AIDS :: Free AIDS Essays

AIDS is a serious (often fatal) disease of the immune system transmitted through blood products especially by sexual contact or contaminated needles. It is the most serious outcome of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection. People with AIDS often suffer lung, brain, eye and other organ disease along with debilitating weight loss, diarrhea, candidacies, dementia, toxoplasmosis and a type of cancer called Kaposi's Sarcoma, and makes the immune system weak and therefore less able to fight certain infections and diseases. (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&oi=defmore&q=define:aids) AIDS is currently incurable, and is spread through the transfer of bodily fluids. According to WHO estimates, by end-1996, nearly 30 million people – including over 2.5 million children – had been infected with HIV since the start of the pandemic. Every day, more than 7000 adults and 500 babies are infected. More than 8 million people have developed AIDS. Of the 26.8 million adults wi th HIV infection – the global estimate in end-1996 – 14 million were in Sub-Saharan Africa and more than 3.5 million in Asia. Our region, that is South-East Asia, is likely to suffer the brunt of the pandemic - being home to over half the world’s population. Moreover, HIV/AIDS is now present in every continent and in every region of the world. (http://w3.whosea.org/en/Section10/Section18/Section349.htm) Founded in 1983, The National Association of People with AIDS advocates on behalf of all people living with HIV and AIDS in order to end the human suffering caused by HIV/AIDS. They are the oldest national AIDS organization in the United States and the oldest national network of people living with HIV/AIDS in the world. Over 80% of their staff are people of color, and women living with HIV hold senior staff positions at NAPWA. The majority of their staff members are people living with HIV. Their Board of Directors is equally diverse, providing representation of the many communities impacted by the epidemic. The vast majority of Board Members are also HIV positive. These dedicated and hard working people make NAPWA unique among national AIDS organizations. They offer many programs, including important conferences and training sessions throughout the year, including the Leadership Training Institute, Helping Communities Build Leadership, the Ryan White National Youth Conference on HIV and AIDS, and Staying Alive, NAPWA's national conference for people living with AIDS and HIV. The target population for this group is anybody with AIDS, but also those at risk. Like stated before, nearly 30 million people, including over 2.

Cats vs. Dogs as Pets

The most popular pets in today’s society are cats and dogs. There has always been a debate for both sides. It’s a matter of opinion to which animal is superior. This essay is going to compare and contrast the two animals. One of the most obvious similarities is that cats belong to the feline family. Cats are independent and require less attention from their owners. Dogs belong to the canine family. Dogs are pack animals; this means they require more attention by their owners so they don’t become depressed and lonely.Looking at both animals, they both have different needs, habits and attitudes. Cats need less grooming because they clean themselves. Cats use a litter box and don’t have to be trained like dogs to use the bathroom outside. Cat litter can be expensive also. Dogs need to have baths, be brushed and taken care of when they use the bathroom. The cost for food is more expensive for dogs. The habits of both animals are very different and should be co nsidered by the owner. Dogs, if allowed, will share a meal with their owner. They can also share furniture such as bed, recliner, and couches.They like to be petted and go for walks. Dogs bark and can bother neighbors. Dogs nail care has to be done by a veterinarian which can cost you. Cats do to but don’t have to be walked. Cats can be trained though to walk on a leash. Cat’s meow, purr, growl, and hiss. Cats may scratch furniture and are very hard to train them not to do so. Cats can be declawed to deter the tearing up of furniture. The other difference between cats and dogs is that cats are nocturnal and dogs are daytime animals. The attitudes between the animals can be very different.Dogs can be loving, loyal, protective and do tricks if trained. Some dogs are really good with kids and some are not so you might want to look into which breed of dogs are good with children. Cats on the other hand can be unpredictable and scratch children. They can be sweet in nature and snuggle up with you. Cats enjoy playing with simple toys such as; paper balls, toilet roll cardboard, mouse toys and yarn. Cats don’t have to be entertained by their owners because they are independent animals. Sometimes cats can bring you surprises such as birds, mice, moles. They even chase and kill flies.Some cats may be shy and skittish around other people so they like to hide in different places throughout the house. There are many reasons we choose to have a pet. One reason may be to relieve stress. Some pet lovers might choose to get a dog to protect their house. Some prefer to own a cat instead of a dog and vice versa. Older people prefer cats for the companionship. Younger couples usually choose a puppy for their children to play with. It is also good to research all the options you have that will suit you and your family. Whether you choose a cat or dog you should always consider they both have different needs, habits and attitudes.

Serving the Worlds Poor is Good for Business - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 7 Words: 2009 Downloads: 5 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Business Essay Type Cause and effect essay Did you like this example? Serving the Worldà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s poor is good for business and good for the poorest people in the world Words Count: 1,994 In recent few decades businesses are striving very hard to change their image from simply being à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“profit making institutionsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  to à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“responsible players of the societyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . However it is not about serving the society unconditionally rather they are aware of the fact that having a socially responsible image is essential for their image and profitability in this competitive business age. Therefore businesses are continuously looking for new ways and ideas for making their relationships better with the society by contributing effectively towards it. They have their special units working on ethical and regulatory compliance and taking initiatives to make lives of their employees, customers, partners and people better and safer. In this way business corporations are taking special and tar geted measures to serve the society by taking the ownership of their activities (Ismail, 2009). Businesses are achieving this by taking responsibility of effects of industrialization, giving opportunities to new talents, taking steps to protect environment, transferring technology and alleviating poverty (Ismail, 2009). Poverty is an international issue not only for governments but for national and international organizations as well (Karnani, 2007). International organizations like United Nations and World Bank are taking huge steps worldwide in order to reduce poverty but this is definitely not enough as in addition to non profit organizations, profit making institutes should also play their part as well. There are many definitions of poor but in general poor is someone who does not have sufficient resources to afford a basic necessities or generally acceptable standard of comfortable living. It is not true that poor has no money but the truth is poor have little or insufficien t money. The practice and debate of rich people helping poor is very old as from centuries generous and philanthropist people of the society are helping poor in order to attain some level of equality and impartiality. They have come up with different charitable and humane ideas to provide them employment, food, health; shelter and education so that poor can become useful members of the society rather than being a burden to the society. Helping poor is not only provides them with basic necessities of life but it also helps in eradicating the sense of usefulness, inequality and unfairness. This also helps as poor people are involved in legitimate economic activities and they are not attracted by illegal means of earning wealth and getting what they want. For some of us it might be quite strange that in this era of free trade and free enterprise where capitalism is at its boom and large business giants are guiding and impacting government policies even laws of countries why busin esses are still concerned about poor? Why they are spending billions of dollars in starting various projects of social work? Why PG is spending a lot in India by establishing hundreds of school? Why Dell is promoting a laptop for each child no matter which country he belongs? Why Unilever is offering loans for education and business to women around the world? Why KFC is campaigning very hard to remove hunger? Is it all for general good or rules of business have changed? In my opinion the later is true and now businesses are playing as per new rules. In this wake of highly informative era when people whether they are employees, customers, investors or general public, are more aware of their rights and obligations than ever. They know very well when companies are required to pay dividends or how industries should dispose of their wastes and so many other issues. A company that is earning billions of dollars from food business is expected to return back something to society by helpi ng poor people in removing hunger. A multinational which is expanding globally by selling technology is expected to play its role by transferring some proportion of technology to poorer countries who otherwise cannot afford these sophisticated technologies. This side of corporate responsibility is supported by corporate giants themselves as Mr. George W. Merck (son of founder of pharmaceutical company) has always mentioned that medicine are formed for patients not for profits and his company took exemplary steps to serve health needs of poorer nations that made their shareholders proud (Handy, 2002). Serving the poor does not necessarily mean that companies start donating their products free of cost without any profit just for the sake of generosity. It also means identifying poor as potential market (bottom of economic pyramid), properly segment and target them and develop affordable products and services which fulfil their needs and are within the reach of their pockets. Compan ies are redesigning their product portfolios and coming up with low cost housing plans, banking solutions, educational and health services. In this way these businesses can tap that market niche and turn into profitable market segment. It will not only help them contribute effectively in providing for poor with basic necessities and making their lives comfortable but in the long run these businesses can play their role in eradication of poverty and bridging the class difference gap to some extent. Improved technological innovations have improved the production efficiency of businesses which has resulted in sufficient cost reduction and by reducing their profit margins in order to serve less privileged potential customers will not only ensure ample profits for them but also help in poverty alleviation. We can find various inspiring examples of businesses serving the poor successfully especially in underdeveloped and developing countries. Take India for example where poverty level has declined from approximately 39% to almost 21% in just five years due to radical increase in economic activity in the country. Multinational corporations like Unilever, Citicorp and PG have come up with specialized products in order to cater the poor but ambitious population of India. Online website stores accessible in remotest rural areas as well are offering branded goods in accessible prices. In this way they have joined hands with government and local organizations in their efforts of reducing poverty and providing poor basic necessities and comforts of life. Another example is from Bangladesh where micro financing model of Grameen Bank by Dr. Yunus has done wonders in serving credit needs of poor and allowed them to not only start their own businesses but also generate employment opportunities for others. Grameen group has also come up with other services for poor including housing, telecom and energy etc. Serving the poor is not only beneficial for poor but it also cruc ial for the profitability of the businesses. Most of the businesses are hesitant to invest in bottom of the pyramid needs as they believe that poor people do not have enough money to spend on their products. The income of poor might be low but it is also true that the aggregate purchasing power. Take the example of project à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Shaktià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  by Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) which has come out as a win-win situation for both businesses and poor rural population of India (Anon., 2012). This program was aimed to empower the residents of affluent areas of India especially to women by promoting and facilitating their entrepreneurial potential and use it for the profitability of the company. This program has not only contributed in reducing poverty by increasing the income of beneficiaries of this program to double but also provide a new market niche to the products of Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL). In order to move a step further Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) has partnered with State Bank of India to make financial services available to the poor people of these areas (Anon., 2012). If we look into the effects of this initiative we can assess that this project has not only financial benefits to Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) and the recipients of this projectà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s support but it will have a long lasting impact on the people of rural India. They will consider and remember Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) as their long lasting partner who has helped them out of their misery and affluence by not only providing them financial strength but also by paving ways for their recognition in the society, linking them with prospering India and helping them achieve education and health facilities. In the long run Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) will have an extremely loyal client segment which will be really difficult for competitors to reach and penetrate as they are enabling poor people to manage their own business, which can then be custom-built rather than patronise the majority into labouring for the few. It is interesting to note that whenever businesses reach out to cater poor or bottom of the pyramid customers they on one hand not only serve them with specific product or service but on the other and they play their part in improving the well being and life style of that niche. The products offered to them are not limited to basic food and shelter necessities but include comfort items like solar appliances, eye sight spectacles, insurance plans, viable energy solutions and hygienic products etc. They improve the health and education conditions of their customers which ultimately bring prosperity to their coming generation. In order to reach out to them businesses try to improve the infrastructure, sanitation conditions, communication system and overall conditions of that particular market so that their product can be reached and used by the customers effectively. In this way by using the blue ocean strat egies businesses tap the new business destinations and develop sustainable markets for themselves. In order to better understand this mind set of businesses the idea of social entrepreneurship has been introduced where entrepreneurs not only run their businesses in societal interest but also welcome and encourage competition in order to serve community better (Cheng, 2014). These investments in base of the pyramid clients are also important for the businesses as they bring about progress on macro-economic level by creating work opportunities and income generation and in this way positively affecting the overall economic activity and GDP of a particular country. Therefore the governments and social sector of that particular country try to facilitate and promote such businesses by giving them recognition for their efforts at national and international forums, facilitating them in different regulatory requirements and sometimes by subsidizing and promoting their products on larger f rames by making bulk purchases like in case of natural calamities (drought, flood and earth quack). This further strengthens our point that in order to serve poor the businesses not necessarily have to forgo their self interest and profitability. They can work in their self interest by serving the poor in innovative, efficient manner by adopting ways of production which can reduce their production and delivery cost to minimal levels (Prahalad Hammond, 2002). As we all know that profitability in not about charging high profit margins it is about getting the job done with minimum amount of resources (efficiently) and serving the customers in ways so that they remain satisfied and loyal to your products and services. We can some up our discussion with the note that serving the poor is not only beneficial for the poor but it also increase the profitability of the businesses as they reach out for untapped, affluent and under privileged customers which constitute a huge market place f or businesses. It is common perception for businesses that poor people might not be able prove as profitable customers as they have little or no money. This perception has proved very wrong as we have observed so many real world examples where businesses even multinational corporations have customized their products in order to cater market of poor people and have run successful and profitable ventures over there. By studying such successful models businesses can learn how they can serve the poor in profitable way and play their part in stabilizing the economic activities in a particular region. In this way businesses can serve the poor in both profitable and responsible way (charity to some extent but not pity) and contribute towards economic and social development with governments and non-profit organizations without compromising their profitability. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Serving the Worlds Poor is Good for Business" essay for you Create order

Traditional Sacrifices in The Lottery by Jackson and The...

In the The Lottery, Jackson told the story from the point of view of a third person narration; whereas, in the The Rocking-Horse Winner, Lawrence narration is written and seen by several characters within the story. Both authors use social elements to bring the stories together with varies symbolic words that outline the conditions within each siting and the element of an individual death, which involves both characters in a conflict between one’s own passion and one’s responsibility. Both stories have the reader asking the question â€Å"what was purpose? To respond, the reader must understand the points of view and minds of each character. For example, one story focuses more on traditional and casual bloodshed; and the other story is more on†¦show more content†¦Whereas Paul â€Å"boy’s rocking† is lead to think luck is money and money is needed to keep the family in their social standing. For example, â€Å"He went off by himself, vaguely, i n a childish way, seeking for the clue to â€Å"luck,† Absorbed, taking no heed of other people, he went about with a sort of stealth, seeking inwardly for luck. He wanted luck, he wanted it, he wanted it.† (Kennedy and Gioia, 2013, pp. 237). Paul uses his abilities to provide for the family. In doing this he tries to assume his father’s role in the attempt to please his mother and the household’s constant whispering the need for more money. â€Å"I started it for mother. She said she had no luck, because father is unlucky, so I thought if I was lucky, it might stop whispering† (Kennedy and Gioia, 2013, pp. 240). And even as Paul is dying he is still consumed with trying fill the role of a provider for his mother, â€Å"I never told you, mother, that if I can ride my horse and get there, then I’m absolutely sure – oh, absolutely! Mother, did I ever tell you? I am lucky! [†¦] But the boy died in the night.† (Kennedy and Gioia, 2013, pp. 245). Paul’s death was a sacrifice to please his mother, who put her desires for money and material things above the love of her children. When comparing and contrasting the death of Tessie and Paul from a fictional view, the reader can see several issues. Tessie’s death is a traditional ceremony practice that linksShow MoreRelatedThe Lottery And The Rocking Horse Winner852 Words   |  4 Pagesfiguring out what is part of the missing puzzle. In The Lottery and The Rocking-Horse Winner, authors Shirley Jackson and D.H. Lawrence employ symbolism and allegory to demonstrate the underlining deeds of secrecy as well as allude to the fateful unknown in the characters’ lives. Authors Jackson and Lawrence use symbolism as a device to bring to light the cherished items that have a symbolic message for each individual. In The Lottery, the black box represented tradition for the townspeopleRead MoreFiction Essay1012 Words   |  5 Pagessomewhat tragic short stories is that of D.H. Lawrence’s, â€Å"The Rocking-Horse Winner† and Shirley Jackson’s, â€Å"The Lottery†. With the classic theme of â€Å"luck† and what that means in each story, we see two very different meanings as these two stories unfold. In â€Å"The Rocking-Horse Winner†, we see the protagonist, Paul, who endlessly searches and somewhat attains luck in his search for his mother’s monetary desire. Within the lines of â€Å"The Lottery†, however, we see a quaint satirical setting of towns’ folkRead More Sacrifice in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson and Rocking Horse Winner by D.H. Lawrence957 Words   |  4 PagesThe point of view of tradition in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson is the normal once of year gathering on the townspeople. This gathering is held in order to pick, via a lottery drawing, to decide who in the town is going to be stoned to death. â€Å"The people of the village began to gather in the square, between the post office and the bank, around ten o’clock; in some towns there were so many people the lottery took two days and had started on June 26th, but in this village, where there were only aboutRead MoreStrategic Marketing Management337596 Words   |  1351 Pagesmarketing reality is therefore an underlying theme of this book. In practice, many marketing planners have responded by focusing to an ever greater degree upon short-term and tactical issues, arguing that during periods of intense environmental change, traditional approaches to marketing planning and management are of little value. Instead, they suggest, there is the need to develop highly sensitive environmental monitorin g systems that are capable of identifying trends, opportunities and threats at a veryRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 Pagestest bank by adding more application questions. †¢ Revised the PowerPoint slides. A MESSAGE TO STUDENTS: Why Focus on Management Skill Development? Given that a â€Å"skill development† course requires more time and effort than a course using the traditional lecture/discussion format, we are sometimes asked this question by students, especially those who have relatively little work experience. Reason #1: It focuses attention on what effective managers actually â€Å"do. † In an influential article, Henry

The Sixties An Era Of Continuing Movement For Civil Rights

The 1960’s or â€Å"the sixties† was an era of continuing movement for civil rights, acceptance of cultural taboos, shifts in religion, and the advancement of many new technologies. This decade is also labeled as â€Å"the Swinging Sixties† because of the amount of formalities that were crushed by the wave of leftist ideals. While the decade starts in 1960 and ends in 1970, the cultural changes last in a more loosely defined decade - beginning in the sixties and lasting well into the seventies. Important to American politics of the age, there was a change of three presidents - primarily Dwight Eisenhower, secondly John Kennedy, then lastly Lyndon B. Johnson. Under each president, America faced modifications to its laws and way of life. Although†¦show more content†¦The Summer of Love was considered for the most part to be a social experiment, but many ideas from the time have echoed into the modern era including gender equality, communal living, LGBT se xuality, and free love. John Kennedy, creator of the Peace Corps and a hardy leftist leader, was elected into office in 1961 at 35 years old and was the youngest president to date. Shortly after his inauguration, Kennedy permitted a band of trained Cuban expatriates to invade their homeland and usurp Castro’s regime. The attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro was a miserable crash, and he continued his reign over the country. This was a threat made more dangerous because of the Soviet alliance with Cuba; their communist ways were too close for comfort to America. Russians now sought to store nuclear weapons in Cuba. When an American flight over the country revealed the operation in October 1962, Kennedy imposed a sanction on all weapons to Cuba. Threatened by word of a nuclear confrontation, Russia backed down and removed missiles from Cuba, ending the Cuban Missile Crisis. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22nd 1963, coming as a real shock to the left-leaning country of America where he was so revered. Lyndon B. Johnson took office after the assassination of Kennedy, where he then set up programs in which racial injustice and

All You Need Is Love Free Essays

The LGBT community began to fght back after the Stonewall Riots and are still fighting for the ame freedoms heterosexuals currently hold. These freedoms include the right to marry and marriage provides couples with many benefits that only heterosexual couples are privvy to. One by one the states are changing their views and legalizing gay marriage, but there are still many states to persuade. We will write a custom essay sample on All You Need Is Love or any similar topic only for you Order Now Gay marriage needs to be legalized in all states because the purpose of marriage is love, legalizing gay marriage will not harm heterosexual marriages or the current â€Å"family values†, and marriage is a basic civil right. The view on gay marriage has varied over the last one hundred years. According to the PBS film Stonewall Uprising, in all states besides Illinois, homosexual acts were illegal in 1969. Dr. Socarides, a guest in the film says, â€Å"Homosexuality is in fact a mental illness which has reached epidemiological proportions† (Davis, 2011). This was said in the 1960’s Just before the Stonewall Riots. Back then, the costs for being gay were extreme, and punishments included institution in California named Atascadero, where the medical extremes were practiced. At Atascadero, they used medical experimentation that included â€Å"administering, to gay people, a drug that simulated the experience of drowning; in ther words, a pharmacological example of waterboarding† (Davis, 2011). They punished gays, lesbians, bisexuals and trans-genders for something they could not control. A riot member named Doric Wilson reported that many who underwent this treatment, turned into walking vegetables (Davis, 2011). Before the riots at the Stonewall Bar, homosexuality was treated as a contagious sickness of the mind. Law enforcement and the media encouraged citizens to hate all people who were not conforming to the typical mom and dad household with two point three children. Councilman Ed Koch of New York City states, â€Å"Gay rights, like the rights of blacks, were constantly under attack and while blacks were protected against constitutional amendments, gays were not protected by law and certainly not the Constitution† (Davis, 2011). That is when the Riots occurred. The Stonewall Bar was located in The Village, a place where gays, lesbians and drag queens could go and be themselves, but the police raided this gay bar frequently, usually in the mid afternoon. One night in the summer of 1969, a group of six policemen raided the bar; however, they were unsuccessful. The police were pushed into the bar and trapped inside, while thousands of people gathered outside in protest. Eventually additional officers showed up in riot uniforms with clubs and face guards, and were again ambushed by the protestors. Soon enough, the police charged and started beating and clubbing people. This went on for a few days and eventually the Stonewall Riots became a part of history. The Riots essentially said to America, miou promised freedom, now get off our backs and deliver on the promise† (Davis, 2011). Since the Stonewall Uprising, sixteen states have legalized gay marriage including New Jersey, Hawaii and Illinois. Surely, Americans have evolved since the Stonewall Riots, but there is additional progress to be made. Only sixteen states have legalized gay marriage; moreover, there are still thirty-four states left. The real question is what is keeping people from voting for same-marriage? There are a variety of reasons opponents argue same-sex marriage should be illegal. Their main argument involves the traditional definition of marriage. For generations the definition of marriage has been â€Å"a union of man and woman, uniquely involving the procreation and rearing of hildren with a family’ (ProCon. org, 2013). This is supported by religious texts such as the Bible, but there are many arguments as to why the above definition in invalid. To begin, it is also stated in the Bible that women are property of men. It is the twenty- first century and there are equal rights for women, many women participate in the workforce and it is no longer acceptable to suggest that a woman’s place is at home. Supporters are in agreement with Sylvia Law when she stated, â€Å"any effort by the state to hardwire sex differences into the concept of marriage perpetuates traditional sex- ased stereotypes of man-as-breadwinner and woman-as-housekeeper† (Eskridge, 1993). Everyday an increasing number of Americans become more open-minded and accepting of others, so why can people not be accepting of homosexuals. If people of religion can disregard one statement, why can they not disregard another? Ted Olsen, former US Solicitor General also argues the definition of marriage. Ted Olsen who work to create a loving household and a social and economic partnership† (Olson, 2010). Proponents to gay marriage believe this is what the definition of marriage should be and will be in the future. Gay marriage is opposed not only because of the definition of marriage, but also because critics believe that it could damage the family values of Americans and that the purpose of marriage is to procreate. Family values such as equality, work ethic, and the importance of family are all values that would be strengthened by same-sex marriage, not weakened. The value of equality and work ethic are especially prominent in same-sex couples. Homosexual couples worked extremely hard in order for equality, and giving them the option to become married would only increase the value of their morals. The importance of family is another value that is only being diminished when same-sex couples are forbidden to marry. Marriage is the gateway to family, and without it, the importance of such family becomes invisible. How to cite All You Need Is Love, Papers

Oscar Wildes novel free essay sample

The picture of Dorian Gray was first published in the July 1890.This novel was written in an epoch driven by the aesthetic movement which began at the end of the 19th century in England. †¦ The main topic on the novel is aesthetic, how to adapt it as a way of thinking. How Dorian looks for this beauty and how he wants to keep it for eternity represents monstrosity. The Picture Of Dorian Gray by Wilde is under the influence of the aesthetic movement which states Art for art sake meaning that they do love the things the way things are, which was a very contradictory movement at that time. The reason why I choose this theme is because in my opinion aesthetics is not only represented at the character level but the manifest of monstrosity in aesthetic is the main essence of the novel. So, in this essay I am going to talk about how Wilde talks about aesthetic in the characters: Dorian, Lord Henry and Basil. On the one hand, Dorian, the main character of the novel. We witnessed two moments and, therefore, two ways of observing its own beauty: Before and after meeting Lord Henry Wotton. Before meeting him, at the beginning of history, Dorians beauty is a natural attraction determined by his youth, ignorance and innocence.Lord Henry meets Dorian thanks to a mutual friend, Basil. In this description that Lord Henry makes the first time he talks to Dorian you can see the impression that the beauty of Dorian makes on others. The more the novel progresses we can see how Henry is able to influence the young Dorian who is impressed by Henrys philosophy of life that is gradually gaining importance in Dorians life. This is an example of one of the phrases Henry uses to charm Dorian:We are punished for our refusals. Every impulse that we strive to strangle broods in the mind, and poisons us. The body sins once, and has done with its sin, for action is a mode of purification. . . . Resist it, and your soul grows sick with longing for the things it has forbidden to itself, with desire for what its monstrous laws have made monstrous and unlawful. It has been said that the great events of the world take place in the brain. It is in the brain, and the brain only, that the great sins of the world take place also. (Wilde, 7)Thanks to the convincing words of Lord Henry, Dorian himself is getting more and more amazed and will end up changing the perspective with which he will look at his life, becoming an egomaniac of himself.I think it is important to say that at the beginning of the play Dorian rejects Henrys ideas and opposes him saying that they are repugnant and alarming. However, these ideas that he has been transmitting make him reflect and the temptation becomes more and more persistent. As the plot progresses, ideas and thoughts end up stripping away their own personality and consciousness and transforming Dorians vision of beauty into an obsession. Especially after appreciating the painting that Basil portrayed when he met Henry. This ability to be influenced can be due to Dorian not having those parent figures in his adolescence that are the years when a person forms his personality as we speak in class.This happens until we get to the point where Dorian finally changes his model for beauty, after meeting Henry who begins to realize how ephemeral youth and beauty is. This beauty becomes an obsession, thanks to all the flattery that everyone gives him thanks to his physical beauty, the one he has and everyone tells him how lucky he is to be so handsome and nobody gives importance to the interior. Even Basil himself, who did not want Dorian to find out about his great devotion to his beauty, is impressed and represents him in the painting with all his love for Dorians art and beauty. Finally, all that corruption of the concept of beauty, and in general of life itself, which I have mentioned above, is reflected in the portrait o f Dorian that Basil painted. Which end up becoming his soul and reflects not only the problems of old age, but also his depraved and vicious life full of sins a bad actions. On the other hand we have Lord Henry, the monster It seems logical to me to analyze also what aesthetic means for this character characterized by his rebellious and provocative phrases:The ugly and the stupid have the best of it in this world. They can sit at their ease and gape at the play. (PODG)Experience is merely the name men gave to their mistakes. (PODG)To define is to limit. (PODG)The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it. (PODG)The only thing he thinks and cares is beauty, for him this is the only thing that should matter, all his philosophy of life boils down to the fact that you should enjoy its exterior appeal because years do not pass in vain.This character also states the idea of beauty as an end in itself. Of course, by stating that beauty does not need explanation, he firmly maintains that it cannot be explained except according to his own laws. Thus, it reduces the human being to the condition of a simple object or source of pleasure produced by beauty.Both Lord Henry and Dorian attribute to beauty a value that in itself does not possess. Dorian is horrified to know that he will soon look old, Lord Henry lets him know; and they both want to change this principle. The ambition and vanity involved in its beautiful aspect, transmitted by Lord Henry, make Dorian a more despicable person.Como conclusià ³n, como la belleza, y el placer a su vez, tratan de colocarse por encima de lo humano. A mi parecer, el tema central de esta novela gira en torno a la degradacià ³n del alma humana por la pasià ³n y bà ºsqueda enfermiza de la eterna belleza. A raà ­z de esto es que podemos distinguir a lo largo de toda la obra, como la belleza, en su aspecto puro y sencillo, al abrir los ojos a una falsa realidad se corrompe y se convierte en obsesià ³n. La reflexià ³n es que no tenemos que permitir dejar influenciarnos por pensamientos subjetivistas de monstruos que nos retraten la realidad de manera equivocada. Nunca podrà ¡ existir la belleza y el placer por encima de nuestra persona.As a conclusion. Beauty and pleasure try to place themselves above human being and that is in my opinion, the central theme of this novel. The monster, who revolves around the degradation of the human soul due to the passion and unhealthy search for eternal beauty. As a result of this, we can distinguish throughout the whole novel, as beauty, in its pure and simple aspect, by opening our eyes to a false reality that corrupts and becomes an obsession at the end. The reflection is that we must not allow ourselves to be influenced by subjectivist thoughts of monsters that portray reality in the wrong way. There can never be beauty and pleasure above our person.