Fast food Essay Example for Free

Fast food Essay Department of Finance, Lahore Business School, The University of Lahore Department of Marketing, Lahore Business School, The University of Lahore * E-mail of the corresponding author: farzan. [emailprotected] com Abstract Fast food is convenient and tasty though it prepared with low nourishing or unhealthy ingredients. This paper focused on intensity of fast food trend and its effect on Pakistani society. Previous studied had reviewed to rationalize the results. Questionnaire had utilized as a data collection instrument. Microsoft Excel had used for tabulation and graphs while SPSS for descriptive and inferential analysis. Results showed that youngsters spend more money on junk food. Nuclear and Joint both family systems like fast food due to its taste. People like to eat fast food, outside their homes. Hunger can be satisfied with fast food. Moreover, fast food is not a cost effective mean. Fast food also used for the sake of enjoyment and fun. It is also evaluated that prolonged use of fast food is also a cause of health problems, obesity, indigestion problem and high cholesterol. Due to good taste and fluent availability people prefer fast food over home cooked food. Fast food is also a major cause of avoiding proper nutrition. People prefer fast food at their workplace due to their busy schedules. Age and Education have negative correlation with the likeness, consumption and spending money on fast food. However, with the increase in income there will be more likeness toward fast food. Keywords: Fast food, Obesity, high cholesterol, Junk food 1. Introduction Fast food denoted as food that can be cooked and dished up swiftly. Theyre admired as they serve filling foods that taste fine with low expenditures. Nevertheless, the food is frequently made with cheap items such as high fat beef, classy grains and added sugar fats, rather than nourishing ingredients, for instance, lean meats, fresh fruits, and vegetables. In earlier period people used to consume vigorous, freshly ready food with their relatives in the residence. Nowadays though, several people, mainly young people, have a preference to consume junk food such as hamburgers, fried chicken, Shawarma, or pizza. There are various causes for the fame of fast food. One of the major reasons is the modifying in standard of living. Many people functioning long hours, shifts, or comprehensive school days. They don’t have time to discover ingredients or organize good food. A further reason is the enormous number of young, well off people. In most of countries larger amount of people are young population so they spend more money on fast food. Fast food restaurants regularly target kids with television and Internet promotion. Children meals with bright covering and mini toys appeal to young children, but they are loaded with fat, sodium and additional sugars. The rise of babyhood fatness and other ailments such as diabetes may be connected to the lofty fat and sodium content of these detrimental fast food meals. The ill consequence of fast food and the probable hazard that it possesses by its usual eating is outrageous. Chubbiness, increase in cholesterol levels, dietary deficiencies, cardiac disorders, loss of muscle mass, depression, sexual dysfunction, asthma, strokes, type 2 diabetes, cancer (kidney / uterine / colon / breast / esophagus), liver disease, and cardiovascular diseases can all be caused by eating fast food on a regular basis. Advertising is a gigantic wickedness when it comes to junk. Businesses take benefit of this tool to attract kids, particularly with good deals and offers on food ordered. Television ads and those in print have a way of creeping up on children right down to when theyre toddlers, building upon brand devotion before they can even get the name right of the burger their sinking their little teeth into. Fast food, though it is expedient and a delicious addition to a diet, can have serious health and communal effects. People should learn to choose fast food cautiously. Not all snack food is bad. Today, progressively fast food restaurants are offering improved options and new menu items. This paper reviews the trend and effects of fast food on the society of Pakistan. 1 Food Science and Quality Management ISSN 2224-6088 (Paper) ISSN 2225-0557 (Online) Vol . 11, 2013 www. iiste. org 2. Literature Review The fast food business, initially conceived in Southern California during the 1940s, not only changed the eating habits of Americans, but also those in several other countries around the world, plus Asian countries (Schlosser, 2001). Fast food utilization increased radically in Pakistan. Aspects having impact on customers food choices are; attraction for eating out, socialization, urbanization, taste for college and university students, expediency for dualincome families in Pakistan, and numerous other (Baig and Saeed, 2012). Globalization has influenced the manufacturing and processing of food plus its sales, arrangements and utilization and with growing relative significance of snacks, burgers, pizzas and fizzy drinks, people are snacking in a new way. Urbanization is also one of the issues leading to alter lifestyles and augmented income and sovereignty of young people, as it had been stated that requirement for food is related with the lifestyle of urban areas (Pingali, 2004). Utilization of western style food increased as the income level of developing countries increased (Regmi and Dyck, 2001). A study carried out by a group of researchers in Houston illustrated that just 3% of kids’ meals offered at a range of fast food restaurants met dietary standards describe by the National School Lunch Program (Wood, 2009). Research also evaluated that those who ate fast food at home were more probable to be heavy (MacFarlane et al. , 2009). The researchers also showed that those students who attended school close to fast food restaurants were heavier than their corresponding persons who attended school not next to a fast food restaurant (Davis and Carpenter, 2009). Howard, Fitzpatrick and Fulfrost (2011) sought to find associations between schools located near fast food restaurants, convenience stores, and supermarkets and the rates of overweight students in California. In Turkey just 15% of participants reported consuming the recommended daily amount of fruits and vegetables. Nearly one-third of participants said that they choose junk food or fast food as a daily snack, and the same number also reported having fast food once or more daily (Akman et al. , 2010). Goyal and Singh (2007) estimate importance of various factors affecting the choice of fast food outlets by Indian young consumers. They indicate that the young Indian consumer has passion for visiting fast food outlets for fun and change but home food is their first choice. They feel homemade food is much better than food served at fast food outlets. Lots of people take pleasure in eating fast food every day, although they might have never recognized about its terrible effect to their health. One of the syndromes that causes from consuming fast food is cancer (Serve et al. , 1980). Shockingly, the anticipated causes of cancer in the U. S. in 1993 demonstrated that the cause from diet because of high fat and fried food to create cancer can be about 25 % (Watson Mufti, 1995). Policy makers in numerous cities have countered by limiting the accessibility or content of fast food, or by requiring posting of the caloric content of the meals (Abdollah, 2007; Mcbride, 2008; Mair et al. 2005). Jekanowski, Binkley, and Eales (2001) inspected the effect of price, income, and demographic uniqueness on fast food. Ekelund and Watson (1991) also found that fast food utilization was empirically associated to opportunity costs of the household. 3. Objectives This research has following objectives: 1. 2. 3. To find out the intensity of fast food trend in Pakistan. To corroborate the effects of fast food on people of Pakistan To verify the association of demographics with research questions 4. Methodology Data had been conducted using questionnaire as a data collection instrument. Questionnaire included close ended questions for the convenience of respondents. Most of the questions were on Likert Scale ranging from â€Å"strongly disagree to strongly agree†. Data had been collected from 398 respondents, who belong to different demographics. Simple random sampling as a sampling technique had selected. There SPSS and Microsoft Excel had used to complied the results. Microsoft Excel for tabulation and graphs while SPSS for descriptive and inferential analysis. 5. Empirical Results Results has presented graphically, descriptively and inferentially. 2 Food Science and Quality Management ISSN 2224-6088 (Paper) ISSN 2225-0557 (Online) Vol . 11, 2013 www. iiste. org 5. 1 Graphical Presentation Data has also shown by using graphs to demonstrate more expediency in viewing results. Chart No. 1: Time of Buying Fast Food What time would you normally buy fast food? before 12 pm between 12 to 3 pm between 3 to 6 pm between 6 to 9 pm 10 pm or later. Above pie chart (chart no. 1) shows that people normally buy fast food between 6 pm to 9 pm as it covers the maximum portion in the chart. However, the least portion shows that very few people buy fast food before 12 pm. Chart no. 2: Reason of eating fast food Reason of eating fast food Nuclear Joint Bar chart (Chart no. 2) shows that mostly people eat fast food due to its taste. Bars show that there was greater nuclear family system than joint family system. However, in case of price as the reason of eating fast food, joint family system have taller bar. 5. 2 Descriptive Analysis. Now there is descriptive analysis of data using frequency and their percentages. 3 Food Science and Quality Management ISSN 2224-6088 (Paper) ISSN 2225-0557 (Online) Vol . 11, 2013 www. iiste. org Table No. 1: Descriptive Analysis of Research Questions Strongly Disagree Research Questions Mostly people like fast food Usually people like to eat fast food outside Fast food is a status symbol Hunger can be satisfied by fast food Every type of people eats fast food Fast food saves cost Almost every member of the family like fast food You eat fast food just for the sake of fun enjoyment. People prefer fast food over continental food Fast food is a cause of high cholesterol Fast food is a major cause of obesity Most of people face indigestion problem due to fast food eating Prolonged use of fast food causes major health problem People prefer fast food over home cooked food due to taste and fluent availability Fast food is a major cause of avoiding proper nutrition Most of people prefer fast food at their workplace Most of the people are addictive to fast food F Disagree % F % Neutral F % Strongly Agree Agree F % F % Total F % 21 5. 3 27 6. 8 85 21. 4 153 38. 4 112 28. 1 398 100 18 4. 5 58 14. 6 69 17. 3 164 41. 2 89 22. 4 398 100 46 11. 6 110 27. 6 83 20. 9 119 29. 9 40 10. 1 398 100 36 9 82 20. 6 80 20. 1 158 39. 7 42 10. 6 398 100 39 9. 8 119 29. 9 100 25. 1 98 24. 6 42 10. 6 398 100 93 23. 4 178 44. 7 62 15. 6 51 12. 8 14 3. 5 398 100 32 8 81 20. 4 68 17. 1 157 39. 4 60 15. 1 398 100 24 6 50 12. 6 77 19. 3 169 42. 5 78 19. 6 398 100 40 10. 1 129 32. 4 116 29. 1 62 15. 6 51 12. 8 398 100 13 3. 3 42 10. 6 72 18. 1 162 40. 7 109 27. 4 398 100 22 5. 5 41 10. 3 89 22. 4 146 36. 7 100 25. 1 398 100 12 3 48 12. 1 110 27. 6 150 37. 7 78 19. 6 398 100. 17 4. 3 47 11. 8 67 16. 8 160 40. 2 107 26. 9 398 100 57 14. 3 85 21. 4 67 16. 8 121 30. 4 68 17. 1 398 100 21 5. 3 46 11. 6 71 17. 8 163 41 97 24. 4 398 100 14 3. 5 53 13. 3 91 22. 9 171 43 69 17. 3 398 100 20 5 48 12. 1 94 23. 6 153 38. 4 83 20. 9 398 100 Table no. 1 shows that most of the people liked to eat fast food. Usually people are fond of eating fast food outside. Whether fast food a status symbol or not, final results cannot be concluded as there is minimal difference between agree and disagree responds. Most of the people agreed that hunger can be satisfied by fast food. Respondents disagreed about eating fast food by every type of people. Fast food does not save any cost as retorting by respondents. Most of the respondents agreed that almost every member of the family like fast food. Fast food also used for the sake of enjoyment and fun. People do not prefer fast food over continental food. Prolonged use of fast food is also a cause of health problems, obesity, indigestion problem and high cholesterol. Due to good taste and fluent availability people prefer fast food over home cooked food. Fast food is also a major cause of avoiding proper nutrition. People prefer fast food at their workplace. Moreover, fast food is also an addiction for most of the people. 5. 3 Inferential Analysis To verify the results inferentially Pearson’s Chi-Square and Correlation has applied. Age, Education and Income has chosen from demographics to corroborate their association with research questions. 4 Food Science and Quality Management ISSN 2224-6088 (Paper) ISSN 2225-0557 (Online) Vol . 11, 2013 www. iiste. org Table no. 2: Pearson’s Chi-Square and Correlation Demographics Age Education Income Research Questions Mostly people like fast food. People spend almost 25% of their income on fast food Every type of people eats fast food Fast food is a major cause of obesity Most of people face indigestion problem due to fast food eating Prolonged use of fast food causes major health problem Most of the people are addictive to fast food Mostly people like fast food People spend almost 25% of their income on fast food Most of people face indigestion problem due to fast food eating Prolonged use of fast food causes major health problem Mostly people like fast food Chi-Square 0. 007 0. 000 0. 002 0. 019. Correlation -0. 199 -0. 285 -0. 048 -0. 103 0. 006 0. 003 0. 048 0. 036 0. 005 -0. 171 -0. 143 -0. 126 -0. 172 -0. 113 0. 002 0. 047 0. 017 -0. 08 -0. 06 0. 021 Table no. 2 shows demographics association with research question. However, only significant values have opted for succinct review. Age has association with likeness of fast food by most of the people. It has negative correlation with age. This means with the increase in age there is less likeness of fast food. Spending almost 25% of income on fast food has also associated with age with negative correlation. People spend less money on fast food with the increase in age. Moreover, as the older people hesitate to consume fast food so there are less health problems in older people as compared to younger ones. Education is also associated with likeness of fast food. It shows negative correlation which means with the increase of education there is less likeness of fast food. Higher educated people also spend less wealth on fast food. Moreover, educated people are well aware of fast food affects on health so they have less health problems as compared to less educated people. Furthermore, income is also associated with likeness of fast food. It shows positive correlation so with the increase in income level there is greater likeness toward fast food. 6. Discussions Fast food is convenient and tasty though it prepared with low nourishing or unhealthy ingredients. Hamburgers, fried chicken, Shawarma, or pizza are famous junk foods. People with much busy schedule mostly consume this type of food. Core population, who eat fast food and spent money on it vigorously are youngsters. Fast food companies are targeting kids and youngster through great promotion strategies, delicious recipes and attractive advertisement. There are much greater side effects of fast food and people are unaware of its ill consequences. Chubbiness, increase in cholesterol levels, dietary deficiencies, cardiac disorders, loss of muscle mass, depression, sexual dysfunction, asthma, strokes, type 2 diabetes, cancer (kidney / uterine / colon / breast / esophagus), liver disease, cancer and cardiovascular diseases can all be caused by eating fast food on a regular basis. Many researchers worked on fast food. They find out the origin, effects and consequences of junk food. The aspects having impact on customers food choices are; attraction for eating out, socialization, urbanization, globalization, taste for college and university students, expediency for dual-income families, and numerous other. Researchers also evaluated that about one-third population consume fast food. The results of this research showed that in Pakistan normally people used to eat and buy fast food between 6 pm to 9 pm. In Pakistan Nuclear family system and joint family system both consume fast food due to its taste. Joint family system is more conscious about price than nuclear family system. Most of people like fast food and prefer to eat outside their homes. According to MacFarlane et al. (2009) the people who ate fast food at home were more probable to be heavy. Therefore, eating outside is bit better option. Whether fast food a status symbol or not, final results cannot be concluded as there is minimal difference between agree and disagree responds. Most of the people agreed that hunger can be satisfied by fast food as there are many 5 Food Science and Quality Management ISSN 2224-6088 (Paper) ISSN 2225-0557 (Online) Vol . 11, 2013 www. iiste. org fatty and oily ingredients. Junk food cannot be eaten by every type of people. People who are health conscious do not prefer to eat this kind of food. Results also showed that fast food does not save cost. There are many expensive deals with offered by most of the restaurants which target high income families. Almost every member of the family like fast food, this fact is almost true for nuclear family system. As in nuclear family system most of the family members are youngsters. Fast food also used for the sake of enjoyment and fun. This result is related to the research by Goyal and Singh (2007) who indicate that the young consumer has passion for visiting fast food outlets for fun and change. However, people use continental food over fast food. Prolonged use of fast food is also a cause of health problems, obesity, indigestion problem and high cholesterol. Due to good taste and fluent availability people prefer fast food over home cooked food; this result is contradictory to the research by Goyal and Singh (2007) who evaluated the preference of homemade cooking by people. Fast food is also a major cause of avoiding proper nutrition. According to Akman et al. (2010) 15% population is consuming the recommended daily amount of fruits and vegetables. Nearly one-third of participants choose junk food or fast food as a daily snack, and the same number also reported having fast food once or more daily. People prefer fast food at their workplace due to their busy schedules. Moreover, fast food is also an addiction for most of the people. The results are also validated inferentially by using Pearson’s Chi-square and correlations to ensure demographics association with research questions. Only three demographics have selected, i. e. age, education and income. Age has association with likeness of fast food by most of the people with negative correlation. This means with the increase in age there is less likeness toward fast food. Spending almost 25% of income on fast food has also associated with age with negative correlation. People spend less money on fast food with the increase in age as youngsters have more passion toward it. Moreover, as the older people hesitate to consume fast food so there are less health problems in older people as compared to younger ones due to consumption of fast food. Education is also associated with likeness of fast food. It shows negative correlation which means with the increase of education there is less likeness of fast food. Higher educated people also spend less wealth on fast food. Moreover, educated people are well aware of fast food affects on health so they have less health problems as compared to less educated people. Additionally, income is also associated with likeness of fast food. It shows positive correlation so with the increase in income level there is greater likeness toward fast food. This outcome is interrelated with the research by Regmi and Dyck (2001) who evaluated that utilization of western style food increased as the income level of developing countries increased. 7. Conclusion. Fast food is convenient and tasty though it prepared with low nourishing or unhealthy ingredients. Youngsters spend more money on junk food. Fast food companies are targeting kids and youngster through great promotion strategies, delicious recipes and attractive advertisement. There are much greater side effects of fast food and people are unaware of its ill consequences. It can tend to many detrimental diseases. People consume fast food between 6 pm to 9 pm. Nuclear and Joint both family systems like fast food due to its taste. People like to eat fast food, outside their homes. Hunger can be satisfied with fast food. Moreover, fast food is not a cost effective mean. Fast food also used for the sake of enjoyment and fun. It is also evaluated that prolonged use of fast food is also a cause of health problems, obesity, indigestion problem and high cholesterol. Due to good taste and fluent availability people prefer fast food over home cooked food. Fast food is also a major cause of avoiding proper nutrition. People prefer fast food at their workplace due to their busy schedules. Moreover, fast food is also an addiction for most of the people. Age and Education have negative correlation with the likeness, consumption and spending money on fast food. However, with the increase in income there will be more likeness toward fast food. 8. Limitations and Suggestions Due to less finance data had been collected only from one city of Pakistan, i. e. Lahore. Futuristic researchers must cover other cities, particularly major cities of Pakistan for better results. Some other sampling techniques can also be applied. 6 Food Science and Quality Management ISSN 2224-6088 (Paper) ISSN 2225-0557 (Online) Vol . 11, 2013 www. iiste. org 9. Recommendations It is recommended that fast food restaurants should use healthy ingredients in making of fast food. Parents should keep an eye on the diet of their children. Excess and prolonged use of junk food can have many ill consequences. Moreover, policy makers should limit or ban the unhealthy fast food restaurants. Media should spread awareness among people about the side effects of fast food. References Abdollah, T. (2007) A Strict Order for Fast Food. Los Angeles Times, A-1, Akman, M. , Akan, H. , Izbirak, G. , Tanriover, O. , Tilev, S. , Yildiz, A. , Hayran, O. (2010). Eating patterns of Turkish adolescents: a cross-sectional survey. Nutrition Journal, 967. Baig, A. K. Saeed, M. (2012). Review of Trends in Fast Food Consumption. European Journal of Economics, Finance and Administrative Sciences. 48. 77-85. Chang, H. , and Nayga, R. r. (2010). Childhood obesity and unhappiness: The influence of soft drinks and fast food consumption. Journal of Happiness Studies, 11(3), 261-275. Davis, B. , Carpenter, C. (2009). Proximity of Fast-Food Restaurants to Schools and Adolescent Obesity. American Journal of Public Health, 99(3), 505-510. Ekelund, R. B. Jr. , Watson, J. K. (1991). Restaurant Cuisine, Fast Food and Ethnic Edibles: An Empirical Note on Household Meal Production. Kyklos, 44(4), 613-27. Goyal, A. , Singh, N. P. (2007). Consumer perception about fast food in India: an exploratory study. British Food Journal, 109(2), 182–195. Howard, P. H. , Fitzpatrick, M. , Fulfrost, B. (2011). Proximity of food retailers and rates of overweight ninth grade students: an ecological study in California. BMC Public Health, 11(1), 68-75. Jekanowski, M. D. , Binkley, J. K. , Eales, J. (2001). Convenience, Accessibility, and the Demand for Fast Food. Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, 26(1), 58-74. MacFarlane, A. , Cleland, V. , Crawford, D. , Campbell, K., Timperio, A. (2009). Longitudinal examination of the family food environment and weight status among children. International Journal of Pediatric Obesity, 4(4), 343352. Mair, J. , Pierce, M. , Stephen, T. (2005). The Use of Zoning to Restrict Fast Food Outlets: A Potential Strategy to Combat Obesity. The Center for Law and the Public’s Health at Johns Hopkins and Georgetown Universities. Mcbride, S. (2008). Exiling the Happy Meal, Wall Street Journal. Pingali, P. (2004). Westernization of Asian diets and the transformation of food systems: implications for research and policy. ESA Working Paper No.04-17, FAO, Rome, Italy. Regmi, A. Dyck, J. (2001). Effects of Urbanization on Global Food Demand. USDA FAS, WRS-01-1. Schlosser, E. (2001), Fast Food Nation. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Serve, A. W. (1980). Chemicals Work and Cancer. London: Nelson. Watson, R. Mufti, I. (1995). Nutrition and Cancer Prevention. Florida: CRC Press. Wood, M. (2009). Kids, Fast Food Obesity. Agricultural Research, 57(9), 20-21. 7 This academic article was published by The International Institute for Science, Technology and Education (IISTE). The IISTE is a pioneer in the Open Access Publishing service based in the U.S. and Europe. The aim of the institute is Accelerating Global Knowledge Sharing. More information about the publisher can be found in the IISTE’s homepage: http://www. iiste. org CALL FOR PAPERS The IISTE is currently hosting more than 30 peer-reviewed academic journals and collaborating with academic institutions around the world. There’s no deadline for submission. Prospective authors of IISTE journals can find the submission instruction on the following page: http://www. iiste. org/Journals/ The IISTE editorial team promises to the review and publish all the qualified submissions in a fast manner. All the journals articles are available online to the readers all over the world without financial, legal, or technical barriers other than those inseparable from gaining access to the internet itself. Printed version of the journals is also available upon request of readers and authors. IISTE Knowledge Sharing Partners EBSCO, Index Copernicus, Ulrichs Periodicals Directory, JournalTOCS, PKP Open Archives Harvester, Bielefeld Academic Search Engine, Elektronische Zeitschriftenbibliothek EZB, Open J-Gate, OCLC WorldCat, Universe Digtial Library , NewJour, Google Scholar.

Ginseng :: Essays Papers

Ginseng Basis of the Asian Science of Consumption The Asian tradition of categorizing food is based on the observation of one’s reaction after consumption. It is rooted in the theory that food provides energy for the body and mind. The proportions and forms of energy vary, some are extremely energizing while others may even weaken the body and mind (3). The Asian word for energy is ch’i, however, its translation extends far beyond the Western understanding. It is basically thought of as the spirit or essential energy existing in all beings and elements of life (water, air, earth, etc). The ch’i of a healthy person is balanced. This notion of balance is the foundation of Asian thinking represented by the symbol of â€Å"yin and yang†. Yin is the equivalent of what is dark, cold, and moist; while yang is associated with light, warm, and dry elements; thus representing balance. The notion of balance exists universally in all elements and is represented or explained by this symbol. Therefore, since o ne’s energy must be balanced in order to stay healthy, and further, since it is food that provides energy, the Asians have created a science of consumption that fuels the mind and body from within. Foods that strengthen the body by increasing or decreasing energy levels according to need are considered pu foods, usually having a tonic and stimulating effect. Foods of this nature are rare and placed at very high prices, but since they are believed to be extremely important in balancing one’s ch’i many are willing to pay the high prices in order to attain them. Anderson points out in his article, Traditional Medical Values of Food, that pu foods are â€Å"famous worldwide as examples of the bizarre things human beings will eat and pay high prices for†. Ginseng is the most highly regarded and most expensive. It has maintained a heavenly context since ancient times. It is crucial to understand the extreme significance that Asians place in food for the purpose of maintaining balance in order to assure one’s health. It is also necessary to understand that attaining this balance represents the most vital concern of life and therefore extreme measure may be taken to achieve it. A Quick Introduction to Ginseng Ginseng is the common name of the two species of the panax family, Araliaceae. Panax is the Asian species and panax quinquefolius is the American cousin (2).

Analysis of The Masque of the Red Death Essay

Writer’s Name Professor’s Name English 101 14 November 2013 Chasing Time Edgar strikes fear in the eyes of the reader as the adventure of The Masque of the Red Death takes one through the life cycle from the beginning to death. A terrible disease stormed through the country, killing anyone in it’s path. Not only was it madly gruesome, but dreadfully fatal. With only half of the kingdom left alive, Prince Prospero decided to take the route of a coward. He let the kingdom fend for themselves, while he gathered a thousand of his favorite knights and ladies and had a never-ending party, â€Å"When his dominions were half depopulated, he summoned to is presence a thousand hale and light-hearted friends from among the knights and dames of his court† (Poe 3). Once the last guest entered the gate doors, no one came in, and no one gets out (seeing as the Prince welded the gates shut). After a few months the prince decided to throw a breathtaking masquerade ball. As instructed, the guests wore elaborate costumes and masks. The party took place in a strange design and setup. A series of 7 rooms lead you from the beginning to the end of the party. Throughout all of the rooms, every single one was a bright and cheery color, all but the last room. Black dark and terrifying, what more could one want the 7th and final room to be? Poe takes the reader through a fearful Journey, never letting you sit down to have a cup of tea, never letting you feel at home. He wants to put the reader on their toes, awaiting a pop-up scene at any moment, awaiting the â€Å"Red Death†. Although his guests loved all of the light and youthful rooms, only the brave and adventurous stray away to the depressed gloomy last and final room. The final room contained numerous clocks that ring and ring every hour, with each ding the partiers stop and pause till the clocks are done. As the clocks struck midnight, everyone noticed a new guest, a very gruesome guest, â€Å"there were many individuals in the crowd who had found leisure to become aware of the presence of a masked fgure which had arrested the attention of no single individual before† (Poe 7). The Prince did not find any humor in the fact that the guest was dressed up as the â€Å"Red Death†. With that, the Prince ran after the guest. Prince Prospera ran furiously through the rooms slowly reaching the last and final room, death. Prince Prosperds party showed Poe’s amazing ability to bring symbolism and themes together to form a piece of literary artwork. As the reader visualizes the party, you see 7 rooms moving from east to west. Each room essentially is a different ‘stage’ of the human life. Every room has a different color, which suggests that stage of human life. What first gave away that the suite was set up to be viewed as a life cycle, was the arrangement of rooms from east to west. How brilliant it was to connect this life cycle of a human with the life cycle of a day. East is usually associated with beginnings and birth seeing as its the beginning of a new day. On the contrary, as the sun sets in the West, people usually associate that with the end and death. sense of rebirth. The color suggests the unknown from which a human being arrives into this world. Following that, the purple room proposes the idea of beginnings of growth, and green being the â€Å"spring† of life. Orange represents the summer and autumn of life, while white suggests aging. In the end violet, shadowy and dark, prepares you for the last room, death. Almost all but a few partiers stay clear of the black room, and why is that? It symbolizes their fear of the unknown, there fear death. â€Å"But in the western or black chamber the effect of the fire- light that streamed upon the dark hangings through the blood-tinted panes, was ghastly in the extreme, nd produced so wild a look upon the countenances of those who entered, that there were few of the company bold enough to set foot within its precincts at all† (Poe 5). As the ‘Red Death’ walks from the blue room to the black room, Prospero follows it and they walks the course of life, flowwing from birth to death. He rushes from the blue room to the black room, where he eventually dies. His party guests also run into the black room to unmask the Red Death, and also die. The course the characters walk in the story is both literally and metaphorically the course from life to death. â€Å"And now was acknowledged the presence of the Red Death. He had come like a thief in the night. And one by one dropped the revellers in the blood-bedewed halls of their revel, and died each in the despairing posture of his fall† (Poes 10). It was no coincidence that Poe wrote ‘like a thief in the night’ as an ending for his short story. This piece of scripture is one of the most famous lines from the Bible. The line derives from Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians 5:4, where he refers to the last judgement. According to Paul, Jesus or God will appear when the world is least expecting it, and Judge all sinners for all ages. Poe uses Paul’s phrase and relates it to he Red Death. In the story, the Red Death might seem like an â€Å"apocalyptic† figure, something that symbolizes the end of the world. Like the sinners in the scripture, the Prince and all of his friends stupidly ignore the inevitability of death. Instead they take in all of â€Å"lifes pleasures†, and in the end they pay the price. The only difference is that instead of a Judgement day, and giving everyone a fair chance, the Red Death happily massacres everyone. The clocks in the story symbolizes life ticking away directly in front of the partygoers faces. They stop each hour to hear the long ding-dong of the large ebony locks, â€Å"And then, for a moment, all is still, and all is silent save the voice of the clock† (Poe 6). The clock stopped ticking with the last guest’s death, and it was like the clock represented the countdown to death and the people knew it. Poe’s main goal in The Masque of the Red Death is to spawn a growing sense of horror and dread in his reader. Throughout the story the guests of Prince Prospero fear the black room almost as much as they fear death itself. The guests of the party not only give the reader the experience of the cycle of life, but an insight on Poe’s insightful use of Bible verses.

La Nina Definition, Causes, and Impacts

Spanish for little girl, La Nià ±a is the name given to the large-scale cooling of sea surface temperatures across the central and equatorial Pacific Ocean. It is one part of the larger and naturally occurring ocean-atmosphere phenomenon known as the El Nià ±o/Southern Oscillation or ENSO (pronounced en-so) cycle. La Nià ±a conditions recur every 3 to 7 years and typically last from 9 to 12 months up to 2 years. One of the strongest La Nià ±a episodes on record was that of 1988-1989 when ocean temperatures fell as much as 7 F below normal. The last La Nià ±a episode occurred during late 2016, and some evidence of La Nià ±a was seen in January of 2018. La Nià ±a vs. El Nià ±o A La Nià ±a event is the opposite of an El Nià ±o event. Waters in the equatorial regions of the Pacific Ocean are unseasonably cool. The cooler waters affect the atmosphere above the ocean, causing significant changes in climate, though usually not as significant as the changes that occur during an El Nià ±o. In fact, the positive effects on the fishing industry make La Nià ±a less of a news item than an El Nià ±o event. Both La Nià ±a and El Nià ±o events tend to develop during the Northern Hemisphere spring (March to June), peak during late fall and winter (November to February), then weaken the following spring into summer (March to June). El  Nià ±o (meaning the Christ child) earned its name because of its usual appearance around Christmas time. What Causes La Nià ±a Events You can think of La Nià ±a (and El Nià ±o) events as water sloshing in a bathtub. Water in the equatorial regions follows the patterns of the trade winds. Surface currents are then formed by the winds. Winds always blow from areas of high pressure to low pressure; the steeper the gradient difference in the pressure, the faster the winds will move from highs to lows. Off the coast of South America, changes in air pressure during a La Nià ±a event cause winds to increase in intensity. Normally, winds blow from the eastern Pacific to the warmer western Pacific. The winds create the surface currents that literally blow the top layer of water of the ocean westward. As the warmer water is moved out of the way by the wind, colder waters are exposed to the surface off the western coast of South America. These waters carry important nutrients from deeper ocean depths. The colder waters are important to fishing industries and the nutrient cycling of the ocean. How La Nià ±a Years Differ During a La Nià ±a year, the trade winds are unusually strong, leading to increased movement of water towards the western Pacific. Much like a giant fan blowing across the equator, the surface currents that form carry even more of the warmer waters westward. This creates a situation where the waters in the east are abnormally cold and the waters in the west are abnormally warm. Because of the interactions between the temperature of the ocean and the lowest air layers, the climate is affected worldwide. Temperatures in the ocean affect the air above it, creating shifts in climate that can have both regional and global consequences. How La Nià ±a Affects Weather and Climate Rain clouds form as a result of the lifting of warm, moist air. When the air doesnt get its warmth from the ocean, the air above the ocean is abnormally cool above the eastern Pacific. This prevents the formation of rain, often needed in these areas of the world. At the same time, the waters in the west are very warm, leading to increased humidity and warmer atmospheric temperatures. The air rises and the number and intensity of rainstorms increase in the western Pacific. As the air in these regional locations changes, so too does the pattern of circulation in the atmosphere, thereby affecting climate worldwide. Monsoon seasons will be more intense in La Nià ±a years, while the western equatorial portions of South America may be in drought conditions. In the United States, the states of Washington and Oregon may see increased precipitation while portions of California, Nevada, and Colorado may see drier conditions.