The Effects of Alcoholism During Pregnancy Essay - 1097 Words

The Effects of Alcoholism During Pregnancy The hazardous dangers of alcoholism during pregnancy have been known for decades. However, even with the vast information given to pregnant mothers, with labeled warnings on every alcoholic beverage, pregnant women still continue to pick up the bottle of alcohol, continuing their journey to the destruction of their bodies and the road of dangers for the unborn child. Perhaps every person who has little to no knowledge in health care, are still able to comprehend and recognize the consequences of alcoholism during pregnancy. Although many women are aware that heavy drinking during pregnancy can cause birth defects, many do not realize that moderate-or†¦show more content†¦Take a child who has been born, then goes through the pain of having an abusive parent. If the parents are exposed to the authorities, they will go to jail and lose the rights to the child, and with proper counseling and therapy, the child will live a normal life. Yet, if the child is unborn, the mother can do whatever she would like, even if it means harming the baby, and the authorities can do nothing. When the baby is born, the child might have irreparable brain damage or some physical defect and would not be able to live a normal life for the rest of its life. The abuse that the unborn child goes through is the same as if it was born, but the severity is much greater and nothing can be done. To me, this is child abuse of the worst kind. An unborn child is getting abused with drugs, alcohol, or whatever the mother may be ingesting, and the child is unable to defend itself. If the child was born, it could call someone for help, but an unborn child cannot speak and therefore needs someone to speak for it in case of any danger that might come to it. The alcoholism during pregnancy epidemic-crisis is real. Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause physical and mental birth defects. Each year, more thanShow MoreRelatedThe Disorder Of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome1018 Words   |  5 Pagesneither eat any unclean thing(Bible-Judges 13:7).It has been known throughout history that the effects of alcohol use in pregnancy can be detrimental to the health and safety of the unborn child. Alcohol is now considered a teratogen. A teratogen is any substance that causes harm to an unborn child. It was not labeled as such until the late part of the 1900 s.The consumption of alcohol during pregnancy has been named as one of the most preventable causes of birth defects in the United States(BaileyRead MoreAdverse Effect Of Alcohol Consumption1321 Words   |  6 PagesThe Adverse Effect of Alcohol Consumption In Whiting S. Albert’s article â€Å"Alcohol Use Is Harmful† he stated that alcohol is a chemical that contains hydrogen and carbon. Whiting stated further that the active ingredient of alcohol is ethyl alcohol, which is also known as ethanol. Alcohol is one of the few things that human being consume that do not need digestion. Alcohol appears the bloodstream immediately, thus, its intoxicating effects are felt instantly (1). â€Å"High levels of mortality, morbidityRead MoreEssay on Alcoholism1274 Words   |  6 Pages What is Alcoholism? nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The definition of alcoholism can be described as a chronic illness, which is marked by uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages that interferes with physical or mental health, and social, family or occupational responsibilities. This dependence on alcohol has only been diagnosed as a medical disorder recently in the medical field. Like many other diseases, it has a predictable course and is influenced environmentally and sometimes geneticallyRead MoreThe Effects Of Alcohol Abuse During Pregnancy1552 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction The Council on Recovery, plans to address the issue of alcohol abuse during pregnancy in Harris county, TX with behavioral and cognitive-based education interventions. According to the CDC, pregnant women with the highest prevalence of any alcohol use were those that are 35-44 years of age, college graduates, or not married with lifetime-care costs estimated at over $2 million. The CDC also reports the state of Texas has 45% of any alcohol use among women aged 18-44 and 14.8% of theRead MoreAlcoholism Is Not A Lifestyle Choice For Alcoholics1047 Words   |  5 PagesAlcoholism is not a lifestyle choice for alcoholics. It is a disease, like cancer, where intervention, treatment, and follow up are needed to recover. As with cancer, remission and a cure cannot be guaranteed. Alcohol causes a wide range of negative effects in the lives of alcoholics and those who know and love them. One drink of alcohol is considered 5 ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer, or 1.5 ounces of 80 proof distilled spirits such as vodka or whiskey (Schmitt). â€Å"If you are a man under age 65Read MoreFetal Alcohol Syndrome And Its Effects1712 Words   |  7 Pages Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and its Effects On a Child’s Cognitive Development Dane D. Hrencher Kansas State University Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and its Effects On a Child’s Cognitive Development Alcohol is known as one the most dangerous teratogens. Every time a pregnant woman drinks, she allows alcohol to enter her blood stream and make its way into the placenta. Unlike the mother, the fetus is unable to break down alcohol that makes the blood alcohol level of the fetus the same orRead MoreAlcohol Abuse Within Native American Societies Essay1303 Words   |  6 Pageslife and the reasons perhaps why they choose to live as such. I will then illustrate the consequences it has for an entire family, should they remain a whole entity. Next we will look at the effects drugs and alcohol on younger generations and what ages are getting involved today. After I will show the effects of following generations, whether the children of such addict choose to continue the abuse or if they decide they want better for themselves and their own children. Lastly who is responsibleRead MoreCauses and Effects of Alcohol Abuse955 Words   |  4 PagesApril 22, 2013 English 101 Alcoholism is the excessive and usually uncontrollable use of alcoholic drinks. There are many symptoms, complications, treatments and ways of prevention for alcoholism. Certain groups of people may be at a greater risk than others for several different reasons. There are numerous factors in why people may become addicted. Usually, a variety of factors contribute to the development of alcoholism. Social factors such as the influence of peers, familyRead MoreThe Effects Of Alcohol And What It Affects Your Body1036 Words   |  5 Pages I. Introduction A. This paper will mostly talk about Alcoholism. B. It will tell about the effects of alcohol and what it does to others. C. It will explain the dangers of drinking and what the outcome will be. D. This paper will also talk about drunk driving and what the outcome of that will be. II. Body One A. A fairly large amount of people will go out and have a drink with a buddy, coworker, boyfriend, girlfriend, whoever, after a long day. B. They may have a drink or two, but it only takesRead MoreDrug Addiction And Behavioral Or Process Addictions1666 Words   |  7 Pagesalcohol. Alcohol addiction is also known as alcoholism or alcohol dependence and it is an illness. When a person suffers from alcoholism they are classified as alcoholics. Alcoholism is a disease classified by being addicted to alcoholic beverages, It is the repeated excessive use of alcohol and it can decrease the ability to operate socially and vocally. Alcoholism is one of the most common forms of addiction. Millions of people are dependent on alcohol. Alcoholism can happen from many different factors

The Customer Orientated Bureaucracy - 2276 Words

Introduction Customer Oriented Bureaucracy (COB) is an amalgamation of the two conflicting images of service work these being new service management (NSM) which suggests a win:win:win relationship between customers, employees and employers against the more negative aspect of service work brought forward by Ritzer which suggests that service work has become McDonaldised and is fake, demeaning and highly routinised. The original ideas were seen by Korczynski as being half right yet had their downfalls. The main flaw in the NSM was their use of the satisfaction mirror. This stated that the interests of the frontline worker were the same as the customer. This was conceptually flawed as research showed that employees want more pay and†¦show more content†¦It is important to recognise here that if examples like the ones above do occur that the HRM role becomes especially important. Managers will find it useful to know that these HR workers need to be able to use their range of skills to co pe with the tensions that occur in trying to be dual-focused. I believe this is already shown in my retail situation. The canteen is seen as a place where tensions can be released away from customers and there was also recognition and praise given for good work. Basis of Division of Labour This dimension is seen in two different lights, originally Ritzer saw this as being about the efficiency of a process and in recent times the NSM have stated that it is more to do with creating and maintaining a customer relationship. The COB believes there are dual bases of the division of labour, these being that of efficient task completion and the customer relationship. There are in the retail sector clear cases where these dual bases are present. The fact that in Safeway staff had to wear name badges was a form of trying to create a customer relationship. It took minimal effort yet could put customers at ease and make the workers more approachable. The end result of thisShow MoreRelatedOrganisational Structure Impacts on Other Areas of the Business Environment Such as Communication Flow, Project Management and Relationships with Customers638 Words   |  3 PagesCompete (Market) Culture – Goal orientated, highly driven and motivated by winning teams/individuals. High-risk taking, fast paced and demanding environment, unlimited working hours. Concentrating on immediate, accountable results. Highly competitive, stressful but rewarding for the employees (sales, advertising) * Control (Hierarchy) Culture – Highly formal, predictable and structured environment, govern by set of rules and procedures. High level of bureaucracy and regulations provides stabilityRead More McDonaldization Essay1735 Words   |  7 Pagesprinciples of the fast-food restaurant are coming to dominate more and more sectors of society†. This concept originally stems from the concept of bureaucracy, which was a type of organisational structure that aimed to rationalise and standardise its products and services and the processes it took to produce them. McDonaldization differs somewhat from bureaucracy as it concerns itself with its five main points: Efficiency, Calculatability, Predictability and Control. For the emphasis to be on these pointsRead MoreMass Service Customization Creates Opportunities For Firms Essay1521 Words   |  7 Pagesopportunities for firms to provide products and services to serve unique customer needs while maintaining the efficiency of near mass production (Jiao, Ma, Tseng, 2003). With mass production, economies of scale are generated with the continuous production of similar, standardized products; however, a consequence of mass production is the limitation of customer choice. No longer are customers satisfied with mass production, customers want tailored products individualized to their demands. Mass customizationRead MoreCompany Restructure Summary Essay example1714 Words   |  7 Pagesincrease in working efficiencies, greater workforce satisfaction, reduced turnovers and improved communications can be the effects of an organizational restructuring. †¢ Findings The Company has been overwhelmed by management setback, mixture of bureaucracy, corruption, poor business decisions and ineffective strategies. MITEL is one of the largest telecommunications companies in Nigeria. Since the deregulation of telecommunication industry, MITEL has witnessed a decline organizational growth and performanceRead MoreUnlocking Mandatory Intercourse : Human Resources Management1574 Words   |  7 Pages(1992), Bridgman, Garcia-Lorenzo McKenna (2010) and Bardon, Josserand Villeseche (2012). In section two, I proceed to examine Knights Roberts’ (1982) notion of managing human resources in the bureaucratic era and compare this to the way post-bureaucracy has shifted management to a contemporary, high trust process as assessed by Walton (1985) and Bridgman, Garcia-Lorenzo McKenna (2010). Lastly in section three, I assess the key changes that have occurred in the way human resources are managedRead MoreLeadership Styles1063 Words   |  5 Pagesis moti vated and willing to keep up the brand name by offering excellent services to their customers. Since Virgin is in the long-haul market and is operating in different countries the organizational structure is more of a ‘Divisional Structure’, as the company is geographically mapped and is Customer Orientated. Whereas O’Leary’s Ryanair could be classified to be using the Classical Approach of Bureaucracy (Max Weber 1947), Weber states that a bureaucratic organisation is technically the most efficientRead MoreThe Unwinding Response Paper1220 Words   |  5 Pagesthe  most influential  changes to politics came  from Newt Gingrich, who in the late 1970’s  created a power language. Gingrich paved the way for how politicians should win debates, â€Å"If you discussed your opponent with words like  betray bizarre bosses bureaucracy cheat corrupt crisis...you had him on the defensive, and if you described your side with  change children choice/ choose†¦you had already won the argument.† (Packer, 23).   Gingrich socialized politics by hyperbolizing the argument and disregardingRead MoreMcdonaldization Essay1755 Words   |  8 Pagesprinciples of the fast-food restaurant are coming to dominate more and more sectors of society. This concept originally stems from the concept of bureaucracy, which was a type of organisational structure that aimed to rationalise and standardise its products and services and the processes it took to produce them. McDonaldization differs somewhat from bureaucracy as it concerns itself with its five main points: Efficiency, Calculatability, Predictability and Control. For the emphasis to be on theseRead MoreOrganizational Culture And Performance By Kotter And Heskett1774 Words   |  8 Pagesof something happening, coincided with its final outcome and the cost or benefit achieved. These enforce how culture can be an asset to an organisation as they are given the opportunity to gain a competitive advantage, attend more specifically to customer needs and evolve as an organisation. This type of culture is exploited within an organisation such as Facebook. Facebook has been thriving since its establishment and is now the global platform for 400 million users in every country on earth. ZuckerbergRead MoreThe Bureaucratic Approaches Of Leadership1525 Words   |  7 Pagespositive transformational approaches such as inventiveness; self-sacrifice, mediation and authoritativeness are all common acros s all cultures. Universally recognized leadership styles across all cultures include; charismatic/value-based, team – orientated, humane and participative leadership. All leadership styles used must take into account all cultural differences and values. The intent of the GLOBE project is to explore the cultural values and practices throughout a wide variety of countries,

Corporations Law Securities and Investment Commission

Question: Describe about the Corporations Law for Securities and Investment Commission. Answer: Introduction: At Jervis Bay in New South Wales, commercial Scallop fishing is regulated with a quota system. Championed by Scallop Fishing and Marketing Act, it directs that a person shall only catch 50 tonnes of scallops in a calendar year. The Scallop Marketing Authority then buys all the scallops caught, up to the quota limit. Apart from catching more than 50 tonnes of scallop, there are more offences notified under the act. The rule that selling scallops to any other entity but the Scallop Marketing Authority is an offence and carries fine upto $100, 000. Bob Beech, one such scallop fisherman, feels that he has the ability to catch more than 50 tonnes of scallops in a year. His daughter encourages him to incorporate his company and thus make more money from the business. Objective: To understand whether Bob Beech will benefit from the above suggested idea and thus find the differences between incorporated business and normal proprietary business. Views: The main aim of the question to understand the meaning of incorporating a business and drawing out the parallels between proprietary business. Hence, we will start from understand what incorporating a business means. Incorporation means, forming of a corporation. It thus gives a person the license to work and also recognize them legally. There are be various kinds of corporations, like a business, non-profit organization, golf club and more. To incorporate a business, there are certain rules that are to be followed. A list of details about the business is also required to be generated and submitted when applying to be incorporated1(ASIC, n.d.). Following is to be understood before opening any business in Australia: Company Structure Purpose of business and name Operational modus operandi Understanding legal ramifications of running a company Getting consent from everyone involved/hired in the company Registration of the company under law Identifying the legal position of a company in terms of the name, Company number and Business number. After internal discussions and readying all the required documents to be presented legally, a company is registered. To do so, one must also understand the tax situation first. The tax checklist can be found with Australian Taxation Office.2(Australian Taxation Office, n.d.) To understand the tax implications, it is important to understand the difference between a sole trader and a company. There are major differences in terms of shareholding, trading, taxation, registration fees, paperwork, debt structures, and liabilities.3(Australian Government, n.d.) One can register a company through Australian Taxation Office, Australian Securities and Investment Commission via Australian Business Register.4(ATO, n.d.) Registering a company under incorporated tag has important benefits such as: Personal Asset Safety: The assets of under a corporation cannot be seized by the shareholders or creditors in case of defaulting or debts. The directors, stockholders and the top management is not liable to the company's debt position. Transfer of ownership: The ownership can be transferred from one person to other, either in part or fully, with ease. Lower Taxes: The taxes to be paid by a corporation are lower than the taxes to be paid by an individual. In terms of losses, a company can report losses without any limits and carry them forward. New Credit Ratings: The credit rating for a company will not depend on the credit rating of the individual who is running it or any other employee. Conclusion: It is a fairly advantageous position for Bob Beech in case he decides to incorporate his business. It would enable him to generate more business and diversify as an entity. In the event of having a corporation, Bob would also be able to flourish with more resources, more management tactics and ideas. This goes on to show that there is a stark difference in terms of the taxation laws, registration fares - even stamp duties for corporations as opposed to individuals.5 (ATO Stamp Duty, n.d.) 2. Introduction: The members of a hard rock band N/N control New Nirvana Ltd, a company that is setup to run their shows. A lot of other companies are setup as subsidiaries to New Nirvana Ltd, and they help in organizing various parts of the live performance. One such company is Nuclear Blast Sounds Pty Ltd, which helps with the sound equipment and setting up of the sound stage. In one of the concerts recently at Sydney, Nuclear Blast Sounds Pty Ltd set the sound too high, which resulted in permanent hearing loss for five audience members. Nuclear Blast Sounds Pty Ltd did not have a negligence insurance, and since this is a case of negligence, it is to be found if the five audience members have a case against the company. Objective: To understand laws of negligence in Australia and figure out if the audience members have a case against Nuclear Blast Sounds Pty Ltd. Also, it is important to understand that in case the standard care is breached, and if there is no negligence insurance, what are the steps that are to be taken for someone holding the other party liable. Views: First of all, it is important to understand the negligence law and rules in Australia. It is already clearly established that according to the civil liability, Nuclear Blast Sounds Pty Ltd owes a duty of care to all the audience and band members to ensure that there are no issues with the sound stage. Negligence in this case would be defined as failing to reasonably foresee the issue of understand that the noise is loud enough to cause damage.6(Price, 1936) This is the clause of reasonable foreseeability. The nature of the loss for the audience members would be under both economic and non-economical in nature. For the claim to be made, the major case would be made on the basis of loss of hearing, which would be tagged under non-economical losses.7(CIVIL LIABILITY ACT 2002 - SECT 3 definitions, 2002) It is important for the losses to be atleast 15% in severity compared to the most severe non-economical loss in any case. In case the loss is proved to be less than 15%, there is no provision of damages to be claimed. According the severity of the loss, damages can be claimed. The claim of damages can go up to $350, 000 in the most severe case.8(CIVIL LIABILITY ACT 2002 - SECT 16 determination of damages for non-economic loss, 2002) It is the duty of a professional to inform of any obvious risk related to attending the event, in case they can foresee the risk. Under such circumstances, the action of not informing about the higher decibel levels to the audience is a breach in the standard of care for professionals.9 (CIVIL LIABILITY ACT 2002 - SECT 5O standard of care for professionals, 2002) In this position, the audience members should claim for full economical damages and non-economical damages from the company. Since New Nirvana Company was the holding company that not only organized the concert, holds the band but also organized the sound stage, it is very much possible to hold them liable for the hearing damage caused to the audience. Conclusion: It is clear that the holding company, New Nirvana Ltd, the band members of N/N and particularly Nuclear Blast Sound Pty Ltd were liable for a standard of care that they breached according to the civic law.10 (Office of Parliamentary Counsel, 1936) In such an event, the audience members are fully capable of filing a complaint against the company in question. Since Nuclear Blast did not have a negligence insurance, it is upon New Nirvana Ltd to provide the proper damages according to the claim of the audience members. 3. Introduction: Simon, Michael and Don had set up a company called Millennium Pty Ltd, which dealt in project management space. Don was nominated as the solicitor for the company. In case of any disputes, regarding land purchases and sales, Don was the person responsible to be the legal face of the company. This was set in stone under the constitution of the company. Moreover, one of the articles in the constitution says that if there is any internal conflict in the company, the employees will refer to an arbitrator before any action in the court is taken. As time passes by, after finding another solicitor that seemed to be better than Don, Michael and Simon hire him to replace Don. Don thus takes legal action against Millennium Pty Ltd. Objective: To identify the legal position of Millennium Pty Ltd and understand the legal path that is to be taken in this case. Views: Since the company constitution regulates any legal action over the matter of internal conflict, the first wrongdoing by Don is to take legal action against Simon and Michael. It is also important to understand that Don, being an employee was bound by the constitution of Millennium Pty Ltd. 11(CORPORATIONS ACT, 2001). Under such a situation, the company is not liable to fight the suit against Don, as it overlaps the company bylaws. But in case the company has to fight the legal claim, then the only way to fight this argument is with a case of redundancy. The claim that Don would go ahead with would be of wrongful termination. 12(FAIR WORK ACT, 2009) The company has to prove that Don was redundant to the organization. One way of doing so would have been by not hiring a solicitor, which would deem the position of solicitor a not required add-on and thus establishing the company's viewpoint on the situation. Here on, the only way the company can get out of the situation would be by proving that the standard of work done by Don was not to the levels that were required for the company, and that the new solicitor was in fact capable, with a proven track record to be able to replace him and do a better job.13(Fair Work Ombudsman Redundancy, n.d.) Conclusion: The claim could be easily defeated with the arbitration matter. Once into arbitration, the company should use the track record of the new solicitor and compare it to the record of employment for Don. It has to be clearly proved that Don was not capable enough to carry out the job he was initially hired to do. It is also important to understand that the company is liable to serve a notice to Don, if at all that is mentioned in the constitution of the company. Millennium Pty Ltd is also to be held responsible for not ensuring that the employees are doing their job at their best interest and skill level. It is to also understand that the matter is internal, and in such circumstances, the onus is on the company to prove either redundancy or the inability of Don to handle the job of the solicitor. Bibliography Australian Securities and Investment Commission. Australian securities and investments commission. Retrieved October 8, 2016, from ASIC: How to start a company, https://asic.gov.au/for-business/starting-a-company/how-to-start-a-company/ Australian Taxation Office. Starting your own business. Retrieved October 8, 2016, from ATO, https://www.ato.gov.au/Business/Starting-your-own-business/ Australian Government. Difference between a sole trader and a company. Retrieved October 8, 2016, from Australian Government, https://www.business.gov.au/Info/Plan-and-Start/Start-your-business/Business-structure/Change-business-structure/Sole-trader-to-a-company/Difference-between-a-sole-trader-and-a-company Australian Taxation Office. Tax aspects of incorporating your business. Retrieved October 8, 2016, from Australian Taxation Office, https://www.ato.gov.au/Business/Starting-your-own-business/In-detail/End-a-business/Tax-aspects-of-incorporating-your-business/?page=3 Australian Taxation Office. Tax aspects of incorporating your business. Retrieved October 8, 2016, from https://www.ato.gov.au/Business/Starting-your-own-business/In-detail/End-a-business/Tax-aspects-of-incorporating-your-business/?page=27#Stamp_duty Price, S. Negligence. Retrieved October 8, 2016, from https://www.lawhandbook.sa.gov.au/ch01s05.php CIVIL LIABILITY ACT 2002 - SECT 3 definitions. Retrieved October 8, 2016, from https://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/cla2002161/s3.html CIVIL LIABILITY ACT 2002 - SECT 16 determination of damages for non-economic loss. Retrieved October 8, 2016, from https://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/cla2002161/s16.html CIVIL LIABILITY ACT 2002 - SECT 5O standard of care for professionals. Retrieved October 8, 2016, from https://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/cla2002161/s5o.html Office of Parliamentary Counsel. (1936). South Australian legislation. Retrieved October 8, 2016, from https://www.legislation.sa.gov.au/LZ/C/A/CIVIL%20LIABILITY%20ACT%201936.aspx CORPORATIONS ACT 2001. (2001). Retrieved October 8, 2016, from Commonwealth Consolidated Acts, https://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/ca2001172/ FAIR WORK ACT 2009. (2009). Retrieved October 8, 2016, from https://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/fwa2009114/ Redundancy, Fair Work Ombudsman, Welcome to the fair work ombudsman website. Retrieved October 8, 2016, from https://www.fairwork.gov.au/ending-employment/redundancy

The Old Man And The Sea Essays (768 words) - Ichthyology, Fisheries

The Old Man And The Sea The Old Man and the Sea By Mario Rodriguez The old man and the sea was written by Ernest Hemingway and was published in 1982, though the original American print had been published in 1952. The title is exactly what the book is about. It is a short story. The story is written in one continuous whole and is written from the view of the writer, it is very realistic. The description of the settings is the dominating factor in this book. The author spends a lot of time, for describing the sea, and what takes place. There are a lot of dialogues in the book. Example: Who gave this to you Martin. The owner I must thank him I thanked him already, the boy said. You don't need to thank him. I'll give him the belly meat of a big fish, the old man said. Has he done this for us more than once? I think so I must give him something more than the belly meat then. He is very thoughtful for us. The next fragment I find really representative for the whole book, because it is a fragment in which the old man is talking to himself, like he does all the time, and he is saying how great the fish is, which he does quite a few times too. He is a great fish and I must convince him, he thought. I must never let him learn his strength nor what he could do if he made his run. If I were him I would put in everything now and go until something broke. But, thank God, they are not as intelligent as who kill them; although they are more noble and more able. The book is about an old man, who goes out fishing (his profession, not as a sport) one day. He decides to go really far out, before the sun comes up. Then one of his lines goes under, and he hooks the fish. But the fish is so strong, that he can't pull him up. The old man thinks that if he lets the fish pull his boat, a sailing-boat the size of a rowing-boat, the fish will go out of strength and die soon. But it's a very very strong fish and he keeps pulling for a day and a half. Then the fish runs out of strength and starts circling around the boat, a sign of tiredness. But when the fish is close to the boat the old man sees how big he really is, he thinks he is about 1500 pounds. But the old man stays cool and kills the fish with his harpoon. He ties the fish to his boat and puts out his sail, for his journey back home. As he travells back, many sharks eat from the dead fish, but the old man kills them as soon as possible. The old man kills the first sharks with his harpoon, but after he killed three sharks, the fourth shark takes his harpoon. Then he attaches his knife to an oar. He kills a couple of sharks with that construction, but after that, it doesn't last. The knife disappears in the sea. Then he only has one single oar to defend the big dead fish against the sharks. He managed to scare a few off by hitting them with the oar. But then it is too much for the old man. The sharks eat the whole fish, and when the old man came back in the harbor after two days at sea, he only has a carcas at his side. Almost the whole story takes place at the sea near Cuba. Just the beginning and the end the story takes place in a small poor fishermentown at the cost of Cuba. The people are very simple, there is a small caf? near the harbor, but that's about it. The main character in the book is the old man. His name is really Santiago, but he is called The old man. He spends his days with fishing and daydreaming about what he did in his life. He fished for all his life, and has seen many things. When he dreams, he always dreams about the lions he has seen on the African beaches. He is still strong