Property valuation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Property valuation - Essay Example Then there is valuation based on the type of property: whether commercial or residential. Generally, for a given location, the valuation of commercial property is much higher than residential property. The profession and income levels of the residents also influence the value of a property to a certain extent. "The Isle of Dogs now centres around Canary Wharf (Canary Wharf refers to the both the tower, the tube station, and the offices in its immediate vicinity). Canary Wharf is London's financial district. Businesses located in Canary Wharf include: Citibank, Credit Suisse, Barclays Bank and HSBC. Businesses from other industries, such as BP and Reuters, have also located in the area, but it is still dominated by the financial sector. This means that a significant proportion of the residents of E14 work in the financial sector, and earn high wages. It also means that the types of property here are predominantly new properties (built after the regeneration in 1981) designed for young executives rather than families."1 The above table shows the average estimated monthly rentals in different parts of London. Area 1covers localities like Kensington, Bloomsbury, St. John's Wood, Green Park, Westminster and other central areas. Being centrally located and having access to all amenities, this area is the highest valued one in terms of rentals. Area 2 covers the localities just adjoining Area 1. Kilburn, West Hampstead, Isle of Dogs, Elephant and Castle, Kennington, Dulwich, Brentford are the areas covered under this category. In the south, it extends till Raynes Park and Merton Park. In the north west, Woodford seems to be covered under this category, while surrounding areas do not belong to this category. Here, the rentals are slightly lower as compared to Area 1. Similarly, Area 3 is marked by the localities bordering localities under Area 2. Prominent among these are Kensel Garden, Strafford, Wallworth in the central area, Stanmore, Totteridge, Cockfosters in the north east and Strawberry Hill and Ki ngston in the south. There are a few areas like Surbiton, Bickley and Bromlay that stand out in the south among Area 4 and Area 5 categories. Area 4 consists of Bartnet, Endfield, Ponders End in the north and West Wickham and Ewell in the south. This category is spread out in all the four directions and can be bradly said to be on the periphery of the city. A few exceptions to this would be areas like Nunhead, Ladywell etc, that are located in almost central areas. Area 5 is almost on the outskirts of the city and thus lowest in terms of rent/yields. Recent Changes in Office Rentals Average office rents in the CBD (Central Business District) have recently fallen almost 38 % to $ 777.40 per sq. m, making it Europe's sixth most expensive business district. While London's Mayfair district is a premium business center and can be compared to Triangle d'Or area of Paris , rents have recently fallen in this area too. Even with a 45 % fall in its rental values, West End remains the most expensive office area in Europe till date with rental values to 961 euros per sq m.4 Conclusion Thus, while arriving at an agreement, an owner and tenant have to keep many factors in mind. While the importance of factors like location and amenities cannot be ruled out, market conditions will also have to be kept in mind. In the past one year, rentals have fallen by almost 50 % due to a plethora of reasons; changes in the sub prime lending rates and recession being the major ones. Even after the property has been let out for a certain period, there could be some market forces that might compel the owner to modify

Explains the political changes the United States underwent in the Essay

Explains the political changes the United States underwent in the 2008-2011 period in regards to political philosophy - Essay Example This revealed that racism did not guide the elections, as people wanted change in governance. Citizens of the United States expressed dissatisfaction with the republican governance, following George W. Bush’s two terms in office. There have also been changes in the voting structure, with many young people and minority groups participating in the polls. As a result, the political philosophy in the United States from 2008 seems more different than any other period in the history of the United States. Preference for young contestants increased; as such older candidates faced enormous challenges and opposition from younger ones. John McCain could not have defeated the democrat candidate because most Americans did not prefer people of his age (Lasser, 2011). In addition, dissatisfaction with the administration of George Bush made the electorate opt for a difference. An increased number of casualties in Afghanistan and Iraq war changed the mood of American electorate, following deaths of many American soldiers while fighting terrorists. During the Bush administration, economy of the United States had started to experience reduced growth. The banking industry and the stock market performed poorly in the start of 2008. Therefore, the political preference shifted to a Democratic candidate rather than a Republican (Katzman, 2011). During his presidential term, Barrack Obama has publicly declared his stand on various issues regarding American politics. Several legislative measures have been undertaken between 2008 and 2011. Politics have mainly been centered on revival of the United States economy; and provision of heath care that all Americans can access and manage to pay for. Obama administration has also strengthened social security and system of education in America. Political ideals have also been centered on withdrawing American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as stopping

Medical Records and Privacy of the Famous Essay Example for Free

Medical Records and Privacy of the Famous Essay Medical Records and Privacy of the Famous Privacy seems to be something that many people desire, but is becoming less and less available. With all the new technology, it is easier than ever to invade someone’s privacy. With cameras everywhere, from ATM’s to people’s cell phones, it is difficult for anyone to do anything that can be kept to one ’s self. While privacy is a right that the average person doesn’t normally struggle with, it is a problem that celebrities encounter everyday. Paparazzi are constantly following these famous people around as they do their everyday things like shopping, playing with their children, partying, or simply hanging in their homes. It is basically the price to pay to be famous. While these celebrities’ lives are invaded to a large degree, shouldn’t they still enjoy the right to keep some aspects of their lives private? Celebrities should have the right to keep things like medical records private, because not only is it a violation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA), it is unethical to release medical information about someone to the public, even celebrities. In recent years, there have been a number of break-ins of celebrity medical records that have been leaked to the tabloids. In 2006 one of the country’s leading medical institutions discovered that the security of their medical records had been breached when The National Enquirer printed a story about Farrah Faucet’s cancer relapse, before the actress even told any of her family members† (Steinhaurer, 2008). Ms. Faucet is not the only celebrity who has had this happen. In 2007, George Clooney was informed that his medical records were accessed by people who didn’t have the right to look at them, following a motorcycle crash that left the actor with broken ribs and scrapes. Britney Spears was also a victim when the media reported that she was involuntarily hospitalized in 2008 and put in the psych ward under the thought she could be a danger to others or herself. Gossip outlets and other news media reported on her interactions with staff and visitors throughout her hospitalization (Techweb, 2008). These are incidents that have occurred for many years, as tabloids are always interested in the medical issues celebrities deal with, and keeping it under wraps is more difficult with technology making it easier for anyone to gain instant access to health secrets. â€Å"With the advent of networked computers, the problem has increased exponentially, and celebrities are constantly surrounded by people who are willing to trade in medical information for profit or their own 15 minutes† (Blankstein, 2008). While the people who accessed the records of these celebrities and leaked the stories are definitely at fault, I think that much of the blame also lies with the reporters and journalists who actually print and air the stories. The press is violating privacy by releasing these stories in two ways, legally and ethically. â€Å"Medical privacy rules apply to everybody, including celebrities,† Alicia Mitchell, spokesperson for the American Hospital Association said. â€Å"Everybody is entitled to confidentiality of what is often very personal information† (Rhea, 2007). By printing the very private medical information, there was a violation of HIPPA. HIPPA is an act that went into effect in 1996 and it set a national standard for securing and protecting patient health information. Hospitals have strict policies against leaking information, with the exceptions of insurance and law enforcement investigations. Because of this law, many health care providers won’t even admit to treating some patients (Techweb, 2008). While the people who leaked the stories to the press have been reprimanded by either suspension or termination, there wasn’t any type of consequences for the press for reporting this illegal material. That brings me to the ethical violation. â€Å"Depriving people of their privacy is a cruel and immoral act, which could destroy their lives. The sole objective of tabloids is to make money, so they’ll go to any extreme to satisfy their readers and increase circulation figures† (Heng, 2006). It is obvious that celebrity news is an outlet that sells, as seen by the numerous tabloids and entertainment shows. The public has an interest in what is going on in the lives of these rich and glamorous people. This brings on a form of mediated voyeurism, which can be defined as, â€Å"the consumption of revealing images and information about others’ real and unguarded lives, not always for the purpose of entertainment but frequently at the expense of privacy and discourse, through the means of the mass media† (Calvert, 2000). Basically saying that the public has a need to see these famous people and learn about their lives, even at the risk of invading their privacy. The tabloids simply exploit the public’s desire to learn these things, regardless of the ethical issues of invading a human being’s privacy. They know people will buy it and that they will make money. I think that to be an ethical journalist it is important to empathize with the person whose life is about to be splashed on the papers. Of course there is the matter of getting the story and pleasing the readers and the editor, but it should take into account the public’s real right to know. A story about the health of someone like the President of the United States might be something worth printing, because knowing how he is medically is of public interest because this is a man that is running the country. However, that is a different scenario with someone like Britney Spears. She is simply an entertainer and it isn’t important for the public to know her health because it will not affect the daily lives of people. It is simply news that the public likes to learn about. If I were a journalist, I would like to think to myself how I would feel if someone had released my medical records for the public to read. I would feel very violated. As Lance Morrow states, â€Å"Good journalistic standards are not difficult to state, just tough sometimes when applied case by case. Journalists function best when they are mature, experienced, and intelligent; when they keep their work as clear and simple as possible; when they fall back upon decency and common sense if questions arise about whether to run a piece† (Morrow, 2002). If these people were true journalists, they would think ethically about whether or not to release this type of information, and whether or not it is simply the decent thing to do. I would think that it would be an easy answer because, just because someone is famous, doesn’t mean that all of their privacy rights should be violated.

Hindu Temple Architecture in the Taj Mahal

Hindu Temple Architecture in the Taj Mahal Traces of Hindu Temple Architecture in Taj Mahal As mentioned earlier in the previous chapter that many critics have found Urdu traces and Taj building is a symbolical representation of Mughal monument only. But Professor P.N. Oak challenges such ideas and brings out a critique that the Taj Mahal is actually a Hindu Temple of Lord Shiva (Tejo-Mahalaya). As P.N Oak also theorizes that a stone inscription which is known as the Bateshwar inscription is kept in the Lucknow Museum which shows that this monument can be a temple of Lord Shiva. It was found that the size of Mumtaz’s cenotaph is not of height of an average Islamic woman of the seventeenth century and the grave is not of appropriate dimensions. It could be said that the Shiva Linga which is considered as very sacred and holy is actually under the grave. The grave is on the first floor so it is not clear if Mumtaz’s body is really buried in Taj Mahal because bodies are usually buried in the earth and not in the flooring. This grave of Mumtaz is of the height of Hindu Shiva linga and if further digging would be allowed the result would come hence forth. Taj Mahal bears a lot of Hinduism traces and all such marks have been pointed out by P.N. Oak in his book. On the arch of Taj Mahal’s main tomb there is a trident (trishul) which is emblem of all Hindu Temples in India and no mosque or any other Muslim monument has a trident over its tomb. All plants and trees which are present in the gardens of the Taj Mahal are sacred to Hindus like Lotus, Tulsi, Banyan trees, etc. The main patterns are drawn which are found are Bel leaves and Harshringar flowers, these are actually used as an offering to Lord Shiva. There is a central chamber in between of eight doors which provides us the idea where the emblem of Lord Chandra-manleeshwar was present. The proper flooring of this central passage also gives us an idea that Lord Chandra- manleeshwar used to dance to worship Lord Shiva. The high doom above it is also a common feature is dripped over the Shiva linga from a bowl hanging on a certain height. Even the guides of Taj Mahal tell to all visitors about the tradition of a drop of rain water which is falling from height of the dome on the grave in the central chamber, this is actually a place from where the water used to drop on the Shiva Linga in the older times. There are silver doors and golden railings which are in the fixtures of the Taj Mahal, clearly give the Indianness to the monument because till date we can find such fixtures in our Hindu Temples. There are some ancient Hindu colored sketches of eight directional pointers, sixteen cobras, thirty two tridents, and sixty four flowers of lotus which are in the multiple of four which is considered auspicious in Hindu religion. This sketch is designed in the Taj Mahal’s central chamber, from the grave of Mumtaz this pattern can be seen very clearly. Even Tavernier also mentioned that the bazar used to be placed in the six courts of the Taj Mahal and this thing is everyone knows that in the tradition of Hindus fairs and bazars are set up around temples till date. On all four side entrances of the Taj Mahal, there is trident (trishul) is inlaid, which is exclusive weapon of Lord Shiva. It clearly proves that it is a Shiva temple. Some pointed out that the Taj Mahal dome has the Arabic engraving ‘Allaho Akbar’ meaning ‘God is Great’. These words were engraved on pinnacle ordered by Shah Jahan after he took over the Hindu temple and commandeered to change in Islamic use. But the same replica of the pinnacle inlaid in the red-stone courtyard does not have that Islamic inscription. Then there are spacious decorated chambers and an adjoining long corridor with the entire length of those apartments. These chambers are basically at the lower level than the basement central chamber. The chambers which are right under the graves of King and Queen on two floors which are sealed in a haphazard way with bricks are likely to have Hindu idols and inscriptions. The corridors which may be running under the red-stone terrace, they all are sealed. Likewise all the ventilator type openings and doors in the apartment row have also been crudely walled up under the red-stone terrace. We will be able to see the beauty of the underground apartments if those fillings are removed. It is very much possible that Taj Mahal has two floors above the river bed and one in the basement which has been sealed by Shah Jahan. ‘Taj Mahal’ is a foul form of Sanskrit ‘Tejo Mahalaya’ meaning ‘Resplendent Shrine’. This name also attach to Lord Shiva because his third eye is said to emit a fit if luster that is ‘Tejo’. Even if we look at the real meaning of the term ‘Taj Mahal’ it means a ‘crown residence’ and not a tomb . If these graves would have been the real graves, they wouldn’t have been so much decorated because in Muslim culture graves wouldn’t have been so much decorated. The corpse of Mumtaz, if it is buried in the Taj Mahal, it cannot be in the ground floor or in the basement chamber. There are other a Hindu symbols which are found in the Taj Mahal, like use of the sacred Hindu chant ‘OM’. ‘OM’ is crafted into the marble flower of lotus both lotus and OM are symbolically apart of Hindu culture which are present on the walls of Taj Mahal even on the so called â€Å"graves†. Any student or scholar of architecture can clearly tell that the ‘flower’ drawn on the marbles is a part of ancient Hindu temple drawings and not of any Muslim sepulcher workmanship. There is one important point also that time or rather span of death of Mumtaz is not clear. Some historians says that, she died in 1630 or 1631or 1632 A.D., and in the illustrious sepulcher it is written that she died in 1629 A.D. It is absurdto think nobody knows the correct timing of Mumtaz’s death. In fact, Taj Mahal has Hindu palace dimensions. Taj Mahal has many doors which are in spiked shape. There are red stone corridors, thorns and rooms all these attributes are just like typical Rajput building. ‘Ghat’ which is very common in temple palace, exists in Taj Mahal. Gateways of the Taj Mahal which are now closed were earlier the place to bathe in the river and go boating. Many rooms in the Taj Mahal complex are the drum houses. These drum houses are a part of Rajputana architecture. It is obvious that in memorial place no drum houses are planned to make, and there is no music places made in any Islamic buildings, music is actually restricted, hence the drum houses clearly prove the hand of Hinduism in the Taj Mahal. There are so many rooms for guests, army detachments, waiters, caterers etc for any royal purposes. Such architecture is never used in making any tomb. All the walls and doors are also in Hindu dimension, like silver doors which have been discussed earlier. In the Taj Mahal there are four towers at the each doorway. The top of the tower is made up by brass Kalases. Kalases is a Sanskrit word and this word can never be connected to any tomb and also does not fit the Taj building architecture. ‘Kalas’ signifies a shinning pinnacle made up by brass or gold. This word only comes in a connection of temples or any Hindu palace but Taj Mahal’s top of the tower uses similar material and hence this also gives us the hint of Temple like palace instead of a burial tomb. Three different scientific tests took place to find out the actualities of Taj Mahal. First one is Donodo chronology, in this test wood sample is taken of respective historic building. Second one is Thermoluminescence, in this test a brick powder or whole brick is taken and find out when this brick was baked. This test is very helpful in finding the age of the historic buildings. Third test is Carbon-14 test; this test is helpful in finding out the actual age of any living organism like wood piece or bone. Professor Mills from New York took the Carbon-14 test by taking out small wooden piece of one of the Taj Mahal’s wooden door. This report published in the Itihas Patrika. It was found out that the probable age of the sample is from 1448 and 1270 A.D. This test clearly proves that the Taj Mahal existed much before Shah Jahan. But here I would like to tell readers clearly that the age which was proved in the test was of the Northeastern doorway and not of the Taj Mahal’s marble. In this chapter, many examples have been discussed which clearly tell that Taj Mahal is basically a Hindu ancient temple (Tejo Mahalaya) and not a tomb.

Housing Authority Meeting :: Journalism Essays

Housing Authority Meeting Fine charged for questionable false alarms The city of Muncie is fining the Housing Authority of Delaware County for alleged false alarms. The announcement came at the Housing Authority’s monthly board meeting that they have been fined $100 for three false alarms in March and April. But the police may not have responded to these alarms. Executive Director Jennifer Edwards says the Muncie Police Department is making a claim of false alarms when the police are notified by the Housing Authority’s alarm company, ADT of a disturbance great enough to set off the alarms. These could be, she says, anything from a storm rattling the windows to people with mischievous intents. â€Å"But an alarm is an alarm, and they deserve the same response,† Edwards said. ADT calls the police and Edwards when an alarm is activated. Edwards claims that when she arrived, police had not responded to any of the alarms the department mentioned in the list of dates the Housing Authority is being fined for. An ordinance against false alarms says that three false alarms constitute a fine of $100, and more for each alarm afterwards. Amendments were made to this ordinance earlier this year to lessen fines for large buildings, such as those on Ball State’s campus, but are costly to the smaller, federal funded Housing Authority. â€Å"I vote we fight this,† said Commissioner Evan Terry. â€Å"I remember back in 1982 to 1986 when [false fire alarms were happening frequently] at Ball State. That’s what this ordinance is supposed to protect. False fire alarms,† Terry said. Commissioner Fred Fields said that if the police are going to charge the Housing Authority for protective services, they should at least show up. The board agreed to consult their attorney, Casey Cloyd on the matter, and take legal action if needed. Board members noted that this is a case of the city of Muncie fining a federal office in Delaware county jurisdiction, so they may not possess the ability to fine the organization. Housing Authority Meeting :: Journalism Essays Housing Authority Meeting Fine charged for questionable false alarms The city of Muncie is fining the Housing Authority of Delaware County for alleged false alarms. The announcement came at the Housing Authority’s monthly board meeting that they have been fined $100 for three false alarms in March and April. But the police may not have responded to these alarms. Executive Director Jennifer Edwards says the Muncie Police Department is making a claim of false alarms when the police are notified by the Housing Authority’s alarm company, ADT of a disturbance great enough to set off the alarms. These could be, she says, anything from a storm rattling the windows to people with mischievous intents. â€Å"But an alarm is an alarm, and they deserve the same response,† Edwards said. ADT calls the police and Edwards when an alarm is activated. Edwards claims that when she arrived, police had not responded to any of the alarms the department mentioned in the list of dates the Housing Authority is being fined for. An ordinance against false alarms says that three false alarms constitute a fine of $100, and more for each alarm afterwards. Amendments were made to this ordinance earlier this year to lessen fines for large buildings, such as those on Ball State’s campus, but are costly to the smaller, federal funded Housing Authority. â€Å"I vote we fight this,† said Commissioner Evan Terry. â€Å"I remember back in 1982 to 1986 when [false fire alarms were happening frequently] at Ball State. That’s what this ordinance is supposed to protect. False fire alarms,† Terry said. Commissioner Fred Fields said that if the police are going to charge the Housing Authority for protective services, they should at least show up. The board agreed to consult their attorney, Casey Cloyd on the matter, and take legal action if needed. Board members noted that this is a case of the city of Muncie fining a federal office in Delaware county jurisdiction, so they may not possess the ability to fine the organization.

Critical Barriers to Progress of Retinitis Pigmentosa Essay -- Health

CRITICAL BARRIERS TO PROGRESS The lack of homogeneity and progressive nature of RP poses a crucial problem to the development of novel therapies (Marmor 1979, Greenwald 2009).RP is typically late in its onset and progresses slowly; as such an accurate determination of age of onset is problematic (Tsujikawa 2008). This is particularly troublesome as no efficient therapies are currently available with genetic counseling being key in the treatment of the disease, and without an accurate age of onset, counseling can be troublesome at best (Tsujikawa 2008). Diversity exists not only in disease onset and progression rate, but underlying genetics as well (Chow 2004); over 180 gene mutations are associated with photoreceptor diseases without cures or effective therapies (Greenwald 2009). This makes the development of molecular based therapies difficult as one therapy may only aid one specific type of RP, with a variance in efficacy mirroring the variance in phenotype severity. Even within a single family, a specific muta tion may result in a variety of phenotypes (Sohocki 2000). Also, within a single gene, multiple mutations may occur, each with its own retinal degeneration phenotype (Gamundi 2005). Even if these issues with known genetic causes could be mitigated, cases of adRP exist where all known RP associated genes have been excluded, suggesting additional genetic heterogeneity (Alvarez 2007). Within Caucasian populations, 50-60% of cases of RP are diagnosed as â€Å"sporadic† due to the inability to pinpoint inheritance patterns (Ziviello 2005). In one study of Italian families with adRP, only 27% of cases could be linked to a known gene, with 73% of cases having alterations in unknown genes (Ziviello 2005). Because of the challenges mo... ...ir mobility and independence indirectly, resulting in an overall greater increase in quality of life. Additionally, this study will improve our knowledge of retinal degenerations and the ability of degenerated photoreceptors with mostly preserved retinal circuitry to be stimulated more effectively through differential brightness/contrast/exposures to increase visual perception. Success of the aims of this study will alter treatments and services in the field as optometrists will have access to a potential prosthesis and resource to give their patients to improve their quality of life once diagnosed with RP. Additionally, this device will give a non-invasive alternative to those patients with early stage disease progression, those RP patients with unknown underlying genetic determinants, and those end-stage patients that do not wish to have subretinal implantation.

Importunate Persuasions: Anxiety of Authorship and the Female Fight for Self-Sovereignty

In Margaret Cavendish’s essay The Blazing World she creates a world of her own where she rules as a sovereign and is afforded a power that would not otherwise be possible for her: â€Å"†¦if any should like the world I have made and be willing to be my subjects, they may imagine themselves such, and they are such, I mean in their minds†¦; but if they cannot endure to be subjects, they may create worlds of their own and govern themselves as they please† (1785).In this passage, Margaret Cavendish exposes her own idiosyncratic philosophy concerning her position in society as a woman, female author and a member of a court that was ostracized. By prolifically writing about herself, she attempts to exercise her right to a voice and uses it as an instrument of power and resistance in an oppressed and powerless situation. However, her language bears traces of an internalization of the oppressive social structure and an anxiety of authorship1 that prevents her from suc cessfully establishing herself as autonomous.In this essay, I will attempt to demonstrate how Margaret Cavendish, through her poetry and prose, endeavors to achieve self-sovereignty through singularity but fails due to fear of social alienation from not just the patriarchal hegemony but also from the women of her era that perpetuated it. In The Poetess’s Hasty Resolution, Margaret Cavendish establishes herself as not only a poet but a gifted one at that. â€Å"Reading my verses, I liked them so well/Self-love did make my judgment to rebel/Thinking them so good, I thought more to write† (1-3).Here, Margaret introduces her desire for self-sovereignty and her initial willingness to exercise it through the vocation of writing. She writes of a â€Å"self-love† initiated by the sound of her own voice and empowers her to fight against the status quo, â€Å"to rebel†. She decides to go about her rebellion through writing and putting forth the female voice. Howeve r, she compromises her own self-adulation with the criticism that she receives. She recognizes and notes that â€Å"others† appose her voicing her opinion: â€Å"Considering not how others would them like† (4).By interjecting this criticism in with her self-congratulatory treatise, she refutes them with an impervious tone in her language, as if she intended to rebel and dismiss the reader’s response to her style. Conversely, she also acknowledges them, within the first four lines of her poem, which alludes to a deep concern. This indicates a woman who cares deeply for what others think. This concern could be due to her position in society. Being the wife of a Duke and lady to an ostracized Queen, it was well within her interest to be aware of her social milieu.Moreover, the aristocracy was used to people caring about what they thought and effecting how others acted and spoke, in other words, exercising their hegemony. While she is amongst this power structure, s he pushes the limits of her position and acceptance by speaking out and seeks to establish agency, which was not readily afforded to women in the seventeenth century. Even though Margaret Cavendish’s rank was high enough to enjoy an element of immunity, she expresses concern over the fragility of her position.In A True Relation of My Birth, Breeding and Life Margaret appreciates how the breadth of her status is afforded to her through marriage, â€Å"second wife to the Lord Marquis of Newcastle, for my lord having had two wives, I might easily have been mistaken, especially if I should die and my lord marry again† (1780). Her language seems humble yet uncertain. One could postulate that this uncertainty is due to her position being conditional of a male counterpart. In her texts, she relies heavily upon a male for information and education.In A True Relation†¦ she diminishes her own ability â€Å"†¦I had a natural stupidity† (1779) and relays how she w ould be dependent upon a male member of her household to explain matters to her: â€Å"†¦and when I read what I understood not, I would ask my brother†¦ he being learned, the sense of meaning thereof† (ibid). Quickly following this passage, she resorts to gender performance1: â€Å"†¦my serious study could not be much, by reason I took great delight in attiring, fine dressing and fashions† (ibid). By positing herself within a socially accepted arena for women, she at once becomes less offensive to her female readership.However, she shows her â€Å"anxiety of authorship† that Sarah Gilbert and Susan Gubar define as a female author’s anxiety of being judged by male readers, critics, etc. thus they will compromise their own voice in an attempt to placate the male gaze2 and save themselves from alienation: â€Å"Her battle, however, is not against her (male) precursor’s reading of the world but against his reading of her. In order to de fine herself as an author she must redefine the terms of her socialization†, (Gilbert and Gubar, 2027).Gilbert and Gubar’s solution for this is a female author must replace the male precursor or influence with a female, at once helping to her to identify with her own sex and giving her an alliance in which to fight patriarchal control. However, if women themselves perpetuate male hegemony, this can prove difficult. In The Blazing World, Margaret creates a new world in order to experience and exercise the ambition and power that she desired. This new world becomes a metaphor for the real world with which she parallels it.In this new world, it is finally safe for her to tackle male hegemony head on and she attempts to do this with analogies of what men become. In her customized world, men take on animal characteristics. Some examples are: â€Å"worm-men†¦fox-men†¦ant-men†¦ape-men† (1781) most of which could be considered derogatory and most certainly diminutive. By ‘othering’ the male species and making them sub-human, Margaret can successfully exercise control in her realm. She also employs this tactic in The Hunting of the Hare in which Wat, a male, is a hare being hunted and assuming a secondary and fragile position. However her anxiety of authorship recurs.After assigning animal counterparts for the male species in The Blazing World, she quickly reiterates that she indeed receives power from the emperor. The empress and the Duchess, both as Margaret in a fragmented state, are informed and educated by priests and statesmen, both male, of the affairs of the government and the church. These figures, which could arguably also represent elements of Margaret’s own psyche particularly the internalized male gaze, attempt to justify their exclusion of women from places of worship and matters of the state as they are â€Å"importunate persuasions† or threatening figures of change (1782).Furthermore, when sh e herself describes the power one could exercise in their own world, she does so by using masculine pronouns; â€Å"he may create a world of what fashion and government he will†¦as he pleases†¦as he thinks best†¦also he may alter that world†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (1784). Thus, Margaret once again crumbles under the pressure of anxiety of authorship due to fear of social backlash. In a previously quoted passage, Margaret Cavendish uses ‘reason’ as the justification for her self-diminution: â€Å"†¦my serious study could not be much, by reason I took great delight in attiring, fine dressing and fashions† (1779).OED defines reason as â€Å"A statement of some fact (real or alleged) employed as an argument to justify or condemn some act, prove or disprove some assertion, idea, or belief †. However, her usage of the word ‘reason’ evolves. ‘Reason’ later becomes the conduit for her creation of the world in which she can rule as a sovereign, as â€Å"Margaret the First†: â€Å"This is the reason, why I added this†¦to my philosophical observations† (1781). Her language when referring to herself in The Blazing World is authoritarian: â€Å"I shall account myself as a happy creatoress† (1780); â€Å"authoress of a whole world† (1784), etc.Although initially she claims to merely be a scribe to the empress of this imaginary world, there is evidence that Cavendish actually sees herself as the empress. In the first paragraph she sees two worlds, the world in which she exists as Margaret Cavendish and the Blazing World, as antipodes of each other, thus making them parallel: â€Å"†¦and joined them as two worlds at the ends of their poles† (1780). She goes on to describe the world of her creation: â€Å"it is a description of a new world†¦a world of my own creating, which I call the Blazing World† (ibid).As she posits herself in an ultimate position of pow er as â€Å"creatoress† and â€Å"authoress† (idem) she herself is sovereign, thus the empress could easily be interpreted as her. This is further evidenced within the romantic beginning of the story. The empress is heralded as a goddess and the object of the emperor’s affection, paralleling the empress’s story with that of her own: receipt of power and title through marriage. By aligning herself with a female figure of power, she at once establishes a female precursor but also empowers herself in fighting the alienation of hegemonic criticism.The metaphor of this alignment is interesting. One would figure that she had a very powerful female ‘precursor’ in Queen Henrietta Maria; however the Queen’s power was jeopardized by Charles’ execution and her banishment. Also, this particular alignment had proved precarious as it caused the loss of her and her husband’s estate (albeit temporarily). Thus, it was necessary for Margar et to create a new female figure of authority with which she could associate herself. Her internal conflict of desperately wanting to speak out but being checked by fear of societal repercussions is exercised in interesting ways.Margaret is aware of the perpetuation of the male hegemony through women and illustrates her frustrations through her texts. Women would most likely make up Margaret’s ideal readership; however one can surmise that they have also been the source of a great deal of her criticism. In The Poetess’s Hasty Resolution, Margaret signifies the ‘she’ as the source of her criticism: Will you, said she, thus waste your time in vain On that which in the world small praise shall gain? For shame, leave off, said she, the printer spare He’ll lose by your ill poetry, I fear.Besides the world hath already such a weight Of useless books, as it is overfraught. Then pity take, do the world a good turn, And all you write cast in the fire and bur n. (9-16) In this incendiary passage, Margaret exposes many elements of oppression perpetuated by women upon women. The idealized female precursor and intended source of support, demeans Cavendish’s art and directly exercises male hegemonic social pressures upon her. First, they attempt to induce fear in her of women’s destructive capability upon their husbands if they do not adhere to gendered social norms.Second, these critics try to instill her with an anxiety of influence4 by purporting that there are enough things to read in the world and she is not worthy of authorship. Finally, the female critic entreats her to immediately quit her education and stifle her ambitions, as knowledge and ambition are not becoming of a lady. However, Margaret reifies her own anxiety and realizes the danger of this â€Å"importunate persuasion† (ibid) and persists: â€Å"Then all in haste I to the press it sent/Fearing persuasion might my book prevent† (19-20). The betra yal by her own sex does little to incite camaraderie in Margaret.To empower herself against an oppressive but generative hegemonic control that is elicited upon her by other women, she attempts to distinguish herself through singularity. â€Å"I would dislike if any should follow my fashions, for I always took delight in a singularity† (1779). Thus, one may understand why Margaret would desire to set herself apart from her sex, as they did not prove to be an agreeable group with which to identify. However, to be alienated and excluded was a dire circumstance for a woman in seventeenth century Britain.She had already experienced banishment and understood how stringent the repercussions proved for stepping outside the societal ideal. Thus, if Margaret Cavendish could achieve renown and be considered excellent, she could achieve social currency. This accreditation would be what she would need to stave off the scorn of the more strict members of society. She achieved the respect of some accomplished members of society, mainly men, and cunningly realized that the best place with which to exercise her ‘reason’ was through her status in society.The complex and uncomfortable dynamic of desiring to remain in a position of influence and imperatively needing to utilize her own voice regardless of the heavy hegemonic resistance against it is a brave endeavor but a futile one. In order to remain amongst a group, one must adhere to its rules and be amenable to its policies. Although, Margaret Cavendish couldn’t fully achieve self sovereignty in her own time, she provided future female writers with a precursor to the feminist writers what would succeed her. Through her struggle she gives other ‘authoresses’ the support she herself would have appreciated.Although, she herself never achieved self sovereignty through singularity, she proved to be more than just a â€Å"great emulator† (1779). Works Cited Butler, Judith. â€Å"Gend er Trouble† Leitch 2488-2501. Gilber, Sandra M. and Susan Gubar â€Å"The Madwoman in the Attic: The Woman Writer and the Nineteenth-Century Literary Imagination. † Leitch 2023-2035. Greenblatt, Stephen, ed. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Vol. 1. 8th ed. New York, NY: W. W. Norton and Company, 2006. 1773-1784. Leitch, Vincent, ed. The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism. New York, NY: W. W. Norton and Company, 2001. Footnotes 1.Gender performance is a theory derived by Judith Butler which states that the everyday actions of women and men are a performance of societal expectations and gendered norms and further more that this performance perpetuates the social constructs places upon us that define what it means to be male or female, man or woman, i. e. : men refusing to cry, women wearing high heels etc. 2. The male gaze is a poststructuralist feminist theory stemming from Michel Foucault’s utilization of the panopticon in surveillance society. T his theory places male hegemony in the position of the panopticon and women ‘self correct’ under its gaze.