Asessment

I will continue to use this priority direction as the example in this assessment 1 guide. Your assignment task is to: 1 . Select one priority direction from the list. For example: One of the six priority directions of the Nest action agenda is ‘Improving the social and emotional wellbeing of young Australians' (pig 14). 2. Introduce the priority direction highlighting the significance for Australian children and youth You could: Discuss what Is social and emotional wellbeing and what are the benefits or outcomes of emotional and social wellbeing for children and youth.For example the early year's research provides evidence that Infant bonding and positive early life social experiences can strengthen healthy brain development providing the potential for greater educational achievement and the capacity to form successful relationships (National Scientific Council on the Developing Child 2004, Children's Emotional Development Is Built into the Architecture of Their Brains: Working Paper No. 2. Http://www. Developmentally. Net). 3.Identify the current status of child and youth health and wellbeing in Australia (birth to 24 years) in your selected priority direction and present the problem currently faced in Australia. Identify Australian statistics from various resources that indicate the outcomes related social and emotional wellbeing for Australian children. You may use RACY evidence such as Report Card: The wellbeing of young Australians along with other Australian sources e. G. AYAH to support your discussion.The RACY Report Card uses the average of all ‘Loved and Safe' measures to provide a global indicator of social and emotional wellbeing. You can refer to this. You could also provide statistics related to various determinants and related outcomes for this priority area and issues how the factor is relevant e. G. Bullying and the impact on youth mental health. 4. Discuss what determinants of health and wellbeing are contributing to these outcomes . Identify determinants from across various contexts influencing child and youth outcome I. E. Processes in the micro, mess, ex. Or macro systems.In this section you can discuss the factors that influence the statistics and health outcomes you have raised in your essay. For example identify various determinants of social and emotional wellbeing including both protective and risk factors. Discuss owe unemployment (ex.) might affect family functioning (micro) such as positive communication. 5. Propose strategies supported by research and the literature that will help achieve one or more aspects of the Nest action agenda vision for Australia's children and in any context influencing child and youth outcomes I. . Processes in the micro, mess, ex. Or macro systems. Intimidates is a school health promotion program that helps schools support young people to achieve their goals, build relationships and cope with challenges (http:// wry. Intimidates. Due. AU/about-Intimidates/what-is-Intimid ates). How can implementation be encouraged in your local school? Tips on the structure of your essay You have some freedom in this assessment task to select broad or focused issues impacting on child and youth health.This will impact on how to present your work. Plan your presentation carefully. Your presentation can follow the order of assignment tasks listed in the unit outline or you may reorder the information to improve the logical flow of your ideas and the essay. You can present your work as an essay however, you may use headings to respond to the various tasks. A good resource on effective writing and how to write an essay is: http://unlearning. IOW. Due. AU/main. HTML.See also a comparison between essay and a report style http://unlearning. IOW. Due. AU/report/l b. HTML Correct referencing following the Harvard style is required See the marking criteria in the unit outline for the areas your work will be assessed against. Each lecturer will arrange a webbing session for yo ur group where you can ask question about the first assessment. These sessions will be recorded so that if you can't attend the set time you can listen to the questions and answers at a later time.

Napoleon and Snowball Essay

Napoleon and Snowball are characters who represent Stalin and Trotsky. Explore the conflict between these two characters presented by Orwell in Animal Farm ‘Animal Farm’ is an allegory which presents George Orwell’s views on communism in the form of an anthropomorphic fable. The main characters are Snowball and Napoleon, who represent Trotsky and Stalin, are two opposing characters whose conflict is presented in a number of linguistic and structural ways. An example of this are the different ideas of ‘Animalism’ which Snowball and Napoleon have. Snowball strives for equality whilst Napoleon becomes a power-driven dictator. One of the first differences that emerge between Snowball and Napoleon are their physical differences described at the start of Chapter 2 Napoleon is described as a ‘large, rather fierce-looking’ pig which foreshadows his future violent ways of dictatorship , as well as showing that Napoleon takes more than his fair sha re. On the other hand, Snowball seems to be a more suitable leader as he is ‘quicker in speech’ and ‘more inventive’. However, it appears as if Orwell is foreshadowing Snowball’s eventual inferiority by mentioning that he was not ‘considered to have the same depth of character’. In my opinion, throughout Chapter 2, Orwell is making the reader feel more inclines towards Snowball by presenting him as someone who strives for equality and seems to be on the animals’ side. The main source of conflict between Snowball ad Napoleon, especially during the first half of the novel, was due to the fact that ‘these two were never in agreement’ and this is shown through the way they utilise (or manipulate, in Napoleon’s case) their power over the other animals’. Snowball is full of plans and ideas, such as education and generating electricity which help optimise the animals’ lives. We know that Snowball is driven to spread the word of ‘Animalism’ by creating simplified maxims such as ‘four legs good, two legs bad’. However, Orwell portrays the idea that a lot of these plans are idealistic as many of these fail and this becomes apparent when Orwell lists them but abruptly ends the list with the sentence ‘on the whole these projects were a failure’, creating bathos and a satirical tone. On the other hand, Napoleon becomes a dictator whose only goals are to gain power for himself and the reader is aware of this when ‘the milk has disappeared’ at the end of Chapter 2- we later learn that this is mixed in  with the pig’s food. Napoleon ‘took no interest in Snowballs’ committees’ and instead uses fear and his propaganda agent Squealer to gain dominance over the animals, showing that his idea of dictatorship is based more on fascism that the utopian vision of ‘Animalism’. Squealer plants the idea in the animals’ heads that if they do not follow Napoleon ‘Jones will come back’. He also uses the dogs, which he took f rom their mothers when they were puppies and trained them to be guard dogs, as a fear element. The pigs are the most educated animals on the farm (probably due to Napoleon focusing on indoctrinating only the pigs) and use their higher skill level to position themselves above the other animals. Orwell portrays this by reminding the reader numerous times throughout the novel that the pigs were ‘the cleverest of the animals’. Napoleon abuses this which is noticeable in Squealer’s speeches when he says that apples are ‘absolutely necessary to the well-being of a pig’ and using complicated languages to obfuscate the pigs. Eventually, Napoleon usurps dominance over the farm bad the animals start looking up to him, creating dangerous maxims such as ‘Napoleon is always right’ and the sheeps’ bleating of ‘four legs good, two legs bad’ used to drown out anyone who disagrees with Napoleon. ‘Animal Farm’ mirrors the events of the Russian revolution and Orwell’s purpose is to show the reader that, althoug h it seems ideal in theory, communism is flawed. The reader can sense that this is satire because Orwell ridicules his targets by reducing political figures to the level of unflattering farm animals, especially pigs who are renowned for their greed and gluttony. Snowball represents Trotsky who was a brilliant leader. However, Napoleon attempts to expel Snowball form the farm, just like Stalin expels Trotsky. Napoleon then tries to eradicate Snowball’s name from victorious memories such as his triumph in the Battle of the Cowshed and make him into a traitor. He blames Snowball for the destruction of the windmill as well as spreading rumours that he is ‘secretly frequenting the farm by night’ and causing mischief. In my opinion, it is worrying how easily the animals’ convinced, which shows just how powerful Napoleon is. Structure plays an important role in building tension and introducing conflict. Things seem to get worse with each chapter and the farm seems to rapidly descend into a fascist dystopia soon after Snowball is chased off the farm. There also seems to a few instances of irony created by Orwell’s juxtaposition-  for example, he tells the reader that the animals suffer ‘hardships’ but that they also have a ‘greater dignity’. This portrays the ignorance of the animals, as well as conveying Orwell’s mocking tone. This mocking tone is found in various pleas throughout the novel to emphasise how oblivious the animals are to the despotic nature of Napoleon. For example, Squealer is found obviously changing the commandments but ‘none of the animals could form any idea as to what this meant’ which not only shows oblivion but due to the fact the blindly accept everything Napoleon says, they cannot think for themselves.

Adult Learning Assumptions Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Adult Learning Assumptions - Research Paper Example Adult learning assumption Learning process is progressive and can occur at any stage of life. Some people may engage in learning from their early stages and pass through the formal education system while others may recognize or access learning opportunities at their later stages of life. While the formal education may not be appropriate for the latter category, an informal adult education exists. Studies have been undertaken on adult education with Knowles’ approach towards assumptions of adult education as an example and this paper argues that three of the Knowles’ assumptions: self-concept, experience, and motivation to learn, are the most right. The self-concept assumption is one of the Knowles’ six assumptions and offers significant impacts on adult education. Knowles argued that as adults’ self-concept is that of a â€Å"self directing human being† (Henry, 2009, p. 127). He argued for a transition from a dependent self-concept to one in which a n adult is an independent personality and an active player in the learning process as opposed to a young learner who assumes a passive role and depends on the lecturer or tutor for learning. Significance of this assumption is derived from the author’s opinion that established it as the most important the understanding adult learning. Cognitive development processes that transcend a person’s life from birth to adulthood also support the assumption’s importance. ... Teachers’ experience in adult education also support significance of the self-concept assumption through their experience that promoting self-concept helps in facilitating adult learning. The role of diversity on performance, including performance in learning, also supports significance of self-concept because recognizing adult learners’ perception towards learning and empowering each learner based on developed self-concept achieves success in each learner. Validity and significance of the self-concept assumption explains why it is right (Wilson and Hayes, 2009). â€Å"The role of the learner’s experience† is another right assumption that Knowles made on adult learning (Baskas, 2013, p. 49). According to Knowles, people acquire varying experiences with age and this means that adults have more experiences that young learners have. Further, the limited scope of young learners’ experiences limits diversity as compared to experiences among adult learner s and the difference in experiences influences adult learning. One of the effects of experience that establishes its significance to adult learning is the realized need for specific knowledge among adults. Their interaction with real life phenomena such as in work environments identifies specific needs that motivates the adults into learning and the facilitator’s identification of the needs and capitalization on empowerment based on the needs forms a basis for further motivating adults in learning processes. Extensive experience that adults bring into learning also empowers them to contribute to learning processes and supports the assumption’s significance to learning processes of groups of adults because allowing the learners to be active

Project management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 5

Project management - Essay Example In order for the project therefore to succeed, there is need for the project firm to recruit the most appropriate workers for every obligation undertaken in the said project. In addition to this, the already recruited workers need to be provided with the necessary skills pertaining each and every operation they will need to undertake. Workers motivation is another major factor to the success of the workers activities. It is a necessary requirement for the organization’s growth irrespective the nature of the project undertaken. The worker’s needs are changing every day and with the traditional techniques of motivation the project might not be successful as required as these would not be sufficient in proving the necessary motivation. Machine, Man, money and materials happen to be the four necessary resource requirements for such projects. Among these, the Manpower is the most essential since it controls the other three resources. The manpower also needs to be utilized in the most appropriate manner. Man would never be in a position to operate like machine since they have physical as well as mental needs. Man works well on creation of good working environment and provision of the necessary skills pertaining the job they are operating. If cases where the organization fails to meet the needs of the workers, including the necessary training there would be less productive results. Haughey (2010) holds that planning any project is crucial to the project success. The project plan would be the first essential thing that the recruitment manager would need to have while starting to undertake the project. Planning the project in time would help in reducing time, financial resources and other operational challenges. Devastation feelings, lack of confidence, low level of skills as well as dark future perspective and financial insecurity are some of he factors

Consultancy Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Consultancy Project - Essay Example In 2004, Neary argued and said that strategic rationale and efficiency gain derived out of mergers and acquisitions are the two common reasons identified by Business Organization Literature (Neary, 2004, p.48). To study the literature on this research area, empirical researches done related to this study will be collected from the online books and journals. Most of the previous researches indicated that M&A activity has a 50 percent chance of success which is similar to the probability of getting a ‘head’ when an individual toss an unbiased coin. In 2004, Bruner argued and said that synergy means co-operate or work together and involves in merger when two organizations come together and pool in their resources and expertise for better performance, which is also known as synergy. Thus, in order to achieve continuous growth and survive global competition it is important for organizations to adapt M&A strategy. In today’s world the primary objective of a firm is to survive the cut-throat competition and one way to do that is to make more profits and add value to shareholders’ wealth. The ladder of success for any firm is ‘growth’ which can be achieved either by expanding existing resources or introduction of new products and services. Another way of achieving growth is through merger and acquisition (M&A). It has become an important an important way for firms to expand their product portfolios and gaining new markets. M&A also helps the firm’s to acquire knowledge, latest technology and improved management capabilities. In addition, M&A has been found to be extremely successful for specific sectors like pharmaceuticals where extensive Research & Developments are required. Tesco is the second largest company (after Wal- Mart) to earn profit as well as in the retail industry, the company holds the position of

Homer, The Iliad Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Homer, The Iliad - Essay Example This lack of temperance that is also referred to as Achilles’ rage is his most tragic of flaws that resulted in thousands of death for the Greeks when he left the battle with the Trojans (Homer & De Jong 16). Because of his thirst for prizes and glory, he is not able to control himself when faced with defeat and humiliation, and he was not justified to leave the battle. One can view his rage as a spectator as Achilles waits by his ships inexorably as the Argives die in their numbers. One could say that he acts as a spoilt brat who loves to create havoc that will satisfy his self-righteousness. Achilles is completely conscious of the impact his absence has, and he expresses his wish clearly to wait until the Trojans had reached Hellespont at which point he would engage the Trojans and Hector. It is only, when Patroclus dies that he is pushed to act, and from this angle, it is hard to see how the destruction of Trojan and Greek armies bolsters any of the factions or, indeed, Ach illes (Homer & De Jong 18). The Iliad has no serenity, and even Achilles’ reconciliation with Priam is more resignation than acceptance. It is, therefore, simple to accuse Achilles of a lack of justification because, despite any will of biting one’s nose to spite the face, any behavior in any way cannot be as wrong and unjustified as the action of Achilles (Homer & De Jong 18). However, even in judging Achilles’ actions as unjustified, it is possible that one is projecting his/her rage on Achilles (Homer & De Jong 21). One is able to deflect their destructive tendencies in the same manner as a small time, thief discounts his/her culpability through a comparison of their actions to charlatans who trick the elderly to give up their pension savings. Therefore, any study of the justification of Achilles’ rage needs introspection, instead of projection. It is vital to ask why anger that is destructive and fulfilling to the point of fulfillment is overwhelming on a desire for, say, food that nurtures. Achilles, as a character, is an extremely complicated persona than a warrior who would allow their fellow soldiers to be slaughtered because he lost a girl to a person who was so self-serving that eh was forced to sacrifice his children so as to be a warrior (Homer & De Jong 22). He tells those who want him to take up his sword and shield and return to battle that a similar honor lays in wait for the brave and the coward. He also repeats these words in the underworld as he says to Odysseus that he prefers to become a slave on the earth than become a king of dead people. Fully knowledgeable of his fate of a glorious death, we could say that his anger has some degree of justification. However, can his actions, or those of anyone else for that matter, also be justifiable? In numerous ways, life can be perceived as a series of losses with the manner in which we deal with these losses defining us. While rage does seem to fulfill individuals and, maybe, we are not too different to Achilles since we are willing to push the potential of our rage to block out life’s pains, especially the pains that make them face their mortality (Homer & De Jong 22). Achilles is not able to separate himself from his lust for victory and glory, which is a caprice that fades as time moves on and comes to have no meaning in

Scientific method experiment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Scientific method experiment - Essay Example 56) To establish this, the experimentalist used four samples of five gases namely; Oxygen, Hydrogen, Carbon Dioxide and Sulfur Hexafluoride. He used other tools such as four testing tubes, a top- loading balance and a syringe. The experimentalist measured a volume of 50ml of each of the gas samples. By using the syringe and the balance, the experimentalist calculated the weights of each of the 50ml-sample. He observed that although the samples were of the same size, they weighed different. The vacuum weighed 0.00g Oxygen 0.54g, Hydrogen 0.11gm , Carbon Dioxide .088g and Sulfur Hexafluoride 0 .263g (Pandey et al. 56) The explanation behind this is that heavier gas samples have larger weight than the lighter ones. The gas sample cannot have more weight in this experiment as a result of change in the volume of the samples. Therefore, the change must be linked to the mass of the particles of the gas. On plotting the molecular weights against the experimental weights, the experimentalist found out that it was a straight line. This is as a result of the correlation between the mass of the constant samples and the molecular mass. Therefore, this leads to the accepting the hypothesis that it is possible to determine the molecular mass of a sample of gas simply by measuring the constant quantity against an already determined linear relationship Pandey et al.

How to make money selling drugs (the movie) Essay

How to make money selling drugs (the movie) - Essay Example The paper also makes use of a discussion regarding the manner in which the subject of attitude towards the drug war and the attitude towards the United States and the government in terms of drugs. Also, the benefits of selling drugs and the skills needed to sell drugs all over are discussed in this paper. The increase in drug selling has been addressed in the film with the help of statistical mapping and figures that indicate the measure of people that is escalating dramatically over the years. It should be noted that there has been a number of media productions that have indicated the aspect of drug war in America. However, the film under review has a new dimension to look at the war on drugs in America. The film shows that practitioners are in the law and enforcement agencies. These people are responsible for making sure that the issue of drug dealing is controlled at its source (Cook, 2014). They play an important part in forming an understanding of the drugs network and how different participants play their role in it. As a matter of example and analysis of the film, it can be said that the character of Ricky Ross is a very good representation of people who were concerned about the deepening critical issue of drug dealing in American society. Another arena to the debate or discussion of drug dealing in America has been presented in the film by stating that more and more money is being poured at this side of the lawmaking institutions. In addition, it can be said that the same amount of money could have been used in any other service or institution of America. Through the help of this viewpoint, the director has been extremely successful in reflecting upon the attitude of the government towards war on drugs. (Cook, 2014) The benefits of selling drugs are yet another significant aspect that can be noted in the film’s plot. It can be said that the director has highlighted the benefit of

Logic of Statistical Significance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Logic of Statistical Significance - Essay Example Taking a sample of 1000 people, the nominal survey data collected is as shown: Suppose the null hypothesis is gender and preferences are independent. Then on evaluating the test statistics, getting a value of 16.2 using the degree of freedom of 2. Comparing this t-statistic with the critical value obtained from the chi- distribution table, suppose the significance level of 0.05 is chosen. Then it can be ascertained that the finding is significant as the t-statistic is higher than the critical value. This leads to the rejection of the null hypothesis and also the arrival of a conclusion that there exists a relationship between preferences and gender for that product. For the case of ordinal data survey, as in the example of a survey comparing the mean weights of male and female students. A statistical hypothesis test is used for making decisions on the data. The test result is calculated from the null hypothesis. The test sample is said to be statistically significant if its occurrence is unlikely to have been by chance alone. The statistically significant result that is given by probability p-value is less than the threshold of a significant level then it justifies the rejection of the null hypothesis. Once the variations have been attained, the Fischer value is calculated and is compared to the f critical value from the table at a given degree of confidence (Carlson, 1976). Another important concept to consideration is the use of one-tailed or two-tailed significance tests. (StatPac Inc, 2012) The hypothesis determines the selection of each. If the hypothesis gives directions, for example, men generally weigh more than women then the one-tailed significance test is employed. However, if the hypothesis gives no directions as in the example, there is no significant difference in performances between boys and girls, and then the two-tailed significance test is used. The two-test probability is exactly twice the one-test probability

Black Fly Beverage Company Essay Example for Free

Black Fly Beverage Company Essay Black Fly Beverage Company is a small beverage company based in London Ontario. The company has achieved recent success in the selling and promoting of their first alcoholic beverage, the cranberry/blueberry vodka cooler. The immediate success of this product presents two critical issues that the company must address. These critical issues are: †¢Black fly must expand its product mix in order to capture a larger market share in order to compete with larger established brands within the market place †¢Black Fly must also address capacity issues that will arise with an increase in demand or introduction of a new flavor Analysis. Current Situation Black Fly’s cranberry-blueberry vodka cooler has been well received by consumers due to its natural tasting ingredients and no chemical sweeteners producing a premium product different than existing similar beverages. The company now must take this opportunity to give their consumers another product to further explore the brand. Attempting to penetrate deeper within their current product will not allow its customers to further explore their favorite brand of vodka cooler. This will cause Black Fly to begin to lose their customers to other competing companies that offer multiple products and flavors (see exhibit 9). Black Fly also must also address the company’s capacity issues in order to allow them to meet the LCBO’s average order lead-time of seven days. At full capacity Black Fly is meeting the required lead time with minimal margin of error to account for delays, however, during the holiday season, which will occur as early as next month, the company will not be able to keep up with the increase in demand and will fail fulfill the LCBO’s order in time (see exhibit 7). Options The first option available to Black Fly would be to expand its product mix with the addition of a new flavor to compliment their existing cooler. The company will be able to take advantage of economies of scale through the current production; therefore a minimal cost of $30,000 will only be needed to cover development and merchandising fees. To cover this initial cost Black Fly will have to sell an additional 127 cases a month to break even, an increase of 10. 58% (see exhibit 2). It has been projected that adding another flavor to the product line could increase sales by 50 to 75 percent. This projected increase in sales would produce an annual expected ROI of 373% and 609% respectively (see exhibit 5). If however sales increased by only 10% due to the risk of cannibalization of their original recipe then the expected ROI would be -5% (see exhibit 5). This increase in sales however will put additional strain on the company’s current capacity (see exhibit 8). A second option to Black Fly would be the addition of a new specialty spirit-based product called â€Å"Spiked Ice†. This packaged ready to freeze cooler would be a non-competing product to the already successful cranberry-blueberry vodka. An advantage to this product is that there is no other product similar to it out in the marketplace. The LCBO has also committed to sell 8,000 cases of the product over the four summer months, which would produce revenues of $277,200 (see exhibit 3). Over this four month period this option will produce an ROI of 15% (see exhibit 6). To produce â€Å"Spiked Ice† the company however will have to purchase expensive machinery costing $500,000 and spend an additional $40,000 on merchandising and product development. To cover these costs Black Fly would have to sell an additional 7,585 cases of â€Å"Spiked Ice† (see exhibit 4). This may prove difficult as this new product is very seasonal producing higher sales in the summer months and potentially smaller sales in the fall and winter months, a time in which the LCBO has not committed to sell this product at this time. Another disadvantage to this option is the space that this new machinery would occupy in the already small warehouse. Black Fly’s current facilities cannot produce â€Å"Spiked Ice† and the original vodka simultaneously which would result in Black Fly loosing monthly revenues of $23,641 (see exhibit 1). Recommendation It is apparent that Black Fly must attempt to offer a variety of products to enhance its product mix and to keep current customers from trying other flavors offered by other competitors. At this time the best way to proceed with this will be to launch a new flavored vodka to compliment the already successful cranberry-blueberry vodka. The low initial costs and economies of scale gained through this option will allow Black Fly to introduce this new flavor quickly and efficiently to capitalize sales during the upcoming holiday season. To help address the concern of future capacity issues it would be recommended that Black Fly hire two more part-time workers and to run the production process seven days a week. This will be possible due to the expected high ROI associated with this option. This increase in production will allow the company to complete six full runs amounting to 3000 cases within the seven day lead time required by the LCBO ( see exhibit 10). In the future it will become necessary to upgrade to a larger facility and at that time it would be beneficial to begin producing â€Å"Spiked Ice†, however at this current time, given the company’s limited time in the market, it is suggested that Black Fly only pursue the launching of a new flavor. After the company has received sales from the holiday season the company will then be able to better address the possibility of relocating to a new warehouse and address their plans for â€Å"Spiked Ice† for the upcoming summer months.

The Cradle Will Rock Review Theatre Essay

The Cradle Will Rock Review Theatre Essay The show The Cradle Will Rock written my Marc Blitzstein is a piece of work that reflects the struggles and politics of its time. In researching this show and it original production, one has to also know about the events in history surrounding and affecting the lives of every-day Americans. Then one must realize how these experiences influenced and inspired the creativity and brilliance behind Blitzsteins vision and the creation of The Cradle Will Rock. It is in specific events of the nineteen thirties that sparked, what was for its time, a controversial incident in the history of theatre had never before transpired. When the Depression began Herbert Hoover was the President and then in 1932 Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected President. Roosevelt, seeing his country in a state of decline, lunched what is referred to as The New Deal, a series of economic programs to get American back on its feet. One of these programs was The Works Progress Administration or the WPA which aimed to find jobs for the unemployed. The WPA consisted of five Federal One projects and the Federal Theatre Project or FTP was one designed for employment of out-of-work artists, writers, and directors, with the secondary aim of entertaining poor families and creating relevant art. Other event s that lead to important plot points of Blitzsteins The Cradle Will Rock where the forming of unions and labor strikes. In Scott Millers An Analysis of The Cradle Will Rock he writes: The political atmosphere in America in 1937 was ripe for a show like The Cradle Will Rock. In 1936 not a single employee at U.S. Steel belonged to a union, but by February 1937, just five months before Cradles premiere, the steel workers had unionized and forced U.S. Steel to sign a collective bargaining agreement. In response to this new movement, anti-labor organizations were springing up all over America. With all this going on Blitzstein felt the need to express the frustrations of the union workers, but the creation of The Cradle Will Rock first began with a single song call Nickel under the foot. It was performed for Bertolt Brecht a German poet, playwright, and theatre director. It was Brechts idea to take the song further into a full length show. Brecht said, Why dont you write a piece about all kinds of prostitution the press, the church, the courts, the arts, the whole system? (John Jansson) While he did not get to work on it right away the idea never left his mind. It was not until the death of his wife that he dove headfirst into the writing of the musical. It took him all of five weeks to complete his work of art, that of which he dedicated to Brecht. Troubles for Blitzstein came when it was time for him to find a company that would accept his piece. Many companies though it to be too sensitive a subject with the recent troubles in America and its large political statement, all in all for many it seemed too risky. But that would not stop Blitzstein in finding a way to get his play to the people; he would not give up his quest to make his message heard. A message many Americans needed to hear. The plot of The Cradle Will Rock as explained on Musical Heaven is as follows: Moll, a streetwalker in Steeltown USA is arrested and finds herself in Night Court witnessing the arraignment of The Liberty Committee, a handful of distinguished citizens who are opposed to organizing activities by the Steelworkers Union. In an ironic twist of fate, they have been mistaken for union organizers and arrested. A drunken vagrant, once a prospering pharmacist, explains to Moll how this minister, newspaper editor, doctor, college president, professor and artist have all sold their principles for money and power. The wealth and authority of Mister Mister, a leading industrial boss, has corrupted the city, and the process is also revealed in the committee members furtive dialogues and strained efforts for release. Ultimately the chief union organizer, Larry Foreman, is brought into court. An uncompromising and charismatic man, he exemplifies how one person can make a difference and gives hope to the bitter prostitute and druggist. When Steeltowns boss, Mister Mister, arrives at the courthouse to rescue his lackeys, he attempts to buy Foremans loyalties but is rebuked. At the conclusion, word arrives that other unions have joined with the Steelworkers struggle. Even the Liberty Committee, sensing the drift of things, abandons its rich patron. Mister Mister, cowardly and alone, realizes that working people have finally developed a backbone and that he has met his match. It was not until Orson Welles, an actor and theatre director who was working for the WPA at the time, had Blitzstein play it for producer John Houseman. This finally gave Blitzstein his big break. Houseman loved the concept and put it into production straightaway. With Orson Welles as the director the vision of the show started taking shape, perhaps it was a vision that Blitzstein was not expecting. Blitzstein believed in his characters two-dimensionality. He viewed them more as cartoon characters, larger than life. But with the direction of Welles he wanted a spectacle. As read in the article The Cradle that Rocked America Joseph Gustaitis writes: As director, Welles launched himself into The Cradle Will Rock with characteristic Wellesian style, promising Houseman a grandiose production that would be extremely elaborate and expensive. It was. Welles vision would expand to include a 44-member chorus, a 28-piece orchestra, and a set design that used large glass carts to shift scenes. (20) At this time The FTP, and its director, Hallie Flanagan began experiencing pressure from conservative congressmen. Although not directly some congressman had even enquired as to whether there was Communist Ideals in the FTP. It seemed that there would soon be budget cuts made in the WPA Federal theater program. On June 12 word from Washington came through that budget cut were indeed a reality. It read, any new production scheduled to open before July 1, 1937, must be postponed(Gustaitis). This news fell hard upon Welles and Housemen. They then hear news Actors Equity would not permit any of their members to appear on stage, and that the Musicians Union had imposed conditions making it impossible to have an orchestra in the pit (Jansson). They believed that they show would now never open. When they arrived at the Maxine Elliott Theater they found armed guards surrounding the entrance and a pad lock on the door. People in the streets gathered to see what all the commotion was all about. Seeing the crowd wells and housemen realized that, as the saying goes, the show must go on. All they needed was a venue and a piano, and since Blitzstein was not part of any union he could play, sing and act out all the parts. With the Venice theatre willing to open house to them for a small fee and the piano found and on its way, Welles song out to the crowd that The Cradle Will Rock will open as planned in the new location featuring Marc Blitzstein himself. The people gathered and begin to follow them some twenty blocks to the Venice Theater. Onlookers joined the parade, and the crowd grew larger. By nine oclock every one of the Venice theatres 1742 seats were filled (Jansson).

George Bush :: essays research papers

With a victory on November 1st, George Walker Bush earned the chance to pursue the domestic and foreign issues that he had been planning on accomplishing in his first term. With large amounts of ambitions comes large amounts of opposition unfortunately, and Bush faces an unfaltering Democratic blockade in the way of his programs. David Sanger in his article discusses and explains the Bush agenda for the next four years. Bush wished to continue his success in Iraq with elections for the public. Thankfully those elections were a resounding success. Now Bush is ready to tackle other issues in the middle east while repairing our relations with Europe. On the domestic front, Bush's main objective is the enacting of private social security accounts which will help the money of our younger generation grow and fill the void of a rapidly aging social security system. Bush went through the loss of some cabinet members in his transition to another four years, but has filled those spots with ne w staff that is ready to tackle the issues at hand.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bush has a lot on his platter when it comes to proposals in his next term. Already he is trying his best to help Lebanon rid themselves of Syrian influence, having talks with Iran to discuss their nuclear program, and bringing North Korea back to the table for more talks. That would seem like enough work for one man, but George Bush is also pursuing a strategy of rejuvenating aging American programs such as social security. Some may say that Bush faces some roadblocks in his next term, yet the only problems that he faces come from Democrats that are playing the game of partisan politics. If Bush and company can make the case to the public and get them on board, then the public will force the Democrats to move on the issues.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bush has moved quickly to get new members into the cabinet because he is eager to get new blood into the federal government and shoot to new heights. Some critics say that Bush is trying to replace the members quickly so that he doesn't look bad, that is not true. The shuffle-ups are good for the Bush team. Colin Powell's departure is a welcome change for Bush it would seem. Powell and Bush for the most part were not a great team.

The Effects Of Media On Preschoolers Essay -- Media

The use of media (television, video games, phones, music, and computers) by young children is becoming more and more common in everyday life. Children are in front of media screens now more than anytime in history. Parents are allowing, encouraging, and promoting the use of media in many forms. There are endless sources available for parents to purchase for the use with infants, toddlers,a nd preschoolers from movies to games and videos. (Ravichandran, France de Bravo, 2010, â€Å"Yound Children and Screentime†.) Although these media tupes are readily available, whether they be for entertainment or educational use, are they really in the children's best interest? According to the American Acadamy of Pediatrics (1999) the average child spends twenty one hours a week watching television. Children that watch television are more likely to be aggressive, obese, and learn at slower rates. It also states that an average viewer is subjected to 14,000 sexual references a year and only a handful of those encounters are of responsible sexual behavior. Not to mention the $8 billion a year that alcohol and tobacco manufacturers spend on alcohol and tobacco references in television and movies. (AAP, 1999 â€Å"Media Education†) Research shows that children under three years old should not have screen time at all. In fact, young children that watched television were much more likely to have reading and attention problems. The type of programming didn't matter on the results. Children were impacted negatively even if they weren't watching. Having the television on in the background of their play was enough to influence them negatively. The play was not as intense or as focused, and the children didn't play as long as they otherwise would have, had ... ...uwosh.edu/psychology/rauscher.htm Rauscher,FH Zupan,MA (2000) Early Childhood Research, 15 (2) 215-228 Oshkosh,WI: University of Wisconsin Classroom Keyboard Instruction Improves Kindergarten Children's Spatial- Temporal Performance: A Field Experiment. Retrieved from http:// www.uwosh.edu/psychology/rauscher.htm Ravichandran,P France de Bravo,B,MPH (2010) Young Children and Screen Time (TV, DVD's, Computer) National Research Center for Women and families Retrieved from http://www.center4research.org/2010/05/young-children-and-screen... Roberts,DF Christenson,PG Gentile,DA (2003) The Effects of Violent music on Children and Adolescents Retrieved from http://www.psychology.iastate.edu/~dgentile/106027-08.pdf Sibal,K(2004) Exploring the Effects of Music on Young Children Retrieved from http://www.more4kids.com/Articles/article1009.htm

Self Discovery in Breakfast of Champions :: Breakfast of Champions Essays

Self Discovery in Breakfast of Champions   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     In Brandon Boyd’s Make Yourself he states that â€Å" if [he] hadn’t assembled [himself] than [he] would’ve fallen apart,† implying that if one does not take the time to understand and build his or her own values and morals then one will live in confusion and falter. Throughout Vonnegut’s Breakfast of Champions, Kilgore Trout goes through the process of realizing who he is and then learns to remain true to himself. At first Trout is a pessimist who strives to be heard. Trout then begins to question human ways and while doing so finds a few answers about not only them but him as well.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the beginning Trout comes off as a pessimistic unknown writer. One of his most popular works, Plague on Wheels was sold for twelve dollars for the pictures alone. Later people would pay only a dollar for it, but this time â€Å"for the words†. Trout is in awe about the way that people work. In Plague on Wheels he expresses the ideas and ways of humans and then refers to them as â€Å" cuckoo†. He cannot understand why people do such ridiculous things such as, â€Å"[agree] with friends to express friendliness† and everyone else follows. He sees that people feel the need to conform for acceptance and this annoys him. In his story he also cites the time of which â€Å"Earthlings discovered tools†, referring to guns. Trout points out that the â€Å"tools† only purpose is â€Å"to make holes in human beings†, this seeming extremely ridiculous to him. Realizing all of this bothers Trout immensely and puts him in a bitter state.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Kilgore Trout proceeds in watching the actions of humans. He realizes that he is no longer innocent, â€Å" his head is no longer just sheltered ideas.† Trout sees things for what they are and knows that he has deal with that. He must learn to form his own opinions and ideas. When Trout actually looks back and realizes how sheltered people are at the beginning of life it â€Å"scares the bejesus† out of him. He realizes that when we are so protected that it leaves us extremely vulnerable. Trout begins to question certain human ideas, one being the â€Å"creator of the universe.† Trout takes interest in trying to figure out who in fact is the creator.

Customer is King: Evolution of the Retail Food Industry Essay

It is common understanding that you cannot have a business if you do not have customers to buy the product you produce or services you deliver; therefore customer is an integral part of every business. There was a time when customers was treated less critical and vocal by the businesses and markets was treated just as dumping grounds for the products, however this situation does not prevail anymore because of the tremendous transformation happening in the retail food industry since last five decades. Today customers have more choices than ever before, through more diverse channels. Even the expectations of customer are higher than ever before. Companies who fail to leave up to the expectation are finding hard to get or retain the customers- Majority of the unsatisfied customer do not complain they just change the suppliers. Therefore retailers have realised that the only way to sustain in the competitive market is by being customer centric. (Barnes & Glynn, 1993) Today every businesses treat customer as king and aware that only exceptional level of customer service can differentiate them from the competition in an increasingly saturated marketplace. Customer is often treated as the asset of the company and considered in the strategic level decision making. Therefore I certainly agree with this frequently used marketing cliche â€Å"customer is king†. To better explain my position I have presented my views based on two contexts. The first being how customer is king? This is explained by describing the customer’s role in the evolution of the retail food industry and its implications. The second being why customer is king? This is explained by detailing the significance of customers in the retail food business. The evolution of the retail food industry and its implications: Retail food industry has undergone a tremendous transformation in the last five decades, these transformations can be classified into four different phases- Predevelopment, Development, Saturation and Decline phase (Terbeek, 1999). During the predevelopment phase shopping was a social event, relationships between the customer and grocer was important. Shopping experience was logical, retail was more of a personalised business where the customer was treated as an individual and his or her needs were well known and understood by the businesses. Also there existed a long term personal relationship between the businesses and the customer (Steidtman, 2005). Therefore during this phase more emphasis was given to the customer and customer service, however this situation did not prevail long. During the development phase, small and neighbourhood stores started to decline due to the raise of supermarket. Customers were no more trusting grocer rather they started to trust brands. No longer there existed a personal relationship between the businesses and the customer. Even management was centralised and employees were ignorant of the customer behaviour, old values which existed during the predevelopment stage relating to employee and customer relationship almost disappeared, the customer becomes a consumer. However due to logistics efficiency and introduction in new model of central buying and distribution of standard products to standard stores led in the decline of product prices. Even though retailer was the ultimate connection to the customer but manufacturer had more control over the market demand and retailer was just acting as distributor. Manufacturer assumed that every market was standard and started using push marketing model to sell his products, therefore emphasis on customer was neglected and customer service was taken a backseat (Terbeek, 1999) During the saturation phase the competition between the retailers intensified, there was a rise of many stores even the products increased from 8000 to 30000 items and above, which resulted in making a decision making stressful for the customers. However the growth of the industry slowdown and the real growth for supermarkets came from taking businesses away from each other. Marketing cost intensified because of the competition between supermarkets, even value created by supermarkets become less easy to distinguish because of the availability of the identical products in every store. Therefore Price become the way for many stores to differentiate them, which gave rise to the new mantra of super markets called â€Å"more products and lower prices†. Competition among the manufacturers also heated up which led retailers to get better incentives for the self-space. Therefore retailers was busy concerned on making deal money which was more profitable then customer service, Customer was almost invisible and the relationship between the retailer and the customer no longer existed(Terbeek, 1999). During the decline phase the might of the supermarkets reduced drastically by the entry of fast food chains and low cost department stores (Wal-Mart, Target etc. – which started competing for the stomach share of the consumer. Therefore retailers try to differentiate themselves by introducing new merchandising strategies such as home meal replacement and solution selling, also another strategy for growth was geographic expansion through consolidation and globalisation. Retailers were more concerned on making profits and increasing market share, however even in this phase they neglected the fact that customer is one of the important ass et and failed to be customer oriented. Therefore retailers still moved even further away from the customer. Following the decline phase of the retail food market is the â€Å"current† (2000+) situation which can perhaps be termed as the frictionless phase (Terbeek, 1999). It’s not surprising that in this phase, the focus is once again on the customer. The one size fits all concept of retail is no longer applicable and there is need to deliver personalized services and products on an individual basis to distinguish them from others and to stay ahead in the market. Therefore customer has become the central focus in this era, even the retailers have realised that customer service, customer loyalty and customer retention plays a major role in sales and profitability of the concern. Thanks to Technological transformation, which has enabled retail to return to what it once – a personalised business, today businesses have realised that customer is a strategic asset of the organisation and treating customer as a â€Å"King† is vital for the long term sustainability. Significance of customers in the retail food business: The food and beverage market is often the largest industrial sector in developed economies. In the US, expenditures on food in both retail stores and food service establishments account for nearly 30 percent of all retail spending. Food retailing alone is among the largest of all retailing sectors in most countries(Gomez, McLaughlin, & Wittink, 2003). The most recent Consumer Expenditure Survey from the Department of Labour indicates that 58 percent of food expenditures are on food consumed at home and Groceries represent a $700 billion business in US alone (George, 2005). Due to the market size today retail sector is not only growing in the rapid pace but also becoming more competitive, even the customers have become more demanding than ever. Retailers have realised that the only way to sustain in the competitive market is through differentiation; Rita Heise of Cargill says differentiation must be a top priority of almost any company today (Tuck, 2003). Today differentiation in terms of pricing, product offering are also becoming commonplace so companies need new ways to differentiate themselves. In the verge of finding differentiating strategies, retailers have realised that the only way of differentiating them form others is by being customer centric(Gomez et al. , 2003). Today customers are vital for the retail businesses, treating customers like a King is really important because this leads to more satisfied customers. The more satisfied the customers are, the more loyal the customers will be- which in turn helps in maintaining customer loyalty. Therefore customer satisfaction, customer loyalty and customer retention all these three terms are interrelated which has a significant impact on the profitability, sales and market share of the businesses. Customer satisfaction: Customer satisfaction and retention are generally considered among the most important long term objectives of firms (Cooil, Keiningham, Aksoy, & Hsu, 2007). The satisfied customers will remain loyal to the company and also create a positive brand image by word of mouth. In recent research of over 1,000 kiwis, respondents said they were twice as likely to tell others about a bad experience over a positive one. With stories being told online, rather than person-to-person, they are accessible to a much wider audience and live on long after the initial compromising incident occurred (Meyer, 2011). Therefore businesses which fail to meet the customer expectations will not only lose customers but also may create a negative brand image. Linking customer satisfaction and customer loyalty/retention: The marketing concept suggests that a satisfied buyer will likely return to purchase again, or at least, consider purchasing again(Keith, 1960). According to Reichheld and Sasser repeat customers cost less to serve than new buyers, benefiting a firm’s cost structure. Additionally, maximizing customer retention rates and minimizing customer defections are primary strategic objectives for most firms because of the competitive retail environment and low switching costs(Reichheld, 1990). Customer satisfaction is positively linked to loyalty and customer retention, therefore businesses should be customer oriented in order to maximise the profits, market share and also to increase the sales. Linking profitability or market share to customer satisfaction and customer loyalty: According to one study, a 2 percent increase in customer retention has the same effect on profits as cutting costs by 10 percent. Similarly, a 5 percent reduction in customer defection rate can increase profits by 25-125 percent (Min, 2011). It is logical that both satisfaction and loyalty are directly related to profitability(Pleshko & Baqer, 2008). Loyal and satisfied customers will increase the customer base by positive word of mouth advertising, which in turn increase the market share and also the sales, even lowers the market retention costs. Satisfied and loyal customers gives businesses a clear understanding about their needs and wants which helps the retailers to grow businesses and profits based on their deep knowledge and understanding of customers. Satisfied customers also create brand equity and even retailers will be insured with better protection during downturn- due to more loyal customers. Therefore today retailers are continuously focusing on keeping their customers happy and satisfied. Businesses which do not satisfy the customers run the risk of customer base eductions, smaller sales and also lose the market share for the retailers who serve better to the customers. Being customer centric cannot be treated simply as the strategy of an individual company because modern food system is complex, dynamic and international (Schaffer, 1998). It includes suppliers of farm inputs, agricultural producers, packaging suppliers, processors and manufacturers, commodity merchants, wholesalers, food retailers, restraints, institutions, and facilitating industries etc. (Schaffer, 1998). Therefore to be successful and competitive, all the players in the food system should be customer centric. Businesses in the food supply chain have realised this and every businesses are taking customer centric approach in the recent years. Today’s retail market in the developed world are becoming more customers centric and treating customers as Kings because retailers have realised that customer centric approach is directly linked to profitability of the firm and also can become a key source of competitive differentiation. By excelling at the strategic customer-centric approach can deliver a superior shopping experience that could not only result in consistently high customer satisfaction but also might encourage customers to shop more often and spend more with their favoured retailers. Therefore we can say that today businesses have realised that customers have the power to dictate their profits, market share and also the sales in the businesses, so treating customers as Kings has become vital for the retail businesses success today.

A Research Paper on G.K. Chesterton and The Man Who Was Thursday Essay

While doing research on G.K. Chesterton and his literary masterpiece, I came upon this article on Gilbert Magazine in which his answer to the question – â€Å"What is the difference between progress and growth?† – was posted. To this question, he answered: The fatal metaphor of progress, which means leaving things behind us, has utterly obscured the real idea of growth, which means leaving things inside of us.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   First of all, I didn’t even know he has a magazine. Secondly, since I have never heard of him before, I ask myself why on earth has it taken so long for me to discover such an amazing man? His statement above is just one of the marvelous pithy quotations of a man who never earned a doctorate and, in fact, never even attended a university. I have read some of them and I am amazed at how he can say something about everything and says it better than everybody else.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is with utter delight that I am taking this journey to the discovery and uncovering of a genius – a journalist, a debater, an artist, a happy man – for in discovering him, I discover passion, wisdom, and myself. G.K. Chesterton: A Poet, Storyteller, and Ironist   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   G.K. Chesterton cannot be summed up in one sentence. Nor in one paragraph. With all the fine biographies I   have encountered that have been written of him, I don’t know if the Gilbert Keith Chesterton has really been captured between the covers of those books. In the first place, how could one simplify a man of such complex talents? He was very good at expressing himself, but more importantly, he had something very good to express – the reason why he was one of the greatest thinkers and writers of the 20th century and a champion of the Roman Catholic religion. K. Chesterton is alive and kicking today – in a way that most of his contemporaries are not – precisely because he enunciated clearly and forcefully the fundamental principles in the light of which issues, whether of today or of yesterday, can be confronted intelligently, and he has dedicated this extraordinary intellect and creative power to the reform of English government and society. Literary types would laud him for his poetry and novels and detective stories and plays; social critics would approve him for his prescient admonitions about eugenics and nihilism and socialism; champions of domestic democracy would like his doctrine of distributism; philosophers would be challenged by his insights and quips; the fundamentalist Christian would defend him for defending Christianity, and the Catholic Christian would enjoy the enjoyment Chesterton derived from his Catholicism. This is a multifaceted man.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Gilbert was a day boy at St. Paul’s. The masters rated him as an under-achiever, but he earned some recognition as a writer and debater. Although he never went to college, he proved that genius cannot be tied down to the rules of the academy, nor need we be subservient to the prejudices of the academy in evaluating genius. Chesterton, in fact, chose to be a journalist, because in that role he could think most profoundly, powerfully, cogently, and effectively.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   He was vitally concerned with the injustices of Great Britain to its dependencies. He progressed from newspaper to public debate. He used logic, laughter, paradox, and his own winning personality to show that imperialism was destroying English patriotism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In 1900 he published his first literary works, two volumes of poetry. In 1900 he met Hilaire Belloc, and in 1901 he married Frances Blogg. These events were two of the great influences in his life. From 1904 to 1936 Chesterton published nearly a dozen novels, the most important being The Napoleon of Notting Hill (1904) and The Man Who Was Thursday (1908). In 1911 Chesterton created the ‘‘Father Brown’’ detective stories. During his literary career he published 90 books and numerous articles. He poured out a wealth of lighthearted essays, historical sketches, and metaphysical and polemical works, together with such well-known poems as ‘‘The Ballad of the White Horse,’’ ‘‘Lepanto,’’ and the drinking songs from The Flying Inn. Among his major critical works are studies of Robert Browning (1903) and Charles Dickens (1906). Prodigiously talented, Chesterton also illustrated a number of Belloc’s light works.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Chesterton spoke of himself as primarily a journalist. He contributed to and helped edit Eye Witness and New Witness. He edited G. K.’s Weekly, which advocated distributism, the social philosophy developed by Belloc. Chesterton’s overriding concern with political and social injustice is reflected in Heretics (1905) and Orthodoxy (1909), perhaps his most important work.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I could say that Chesterton was not a philosopher in the sense of one who, like Plato or Aristotle, Aquinas or Bonaventure, Descartes or Kant, Hegel or Kierkegaard, made original contributions to the history of human reflection on the reality of the real. We can, however, say that he made two remarkable contributions which are still immensely worthwhile today: (1) he was unmatched in his ability to satirize the philosophical foibles of his day; and (2) although his philosophy was not unique his manner of expressing it was unique; one cannot read him, even today, without being again and again suddenly pulled up short. In view of his perennial concern with ideas – and with ideas that count, with ultimates – he has to be called a philosopher, not merely, however, as a lover of wisdom, but as one who possessed a certain kind of intuitive wisdom.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Throughout his life, G.K. Chesterton was one of the most colorful and loved   personalities of literary England. To his intellectual gifts he added gaiety, wit, and warm humanity that endeared him even to his antagonists. This English author, journalist, and artist was born in London on May 29, 1874. He died at his home in Beaconsfield on June 14, 1936, but it doesn’t matter. To those who know him and are passionate readers of his works, his wisdom lives on. To those like me who simply stumbled upon him, he lives again. In our hearts, his wisdom is timeless. The Man Who Was Thursday: A Masterpiece of a Non-Degree Holder Genius   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Versatility of topic, address, genre, device, whatever more there is in the heaven and earth of mind and spirit brought to letters–such is the hallmark and mandate of Chesterton. He can be straightforward and for right, crisp and to the point, or witty, with a certain malice aforethought. He can take the way of irony or simply snort when his patience is exhausted. He can soar with angelic sweep or swoop like a bird of prey. His descriptive hand is as authentic as any, as witness this from the beginning of The Man Who Was Thursday: The suburb of Saffron Park lay on the sunset side of London, as red and ragged as a cloud of sunset. It was built of a bright brick throughout; its skyline †¦ fantastic †¦ its ground plan †¦ wild†¦. More especially this attractive unreality fell upon it about nightfall when the extravagant roofs were dark against the afterglow and the whole insane village seemed as separate as a drifting cloud. This . . . was more strongly true of the many nights of local festivity, when the little gardens were often illuminated, and the big Chinese lanterns glowed in the dwarfish trees like some fierce and monstrous fruit.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Man Who Was Thursday was the phantasmagoric 1908 novel of eccentric anarchists, philosopher-detectives and a riddle-writing criminal mastermind who just might be God. Subtitled â€Å"A Nightmare,† this masterpiece by G.K. Chesterton – better known for his Father Brown detective series – mingles theological brainteasing with cloak-and-dagger capers like a cross-country balloon chase and a  Ã‚   bombing conspiracy fomented over jam and crumpets.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This metaphysical thriller spirals out madly from a marvelous premise: a London counterintelligence chief has formed a corps of â€Å"policemen who are also philosophers.† An initiate tells the book’s hero Gabriel Syme, who is with the British police: The ordinary detective goes to pot-houses to arrest thieves; we go to artistic tea-parties to detect pessimists. The ordinary detective discovers from a ledger or a diary that a crime has been committed. We discover from a book of sonnets that a crime will be committed†¦ We say that the most dangerous criminal now is the entirely lawless modern philosopher.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Soon after joining these vigilantes, he was hired by an unknown, unseen man to infiltrate the noted anarchist movement, making him stumble upon an anarchist conspiracy to destroy civilization and morality itself. He starts with a loudmouthed â€Å"poet of disorder†, Gregory, and follows him into a meeting of the anarchists. Gregory is forced to keep Gabriel’s identity a secret for his own sake, for he himself had led the policeman into their secret hideaway.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The undercover Gabriel manages to get elected as one of the seven top men in the organization, alias Thursday, much to Gregory’s silent chagrin. Gabriel meets with the other members of the council, all of who appear to be dark and dreadfully evil– most of all the President, the huge mountain of a man called Sunday. Little by little, however, Gabriel realizes that the other five people under Sunday are not at all evil, but all of them spies from the police!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the process, however, Gabriel succeeds in getting an entire French countryside to think he and his new friends are really anarchists (meanwhile they are thinking, or wondering in disbelief, that the entire countryside is full of anarchists after them). They nearly get lynched. When things are settled, this group of undercover police go back to England to seek out Sunday, whom they soon find is the very man who hired them to infiltrate the council in the first place! Sunday leads them on a strange and wild chase, during which the six philosophize about the nature of their strange antagonist.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Phantasmagoric escapades proliferate, and police pursuit collides with the carnivalesque nature of the universe. They realize that they have been seeing him from behind, and from behind he looks brutal; but the apparent evil was misleading. The journey ends at a palatial estate where the six are treated like kings, and finally see Sunday for who he is– The Sabbath, the peace of God. The council of anarchists has turned into a High Council commemorating the Seven Days of God’s Creation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The purpose of Sunday as the evil anarchist was to bring forth good through the others to urge them on to unnatural virtue. As they were fighting, they were fighting Satan. As the hearers grow indignant at Sunday’s using them for his purposes and allowing them to go through such trials, the paradoxical Problem of Evil seems somehow resolved. The last question asked of the strange man as he recedes into space is ‘Have you ever suffered?’– and the answer the Christian knows is whispered from the distance. The last scene sees Gabriel Syme waking from his reverie, and chatting philosophy with the other Poet of Saffron Park, Gregory.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Chesterton offers up one highly colored enigma after another in The Man That Was Thursday. He truly knows how to create an atmosphere of hallucinatory suspense, to use the fantastic and paradoxical and fugitive to glimpse the other side of God. In an article published the day before his death, he called this literary masterpiece of his, â€Å"a very melodramatic sort of moonshine.† I guess that’s how we would describe a novel set in a phantasmagoric London where policemen are poets and anarchists camouflage themselves as, well, anarchists. By turns hilarious and terrifying, Chesterton’s The Man Who Was Thursday is a lyrical search for truth in a world where nothing is what it seems.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This is not a book. This is a glorious experience. Works Cited Bloom, Harold. Modern Horror Writers (Writers of English). New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1994. Chesterton, G.K. The Autobiography of G.K. Chesterton. New York: Sheed & Ward, 1936. Chesterton, G.K. The Man Who Was Thursday: A Nightmare. New York: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1908. Coren, Michael. Gilbert, The Man Who Was G.K. Chesterton. New York: Paragon House, 1990. Dale, Alzina Stone. The Outline of Sanity: A Biography of G.K. Chesterton. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 1982. Dale, Alzina Stone. The Art of G.K. Chesterton. Chicago: Loyola University Press, 1985. Ffinch, Michael. G.K. Chesterton. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1986. â€Å"More letters asking ‘What’s the Difference?’.† Gilbert Magazine Outlining Sanity. 30 November 2007 Titterton, W.R. G.K. Chesterton: A Portrait. Folcroft, Pennsylvania: Folcroft Library

Modern Drama Essay

Restoration literature Restoration literature is the English literature written during the historical period commonly referred to as the English Restoration (1660–1689), which corresponds to the last years of the direct Stuart reign in England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. In general, the term is used to denote roughly homogeneous styles of literature that center on a celebration of or reaction to the restored court of Charles II. It is a literature that includes extremes, for it encompasses both Paradise Lost and the Earl of Rochester’s Sodom, the high-spirited sexual comedy of The Country Wife and the moral wisdom of The Pilgrim’s Progress. It saw Locke’s Treatises of Government, the founding of the Royal Society, the experiments and holy meditations of Robert Boyle, the hysterical attacks on theaters from Jeremy Collier, and the pioneering of literary criticism from John Dryden and John Dennis. The period witnessed news become a commodity, the essay developed into a periodic al art form, and the beginnings of textual criticism. The dates for Restoration literature are a matter of convention, and they differ markedly from genre to genre. Thus, the â€Å"Restoration† in dramamay last until 1700, while in poetry it may last only until 1666 (see 1666 in poetry) and the annus mirabilis; and in prose it might end in 1688, with the increasing tensions over succession and the corresponding rise in journalism and periodicals, or not until 1700, when those periodicals grew more stabilized. In general, scholars use the term â€Å"Restoration† to denote the literature that began and flourished under Charles II, whether that literature was the laudatory ode that gained a new life with restored aristocracy, the eschatological literature that showed an increasing despair among Puritans, or the literature of rapid communication and trade that followed in the wake of England’s mercantile empire. Theatre The return of the stage-struck Charles II to power in 1660 was a major event in English theatre history. As soon as the previous Puritan regime’s ban on public stage representations was lifted, the drama recreated itself quickly and abundantly. Two theatre companies, the King’s and the Duke’s Company, were established in London, with two luxurious playhouses built to designs by Christopher Wren and fitted with moveable scenery and thunder and lightning machines.[10] Traditionally, Restoration plays have been studied by genre rather than chronology, more or less as if they were all contemporary, but scholars today insist on the rapid evolvement of drama in the period and on the importance of social and political factors affecting it. (Unless otherwise indicated, the account below is based on Hume’s influential Development of English Drama in the Late Seventeenth Century, 1976.) The influence of theatre company competition and playhouse economics is also acknowledged, as is the significance of the appearance of the first professional actresses (see Howe). In the 1660s and 1670s, the London scene was vitalised by the competition between the two patent companies. The need to rise to the challenges of the other house made playwrights and managers extremely responsive to public taste, and theatrical fashions fluctuated almost week by week. The mid-1670s were a high point of both quantity and quality, with John Dryden’s Aureng-zebe (1675), William Wycherley’s The Country Wife (1675) and The Plain Dealer(1676), George Etherege’s The Man of Mode (1676), and Aphra Behn’s The Rover (1677), all within a few seasons. From 1682 the production of new plays dropped sharply, affected both by a merger between the two companies and by the political turmoil of the Popish Plot (1678) and the Exclusion crisis (1682). The 1680s were especially lean years for comedy, the only exception being the remarkable career of Aphra Behn, whose achievement as the first professional British woman dramatist has been the subject of much recent study. There was a swing away from comedy to serious political drama, reflecting preoccupations and divisions following on the political crisis. The few comedies produced also tended to be political in focus, the whig dramatist Thomas Shadwell sparring with the tories John Dryden and Aphra Behn. In the calmer times after 1688, Londoners were again ready to be amused by stage performance, but the single â€Å"United Company† was not well prepared to offer it. No longer powered by competition, the company had lost momentum and been taken over by predatory investors (â€Å"Adv enturers†), while management in the form of the autocratic Christopher Rich attempted to finance a tangle of â€Å"farmed† shares and sleeping partners by slashing actors’ salaries. The upshot of this mismanagement was that the disgruntled actors set up their own co-operative company in 1695.[11]A few years of re-invigorated two-company competition followed which allowed a brief second flowering of the drama, especially comedy. Comedies like William Congreve’s Love For Love (1695) and The Way of the World (1700), and John Vanbrugh’s The Relapse (1696) and The Provoked Wife (1697) were â€Å"softer† and more middle class in ethos, very different from the aristocratic extravaganza twenty years earlier, and aimed at a wider audience. If â€Å"Restoration literature† is the literature that reflects and reflects upon the court of Charles II, Restoration drama arguably ends before Charles II’s death, as the playhouse moved rapidly from the domain of courtiers to the domain of the city middle classes. On the other hand, Restoration drama shows altogether more fluidity and rapidity than other types of literature, and so, even more than in other types of literature, its movements should never be viewed as absolute. Each decade has brilliant exceptions to every rule and entirely forgettable confirmations of it. [edit]Drama Main article: Heroic drama See also: She-tragedy Genre in Restoration drama is peculiar. Authors labelled their works according to the old tags, â€Å"comedy† and â€Å"drama† and, especially, â€Å"history†, but these plays defied the old categories. From 1660 onwards, new dramatic genres arose, mutated, and intermixed very rapidly. In tragedy, the leading style in the early Restoration period was the male-dominated heroic drama, exemplified by John Dryden’s The Conquest of Granada (1670) and Aureng-Zebe (1675) which celebrated powerful, aggressively masculine heroes and their pursuit of glory both as rulers and conquerors, and as lovers. These plays were sometimes called by their authors’ histories or tragedies, and contemporary critics will call them after Dryden’s term of â€Å"Heroic drama†. Heroic dramas centred on the actions of men of decisive natures, men whose physical and (sometimes) intellectual qualities made them natural leaders. In one sense, this was a reflection of a n idealised king such as Charles or Charles’s courtiers might have imagined. However, such dashing heroes were also seen by the audiences as occasionally standing in for noble rebels who would redress injustice with the sword. The plays were, however, tragic in the strictest definition, even though they were not necessarily sad. In the 1670s and 1680s, a gradual shift occurred from heroic to pathetic tragedy, where the focus was on love and domestic concerns, even though the main characters might often be public figures. After the phenomenal success of Elizabeth Barry in moving the audience to tears in the role of Monimia in Thomas Otway’s The Orphan (1680), â€Å"she-tragedies† (a term coined by Nicholas Rowe), which focused on the sufferings of an innocent and virtuous woman, became the dominant form of pathetic tragedy. Elizabeth Howe has argued that the most important explanation for the shift in taste was the emergence of tragic actresses whose popularity made it unavoidable for dramatists to create major roles for them. With the conjunction of the playwright â€Å"master of pathos† Thomas Otway and the great tragedienne Elizabeth Barry in The Orphan, the focus shifted from hero to heroine. Prominent she-tragedies include John Banks’s Virtue Betrayed, or, Anna Bullen(1682) (about the execution of Anne Boleyn), Thomas Southerne’s The Fatal Marriage (1694), and Nicholas Rowe’s The Fair Penitent (1703) and Lady Jane Grey, 1715. While she-tragedies were more comfortably tragic, in that they showed women who suffered for no fault of their own and featured tragic flaws that were emotional rather than moral or intellectual, their success did not mean that more overtly political tragedy was not staged. The Exclusion crisis brought with it a number of tragic implications in real politics, and therefore any treatment of, for example, the Earl of Essex (several versions of which were circulated and briefly acted at non-patent theatres) could be read as seditious. Thomas Otway’s Venice Preserv’d of 1682 was a royalist political play that, like Dryden’s Absalom and Achitophel, seemed to praise the king for his actions in the meal tub plot. Otway’s play had the floating city of Venice stand in for the river town ofLondon, and it had the dark senatorial plotters of the play stand in for the Earl of Shaftesbury. It even managed to figure in the Duke of Monmouth, Charles’s illegitimate, war-hero son who was favoured by many as Charles’s successor over the Roman Catholic James. Venice Preserv’d is, in a sense, the perfect synthesis of the older politically royalist tragedies and histories of Dryden and the newer she-tragedies of feminine suffering, for, although the plot seems to be a political allegory, the action centres on a woman who cares for a man in conflict, and most of the scenes and dialogue concern her pitiable sufferings at his hands. Comedy Main article: Restoration comedy Restoration comedy is notorious for its sexual explicitness, a quality encouraged by Charles II personally and by the rakish aristocratic ethos of his court. The best-known plays of the early Restoration period are the unsentimental or â€Å"hard† comedies of John Dryden, William Wycherley, and George Etherege, which reflect the atmosphere at Court, and celebrate an aristocratic macholifestyle of unremitting sexual intrigue and conquest. The Earl of Rochester, real-life Restoration rake, courtier and poet, is flatteringly portrayed in Etherege’s Man of Mode (1676) as a riotous, witty, intellectual, and sexually irresistible aristocrat, a template for posterity.s idea of the glamorous Restoration rake (actually never a very common character in Restoration comedy). Wycherley’s The Plain Dealer (1676), a variation on the theme of Molià ¨re’s Le misanthrope, was highly regarded for its uncompromising satire and earned Wycherley the appellation â€Å"Plain De aler† Wycherley or â€Å"Manly† Wycherley, after the play’s main character Manly. The single writer who most supports the charge of obscenity levelled then and now at Restoration comedy is probably Wycherley. During the second wave of Restoration comedy in the 1690s, the â€Å"softer† comedies of William Congreve and John Vanbrugh reflected mutating cultural perceptions and great social change. The playwrights of the 1690s set out to appeal to more socially mixed audiences with a strong middle-class element, and to female spectators, for instance by moving the war between the sexes from the arena of intrigue into that of marriage. The focus in comedy is less on young lovers outwitting the older generation, more on marital relations after the wedding bells. In Congreve’s plays, the give-and-take set pieces of couples still testing their attraction for each other have mutated into witty prenuptial debates on the eve of marriage, as in the famous â€Å"Proviso† scene in The Way of the World (1700). Restoration drama had a bad reputation for three centuries. The â€Å"incongruous† mixing of comedy and tragedy beloved by Restoration audiences was decried. The Victorians denounced the comedy as too indecent for the stage,[12] and the standard reference work of the early 20th century, The Cambridge History of English and American Literature, dismissed the tragedy as being of â€Å"a level of dulness and lubricity never surpassed before or since†.[13] Today, the Restoration total theatre experience is again valued, both by postmodern literary critics and on the stage. The comedies of Aphra Behn in particular, long condemned as especially offensive in coming from a woman’s pen, have become academic and repertory favourites.

Discuss Christian Views on Contraception, Marriage and Divorce Essay

Explain Christian beliefs about contraception (6) Christians believe that God created humans and that humans should ‘grow in population’ and so therefore they should reproduce naturally and grow in numbers. The Roman Catholic church believes that contraception is immoral and wrong since they regard it as artificial and unnatural since it prevents new life and this is not what God intended humans to do. God wants use to be ‘fruitful and increase in number’ they believe that sex should not carried out with no intention to create new life. Christians believe that God made most humans fertile since God has destined for use to create new life; God has planned our life even before we were born and so some Christians believe we should not interfere with God’s plan by using artificial means. The Catholic Church believes the use of contraception is sinful. Yet in today’s society, some Catholics believe that it is important to believe in our conscience and so contraception may be acceptable. This is particularly the case, were The Church of England are not against the use of contraception as it allows a couple to think about when to actually have a child and so contraception results in the child actually being wanted and loved since we should ‘love thy neighbour’. Both churches agree that contraception is acceptable if it protects the health of the couple, i.e. it stops the prevention of HIV/AIDS and so in these circumstances contraception is acceptable. 1. Explain how a Christian marriage ceremony might guide a couple in their married life (6) Christians believe a Christian marriage has vows in front of God, therefore the fact that God is a part of the ceremony the vows are extremely important since the husband and wife promise to be with one another ‘in sickness and health’ therefore these vows brings the couple closer in relationships and they can support one another since ‘It will make a helper suitable for him’ therefore the ceremony Is an act to express their love for one another and the promises that they are willing to follow. The ceremony may guide the couple in life since once they are married the ‘two will become one flesh this shows that they will equally live amongst each other and they have equal values and they should and care for each other. Prayers are held in the wedding to ask for God’s blessings therefore this leads couples into a moral way of life. The exchanging of rings is symbolic of the commitment that they have for one another and that they will always support one another in their married life. 1. ‘God would never approve of civil partnerships.’ Discuss this statement. (12) Many Christians have different opinions about civil partnerships and whether God would approve it or not. Some Christians would argue that all people should be treated the same no matter who they fall in love with, the Bible teaches that equality is very important ‘neither Jew nor Greek’ and so civil partnerships should not be judged as immoral. The Bible teaches that God loves all people since it is his creation as God made ‘man in the image of God’ and so God will still love those in a civil partnership as the Bible teaches that God treats them equally. Some Christians would also argue that God created love ‘brought her to the man’ and so if God didn’t approve of civil partnerships God would not allow people to express their love. Some Christians believe that same-sex couples should have the same freedom to marry that other couples have since they should be treated equally and God welcomes his people with love and compassion. The Bible clearly shows that God not judge others and in fact, teaches to ‘love thy neighbour’. On the other Hand The Roman Catholic Church and Church of England is against Civil partnerships as they believe it is immoral and goes against God intention to grow in numbers and ‘multiply’ the fact that new life can be created from a male and a female partnership is acceptable however a couple with the same sex cannot create new life and so goes against God ‘man lies with a man†¦detestable’ The Church believes that God gave women and men separate roles in the family- the women should care for the children at home and so therefore a couple with the same sex would result in the child not being cared for in the correct way as intended by God- therefore to some extent God may go not approve civil partnerships. Overall I believe that God would not approve of Civil marriages but may accept that they occur in today’s society, the fact that God loves all his people no matter what race, sex or appearance- this shows God treats everyone equally . God gave humans their own conscience and so to some extent it is humans’ choice as to who they fall in love with and so I believe God may accept civil partnerships. Describe Christian beliefs about Divorce (6) Christians belief a marriage is a life time commitment amongst a couple. However there are different views about divorce. The Roman Catholic Church believes that divorce is immoral since during the couple’s marriage ceremony they have said vows to one another in front of God, the fact that they have promised to God that they will live together ‘in sickness and health’ shows that these promises cannot be broken, and if so, it is immoral ‘A man..be united with his wife.’. These Christians believe divorce is indissoluble. The Church believes the legal agreement is broken between a marriages but the holy agreement is not. But, the church understands that divorce can be painful and so the couple should be supported by community. Yet, the couple should try and work together to restore the marriage. Catholics sometimes annul marriages so they discount the vows made and in these cases it is acceptable. The Church of England does recognise that divorces may occur and so they should be cared for and supported by others, the church believes it has a duty to support the couple in times which are hard. The church believes it is important to try and restore the marriage in order to retain happiness and joy in society since the marriage ‘two will become one flesh’. If a divorcee wants to remarry, it is up to the vicar to agree to the marriage or not. ‘Women should always obey their husbands’ Discuss the statement. (12) To some extent, one would argue this statement is outdated since women’s roles are becoming just as important as men’s and the increase in emancipation of women shows that both men and women are treated equality. This is also shown in the Bible, as God mentions there are ‘neither Jew nor Greek’ therefore God loves and cares for women and mean just as much. And so women should not look up to men and be treated differently according to the Bible. The Bible teaches that both roles of women and men are just as important and they rely on one another to live a stable lifestyle and so this equality shows that women should not obey men. In fact the Bible teaches that all humans, including women, are given a conscience and they can choose right from wrong and so therefore women can choose whether to obey their husband or not as they have a free conscience. However, women should obey men to some extend as the man is regarded as the leader of the household and so needs respect and obedience in order to show man’s role in a household. The Bible teaches that that women should ‘submit to your husbands’

The impact of language on Friday life in Foe Essay

The impact of language on Friday life in Foe - Essay Example Upon arrival in England, Susan offers to accommodate Friday (McGrath 1). She had a desire to document her experiences while on the Island, but is limited in her language skills. Thus, she requests Daniel Foe, a writer, for assistance. This mission is not fully accomplished since Foe, being the language expert, chooses what he thinks is entertaining to write about, thus frustrating Susan’s efforts to have her story told (Caracciolo 105). Language is one of the themes in J. M. Coetzee’s book Foe. Language is key and paramount in any communication and accurate or inaccurate presentation of issues through language as a tool of communication can impact positively or negatively on the message being communicated. If not well presented, it could give the wrong message and impression about the content value of any work of art. Language gives a person power to communicate adequately. By Daniel Foe suppressing and omitting part of Susan’s story does an immense disservice to what she, in reality, wants to communicate. Lack of proper and/or appropriate language skills and knowledge can also be a significant impediment (Caracciolo 105). This is the case with Susan when she is frustrated by Foe for choosing to incorporate the truth about her, but feeling the book bibliography with fiction. Susan’s case highlights the power of language because, if she was well equipped with proper writing skills, she would have been in a better position to write her own story. In her frustration, she attempts to write the story herself but fails due to her lack of proper writing skills. Through the character of Susan, Coetzee is highlighting the plight of the voiceless. Since Susan cannot communicate well, she is left helpless, thus representing the people in society who cannot be heard because of their incapability to communicate effectively (McGrath 1). Foe, on the other hand, represents the people who tyrannize the underprivileged by downplaying their issues resu lting in them not being heard at all. Using the theme of language, Coetzee brings out the plight of those who are oppressed because of their language handicap and the oppressors like Daniel Foe who ensures that the oppressed remain downtrodden. Coetzee uses another character, Friday, to further the theme of language in his book. He is said to be mute because, according to his master Crusoe, his tongue was chopped off by his previous master. This can be interpreted to show the extend oppressors would go to silence the marginalized in the society. Cutting off his tongue totally stops and impairs the downtrodden such as Friday form speaking or having a say in matters concerning or affecting them (Woelert 118). The writer being from South Africa may through these characters be highlighting the brutality of the Apartheid system. It can be construed as a way that those in authority used to silence the minority. His inability to speak because his tongue was cut off by his colonial masters totally limits his language communication skills and ability. Friday brings to mind not only the plight of the Africans in South Africa, but also the unvoiced oppressed people in the society. Crusoe is another character in the novel whose refusal to talk about his past can be seen as to portray Coetzee’s language theme on non verbal communication. He is in a position to tell his story but instead chooses not to in comparison to Friday who if given a chance may be willing

How would you use the knowledge of incentives to manage a business Essay

How would you use the knowledge of incentives to manage a business - Essay Example To be effective for business, incentives should clearly link performance to pay and should directly link performance to specific standards and objectives. If a teams objective is customer satisfaction, that should be the measure of performance, rather than volume or duration of service calls, which may bear little relation to whether the customers needs were actually met (Laffont and Marthmort 45). Incentives (rewards and punishments) should relate directly to the nature of performance required at each level of the organization. For example, in order to develop a true team perspective among top executives, the bonus plan for each member of the senior team is based largely on the entire companys success in meeting certain specific financial goals, such as stock price (Campbell 61). In other situations -fund managers in an investment firm, for example -- its more appropriate to base rewards on each persons individual performance. Incentive plans should match measurement periods for rew ards to relevant performance periods; some goals can be assessed after three months, while it might not be practical to evaluate others in less than a year. Some incentive programs recognize that fact by containing both short- and long-term goals. Because performance Incentives can provide bonuses equaling up to 13 percent of a workers base pay, teams are sharply attuned not only to the performance of their own members but to other teams as well. Between each shift there is a brief "hand-off" meeting between the team thats leaving and the one thats coming on (Laffont and Marthmort 51). Some organizations may want to grant direct incentives for worker avoidance of nonwork, anti-work, and semi-work. Tying incentives directly to usage of time is not reward for performance. But in certain cases, particularly where effort distribution issues are involved,

Strategic Compensation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Strategic Compensation - Assignment Example Person-focused pay is advantageous since it controls costs and motivates employees’ productivity. Employees should be rewarded according to their productivity and not according to amount of their salaries. The factors that an employee need to have in order to be entitled for rewards are work output quality, work output quantity, work safety records, work attendance, and monthly sales. The company in the case study need to implement the following four types of employees’ incentive plans. Management rewards plan that awards managers when they exceed or meet the sales, production, or profit objectives. Piecework plans that reward employees for every unity produced. Behavioral incentive plan that award employees for accomplishing specific behavior such as safety records and good attendance. Person-focused pay plans will be of broad significant not only to the employees but also towards the organization’s productions.This is because the plans will motivate employees’ productivity as well as controlling costs that the company incurs (Gregory, 2009). Therefore, the management should not use the roles of Jane and the shift leader to determine whether they should be entitled for overtime but factors such as work output quality, work output quantity, work safety records, work attendance, and monthly sales. Job evaluation is defined as an objective and systematic process that organizations use to compared all jobs performed by employees to determine the worth or value of each job category. The focus of job evaluation is to evaluate the job and not the workers who undertake the job (Robinson, Wahlstrom & Mecham, 2004). The criteria used for job evaluation include factors like skills needed, education qualification, job responsibilities and working conditions. Moreover, there are four main methods that managers use to evaluate jobs in their organizations. Job ranking-This method of job evaluation involves ranking all jobs done in an organization in an order of