An Evil Cradling †Into the dark †use of language Essay

Throughout the chapter ‘Into The Dark’, Keenan goes through some distinct phases of mental states, each caused by a previous one and ultimately by his imprisonment. He uses a various range of strong descriptions to portray his condition, ideas, thoughts and impressions. The unusual syntax used throughout the chapter conveys the states of mind which he goes though, guiding the reader into the prisoner’s world. Keenan uses various techniques to convey the feeling of human degradation that he went through during the first period of his captivity. One of these is the enumeration of adjectives or nouns which communicate the misery to which he was reduced to. Such examples include the ‘old, ragged, filthy cover’ which suggest the grimy circumstances in which he had to live in. The ‘excrement, sweat, the perspiration’ emphasise this obloquy through which he goes. ‘Sweat’ and ‘perspiration’ imply oppressive heat, a sensation of lack of air. The ‘excrement’ implies that in this already oppressive space, Keenan is ‘reduced to sleeping in the smell’ of his ‘own filth’. This feeling is further emphasised by the quotation ‘†¦ squat down over it. Defecate on it. I defecate (†¦ ) and then I carefully wrap my excrement†¦ ‘ These short, blunt sentences imply that Keenan wants to describe his condition as close to reality as possible, therefore not sparing the reader from any brusque or less polite words, because he was not spared from any unpleasantness either. The enumerations suggest the plentiful reasons of his never ending human degradation and exposure to filth. Keenan described himself as ‘a bag of flesh and scrape, a heap of offal tossed unwanted in the corner of this filthy room. ‘ This portrayal of himself, of ‘flesh’ and ‘heap of offal’ is dehumanizing as it reduces him to something repulsive and purely physical, thus overlooking the details that makes him human, such as feelings, mind and judgement. He is ‘tossed in the corner’, therefore not valuable for anyone. The fact that he is thrown in a ‘filthy’ corner further emphasise his lack of value and significance. All these show how Keenan’s self esteem and dignity was crushed, and he as a person was reduced to nothing more than a worthless and abhorrent body. This conveys the extreme human degradation though which he goes. Keenan’s lack of stimuli and life are described throughout the chapter, which gives the reader and idea of the feeling of endless emptiness though which the hostages go. Referring to his urine and drinking water going ‘From bottle to bottle, through me, this fluid will daily run’, Keenan uses these endless cycles of life to symbolise the monotonous days of his captivity. The phase ‘from bottle to bottle’ and ‘though me’ suggest a continuous flow, while the word ‘daily’ informs us of the length of one standard cycle. Keenan seems to live the same tedious days over and over again, making him feel lifeless and purposeless. The syntax of his writing implies dullness, repetition and lack of life as well. The phase ‘No sound, no noise, nothing. Yet I try to force this scream. Why can I not scream? But no noise comes from me. Not even a faint echo of cry. I am full with nothing. ‘ is a very good example for this point. His sentences are very short, implying the lack of thing and stimuli to talk about. ‘Why can I not scream? ‘ is almost a rhetoric question as he has no one to get an answer from. This highlights the lack of stuff to think about. And there are some sentences which are just an enumeration of words, like ‘No sound, no noise, nothing. ‘ The repetition of ‘no’ and ‘nothing’ throughout this chapter father emphasise the lack of stimuli, as there are no objects, persons or phenomena to ponder about. In the end the narrator expresses his despair by confessing that he is ‘full with nothing’, implying his frantic need of ‘something’ that he can ‘think about’, that can occupy his brain. Due to this prolonged lack of stimuli, Keenan becomes temporarily mentally unbalanced, with his senses going out of control.

Innovation Report

INNOVATION REPORT ON DABUR CHYAWANPRASH GROUP MEMBERS LAVANIA SAJEED KHAN MUGWANEZA ELYSEE CONTENTS OExecutive summary OIntroduction OInnovation:  §Innovation model  §Dabur as an innovative product  §Market pull OProduct features OConclusion OReference EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Dabur India Limited is the primary market influential in FMCG products. Many initiatives were taken by the company which includes reduction in price, reducing the impact on environment, introduction of a new product and improvement of quality which is making them a leader in the market. Dabur has positioned its products in the ‘natural health’ category. To meet the fitness and individual grooming wishes of their customers with secure, effective and ordinary solutions, Dabur India Ltd has synthesized a profound information of Ayurveda and herbs with modern science. Dabur India Limited is the 4th largest FMCG Company in India with revenues of Rs. 4110 crores and is ranked among the top 50 OTC(Over-the-Counter) Companies in the world. We see the diversification and expansion in their product segments under various brand names. It is trusted worldwide and is the world’s foremost Natural Health Care and Ayurvedic Company. Dabur has been in the front position by establishing an alternate way of living by going beyond national boundaries and hence they are marketing their products in many countries outside India. Combining luxury, nutrition and wellness, the â€Å"nutraceutical market† is growing at a faster pace. Chyawanprash is made by using various herbs and is one of the products of Dabur India Ltd which is in great demand in the market. Herbal supplements were gaining popularity as preventive supplements. Thus, the concept of preventive care coupled with the rising use of herbals was a major reason for the relatively rapid growth of herbal medicines over allopathic drugs. Another major segment where herbal products outperformed allopathic drugs was in the segment of ‘lifestyle disorders’. The increase in lifestyle disorders like diabetes,joint pain,stress caused individuals to consider herbal medicines, as these diseases were lifetime problems and using herbals in conjunction with allopathic products would reduce the allopathic dosage and thereby reduce the incidence of side effects. A shift from prescribed medication to self-medication was a significant shift. As prescription products proved to be expensive, consumers started buying OTC products. Shlomo Maital, D. V. R. Seshadri,2007 Many products including Dabur Chyawanprash started appearing in OTC form,hence these products benefitted. Hence the product’s innovation is in using herbal supplements and dominating the market segment over other allopathic medicines. It has identified its market segments by implementing the market pull strategy and thereby produces the products according to the changing needs and preferences of the consumers. Example: Chyawanprash which is for adults and Chyawanprash Junior which is for children. Chyawanprash Junior has various nutrients required for growing children and is present in different flavours to attract that segment of the society. It typically uses product innovation where the company comes up with innovative value added features like being sugar free to its existing product category to increase the demand and therefore to occupy the Number 1 position in the market. INTRODUCTION: Driven by a vision to bring Ayurveda to society in a contemporary form, Dr. Burman founded the Dabur India Limited in 1884 by targeting to a large number of people who didn’t have access to proper cure; hence he came up with the idea of Ayurvedic medicines to treat people in a natural way. His rigorous hardwork made the company grow from a small Ayurvedic pharmacy, to a well-established company which is a global leader in the market. Dabur India Ltd has effectively changed its position from being a small business to an efficiently managed venture. Their continuous innovation is the secret to their success and Dabur India Ltd retains the focus on quality and has an ISO 9002 certification. It has three major strategic business units (SBU’s) which includes Consumer care division, Health care division and International business division. VARIOUS PRODUCT INNOVATIONS OF DABUR: Launched Chyawanprash in tin pack-The ancient curative was in a packaged form and it dominated the market by being the wide seller with a huge market share. Entered Oral Care segment- Introduced a herbal toothpowder which was called Lal Dant Manjan. It was well-packed and was made available to the masses at affordable prices. Launched Hajmola tablet- Used to control indigestion and became popular world wide and thereby came up with Hajmola tablets which are of different flavours.. Became successful by coming up with Real Fruit Juice- Real Fruit Juice was very much successful throughout India and hence accounted for majority of the company’s share. First-ever online shopping portal – First-ever online shopping portal www. daburuveda. com[->0] came into existence. Nutrigo-A new range of health supplements. WHY CHYAWANPRASH? -It is an authentic ayurvedic product,hence they do not make use of any chemicals. -No side effects. -Superior in quality. -Improves immune power and stamina. -Has a huge market share. INNOVATION The practical refinement and development of an original invention into a usable technique or product; or a process in which creativity is applied to every facet of an organization’s value chain, from beginning to end, to develop new and better ways of creating value for customers. Shlomo Maital and D. V. R. Seshadri. Chyawanprash is an example of Product Innovation: The development of new and improved product is called product innovation, so it is definitely a product innovation because it came up with new products which are first of its kind in the market with better product attributes. DABUR AS AN INNOVATIVE PRODUCT By expanding their presence through smart innovations, managing costs efficiently and getting consumer insig hts, the company takes into consideration these opportunities very seriously to stay ahead in the market. Chyawanprash is a very good example of product innovation because the original flavor of the product was the first of its kind and shook the existing market with its innovative idea and superior quality. â€Å"Innovation is becoming increasingly important in attaining and maintaining competitive advantage†. ShlomoMaital,D. V. R. Seshadri After it established a position for itself in the market, they came up with two different flavors like Mango and Orange. Chyawanprash targeted for children were known as ‘Chyawanprash Junior’ with yummy chocolate flavours that children would like and has all the nutrients that a growing child may require apart from the child’s normal diet. Another product which was launched in the market was called Chyawanprash sugar free. As Dabur Ltd came up with new innovations, it was able to cater to the needs of various segments of the society and age group in terms of product attributes, affordable price and variety in flavours. MARKET PULL : It is a strategy where the needs of the consumers are satisfied and one of the main motive of this strategy is to make profits. Since majority of the people these days are prone to various diseases due to unhealthy eating habits, the company adopted various techniques for manufacturing the product. Chyawanprash is sometimes given as a prescribed medicine by Doctors which boosts the energy levels and strengthens the immune system of the body. Hence it uses the market pull approach where it identifies the need in the market and manufactures its products accordingly. Understanding that a majority of the people have become health-conscious, age-old traditional practices are blended with science in making the product, thereby ensuring that there are no side-effects. Research was done and it was found that children are not really health-conscious and hence their main target segment was people above 30years of age. The R&D found out that small kids did not eat Chyawanprash until and unless they were given by force by their parents, hence they came up with fruit-flavoured Chyawanprash exclusively for children which were first of its kind in the market. INNOVATION MODEL ADOPTED BY DABUR CHYAWANPRASH: SIMULTANEOUS COUPLING MODEL Continuous innovation can be attributed to the company’s success. After Chyawanprash became the leader in the market, the company’s continuous R&D activities have helped in identifying the changing preferences and tastes of the consumers based on the demographic details of the consumer. Research was done and it was found that people belonging to the age group 13-30 were not really health-conscious and hence they strategically divided their target segments into two groups and manufactured products to suit the needs of both these segments. 1. Dabur Chyawanprash Junior for children was made of various yummy flavors like Chocolate,Orange and Mango. 2. Dabur Chyawanprash for people above 30. It is very good for health as it contains anti-oxidants and hence it is a health supplement for people belonging to various age groups. GROWTH OF THE COMPANY IN OTHER COUNTRIES: Because of the brand loyalty that has been built over a long period of time, the company has crossed the Indian boundaries and has established a foot-hold in places outside India. Dabur’s overseas product portfolio is specially made to suit the needs and aspirations of the consumers in the international markets spreading through the Middle East, North Africa, West Africa, Europe and South Asia. Dabur has a number of manufacturing facilities in International business as well. The company has its manufacturing facilities spread across the Asia & Africa with 8 being in India and 5 outside India. The company has a world-wide recognition. Dabur is on the verge of becoming a global market leader. PRODUCT FEATURES:  ·Made by using the age old approach of Ayurveda.  ·Healthy and prescribed by Doctors.  ·Available in different flavours.  ·Protects from day to day ailments like cough and cold to ‘lifestyle disorders’. It is very good for health and hence recommended to all age groups because it contains anti-oxidants which helps to fight against diseases. CONCLUSION: There is considerable increase in the sales of the company which means there is greater demand for the products in the market. Dabur has come up with various innovative products under various brand names for different product categories like food products, Health care products etc. Dabur Chyawanprash contributes for the company’s majority of the market share. Dabur with its various product features is in the fore-front and is able to keep customers loyal to their brand. Its vision of being in the forefront in the healthcare sector by providing remedies and care from ‘head to heel’ is now becoming a reality. Since the costs are affordable, people belonging to the lower strata of the society have started consuming Chyawanprash because of its added advantage. REFERENCES: http://www. dabur. com/About%20Dabur www. thehindubusinessline. in[->1] http://www. dabur. com/en/Investors1/Annual_reports/2010-11/Dabur-Annual-Report-2010-11. pdf http://www. dabur. com/Chyawan%20Junior [->0] – http://www. daburuveda. com [->1] – http://www. thehindubusinessline. in

Art of Writing Business Letters Free Essay Example, 2000 words

The author of the following paper claims that in this case of writing a bad news business letter, the scenario taken is that St. Lawrence University has made an order of uniform Dell computer models. Upon the delivery, the University notes that the order delivered is a mixture of Dell, HP, and Compaq computers. Since the institution directors and managers had agreed on uniform Dell computers and its accessories the delivery was not consistent with the indicated order. This scenario is a problem because the University had its schedule to start the program two weeks later. Terrix Computer Company acknowledges that errors and incorrect entries had been made while processing the client s order. The bad newsletter in this scenario is addressed to St. Lawrence University director. The core major focus of this letter is Terrix Computer Company acknowledging the problem and inconsistencies dealing with their client s order; giving a clear and precise explanation for such circumstances; offe ring an apology and, finally, resolving the issue immediately (Sundararajan 107). Terrix Computer Company attributes the underlying company problems and inconsistencies to the wrong transaction entry and computer system breakdown. We will write a custom essay sample on Art of Writing Business Letters or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page In order for this letter to achieve its objective, Terrix Computer Company acknowledges and accepts responsibility and its commitment to fully makeup and compensate the University. In addition, for the perfection of the letter, an explanation regarding the prevention of future order entry and delivery problems is outlined.

Functions Of Human Sensory Biology - 1631 Words

Sensory Biology Lab 6 Name: Dominic Siaw Biology 132 T.A: Marian Wahl Date Performed: 4/7/15 Date due: 4/14/1 Abstract In this laboratory students will perform various experiments to demonstrate various properties of human sensory biology. Students worked in pairs and performed 5 experiments. These experiments were based on touch receptors, temperature receptors, two point discrimination on the skin, locating distance from the fovea to our blind spot and measuring visual activity. T-test was performed and the results explained that there is no significant difference in how the body adapts to external stimuli. Introduction Sensory Biology is being able to perceive stimuli from the environment. The most common†¦show more content†¦Examples include eyes, nose and skin. The eyes are the main sensory organs being tested in this experiment. Eyes allow us to detect visible light which is reflected on images and allows us to see them. (McMillan 35) In this laboratory, an experiment will be conducted to explore the human senses. Most importantly the senses of touch. Various parts of the body will be tested to see how the body adapts to external simuli. These external stimui will be a coin touch, temperature and a touch from a two point discrimination. Also the ability to read from afar will be tested using the Snellen examination chart. Experimental Procedure The first experiment was an exercise based on adaptations of touch receptors. One student obtained a coin and a stop watch. The other student was the test subject. The test subject placed his/her palm-down on the desk. The test subject closed their eyes and a coin was placed on the back of the test subject’s hand (lower side of right most knuckle) and the stop watch was started. The clock was stopped when the test subject stopped feeling the coin. The time was recorded. The same procedure was repeated but during these times the coin was placed at 4 different locations of the hand. The time for each adaptation was recorded. This test was performed twice for each location and time for each adaptation was recorded. The T-test was then calculated to see if there is a statistically

Emancipation And The Historical Memory Of Reconstruction...

Emancipation and the Historical Memory of Reconstruction EricR.Jackson Northern Kentucky University Department of History and Geography Eric R. Jackson, associate professor of history and director of the Black Studies Program at Northern Kentucky University, received his BS from Ball State University (1988) and both his MA (1992) and doctorate (2000) from the University of Cincinnati. He is known for his publications in the fields of African American history/studies, early American history, and race relation studies. After the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment and into the Reconstruction era, African Americans struggled to become equal citizens of the nation and produced a number of important and remarkable leaders who demonstrated to a rapidly changing and complex society that they could vote, hold political offices, and legislate effectively. However, the bitterness and regular acts of violence toward African Americans that characterized most of this period has caused many Americans to disregard or totally erase from their collective memories this most important period in the nation?s history. This article discusses more fully the historical memory of Reconstruction. The American Civil War (1861?1865) ended with a decisive victory for the Union. The Confederacy was defeated soundly; the enslavement of about four million people of color was over. Enslavement had been a powerful and fundamental economic institution in the United States for about 250 years and hadShow MoreRelatedCollective Memory : The Political Nature And Consequences Of Erasure1290 Words   |  6 PagesCollective Memory: The Political Nature and Consequences of Erasure The erasure of black people from the historical narrative and memory of the Civil War and Emancipation Era resulted from social prejudices and racism, that was transformed into political action and neglect in regards to the rights of African Americans after Reconstruction. The mythos surrounding the war’s purpose and outcome, actively and deliberately altered by differing organizations, people, and groups, changed the political responseRead MoreAnalysis Of Margaret Walker s Jubilee882 Words   |  4 PagesMargaret Walker’s Jubilee was published in 1966. Walker dedicates the novel to her family. She explains that the dedication of the book to her children is so that they may know their heritage. She specifically dedicates the book to the â€Å"memory of her grandmothers†. She informs the reader that she is named after her paternal grandmother. She also informs the reader that the novel is the story of her maternal great grandmother, which was told to her by her m aternal grandmother. The preface begins withRead MoreThe History of America1061 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿ American History 1865-1900 Introduction Two major historical turning points during the post-Civil War period (1865-1900) were the dramatic rise of industrial America (industrialization) and the development of the American West. This paper reviews and critiques those developments Two major turning points: the rapid growth of American industry settlement of the West. The Library of Congress (LOC) reports that the U.S. emerged after the Civil War as an industrial giant; the industries thatRead MoreThe Civil War And Emancipation1036 Words   |  5 Pagesgoals† and â€Å"competing interests.† One was to deal with the negative impacts, which brought about a sense of healing. The second was regarding the emancipation of slaves. One vision was about healing, while the other was about justice, and Blight notes this in the prologue and states, â€Å"Americans faced an overwhelming task after the Civil War and emancipation: how to understand the tangled relationship between two profound ideas–healing and justice† (Blight, Prologue, page 3). In addition, in part twoRead More`` Blue Moon Of Kentucky ``1792 Words   |  8 PagesAppalachian residents, and how they responded to the Civil War, is a topic of growing historical interest among acad emic historians. Studies that examine guerilla warfare, border conflict, local feuds, enlistment patterns, and political allegiances before, during, and after the war account for a large portion of this recent scholarship. â€Å"A Forgotten Shade of Blue† will contribute an intensely researched thesis to this historical conversation on the rise within the larger community of Civil War scholars.Read MoreSouthern Secession and the Causes for the Civil War1025 Words   |  4 Pages The issue of Southern secession and the causes for the Civil War have been immensely debated, researched, and written on. An analysis of just a small portion of these historical and sociological works reveals that just about every approach and position on the topic has been explored. Yet still today, nearly 150 years later, historians continue to find new ways to answer this age old question—why did the South secede? 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His morality and honesty are often called into question because he is often placed on such a high pedestal that it becomes easy to ignore his humanity. However, pure motives or not, the Emancipation Proclamation completely changed the tone of the war and the United States, which is much greater than the questionRead MoreA Reasoned Reconstruction Of The Past2140 Words   |  9 Pagesterms history and memory coalesce and seem to easily flow together when considering historical consciousness of the past, and yes, there is an intertwined relationship between the two. However, there are distinct differences between these two expressions. History can be described as â€Å"a reasoned reconstruction of the past rooted in research.† It can belong to anyone and can be known by anyone, whereas memory is usually passed down and owned by a certain community or group. Memory is also used differentlyRead MoreThe Fluidity of the American Civil War6740 Words   |  27 Pagesslavery into the western territories. After four years of combat, which left over 600,000 Union and Confederate soldiers dead and destroyed much of the Souths infrastructure, the Confederacy collapsed and slavery was abolished. Then began the Reconstruction and the processes of restoring national unity and guaranteeing civil rights to the freed slaves. In the 1860 presidential election, Republicans, led by Abraham Lincoln, supported banning slavery in all the U.S. territories, something the Southern

Importance of Self-Esteem free essay sample

Self- esteem is an important part of life. Without strong self-esteem we are not at our full potential. We need strong self-esteem to have the confidence to do many tasks. The way others perceive us has an effect on our self-esteem as well as how we perceive ourselves. In order to have good self-esteem, we need others to be encouraging and communicate in a positive way. We also need to build our own self-esteem by realizing we need to be our self, not what others necessarily think we should be. Negativity from others only lowers our self-esteem and makes us less confident. We need confidence in order to communicate well with others. As I ponder on my self-esteem, I feel I am very confident in most areas but really lacking in others. An area that my self-esteem is lacking is speaking in front of a group of people or having a conversation with someone who is not very talkative. We will write a custom essay sample on Importance of Self-Esteem or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I am normally a very talkative person but when it comes to communicating in the two situations mentioned above, my confidence goes out the window, so to speak. A perfect example of my problem is an Art class I recently took. My assignment was to do a painting by a certain artist and a presentation board on the artist. I was to get in front of my class and do a three to four minute presentation on the artist. I was very anxious from the day I received the assignment until the assignment was finished. Three or four minutes in front of a group of people seemed a life time to me because I do not have confidence when it comes to speaking in front of a group of people I know, much less a group of strangers. I felt I had done my best and my work was good. I felt like I had an A on the project but the anxiety would not go away. When I entered class the day of my presentation, I was shaking like a leaf. When my name was called to do my presentation matters only got worse. I got in front of class and forgot what I wanted to say, which did not matter because I could barely speak. Thank goodness, my art instructor started raving about how well I had done on the painting and the presentation board about a minute into the presentation. He said I did so well I did not have to talk about it; otherwise I would have had problems getting through the presentation. I received an A for the project. I was teased by classmates that I was the instructor’s pet because he kept on and on about how good my work was during the semester. I had to do this one more time in that class and tried to convince myself it was no big deal and I had obviously done a great job according to my instructor, but it was not any easier the second time around. Having the confidence to speak in front of others is an obstacle that I cannot seem to overcome. Being able to communicate well helps one to build self-esteem. I feel my problem with lack of confidence when speaking or communicating is due to lack of communicating and voicing my opinion at a younger age. At the time I was growing up, youngsters were not expected to give their opinions to their peers. My grandfather felt children should not give their opinion on any subject. Also, during school age, certain school mates thought they were better than others and made fun of anything the ones who were not in their group said or did, so I did not say much hoping that would stop the negative remarks. I feel their goal was to make students who were less fortunate feel less of a person, as well as to boost their egos. The lack of using proper speech also plays a part in my lack of confidence when talking to groups who I feel expects me to speak properly. I have heard many comments on how people in this area of Kentucky talk. Some say they love to hear us talk. The comments are not necessarily meant to be negative, more so teasing, but they are stuck in my mind when communicating with others who speak in a proper manner. I feel the lack of being encouraged and communicated to positively when speaking plays a role in my low self-esteem when communicating with others.

To What Extent Was The French Revolution Caused By Economic Depression

To What Extent Was The French Revolution Caused By Economic Depression In June 1789 the French revolution had begun. For the next five years there would be bloodshed throughout France, the country was going through a radical change, the change in sovereignty and the failure of the constitutional monarchy being two examples of this. But to what extent was all this caused by economic distress? Before being able to answer the question, one would have to establish the definition of economic distress it could be defined as the misery people (especially the peasantry) faced due to low income and tax inflation or the misery that the entire country was in due to the enormous debts, which had accumulated due to the wars, which were fought. The economic situation was only one of the elements that caused the people to question the monarchy in pre-revolutionary France. France was in great debt and almost bankrupt but this did not stop them from fighting wars. The debt an economic problem turned into a social one, when the peasants were taxed heavily in order to p ay for the debt, this caused them to question greatly their position in society and the effectiveness of their monarchy. Drought and other natural disasters ruined crop production, causing food prices to rise dramatically. With taxes rising and prices too, peasants were living in famine and in poor living conditions. The enlightenment was able to inspire revolutionary thoughts within the people. People began to abandon their beliefs in divine right and focused more on the thoughts of equality and society being run for the benefit of all. The economic situation only made people realize other problems concerning politics and society. A revolution (The complete overthrow of an established government or social order by those previously subject to it) would mean complete reform of political, ideological and economical beliefs, so for such a drastic change to be necessary there would need to be problems in all of these areas to begin with. In Pre-revolutionary France there were three estates - the first estate (clergy), the second estate (nobles) and the third estate (bourgeoisie, peasantry and urban workers). Most of the clergy came from noble backgrounds, as it was usual for the youngest sons of wealthy families to join the church in order to share its wealth. The churchs wealth came from tithes (a proportion or the each years crop paid to the church by landowners) and the vast amount of land that it owned. They clergy were exempt from taxes; instead they negotiated a don gratuit with the king. The don gratuit was an annual payment to the crown and was always much less than what would have to be paid in normal taxation. The church had a great deal of power too as the state religion was Catholicism, it was their duty to spread to ideas of divine right. The second estate was by far, the wealthiest and most powerful. They were exempt from paying direct taxes (until the 1749 vingtieme when they still paid less than they would have done if they were from the third estate) and doing military service such as the corvee (forced labour on roads) and made their money through the land they owned (between 15% and 25% of all land in France). They also receives seigneural (feudal) dues which were fees that the peasants were obligated to pay in order to use the lords mill, oven, wine press, breeding stock, death taxes, inheritance taxes and sale-of-property taxes. The third estate was made up of three parts; the bourgeoisie, who were the wealthiest and most educated part of the estate, many of them being financiers, landowners, doctors, writers and civil servants. It was also possible for wealthy bourgeoisie to buy venal offices to become nobles (however, most ennobling offices requires at least two generations of owners before nobility could be bought. The other part of the estate was the peasantry. It was the least wealthy and most numerous (85% of the French population lived in the countryside and most wer e peasants). Many of the peasants were laboureurs (people who grew enough food to feed themselves, these were the people who found it especially hard when