Group WIKI Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Group WIKI - Assignment Example Prevention includes recreational treatment methods that will teach them on how to be much more in control of their lives and choices they make including the friendship they keep. The case study of the 12 year old girl with substance abuse problem will also benefit more from having a strong social support system from the parents and guardians as the girl has the mother, she should try to provide a social support after the rehabilitation (Gregg, 2012). According to the journal article, nurses are the first to discover about older people that may be undergoing domestic abuse without them even having the knowledge about it taking place. The best way to handle such situations is for the one that discovers the domestic violence to find ways to address it as soon as they can to protect the one being abused with or without their knowledge. In this case about the elderly couple, the man needs help from the lady as he seems to be undergoing domestic violence (McDowall, 2010). Aradilla-Herrero, A., Tomas-Sabado, J. & Gomez-Benito, J. (2014, April 23). Associations between emotional intelligence, depression and suicide risk in nursing students. Nurse Education Today, 34(4):

ELT1 Task 10 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ELT1 Task 10 - Essay Example The assessment tools define the desired outcomes, measure achievement of outcomes, and use the results to improve performance. The tools state its role within an institutions overall mission. It then identifies the outcomes that it needs to meet and evaluates whether the outcomes are achieved. These tools define the technique that will assess if the criteria are met. The tool analyses and evaluates the data collected by specific method. Assessment tool creates and put into action improvement plans about the information gathered to assess the outcome. The tools also outline the effect its improvements have achieved in the quality of their goal. A tool such as running record and Rubric documents the outcome assessment. Therefore, assessment tools work best when attention is on outcomes as well as experiences that result in those outcomes. Therefore, the assessment tools are appropriate for providing outcome data. Informal Reading Inventory (IRI) is an appropriate assessment tool for monitoring progress, diagnosing reading skills of students and providing outcome data. This is because IRI assists in determining the reading weaknesses and strength of a student. Also, IRI enable teachers to know whether their students can read the texts in class or if the students require assistance or additional monitoring. Additionally, IRI helps the teacher to identify students struggling with decoding and comprehension with certain text materials. The IRI assessment tool will be better used by an individual student and in group assessment. This is because it builds teamwork among the students in class by using other tools of assessment. The retelling assessment tool is appropriate because it demonstrates what the student remembers and comprehends about any story. It reveals what the student sees as crucial about a story. Retelling also helps in indicating what the student knows about the literary language a nd structure of a text. Consequently,

Poetry Those Winter Sundays By Robert Hayden English Literature Essay

Poetry Those Winter Sundays By Robert Hayden English Literature Essay Considered one of his best pieces of work, Robert Haydens Those Winter Sundays, is a heartfelt and moving poem. Haydens poem tells from a boys perspective of his father. In the poem it is obvious that there is a distance between the two and a clear gap of communication as well. But nearing the end of the poem we find that though ignorant of it at that moment, love is actually present. Although only a 14-line poem, Haydens poem packs remarkable power and meaning into each line, using tone and subtle symbolism to amplify the overall effect of the poem. The poem is broken down into three stanzas of 5, 4 and 5 lines, respectively. In the first stanza of the poem, the subject of the poem is established; the father. In the second stanza, the narrator is introduced into the poem and the atmosphere of the house is further described. In the third and final stanza, the narrator tells how he still speaks ungratefully to his father and then admits his ignorance of his fathers simple love. The father is described as a hardworking man with cracked hands that ached, who woke up on Sundays too in the blueback cold to make banked fires blaze which [drove] out the cold and he would [polish] [the narrators] good shoes as well before waking the rest of the house. But no one ever thanked him for doing such things. From labor in the weekday and with cracked hands that ached from labor it is understood that the father is a working man, possibly a laborer who uses his hands extensively in his field of work leading to the belief that the fathers job is m ost probably a low-income job and as such; Sundays are probably his only day off of work, and so he would be expected to sleep in but he doesnt. The simple phrase Sundays too à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ implies that the fathers actions took place on Sundays as well as on every other day of the week. (Johnson) The father wakes early in the morning in the blueback cold, the father would wake early at his own discomfort so that his son, the narrator, would not have to wake until a certain level of comfort had been attained in the house. Not only that but the father also polishes a pair of the narrators good shoes, showing that he has provided his son with more than one pair of shoes. But then why is it that even after providing such physical luxuries that no one ever thanked him? Why is it that the narrator still speak[s] indifferently to him? Is it because the narrator is an ungrateful son, taking his fathers work for granted? Looking closer, it is realized that it is not only the poet that doesn t ever [thank] him but that NO ONE ever thanked him (Gallagher). As such, the fault is shifted from son to father leading us to believe that there must be something about the way or the reason why the father performs his parental chores that creates or requires the apparent numbness in the speaker, even over the distance of the years. The child is [also] vaguely but certainly aware of the angers of that house, and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ because the speaker in the poem does not know when the angers will erupt in the house, he is constantly in a state of terror that makes him speak indifferently to the fatherà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦(Gallagher) And so the blueblack cold may have another meaning, describing not the physical condition but the sadistic atmosphere of the house and father. The meaning behind the last two lines of Haydens poem; What did I know, what did I know of loves austere and lonely offices? remain somewhat vague, given that they close with a question rather than a definitive statement (Johnson) but they also tie in and close the great hurt of the [authors] recollection. (Gallagher) All of this leads back to the fact that at a younger age, the speaker is in doubt of his fathers love; as a child he presumes that love is expressed in slightly more clear ways. It is not until the speaker has grown considerably older that he realizes that love is not always expressed so visibly, but is often expressed wordlessly and indirectly, and he is then able to find this indirect and silent love in his fathers early morning actions. Though there is still a slightly gloomy mood at the end of the poem there is also a sense of resolution and closing. (Thomson) The speaker in the poem is a man reflecting on his boyhood and his fathers love for him. The speaker tells about his ignorance of his fathers simple love, expressed for him through his fathers early morning gestures. The poems tone shifts continuously throughout the poem, in the beginning the tone changes from a cold, harsh tone to a warmer, more comforting tone by line 6. Although by line 9; the poems tone shifts again to a more negative tenor. The bitter tone depicted in the first stanza is reflected through the blueblack cold[ness] of the house, the Fathers cracked hands and the fact that no one has ever thanked [the father]. By line 7; the house and rooms were warm and the tone has seemed to morph to a more consoling sentiment when the cold [is] splintering, breaking. Although the cold is gone and there is now warmth inside the house, the tone once again changes back to the bitter manner in line 9 when the chronic angers of that house are mentioned. (EE) The bitter tone is carrie d on until the end of the poem but the tone of the poem also takes on a sort of regretful spin when the poet asks in lines 13 14; What did I know, what did I know of loves austere and lonely offices? Hayden uses a great deal of symbolism in his poem, some obvious and others not so much. The very first symbol being winter, mentioned in the title of the poem; Those Winter Sundays. Some use winter to suggest death, as in Robert Frosts Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening. Some use it to suggest the absence of hope, as in C.S. Lewis The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Wikipedia) Winter births cold and darkness, both referred to in line 2 as the blueblack cold. The cold often symbolizes depression and the darkness almost always symbolizes death and destruction. Symbolism like this helps generate the negative tone the poet is trying to create. The fathers cracked hands symbolize labor and hard work but could also represent sickness or bad health. A final symbol in Haydens poem is the warmth. The warmth is possibly the only positive symbol used throughout the poem. The warmth often stands for happiness and harmony, much the opposite of the cold and darkness. Haydens poem incorporates tremendous meaning into each line of his poem, using varying tone and symbolism to help intensify the implications behind it. Delving into the very core of the meaning of the poem, behind the literal and sub-literal levels, the reader finds that what Hayden is trying to relay is that there are many different kinds of love and that saying I love you is not the only way to show affection but that love can be portrayed in the simplest of actions and through the subtlest of gestures in life.

Modern Architecture Essay -- Modernism, Postmodernism

As some critics contended, postmodernism represents a break with the modernist notion that architecture should be technologically rational, austere and functional, discuss the ways in which one postmodern architect has developed strategies which overcome these tendencies. Juxtaposition is seen between the characteristics of early 20th century modern architecture and the artistic endeavours of postmodernism that followed. To represent the ‘Less is More’ (R.Venturi, 1966, pg16) notion the modernist tendencies had adopted, Robert Venturi built a ‘Ghost Structure’ to imply architecture had no longer become an art form and was merely just a ‘spectator’ (Architecturerevived, 2011) in society. This essay will discuss ways in which the architect Robert Venturi adopts methods to overcome these tendencies that architecture has lost meaning and ways in which he attempts to remove himself with any links with the ‘post-modernist’ movement that he is viewed in having. Modern Architects saw their role as ‘reformers,’ (R.Venturi, 1966, pg16) and tended to break with tradition and start anew. Considering it was a new revolutionary movement they tended to ignore potential problems and focused on the new modern advancements available. A modernist tendency was to build individually however Venturi claimed that a ‘building derives meaning from its context’ (Out Of the Ordinary, 2002) and evidently each individual location requires a different form of architectural style to represent this. In Venturi's book ‘Complexity and Contradiction’ he quotes ‘familiar things seen in unfamiliar context become perceptually new as well as old’ (R.Venturi, 1966, pg43) here he perhaps means in order for art to become worthy of aesthetic appreciation the v... ...ical architecture in which he feel shouldn’t be forgotten but instead should be admired and inspire future movements. Despite modernism striping what Venturi believed was the ‘art’ from architecture he fought to overcome these tendencies are drew upon relevant historic features and characterisations and applied them liberally to his design, in accordance to their context. Nevertheless he understood that designing for the user was significant and not to exclude social problems. He undertook the modernist concept of advanced ways to construct and recognised and understood the developing society, yet he chose not to ignore historic references and applied them in a system of layers within his designs to accommodate for the advanced civilization whilst electing to apply asceticism for both a functional and visual experience.

Dormitory Towns

Aims Our aim was to find out whether Pittston is a commuter settlement; meaning if residents use it to commute to work, using it as a base, getting resources from outside town. This is possible by looking at the buildings and amenities. Also using field sketches and photos to back up our information and collect data.Pittston Pittston is a village and civil parish within the Lawlessly Vale district of Packinghouse, It is located at the foot of the Chillier Hills, about seven lies east of Lawlessly It directly adjoins the village of Ivanhoe, and the two villages share a number of their facilities. Method Financial Summary Use this section to give a brief summary of your financial, highlighting important points. This is also the perfect place for a few charts that demonstrate key financial information.To add a chart, on the Insert tab, click Chart. The chart will automatically coordinate with the look of your report. Need some help choosing a chart type? No problem. To show values acros s categories, such as to compare the revenues of efferent business units, try a column or bar chart. To show values over time, such as for revenue or profit trends, try a line chart. To compare two sets of related values, such as to compare executive salaries relative to number of years with the company, try a scatter chart.And when you're ready to customize the look of your chart, just click in the chart and then check out the icons you see on the right for everything from style and layout to managing data. Financial Statements Statement of Financial Position Liabilities Ownership Equity Statement of Comprehensive Income (Profits and Losses) Income Expenses Profits Statement of Changes in Equity Well, it wouldn't be an annual report without a lot of numbers, right? This section is the place for all those financial tables.To get started with a table that looks just like the sample here, on the Insert tab, click Tables, then choose Quick Tables. Description Revenue Earnings Statement of Cash Flows Operating investing If Nan icing Notes to Financial Statements Accounts When you have a document that shows a lot of numbers, it's a good idea to have a little text that explains the numbers. You can do that here. Debt Of course, we would all prefer to just have profits. But if you've got any debt, this is the place to make notes about it.

Portfolio Management Practices in HDFC Bank Essay

HDFC Bank Ltd is a major Indian financial services company based in Mumbai. The Bank is a publicly held banking company engaged in providing a wide range of banking and financial services including commercial banking and treasury operations. The Bank at present has an enviable network of 2201 branches and 7110 ATMs spread in 996 cities across India. They also have one overseas wholesale banking branch in Bahrain, a branch in Hong Kong and two representative offices in UAE and Kenya. The Bank has two subsidiary companies, namely HDFC Securities Ltd and HDB Financial Services Ltd. The Bank has three primary business segments, namely banking, wholesale banking and treasury. The Bank`s shares are listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange Limited and The National Stock Exchange of India Ltd. The Bank`s American Depository Shares (ADS) are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Bank`s Global Depository Receipts (GDRs) are listed on Luxembourg Stock Exchange. HDFC Bank Ltd Was incorporated on August 30, 1994 by Housing Development Finance Corporation Ltd. In the year 1994, Housing Development Finance Corporation Ltd was amongst the first to receive an â€Å"in principle† approval from the Reserve Bank of India to set up a bank in the private sector, as part of the RBI`s liberalization of the Indian Banking Industry. HDFC Bank commenced operations as a Scheduled Commercial Bank in January 1995. In the year 1996, the Bank was appointed as the clearing bank by the NSCCL. In the year 2001, they became the first private sector bank to be authorized by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) as well as the RBI to accept direct taxes. During the year, the Bank made a strategic tie-up with a Bangalore-based business solutions software developer, Tally Solutions Pvt Ltd for developing and offering products and services facilitating on-line accounting and banking services to SMEs. During the year 2001-02 the bank was listed on the New York Stock Exchange. In September 28, 2005, the Bank increased their stake in HDFC Securities Ltd from 29.5% to 55%. Consequently, HDFC Securities Ltd became a subsidiary of the Bank. During the year 2007-08, the Bank added 77 new branches take the total to 761 branches. The art and science of making decisions about investment mix and policy, matching investments to objectives, asset allocation for individuals and institutions, and balancing risk against performance. Portfolio management is all about strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in the choice of debt vs. equity, domestic vs. international, growth vs. safety, and many other tradeoffs encountered in the attempt to maximize return at a given appetite for risk. The meaning of Portfolio Management is as follows: * Portfolio is a collection of asset. * The asset may be physical or financial like share, Bonds, Debentures and Preference Shares etc. * The individual investor or fund manager would not like to put all his money in the shares of one company, for that would amount to great risk. * Main objective is to maximize portfolio return and at the same time minimizing the portfolio risk by diversification. * Portfolio management is the management of various financial assets, which comprise the portfolio. * According to Securities Exchange Board of India Act 1993, â€Å"Portfolio† means the total holding of securities belonging to any person. * Designing portfolios to suit investor requirement often involves making several projections regarding the future, based on the current information. * One of the key inputs in portfolio building is the risk bearing ability of the investor. * Portfolios are built to suit the return expectations and the risk appetite of the investor. The Basic objective is to maximize yield and minimize risk. The other objectives are as follows: * Stability of Income: An investor considers stability of income from his investment. He also considers the stability of purchasing power of income. * Capital Growth: Capital appreciation has become an important investment principle. Investors seek growth stocks which provide a very large capital appreciation by way of rights, bonus and appreciation in the market price of the share. * Liquidity: An investment is a liquid asset. It can be converted into cash with the help of stock exchange. The portfolio should contain a planned proportion of high grade and readily salable investment. * Safety: Safety means protection for investment against loss under reasonably variations. In order to provide safety, a careful review of economic and industry trends is necessary. In other words, errors in portfolio are unavoidable and it requires extensive diversification. * Tax Incentives: Investors try to minimize their tax liabilities from the investments. The portfolio manager has to keep a list of such investment avenues along with the return risk, profile, tax implications, yields and other returns.

Jay Z Story of O.J Professor Ramos Blog

Jay Z Story of O.J Hip hop has been known for decades to have hidden meaning in its song. Recently due to the rise of trap and mumble rap, the meanings have changed to Drugs, Money, and Degrading women. The rise of trap and mumble rap caused some older rapping to either adapt or fall off. A veteran rapper like Jay z, who always stay true to his own style would not succumb to this problem. In most peoples eyes, Jay Z is considered a rap legend, He is respected by his peers and either inspired or paved the way for others. From songs like 99 Problems to Empire state of mind, Jay Z has been nominated 77 times and has won 22 Grammy awards. Jay Z has many hidden messages in his songs, He can give a clear message and deliver sick flows to the listener understanding. In one of his more recent projects called 4:44 in which he won a grammy. On there he has a song called The Story of Oj. The song and its music video have deep cultural meanings with a tone of awareness. The story of Oj makes the black community as k what should our priorities really be and how we should approach them. The Story of O.J. shows the viewer the darker side of American history through images and wordplay. How the Dark past has affected their identity.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The starts off with the person singing skin black, my skin is black this chores was sampled from the late Nina Simone, an African American Singer and civil rights activist. The Song Jay Z sampled is Nina Simone Four Women the Song is about empowering black beauty.   The animation style is based on the old early 1900s of black facing and monkey-like imagery to depict black people, also known as minstrelsy. It was America number 1 form of entertainment around the 19th century white men would put pitch-black oil and white gloves to perform their acts. The acts would use black stereotypes like eating watermelon for the jokes and loudly exaggerate black voices; this was not only degrading but racist.   An early example of minstrelsy is with Warner Brothers Looney Toons and old Disney animations Disney. In looney tunes, characters would wear white gloves, fake black voices there was even an episode where Bugs Bunny uses oil to blend in with black people.   The chores Light nigga, dark nigga, faux nigga, real nigga, Rich nigga, poor nigga, house nigga, field nigga, Still nigga, still nigga I like that second one, Light nigga, dark nigga, faux nigga, real nigga, Rich nigga, poor nigga, house nigga, field nigga, Still nigga, still nigga (Jay Z). The chores came from the idea that since black people came from nothing which is understandable,   that when we get success and money, we forget about our culture and where we come from. Another idea came from a Malcolm X speech, X said back during slavery there were two kinds of Negroes. The house Negro who always looked out for his master because of the better treatment, and then you had the field Negroes they hated their master because of there treatment. These lyrics parallel to Kanye west lyrics in his hit song All Falls Down Even if you in a Benz, you still a nigga in a coupe, most interpret no matter how much money and success you accumulate youre still black in their eyes. In the music v ideo during the first chores, they show all the types of Black people Jay z was referring too and lastly showing O.J. who the song is named after. Oj Simpson was an American football player from San Francisco California. He went to college at USC, where he would win the Heisman trophy the most prestigious award in college football. He got drafted by the buffalo bills, there Oj rushed for over 2000 yards in a season. Since Oj was so successful and accomplished as a   football player, he thought he was above the racial conflict. In 1994, Simpson was arrested and charged with the murders of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her boyfriend, Ron Goldman. He would be found not guilty of the crimes, during the trial he uttered the famous quote Im Not Black, Im O.J. this is where Jay Z gets his famous one-liner Im not Black, Im O.J., Okay in his song Story Of O.J.   His verse rap verse starts with House nigga, dont fuck with me, Im a field nigga, with shined cutlery, Gold-plated quarters, where the butlers be, I ma play the corners where the hustlers be (Jay Z) while during the scene it goes to Jay Z cartoon style picking up cotton this goes back to the Malcolm Xs reference to the African slaves who worked in the house. They often grew fond of their master since they were treated better than field slaves. This dynamic caused some house slaves to preserve and protect the slave institute. House slaves believed their lives were optimum, while field slaves hated their masters and wanted to escape. Then switches to Jay Z on the counter of a new york street which probably references his hard beginning where he had to sell drugs on the corner to get by, this contrast to him being a field negro when he was a drug dealer.     Still In verse one the line I told him, Please dont die over the neighborhood, That your mama rentin, Take your drug money and buy the neighborhood, Thats how you rinse it ( Jay Z). This refers to how violent gang neighborhoods are and how gang members die over a counter or block that the government owns. Mostly all drug dealers dont have happy endings staying in the game or profession, so instead Jay Z believes you would use your drug money and by the neighborhood rent it out and make it a better place. This goes into Jay Z talking about financial literacy. The Next verse and scene start off with jay talking to his psychiatrist about the better financial decision. The lyrics go I bought every V12 engine Wish I could take it back to the beginning I coulda bought a place in DUMBO before it was DUMBO. For like 2 million That same building today is worth 25 million. Guess how Im feelin? Dumbo (Jay Z). Hip hop has created a lot of harmful ideals. One of those ideals is about forging whips. Typically when black rapper or athlete get their first big payday, they spend it on an expensive car instead of buying a piece of property. Jay Z trying to teach the viewer that instead of using the money to buy an expensive that depreciate quickly, buy a piece of property that gains value over time. The music video then goes to a stripper dance with Jay tells us, you wanna know whats more important than throwing away money at a strip club? Credit. Jay giving us more financial advice this time about credit, which in fact it may be just as important or more valuable than money. If you have a bad credit score getting a loan from a bank, its almost impossible. Then he givens us a lesson on how Jewish people own all properties in America. The music video show how he bought artwork for 1 million and each year it when up in value. Jay Z, according to Forbes, is the first billion-dollar rapper most of his wealth was accumulated in artwork and rea l-estate. The last scene shows Jay Z coming out from below the deck of the slave ship with the white sailor saluting him. The scene represents that he made it out of the struggle and now own the boat. The song goes to its chorus and shows all the historical black figures rapping along, finally once again showing a dark past. Since early America, it took African American over one hundred years to find their self meaning and identity because of all the set back they have faced. Jay Z Story of O.J   masterfully shows this struggle.

Blogging †The Long and Short of Making the Short List

Blogging – The Long and Short of Making the Short List Would you like to earn top pay for your say? â€Å"Make the cut† at top-tier sites that have cult-like followings and opportunities for massive exposure for your work? Like an inventor who stumbles upon a winning formula for launching a popular product, I’ve discovered some savvy insider’s tips, resulting in more â€Å"eureka† moments (and bigger paydays). My strategies and efforts have landed lucrative blogging gigs that have earned $75 to $100 for 500-word posts. For example, a few years ago, I beat out over a thousand applicants for a coveted position at an award winning site that had a Google Rank of 7. Just recently, I was proud as a peacock to â€Å"hack† it as a writer for the highly-regarded, productivity site, LifeHack.org. which boasts 3,000,000 page views per month. Here’s the long and short of why it matters†¦not all writing jobs are created equal. Sometimes it’s not what you write, but where you write, that determines   whether you’ll be a starving artist or enjoy a quality of life that truly puts the free in freelance, and puts some serious cash in your pockets. And here’s the bonus: there’s great truth to the adage, Success breeds success. The more top-tier publishing credits you can add to your portfolio, the easier it becomes to stand tall, get recognized, and beat out the competition. It’s almost like an exclusive club that requires a certain initiation before admittance. Here’s how to make it happen. 1. Establish a reputation for excellence.    Though social media is the rage these days, there’s something even more important than the amount of â€Å"Twitter† followers you have.   It’s your collective online image. Produce a body of work that speaks highly to your professionalism, ethics, and commitment to your craft. And avoid word wars at all costs.    2. Don’t underestimate the importance of a well crafted blog. Blogs have become like the new online resume. It’s one of the first places prospective employers and clients go to assess your writing level, style of expression, diligence, and ability to engage an audience. Wow them with unique, quality content and regularly updated posts. 3. Start guest posting. Try the smaller sites first to help hone your craft and get your name out there. Typically the higher a site is ranked, the more difficult it is to break into. It took me years (and multiple rejections) before my guest posts were finally accepted at Pro Blogger and Men with Pens. Big name sites are usually ranked a Google Rank of 5 or better. To check a site, verify its ranking here: prchecker.info/check_page_rank.php 4. Play to your strengths. Though I love to write, I’m strategic in my efforts. For example, if a writing gig requires extensive technical know-how, or in-depth photography skills, I don’t waste the poster’s time or mine. I have certain areas and topics in which I specialize, which allows me to work smarter, not harder. Be clear on what you do well; then work hard, systematically, to show the world. 5. Go where the money is. Freelance gigs abound. But, from my experiences, I’ve found the most lucrative positions short-listed at well-regarded, reputable sites like www.Problogger.net and www.Bloggingpro.com. 6. Prepare to be tested. The better paying freelance writing and blogging jobs often garner massive applicants. For this reason, you’ll likely have to rise above the rest to even make the short list. Once you’re chosen as a finalist, you’ll be required to take a writing test. This can consist of a selected topic, or one that you submit based on provided criteria. Follow the instructions carefully. Edit your work. Then send off the best representation of you and your skills possible. Follow these six smart tips and it won’t be long before you make the short list that others only dream about, and ultimately earn what you desire and deserve.   

A Beautiful World

Seven years ago, I was on plane. The sky was full of darkness, but had speckles of light scattered all over the atmosphere. Looking down, I observed millions of buildings illuminating. I experienced a dropping feeling down in my stomach, and my ears were starting to ache. I pulled out a piece of gum and started chewing; we were about to land! Being in a plane for about twelve hours made me want to escape unless I slept the whole way. Entering the terminal, our family welcomed us. Our family was so excited to see us. When we arrived at their house, I went straight to bed. The next day I was awakened with the aroma of my aunt’s delicious cooking. She prepared eggs, beans with sour cream, fresh bread, fresh tortillas, and tamales! After breakfast my siblings and I climbed the long, cold cemented stairs to the roof, a place where we could examine the beautiful volcanoes in the distance, hundreds of houses all clustered together, markets, and a park. My aunt lived in the vivacious city. As we were exploring, we heard a sound coming from the house in front of us. We strolled to the front end of the house. Then, four boys about my age approached us, greeted us, and inquired millions of questions. That day my siblings and I played soccer and hide and seek with them. Those four boys became our friends. Guatemala, a beautiful world, provided my family and me with rich cultures.

Business Commuication Writing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business Commuication Writing - Assignment Example 190). This is not the case because this act will create gaps in an applicant’s resume and gaps between jobs are not appreciated by an interviewer or screener. This will make the screener believe that an applicant is incompetent and due to this, he had failed to find jobs. It is wrong to state employment in an organization in which an applicant has not worked at all, because the human resource team has a huge network and they know other individuals of the human resource management department of other organizations and can easily obtain information about a particular individual’s employment with another organization. The human resource management team even has contacts with the government and can easily obtain background information about a particular applicant. It is okay to provide a photograph attached with the resume because a photograph provides a lot of information about a particular applicant, such as personality and looks which are quite important for recruiters. Even if the photograph provides information that may help the recruiters in making a biased decision, there is no harm in it because the same information is provided in the resume by the applicant. Those applicants that show an â€Å"I† attitude or, in other words, those who try to paint a picture that they can perform alone are not welcomed by current recruiters because recruiters today try to locate applicants and employees who have an ability to work along with a team. Those who show an individualistic attitude fail to pass the interviewing phase as recruiters know that today an individual cannot perform alone and needs a team to perform a task. An applicant might be told by many that they should be deceptive in their CVs, but this is not true as deceptive CVs and those that are not deceptive are treated equally, and CVs do not ensure that an applicant will get a job; rather, they ensure that an applicant will get a

Creating Your Dream Job Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Creating Your Dream Job - Essay Example The essay includes a description of the step by step guide of the hiring process. XYZ Company hires a Regional Human Resources Manager to be assigned to monitor and control workforce of all its branches within the ABC area. This is a great opportunity for applicants who have experienced in dealing major management activities which is challenged with cultural diversities. Regional HR Managers are often confronted with problems regarding cultural differences in the workplace – it is his major battle to face. The position summary of the regional Human Resources is given in the essay. This job is designed to help unified the process of all the branches within a specific region (ABC area) in terms of recruiting, hiring, training, promoting or terminating employees. The Regional HR Manager should be equipped with the necessary skills in dealing employees and training them to play the roles as defined in their specific duties and assignments. He will ensure the productivity of the wo rkforce by reuniting them in spite of cultural diversities such as conducting training and different seminars in creating a smooth workflow of tasks and responsibilities. Then the essay goes through the job requirements and qualifications, supervisory responsibilities, fiscal responsibilities, internal/external contacts, working conditions and environment, physical demands, job duties/responsibilities, compensations, and other factors of productivity at this position.

The Marketing of Services Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Marketing of Services - Essay Example In addition, the economic down turn in the United Kingdom and the rest of the world caused increased levels of uncertainty and unemployment among the potential customers. The impact was a reduction in the consumption of the discretionary services offered by the enterprises in the sector. These changes in consumer behavior have affected several music retailers further aggravating the decline that was being experienced in an already underperforming sector. Prior to the financial crisis, various industry players had been facing financial difficulties due to the shifting interest of consumers from the musical services to computer games. However, things look bright as the sector continues to recover albeit at a slow pace. In the music retail industry, there are several retailers and enterprises covering the entire United Kingdom. They include single stores, independent outlets and chains of retail stores. This gives a wonderful mix of shops dealing in a variety of services. Services like instrument hire, music recording, repair of educational establishments, music teaching and site music facilities are offered in the shops. Some of the major competitors include Asda Group limited, HMV, Woolworth Group Plc, Virgin Books Ltd and Play.com. Others are AA Music, Academy Chimes Music and Ackerman Music Limited. Most of these retailers have been affected by the recent decline in purchases. HVM remains the leading retailer in the United Kingdom. Just like any other service sector, the music retail industry faces a number of problems coming from the nature of services which are offered (Dotchin & Oakland 2004). The five service characteristics are helpful in understanding some of these major problems. Perishability is perhaps one of the most difficult characteristic of the services in this sector to appreciate (Porters 2005). Services are highly perishable compered to physical products. This can be best understood when one considers the kind of services that enterprises such

Response Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Response Paper - Essay Example From Asian culture to African, from Chinese jaw dropping sculptures to European’s art, several magnificent art pieces hung on the wall conveying their messages and showcasing their beauty in the most elegant way. When I browsed the exhibits carefully, I was completely intrigued by the Asian’s amazing artwork. It’s beautifully gigantic structure was something to die for and made me admirable. I was actually not able to grasp one thing: How a human being can make such a thing? The delicacy and perfection made me speechless and left me spell-bound. Art is one of those things which ask for no boundaries. It is something that compels the human mind to do and to make what he likes, what he feels like. This was something our teacher told us in every art class and now I could clearly see the presence of her words in these paintings and sculptures. I was not only seeing these paintings through my eyes but was trying to feel them, the fragrance of the place it belonged to, the culture and the messages it conveyed to the people. There was this one piece of art which demonstrated the mockery of the wealthy and rich people. These were dressed up sculptures of skeletons which startled me and struck my fancy the most. It brought me a unique visual experience I have ever encountered. This Art Museum offered a colourful smorgasbord of remarkable discoveries. Huge wall paintings, miniature statues and hasty sketches provided us a chance to see the most awe-inspiring beauty. Both contemporary art and antiquity art were showcased in these paintings. This was a place which was emphasizing on every type of art and promoting the old cultures being demonstrated in these paintings and sculptures. New York Metropolitan Museum of Art is tagged as a behemoth in such an artistic and intricate world. In the area where Chinese Sculptures were placed, it appeared contemplative across the room to me. There was a deep meaning hidden behind these sculptures, their eyes gazin g trying to say something to the observers. With keen eyes, I scribbled down everything I observed, even the minute details that amalgamated and produced some amazing pieces. I was constantly relating all these artistic pieces with the material I had made so far and whatever we studied in school, it was nothing in front of this mammoth sized paintings and the perfect sculpted figures which showed the perfect picture of numerable cultures, i.e. Buddhism. The collections of painting that were housed in this art museum were uncountable. From every corner of the globe, hundreds of years old history and culture was seen in these amazing art pieces. Artifacts that were exhibited included some European Art that left me speechless. Art holdings from the extensive portfolios of various artists like Van Gogh, Manet, Rembrandt etc were showcased that helped us to go back to what we have studied in our art classes. I could relate all my paintings which were truly inspired from these amazing art ists’ creations hundreds of years old. Some pieces from the Egyptian Era and the Islamic empire were seen in this art museum which gave us a chance to understand the insight of these artists belonging to a completely different cultures and traditions. This is what an art museum does. It brings all the cultures under one roof and enables the observers to see how the whole world is indulged in one thing together, in the magic of art, although belonging to completely differ

Compare and contrast the relative competitiveness of small firms and Essay

Compare and contrast the relative competitiveness of small firms and large firms - Essay Example However, there are numerous definitions for the firms among various economists; and researchers are still on their efforts to study more on the competitive factors between large firms and small firms. Small firms Small scale firms are privately owned and operated business undertakings, classified on their characteristics like small number of employees and lower turnover. They usually occupy only a tiny segment of the market place where they are operating. For the purpose of simplifying the accounting requirements, section 382 and 465 of the Companies Act 2006 defined the Small and Medium sized firms on the basis of the amount of business carried out by the company. They define, â€Å"a small company is one that has a turnover of not more than ?6.5 million, a balance sheet total of not more than ?3.26 million and not more than 50 employees† (Small and medium sized enterprises, 2011). Large firms Large firm is often considered as an economic cluster of large profit-making corpor ations who have the ability to directly influence the social and political policy. Large firms are usually identified on the basis of national ranking rather than their actual size. They have many advantages in the market which the small firms do not possess, such as the flexible pricing policies. They are capable of changing the price at frequent intervals. Rebecca Hellerstein and Pinelopi Goberg (cited by Derby, 2011) write that large firms are changing their products’ prices more frequently than the small firms do, and by smaller amounts. Competitiveness Competitiveness is a word having numerous definitions. Here we will take the business aspect of competitiveness into account. Chikan (2006, p.46) gives one of the most acceptable definitions and it says, â€Å"business competitiveness is a competence of the company that allows the company to provide products and services for customers within the standards of social responsibilities, that (i) are preferred to the products and services of other competitors and (ii) provide profit for the company† (ed. Reine, 2009, p. 179). Competitiveness is considered to be a multi-dimensional perception. This term has a three diverse but interconnected stages; firm, industry, and country level. And we are concentrating on the firm level competitiveness. As both firms are taken into consideration, growth is an important point and is a performance measure that gives and additional vision of the strength and competitiveness of the firms. Firms can benefit in many ways from the competitiveness, if exploited efficiently, which includes higher efficiency in the market, improved power, capacity to withstand the changes of environment, higher profits, and enlarged prestige for the firm. The competitiveness exists not only depending on the associationalism of firms but also determined by the alliance between the local businesses and governments. Not many other economic factors have gained attention as ‘competitiv eness’ has done. Competitiveness is used often to deal with any aspect regarding the market performance. The most important factors affecting the competitiveness are, product quality, capability towards innovation, being able to adjust easily according to customers’ need. Price competitiveness As we talk about the price competitiveness between the small and large firms, the most disputed issue that comes to the surface is predatory pricing, a practice implemented by the large business firms, which offers massive discounts to the consumers. This

Socially Desirable Merit Goods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Socially Desirable Merit Goods - Essay Example This report declares that the private sector primarily operates under the dynamics of the free market system. Many individuals in the society would miss enjoying the benefits of merit goods if left to the private sector because they would appropriate a high price for the good or service, limiting the individuals who can have access to the good. Therefore, many people would be unwilling to access the merit goods at a high cost. The inaccessibility would lead to underproduction of the good, and ultimately leading to underutilization of the good or service. In most cases, government institutions are tasked with handling the provision of merit goods. This paper makes a conclusion that education is usually considered a merit good, and especially the basic education from early childhood to the university or college. An educated society results in reduced cases of hard crime, increased productivity, higher rates of employment and a growing economy because of direct input of high-quality labour. An educated society also translates into strong governmental and non-governmental institutions and interests from foreign companies who would thrive with good quality employment. The government would also benefit directly from increased tax collection from employed individuals. The present secondary education system in the UK is an improvement of an older system that allotted students at the age of 11 years to either of the three school types through performance and selection examinations.

Compare and contrast the relative competitiveness of small firms and Essay

Compare and contrast the relative competitiveness of small firms and large firms - Essay Example However, there are numerous definitions for the firms among various economists; and researchers are still on their efforts to study more on the competitive factors between large firms and small firms. Small firms Small scale firms are privately owned and operated business undertakings, classified on their characteristics like small number of employees and lower turnover. They usually occupy only a tiny segment of the market place where they are operating. For the purpose of simplifying the accounting requirements, section 382 and 465 of the Companies Act 2006 defined the Small and Medium sized firms on the basis of the amount of business carried out by the company. They define, â€Å"a small company is one that has a turnover of not more than ?6.5 million, a balance sheet total of not more than ?3.26 million and not more than 50 employees† (Small and medium sized enterprises, 2011). Large firms Large firm is often considered as an economic cluster of large profit-making corpor ations who have the ability to directly influence the social and political policy. Large firms are usually identified on the basis of national ranking rather than their actual size. They have many advantages in the market which the small firms do not possess, such as the flexible pricing policies. They are capable of changing the price at frequent intervals. Rebecca Hellerstein and Pinelopi Goberg (cited by Derby, 2011) write that large firms are changing their products’ prices more frequently than the small firms do, and by smaller amounts. Competitiveness Competitiveness is a word having numerous definitions. Here we will take the business aspect of competitiveness into account. Chikan (2006, p.46) gives one of the most acceptable definitions and it says, â€Å"business competitiveness is a competence of the company that allows the company to provide products and services for customers within the standards of social responsibilities, that (i) are preferred to the products and services of other competitors and (ii) provide profit for the company† (ed. Reine, 2009, p. 179). Competitiveness is considered to be a multi-dimensional perception. This term has a three diverse but interconnected stages; firm, industry, and country level. And we are concentrating on the firm level competitiveness. As both firms are taken into consideration, growth is an important point and is a performance measure that gives and additional vision of the strength and competitiveness of the firms. Firms can benefit in many ways from the competitiveness, if exploited efficiently, which includes higher efficiency in the market, improved power, capacity to withstand the changes of environment, higher profits, and enlarged prestige for the firm. The competitiveness exists not only depending on the associationalism of firms but also determined by the alliance between the local businesses and governments. Not many other economic factors have gained attention as ‘competitiv eness’ has done. Competitiveness is used often to deal with any aspect regarding the market performance. The most important factors affecting the competitiveness are, product quality, capability towards innovation, being able to adjust easily according to customers’ need. Price competitiveness As we talk about the price competitiveness between the small and large firms, the most disputed issue that comes to the surface is predatory pricing, a practice implemented by the large business firms, which offers massive discounts to the consumers. This

Individual Economic Issues Simulation Paper Essay Example for Free

Individual Economic Issues Simulation Paper Essay Review the Health Care Economics Issues HMO Simulation exercise posted on your student web page. Follow the Wk 4 WEB LINK â€Å"Understanding Economic Issues for HMO’s†. This exercise is for your learning experience only. Do not post any screen short from the exercise as part of your assignment. Economic Issues Simulation Paper Prepare a 1,050- to ,1400 paper in which you present a profile of each company including the demographics of the employees, the health care risk factors (potential areas of high utilization), and the premiums the company is willing to pay. Apply each plan, Castor Standard and Castor Enhanced to each company, Constructit and E-editor, to determine which plan best meets the healthcare needs of the employees – ignore Dearden. As a representative of Castor insurance, your job is to maximize profit and minimize risk for the company. Based on your analysis of potential utilization, give at least two reasons why each plan could be selected for each company. Then select one of the two companies and state which plan you would select to sell to that company? What are the reasons for this decision? Why did you not select the other plan offered? Your paper should be organized so that each question serves as a subheading followed by the discussion, i.e. Two Reasons Why Each Plan Could Be Selected, Which Plan Selected and Reasons for the Decision, and Why the Other Plan Were Eliminated. Include a Title page and a Conclusion. Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines as described in team the Assignment Format – Easy Version document. Follow the Wk 4 Individual  Assignment Outline document posted in the Course Materials forum located just below the Chat Room. Post your a To get this material copy and paste link to browser https://bitly.com/1wyPcrf Think about your resume from day one. Yes, you want your diploma to be the feature point of the resume. However, you also want to put anything else you can on it. Work-study, summer job or internship experience is a big plus. Also cultivate opportunities through extra-curricular activities that appeal to you. General Questions General General Questions Review the Health Care Economics Issues HMO Simulation exercise posted on your student web page. Follow the Wk 4 WEB LINK â€Å"Understanding Economic Issues for HMO’s†. This exercise is for your learning experience only. Do not post any screen short from the exercise as part of your assignment. Economic Issues Simulation Paper Prepare a 1,050- to ,1400 paper in which you present a profile of each company including the demographics of the employees, the health care risk factors (potential areas of high utilization), and the premiums the company is willing to pay. Apply each plan, Castor Standard and Castor Enhanced to each company, Constructit and E-editor, to determine which plan best meets the healthcare needs of the employees – ignore Dearden. As a representative of Castor insurance, your job is to maximize profit and minimize risk for the company. Based on your analysis of potential utilization, give at least two reasons why each plan could be selected for each company. Then select one of the two companies and state which plan you would select to sell to that company? What are the reasons for this decision? Why did you not select the other plan offered? Your paper should be organized so that each question serves as a subheading followed by the discussion, i.e. Two Reasons Why Each Plan Could Be Selected, Which Plan Selected and Reasons for the Decision, and Why the Other Plan Were Eliminated. Include a Title page and a Conclusion. Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines as described in team the Assignment Format – Easy Version document. Follow the Wk 4 Individual Assignment Outline document posted in the Course Materials forum located just below the Chat Room. Post your assignment in the Assignment Section on your student web page. Post an Individual Certificate of Originality along with your assignment – do not include the Certificate as part of your assignment.

Mrs Mallard Character Analysis

Mrs Mallard Character Analysis Louise Mallard is the protagonist of The Story of an Hour. The entire story is about her preservation. Chopin portrays Mrs. Mallard as a woman who is in deep suffering. She is not only suffering from a marriage she is not happy with, but she is also suffering from her medical condition. As if she had not suffered enough, she also puts a threat to her own life. We see this when Josephine is knocking on her door while she refuses to open it (Chopin). What is unknown to Josephine however is that her sister is in fact not suffering but savoring the moment. Josephine, who is her sister, is concerned that she may be harming herself and is persistent in her quest to be admitted to the room. The entire story is centered on saving Mrs. Mallard right from the time the breaking of the sad news of her husbands demise had to be done in a way that would not be fatal to her up to the time when her husband returns home and Richard tries to shield her from seeing her husband from the fear that she will suffer an attack due to the huge surprise (Berkove 153). Suffering in Marriage Mrs. Mallard is a woman that is suffering in marriage. We realize that she was not very optimistic about her married life. The night prior to the death of her husband, she had quietly prayed for her life to be short. She had reached a point of disillusionment and would gladly welcome death as an option out of the marriage. When she learns that her husband had perished in the train accident, she first reacts by weeping due to her loss but after the moment of grief ebbs away, she suddenly realizes that she has been freed from her marriage. She makes a prayer that is opposite to what she had made only a few hours prior to this. She now prays for long life long (Chopin). Chopin reveals how Mrs. Mallard was not enjoying her marriage to the point that she was ready to die as a way of getting out of the marriage. This in effect reveals that Mrs. Mallard respected the institution of marriage a lot (Xuemei 168). She dint think that divorce was an option. The only possible way out of the marriage would be through her death. That is why she prays that her life be short. Chopin reveals a view of marriage through the perception of Mrs. Mallard. She thought that marriage was a place where two people thought that they have all the right to impose their rights on the other person. To her, this was a big misconception and as the story reveals, it was probably the main reason for her suffering in marriage. She most definitely did not like the way her husband treated her. Marriage was like a bondage to her and when she receives the news that her husband was dead, she is happy that she is at last free. Mrs. Mallard can be said to represent many marriages in society where many people are not enjoying the marriage but for varied reasons, they dont want to get out of the marriage (Xuemei 168). Louise Mallard is the character in the story that is subject to masculine discourse (Berkove 154). From the very onset of the story, she is introduced as Mrs. Mallard and Chopin simply uses she when referring to her for the rest of the story. In fact, the next time that Chopin uses a name to reference Mrs. Mallard is after she proclaims that she is now free! Body and soul free! This shows the change that happened in the perception o life in Mrs. Mallards mind. She now stretches her hands to welcome the new life of freedom as we see her saying that from now on, she will have no one to live for but herself. As Xuemei (168) observes, the freedom is short lived as we realize when Mr. Mallard comes back. The language used in the story makes it clear by reestablishing the fact that she was a wife. The realization that her freedom was in fact a mirage is too much for her that it proved to be fatal. This further reveals the disillusionment she had as far as her marriage was concerned. The previous day, she had been sad and praying that her life ends soon but when she was told of her husbands death, her mood changed immediately as she suddenly realized that she had a new lease of life. While she is still thinking about her apparent freedom, her husbands returns home something that makes her spirit sink again for reality hits her hard that she is still trapped in her marriage. A Frail Woman Mrs. Mallard is portrayed a frail woman. We see this right form the onset of the story when her medical condition is introduced. However, her frailty is not just of body but also of soul and this is what prompts Richard to try to the best of his ability to protect her. The author uses says that Mrs. Mallard sobs as a child who has cried itself to sleep. The phrase reveals that Mrs. Mallard was a woman of a weak will. She is also described as having very frail hands. It is her frailty that probably led to her eventual death. Mrs. Mallards relationship with her husband serves to explain the kind of shaky relationship that the women of the society had with their husbands. She is quick to reveal that in fact, her husband was a loving man who always looked upon her with love yet quite on the contrary, she seldom felt love for him. Her husband is portrayed as man that imposed on her and she is portrayed as a woman that had little choice but to obey her husbands will. The irony that plays out is that although Brently loved her wife, he gives little or no concern to her happiness Xuemei 167). A Failed Marriage Children are conspicuously absent in the narration which confirms two things: the marriage between Louise and Brently was unfruitful and it also confirms of just how free she would be after the death of her husband. Mrs. Mallard reveals the state of the wives of the 19th century America who had no freedom unless they husbands died first. The absence of children in the marriage is the legacy that she leaves when she dies. In a society that wives were there to attend to their husbands, it is now clear that Brently will have no one to care for him after her death (Xuemei 168). The main reason for the troublesome marriage is not given but the absence of children can be a huge clue. It could be possible that the husband who loved her wife was not at all pleased with the fact that they had not gotten any children. Traditionally, the husbands blame the women for the lack of children even if there was no biological evidence that they were the barren ones. The absence of children presents an interesting dynamic in the story following the death of Mrs. Mallards husband. She was now free to carry on with life as a free woman again. She had no husband to live for and she had no children too. That offered her many new options in life. May be she could now look for a another husband, this time one she loved, or may be she had had enough of marriage and she would leave alone for the rest of her life. A Modest Widow When her Husband supposedly died, Mrs. Mallard has a totally new perception to life. Although the trees outside her window had always been there, for the first time, she realizes just how beautiful the landscape is. She looks at the clouds and they seem to reflect her story so well for she sees patches of the blue sky showing itself here and there after the storm of grief had spent itself. Mrs. Mallard does not receive the news of her husbands death with the characteristic grief that any widow would have (Berkove 158). On the contrary, she cries only for a while and then seats back in the privacy of her room to savor the moment. When she mourns, she is not mourning due to the grief of loosing her husband but due to the overwhelming realization that she has abandoned by her husband. This portrays a selfish nature in her since even when her husband is dead; all she was thinking was how he had abandoned her (Xuemei 169). Mrs. Mallard tries her best to be a modest widow. When she receives the news of the demise of her husband, she responds by weeping profusely in her sisters arms. At the back of her mind however, she is in realization that there was another feeling that was anything but sorrow or grief. She realizes that she was happy that he had died since it guaranteed her victory. However, she pretends that she extremely sorrowful following the demise of her husband. She does not allow the other part to be revealed in the glare of the other people so she chooses to retreat to her bedroom. She is preparing to fulfill her social responsibility as a widow to mourn again when she sees her husbands remains. Mrs. Mallard is however to overjoyed to continue keeping her joy a secret. When she finally usherss her sister in the room, she gets hold of her waist and she walks with the characteristic joy and freedom of a goddess and as the author points out, There was a feverish triumph in her eyes. Even though Mrs. Mallard was well aware that she was required to at least show grief, the unexpected yet very welcome freedom that she gets following the death of her husband overwhelms her with joy to the extent that she can not hide it any more. The narrator shows the irony of life in that Mrs. Mallard was happy that she had eventually found her freedom in the death of her husband but her husband actually returns home safe and sound which terminates her quite celebration. Ironically, the one who was thought to die is back alive while, Mrs. Mallard who believed that she will live long enjoying her new found freedom dies. Mrs. Mallard as a Metaphor When the doctors examine her, they all concur that she had died as result of the joy that kills. It was not normal for a widow to rejoice over her husbands departure. It was expected that his resurrection would make her happy; happy to the point of getting a heart attack. Mrs. Mallard is used to reveal the role of a widow in the society who was expected to grieve after the death of her husband. The entire story is founded on how Mrs. Mallard suffered. She suffered due to a troubled marriage which gave her no joy and she suffered due to the sickness that she had. The kind of suffering that she goes through is used by the author to depict what the woman of that society had to endure in marriages. The narrator reveals her passion on the plight of women in the society when Mrs. Mallard realizes that she is nothing but happy in the marriage. The character of Mrs. Mallard is used to illustrate that men oppressed women in marriage.

Catcher in the Rye :: essays research papers

â€Å"The Member Of The Wedding† and â€Å"The Catcher The Rye† are both similar novels in the way adolescents want to belong to a group of people but there is one major difference. Frankie is looking to grow up so that she can fit in with the people around her while Holden wants to avoid adulthood completely as he sees the adult world as being false and corruptible. In â€Å"Member Of The Wedding Frankie feels like she doesn’t fit in to a child’s world. This is due to a number of reasons. She wishes now to belong to a more adult society. Frankie feels alienated from the rest of her friends. When they play underneath the arbour Frankie doesn’t â€Å"fit† because she is too tall. She resents this and sees her friends as â€Å"ugly screaming kids†. Frankie attempts to befriend the older girls but they say she â€Å"smells† and when they talk about sex Frankie doesn’t understand referring to this as â€Å"nasty lies†. Here we see Frankie excluded from the adult world that she desires to belong to. Frankie also feels excluded from her family. Her father won’t allow her to sleep in the same bed as him anymore. He says that she is â€Å"too big† now. He is rarely at home and when he is he hardly speaks to Frankie. She attempts to converse with him but he just â€Å"grunts† at her. Eventually when he does talk to her he doesn’t say much. After the wedding he shows a lack of understanding towards his daughter. She needs him but he tells her to wait until they are at home because then he will punish her for her behaviour. Berenice is the mother figure in her life but she returns to her own home and family in the evening. She feels excluded from Jarvis and Janice too because when they arrive home for a few days they invite Frankie’s father but not her. She feels this isn’t very fair as she is also part of the family. This heightens Frankies isolation and also heightens her desire to belong to a group. Frankie wants to â€Å"belong† to the navy and then decides to give blood to the Red Cross. She is refused on both accounts because she is too young. She thinks the â€Å"freaks† and â€Å"criminals† are trying to make eye contact with her so she can join their group but Frankie does not want that.

Analysis of Coca Cola Company Essay -- Coca Cola Case Study, SWOT Anal

1. Introduction For over 126 years, Coca Cola has been operated as world’s largest beverage company together with its subsidiary brands. The United States, as Coca Cola’s international headquarters, has one of the largest populations where Coke is the main beverage for most of the consumers. The purpose of this essay is to determine whether the environmental changes in the United States are beneficial for Coca Cola Company to operate more markets in the future. This essay will explore both the Coca Cola Company as well as the market in the United States. The tools used for this examination include a SWOT analysis of Coca Cola Company and PEST analysis of United States. In addition, we will examine Porter’s 5 forces of the beverage industry in the United States and we will conclude with a list of recommendations. 2. Company Background The Coca Cola Company has served various kinds of drinks from 1866 until present. As expected, Coca Cola Company made $48 billion net operating revenues, $9 billion net income, and $162 billion market capitalization in 2012. These huge amounts of earnings in 2012 proving that the Coca Cola Company makes big profit successfully within a year. Besides profit that is achieved, Coca Cola Company also ranked by Interbrand as World’s Most Valuable Brand with $77.8 billion in 2012. Moreover, the company supports over 280 physical activities or nutrition education programs in more than 115 countries around the world (The Coca Cola Company, 2013). 3. Country Background United States (US) is the world’s third largest country by size (9,826,675 square per kilometer) and by population with 50 states and the District of Columbia (316,438,601 people). The main urban areas by population are Washington, DC... ...a-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated. Wikivest. Retrieved on 28 January 2014 from http://www.wikinvest.com/stock/Coca-Cola_Bottling_Co._Consolidated_%28COKE%29 SWOT analysis of Coca Cola. (2013). Strategic Management Insight. Retrieved on 20 January 2014 from http://www.strategicmanagementinsight.com/swot-analyses/coca-cola-swot-analysis.html The Coca-Cola Company. (2013). Retrieved on 19 January 2014 from http://www.coca-colacompany.com Panda, T. K. (2007). Marketing Management: Text and cases (2nd ed.). New Delhi: Anurag Jain. Pestal Analysis of Coke. (2009). Scribd. Retrieved on 31 January 2014 from http://www.scribd.com/doc/18975870/Pestal-Analysis-of-Coke Wahlen, J., Baginski, S., & Bradshaw, B. (2010). Financial reporting, financial statement analysis and valuation: A strategic perspective (7th ed.). United States of America: South-Western Cengage Learning.

Indian Role in Afghan and Its Implication of Pakistan Essay

1.Afghanistan continues to be a proxy ‘playing ground’ for diverse outside powers with Russia in near vicinity and US in West. The decade old US meddling after the failure of Russian invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 has yielded more familiar results i.e. ethnic and cultural tensions, warlordism, drug-trafficking and rampant corruption. It is not that these traits did not exist in the Afghan society before US invaded Afghanistan but US invasion provided a surge in these attributes. 2.Afghanistan is a fault line where many outside powers are jostling for both influence and position. Some of this jostling remains overt, as in the case of US and its allies, and some of it is not, as in the case of Indian proxy war on Pakistan through Afghanistan. The Indian activities in Balochistan and FATA got a boost when US homed on to it for replicating its mandate in Afghanistan and preserve its interests post withdrawal. After intense interaction between the respective national security advisors, India agreed to fit into American boots. By doing so India would be benefited on two counts i.e. by safeguarding US interests in Afghanistan, it can accrue more American favors ranging from military to nuclear technology and it will expand its anti-Pakistan network in Afghanistan and continue sponsoring terrorist activities across borders into Pakistan. As a first step to place India in Afghanistan, US helped India sign an accord with Karzai titled ‘Strategic Partnership Agreement’ that would allow India exploit its provisions to cement its involvement in Afghan military and civil affairs. 3.AIM. 4. SEQ PART 1 INDIAN ROLE IN AFGHANISTAN PART 2 IMPACT ON PAKISTAN PART 3 ANALYSIS RECOMMENDATION PART 1 INDIAN ROLE IN AFGHANISTAN 5.The regional security dynamics in South Asia are driven by the conflict between India and Pakistan. Pakistan fears strategic encirclement by India if the Afghan government leans too much towards India, while India is afraid of Pakistan using Afghanistan as a convenient strategic staging area and a back door. Giving a military role to Indians in Afghanistan will simmer the existing tensions between the two countries on various issues while America wraps up its Afghan venture. With the added dimension of nuclear-armed India – Pakistan rivalry combined with likely strife taking place between the warlords and the central government in Kabul and a perpetual conflict between the warlords and the Taliban may create a civil war that no one would like to happen. 6.On October 4, 2011, New Delhi and Kabul have signed a historic Agreement on Strategic Partnership (ASP) which will further strengthen the relations between the two neighbors. India is the fifth highest donor in Afghanistan with $2billion of aid and also engaged in various development projects in Afghanistan and the recent visit by Afghan President Hamid Karzai also marks the collaboration of expanding the training of Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). The growing partnership between New Delhi and Kabul has ensured some anxious moments with in Pakistan who doubts Indian presence in Afghanistan as a threat to them. 7.India is now geared up to impart extensive training to the fledgling Afghan National Army at training institutions across the country. Three areas have been identified under the ‘Agreement’ so far i.e. increase in number of Afghan trainee officers, specialized training to already serving mid and higher-level officers in ANA and training Afghan soldiers in counter insurgency and counter terrorist operations. The Indian military institutions earmarked for the purpose comprise the Commando School in Belgaum in south India, the Counter-Insurgency and Jungle Warfare (CIJW) School in Mizoram in the north East and the High Altitude Warfare School in Sonamarg, Indian Occupied Kashmir. 8.The relations between India and Afghanistan were strengthen more after the visit by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh to Kabul , which was after the gap of six years and he sent the message that, unlike the West, New Delhi has no ‘exit strategy’ from Afghanistan and will stay here to bring peace and stability in the country as well as in the region. There are also active negotiations taking place between the US and India to replace US trainers in Afghanistan for providing continuity in training of Afghan security forces once US withdraws from Afghanistan. 9.The fall of the Taliban regime in 2001 allowed India to expand its influence in Afghanistan dramatically. Its engineers and IT specialists poured in as part of its most ambitious aid package – worth more than $1.5 billion – to build remote mountain roads, establish telephone, internet, and satellite links and reopen schools and hospitals. Washington encouraged India’s involvement and believed it could use the soft power of its popular Bollywood film industry and other cultural links to encourage tolerance and pluralism in the country. Meanwhile, Delhi’s contribution towards Afghan reconstruction cannot be denied. The country’s four landmark projects are the Delaram-Zaranj road, transmission lines providing Uzbek electricity to Kabul, the hydroelectric Salma Dam and a new parliament building in Kabul – the latter two of which are still under way. The $500m newly committed aid by India will be used for development and infrastructure projects in agriculture and mining. Through its provision of education, medical treatment and small-business support, India has projected considerable soft power in Afghanistan. It provides 2,000 scholarships to Afghans annually for schooling and training in India, including for 500 Afghan civil servants. More than 100 Indian-supported but Afghan-owned small development projects are being implemented. Indian medical missions in Kabul, Jalalabad, Kandahar, Herat and Mazar-e-Sharif provided free treatment for more than 350,000 Afghans in 2009-10. PART 2 IMPACT ON PAKISTAN 10.Much distrust exists between Islamabad and Delhi over their respective activities in Afghanistan. Islamabad perceives New Delhi’s presence and influence as a deliberate attempt to encircle Pakistan and prevent it from attaining the strategic depth it needs in Afghanistan. Pakistan’s government often accuses India’s embassy and four consulates in Afghanistan of carrying out clandestine operations against Pakistan in its tribal areas and restive province of Baluchistan. Pakistan has claimed that India arms and funds Baluchi rebels and the Pakistani Tehrik-e-Taliban (TTP), which India denies. Pakistan resents the goodwill of Afghans towards Indians. For its part, Delhi sees Pakistan as attempting to force it from Afghanistan. The Indian government charges that ‘elements’ in Pakistan – essentially its Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) directorate – planned the 2008 and 2009 terror attacks on the Indian embassy in Kabul (which Islamabad denies) and says that the Pakistan-based Haqqani terror network was responsible for carrying them out. 11.Indians replicating the role of US trainers in Afghanistan spells danger for Pakistan. The placement of Indian trainers may create more rifts in the already volatile bilateral relationship between India and Pakistan. Some of the opinion makers even go to the extent to term it on par with Kashmir. Some simplistic and narrow analyses have also linked the signing of the ASP to the worsening of US-Pakistan relations following the attack on the US embassy in Kabul, and of Afghan-Pakistan relations following the assassination of former President Rabbani and the suspension of the peace process with the Taliban thereafter. What has missed the eye is that the ASP was long in the making to address the Afghans’ long-standing demands. On the other hand, Islamababad did refrain from commenting on the Indo- Afghan partnership but the Pakistani defense analyst Ayesha Siddiqa says that â€Å"despite not commenting on this issue, the fact is that Pakistan does not like what has happened as they are crying for so long that Indian presence in Afghanistan would hurt Pakistan interests†. 12.India and Afghanistan’s problem is that Pakistan doesn’t agree and that sees India’s involvement in Afghanistan is a threat to its ‘strategic depth’ according to a concept in which Afghanistan is acknowledged as Pakistan’s backyard in which India has no right to hang out, whereas for India, which had been frozen out under the Taliban regime as a supporter of the Northern Alliance’s warlords, Afghanistan holds the keys to the Central Asian mineral and energy reserves it needs to sustain its rapid economic growth. To that end, and to increase its chances of gaining access to Afghanistan’s own rich reserves of iron ore, India has pledged another half a billion dollars in aid and the same is really affecting Pakistan’s and the things are even getting more worsen. Afghanistan is also keen to encourage India in this and it doesn’t want Pakistan to be its sole customs guard or jailer, and it has seen how vindictive its twin can be. When India’s Kabul embassy was blown up by a suicide bomber in 2008, killing 41, including India’s defence attachà ©, American officials said they had evidence that members of Pakistan’s ISI intelligence service had been involved in the plot. 13.There was a time when India was quite taken aback by that change of mood among regional neighbours that forced her to immediately seek new avenues to intervene. Indian psychological anguish, sense of alienation and feelings of failure in Afghanistan have revamped Indian diplomatic efforts with enhanced lobbying and manipulative methodology to mark their presence in Afghanistan. In this backdrop, Afghan Foreign Minister Dr. Abdullah Abdullah’s recent statement that India has a critical role to play in their country is a sign of persistent Indian clout in Afghanistan. Hence, Indian diplomatic efforts in Kabul to drive a wedge between Pakistan and Afghanistan to ensure that mutual relationship between the two inseparable neighbors remain tense. In this context, India aggressively propagates that al-Qaeda and Taliban are having safe heavens in major cities of Pakistan to show Pakistan in bad light and create ill feelings between the people of Afghanistan and Pakistan. India’s Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao talking at a South Asia initiative talk on â€Å"India’s global role† in Harvard University a few months back said: â€Å"We have direct interest in Afghanistan, not because we see it as theater of rivalry with Pakistan but because of the growing fusion of terrorist groups that operate from Afghanistan and Pakistan and their activities in India†. PATR 3 ANALYSIS 13. The reality is what meets beyond the eyes. India has interest in Afghanistan but not in its stability and for this purpose Indian intelligence agencies have been trying to create rift among various segments of society in Afghanistan. The instability in the Afghan society will not only help India consolidate its place in Afghanistan but also facilitate in destabilizing the arch-rival Pakistan and energy rich Central Asian Republics (CARs). In the pursuance of same, India invested over a billion US dollars to have an economic clout in Afghanistan and surged its presence in terms of intelligence cooperation through opening of new consulates. These consulates are used to continue destabilization of both Pakistan and Afghanistan and their respective interests. New Delhi’s billion dollars aid to Kabul is being actually dispersed among Indian companies working in Afghanistan for use in the projects that would help India consolidate its place in Afghanistan and Central Asia. 14.For instance, construction of road linking Chahbahar Port in Iran with Afghanistan was part of the encirclement plan and to secretly ship explosives, arms and ammunition from India in the name of construction material. India has also started showing its friendly gestures to Iran as well. In a bid to make Iran forget that India voted against its nuclear programme in the IAEA and supported sanctions on Iran, New Delhi is now often found advocating that Iran has a right to peaceful uses of nuclear energy. All this flattery is to keep Afghanistan accessible through the Iranian corridor. Afghanistan is important to India to achieve its vested interests in the region. India’s long and tumultuous history of capturing and grabbing natural resources and territories, which includes valley of Jammu & Kashmir and state of Nagaland, in order to expand its size and power, is no more a hidden fact. The expansionist agenda of India disqualifies it to be a regional power what to speak of assigning her a greater role in regional peace initiatives. 15.Had India been that justified mediating power and peace lover, it would not have back-stabbed Iran on nuclear issue merely on the basis that another nuclear armed country in the region is not in India’s interest. Also Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, and Maldives would not have been a victim of Indian bully. Indian occupied Kashmir is another burning example of Indian usurpation. Northeast India, a region not very well known outside South Asia, is a hotbed of Indian state terrorism and numerous armed insurgencies. Recommendations 16.It will be in the interest of the region if the US reconciles with the India-Pakistan milieu in the Afghan context and leave Afghanistan to the Afghans to decide their own fate. As the Agreement on Strategic Partnership (ASP) was signed between New Delhi and Kabul, there was an immediate reaction from Islamababad that in such an agreement â€Å"the fundamental principle of ensuring the stability in the region must be taken in the account†. This shows that how anxious Islamababad is over the growing Indian presence in Afghanistan. India’s engagement in Afghanistan has been painted by many western analysts as a zero-sum game vis-à  -vis Pakistan. Yet, despite being the largest regional donor in Afghanistan, and the fifth largest internationally, India finds it increasingly difficult to operate in Afghanistan. There have been two suicide bombings of its embassy in Kabul, the first of which killed two senior Indian diplomats, two security personnel and 50 Afghans. A terror plot targeting the Indian consulate in Jalalabad was foiled. Since 2001, 20 Indian nationals have been killed. But New Delhi is also aware of the fact that until all the groups engaged in stopping the violence the path of development and progress will not be achieved. New Delhi is also aware of the fact that the role of Pakistan is also very crucial in bringing stability in the region but is also aware of the fact that any peace process will succeed only when the violence is completely shut. CONCL In short, India has no legitimate interests in Afghanistan but is keen to have a permanent role in Afghanistan in order to fulfill its vested agenda to destabilize Pakistan – major irritant in the way of establishing Indian supremacy in the region – and to have significant influence over central Asian states. From Indian side, anything that is being projected, promoted or displayed through media and friendly gestures is merely eyewash. So in view of these bitter realities, is India worth assigning a greater role in regional peace initiatives? In view of the past experience, Iran can be fool enough to walk hand in hand and in sync with India on Afghanistan? Would Kabul keep on closing its eyes on facts and will remain in state of denial vis-à  -vis New Delhi? It is time to realise that India is not a compulsion, all that is needed to make a right choice. The relation between India and Afghanistan is entering into the new horizon and it will be interesting to see how Pakistan will respond to this new growing relationship. The coming days will be the testing times for India and Afghanistan as United States is preparing to leave Afghanistan which will enable Pakistan to use its clout in Afghanistan for their strategic interests.

Pamphlet analysis Essay

The purpose of this film pamphlet is to influence and persuade as much people as people to watch the film. The pamphlet also briefly describes what the film is going to be about. This pamphlet attempts to do these things by visual, layout and language features to achieve its purpose. A visual feature that helps to achieve its purpose is colour which is all over the film pamphlet. Colours may be used to create a feeling or mood depending on the context. In this particular film pamphlet, the colours have been put together to establish a romantic feel. The two most obvious colours on the cover of the film pamphlet are the orange of the title and the red of the chilli. These two colours are clearly creating a romantic sense. The tone of the title is quite light and that helps emphasise the feel of the advertisement for the title is called A Touch of Spice. Having a light tone makes it seem as though the title was written out with orange spices and supports the word touch in the title which means a small amount in this context. The large chilli on the front of the cover is highly saturated. The red on the chilli is of a high degree of purity and that helps the advertisement gain the attention of consumers and also creates a romantic feel in this context. Red in this ad can be seen as an allusion because red is a very popular colour on Valentines Day [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l43rqt12KcE] which is seen as a very romantic day where many people buy cards and flowers and even plan special occasions for the ones they love. The many colours on this pamphlet achieve their purpose by creating a romantic feeling or mood and that will hopefully lure many people who like romantic films to watch this particular film. Another visual feature that helps to achieve its purpose is the font sizes and writing style of the text on the film pamphlet. Font sizes and styles can be used to help create a sense or mood by doing things such as looking if as though the writing were done in blood, this would create a sense of horror or danger. The title A Touch of Spice on the film pamphlet is the most large and clear because of its background. The title is usually in the largest font and in this case, it is no different. This is used to hopefully gain the attention of the consumer to come and watch the film or pick up the pamphlet. The title is written in a very natural way so it makes it seem as  though someone had put some spices on a table and written the titles out with their finger. It is quite cleat that the font is not times new roman because there are lines that are sticking out of the letters which creates the effect that to make it seem as though as if it were written. By having the title in such a way it creates a mysterious and exotic feel. On the back of the film pamphlet, there is a small section of writing where it is obvious that it is in a foreign language. The small section in a different language almost guarantees that the film will be from another country. Using this technique, it will be able to attract as much viewers as possible who like foreign films and in turn achieve its purpose. A very effective technique on this particular film pamphlet would be the logo. A logo can be used to help the advertisement gain the attention from consumers such as the Sony logo on one of their products. The logo on their product would tell the consumer that the product was at a very high quality because of their reputation. On this particular film pamphlet, a logo or badge has been put in the corner of it saying that is was the no.1 film at the Greek box office for an amazing 7 weeks. This would assure many viewers that the film would be good because of its great performance in Greek. The logo achieves its purpose by hopefully building a good reputation, which the quotes on the back of the pamphlet also do, so it is able to lure as much viewers as possible to watch the film. A language technique that is used on this particular film pamphlet is repetition. Repetition is often used to help send a message across to a viewer and help them to remember the message that was put across. Repetition is ubiquitously found on the cover of the film pamphlet. The theme of spices and food is found all over the cover of the film pamphlet in simple sentences. Cinnamon is bitter and sweet, just like a womanA beautiful, touching romance that will leave you craving for moreSalt is used as needed to spice up ones lifePepper is hot and scorches, just like the sunAll of these sentences, which are all found on the front cover, refer to a theme of spices and food and then link the food to another subject such as a woman or life. The  repetition on this film pamphlet is attempting to reinforce the title A Touch of Spice which emphasises the fact that the film is a romantic film and would leave them craving for more. The repetitive messages of spices and links to romance would have been received by the viewer and so achieves its purpose so enticing them to come and watch the film. Another language technique used on this film pamphlet is adjectives. Products and services are usually described with adjectives to hopefully appeal to consumers to purchase the product. In this particular case, adjectives are not used to describe the film itself but to describe other things which the film is relating to. The film pamphlet compares spices to things such women. Cinnamonis better and sweet just like a womanPepper is hot and scorches, just like the sunBoth of these quotes contain adjectives to describe spices and link them to romantic themes. The second quote links pepper to the sun where they say both are hot. This creates a sense of passion and exoticness to viewers so they understand that this film is a romantic one. Another language feature that is used to help the film pamphlet achieve its purpose is persuasive language. Persuasive language helps to convince consumers by using powerful and effective language to hopefully get people to buy the product. On the back of the film pamphlet, there are four quotes from people who seemed to have watched the movie and enjoyed it. A film of international standards and genuine emotionis undoubtedly one of the best gastronomic movies I have seen.an intensely moving experienceAll these quotes are the reviews or opinions of those who have already watched the film. The people who created this particular chose these reviews because it is their opinion that the film is of a very high quality. By getting the message through to the consumer that the film is actually good, more people would be interested to watch the movie so the film pamphlet has achieved its purpose. A layout technique which has been used on this film pamphlet is text boxes. Text boxes are usually used in ads to help make the ad easier to read and to  help all of the text to stand out. For this film pamphlet, there are many text boxes because there are many sections of text on the back with equal importance. On the back of the film pamphlet, there are many quotes which praise the film and the advertisers would have wanted to make sure that the viewers did not miss that section. The blurb is also in a text box and that is where the creators of the film give their own description of the film and where they give their own praise. Boxes have not been only to help text to be read more easily but also for images to stand out. Since there are many pictures on the back cover of the film pamphlet, they can be made more easily seen and recognised if they are in boxes. Text boxes have been effectively used in this film pamphlet to help important information to be unmissed and easily read and that is how they achieve their purpose. The film pamphlet is created to help attract as much viewers as possible to watch their movie. The film pamphlet attempts to do so by using visual, language and layout techniques to help inform people that the film is of a high quality so they can persuade as many people as possible. bibliography: pamphlet 1994

Memento Mori

Nya Tejada ENGL 4230 King Memento Mori While I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, I was left more than a bit confused by the end of it. The characters were quite humorous and even disturbing at times with their scheming, blackmailing, hypocrisy, denials, and even their beliefs on the important matters in life which seemed so realistically self-centered that I could believe them to be real people in authentic circumstances. And yet, the amount of characters to keep track of was daunting in number as well as the numerous background stories and it was only by their ties to each other that I was able to grasp on to the plot-line behind it.Muriel Sparks successfully created a reality of her own with a web of wickedness that is so thoroughly layered in the span of nearly a century that I was left not necessarily unsatisfied but overjoyed that she left a question unanswered till the very end. Who was that mysterious caller? Many suggestions were given and yet I was aware that one shined out amo ng the rest. For Inspector Mortimer says it quite clearly that â€Å"considering the evidence,† which is altogether vexing and baseless, â€Å"the offender is Death himself. † (p. 144)It didn’t really matter who specifically the caller was and underlying the great mystery was a spiritual resonance that forced the reader to grip the book wanting to shout at the characters to stop their nonsense and just take advantage of their last remaining years because death is waiting patiently to take them and they were ready to keep going with their secrets and their obsessions which like invisible merciless gods, ruled over them all their lives until Jean Taylor, the only morally sound character it seemed, decided to reveal Charmian’s own ongoing affair allowing progress for Godfrey to live a bit more passionately for just a short while longer. I had no qualms viewing the suspect as a spiritual entity because the last line of the book only validated this notion by r eferring to the quote at the beginning of the book as, â€Å"Jean Taylor lingered for a time, employing her pain to magnify the Lord, and meditating sometimes confidingly upon death, the first of the Four Last Things to be ever remembered† (p. 224). In that final page, I was left thinking everyone got their just desserts as they would inevitably reached and I was grateful for the review of how they all died just so I wasn’t left even more overwhelmed by all the information given.But the very last line brought me back to thinking about the recurring theme of religion throughout the novel as Charmian may have very well been the closest character to resemble Spark herself. I tried to look up a biography for her to see if my suspicions were closer to the truth that she had filtered in her own experiences and was pleased by my findings that she did in fact have a son and he may very well have been an artist such as Eric was talented in that field but critical and resentful for his mother’s success as a writer. That got me thinking of how Spark’s saw writing as a connection to her spirituality and perhaps this relationship mirrored her own feelings towards her son’s Judaism when she was a Roman Catholic herself and how that came as a backhand to the face for her.It was also more than a coincidence that Charmian had been sending Eric money just as Spark’s did for her son until she had enough of their strained relationship and nearly if not completely severed her ties with him. So to say that I was well aware of her own questioning and thought-provoking feelings towards her religion would be an understatement. For I have felt that same ghostly if not lingering call to my own Catholic roots, always feeling a sense of something greater, a presence working its way in and out of the seams in this reality and yet while wanting to place it inside of a religion, merely value it as a part of humanity to peer back at us in our most pro found moments, which certainly includes the embrace of death. I found myself thinking again and again of the quotes placed before the start of the novel.For the book appeared to incorporate all three quotes but especially the third by having the reader judge each character themselves by their thoughts and actions, as though we are death waiting to take them justly for their either trivial or purposeful lives, hoping to place them in either heaven or hell with every wrong or morally right move they made. I wanted such characters like Charmian to have a pleasant sleep, to just drift off because she was trying so to regain some strength for herself and reach such a point but for characters like Mrs. Pettigrew I wanted the exact opposite and was appalled by her having received that wealth after-all. However, she did try so very ard to get exactly what she wanted and at least she had the drive to do something of purpose for herself, never mind that she was a successful villain. I was lef t with a smile on my face for its originality and thoroughness which can only be executed by a talented author who is able to place herself in her characters without it being an angst or far too emotional diary altogether. If only the grotesque characters could have been given far worse deaths when death itself is not justly enough. But then, it wouldn’t have been so realistic, and in that sense I could only agree with how she preferred it. Realism is always more convincing when relating to religion somehow anyway.