Theories of Philosophy on Animals

Introduction There have been different views on the place that non humans have in any acceptable moral system. The non humans usually lie on the borderline of human moral theories and principles. This means that sometimes they are regarded to have high moral standards and other times they are regarded to have low moral standards (Pluhar 67).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Theories of Philosophy on Animals specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More There is diversity in moral views especially those directed towards animals. There are three broad categories of theories of philosophy on animals. These theories include the indirect theories, moral equality theories and the direct theories. The indirect theory is supported by Immanuel Kant and Descartes. The theory holds that animals cannot be accorded the same treatment and equal moral status as human beings because of lack of reason, consciousness and autonomy. Direct theori es have a contrasting opinion to the ones of the indirect theories. The direct theories hold that animals can be accorded some moral recognition even though they are not accorded full moral status because they lack a sense of rationality and self consciousness. The moral equality theories on the other hand hold that animals should have equal moral status as human beings because animals and human infants have similarities in their mental and physiological capacities (Pluhar 71). The main difference between the direct and the moral equality theory is that the moral equality theory acknowledges that human beings and animals both experience a sense of morality and consciousness and they have almost the same mental and psychological autonomy qualities. The direct theories on the other hand believe that animals have a sense of morality but they do not have any consciousness to execute the morality that they might be having. The theories of moral equality are supported by Tom Regan and Pet er Singer. These philosophers champion for equal moral status for both human beings and animals without any reservations such as the ones held by the direct theories Peter Singer: Equal consideration of interests principles Peter has been advocating for the rights of non humans. In his article â€Å"the place of non humans in environmental issues†, he discusses various environmental issues that affect non humans (Singer 55). Singer advocates for equal consideration of interests in both human beings and animals. He therefore disagrees with the arguments that animals should be afforded less moral status than human beings. He further mentions that environmental effects such as pollution and global warming affect both human beings and animals in the same way. He suggests that these issues should be addressed with the interests of non humans in place (Singer 57). Singer also adds that animals also have sentience and that they can feel pain and suffering and they also have similar nervous systems and therefore the interests of animals must be recognized and respected just as humans respect and recognize the interests of others because they have sentience and consciousness.Advertising Looking for essay on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Singer believes that the utilitarian approach of maximum considerations should be applied to both humans and animals. He however has reservations about this theory. He believes that the equal considerations do not imply that humans and animals should be treated equally but rather their interests should be treated equally (Singer 57). Singer also believes that humans usually do away with he interest of animals so that they can satisfy theirs. They therefore do not consider the pain and suffering of animals as equal to that of humans. He gives an example of mass poisoning of pests. He explains that even though pests should be controlled, the process s hould be humane and considerations should be taken towards the interests of the animals. From singer’s perspective, animals can also suffer and therefore humans should accord them similar treatment as that of human beings. Singer calls this tendency speciesism Tom Regan and the animal rights In his article â€Å"animal rights: what is in a name† he argues that animals have rights just as human beings. He also supports the moral equality theory by attacking the indirect moral theory’s anthropocentric view which states that only humans have rights. He disagrees with the view that equal moral status should be accorded on utilitarian grounds only. He believes that the moral status should be based on rights rather than utilitarian concepts. Utilitarian concepts believes that an object only has rights when the society accepts the object and accepts that it should be accorded such rights. The utilitarian concepts hold that people with same qualities should be treated i n the same way as long as both people are accepted equally in the society. Regan’s arguments relies on the principle of inherent value. According to Regan, both humans and animals have the same values and hence they deserve equal rights (Regan 122). He believes that the inherent value of a human being means that it must be treated with respect. According to Regan, the only thing that confers marginal cases with moral rights similar to normal human beings is the subject of a life (Regan 125) Distinction between the two arguments Singer advocates that we should ensure equal considerations of the interests of humans and animals in our deliberations. Regan on the other hand focuses on the individual with the interests and not the interests themselves. Regan therefore believes that if the focus is on the interests only then immoral actions can be done on the utilitarian grounds. Regan therefore believes that if the focus is solely on rights and interests then when rights and inter ests of two parties are in conflict then the one person may be denied. Singer on the other hand believes that the level of suffering or pain that one party goes through will determine when the rights and interests of those parties should be overridden.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Theories of Philosophy on Animals specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In brief Regan’s argument on the rights of animals revolves around the inherent value concept while singer argues for equal consideration of interests of human beings and animals. Regan therefore holds that human beings should not raise animals for the sake of eating them because this way they will be a means to our end and their rights will not have been exercised Regan versus Singer’s perspective I think that Singer supported his argument effectively especially when he said that animals also experience pain subjected to them by human beings and that h umans should consider them as equals and hence their interest should also be effectively considered. I believe that this argument is better than Regan’s argument that we should consider the animals as individuals and not totally focus on the interests. This is because animals and human beings cannot be considered to be totally the same because of their difference in anatomy and the lack of consciousness in animals. Singer’s argument is therefore better placed because all living things despite being humans or animals have rights and these rights should be respected and honored. Conclusion Moral theories recognize that animals have the same rights and interests as human beings. Singer therefore cements his argument on the principle of equal consideration of interests which states that animals and humans should be given equal rights and interest regarding the environment. Regan on the other hand heavily relies on the concept of inherent value and he argues that utilizing animals as a means to our ends is morally wrong because it denies them from enjoying their rights Works Cited Pluhar, Edgar. Beyond prejudice: the moral significance of human and non human animals. Durham: Duke University Press. 1995. Print Singer, Peterson. Not for humans only: the place of non humans in environmental issues. Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing. 2008. print This essay on Theories of Philosophy on Animals was written and submitted by user Cecilia Reyes to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

How to Hone the Right Tone in Business Writing

How to Hone the Right Tone in Business Writing Where is the line between personality and professionalism in business writing tone? How much of our personality should shine through our documents? I hear this question about tone in business writing tone often in business writing courses. Many business people mistakenly hide behind templates or use corporate-speak language in an attempt to fit in and "sound professional. "Transparency" is a commonly bantered-about term, but not easily defined. We can easily sound bossy or timid when we don't mean to. Whether we like it or not, we do project an image about our competency, ease, confidence, personality, and skill in every document and message we write at work. Our business writing is a fantastic medium to convey our skills and professionalism and warmth, so we should embrace this and project the right tone. (Or, cultivate this if it needs work.) #1 Define the business writing tone you want to convey about yourself. Varying positions and industries and personalities do require unique tones.Depending on your position and field, it might be: Accessible and smart Supportive and kind Engaged and insightful In charge and the voice of authority Artistic and trendy Authoritarian Snarky but funny and smart (Caution with this. Many bloggers and some consultants adopt this and it works for only a rare few.) I strive for my business writing tone to be knowledgeable and helpful. Let's look at two extremes to find balance: unprofessional too much information (the dreaded TMI) tone contrasted with timid and stilted tone. Here is an actual too much information example, sent via Instant Message as part of an internal project team discussion, that illustrates a lack of professionalism. (This was sent by a female senior marketing manager to her team, comprised of men and women, in the US and abroad, some of whom she knew well and some she had never met): "Be back in a bit to chat away and answer IMs! I am off to work out my booty at break. Going back to Florida in 20 days! WOOT" This fails - badly - because it was irrelevant to any real work discussion and unprofessional. "Booty" isn't an appropriate topic to chat up with business colleagues, unless they are also your very close friends, and even then shouldn't be put in writing. Everything you write at work belongs to your employer and is discoverable in any legal review. I'm guessing no one wants a review of his or her booty workouts as part of a professional evaluation. This example is extremely off the mark because it also was sent to an international audience. Wider audience matters. And, wider audiences have varying perceptions. This writer works in a very casual satellite office located in Los Angeles, California, where communication norms are more relaxed than other areas. It's possible (but unlikely) that this extremely relaxed banter is acceptable within her local, small work group, but we need to keep focus on our wider audience as well. An older businessman from Asia (her boss) sent this example to me because he viewed it as extremely unprofessional. As a condition to keep her job, she was required to work with me to develop an authentic, but professional, voice in all her communication. Conversely, here is an example that is too stiff and timid, sent via email from the head of a work area to colleagues who lead other work areas. While I would love for the needs of all three departments to be factored in, however, I can also appreciate that your respective organizations have its own project list where you may or may not be able to allocate resources to work on this project. If that were the case, then we will take another approach towards selecting a solution. Please let me know your thoughts on this and if you are conceptually in agreement, then the name(s) of people in your respective group who would service as the functional lead on the project. I can then reach out to them to organize a kick-off meeting. If you feel that you will be unable to allocate resources to this project this year, then I would understand and would appreciate you letting me know about that too. This fails - less badly - because the writer's request is so indirect and tentative that it lacks authority. This doesn't convey the tone of someone competently in charge of leading a business unit with clear vision and confidence. #2 How then, can we be authentic and transparent, but not bleed all over our audience or be too timid? How do we hit the right balance? Easy: Always envision your audience. Provide the information that suits your audience's needs. In the first example, by simply considering her wider audience before sending this message, the writer would have known immediately that her international boss would not want to hear about a booty workout. In the second instance, the writer would realize colleagues need competent recommendations, not timid requests. Because we first have defined the tone in business writing that is right for our honest personality and position, we will naturally find the balance by matching this to audience. This works every time. Business communication is not about broadcasting or false personas. It's about connection. I do not advocate self-censorship of personality, beliefs, and way of being, but I do believe we must frame our message so our readers respect it. Too often in business, we forget it's really a human to human connection occurring. It is good business to bring our authentic selves to a mutual meeting place with our audience so we hear each other, so sales are made, skills gained, businesses grow and perspectives widen. Ready to commit to improving your business writing so that it becomes a career asset?

Google Company - People Management practices Research Paper

Google Company - People Management practices - Research Paper Example It mainly specializes in the internet engine and allied advertising services. It primarily operates in the U.S, U.K and other countries in the global scene. It is based in California and employs over 20, 000 people. The company is not only known for its innovation and prowess in technology but also for its special HR practices and culture. Its HR practice is known as ‘People Operation’ and it is based on value of the employee relationship and respect. This keeps the employees highly motivated and improves their efficiency and productivity. Approach to Employee Rewards and Motivation In the company’s workplace, employees are considered to be the most important asset. This is owing to the fact that employees perform basic tasks in the organization that are aimed at achieving the company’s goals and objectives. It is important for employees to perform their duties in a positive environment that motivates them to maintain an optimistic attitude that improves th eir productivity. Google takes employee rewards and motivation seriously and has established motivation and rewards practices. In addition to the competent hiring process, Google employs compensation practices to gain a competitive advantage over its rivals. Google’s reward and compensation system is pay for performance based (Great Place to work, 2009). This means that the employees are motivated to deliver quality output so as to get a higher pay. Additionally, the company’s stock option organization ensures that employees get rewarded for the company’s equity linked growth. It was surprising that all the workers requested for a wage reduction in the year 2005 to 2006. These benefits and rewards help the company to recruit employees and motivate them towards achieving the goals and objectives. The employees take part in a wide range of extra curricula activities such as cycling, wine tasting and travelling which keeps them highly motivated and have the desired to work in the company throughout their lives. The company was ranked as the best workplace in the U.S by Fortune magazine in 2009 (Datamonitor, 2009). The company’s goal is to provide rewards and do away with all the obstacles that get in the way of their duties and responsibilities. Some of the rewards include top class dining facilities, laundry rooms, gyms, massage rooms, carwashes, dry cleaning and commuting services. The company believes in the provision of intrinsic and extrinsic rewards owing to the fact that employees are not motivated by monetary incentives alone. This explains the reason why the company has established a culture that highly rewards and motivates employees. One of the best ways of maintaining the company’s culture is by maintaining rewards. Together with its compensation and conventional extrinsic benefits including health and dental benefits, vacation packages, insurance, tuition reimbursement and flex spending accounts, the company also ha s unique benefits. These include an eighteen weeks maternity period at full pay. Additionally, parents get extra benefits during this period that make things easier. They are provided with an allowance to cater for the meals of the newborn and a back- up childcare plan. The company also contributes towards the legal expenses associated with child adoption. These are just some of the extrinsic rewards offered at Google. However, it is clear to note that people who work at the company are motivated by other reasons besides the rewards. They enjoy the freedom and

Discussion question Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 7

Discussion question - Assignment Example The model looks to the safety of patients, and their care as far as health coordination system is concerned. It also oversees the provision of self-management skills to the patients (Stellefson, Dipnarine & Stopka, 2013). The chronic care model is being used to care for diabetes patients in the United States in the basic care setting. The model is supposed to measure the indicators of the disease for example self-efficacy for disease management and clinical decision-making. It is designed address the needs of people suffering from chronic diseases. Stellefson, Dipnarine and Stopka (2013) insist that there is a need for increased skills in the management of chronic diseases. And more so in the primary care setting where there is much need for a better leadership and quality caregiving and also improved practice. Advanced Practice Nurses are well suited in this area because they have skills and can address the nature of chronic diseases that require complex

Literature Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 7

Literature Review - Essay Example Anxiety disorders are common in the contemporary society and causes suffering on people that are adversely affect members of the population. Research has shown that anxiety disorders are the most common mental issues as explained by Kessler et al. (2005:617). Large scale epidemiological studies conducted in the US have shown that 25-30 percent (Kessler et al. 2005:618). It can be observed that other surveys that were conducted in Western nations such as Great Britain, Canada and Australia (Andrews et al., 2001:143). Additionally, anxiety was found to be the leading mental health issue by the World Health Organisation. In addition to the high occurrence rates of anxiety issues that were found in the population, a considerable number of individuals were found to have anxiety levels that are not up to the clinical levels. Worry is the major indicator of the anxiety disorders that is common among the general population. Numerous studies have been conducted on the role of physical exercise in preventing exercise. Others have concentrated on the efficiency of exercise in alleviating anxiety disorders. These studies have stated that there is a link between frequent physical exercise and individuals’ well-being. According to Steptoe and Butler (1996:1792) a research that was conducted on 5061 people revealed that there is a well-established correlation between emotional well-being and regular physical exercise. Later Steptoe (1997) found that there was a strong inverse connection between frequent exercise and depression levels in a sample of 16, 483 participants of college students after taking into account the impacts of gender and age. Subsequently, Stephens (1988:45) conducted a research on American and Canadian participants and found a similar trend. This means that there was a negative relationship between frequent exercise and depression symptoms. In this study factors including physical illness, sex, age and other

Effectiveness of Leech Therapy

Effectiveness of Leech Therapy It has been estimated that there are about 60,000 miles or more blood vessels within a human body where blood, gases and nutrients are being circulated. Any blockage of these vessels will cause blood congestion at the site and thus give rise to various vascular diseases. For instance, a congested coronary artery will cause heart attacks, and a congested carotid artery will cause strokes. Other common examples are inflammatory reactions, haematomas, deep vein thrombosis, and so on. Hidurotherapy, also known as the leech therapy, is an ancient remedy now being revived and evaluated scientifically, hoping that it could be a one cure for all these diseases and provide a much more effective yet safer treatment. So, how a leech can cure and is it really more effective over currently used drugs in treating vascular congestion and related diseases? The mechanism behind hidurotherapy can be simplified as such: when a leech bites a target, the patient will not feel much pain because its saliva contains special anaesthetics. It then starts its active feeding by sucking the blood. At the same time, the saliva which also contains various components that prevent the formation of blood clot at the wound and allow it to flow continuously for hours even after the leech has been removed. This situation is known as passive bleeding. I have classified the leech treatment into 3 common types based on these effects of saliva contents and their applications. Type 1: Hirudin as an anticoagulant It has been recognised that the acute coronary syndromes involving the atherosclerotic plaques or thrombus has direct connection to the thrombin in the blood. Thrombin triggers platelet aggregation and gives rise to fibrin clot formation. Intravenous heparin, aspirin, and anti-ischemic medications are the standard treatments provided by hospitals. Hirudin appears to have more advantages when compared to heparin. It can act independently while heparin works indirectly with anti-thrombin III as its cofactor. As a result of this, heparin is not effective when it comes to the fibrin clot that already has thrombin bounded to it. In addition, platelet factor 4 or plasma proteins might neutralise the effect of heparin. Some patients might even develop thrombocytopenia, which affects 5 to 15 percent of the patient population. In such cases, hirudin is highly selective for thrombin and is not affected by peptides and enzymes in the blood. It binds with thrombin to form an inactive hirudin-thrombin complex and halts the conversion of fibrinogen into insoluble fibrin. Another highlight of hirudin would be its stability as its form can remain unchanged when it is removed from the body through urination. Overdosage of hirudin is very rare, if such cases really happen, there is no antidote because no antagonists for it have been found. This would be the disadvantage of hirudin but its usage remains safe as long as the doctors prescribe living leeches according to standard recommendations. In a research, patients with acute coronary syndromes were randomly given either intravenous heparin and hirudin placebo or hidurin and heparin placebo on a double blind basis. This led to the possibility of comparing the effect of hirudin and heparin in treating coronary syndromes and preventing deaths. The outcome results showed that hirudin had significantly decreased the risk of death or myocardial infarction or reinfarction over hours of study compared to heparin. In long term, hirudin still displays significant advantage over heparin in reducing the risk of death or myocardial infarction or reinfarction. Type 2: Removal of blood via active feeding and passive bleeding Detached body tissues or limbs can be reattached, transferred or transplanted through modern reconstructive surgeries. Microsurgical techniques are being used to restore the blood vessels supplying blood and oxygen to the connecting tissues or limbs to enable their survival. However, often we see that after a complicated reconstructive surgery, venous congestion occurs at the connecting tissues due to the formation of blood clot after a venous outflow. Thus, the blood cannot be circulated and the tissue flap will eventually die off and is lost if the congestion prolonged. It is then vital to remove excess blood accumulated at the site so that risk of cell death can be minimised. Moreover, it provides time for the ingrowth of new venous outflow from the surrounding normal tissues. Surgical revision is rarely possible or successful to fix the problem. When venous congestion threatens a tissue flap, live medicinal leeches (Hirudo medicinalis) are placed on the congested tissue to remove excess blood. The application of medicinal leeches to a congested tissue flap reportedly increases blood flow within congested tissue directly via active feeding and indirectly by passive bleeding from the bite after the leech detaches. The continued passive emission of blood following leech detachment assists in the decongestion process. It is facilitated by the actions and interactions among different salivary secretions of the leech, and platelet aggregation inhibitors. Type 3: Effects of other substances in the leech saliva As the leech saliva also contains anti-inflammatory and anaesthetics substances, the patient will feel no pain being bitten. This special effect attributes towards the treatment of diseases such as arthritis of the joint. Although arthritis belongs to immunological disorder, the inflammation around the joints causes pain to the patients. Therefore, leech therapy might be useful in soothing the pain suffered with the anti-inflammatory and anaesthetics substances. A study designed by researchers from Germanys Academic Teaching Hospital showed that one application of leeches to the area can reduce pain 60% for more than 60 days. Besides that, the results also showed that it is even more effective than Diclofenac. Diclofenac is a group of drugs that is commonly used to treat pain or inflammation caused by arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis by reducing the hormones causing such symptoms.  [2]   There was also a previous leech therapy for knee osteoarthritis that gave significant pain relief for over a week differences for function, stiffness, and total symptoms remained significant in favour of leech therapy until the end of study and for quality of life until day 28. Ann Intern Med. 2003 Nov 4;139(9):724-30.  Effectiveness of leech therapy in osteoarthritis of the knee: a randomized,controlled trial.  Michalsen A, Klotz S, Là ¼dtke R, Moebus S, Spahn G, Dobos GJ. Alternatives Recombinant Hirudin A leechs saliva contains limited amount of natural hirudin, so the idea of mass hirudin extraction for treatments is almost impractical as this will multiply the cost. One possible solution to this is to synthesise a similar substance. Scientists have previously cloned the cDNA for hirudin and it is expressed in yeast. However, the resulting recombinant protein was found to be produced in the unsulfated form, which is known to have an at least 10 times lower affinity for thrombin than the naturally occurring tyrosine-sulfated hirudin. Recombinant hirudin has been approved by United States FDA to be produced and applied commercially. It can be an alternative when living leeches are not available and the patient seems to develop intolerance against heparin. The dosage must be calculated properly in order to reduce the risk of side effects. Hirudin Heparin Recombinant Hirudin Advantages Led to a very consistent anticoagulant effect over time, independently of the use of thrombolytic therapy, a feature that represents a practical advantage Inexpensive, performed well as an antithrombin agent in the current trial and should still be regarded as the standard therapy Demonstrable and consistant effect, especially on the rate of reinfarction, in the group of patients with acute coronary syndromes as a whole Disadvantages Excessive usage will increase bleeding risk Not infrequently engenders an immune thrombocytopenia, which can result in serious thrombotic complications Small clinical effect Table 1: Comparison between hirudin, heparin, and recombinant hirudin by means of advantages and disadvantages Hementin Hementin is a unique secretion in the saliva of Amazon Giant Leech (Haementeria ghilianii). As shown in Figure 2, it inhibits the coagulation of blood differently with hirudin by breaking down the fibrinogen. Because Haementeria ghilianii does not belong to the order of Arhynchobdellida but Rhynchobdellida, therefore it was not recognised as medicinal leech. However, Maurice Moloney, professor of plant biotechnology at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada discovered that while hirudin prevents clot formation, hementin dissolves a particular kind of platelet-rich clot that can cause stroke and heart attack and against which clot busters like streptokinase and urokinase are ineffective.  [3]   Mechanical Leech A leech-induced skin wound on a congested fasciocutaneous tissue flap will bleed passively for a number of hours with 90 percent of blood emission within 5 hours after leech detachment. However, after 3 hours, passive blood loss averages only 2.9 ml. Furthermore, increases of maximum surface perfusion only extend 8 mm from the leech bite during passive bleeding. As suggested by these prior results, passive blood loss from a single leech bite should not be relied on to sufficiently decongest an impaired tissue flap, even after a relatively large active blood meal. There is the potential, however, of augmenting passive blood loss volumes with the use of a mechanical device that facilitates the antithrombogenic environment of a congested tissue flap. Such a mechanical device may encourage increased tissue viability. Increases in blood loss volumes may translate into improved postoperative blood perfusion in congested tissue flaps, resulting in improved tissue flap viability and survival . Implications Environmental, Economic: disposal, release to the wild, pollution, disrupts food chain, expensive for medical purposes, but lucrative for pharmaceutical industries Ethical, Social: reject the chance giving better treatment for patients, risk of side effects (bleeding), fear, can be overcome by mechanical leeches Evaluation Conclusion It can be seen that leech therapy is somehow more effective than modern drugs. However, it raises a few more questions like why we do not just extract the leech contents to treat the patients directly with it? I think it is because even though numerous studies and researches have been carried out, there are still some uncertain areas need to be recognised and solved. Besides that, the current situation allows us to avoid overdose of leech contentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦etc.

The Country of Pointed Firs Essay -- Literary Analysis

The Country of Pointed Firs transcends the boundaries of a traditional story in attempt to grasp the realism of the country landscape in a more generous form. The book contains little to no drama, but instead focuses on description of dialect, landscape, and gesture. The narrator meditates upon the unchanged time of Dunnet Landing to describe the quality of landscape and permanence in scenes of country life. Her trip serves as a revaluation of continuance—a fixed pattern of social order and existence within the village community. Furthermore, the narrator's outsider perspective justifies the practice of defining characters in external conditions. The Country of Pointed Firs is written in local color containing character portraits and genre scenes. Local color, in a sense, is a miniature form of literature in which the writer works with anecdote and caricature. Incidentally humor derives from occurrences of real life. The local color form is appropriate to the nature of the nar rator's experience of country life in Dunnet Landing. Jewett's art of perspective informs her pictorial style with a deeply refined sense of texture. The reader is made to feel the narrator's final judgments in the closing chapter of â€Å"The Backward View,† which states an end of the narrator's return to Dunnet Landing. The concluding scene is a moment of farewell between the narrator and Dunnet Landing as she stands at the crossing of two paths—the village life and the city to which she must return. The narrator sits upon a hill and oversees her surroundings, closely observing Mrs. Todd whose distant figure â€Å"looked mateless and appealing† (129). Mrs. Todd's attitude of sorrow and isolation reveals deeper insights into her character. Though Mrs. Todd earlier â€Å"... ...n Mrs. Todd came back and found her lodger gone. So we die before our own eyes; so we see some chapters of our lives come to their natural end† (129). The closed and quiet summer of village life has come to a swift end. The narrator departs as the tide sets in, leaving Dunnet Landing in its air of isolated stillness. The narrator's precise observations allow the reader to find insight in small moments of village life. Jewett presents a world seemingly unchanged with a mixture of remoteness and a â€Å"childish certainty of being the center of civilization† (1). The narrator's nostalgic recount of village life has about it the mood of a dream, a life remembered and not put down until long afterwards. Jewett's pictorial conventions create a feeling of impermanence akin to nostalgia assembled into long, gracefully rambled sentences authenticating her own regional style.