The James Bulger Case Criminology Essay

The James Bulger Case Criminology Essay The 1993 murder of James Burger who was two years old by two ten-year olds shocked the UK nation and affected the society’s perception of children and the entire juvenile justice system. Jon Venables and Robert Thomson found guilty in that horrifying crime were subject to imprisonment until reaching their adulthood. They became the youngest murders charged and convicted in the present-day English history, whose criminal motives have never been discovered and explained.[1] Moreover, the investigation and decision of the James Burger case forced interaction and coordination between the successive governments, the media and the public discussing issues of human rights and child’s rights. Before the 1980s, the UK juvenile justice system had not practiced the use of custodial measures towards young offenders much. The new law[2] emphasised rehabilitation of juvenile offenders and their successful re-integration in society. In this respect, the modified juvenile justice law enforced imprisonment of young offenders for re-educating them within the criminal justice system for the benefits of society and their personal interest. In line with that change, the boys suspected of abducting and murdering Jamie Burger were immediately arrested and charged. They reached the age of 11 years when they faced the trial in an adult court and were sentenced to the detainment. The trial judge recommended the eight-year term of their imprisonment, while the Lord Chief Justice suggested the minimum of ten years in custody. The final decision by the then Home Secretary ascribed the convicted boys to stay in custody until 15 years when they would become eligible for release.[3] A raised tar iff was later challenged and debated by the advocated of child’s rights, the House of Lords and the European Court of Human Rights. As a result, the convicted murders were restored in their initial eight-year term.[4] The case of James Bulger received an extensive coverage in the popular media, scholarship and the public on the international scale. As such, pre-trial media coverage was further criticised for making witnesses and the jury prejudiced, which undermined fairness of trial procedures. During the trial, the media plays a vital role in informing the public about evidence provided in the court as well as giving their analyses and evaluations of boys’ behaviour in the court and reactions to the heard evidence. Radio, television and newspapers contributed greatly to the post-conviction coverage of the James Bulger case as well. The conducted murder of the two-year-old boy and its perception by the UK juvenile justice system produced a significant impact on the public opinion about juvenile criminals and risks associated with young perpetrators of crime. Indeed, the case enforced a new understanding of the child’s nature and a transition from the traditional association of children with i nnocence to the perception of them being dangerous and violent.[5] The announced decision on the James Bulger murders did not reduce the scholarly and public interest in the case. Moreover, social outcomes and the detriment of child’s rights were primary concern in further discussions and investigations. Contrary to the pre-trial publications dwelling on the horrifying nature of the crime and young age of murders, post-trial coverage pondered in the details of the charged case. Thus, security-camera surveillance images that presented the key piece of evidence against Jon Venables and Robert Thompson in the court were doubted as their quality and the captured body shapes did not give an objective justification of the guilt of the convicted boys.[6] Another point of criticism concerning the quick conviction and imprisonment of James Bulger murders referred to the ignored responsibility of society for creating risk factors and facilitating child’s violence. Violence in childhood is not a reflection of individual’s personality trait, but an outcom e of unfriendly environments, low living conditions and poor functioning families experienced by children.[7] Therefore, the James Bulger case was not that clear; it identified weaknesses in the social policy of the UK nation. Bibliography Criminal Justice Act 1991 Franklin, Bob and Julian Petley, ‘Killing the Age of Innocence: Newspaper Reporting of the Death of James Burger’ in Jane Pilcher and Stephen Wong (eds), Thatcher’s Children?: Politics, Childhood and Society in the 1980s and 1990s (Routledge 2005) Howe, Brian and Katherine Covell, Children, Families and Violence: Challenges for Children’s Rights (Jessica Kingsley Publishers 2008) Jenks, Chris, Childhood: Critical Concepts in Sociology (Taylor Francis 2005) Kember, Sarah, Virtual Anxiety: Photography, New Technologies and Subjectivity (Manchester University Press 1998) Smith, David James, The Sleep of Reason: The James Burger Case (Faber and Faber Ltd 2011) Webley, Lise and Harriet Samuels, Complete Public Law: Text, Cases and Materials (Oxford University Press 2015) [1] David James Smith, The Sleep of Reason: The James Burger Case (Faber and Faber Ltd 2011) xi-xiii [2] Criminal Justice Act 1991 [3] Lise Webley and Harriet Samuels, Complete Public Law: Text, Cases and Materials (Oxford University Press 2015) 519 [4] Chris Jenks, Childhood: Critical Concepts in Sociology (Taylor Francis 2005) 165 [5] Bob Franklin and Julian Petley, ‘Killing the Age of Innocence: Newspaper Reporting of the Death of James Burger’ in Jane Pilcher and Stephen Wong (eds), Thatcher’s Children?: Politics, Childhood and Society in the 1980s and 1990s (Routledge 2005) 136 [6] Sarah Kember, Virtual Anxiety: Photography, New Technologies and Subjectivity (Manchester University Press 1998) 63 [7] Brian Howe and Katherine Covell, Children, Families and Violence: Challenges for Children’s Rights (Jessica Kingsley Publishers 2008) 10

Iliad And Odyssey Essay - 1796 Words

The views and beliefs of societies are often portrayed in the literature, art, and cinema of a certain era. The epic poems, The Iliad and Odyssey, give scholars and historians an idea how the Ancient Greek lived their everyday lives. By reading the two quot;novels,quot; the reader is able to experience the three thousand years old society of Homer. The various similarities between our society and the societies depicted in the Iliad and the Odyssey are surprising profuse. To name a few: the superfluous violence in Iliad and Odyssey, the characterization of Odysseus, the obscure use of narcotics, the similarities between Catholicism and certain stories of the Odyssey, and the role of pets and animals. Despite the numerous similarities,†¦show more content†¦181. Then the description of the blinded of Polyphemus: quot;and when that stake of olive-wood, though green, it was glowing†¦and then they clasped the pointed stake, and drove it into his eye, twirling the burning hot point deeper and deeper into the eye.quot; Pg. 181. I could not help it, but when Odysseus returned to Ithaca, it reminded me of a Jerry Springer episode. Near the end of book XVIII, Odysseus is engaged in a verbal argument with Eurymachus; during the argument Eurymachus actually throws a stool at Odysseus! A scene like that has never happened on American TV before. In book XXII, Odysseus kills at least nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;seven men. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;In the Odyssey, the main character, Odysseus seemed to be quot;un-touchable.quot; Odysseus survived the Trojan War, shipwrecks, the raid on the Cicones, The lotus eaters, and the Cyclops. Not to mention the encounter with Hades and the battle with the suitors. Like American quot;popquot; culture, the hero is rarely killed, but rather slightly injured. Rambo, James Bond, Matlock, Magnum P.I., and Odysseus all have the same characteristics: astute, subtlety, self discipline, strong, but not necessarily adheres to the heroic code of conduct. All of these characters adapt their behavior to the circumstances in which he finds himself, although always retaining a realistic conception of his self-interest and his ultimate goals.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; All five characters haveShow MoreRelatedThe Iliad And The Odyssey1060 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Hateful to me as the gates of Hades is that man who hides one thing in his heart and speaks another.† (The Ilia d pg.405) The quote is relevant to the stories Homer created during the period of the Trojan War. Homer orally performed two of his best works The Iliad and The Odyssey. Homer’s stories are old and probably translated differently than their original telling. Homer’s The Iliad and The Odyssey still show the basic human emotions and are an inspiration to other authors, poets, and oral presentersRead MoreThe Iliad and the Odyssey1510 Words   |  7 Pages The Iliad and the Odyssey are two classic stories told by Homer. Within these two stories the roles of the gods are very important to the story line and how they affect the characters throughout. In the Iliad, more gods are involved with the characters whereas in the Odyssey there are only two major gods that affect two major characters. The roles of the gods in the Iliad are through two different stances of immortal versus immortal and mortal versus immortal. The roles of the gods in the OdysseyRead MoreThe Iliad And The Odyssey1317 Words   |  6 PagesThroughout The Iliad and The Odyssey, both Achilles and Odysseus go through intense acts of heroism, internal and external hardships, and fluctuations in confidence. During the epic, The Odyssey, the main character, Odysseus, has to endure many hardships which show. He has to show tremendous amounts of heroism and confidence just to keep his crew and himself alive. He has to rival and face many gods that despise him along with many humans. This theme can also be reflected from Homer’s The Iliad, where theRead MoreThe Iliad And The Odyssey1297 Words   |  6 Pages2. The Iliad and the Odyssey were written by a poet or poets known as Homer. They were stories written about heroes in Mycenaeans times. Homer focused on one important event to base the stories after, the Trojan War. The story was about Paris Prince of Troy, taking Helen of Sparta from her husband. A war started to get Helen back to her husband because her husbands honor was hur t. The story told in the Odyssey is one of the king of Ithaca trying to return to his wife and son after being gone forRead MoreThe Iliad And The Odyssey977 Words   |  4 Pagesplot or storyline, or the theme of the myth. Homer’s The Iliad and The Odyssey are two prime examples of this. Within both epics, the gods constantly intervene in the lives and situations of the characters, molding them to the desired outcome. Without the influence of the gods in either of the epics, however, the ending might have been very different. There was a great deal more divine intervention in The Iliad in comparison to The Odyssey, however, as there were more godly characters in that textRead MoreThe Odyssey And The Iliad1060 Words   |  5 PagesHomer was one of the first great authors in Western culture. He was known for creating the two Greek epics The Odyssey and The Iliad, which. The Odyssey tells of the ten-year journey by Odysseus to Ithica from Troy to be reunited with his beloved wife. The Odyssey was written in a with illustrative language. The Iliad was written in a. It depicted the end of the Trojan War and the siege of Troy. This event occurred centuries before Homer was assumed to have been born. Although both epics were writtenRead MoreThe Iliad And The Odyssey1599 Words   |  7 PagesIn The Iliad and The Odyssey, Homer has different portrayals of the roles that women play in each epic. These d ifferences are so striking that some readers have even argued that there is a possibility that a woman could have created The Odyssey, modeled after Homer’s Iliad. In The Iliad we see women represented as war prizes and slaves, vulnerabilities to men, and in positions of limited power. In The Odyssey however, we see women capturing men and keeping them as prizes, rising from a status ofRead MoreThe Iliad And The Odyssey1657 Words   |  7 Pagesduring the Greek Dark Ages was Homer, who I believe was the most influential writer of his time, and a writer who had truly made an impact on the evolution of Greek Culture following the Dark Ages. Two of Homer’s most famous poems were the Iliad and the Odyssey, which were Ancient Greek epic poems which covered a couple of weeks during the Trojan War. Although there were plenty of influential authors inspired by the Trojan war, Homer was by far the most influential; Nevertheless, This paper arguesRead MoreIliad and Odyssey1825 Words   |  8 Pagesand cinema of a certain era. The epic poems, The Iliad and Odyssey, give scholars and historians an idea how the Ancient Greek lived their everyday lives. By reading the two novels, the reader is able to experience the three thousand years old society of Homer. The various similarities between our society and the societies depicted in the Iliad and the Odyssey are surprising profuse. To name a few: the superfluous violence in Iliad and Odyssey, the characterization of Odysseus, the obscureRead MoreThe Iliad And The Odyssey1730 Words   |  7 Pagesonce said â€Å"In youth and beauty, wisdom is but rare!† a very relatable quote to the story of the Iliad. But who exactly is Homer? For starters, Homer was a poet who lived from 800 B.C.E and died in 701 B.C.E. He was from Greece, and to be specific he had lived somewhere along the coast of Asia Minor according to biography.com. Also, he is most famous for his epic poems which were The Iliad and The Od yssey. Now as for whether he truly existed or not is still quite a mystery. Some scholars â€Å"believe him

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Should Higher Education Be Made Available to All Free Essays

Education is a channel to understand the real world better and whether this education should be provided to the students by the universities should be free or not, is one of the most debated topics over last many decades. In the today’s fast growing civilization this education has become everyone’s necessity to survive. Everyone understands the value of education in their lives; hence they compete hard to get the best of the education. We will write a custom essay sample on Should Higher Education Be Made Available to All or any similar topic only for you Order Now So to give this education free to some students would be an injustice on the part of the others. Therefore, from my perspective education should not be given by the universities free of cost. In my opinion, if the students will not pay for their education then who would pay for that, is a big question that requires an immediate solution. Thus it can create further confusions in the society. For example, if the government would pay for students’ education then they will extract the money from public only by increasing the taxes and this can further complicate the situation. Another reason is that to get education from good universities students usually take some kinds of loans, which I feel, make them more serious towards their studies and responsible so that they can clear the debts in future. Therefore, education received by giving money stands more value to them as they have sacrificed something to get that education. The third reason is that the money universities take from the students is used by the universities for the upliftment of the university’s standard only. The university utilize this money to pay the teachers, to introduce most recent advances in all the aspects of education like getting new equipments in laboratories, building new classes with more advanced technologies, new books for the libraries, new hostels etc. Nevertheless, the proc ess of financial support through Bank Loans, Philanthropic Trusts, Corporate Social Responsibility funds and a National kitty should be augmented and structured and worthy candidates screened well through a competency based selection process should be supported. Making higher education free for all will only dilute the standard of education. The impact of this on society at large is not difficult to visualize. We just need to think about Doctors, Engineers, Pilots, Architects and Pharmacists, to just name a few, who may come out from our colleges with free education, where they have not put anything on stake, participated wholly in all kinds of college level politics and hooliganism, and then sit down to treat serious patients or build bridges, buildings and industries, or fly an aircraft with hundreds of lives at stake or even make medicines with complex chemicals only to damage the lives of so many innocent citizens, who have trusted their University degrees. Therefore , in my opinion universities should not provide education for free because the amount they get from the students is used for the welfare of the students only because it has been seen before also that universities that provide education for free are lower in standards compared to universities taking an appropriate amount of money from the students. I believe, that there is no good thing that we can get for free in the world. How to cite Should Higher Education Be Made Available to All, Papers

Two Cheers for Materialism by James Twitchell Profiles in Splurging’ by Randall Patterson A combined overview Essay Example

Two Cheers for Materialism by James Twitchell Profiles in Splurging’ by Randall Patterson : A combined overview Essay In â€Å"Two Cheers for Materialism,† James Twitchell posits that â€Å"We live through things, we create ourselves through things and we change ourselves by changing our things.† When we look at this claim by the author, it sounds like a veiled criticism of a materialist culture. But through numerous apt examples and nuanced explanations, Twitchell comes around to acknowledge the power of consumerist impulses and seeks to explain what drives them. He also argues that capitalist consumerism is not something that is imposed on people as academic critics often claim. Instead, the continued thriving of consumerism is due to our own innate needs, desires and aspirations. The article by Randall Patterson titled ‘Profiles in Splurging’ complements Twitchell’s core thesis. This essay will qualify the aforementioned working thesis by considering all the facts and arguments presented in these two articles. To a great extent, the claim in the working thesis can be viewed as a logical one and there is evidence all around us that validates and supports it. The acquisition of property and goods is often used as a hallmark of success where the ones who have the â€Å"best†, â€Å"biggest† or â€Å"most† of something are considered most successful. To appreciate that, one only needs to observe the mass media, especially television, magazines as well as online polls. Every year Forbes comes out with a list of the richest in the world. There are surveys to show, for instance which footballer owns the biggest car and art enthusiasts and collectors often strive to have the most extensive collection of paintings, books and many other ostentatious goods. For example Bill Gates is ranked as the richest man in the world, this ranking being based on our perception of money as an indirect endorsement for the man as the most successful businessman alive. These measurements do no t take into account what he has achieved, how many people he has helped or even how happy he is. All that counts are the possessions he has accumulated. Thus the rest of America works tirelessly to acquire as much as they can and often forgetting to enjoy them since their primary goal is to be viewed as successful in their circles. The most direct route to that is to buy and flaunt. It is as if most Americans would pick money over happiness if they had a chance. We will write a custom essay sample on Two Cheers for Materialism by James Twitchell Profiles in Splurging’ by Randall Patterson : A combined overview specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Two Cheers for Materialism by James Twitchell Profiles in Splurging’ by Randall Patterson : A combined overview specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Two Cheers for Materialism by James Twitchell Profiles in Splurging’ by Randall Patterson : A combined overview specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Twitchell is not blind to the obvious flaws of consumerist culture. Going by the centrality that society offers material possessions it would then appear that the poor lack meaning and inevitably faces exclusion from society. A look at the social stratification will confirm that the more one owns the higher they are to climb the ladder of status and prestige. For instance, I imagine the guards in an exclusive hotel are more likely to open the gate for an expensive looking top of the range car than they are for a homeless man or generally disheveled individual. Likewise most Ivy League educational institutions are meant to groom the next generation of political and business leaders at the exclusion of the poor. This discrimination transpires into the workplace as well, where graduates from Ivy League institutions are hired into managerial positions while the economically disadvantaged compete for entry level positions. This is because the consumerist society in which we exist sustains itself by excluding anyone who does not conform to the culture of endless buying and since human beings are social creatures, most of us try to keep up with the consumerist trends (Twitchell). The ‘cool’ and successful individuals and groups at the top of the chain who are the subject of the collective admiration from the less successful are extremely dynamic. This must be so otherwise the materialist culture would come up even if they were to remain static for others to keep up with them. For instance when technology devices such as the new iPhone are unveiled, there are those who can afford to purchase them immediately notwithstanding the price. The rest will save until they can afford the device; however, some months down the line, when they are almost achieving this end, a new more expensive model is unveiled and quickly grabbed by the rich as the rest are left in second place as always. This cycle of changing trends and fashions is what ultimately drives consume rism and manipulates many Americans to keep buying items not for the items own sake but to enhance their identity. In other words, by flouting the possession of fashionable gadgets and accessories, consumers implicitly send out the message that they ‘belong’ or they are ‘successful’. But this identity is superficial and lacking in substance. It is based on an aspiration for vague attainments such as ‘status’. While conceding that materialism causes inequity and encourages superficiality, Twitchell shows how consumerism is part of human nature. Nevertheless, the issue of using material things to create an identity is a two sided coin and there are circumstances where this reasoning would not apply. In addition, to take his claim to be fully logical, one must assume that indeed all acquisitions of property are driven by the desire to create an identity; this assumption would however be quite fallacious. When one buys a car for instance, they may consider it ostentatious value but the main reason they buy it is for the functional vehicular role. This also applies to the purchase of big houses and extensive property. For some people, property and wealth are not by itself an end but a means. One could extend the same reason and claim that consumerism is not behind Bill Gates’ enormous wealth. According to popular opinion he is most notable because of being the richest in the world. H owever it is quite possible that he did not set out to make money but to create computer products such as Windows which came to be greatly demanded globally and as such, for him to meet the needs of billion users. He makes his billions too, but as a by-product and a necessary part of his business. In addition, wealth is used to make distinctions in achievements and it can be viewed as a scale through which human beings can distinguish achievements for effective competition. Thus the more successful one is, say in business, the more money they make and this increases their potential to spend on things that may seem to others as luxuries but with more money one’s definition of necessities changes. Support for Twitchell’s central thesis is found in the article by Randall Patterson for the New York Times. Titled ‘Profiles in Splurging’, the article is a composite sketch of four individuals whose stories serve as testimony to consumerism. Dispelling conventional wisdom that ‘money cannot buy happiness’ the author narrates stories of four Americans who found meaningful happiness through consumption. Whether it is buying a versatile lawn-mower or a Mercedes car or a grand picturesque house, these are profiles of individuals who achieved their American Dream through consumerism. Hence the claim made in the working thesis is not merely true but also leads to benign consequences. Ultimately the statement â€Å"We live through things, we create ourselves through things and we change ourselves by changing our things† in a sense is incomplete by itself since there can be two opposing sides depending on the context. It would be impossible to reconcile both sides of the argument considering that each side provides logical arguments. As such one can conclude that the extent to which materialism defines or does not define individuals or society is dependent on the circumstances under which one acquires or fails to acquire wealth. Evidently some pursue consumerism in pursuit of material objects so they may use them to give their lives meaning. On the other hand others require these things simply so their lives may progress smoothly or they just acquire them as a means to a greater none-material end. References: James Twitchell, ‘Two Cheers for Materialism‘ Adapted from Lead Us Into Temptation: The Triumph of American Materialism, 1999, retrieved from on 12th September 2013 Randall Patterson, Profiles in Splurging, The New York Times Magazine, October 2000, retrieved from on 12th September 2013

Building Sentences With Adverb Clauses

Building Sentences With Adverb Clauses Here well practice building sentences with adverb clauses. Like an adjective clause, an adverb clause is always dependent on (or subordinate to) an independent clause. Like an ordinary adverb, an adverb clause usually modifies a verb, though it can also modify an adjective, an adverb, or even the rest of the sentence in which it appears. Adverb clauses show the relationship and relative importance of ideas in our sentences. From Coordination to Subordination Consider how we might combine these two sentences: The national speed limit was repealed.Road accidents have increased sharply. One option is to coordinate the two sentences: The national speed limit was repealed, and road accidents have increased sharply. Coordination with and allows us to connect the two main clauses, but it doesnt clearly identify the relationship between the ideas in those clauses. To clarify that relationship, we may choose to change the first main clause into an adverb clause: Since the national speed limit was repealed, road accidents have increased sharply. In this version the time relationship is emphasized. By changing the first word in the adverb clause (a word called a subordinating conjunction), we can establish a different relationshipone of cause: Because the national speed limit was repealed, road accidents have increased sharply. Notice that an adverb clause, like an adjective clause, contains its own subject and predicate, but it must be subordinated to a main clause to make sense. Common Subordinating Conjunctions An adverb clause begins with a subordinating conjunctionan adverb that connects the subordinate clause to the main clause. The subordinating conjunction may indicate a relationship of cause, concession, comparison, condition, place, or time. Heres a list of the common subordinating conjunctions: Cause asbecausein order thatsinceso thatExample:Im not a vegetarian because I love animals. Im a vegetarian because I hate plants.(A. Whitney Brown) Concession and Comparison althoughasas thougheven thoughjust asthoughwhereaswhileExamples:You will find that the State is the kind of organization which, though it does big things badly, does small things badly, too.(John Kenneth Galbraith)It is a waste of energy to be angry with a man who behaves badly, just as it is to be angry with a car that wont go.(Bertrand Russell) Condition even ififin caseprovided thatunlessExample:If you have ever lain awake at night and repeated one word over and over, thousands and millions and hundreds of thousands of millions of times, you know the disturbing mental state you can get into.(James Thurber) Place wherewhereverExample:Read over your compositions, and wherever you meet with a passage which you think is particularly fine, strike it out.(Samuel Johnson) Time afteras soon asas long asbeforeoncestilltilluntilwhenwheneverwhileExample: As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live.(Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)Practice in Building Sentences with Adverb Clauses These five short exercises in sentence combining will give you practice in developing sentences with adverb clauses. Follow the instructions that precede each set of sentences. After you have completed the exercise, compare your new sentences with the sample combinations on page two. Combine these two sentences by turning the second sentence into an adverb clause beginning with an appropriate subordinating conjunction of time:In a Junction City diner, a sunburned farmer comforts his squirming son.His wife sips coffee and recalls the high school prom.Combine these two sentences by turning the second sentence into an adverb clause beginning with an appropriate subordinating conjunction of place:Diane wants to live somewhere.The sun shines every day there.Combine these two sentences by turning the first sentence into an adverb clause beginning with an appropriate subordinating conjunction of concession or comparison:Work stops.Expenses run on.Combine these two sentences by turning the first sentence into an adverb clause beginning with an appropriate subordinating conjunction of condition:Youre on the right track.Youll get run over if you just sit there.Combine these two sentences by turning the first sentence into an adverb clause beginning with an appropriate subo rdinating conjunction of cause:Satchel Paige was black.He was not allowed to pitch in the major leagues until he was in his forties. After you have completed the exercise, compare your new sentences with the sample combinations below. Sample Combinations Here are sample answers to the exercise on page one:  Practice in Building Sentences with Adverb Clauses. In a Junction City diner, a sunburned farmer comforts his squirming son  while  his wife sips coffee and recalls the high school prom.(Richard Rhodes,  The Inland Ground)Diane wants to live  where  the sun shines every day. Even though  work stops, expenses run on. Even if  youre on the right track, youll get run over if you just sit there.(Will Rogers) Because  Satchel Paige was black, he was not allowed to pitch in the major leagues until he was in his forties.

These Shining Livesâ€A Play by Melanie Marnich

These Shining Lives- A Play by Melanie Marnich These Shining Lives revolves around  the real-life circumstances of women in the 1920s who worked in a watch factory painting watch faces  with glowing radium-rich paint. While the characters and company in These Shining Lives are fictitious, the story of the Radium Girls and the toxic and deadly levels of radium poisoning of over 4,000 factory workers is true. The real-life Radium Girls took their company to court and achieved a long-lasting victory over corporations with poor workplace conditions and worker’s compensation that is still in effect today. The Plot The women in These Shining Lives are delighted to find high-paying work in the early part of the century. They earn 8 ¢ for each watch face they paint and if they are fast enough and neat enough, they can earn over $8 a day. That kind of money could change the entire circumstances of a woman and her family in the 1920s. Catherine, also called Katie, is leaving home for her first day of work. She has twins and a loving and supportive husband. They are barely making ends meet and she sees the opportunity to work and bring home money as a huge boon to her family. At the factory, she meets her tablemates, Frances, Charlotte, and Pearl and learns how to paint the watches: Take the brush and twirl it between your lips to make a sharp point, dip it in the paint, and paint the numbers. â€Å"It’s a lip, dip, and paint routine,† Frances instructs her. When Catherine comments on how the paint glows and tastes, she is told that radium is medicinal and cures all kinds of maladies. She quickly becomes adept at the work and loves her new identity as a working woman. Six years later, however, she and every girl working on the watches have health problems. Many are fired for needing too many sick days. Some die. Catherine is afflicted with severe pains in her legs, arms, and jaw. Eventually, Catherine finds a doctor willing to tell her the truth. She and all the others have toxic levels of radium poisoning. Their condition is fatal. Instead of fading into the background, Catherine and her friends decide to risk their names, images, and reputations and take the watch company to court. Production Details Setting: Chicago and Ottowa, Illinois Time: 1920s and 1930s Cast Size: This play is written to accommodate 6 actors, but there are as many as 18 roles if the doubling recommended in the script is ignored. Male Characters: 2 (who also double as 7 other minor characters) Female Characters: 4 (who also double as 5 other minor characters) Characters that could be played by either males or females: 4 Roles Catherine Donohue is a proud working woman. She is vibrant and competitive. Although she insists that her job is a temporary one, she enjoys working outside of the home and she is unapologetic about it. Frances has a keen eye for scandal. She loves the time and attention she gets from her work companions. The actress playing Frances also plays Reporter 2 and an Official. Charlotte is a tough taskmaster and a determined woman. She works hard at her job, doesn’t make friends easily and she doesn’t let go of the friends she has made or let them give up. The actress playing Charlotte also plays Reporter 1. Pearl is a shameless gossip who sees her work as an opportunity to know everything about everyone. Not a single symptom of scandal or sickness escapes her notice. The actress playing Pearl also plays the Daughter and Judge 2. Tom Donohue is Catherine’s husband. He is head-over-heels for his wife and family even though he is somewhat troubled by having a working wife. The actor playing Tom also plays Dr. Rowantree and Dr. Dalitsch. Mr. Reed is the boss at the factory. It is clear that he has information about the effects of radium poisoning but he abides by company policy and does not inform his workers. He wants to make the factory profitable. Although he is invested in his workers and their lives and even considers them friends, he knowingly allows them to continue to be poisoned and sicken and die. The actor playing Mr. Reed also plays the Radio Announcer, the Company Doctor, the Son, Judge, and Leonard Grossman. Content Issues: Negligible Production rights for These Shining Lives are held by Dramatists Play Service, Inc.