions of Queens and Kings in the world behind the mirror, may portray the position of women in the Victorian era. Women, at that time, used to engage themselves working for their husband and family, and also middle class and the working class women were employed to earn bread for their family, in support of their husbands. Red Queen saying to Alice, “…if you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!” may ascertain the idea that in a male-dominated society, women need to work double/toil harder in comparison to men in order to attain recognition. Women in the nineteenth century were not given much of the rights and privileges. This period is named after Queen Victoria, who was in the place of power. It is strange to encounter such a frivolous situation of women at the time when a lady herself was reigning over the society. When we behold Alice as a little woman moving from actual world to Looking Glass world, it may seem as she is struggling to change her confided world. She starts her journey all by herself which reflects the essence of independence in her. The characters like Live flowers resemble the social class structure that pushes Alice to follow their rules. When she chooses to be a Queen, she establishes the path for women/girls to upgrade their status because Alice learns that she must have a powerful authority to control Looking Glass world when one of the servants at once answers her after she turns into a Queen, so is the case for women in Victorian era, for example, Queen Victoria.

We need not be afraid of our high-rated opponents and feel incapable before them and it is then only that Alice is able to shake Red Queen in frustration and raises her voice against her rather than stitching her lips out of fear as evident in the beginning, that is, crown here, symbolizes her transformation from childhood to womanhood, gives her voice and finally renovates her status from a pawn to a queen. All the exclusive pieces are placed right behind the pawns. And a Pawn in comparison to them is just an ordinary, common piece that can slowly and gradually become a Queen. Even a pawn can cut down a King, pertaining to life, a single human being, regardless of his status, is enough to bring about revolution in the society, and win the castle of life. Alice suffering through all the odds, obstructions eventually made it, checkmated the Red King and turned into a Queen.

As a Queen in the game, the Red Queen and the White Queen are able to move swiftly and effortlessly. The White Queen, as she says, “jam-tomorrow and jam-yesterday, but never jam-today.”, and screams before pricking her thumb, travels in past and future which is true for the Queen,

  • (Alice tying clumsy hair of White Queen)

in general, in chess that she can freely move in every direction possible, but she is seen nervous and messy all the time here, and ultimately at two points passes up a chance to checkmate and on another occasion she missed the opportunity to capture the Red Knight. Similarly, the Red Queen said to Alice, “Speak when you’re spoken to!”, and having supporting her words, she doesn’t announce it after putting White King on the check, hence, the check is ignored. Their individual character traits restrained them from performing their duties. This also discovers their absent-mindedness and reverse effect of the mirror world.

The Knight in the chess moves very distinctively and is allowed to jump over any other pieces. Riding and falling of the White Knight in looking glass world is signifying it’s unique L-shape movement. The inventions of White Knight are here to present his powerful character trait, like in chess board Knight is an only piece imbibed with many powers, unlike other pieces, not even a Queen can move in same way as Knight, though his inventions are unprofitable disclosing the touch of the illusionary world, still it is pointing to the fact that precaution is must, so his horse wears spikes on it’s ankles to protect it from shark bites and he collects things that might be useful in the difficult situation. The White Knight is the only character that is benevolent with Alice and saves Alice from the attack of Red Knight (stopping her to be a Queen/upgrade the position of women in society), but it can be an example of gender-biased society where a man is shown as a powerful figure and woman belongs to a weaker section. Alice, here, is represented as a weak girl and this action of White Knight throws light on the concept of feminism, and make Alice learn that a woman must stand for herself and must discover her own capabilities.

Chess wasn’t just one of the themes in Carroll’s story, indeed, it was the ground for the novel’s structure. The game of chess in real world is ‘logical’ while in looking glass world it can be called as ‘maddening game of chess’. Also as an inverted image created by the mirror, this indoor game is displayed as an outer giant field of chess. The pieces are definitely running and moving under the implied rules, but the pattern is not applied evenly. This game sets the deterministic way of life. Both life and chess are, more or less, synonymous in almost every aspect.

Citation: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/the-64-square-grid-design-of-through-the-looking-glass-24546391/

    ENRICHMENT AND REFINEMENT THROUGH LITERATURE

    “That is part of the beauty of all literature. You discover that your longings are universal longings, that you’re not lonely and isolated from anyone. You belong.”
    ― F. Scott Fitzgerald

    In today’s world of cut-throat competition and skills-based learning, parents, particularly in India, encourage their children to pursue higher education in the sciences, especially in engineering and medicine as the number of job opportunities in these fields are far more than in any other field. Consequently, there is a predominant idea among large sections of the society in India that those who pursue subjects related to Humanities and Social Sciences are less intelligent and that these subjects are only of academic importance, having no real value in the practical world as they offer limited employment opportunities.

    However, such people are mostly ignorant or not highly educated as they tend to make injudicious comparisons between fields of studies, most of them do not realize that the Arts and the Sciences are interconnected. As there have been scientific movements in the course of history, whereby earlier pseudo-scientific notions were replaced with modern inventions and discoveries, so there also have been artistic and literary movements that have displaced the age-old concepts in a similar manner, transposing them with newer approaches. Accordingly, even the study of literature has become more practical in approach and has adopted the experiential method of learning. Few people are aware of the fact that the inspiration behind Einstein’s theory of Relativity was the writings of the sixteenth century philosopher and visionary, Giordano Bruno.

    The study of literature has actually had a humanizing effect on people. It has opened the eyes of people to the problems of the world and has enabled them to empathize with the victims of an unequal social order. Knowledge of these has induced many industrialists and business people to involve themselves in philanthropic activities. Also, literature has provided us insights into the cultures and practices of different countries across time Through the study of literature, we have come to know about the social orders of ancient Greece, India and Mesopotamia as well as of Medieval Europe and Early Modern America and Europe.

    A Literature also provides us with a welcome respite from the hectic day-to-day lives because it is also a source of entertainment in the form of theatrical productions and films. Good films and plays provide families the opportunity to be together, even if for a short while. This is important in maintaining the familial bond because every individual is always busy in chasing his or her dreams.

    Lastly, one cannot help but admit that good stories are always welcomed and they are an integral part of human existence, and all good stories are nothing but literature. Thus, we cannot deny the fact that literature helps in enhancing the whole personality of a reason. It has the power to lead the whole society towards the right path.

    Advantages of E-books

    Ebooks are an affordable option for many avid readers. Ebooks are the travel-friendly, comfortable, cheapest option and you can read them anytime anywhere. But, there is a misconception about ebooks, some readers Don’t consider Ebooks as books. Indeed it’s not real books. We can’t feel ebooks as the real ones. It’s merely a device with copies. but, there is a lot of advantages in ebooks if we think of an optimistic person.

    CHEAP AS CHIPS:

    It’s highly affordable, there are a lot of books which can be bought as PDF, MOBI files, DOCX and many formats if we want. And kindle is one of the best options on my list. Once you get your hands on kindle it’s not easy to leave it aside. Because kindle is specially made for ebook readers and who feels that you can’t read real books due to some eye problems. You can give it a try to the kindle app and device. Kindle app is free of cost, but you have to purchase the books on amazon.in some times on amazon, free copies will be available for some limited books you can download if you like to… and mostly classics might be available there. So, if you never read in kindle. This might be a perfect time to try it. Kindle device is not free still it’s affordable. Otherwise, you can use PDF readers or kindle apps also.

    CUSTOMIZATION:

    There is a lot of customized features when it comes to ebooks. While we are reading real books like paperbacks we can’t change anything we have to read it as it has in the paper. But, when it comes to ebooks. We can change fonts, sizes, Dark mode, light mode, colors of the fonts, colors of the background, alignments, we can look at word counts, we can track our reading speed and we can even take notes without any worries. That the book would be damaged. If it is a real book some people don’t even use pencils. but In e-books, we can change even the highlighter’s colors. And these features are grateful for the readers.

    ALL THE TIME:

    We can’t read paperbacks at night times. It will damage our eyes. Even mobiles will damage our eyes. But, the kindle is specially made to reduce the effects of UV rays from screening lights. Thus, it is easy to use at night. And especially you need a light source to read paperbacks. But, you can read e-books even though the theme of the screen is in dark mode. So, you can read whenever you want without any necessary sources. All you need is a device with full battery charged and a required wifi connection proceed to download.

    HANDY:

    E-books are highly Travel-friendly devices. You can read anytime anywhere without real books. If we carry real books we need bags and other belongings. But when it comes to reading e-books, we can read them even on buses or banks. We carry our mobile all the time, wherever we go, thus, e-books can save our time While wasting our time somewhere else wasting like standing in a queue.

    However, we can’t say Ebooks are better than paperbacks. E-books also have their disadvantages. but, the positive aspects are worth following upon.

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    Environmental laws in india

    Either Stable burning in various states accrued the air pollution in Delhi and created a gas chamber around NCR ; SC came upon a committee to observe scenario , Or 4 industries inflicting stream pollution were shut down by Maharashtra pollution board . Everybody has responsive to environmental problems as higher than . The key solution for resilience to environmental issues are provided by government in various legislations , enactments and provisions on environment laws .


    In republic of India environmental law is concern with the policy and law for protection of the environment . It aims for achieving carbon free economy through taking measures for reducing climate change. All the acts under this laws are safeguards in ensuring effective management of the environment and its multiple ecosystems . It provides for preventing environmental damage .


    Natural resources in the earth were unscathed from millions of years. It were remain pure until the industrialized started . After the industrialization this resources have been exploited in Spain of 100 years only . From 19th century, the environment (air , water and land ) is directly exploited by rapidly growing population at alarming-rates.


    environment includes water, air and land and the inter-relationship which exists among and between water, air and land, and human beings, other living creatures, plants, microorganisms and property , as mentioned in section 2 of environmental protection Act of 1986 . Environment is a wide sphere , it consists of social, economically , political , religious dimensions .


    Addressed area of environmental laws in India :

    1. Quality of water : For the prevention and control of water pollution and to maintain or restore wholesomeness of water in the country the water act of 1974 was enacted. It further provides for the establishment of Boards ( CPCB and SPCB ) for the prevention and control of water pollution with a view to carry out the aforesaid purposes. This act prohibits the discharge of pollutants into water bodies beyond a given standard, it also lays down fine and penalties for non-compliance.

    2. Reduction of air pollution and maintaining air quality : The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 (the “Air Act”) is an act to provide for the prevention , protection and abatement of air pollution .It provides for establishment of Boards at the Central and State levels with a view to carrying out the aforesaid purposes.

    3. Hazardous Waste management : legislations that directly or indirectly deal with hazardous waste management are the Factories Act, 1948, the Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991, the National Environment Tribunal Act, 1995 and rules and notifications under the Environmental Act.

    4. Containment cleanup, damage mitigation : preventing future damage to the environment is undeniably the primary objective of environmental law, mitigating and reducing existing damage is also important. This area most often deals with issues like toxic leaks and oil spills. The central objective of this branch of environmental law is deciding liability, planning an appropriate response, and also determining the best process of investigation and monitoring in the overall clean up process. This area also concerns itself with the study and assessment of risk in the long term, to better mitigate any future accidents and risks.

    5. Sustainability of resources : United Nations has put great emphasis on ensuring the sustainability of resources. For this vision , it has advocated the formation of various legal principles and legislation. In this regards concept of environmental impact assessment introduced .

    Noble legislations and enactments on environment law in India :


    Laws on Forest and wild life protection:
    • The Indian Forest Act, 1927 ; The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972; The Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 ; The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986; The National Green Tribunal Act, 2010.


    Laws on Water pollution :
    • The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.


    Laws on air pollution :
    • The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 (the “Air Act”)


    Laws on hazardous waste management :
    • Biomedical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998 ; Municipal Solid Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000 ; Batteries (Management & Handling) Rules, 2001 ; Hazardous Wastes (Management, Handling and Transboundary) Rules, 2008 ; E – Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011 .
    Laws on wetlands


    •Ramsar convention (1971) : This convention was initiated to push for greater conservation and sustainable use of wetlands ; Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017.
    Constitutional provisions on environment laws


    • Part IVA (Art 51A-Fundamental Duties) of the constitution casts a duty on every citizen of India to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wildlife, and to have compassion for living creatures.


    • the Constitution of India under Part IV (Art 48A-Directive Principles of State Policies) stipulates that the State shall endeavour to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forests and wildlife of the country.

    environment makes human life possible, and our cultural environment helps define who we are. It is therefore essential that our population and economic growth are environmentally sustainable.

    Mental Health

    We human beings often tend to pay less attention to our mental health than our physical one, but we all should understand its heavy importance and admit the fact that they can be equally or even more dangerous than the physical issues so one should take immediate help of doctor or councilor in case some abnormalities or issues arises.

    Importance of mental health :

    Mental and physical health are equally important components of overall health. Mental illness, especially depression, increases the risk for many types of physical health problems, particularly long lasting conditions like stroke, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Similarly, the presence of chronic conditions can increase the risk for mental illness.

    Some mental illnesses :

    Mental illnesses are among the most common health conditions in the united states.

    * More than 50% will be diagnosed with a mental illness or disorder at some point in their lifetime.

    * 1 in 5 children,either currently or at some point during their life, have had a seriously debilitating mental illness.

    Causes of mental illness :

    There is no single cause for mental illness. A number of factors can contribute to risk for mental illness, such as

    * Early adverse life experiences such as trauma or a history of abuse.

    * Experiences related to other ongoing medical condition, such as cancer or diabetes

    * Biological factors, such as genes or chemical imbalances in the brain.

    * use of alcohol or recreational drugs.

    Types of mental illness :

    People can experience different types of mental illnesses or disorder and they can often occur at the same time.Mental illness can occur over a short period of time or be episodic. This means that the mental illness comes and goes with discrete beginnings and ends. Mental illness can also ongoing or long term.

    There are more than 200 classified types of mental illness. Some of the main types of mental illness and disorders are listed below; however; this list is not exhaustive.

    Anxiety Disorders :

    People with anxiety disorders respond to certain objects or situations with fear and dread or terror. Anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety, panic disorders and phobias.

    Hyperactivity Disorder :

    It is one of the most common childhood mental disorders. It can continue through adolescence and adulthood. People diagnosed with ADHD may have trouble paying attention, controlling impulsive behaviors or be overly active.

    Disruptive Behavioral Disorders :

    It involves a pattern of disruptive behaviors in children that last for atleast 6 months can cause problems in school, at home and in social sitauations.Behavioral symptoms can also continue into adulthood.

    Depression and other mood disorders :

    While bad moods are common and usually pass in a short period, people suffering from mood disorders live with more constant and severe symptoms. People living with this mental illness find that their mood impacts both mental and psychological well- being, nearly evry day and often for much of the day.

    Eating Disorders :

    Eating disorders involve obsessive and sometimes distressing thoughts and behaviors including

    * Reduction of food intake

    * overeating

    * Feelings of depression or distress

    * concern about weight, body shape, poor self image

    Personality Disorders :

    People with personality disorders have extreme and inflexible personality traits that cause problems in work, school or social realtionships. Personality disorders include antisocial personality disorder and borederline personality disorder

    Substance use Disorders :

    Substance use disorders occur when frequent or repeated use of alochol and or drugs causes significant impairment, such as health problems, disability, and failure to meet major responsibilities at work, school, or home. Substance use problems can be fatal to the user or others. Exsmples include drunk driving fatalities and drug overdoses.

    In this busy world our brain gets a lot stressed and its very important that we should take due care of it, some of the practices which will help us to do better with our mental health are:

    1. Yoga plays a great role in keeping our mind calm and also helps us to focus and concentrate on things. It also helps us deal with tough situations and gives us the strength to stay away from negativity.
    2. Exercising regularly is a key to healthy body and we all know that a healthy body and a healthy mind goes hand in hand, so we must ensure that we exercise daily to keep ourselves fit.
    3. The environment that we stay in also the company with which we spend time also plays a major role we should be extremely aware while selecting our company and in case we are not able to adjust we should walk away.
    4. Food is the fuel and is of immense importance we should ensure that we are not nutrient deficient also we should ensure that we intake enough amount of water daily.

    THE PALACE OF ILLUSIONS (BOOK REVIEW)

    Re-imagining the Epic with The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
    Image source: Google

    Mahabharata; as written by Vyasa, is heard and known by almost every person within and out of the community. All thanks to either the creators of the show or the story we heard from our grandparents back then. Mahabharata is historical fiction and the longest epic poem ever written revolving around the Kauravas and Pandavas, the brothers, the men of the story. Crux revolves around the battle and Victory of either of the two, the story of the brothers, the men in the house.

    The women too had a shared part in it but what if I tell you the same story with the perspective of the women of their house? Perhaps, a story from the perspective of one woman in particular?

    The Palace of illusions is all about itself.

    Written by the award-winning poet and writer Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, its first edition was released in 2008. 

    The narrator and the protagonist is Draupadi herself.

    Narrating all aspects of her life, from her unnatural birth to her lonely childhood, her bond with her brother, her marriage, her children, her death.

    Every intricate detail is covered about her whole life

    and the justice to the story is one hundred per cent done.

    There are so many instances within the novel where you’ll feel too sympathetic with her character,story,struggles, and life.

    Banerjee has not only laid emphasis on her but all the characters are defined and penned amazingly which makes its flow well. There are so many lines and dialogues within the novel that makes you ready to appreciate the writer for even thinking about that In all, the novel, the Mahabharata of this century, has something remarkable to it that there’s no way you can skip reading this one. It’s a kind of novel that maybe will make you think more of the role and the life of women involved in the world of men of Mahabharata with a whole new perspective.

    The Nightingale Of India

    “As long as I have life, as long as blood flows through this arm of mine, I shall not leave the cause of freedom…I am only a woman, only a poet. But as a woman, I give to you the weapons of faith and courage and the shield of fortitude. And as a poet, I fling out the banner of song and sound, the bugle call to battle. How shall I kindle the flame which shall waken you men from slavery…”

    Introduction

    She was an Indian political activist and poet. A proponent of civil rights, women’s emancipation, and anti-imperialistic ideas, she was an important figure in India’s struggle for independence from colonial rule. Naidu’s work as a poetess earned her the sobriquet ‘the Nightingale of India’, or ‘Bharat Kokila’ by Mahatma Gandhi because of colour, imagery and lyrical quality of her poetry.

    Birth and death

    Born in a Bengali family in Hyderabad, Naidu was educated in Madras, London and Cambridge. Following her time in England, where she worked as a suffragist, she was drawn to Indian National Congress’ movement for India’s independence from British rule. She became a part of the Indian nationalist movement and became a follower of Mahatma Gandhi and his idea of swaraj. She was appointed as the President of the Indian National Congress in 1925 and later became the Governor of the United Provinces in 1947, becoming the first woman to hold the office of Governor in the Dominion of India.

    Naidu’s poetry includes both children’s poems and others written on more serious themes including patriotism, romance, and tragedy. Published in 1912, “In the Bazaars of Hyderabad” remains one of her most popular poems. She married Govindarajulu Naidu, a general physician, and had five children with him. She died of a cardiac arrest on 2 March 1949.

    Work

    “Tell me no more of thy love, papeeha,
    Wouldst thou recall to my heart, papeeha,
    Dreams of delight that are gone,
    When swift to my side came the feet of my lover…”

    – A Love Song From The North by Sarojini
    Naidu

    1905: The Golden Threshold, published in the United Kingdom.
    1912: The Bird of Time: Songs of Life, Death & the Spring, published in London.
    1917: The Broken Wing: Songs of Love, Death and the Spring, including “The Gift of India” (first read in public in 1915) .
    1919: Muhammad Jinnah: An Ambassador of Unity.
    1943: The Sceptred Flute: Songs of India, Allahabad: Kitabistan, posthumously published.
    1961: The Feather of the Dawn, posthumously published, edited by her daughter, Padmaja Naidu.
    1971:The Indian Weavers.

    After India attained independence, she became the first woman Governor of an Indian state, Uttar Pradesh. She served as governor till she passed away in March 1949, when she was working late in office.

    As a Feminist

    “Sarojini Naidu inspired the Indian Renaissance Movement and had a mission to improve the life of Indian woman.”

    Bappaditya Bandopadhyay

    Sarojini Naidu played an important role in women’s rights struggle in India. She helped in shaping Women’s Indian Association in 1917 with Annie Besant and others. The Association sought equal rights including the right to vote and represent. She presented the need to include more women in the Congress and in the freedom struggle. During 1918, British and Indian feminists including Naidu set up a magazine called “Stri Dharma” to present international news from a feminist perspective.

    Link

    Happiness

    Happiness is a state of mind which we possess when something good happens to us and we feel that goodness at our heart. This is an abstract feeling which is not materialistic and cannot be bought by money or some other possession. Happiness brings with itself a lot of positivity and also provides us with the motivation to go ahead and achieve other milestones. Happiness also maintains the zeal and enthusiasm for doing things and experiencing new paths. Happy state of mind also increases the age of people and lets them live a longer life.

    Happiness is a key to healthy life; it sets a soul free and encourages it to explore the world and also gives us power. Happiness is a part of being successful in life it is that fruit which we all want to grow and thus we do so much of hard work throughout our entire life so that we can live a happy peaceful life after all. Happiness cannot be ever faked it comes straight out from our heart and it is priceless. At the end of a hard-earned day all we care for is some peace and happiness in our families and ourselves so that we can start another fresh day ahead.

    4 levels of Happiness :

    ” Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence” . Of course, there are a number of different types of happiness and each person has different things in life that make them happy and unhappy. It is important for people to be self- aware and to truly understand what makes them happy and content as individuals. Take a look at the different types of happiness below and think about the things in your life that maku you happy.

    There are main types of happiness, these being related to; pleasure, passion and purpose.

    Pleasure :

    Pleasure is important to us human beings but its related benefits are relatively short term. A delicious meal, a nice meeting with friends or listening to our favourite music all produce endorphins and offerus happy moments that can be the highlights of our day. However, these singular moments don’t equate to long- term satisfaction.

    Passion :

    Being passionate about something whether a hobby cause or group activity and actively being involved with it can be a great source of happiness. These activites deliver contentment in the medium term and provide a sense of achievement and variety in life

    Purpose :

    Feeling like you are part of something bigger than yourself and that your actions will really matter can lead to a deep sense of fulfillment and long- term happiness. We all like to think that our lives have menaing and if you can find your ” calling” or be part of great team, group or organisation that are making a difference then chances are you will be truly happy.

    Ultimate Good :

    The fourth level of happiness is known as ultimate good. This is a fundamental desire we have as human beings for perfect truth, goodness beauty and love . Many people find this form of happiness through their religious beliefs. Even those who don’t believe in a higher power can find happiness in their pursuit of truth, beauty, love and goodness in themselves and in helping others. This level is happiness is often considered the most enduring and profound.

    Different types of Happiness :

    1. Joy :

    Joy is when you win a hard- fought competition, you finally accomplish a project you’ve wanted to or times when you doible over in uncontrolled laughter when someone relates a hilarious story. Joy makes you feel great about yourself, makes you feel confident, assertive, capable, loved and fulfilled.

    The feeling of joy is fleeting joy is presemt at the moment. It is possible to feel joy despite grief or uncertainty. Happiness can be found in many things. It transforms tough times into blessimgs and turns heartache into gratitude.

    2. Love :

    Second, on the list pf different types of happiness is love. Which means other things to different people still, a wholesome ,reciprocared love with another person seems to be the fundamental predictor of happiness. Here, we are not just talking about romantic love, it means to love with friends and family, as well as partners. When you’re in love, you’ re blissfully happy all the time.

    3. Contentment :

    The secret of Happiness is contentment which means a state of happiness or satisfaction . It isn’t a matter of being satisfied with what you have. Contentment not only holds the power tobmake you happy, but it will transforms your life in many ways.

    4. Optimism :

    Optimism is a type of happiness that reflects the belief that events or experience outcomes will generally be positive. The key to attaining happiness is to have an optimistic approach to life, as optimism reflects hope and faith, helping people believe that this world is the right place

    5. Gratitude :

    Gratitude creates positive emotions, like different types of happiness, joy, love, and contentment, it can undo the hold of negative emotions. It goes hand in hand with mindfulness in its focous on the present and greatfulness for what we have now, rather than wanting more and more.

    6. Excitment :

    Excitment can be anything from about a new job or moving to a different place and motivates youbto work harder and channel that positive energy into more constructive activity. Excitements is fleeting. It dissipates rather quickly and can turn into ennui. It sometimes acts as a motivating factor , and execitment often leads people to likely make a decision. Even a bad one as excitment leads to impulsivity.

    7. Pride :

    Last on the list of different types of happiness is pride. Yes, pride and happiness go hand in hand. You can take pride in your work and your family, your haome and yourself, and in anything you put effort, attention, and love into. It is a positive feeling in reactive to a jouous event.

    There are 7 essential keys to happiness and success that will help to materialize both those things in your life:

    * Gratitude.

    * Be present

    * Manage time Effectively

    * Set smarter Goals

    * Embody an Empowering morning Routine

    * Tackle the MITs

    * Focus on Health and wellbeing.

    To get the most bang for the happiness buck, I’ve realized that I should complete four stages of reveling in a moment of happiness :

    * Anticipate with pleasure.

    * Savor the moment as I experience it,

    * express my happiness to myself or others,

    * reflect on a happy memory.

    Four happy hormones :

    * Dopamine

    * serotonin

    * Endorphins

    * oxytocin

    Strategies of Happiness :

    * Do more activities that truely engage you

    * savor life’s joy

    * Learn to forgive

    * Practice acts of kindness

    * Nature relationships

    * cultivate optimisim

    * Avoid overthinking and social comparison

    * Develop strategies for coping

    STAY HAPPY 🤩AND KEEP SMILING ALWAYS😁 .BE HAPPY 🥳

    Unemployment

    Unemployment has become one of the biggest problems around the world. When an individual is an implied, he or she will know very less about the mankind. It is so difficult to face situation and handle situations when the individual is unemployed. Unemployment leads to many silly mistakes. And an unemployed person cannot take over the family and lead the family as well. There is a huge competition in highly populated countries like India. In order to be employed, the only method is to study hard and improve the skills and score better. Basically, the students are not showing good amount of interest towards the studies. Let us now see how to motivate them.

    Covid crisis has made many people unemployed. It has taken away the basic need of living. Many people are left with the unfilled stomachs. Some people are dead about by not finding a way to live.

    Types of unemployment :

    There are four main types of unemployment in an economy frictional, structural, cyclical, and seasonal and each has a different cause.

    1. Frictional unemployment :

    Frictional unemployment is caused by temporary transitions in workers lives, such as when a worker moves to a new city and has to find a new job. Frictional unemployment also includes people just entering the labor force, such as freshly graduated college students. It is the most common cause of unemployment, and it is always in effect in an economy.

    2. Structural unemployment :

    Structural unemployment is caused by a mismatch in the demographics of workers and the types of jobs available, either when there are jobs available that workers don’t have the skills for, or when there are workers availabes but no jobs to fill. Structural unemployment is most obvious in industries undergoing technological advancements.

    3. Cyclical unemployment :

    Cyclical unemployment is caused by declining demand. When there is not enough demand in an economy for goods and services, businesses cannot offer jobs . According to keynesian economics , cyclical unemployment is a natural result of the business cycle in times of recession: if all consumers become fearful at once, consumers will attempt to increase their saving at the same time, which means there will be a decrease in spending, and businesses will not be able to employ all employable workers.

    4. Seasonal unemployment :

    Seasonal unemployment is caused by different industries or parts of the labor market being available during different seasons. Fot instance, unemployment goes up in the winter months, because many agricultural jobs end oncr crops are have harvested in the fall, and those wotkers are left to find new jobs.

    Consequences of unemployment in an Economy :

    Low unemployment is key to economic stability High and long- term unemployment can cause significant stress on a nation in three key areas.

    * Individuals :

    Unemployed people have no ability to fulfill their financial obligations and can become mentally stressed, ill, and even homeless.

    * Economic efficiency :

    During times of high unemployment many job seekers will accept new jobs below their skill level, a situation called “underemployment ” which translates to a loss of human capital for an economys labor market. Unemployed workers will also significantly decreases their consumer spending, which is one of the driving forces of economic growth. Without consumer spending, the economy will slow dramatically.

    * socio- political stability :

    If unemployment remains high, citizen dissatisfaction can rise to the point of widespread civil unrest.

    Possible solutions for Unemployment :

    Solving unemployment is a hotly debated topic, and no economists agree on one simple way to do it. However, in the U.S ,if unemployment rises noticeably, the government usually steps in with specific policies designed to lower the total number of unemployed people.

    1. Monetary policy :

    Monetary policy is financial influence implemented by a central bank . Monetary policies usually come in the form of lower interest rates, which increase the total money supply within an economy by allowing banks and businesses more access to loans and therefore, more accessible spending power.

    2. Fiscal policy :

    If expansionary monetary policy doesn’t adequately lower the unemployment rate government agencies will turn to fiscal policy. Fiscal policy is fiscal stimulus implemented by the national government and fiscal policies include spending on infrastructure, proposingtax cuts , increasing the minimum wage, or implementing unemployment benefits. These methods are designed to inject more demand into private economy and strengthen economic activity.

    Let us now see some of the ways to motivate the students to study and get employeed.

    • Make things easier :

    Showing the things easier and explaining them with clarity helps the students to show better interest on the subject and makes them to pay more attention on what the teacher is trying to convey. When the topics are shown easier for the students, they start learning them and they feel achieved and they pay more attention to study. When a student learns a particular topic or a question, he/she feels comfortable and happy for getting it. Once if they start reading, they develop the interest in them and they continue to read more and more.

    • Tell the importance :

    The students must be motivated with good number of words to understand the need of studying and what happens if they don’t study. A student is like a bird without the wings when they don’t study. So, it is very important to motivate students to study and to make them understand the need of the situation. Motivation brings the right change in the students who are not interested in learning. It develops the interest in them to study.

    It seems good if the government provides good number of jobs.

    Ethics

    Ethics is a branch of philosophy dealing with the issue of morality. It implies the concepts of what right and wrong conducts are. Ethics define how a person should act in some specific situations. It is not a new term, but it has been there since the Stone Age. Different religions and many philosophers have also made a substantial contribution to ethics.

    There are different branches of ethics. First of all, comes descriptive ethics. Descriptive ethics include what people actually consider right and wrong. Accordingly, laws are made regarding that and if they are even acceptable or not. The moral principles of society keep on changing from time to time. However, the basic ethics remain the same. Descriptive ethics are also called comparative ethics. They are given the name comparative ethics as they are used to compare the ethics of past and present scenarios. Also, they are used to compare the ethics of different societies as well.

    Then comes the next branch of ethics- Normative Ethics. Normative Ethics deals with some specific norms or a set of considerations. These norms indicate how people should act in some given situations. These ethics set out the rightness or wrongness of people’s actions. Normative Ethics are also known as prescriptive ethics. This name is given as there are principles involved with these ethics and those principles determine whether the actions of people are right or wrong in different situations.

    Types of ethics :

    1. Deontological Ethics :

    * In moral philosophy, deontological ethics or deontology is the normative ethical theory that the morality of an action should be based on whether that action itself

    * Deontology is an ethical theory that uses rules to discern the moral course of action. Diffusion of responsibility. Diffusion of responsibility occurs when people fail

    * Deontology morality is about following a system of rules, like ” Do Not Lie ” or ” Do Not Steal” .

    * Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that involves systematizing, defending Deontological ethics.

    2. Utilitarianism :

    * The most common example of normative ethical theories are utilitarianism, kantian duty- based ethics and divine command theory.

    * utilitarianism means, act in your own self- interest. Utilitarianism is that which is moral only if the act produces the greatest.

    * Utilitarianism is a moral theory that implements fair choices is an effort to ensure the least amount of harm is done to all parties involved.

    * However, some contemporary utilitarians , such as peter singer, are concerned with maximizing the satisfaction of preferences, hence prefernce utilitarianism.

    * utilitarianism is an ethical theory that asserts that right and wrong are best determined by focusing on outcomes.

    3. Consequentialism :

    * consequentialism refers to moral theories that hold the consequences of a particular action form the basis for any valid moral judgment about that action.

    * consequentialism is a class of normative, teleological ethical theories that holds that the consequences of one’s conduct are the ultimate basis for any judgment.

    * consequentialism is an ethical theory that judges an action’s moral correctness by its consequenes. Corporate social Responsibility.

    * on our definition of consequentialism, only the direct view is a genuinely consequentialist position, and rule consequentialism.

    4. Professional Ethics :

    * Rules imposed on an employee in a company, or as member of a profession. For instance, journalists, doctors, lawyers. Etc.

    * professional ethics encompass the personal and corporate standards of behavior expected by professionals.

    5. Applied ethics :

    * Applied ethics is the branch of ethics which consists of the analysis od specific, controversial moral issues such ad abortion, animal rights, or euthanasia.

    *Applied Ethics includes a philosophical examination of certain public and private life problems. The examination of those issues generally takes place from a moral standpoint. This branch of ethics is generally used by professions like doctors, teachers, etc.

    * Applied ethics which deals with the actual application of ethical priniciples to a particular situation. While it is helpful to approach the field of ethics.

    6. Virtue Ethics :

    * virtue ethics is an approach to ethics that emphasizes an individual’s character as the key element of ethical thinking, rather than rules about the acts themselves.

    * virtue ethics not only idea deals with the rightness or wrongness of individual actions, it provides guidenece as to the sort of characteristics and behaviour a good person will seek to achieve.

    An abstract way of analyzing ethics is called Meta-Ethics. They do not deal with whether the actions are right or wrong, rather they question what morality is.

    Gender inequality

    Discrimination is the state when all individuals are not treated equally and not given equal rights. Every individual in the community yearns for equal status, opportunities, and equal rights. People generally say these days that everyone is treated equally but they are not. Discrimination usually exists because of cultural differences, geographical differences, and gender. Inequality on the basis of gender is something that is not appreciated, but it is seen many times in many companies. There are many areas where equal opportunities are not provided to women.

    We are in the 21st century, and even now, women are not treated equally as men. It is generally believed that women are more talented than men, and it has been proved many times, but society is not yet ready to accept this fact. Gender equality is the term used when equal opportunities in the fields of politics, economics, education, and health are provided to both men and women.

    As per the World Economic Forum’s gender gap ranking, India holds the rank 108 out of 149 countries. The rank should be a major concern in the country as it signifies the immense gap between the opportunities given to women when compared to men. The structure in India is such that women are neglected in many fields like education, health, finance, etc. They are just limited to household chores which should not be the scene here. There are many places in India where women are considered as a burden and they are not allowed to go to school and study as well. Also, a preference for sons prevails in many areas in India.

    The seven important forms of gender inequality :

    1 . Women works Longer than Men :

    In most of the societies the male – stream is the main stream who argues that women have comparative advantage in household non- market production, like cooking and cleaning for the family that cant be called emotional and personal caring work. Based on this thinking, household jobs are then asymmetrically distributed. Women are more valued in home. Men are specialised in market- baesd production. Thus, being the bread- earners, males enjoy both power and status.

    2. Inequality in Employment and Earnings :

    Historically, men have greater participation in work outside home than women. But women ( particularly of poor households) share unequally household duties in addition to economic production. Thus they work longer than males. This kind of ‘ division of labour’ may be seen as the ‘ accumulation of labour’ on women, as described by Amartya sen. Household activites are often viewed as ‘ sedentary activites’ which require less ‘ calore’ to gain energy.

    3. Ownership Inequality :

    A case of social inequality. Let us turn to another kind of inequality, called ownership inequality a classic case of social inequality. In most of the societies, ownership over property and means of production rests mainly on male members . The law of inheritance provides such ownership rights on male child. Such denial coming out of hierarchical dualism within the family not only reduces the voice of women but also prevents them from participating in commerial, economic and social activites.

    This kind of social deprivation means absence or lack of capability or because of ‘capability deprivation’, women are subject to various kinds of exploitation and unfreedoms. Social inequality distorts the process of development. Unfortunately, ownership inequality in any country is not of recent origin. In her earlier life, a woman comes under the influence of her father, then husband as she enters a married life and finally, under sons ownership right over property is skilfully avoided. A telugu proverbs corraborates this understanding: ” Bringing up a daughter is like watering a plant in anothers courtyard.”

    4. Survival Inequality :

    Another crudest from of gender disparity is the unusally high mortality rates of women , though biologically, women live longer than men! Thus more boys than girls are born evrywhere leading to a ‘ deficit’ of women and a ‘ surplus’ of men. In developed countries beacuse of absence of gender bias in health care and nutrition, women outnumber men. In Europe and in north America, 105 or more girls are born per 100 boys. Such high female- male genderd survival rate in different age groups.

    5. Gender Bias in the Distribution of Education and Health :

    Health and education are the major forms of human capital are realted to economic development . Human capital gets accumulated as a society advances in education . The contribution of human capital towards Japan’s remarkable economic progress attracts our attention . Improvement in health capital also improves the return to investments in education .

    However, one finds a huge education and health gaps between developed and developing countries. In recent times, despite a large increase in econoc advancement on times, despite a large increase in economic advancement in asia and africa, these countries lag far behind the developed countries in terms of educational attainment particularly in respect of women’s education. Gender disparity not only hindrrs economic progress but also exacerbates social inequality.

    6. Gender Inequality in Freedom Expression :

    Let us talk about gender inequality beyond economic issues or factors. Women are not only subject to income or asset inequality but also in terms of freedom and power deprivation of women goes beyond one’s imagination. They lack not only economic freedom at home because of absence of autonomy in house hold decisions, limited or poor wages earned but also lack any freedom in airing opinions over education of children.

    In some backward poor societies the right of women giving options is completely denied. Such un – freedoms, however, are not uncommon even among the educated elites who enjoy enormous power and authority in the male domined society. Historically , this sort of law socioeconomic status of women has been continuing nowasdays.

    7. Gender Inequality in Respect of viloence and victimisation :

    Finally, anti – female bias starts before the girl child is born and this attitide of the society a female member carries throughout her life. It is because of the unequal sharing of income, property, household benefits . Women are subject to both physical and sexual violence – the oppsite of freedom, and an extreme form of coercion. This is common for both poor and not too much uncommon in rich countries as well as among rich people. One in three women in the word is beaten or raped during her life times.

    Dowry harassement is considered as an ‘ instrumental use’ of violence. Dowry death is the most serious form of domestic violenece. Wife beating is not uncommon. Sexual violence is an obnoxious form of human rights violation.

    Specifically, public health can contribute to reducing health inequities by integrating health equity considerations into policy and programs, collebrating with other sectors to address inequities engaging with communities to support their efforts to adress inequities, identifying the reduction of health inequities.

    Reducing inequality requires transformative change. Greater efforts are needed to eradicate ectreme poverty and hunger and invest more in health, education, social protection and decent jobs especially for young people, migrants and other vulnerable communities.

    We should understand that women are the part and parcel of any family. When it comes to flexibility, they can manage their home and offices at the same time. If equal opportunities are not given to them, they will be led down and won’t be able to achieve big milestones which they are obviously capable of.

    Obesity

    Obesity is described by the BMI (Body mass index). The obesity in the body is nothing but the high level of fat stored in the body. It is a very bad thing which in future leads to many health problems.

    Many of the children are falling obese now a days. This is because of not having good food. Many of the children are highly addicted to the junk food. The junk food intake in the body increases the fat levels in the body.

    A disorder involving excessive body fat that increases the risk of health problems. Obesity often results from takingin more calories than are burned by exercise and normal daily activities.

    Symptoms:

    Obesity occurs when a person’s body mass index is 25 or greater . The excessive body fat increses the risk of serious health problems.

    What causes obesity?

    Obesity is generally caused by eating too much and moving too little. If you consume high amounts of energy , particularly fat and sugars, but do not burn off the energy through exercise and physical activity, much of the surpluse energy will be stored by the body as fat.

    8 Most common causes of obesity :

    * physical inactivity.

    * overeating.

    * Genetics.

    * A diet high in simple carbohydrates.

    * A frequency of eating .

    * Medications.

    * psychological factors.

    * Diseases such as hypothyroidism, insulin resistance, polycystic ovary syndrome, and caushing’s syndrome are also contributors to obesity.

    Let us now look at some methods to prevent obesity.

    *Healthy and nutritious food :

    It is very important to consume healthy and nutritious food every day. To gain a sufficient amount of nutrients and and to be healthy it is very important to consume nutritious food. Consuming nutritious food helps us to gain sufficient energy. Being healthy prevents us from Many deadly diseases.

    *Exercise :

    Exercising at least for 10 to 15 minutes a day help the individual to be physically fit and also mentally strong. Exercising every day is a very good habit which everyone need to make it and perfect habit to do. Exercising 10 to 15 minutes also relieves us from the stress and the tension we have had. So, it is better to spend at least 10 to 15 minutes even in our hectic schedule an exercise.

    * yoga :

    Yoga relives from the stress and tension we have had. Sparing at least 10 to 15 minutes time on yoga benefit is a lot. It relaxes the muscle and comes to mind. It helps to be physically fit and mentally strong. All the asanas and pranayama helps to Gain strength and to be physically fit.

    *Meditation :

    Meditating for certain minutes helps to calm the brain and soul. It helps and relieving the stress and the tension we have had. It helps us to focus on the things which we are willing to do. It also equally helps us to be mentally strong. It is such a good and a mandatory practice an individual must obtain and must follow without any delays.

    * Monitor your weight regularly.

    * Be consistent.

    Who obese people?

    BMI is calculated by dividing a person’s weight in kilograms by the square of their height in metres. A BMI of 25.0 – 29.9 is classified as overweight but not obese, while a BMI of 30.0 or over is classified as obese. A BMI of graeter than 35.0 is classified as severely obese.

    Adult BMI calculator

    BMI WEIGHT STATUS

    Below 18.5 underweight

    18.5 – 24.9 Normal

    25.0- 29.9 overweight

    30.0 and above obese

    The negative effect of obesity :

    Obesity is serious beacause it is associated with poorer mental health outcomes and reduced quality of life. Obesity is also associated with the leading causes of death in the united states and worldwide, including ,diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some types of cancer.