Timber Industry in Canada Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Timber Industry in Canada - Research Paper Example The US creates the world’s most number of wood panels, sawn wood, paper, paperboard and wood pulp, accounting for 25 to 30% of worldwide manufacture. As a result, the mutual production of the two countries accounts for 40% of the world’s manufacturing round wood and above one-third of all processed wood goods together with approximately half the world’s paper pulp. Canada has easily filled the gap by exporting 80 percent of its logged timber to United States destinations for utilization in the creation of US newspapers along with various other paper and wood products. This state of dealings has made Canada the world’s most important exporter of the main wood products. The area of North America should not be seen only as timber storehouses. In both America and Canada, forests give a broad rage of recreational profits, several of which have important financial rates in their own right. â€Å"As the old British mercantile system was dismembered in the 1840â €™s, Canada was thrown into a crisis. The square timber trade had folded up with the removal of British preferences† (Levitt 49). In the book ‘The Myth of the North American City: Continentalism Challenged’ by Michael Arthur Goldberg, John Mercer reveals that there are mostly four generally cited characteristics of the Canadian and US political structure that have been used to show the relationship among these systems. It is examined that both Canada and America are long recognized and constant democracies. He also says that the Canadian financial system has obtained its resource-based nature since earlier times. Demands for raw materials created in European urban markets guided the export of lumber fish and fur. In the early days, the Atlantic fishery was the foundation for financial... The Canadian economy is dependent on the service sector mainly, however, the timber industry, which belongs to the primary sector, happens to be one among the most popular industries that prove to be fruitful for the country. For the purpose of this research, it is not possible to obtain reliable information from primary source, therefore, in this research process the secondary method of collecting information has been adopted. Thus, secondary and qualitative research methods lead this research to vital conclusions. Along with this, the literature review is also taken into consideration. This report makes a conclusion that there exists a tough competition between Canada and the US regarding trade, so it is the responsibility of both the governments to see to it that the competition does not create any personal problems among the people of the two nations and that globalization becomes more developed and ultimately, both the countries benefit. Both countries are interdependent on each other and, thus, the rules and regulations with respect to mobility of labor, trade, free movement of goods and services should be in favor of both. The government of the two countries should work together in order to achieve a harmonious relationship between the two countries and develop the global trade as well as the mutual bond among them. In this way, it is possible that the government of Canada will be able to promote the production as well as the trade of timber.

Organisational strategy and decision making Essay

Organisational strategy and decision making - Essay Example It has also been observed that the company had set certain strategic directions for future, such as enlarging business in growing economies and empowering its competitive positioning among others. In order to mitigate the strategic issues and successfully attain the strategic directions for future, certain recommendations comprising both short and long-term have been provided. These include adopting, as well as utilising, the strategy of cost leadership and making substantial investments, especially in developing the performances of the entire workforce. Table of Contents Abstract 2 Introduction 4 Internal Audit–Strengths and Weaknesses 5 Strengths 5 Weaknesses 5 External Audit – Opportunities and Threats 6 Opportunities 6 Threats 6 Discussion 7 Evaluation 9 Conclusion 11 Recommendations 12 References 14 Introduction Strategies are fundamentally described as the ways that a particular organisation selects to compete with its key business market competitors or to comply with the requirements of the customers. In this similar context, organisational strategies are often defined as a pattern of effective policies, decisions, performances or programmes that support an organisation to accomplish its predetermined business goals and most significantly to attain significant competitive position over the major business market contenders (Rothwell, 1998). It has been apparently observed that the organisational strategies adopted as well as implemented by the organisations affect their decision-making procedures by a significant level. This is owing to the reason that the organisations deeply rely upon formulating effective strategies for the purpose of controlling as well as coordinating the information flow amid different parties such as the employees, stakeholders, investors and the customers (Fairholm, 2009). Tesco PLC is regarded as one of the biggest retailers in the entire globe which performs its business functions in 14 nations. The company employs nearly 5, 00,000 personnel and serves significant portion of customers every week (Tesco, 2013). The visions of the company are to attain utmost value from the customers that it serves and also the communities where it operates its different operational functions. Moreover, the other major vision of the company is to flourish itself as a pioneering as well as a modern company and grow its business in every region throughout the globe (Tesco, 2013). In this discussion, the internal audit of Tesco in the form of strengths as well as weaknesses and the external audit in the form of opportunities along with threats will be taken into concern. Moreover, a comprehensive analysis about the different strategic directions of the company will also be portrayed in the discussion. Internal Audit–Strengths and Weaknesses Strengths One of the major strengths of Tesco is that it is a leading organisation in the business market of the United Kingdom and is known as one of the best retail ch ains across the globe. Moreover, the other strengths of the company are strong brand recognition, increased business reputation and deliverance of superior quality products in accordance with meeting the requirements of the customers. In addition, the execution of e-retailing activities while conducting business is also regarded as the other crucial strength of the company. In this similar context, the company has acquired success due to its formulation

The Relationship Between Society And The Individual

The Relationship Between Society And The Individual New ValuesIn Brave New World Everyone else is belongs to everyone else is whispered to humans ears during their sleep in Brave New World; from the very beginning of their lives until their last day human creatures are designed to think and live as society wants them to do so, they do not have individual choices and freedom. In order to make society run smoothly, human beings are conditioned to think, make choices and live according to superior orders, which alter the real nature of humankind and abolish uniqueness. In the first chapter, Bokanovkys Process is described in details, how human beings are made, how Gammas, Epsilons, Deltas brain are stopped by chemicals not to develop as cleverly as in Alfas. One egg, one embryo, one adult-normality. But a bokanovskified egg will bud, will proliferate, will divide. From eight to ninety-six buds, and every bud will grow into a perfectly formed embryo, and every embryo into a full-sized adult. Making ninety-six human beings grow where only one grew before. Progress. ( 1st chapter) People do not have choices over their mental capability, they are created by other people when they are only embryos. Human beings act like the Creator, God. These sub-human people, namely Gammas, Deltas, Epsilons, are only capable of working and not capable of thinking, therefore, these people are the controllers of the society, who are contributing to maintenance and materialization of the social system. We also predestine and condition. We decant our babies as socialized human beings, as Alphas or Epsilons, as future sewage workers or future He was going to say future World controllers, but correcting himself, said future Directors of Hatcheries, instead. Making them sub-human is a necessary way to maintain society, because clever people may question the necessity of the system, which could be a danger for civiliation. As I mentioned before, people act like God in the novel, create people and make decisions over them, thus God as a word and phenomenon is unknown for the citizens of the new world, God is replaced by Ford. They celebrate Fords day and people say Oh, Ford! and His fordship will be down in a moment. However it is questioned by John, the savage: The Savage interrupted him. But isnt it natural to feel theres a God? Even reading plays, books, dramas is forbidden for the residents, because they are full with emotions which cannot be understood by others: Call it the fault of civilization. God isnt compatible with machinery and scientific medicine and universal happiness. You must make your choice. Our civilization has chosen machinery and medicine and happiness. Thats why I have to keep these books locked up in the safe. Theyre smut. People would be shocked it It also could be a threat to social civilization, if people started to discover how their ancestors live, their soul would be changed if they started to read poetry, for instance. When the individual feels, society reels. Lenina warned Bernard. In a uniformed world like in Brave New World, even love is a danger to social stability, because loving a particular man or woman is a unique identity, which is a threat to the social system. Instead of loving one particular man or woman, everybody loves everybody, which is in a way means loving no one. However, there are some characters in the novel, for instance Bernard, who fails to follow the rules, perhaps loving someone is a capability which is so deep in us, that is hard to abolish. Instead, there is a an alternative way which replace love which is the pure physical relationship between the two opposite sex, which is practiced by children from an early age. Go away, little girl, shouted the D.H.C. angrily. Go away, little boy! Cant you see that his fordships busy? Go and do your erotic play somewhere else. These organised sexual games undercut passion and do not allow the individual to love one particular man or woman. Individuals even subordinate their own sexual pleasure to the supposed joy of the society. Most of the people in the novel are even not aware of the real meaning of friendship, love, marriage and parenting, because they have never experienced it. These values, which are so familiar to us, are dead in Brave New World. These values were sacrificed long time ago, because they surely make people unique. Instead, people grow up in communities, which is very similar to the way orphans grow up without a family. Being old and looking different is also dangerous for the civilisation. Old people are different from younger ones, their skin is wrinkled and some of their teeth are missing. So hard for me to realize, Bernard was saying, to reconstruct. As though we were living on different planets, in different centuries. A mother, and all this dirt, and gods, and old age, and disease He shook his head. Its almost inconceivable. I shall never understand, unless you explain. In Fords world, people are drugged to look like young forever, however they have to pay a big price for that, they die earlier. When Bernard went to a holiday, he met Linda and John, who live outside of the community. They are mother and son, Linda look old and some of her teeth are missing, her only dream is to go back to the perfect world from where she was expelled because of her pregnancy. However, when she and her son returned, Linda was deliberately overdosed, because she does not fit into the society, she is different. In the novel, people are capable of killing for order without even realising it. When Johns mother, Linda is dying, John goes to the hospital to see, where he is told that she is only left a few hours to live. When she dies, John outbursts in his pain which is not understood by other people. For them, people are only replaceable, interchangable units of the society, being loved and loosing that particular person are so out of their rich, they cannot imagine. In Huxleys Brave New World, people take somma which is a drug subscribed for everyone. By swallowing a few tablets, people feel themselves better; disappointment, shame, bad feelings disappear in a minute. People take a few of it after work, or go to somma holidays for recitation. Sommatized people are half conscious they are industrialised to feel happy about themselves, however this is not true happiness, the reality blurs with the imaginations. There are only two people in the novel, who completely fail to fulfil what is expected from them, namely John and Bernard. Both of them are Alfa+, thus they are very cleve, but John was raised up by his mother, while Bernard was conditioned. Bernard only questions the systems inhumanity, while John reject the system altogether. Probably, John who was raised up by his mother is more human! than his fellow, Bernard. There is one solution to escape where one can live as he or she desire, to go to an island. Around the modern World there are islands, where people are deported, if it is necessary for the sake of civilization. They live there as people lived before, having children, getting old. For instance, Bernard has to go, although, he is not satisfied with the decision. Bernard started and looked horrified. What would the Controller think? To be labelled as the friend of a man who said that he didnt like civilization-said it openly and, of all people, to the Controller-it was terrible. But, John, he began. A look from Mustapha Mond reduced him to an abject silence. The decision itself is good for Bernard, although he does not know it yet, he is disappointed. The controller he himself question the system and almost escaped but finally he decided to stay. Perhaps, he was afraid to start a new life completely own his own. To conclude, every human value, which makes us individual is dead in Brave New World by Huxley. Individualism is defeated in the dystopia and only society lives. Who does not fit into the society is either killed or deported. A society where people do not have choices and ruled by others is called dictatorship. The only way to resist the power of tyranny is keeping ones mind active and free. Peoples freedom is always limited, but should be constantly exercised to avoid tyranny.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease Essay -- Diseases, Disorders

The term Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a general name given to a few disorders that all fall under the category of inflamed intestines (they become red and swollen.) This is usually due to a reaction the body causes against its own intestinal tissue. The two most common types of Inflammatory Bowel Disease are Ulcerative Colitis (UC) and Crohn’s Disease (CD). Crohn’s disease can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract; however, it more commonly affects the small intestine or colon. Inflammatory Bowel Disease is a chronic disease, which means that it lasts a long time and can occur frequently. There are some cases where a person will only suffer from one occurrence of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, and then be in remission from there on. Others will have many occurrences. Sufferers of Inflammatory Bowel Disease will go through stages of flare ups and symptoms. Both Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease share the same stages of symptoms. When the diseases are considered active, this is when there is inflammation and irritation. When the diseases are considered to be in remission, the inflammation is lessened or non-existent with no symptoms. The most common sign or symptom of both Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s disease is abdominal pain and diarrhea. â€Å"Diarrhea can range from mild to severe (as many as 20 or more trips to the bathroom a day). If the diarrhea is extreme, it can lead to dehydration, rapid heartbeat, and a drop in blood pressure. And continued loss of small amounts of blood in the stool can lead to anemia.† (Rosario, 2011) Constipation may also occur due to an obstruction in the intestine or inflammation. Symptoms may depend on which section of the gastrointestinal tract is affected, and may also range in... ...lt in depression. If depression occurs there are also support groups and counseling available to patients suffering from these diseases. Works Cited Harvey, S. (2010, September 28). Health central. Retrieved from http://www.healthcentral.com/ibd/irritable-bowel-syndrome-000069_7-145.html Mayo Clinical Staff. Inflammatory bowel disease. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/inflammatory-bowel-disease/DS01195/DSECTION= tests-and-diagnosis Rosario, J. F. D. (2011). Kids health. Retrieved from http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/digestive/ibd.html Rowe, W. (n.d.). Inflammatory bowel disease. Retrieved from http://www.emedicinehealth.com/inflammatory_bowel_disease/article_em.htm Tresca, A. (2009, May 2). The Difference between ulcerative colitis and crohn. Retrieved from http://ibdcrohns.about.com/od/ulcerativecolitis/a/diffuccd.htm

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Works such as ‘Plan' by Jenny Seville and ‘La Primeval' by Sandra Bottling, despite being from distinctly different time periods, are influenced by the social climate of the time and place in which they emerged. Whist Bottling inhabits a world influenced strongly by Pagan beliefs, Seville inhabits a secular world that is influenced mainly by media, hence their subject matter, the nude figure, are portrayed differently. Plan', a n OLL painting on canvas by Jenny Seville, Is a work dominated by the nude female figure who looks down toward her feet, and the viewer. The figure, who Is clearly the subject matter, is positioned so that it appears the viewer rests upon her quads. The figure Is depicted in ‘hues of mottled creams', her skin, as well as mauves and purples, alluding to lumpy textures, perhaps cellulite or bruises, but undeniably; flaws.The paint appears to be applied relatively quickly, in a wet on wet application, evident In the colors being somewhat convolu ted, but not completely blended Into en smooth and consistent color, rather blotchy mixes. The subject matter, the nude figure Is well built, and her stomach and thighs are covered In line reminiscent of a topographical map, or perhaps lines that a surgeon would use in surgery. Line is a dominant element in this work. Controlled and organic lines track and highlight the voluptuous forms of the curvaceous figure, much like a topographical map would display peaks, spurs and valleys.The proportion of the female nude's body is exaggerated by the perspective taken by Seville, making her appear very large, her thighs and stomach especially focused on. The composition Is also confronting with the pubic region, which Is often considered unsightly In today's society Is nearly central to the picture plane, unavoidable by the viewers eye. The figure also takes up the majority of the work, dominating roughly two thirds of the work. This visual weight, the figure dominating the work, is reminisc ent of the physical weight of the figure.The figure dominating the work almost forces the viewer to examine an image that might be considered as grotesque and flaw, confronting the viewer. Seville paints In a traditional and realistic style, depicting the subject matter, the female due, with a degree of realism. Seville inhabits a modern, secular world, so unlike figure painters before her, her paintings are not influenced by religious values. Rather, Seville is influenced by social media; the bombardment of images and ideas surrounding the perfect female figure, that plagues many women of today.Seville works with the idea that women are funneled into a mindset that they have to look a particular way; slim. Hence, her works optimize ‘heavily flagged feminist Ideology, as she exposed and De-constructs perceived beauty. Her work plan Is considered grotesque' by many viewers, and this is the re-action that she desires. Her works provoke questions such as why do you consider this work as grotesque? As Seville works with what are dubbed to be flaws', and paints to antipode to what is perceived to be the ideal figure.Alike to Propped', ‘Plan' has a element of graffiti, with the figure appearing to have been scribbled onto with lines reminiscent of ‘geographical rather ‘(cut) into the paint', hence evoking the idea of surgery. Thus, these lines serve to represent what we classify as imperfections, things we wish to remove in order to attain idealistic beauty. Seville is skeptical of the way that beauty is portrayed, especially critical of the male fantasy of what the female body is', as plan is the exact opposite of this fantasy. Plan' has emphasized aspects of the female figure that would be considered flaws'; the pubic hair region and a voluptuous figure, and highlights our aggressive and negative attitude toward these by drawing over them. With ‘Plan' Seville collapses the three spaces of studio, artist and model, rather than a Ã¢â‚¬Ë œone way transaction' where artist will pay a figure to do a sitting. Seville works redundantly from her own body, using several angled mirrors so that she can refer to herself and the painting whilst she works, as ‘self examination' (Seville).Seville refers to that way in which she paints as ‘really fast' and ‘kind of aggressively, using thick, and chisel brushes to create large areas of skin. This is evident in the texture of the skin being quite dappled, with a lumpy, even bruised appearance, rather than a smooth and consistent texture. The Wet on wet' application of oil paint is particularly evident in the figures analogous skin tones being dragged through one and other, reading a varied colored surface, rather than a smooth and consistent one.Contrastingly Photocell's tempura on board work, ‘La Primeval' (or Allegory of Spring), painted in in 1482 involved much meretricious techniques. Firstly, Photocell would have sketched the figures onto the boar, bef ore beginning the painting. Due to the paint pigments limited availability in the 1 5th century, having to be shipped from places such as Northern Africa, they are very expensive. Hence, Photocell, as not to waste paint would have only mixed small amounts at a time, thus painted small sections of the painting at a time.Renaissance style. ** The work consists of 9 figures including two zephyrs, with Venus being the central figure, against the forest setting. The figure's, in comparison to the lumpy dappled texture of Saukville nude in ‘Plan', is very smooth, blended until very consistent, of a porcelain white color. The idealistic portray of the figures is typical in the Renaissance period, as the figures would have been associated with Pagan beliefs, hence had to be desirable. The composition of the work makes Venus very much the central figure in the work.All other figures are touching one another, or are cropped, arterially obscured by the border, whereas Venus stands clearl y alone, separate, borders by dark methyl leaves which contrast against her pale, white-pearl colored skin. Additionally, Venus is situated centrally, with respect to hospital and vertical axis's, whereas the other figures are situated predominantly in the lower 2 thirds of the work. Hence, dominance and emphasis is given to Venus, above the others, as if a revered figure, reigning over the land.The work was created as a commission for the Medici family, likely created as a celebration for the wedding between Lorenz Medici ND Semiarid Piano which took place in May 1482. Created in Renaissance Italy, in the 1 5th century, â€Å"La Primeval† is clearly influenced by Pagan beliefs, which influenced society heavily in that time, evident in the characters and themes in the work. Thus, the central theme of the work is one of love and marriage and a message that when they occur in the ‘correct' order they bring forth sensuality and fertility.Situated leftmost in the work is Me rcury (or Hermes in Greek Mythology), messenger beauty and love. Their long flowing coverings area characteristic of Photocell's painting style. The viewer sees an older version of Venus in â€Å"La Primeval†, as opposed to the young Venus depicted in Botulism's â€Å"Birth of Venus†, who is now depicted fully clothed and matured. To Venue's right is Flora, God of Flowers, and to her right Chloride who is raped by Zephyrs, the figure to her right, who rapes her, and as an expression of his remorse, renames her Flora, God of Flowers.Venus is surrounded by the Merely plant, which typically represents sexual desire, marriage and child-bearing. Oranges are used in the trees above as a symbol of wealth, much like they are used in Jan Van Cock's ‘Arnold Portrait'. Interestingly there are no oranges about nymph, Chloride and Zephyrs, which suggests corruption and dies- approval of Zephyr's actions. Cupid, Venue's son, is situated directly above Venus and is derived from ancient art, and is armed with a bow and arrow, taking aim at the love struck three Graces.The flowers in the trees are painted with the kind of meticulous detail evident in International Gothic Style. Of the 190 different flower species identified in the work, they emphasis ideas such as love, fertility, beauty and re-birth. Unlike Seville, Bottling lives in a world centered around religion, a belief system; Paganism. Hence, the work is a narrative that is based on Pagan stories, such that of nymph Chloride becoming Flora.Additionally, this work being a commission, and the Medici would have been Pagan; this work would have had to have been relevant for them, as it would likely have been situated in their home. But today, that there are a variety of dominating religions, rather than Just one, and they do not dictate the way that we live, unlike in Italy in the 15th century. Botulism's gender as a man means that the work is quite subjective, as he represents female figures as ideali stic figures of desire. In contrast, Seville deconstructs this type of ideal; the way that women should look a particular way; skinny.Bottling portrays women, the subject matter, as desirable, whereas Seville, in antipode depicts a voluptuous figure, that could be regarded as flawed' or ‘grotesque' due to her curvy body shape. Seville and Bottling paint at a vastly different pace, with Seville painting ‘aggressively, quickly applying oil to the canvas, not even waiting for it to dry, whereas Bottling paints with meticulous detail, hence it takes him a long time. Composition is a key principle in both works, although, due to the amount of detail and amount of figures, Botulism's ‘La Primeval' is more complex.Seville places the figure centrally in the work, so that she is unavoidable to the viewer; confronting, and dominating, in the way that she figure takes up roughly 70 percent of the canvas. The viewer is confronted with what might be perceived as flaws'. The vie wer's eye is drawn past all these flaws; by the line of the gap between the figures meaty thighs, then the UN avoidable the pubic region being close to the centre of the work, the viewer's eye being drawn up past other flaws' such as the stomach and arms, to the face. Bottling utilizes composition in a different way, in that he creates emphasis on Venus.He does this by making her the sole figure that is not cropped or obscured from view by the border or making contact with another figure, making her disparate from the rest of the figures. He also places her centrally along the horizontal and vertical thirds of the work, and having dark merely plants surround her, as they contrast against her pale skin; thus emphasizing her. Both artists utilize color by using it to depict the subject matter, a greater range of color, as to depict the figures as clothed and also to create the background in great detail.

Midaq Alley in History Versus Midaq Alley

The women of the Middle East would continue to uphold their traditional image, even though in their heart of hearts many of them may be yearning for plain liberty.   The chief character of Naguib Mahfouz’s Midaq Alley (1992) is a woman by the name of Hamida, who must put up acts to stay true to her traditions, at the same time as she yearns for something beyond the ordinary.   Yet, her passage into a world where men and women must be considered equal is a narrow one. As a matter of fact, her life is the Midaq Alley, which â€Å"resembles a ‘trap,’ with walls on three sides, making darkness one of its pervasive features (Deeb).†Ã‚   What is more, there is a very narrow entrance and an equally narrow exit to the small alley – away from the big, outside world – that the Middle Eastern woman has come to represent in Mahfouz’s novel (Deeb). All the same, Marius Deeb, in her literary criticism of Midaq Alley, considers the novel in its historical context alone.   Hers is historical literary criticism of Midaq Alley, seeing that she describes the difference between the alley and the outside world as the division between traditions and modernity in the Eygpt of 1940s.   According to the author, the significance of the alley may only be explained in terms of the socio-cultural environment of the time that the novel is about. The difference between the alley and the outside world, in the author’s opinion, is similar to the division between the East and the West.   Even so, the most important character in the novel remains Hamida.   She is entirely different from the rest of the characters, and therefore demands the reader’s attention like nobody else in the novel.   Being the center of attention, she teaches a very important lesson about the perceived differences between men and women in the Middle East.   In essence, her story does not merely apply to the historical context of the novel.   Rather, it is the story of the perceived differences between Middle Eastern men and women even in our times. Hamida is the Midaq Alley, although Deeb does not mention her thus.   Not the kind to give up easily, she sneers at her husbands-to-be simply because she wants something better than them, most definitely a life that is more prosperous, and outright superior, that is, the big, outside world.   She considers her husbands-to-be as nonentities because she thinks she can achieve well for herself without them.   At the same time, she is bounded by Middle Eastern customs and culture to choose one prospect and get married like ordinary girls. Even if Hamida represents the East – in the East and West division of the world – the novel is mainly about the social differences between men and women.   These differences may be explained in terms of the separation between the heaven and the earth as well.   However, Deeb’s literary criticism does not describe the separation or differences beyond the historical context of the novel.   The author describes her interpretation of the novel thus: â€Å"We discern in this novel the division between the traditional world and the modern world in Egypt during the 1940, that is, to some extent, a re-enactment of the East-West dichotomy and the values, whether aesthetic or moral, which accompany those worlds (Deeb).† Hamida admires the women who have escaped their marital bonds.   She is especially inspired by the factory girls she knows – who all happen to be Jewish.   She informs her mother about the same, â€Å"If you had seen the factory girls!   You should just see those Jewish girls who go to work.   They all go about in nice clothes.   Well, what is the point of life then if we can't wear what we want (Mahfouz)?†Ã‚   According to Middle Eastern customs for women, Hamida must control her true desires before the cultural expectations that are attached to all women.   All the same, Mahfouz brings to the mind’s eye the picture of Middle Eastern women that are longing to free themselves from the bonds of patriarchy, and all the rules of society that are connected to the same. Apparently, the Middle Eastern women would also like to free themselves from the difficult clothing they are forced to wear.   Perhaps they would like breaks from such clothing.   While women such as Hamida may genuinely face a problem with restrictive customs, Mahfouz also describes the ‘proper’ girls that are not expected to show their desires anyway.   Boys of the Middle East, on the contrary, are allowed various other facilities, also according to the author.   Boys are permitted, among other things, access to sex, nightlife, and friendships outside the family. If Deeb’s criticism is correct, the East must want to totally blend into the West instead of guarding its culture as it does.   Even though Deeb’s interpretation of the differences between the alley and the outside world may be correct, it is incomplete and inconclusive seeing that it does not truly explain the striking differences between men and women in the novel. When Hamida gets married to Abbas, she only does so to escape her mother’s home.   Escape seems to be her only wish.   She turns into a prostitute as soon as her husband leaves home for an indefinite period of time.   But, does she find her eventual escape route through this act?   It appears that while many Middle Eastern women may be searching for escape routes from traditions, once and for all, it was only Hamida who actually managed to escape. Whether she had dreamt of reaching a brothel or not is not the point of Mahfouz’s tale.   The fact remains that Hamida had no choice to live a liberated life as a Middle Eastern woman, except as a prostitute.   Most Middle Eastern women would shun the idea of prostitution altogether, calling it a major sin.   However, Hamida was so desperate to escape that she defied the common image of the Middle Eastern woman to truly escape her cultural constraints, once and for all.   Whether she also found happiness is not the concern of the author either.   Hamida’s liberation, on the other hand, is an important message of Midaq Alley. Hamida was the kind who merely upheld the traditional image of the Middle Eastern woman, just as many other Middle Eastern women probably do.   At the same time, she was desperate enough to express her suppressed desires of liberation that she chose the career of prostitution so as to escape all associations with the patriarchal traditions.   Perhaps, therefore, Mahfouz’s writing is a warning for the extremely strict movements that reduce people to suppressed desperation, which eventually bursts into crimes and various other problems.   Deeb does not explain this lesson.   Moreover, her writing compels the reader to search for the truth behind the novel, seeing that her criticism is only partly true.   After all, Hamida found the opportunity to escape, while the East and traditions – if they represent the Midaq Alley – could not blend into the West and modernity. Works Cited Deeb, Marius. â€Å"Najib Mahfuz's Midaq Alley: A Socio-Cultural Analysis.†   Bulletin (British Society for Middle Eastern Studies), Vol. 10, No. 2 (1983), pp. 121-130. Mahfouz, Naguib. Midaq Alley. Reprint edition. New York: Anchor, 1992.