Compliance of Businesses with the Principles of United Nations Global Essay - 1

Compliance of Businesses with the Principles of United Nations Global Compact - Essay Example Alcoa Inc., being an international organization with 31 headquarters all over the world and working in all the major aspects of its industry (developing technology, performing mining, refining, smelting, fabricating, and recycling of aluminum), believes it has enough expertise and experience for making recommendations to the Australasian Local Network. Furthermore, these particular principles are a basis of our Vision & Values statement, which makes us responsible for protecting and promoting â€Å"the health and well-being of the individual and the environment† (Vision & Values 2011). Alcoa Foundation, one of the largest corporate foundations in the U.S., is an outstanding project of our company, the activities of which are aimed at supporting our host communities worldwide (Alcoa Foundation 2011). The organization works as an independent foundation for addressing both global and local challenges of the communities. These activities are consistent with the vision and mission of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in terms of supporting â€Å"economic and social well-being of people around the world† (OECD 2011), and of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in regards to â€Å"promoting social justice and internationally recognized human and labour rights† (ILO 2011). Therefore, on the basis of our experience working towards the outlined above principles, we would like to propose the following recommendations: 1. Design, implement and control the fulfillment of a statement of protecting human rights in all the communities the company operates in (Global Compact Principle One 2011). Benefits & Implications: The company’s vision regarding human rights protection is clearly outlined and, thus, it is easier to develop corresponding structures and policies Communities differ and, therefore, some general and universal principles should be outlined in the statement instead of those to which a particular l ocal community is accustomed. A unified statement, being fulfilled, will not only promote human rights protection within the community but will also help to educated communities on what they should claim from organizations in terms of respecting and supporting people’s rights. Lessons Learnt The statement of protecting human rights of Alcoa Inc. now includes only the points regarding paying employees guaranteed minimum wages and prohibiting slavery (Health 2011), and we are working on improving this aspect. This shortcoming of ours has caused many problems in the past – we have even been blamed for putting corporate interests above the interests of people, governments or the planet. There, however, already exist good examples: the Human Rights Policy Statement of Continental Airlines, for instance, deals with such issues as ethical business conduct, as well as protection of the rights of co-workers and children (Continental Airlines, Inc. 2011).

The Capital of Yemen Essay Example for Free

The Capital of Yemen Essay Sanaa is one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world. it is the capital of the Republic of Yemen. The history of Sanaa started when founded by Shem, son of Noah. the story tells of how Shem reached Yemen after a long way from the north and found Sanaa a suitable place to settle in. Shem originally chose the western part of Sanaa but according to a popular legend, it says that the moment he began building the foundations of the city, a bird flied to himand picked up his sounding lead to the eastern part of Sanaa and dropped the lead. Shem believed that this bird was sent from god to lead him to a better place for settlement. Sanaa is located in the middle of the Yemeni heigh. It is about 2150 high from the sea lever. it is on the west foot of Nukum Mountain. The climate in Sanaa is usually moderate in summer. and cold in winter. However, it has rainy summers, and dry winters. Sanaa is known for its sand and dust storms which results in problems and crop damages. It is also known for its limited natural fresh water which leaves the country in an in sufficient supplies of potable water. Sanaa has a population of 1. million people. Jews are the oldest non Muslim minority that has emigrated to Sanaa, however, the dominant religion is Islam. Majority of the population are Muslims. Other religions in Sanaa is Christianity (Christians) and Hinduism (Hindus). Religion in Sanaa, Yemen reflects the culture and society of Yemen. Sanaa is famous for having many man-made trades including jewelry, silver, kinds of Jambia, copp er containers and agricultural tools that can be founded in the Sanaa Market. The Sanaa Market is located in the old city of Sanaa which Im going to talk about later on in the paper. The market contains a set of small shops open in the ground floor which overlooks narrow streets. Each shop is only few square meters. Today, the Sanaa Market is still as popular as before. Each trade or  goods has a special sub-market for it that the number of the sub markets are 24. All these sub markets are joined now in one name, which is Souq Almelh or Melh Market. As the capital city of Yemen, 40% of jobs in Sanaa are in the public sector. Other primary sources of formal employment in the city are trade and industry. Each county or a city is famous in its own way of diet and food. Yemenis eat three times a day at home. Generally, there is an early breakfast of sweet tea with bread made of sorghum, wheat, or barley. Dinner includes a porridge prepared from fenugreek with meat, eggs, vegetables, herbs, and spices, which is served hot in a stone or clay bowl, a light supper consists of vegetables or dates. Lentils and peas are traditional staples in addition to sorghum. At special occasions and celebrations, guests are served a roasted or boiled meat from goat or sheep with rice. In town and villages it is served with side dished of roasted or fried eggplants and mixed green salads. As for desserts, they serve fruits or custard with raisins and grapes. Sanaa has more than 50 mosques, five of the fifty has domes and others with minarets. The most important mosque is the Great Mosque which was built during the life of Prophet Mohammad and ordered by him in the 8th year of Hejra. which are not less beautiful or wonderful with respect to the style of minarets, domes and artistic embellishments. Sanaa is considered one of the Islamic historical towns in Yemen because it has the Old City of Sanaa which is a wonderful place of old architecture. The old city of Sanaa is one of the nicest cities in the Middle East and the Islamic countries. After the city got developed, they built a fence all over the city. The city had a for in it on a high area. Under this area are the markets and the great mosque of prophet Mohammad. The planning of the city is quarter-based. However, building are built to be next to each other in a close distance. Each quarter of the city has a mosque and a garden that provides its people with vegetables. The city has a big gate that serves as an entry gate. it was built about 1000 years ago and it is called (Bab Al Yemen). Sanaa has the highest mountain in the Middle East which is the mountain of the Prophet Shueib. This mountain is 3766 meters above the sea level. The best quality of Yemeni coffee and grapes can be found there. It also has the most beautiful village in Yemen which is Al-Hajara. Sanaa city is broadened in the horizontal and vertical directions. The old architecture of Sanaa has much of ornamentations existing in a variety of forms and percentages such as fences, mosques, the masses of towers, baths, samsaras, markets, schools and mils. These forms makes Sanaa a live city that meets a persons basic requirements. A person or a group can form immortal architectural heritage which reminds us of the Hymiarites (Hymiarite Kingdom) led architecture. One of the building I am talking about is still there since about seven centuries. Houses in Sanaa are marked by their advanced structural style. Their construction reflect high level of welfare, attraction and beauty. The upper floors are built with bricks, and each floor is separated from the other with a well designed belt. Museums are also a part of Sanaa. It has two important and interesting museum. The National Museum, and the Military Museum. The National Museum was built on 12 October 1987. Its rooms contain many important archeological treasures. It has more than 17 thousand diverse archeological pieces dating back to different historical ages. This begins from the age of the past history and ends in the current age. Second, the Military Museum. It is located in Tahreer Square, and it dates back to the second half of the 19th century after Christians Osmanis built it in their second rule in Yemen. It exhibits historical treasures such as primitive weapons, inscriptions, manuscripts, photographs and portraits. The latter are related to the military history that is why they call it the Military Museum. Cultural institution in   Sanaa takes a role also. Sanaa has five different universities consisting of a large number of different facilities. It has the most important university in Yemen The Sanaa University which was established in 1970 as the first and the primary university in the Yemen Republic. Other universities that are located in Sanaa between the private and government universities is the University of Science and Technology, Al-Eman University, Saba University which was named after Queen Saba, and Queen Arwa University. The most important monument in Sanaa is Dar Al-Hajar or the Rock House which located a few kilometers from Sanaa. Any tourist that wouldnt visit has missed it because not seeing Dar Al Hajar is not seeing Sanaa. Most of the visitors forgets visiting this fantastic artistic place. The typical Yemeni architecture is what really makes the building so special and appealing. The palace was built as a summer residence by Imam Yahya in the 1930s. As for the political life in Sanaa it is just like the country. Yemen have entitled a presidential republic and a multiparty parliamentary democracy. The parliament consists of the House of Deputies and an appointed Upper Chamber, or Senate. A president is elected for a five year term and the current president of Yemen Republic is General Ali Abdullah Saleh. He have been ruling the country ever since he won his last campaign in 1999 and that is 12 years of presidency. The Yemeni constitution guarantees the political rights of its women, however, gender inequality is generally widespread in Yemen. In conclusion, Sanaa City is the historical and capital City of the Republic of Yemen. It is one of the most wonderful historical cities in the world and the middle east . Its important because the whole city has a one of a kind architecture that serves as being a live museum to other countries and tourists.

Social Interaction In Acquisition Of Second Languages English Language Essay

Social Interaction In Acquisition Of Second Languages English Language Essay Ever since the basic assumption endorsed in the seminal work of Hatch in the late 1970s that learners learn the structure of a language through interaction rather than learning grammar in order to interact (Gass, 2003: 224-255). The relationship between interaction and acquisition has been one of the core issues in second language acquisition (SLA) research. The reviewed done by Young (1999) has shown that interactional competence is clearly most applicable to explaining cross-cultural communication. It also provides a convenient framework for integrating studies of conversational phenomena within a broader context of interaction. As language usually related two four main domains: reading, writing, oral and listening. In order to practice the oral and listening, interaction is important. At the same time interaction can also assist the development of the second language acquisition. Second Language Acquisition (SLA) is the process by which people learn a second language in addition to their native language(s). Linguists have many different approaches towards the acquisition of the second language. In the past few decades, linguists were more focus on the cognitive aspects also known as the psycholinguistic which studies the internal factors of second language acquisition. However, more recent studies have redirected their attention to the external factors which refers to the sociolinguistic. Social interaction is one of the main focuses in the study of the sociolinguistic. Unlike second language acquisition, there are specific brain parts located in the left hemisphere take care of the first language acquisition. If we consider first language acquisition as a natural cognitive development, then second language acquisition will be more like a process of nurture. Since it is more a process of nurture than a natural cognitive development, the social factors will be the vital attribution in the acquisition. Importance of social interaction On the basis of extensive research, there was considerable agreement that the learning environment must include opportunities for learners to engage in meaningful social interaction with users of the second language if they are to discover the linguistic and sociolinguistic rules necessary for second-language comprehension and production (Pica, 1987). And this agreement is still applicable for todays second language learning. A very good example is that students who study abroad are usually more fluent and accurate in the second language they are using, as compare to their classmates in their own country. In fact, there are many examples of the learners who are able to communicate and use the language efficiently without any formal instructions. For example the Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia do not have formal instruction in Bahasa Malaysia but are able to function well in their workplace and the community. Their second language is acquired through the unsystematic social interaction with the broader society. The learner has access to the target language in the course of everyday communication or interaction with the environment. The sounds of the language are embedded in a relevant situational context and the learners job is to extract from this material the rules for the use of the language. This interaction allows him to start learning and learning in turn allows him to make progress in communication (Albakri, 2006). The question might be asked, why interaction is important to the second language acquisition. In order to answer that question we need to look at what is required to second language learning. First of all, we need to have input, with the input we will able to produce a response which also known as the output, feedback will be given according to the output. These three major components made up an interaction. The interaction approach attempts to account for learning through the learners exposure to language, production of language, and feedback on that production. A central claim resulting from a past research is that, though interaction may not be strictly necessary, it nevertheless constitutes the primary means by which language learners obtain data for language learning, not only because interaction is how most learners receive input, but also because the input obtained through interaction is more pragmatic and conducive to acquisition than input received in other ways (Gass Macke y 2007: 175-199). Interlanguage An important term used in the interaction approach of second language acquisition is interlanguage. Interlanguage is a emerging linguistic system that has been developed by a learner of a second language who has not become fully proficient yet but is approximating the target language. It often preserving some features of their first language, or over-generalizing target language rules in speaking or writing the target language and creating innovations. An interlanguage is basically a set of language created by the learner to engage the first language and the second language and it is usually based on the learners experiences with the second language. At a more theoretical level, there are also well-argued claims that the social interaction most relevant to interlanguage development is that in which learners and their correspondents share a need and desire to understand each other (Pica, 1987). There is also recent empirical evidence that such mutual understanding can be reached when the learner and interlocutor modify and restructure their interaction as a result of their requests for clarification or confirmation of each others input and checks on the comprehensibility of their own productions, this will be discussed more in the feedback section. When learners need to understand unfamiliar linguistic input or when required to produce a comprehensible message are opportunities to modify and restructure their interaction with their respondents until mutual comprehension is reached. That process enables learners to move beyond their current interlanguage receptive and expressive capacities and yet improve their second language. Another research investigates the type of interaction and the effects on the development of the interlanguage. It shows that certain kinds of interaction that the child engages in encourage faster and more complete development of features of his interlanguage than other kinds of interaction. A similar finding is reported by Shea (2003), who compares interactions between Japanese students studying at an American university and four different teachers. Shea reports that the Japanese students appear more proficient in English in conversations where they have equal access to the floor and take perspectives that are congruent with those taken by their teachers (Watanabe 2008). Input Input refers to the language that a learner is exposed to. In all approaches to second language acquisition, input is a vital component for learning in that it provides the evidence from which learners can form linguistic hypotheses. On the other hand, the information provided by the input illustrates what is possible within a language. Interaction makes learner see the differences between them and native speakers. Interaction itself also directs learners attention to something new, such as a new lexical item or grammatical construction, thus promoting the development of the L2. Input obtained via interaction has been conceptualized and researched in terms of comprehensible input, negotiation of meaning and comprehensible output by Krashen, Long and Swain (Gass, 2003: 224-255, Krashen, 1981). The interrelatedness of these three notions is concisely articulated in Longs revised version of the Interaction Hypothesis: the negotiation for meaning, and especially negotiation work that tri ggers interactional adjustments by the NS or more competent interlocutor, facilitates acquisition because it connects input, internal learner capacities, particularly selective attention, and output in productive ways (Tarone, 2009: 41-57). The process of turning input into intake has been described by Krashen as follows: First, learners understand a message using the not yet acquired L2 structure and somehow connect the form with its meaning. Second, learners must notice a difference between their current interlanguage competence and the second language form (Xu, 2010). As input of an interaction is just like the listening, it is important for learners to familiar with the phonetic of the second language. Language like French, which does not pronounce the why it looks like. Native speakers usually speak much faster than a learner can understand. It means that it is understandable if the sentence was written or spoken word by word. As many French learners have experienced, it is important for the learner to have more social interactions with the native speakers to get their ears used to the speed and dialect (for some language) of the second language. Output Swain observed the children in Canada which showed less native-like language. Swain hypothesized that what was lacking was sufficient opportunities for language use. She claimed that language production forces learners to move form comprehension to syntactic use of language. As many learners maybe experienced, there is a stage where the learner is too shy to produce an output. It may due to the afraid of making a wrong statement or convey a wrong message. The less the learner talk in the target language, the more shyness the will feel. That is why many Chinese students who take English as second language is excellent in the grammar and lexicon but can hardly talk to a native speaker fluently. Feedback There are two types of feedbacks: implicit and explicit. Explicit refers to correction and metalinguisitic explanations. Implicit feedback refers to confirmation checks (i.e. the sentence or specific word has been correctly heard), clarification requests (i.e. a request for clarify or repeat), and comprehension checks (i.e. an expression used to check the listener is understand or not). Explicit feedback often occurs during negotiation for meaning. Pica (1989) describes how negotiation contributes to the language learning process, suggesting that negotiation facilitates comprehension of L2 input and servers to draw learners attention to form-meaning relationships through processes of repetition, segmentation, and rewording. The research also claims that negotiation can draw learners attention to linguistic problems and proposes that initial steps in interlanguage development occur when learners notice mismatches between the input and their own organization of the target language (Gas s Mackey, 2007: 175-199). With feedbacks, both the native speakers and non-native speakers can adjust their language to a level where they can communicate efficiently. Other research have found that native speaker modifications are more frequent in two-way communication because conversation provides the native speaker with feedback from the learner and thus enables him to estimate the amount of adjustment required (Albakri, 2006). Social context and culture Learning a second language can be said of learning about another society and their culture. Language has been proven that has a great relationship with the society, culture and even history. In order to improve the second language proficiency, social context and culture have to be taken into the consideration. The best way of doing this is to interact with the native speakers. It was shown that speakers of any target language use different varieties of that language in the different social contexts in which it is spoken; a formal variety is appropriate in business meetings, while a vernacular variety is used with friends in a bar. So social context affects the social variety of the second language learners are exposed to. If learners are restricted to only one social context and need to learn varieties of second language that are spoken in other social context and need to learn varieties of second language that are spoken in other social contexts, their overall SLA can be affected. (Tarone, 2007). Culture is difficult to define, but it does not mean that the issue is not important in relation to the acquisition of a second language. Through interaction, learners are able to understand certain usage of the language. For example, in Japanese, you need to use a respectful way or tone and choice of words to talk to a senior or anyone who is socially above your status. It is different in some western countries and the language they used. We may not be sure what culture the learner acquires, but it is certainly different from the learners own culture and this difference is an important part of the learning experience (Regan 1998). Conclusion Social interaction, without any doubt, is important in second language acquisition. The learner receives input from his/her respondent and that input becomes intake when the learner processes the information internally. The learner than produces the output which in turn becomes the input for the respondent and he/she provides feedback to that input. And this process continues as conversation or communication and therefore enhances second language learning (Albakri, 2006). It is also important that, the interaction provide the chance of knowing the culture of the target language and raise the awareness of the social context of the target language, which will indeed promotes the development of the second language. On the other hand, social interaction encourages learners to use the language in a more pragmatic way, which is one of the main reason we learn a second language at first place. Word Count: 2188

Management of Email in a Government Agency Essay -- Email Management P

I often read technical journals and information management publications in print as well as web based articles or white papers. I like to educate myself as well as stay current on the most recent information on Information Management. I feel for my rhetorical essay it’s best to stick to what I know and what I’m familiar with. The article I chose to elaborate on comes from the January/February 2014 issue of Information Management , an ARMA Publication. It addresses the ongoing issues of email management and email retention. Most organizations, civilian and government struggle with the problem of email storage and email retention. In an ideal world it would be the desire of the organization to limit the amount of email and the length of email retention to an across the board timeframe, 3 years, 5 years, 7 years, 10 years or longer for specific records. Although uniform retention periods are a goal and objective for many organizations, it isn’t very realistic for most government entities. Dr. William Saffady begins his article â€Å"Taking Control of E-Mail with Uniform Retention Rules† questioning the practicality of schedule-based retention periods for the management of email and electronic communication. He recommends an alternative system of managing email messages by adopting uniform retention rules. Dr. Saffady is currently Professor at the Palmer School of Library and Information Science, Long Island University in New Your City, where he teaches courses on information management topics. He is definitely well versed in his field and more than qualified in his assessment if email management. Although Dr. Saffady is well qualified to his opinion and make recommendations but I have to disagree with his as... ...urrently Cook County where I work have over 20,000 employees. The management of email for 20,000 employees is a huge task but one that must be taken seriously. References Arizona State Library of Archives and Public Records. (n.d.). â€Å"Guideline for managing public records sent and received via electronic mail†. http://www.azlibrary.gov/records/GuidanceAndRelatedResources/GuidelinesForManagingPublicRecordsSentAndReceivedViaElectronicMail.aspx Live Office – Your Archiving Experts. (2010 July). â€Å" Best Practices Guide for Email Retention.† Retrieved March 11, 2014 from http://www.liveoffice.com/sites/default/files/whitepapers/Best_Practices_Guide_for_Email_Retention_0.pdf Saffady, William, PhD., (2014) â€Å"Taking Control of E-Mail with Uniform Retention Rules† , Information Management, An ARMA International Publication, Volume 48, No 1, 20-26

Edward Scissorhands gives the idea

People always set a so called standard. We might not notice it but we lived with it. We can not deny the reality that we distinguished or categories everything; right music, beautiful, normal, etc. We set it as a standard or right thing because it is the common thing that we see and everything that does not belong to it said to be abnormal, ugly and the like.Did we ever ask what others say about these standards? Especially those that we think do not belong to us. If it is not the beautiful that we see today is set as â€Å"beautiful† then it will be the other one that we will be referring as beautiful. Well, it is planted already in our hearts. No mater what we do there our heart will still say and stick to what we usually see.Most often when we see people who do not belong to that standard we give them uncommon treatment. Why? It is because we think they are incapable of doing what we commonly did. Well, good for those treated with good but for others they were even denied wi th their rights as a person.Edward Scissorhands gives the idea or states what is happening to our society. When somebody saw him he was brought home but treated as a specials person. Well, he is incapable of doing some things that a what they called â€Å"normal people† do (just like what happened to the waterbed).People treat him with uncommon treatment because of his weaknesses. One example scene that gives an idea of the common reactions of people is that when Edward, even incapable of doing some things, had a hidden strength of ability.If they were not preoccupied with the thing that Edward is incapable they will never be amazed when they knew that Edward has a hidden artistry. They loved him since then. Well, we can not deny that fact that is a nature of man to show kindness to those who show him kindness.One man got envious with Edward. He blackmailed him and charged him with robbery. That plot starts to cause hi to be driven away. Although it was not at that moment but it was the start that some people think him negatively. The people did not examine every detail of the events and concluded directly.When they saw Edward with a blood on his scissorhands they postulated he was attempting to kill. They were preoccupied that because Edward is different from them he will commit a crime or he will do bad thing to them at anytime and by that they did not investigate. They drove away Edward.Edward’s social aspect did not develop fully because unexposed to other people. He grew in an isolated place. He wasn’t exposed because of the fear that the community might not like him and will not accept him. As we can see social integration is needed for human beings to be developed as a person. It’s not only because of that factor but it is because of the fact that every person is unique.No person is the same as the other. Because not all of us have the same weaknesses and strength e need to interact to fill up the voids of some aspects. If Ed ward grew up with the community, he will not be treated as such he will be common to their sight. Every person need also to know what is happening to his society for him to adjust with the community trend.One common reaction for a man who is not oriented with the community is watching himself not to be seen and notice by others as different. In other words he will try to be one of them. This rapid change of environment causes Edward to act abnormally; meaning he act not the same with the community.Even though the film did not verbally mentioned the thoughts of Edward I still see his inner feelings of being not oriented. He is like a sheep being put together with the pigs where he tried to be like pigs. He tried to do what the community is doing.This is unhealthy for human beings; a sudden change of environment. This often caused the person’s being to be crushed. For worse, it will lead only to the destruction of his personality. Because human beings can not adopt easily, ever ything need to be a gradual process. Everybody should help with one another to bridge the gap between them.

Free Essays on Huck Finn Facets Of Lies

The Many Facets of Lies In Mark Twain’s novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck begins by stating that he â€Å"never seen anybody but lied, one time or another† (Twain 13). By stating this, Huck is implying that he himself also lies. However, in Huck’s life, there are several different facets of lying. There are ‘stretching the truth’ lies, lies made out of ignorance or misunderstandings, lies made for survival, and malicious lies designed to harm people. Mark Twain once stated that â€Å"Truth is more of a stranger than fiction† (Notebook 1898). To Huck Finn, this is the way that he lives his life. His best friend, Tom Sawyer is an example of someone who stretches the truth. Tom does this to create excitement in his life and live out the romantic novels of adventure that he reads. Tom leads his friends in creating a gang of robbers. When they first form their club, the boys â€Å"take an oath, and write their names in blood† (Twain 20). The entire point of the gang is to ransom people and kill all but women and children (Twain 21). This gang fulfills Tom’s fantasies of adventure and wild times without his family holding him down it is an escape from civilization. Jim is another character in Twain’s novel that habitually stretches the truth to build him up. Jim’s lies are harmless though and are only done for his own amusement or gratification. When the gang of boys plays a joke on Jim in the beginning of the novel, Tom â€Å"slipped Jim’s hat off of his head and hung it on a limb† above Jim’s head (Twain 19). When Jim wakes up in the woods, he is convinced that witches enchanted him and â€Å"rode him all over the State;† however, as Jim continues to tell the story to more people, he exaggerates it to build it up in impressiveness and thus build his own importance (Twain 19). By the time that Jim has told most everyone about the witches, he claims to have been ridden â€Å"all over the world, and t... Free Essays on Huck Finn Facets Of Lies Free Essays on Huck Finn Facets Of Lies The Many Facets of Lies In Mark Twain’s novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck begins by stating that he â€Å"never seen anybody but lied, one time or another† (Twain 13). By stating this, Huck is implying that he himself also lies. However, in Huck’s life, there are several different facets of lying. There are ‘stretching the truth’ lies, lies made out of ignorance or misunderstandings, lies made for survival, and malicious lies designed to harm people. Mark Twain once stated that â€Å"Truth is more of a stranger than fiction† (Notebook 1898). To Huck Finn, this is the way that he lives his life. His best friend, Tom Sawyer is an example of someone who stretches the truth. Tom does this to create excitement in his life and live out the romantic novels of adventure that he reads. Tom leads his friends in creating a gang of robbers. When they first form their club, the boys â€Å"take an oath, and write their names in blood† (Twain 20). The entire point of the gang is to ransom people and kill all but women and children (Twain 21). This gang fulfills Tom’s fantasies of adventure and wild times without his family holding him down it is an escape from civilization. Jim is another character in Twain’s novel that habitually stretches the truth to build him up. Jim’s lies are harmless though and are only done for his own amusement or gratification. When the gang of boys plays a joke on Jim in the beginning of the novel, Tom â€Å"slipped Jim’s hat off of his head and hung it on a limb† above Jim’s head (Twain 19). When Jim wakes up in the woods, he is convinced that witches enchanted him and â€Å"rode him all over the State;† however, as Jim continues to tell the story to more people, he exaggerates it to build it up in impressiveness and thus build his own importance (Twain 19). By the time that Jim has told most everyone about the witches, he claims to have been ridden â€Å"all over the world, and t...