Thursday, May 14, 2020

Hi Hi Hi Hi - 11984 Words

Chapter 01 Organizational Behavior: The Quest for People-Centered Organizations and Ethical Conduct True / False Questions 1. | People-centered practices are associated with higher profits and lower employee turnover. True False | 2. | Power can be provided to employees via centralization. True False | 3. | Providing training for employees leads to lower employee turnover. True False | 4. | Trust can be built in organizations through the sharing of critical information. True False | 5. | Organizations are a social invention helping us to achieve things collectively that we could not achieve alone. True False | 6. | OB is an interdisciplinary field dedicated to better understanding and†¦show more content†¦True False | 32. | Social capital is productive potential resulting from strong relationships, goodwill, trust, and cooperative effort. True False | 33. | Trust, mutual respect, teamwork, and cooperative effort are dimensions of human capital. True False | 34. | Positive social interactions can have favorable impacts on cardiovascular health and the immune system. True False | 35. | Good management requires a clear purpose and a bias toward action. True False | 36. | Henry Mintzberg observed that managers typically devote large blocks of time to planning. True False | 37. | According to Wilsons managerial skills research, an effective manager controls details by being overbearing. True False | 38. | The Wilson managerial skills research yields the lesson that dealing effectively with people is what management is all about. True False | 39. | Managers with high levels of skill mastery tend to have better subunit performance and employee morale than managers with lower levels of skill mastery. True False | 40. | According to the Wilson managerial skills research, effective female and male managers have significantly different skill profiles. True False | 41. | The successful 21st century manager shares access to power and key information. True False | 42. | A successful 21st century manage r uses formal authority as the primary source of influence.Show MoreRelatedTo His Coy Mistress866 Words   |  4 PagesTo His Coy Mistress Andrew Marvells To His Coy Mistress is a sieze the moment kind of poem in which an anonomyous young man tries to woo the hand of his mistress. This kind of poem gives the reader the idea that time is not only precious, but scarce. The speaker uses many smooth tatics to persuade the young girl, starting with compliments and ending with a more forceful, morbid appraoch. To His Coy Mistress is not only witty but imgagistic, full of wordplay, and percieved differently by bothRead MoreJb Hi-Fi5117 Words   |  21 PagesJB HI-FI. They offer world’s top brands, having wide range of entertainment appliances at cheaper prices and also provide genuine personal service by experienced and specialist staff (JB HI-FI, 2009). Company’s history and further information are provided on appendix-A-I (Pg.10). 2. Evaluation of the current level of branding and innovation, recommendations for innovative store design In the following part present situation of the store, branding and innovation activity taken up at JB Hi-Fi isRead More To His Coy Mistress Essay807 Words   |  4 Pageson quot;To His Coy Mistressquot; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Either you have sex with me or you die. This is a very strong statement which, when said, has to get someones attention; and that is exactly what Andrew Marvell intends for the reader in this poem. He wants the undivided attention of this mistress so that he can scare her and rush her into making a decision the way he wants and in due time. Filled with time flavored symbolism, this carpe diem poem, quot;To His Coy Mistressquot;Read MoreJb Hi-Fi Report3981 Words   |  16 Pagesthis report is to evaluate the findings of an analysis conducted on JB Hi-Fi (JBH). This evaluation will be assessed to present a recommendation to acquire shares to add to an investment portfolio. This report will assess JBH relative to profitability, asset efficiency, liquidity, capital structure a BSBFIA402A REPORT ON FINANICIAL ACTIVITY DANIELO FRUSCIANTE BUSINESS REPORT JB Hi-Fi (JBH) Company Profile Sector: Services Industry: Specialty RetailRead More To His Coy Mistress Essay1227 Words   |  5 PagesTo His Coy Mistress Compare and Contrast â€Å"To His Coy Mistress† By John Donne. â€Å"To His Coy Mistress† and â€Å" To His Mistress Going to bed† are two poems that feature â€Å"carpe diem†; they are also written by two of the most well known metaphysical poets. Andrew Marvell, the author of â€Å"To His Coy Mistress† and John Donne, the writer of â€Å"To His Mistress Going To Bed†. Both poems were written through the 16th and 17th Century, where love and sex were describe as two different things. 16th and 17th Read MoreVertigo and His Girl Friday1155 Words   |  5 PagesThe films Vertigo and His Girl Friday, directed by Alfred Hitchcock and Howard Hawks respectively, are good representations of classical cinema. A stigma associated with classical cinema is the film’s portrayal of women. Feminist film theorists believe that the male protagonist play a more prominent role while women are only something to be looked at and acted upon. Both films possess a male and a female protagonist. His Girl Friday casts Cary Grant as a cunning newspaper editor named Walter BurnsRead MoreAnalysis: Jb Hi-Fi876 Words   |  4 PagesJB Hi-Fi limited is a company that is based in Australia. It usually engages in the selling of the home consumer electronic products which include the televisions, video cameras, mobile phones, home theatres, digital still and other electrical accessories like the kitchen equipment, computing equi pment, the air conditioners, small electrical appliances like the car sound systems; both visual and audio and other things like the movies and games. It continues to stock exclusive specialist range ofRead MoreAndrew Marvell, â€Å"to His Coy Mistress†1418 Words   |  6 PagesAndrew Marvell, â€Å"To His Coy Mistress† In ‘To His Coy Mistress’ the speaker carefully constructs a subtle and logical argument as to why his addressee should sexually unite with him. The speaker attempts this proposition through finesse in manipulating reason, form and imagery. The reasoning employed would be familiar to a reader educated in Renaissance England, as it is reminiscent of classical philosophical logic, entailing a statement, a counter-statement and a resolution. In line with thisRead MoreTo His Coy Mistress by Andrew Marvell719 Words   |  3 Pages Andrew Marvell’s poem, â€Å"To His Coy Mistress† is an equally beautiful and provocative piece of writing. Written in iambic form as a three-part proposition addressed to the â€Å"coy mistress,† the poem is permeated with literary devices such as tone, alliteration, imagery, hyperbole, as well as similes and metaphors. Marvell’s speaker acknowledges the idea that mortality is of little to no value after death. Throug h the speaker, Marvell is suggesting that one can avoid the regrets of not participatingRead MoreHis Girl Friday, Double Idemnity1214 Words   |  5 PagesWithin the diegesis, the woman often appears as an object to be looked at and acted upon, while the male protagonist is usually granted a more active role, both in terms of his agency in the narrative, and in terms of his enunciative authority. This hypothesis is backed up by elements of two films studied this semester: His Girl Friday by Howard Hawks (1940) and Double Indemnity by Billy Wilder (1944). This is seen through the supporting role that the main female characters take in the movies

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Childrens Versions of The Cantebury Tales - 1465 Words

Being a work filled with an unprecedented â€Å"wealth of fascinating characters†, Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales has been translated and retold in many versions over the years (Cohen 7-8). Unavoidably translations and retelling require choices made by writers and editors of how to represent things and what to include, which can easily change aspects of the original story. The most difficult retellings may be versions written for children as writers not only have to deal with modernizing the language but also simplifying stories which feature adult themes, including corruption of the church, sex, marriage, adultery, for a younger audience. This essay will look at children’s versions of The Canterbury Tales retold by Barbara Cohen, who uses†¦show more content†¦All of three of the children’s versions of â€Å"The Franklin’s Tale† follow the plot points of Chaucer’s tale, merely translated into Modern English prose to make i t easier for young readers to understand. To further aide in comphrension, all three of the children’s version leave out Chaucer’s allusions to other works that medieval readers would have read, such as the Roman goddess Lucina (Norton ln1045) and Ovid’s poem â€Å"Echo and Narcissus† (Norton ln 951-952), but young modern readers may not have even heard of. The children’s version also all maintain the inherent didactic nature of the tale relaying the concept of not making a promise lightly and always keeping the promises you make. The children’s version which most closely resembles Chaucer’s original tale is written by Cohen. This version not only follows the plot points but retells many of the descriptions of how characters are feeling, although Cohen does not include the lengthy physical descriptions of clothing and scenery in her Modern English prose that Chaucer writes in his Middle English poetic verses. As with Chaucerâ€℠¢s tale, Cohen ends with asking the question â€Å"Who do you think was the most generous?† but doesn’t include the pilgrims chat leaving it up to the reader to decide (Cohen 84). McCaughrean tells the story like a fairy tale, describing appearances with a fair amount of detail. She covers all the plot points but does not go into the details of

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Project Management Interpretation - Comparison and Contrast

Question: Describe about the Project Management for Interpretation, Comparison and Contrast. Answer: Introduction This report introduces the interpretation, comparison and contrast of the roles of a project manager. The roles are of a leader, manager, facilitator and mentor respectively. The report also gives the exploration of the research that includes the facets of project vs functional management. The aim of the paper is to provide a detailed view of the various perspectives of the project manager. Discussion Interpretation of the roles of a project manager The project manager while managing a team has to act in several roles for effective handling of his team. Such an efficient management actually makes the team to work as per their set objectives and perform as per compliance. Leader One of such important role of a project manager is the leader. The efficiency of the manager handling a project majorly depends on how he leads his subordinates. Therefore to be a successful and effective project manager, a person should possess good level of leadership skills (Hodgson Paton, 2016). Such skills will make him to provide guidance to his fellow companions for what to do. The team actually requires directions regarding the project life and the project manager has the responsibility to lead the team for achieving the vision regarding the creation of the project. The project manager makes the coordination, facilitation and motivation of the team for achieving the goals (Bredillet, Tywoniak Dwivedula, 2015). Actually the ability of him for influencing, inspiring, directing and communication will make a determination of his effectiveness as the manager of project. Here the central role is leading that involves work for achieving the project objectives. Manager As a project manager, a person has to manage everything starting from top to bottom of a project. He has to make an efficient utilization of the available resources. He has to make plans regarding cost, time, manpower and money keeping in mind to reach a successful completion of the project. The project manager should have a rigorous knowledge regarding the skills for execution of the activities (Kerzner, 2013). Until and unless these core competences are not present in a project manager, he will not be able to understand the work to be done or the level of skills required to make the project successful. Therefore, the manager should have a proper understanding about the technical aspects of the project. The project manager should have a good grasp on the functional activities of the various departments such as accounting, HR, systems, marketing, operations, administration so that he can proceed with the project through a proper integration. Facilitator In case of a facilitator the project manager has the activity to enable the project team to work in an effective manner. The project manager actually provides the support for the collaboration and achievement of synergy (Walker, 2015). He has not the responsibility for doing all the tasks of the project. It is the responsibility of the team of the project. The role of the project manager has to make creation of the right conditions, which enables the team of the project for carrying the duties. The project manager also makes the contributions through provision of the framework for facilitating the interactions. Such interactions take place through the different groups. Such facilitation is done for making an effective functioning. The objective of the facilitator is giving support for the team along with their beneficiaries to achieve the performance in an exceptional level (Eweje, Turner Muller, 2012). The role of the facilitator is normally utilized to deal the beneficiaries where the manager of the project does not have the authority over the team. The manager should provide the environment for trust where the beneficiaries have the feeling for the contribution of ideas. Mentor Mentor is basically an adviser who is trusted and experienced. The mentor normally provides advice or trains someone who is normally a younger colleague. The mentor is normally the person who provides guidance to the less experienced person through building the trust and modeling the behaviors that are positive. The effective mentor has the understanding about his role for being dependable and authenticated (Schwalbe, 2015). The project managers act as a mentor of a team to develop the team member skills with the help of his knowledge. He provides the necessary support to those members so that they can rectify their weaknesses and proceed with a full fledge (Raelin, 2012). From the starting to the end of a project, the project managers actually try to flourish the potentials of the team members so that the execution done by them meets the targets of the project at the fullest extent. Comparison and contrast of the roles of a project manager There are several roles of a project manager, which makes the encompassment of the various activities. Such roles are been elaborated below: Making plans and definitions of the scope. Planning the activity and making the sequence. Planning the resources (Fung, 2014). Development of the schedules. Estimation of the time. Estimation of the cost. Development of the budget (Verzuh, 2015). Creation of the charts along with project schedules. Making a proper documentation. Analyzing and managing the risks and issues. Monitoring and reporting the progress (Mir Pinnington, 2014). Leadership of the team. Making a proper influence through strategy. Making partner of the business. Making deals with the vendors. Analyzing the interoperability, portability and scalability. Making a control of the quality. Realizing the benefits (Verzuh, 2015). All these roles and responsibilities are there for a project manager to serve where he have to act as the leader, manager, facilitator and mentor in the various dimensions as per need. As a leader, the project manager leads his team so that his team members can follow his footsteps in a proper sequence. They should carry out his orders for the various transactions that are needed for the creation of proper financial strength (Fung, 2014). On the other hand, as a manager, he has to plan all the activities along with the allocation of the available resources including defining the scopes along with time and cost estimation. All the necessary analysis along with risk management are been done through the help of managerial skills (Raelin, 2012). Therefore it has been seen that, leadership requires assertion to motivate the team members whereas managerial skills lead to proper planning, reduction of cost and maximization of the profit. As a facilitator, the project manager gives all the support considered to be essential for a project (Schwalbe, 2015). Here the project managers role is secondary as his activity is from the indirect way whereas in contrast the role of a manager or a leader is very much direct in case of the operations done by their subordinates. On the other hand, the project manager when acts as a mentor for his subordinates, he has an aim to develop the skill set of the members so that they can make effective collaboration with the vendor team in terms of communication and a good interaction with the client side. It is done to know the exact requirement of the client (Walker, 2015). Here the project manager acts as a teacher for doing the necessary rectification of the mistakes. Facets of project vs functional management It can be stated here that the project management and the functional management are two different aspects. The project managers actually make focus on the entire project whereas the functional managers make a specialization in a specific unit of a project (Kerzner, 2013). In project management, it is to check all the functionalities of the project along with business operations in daily basis through communication to all departments wherein functional management, a few functionalities are been scrutinized for the necessary refinement. The functional managers are normally common in big houses with the dynamic parts where the various functions are been led by them such as finance, marketing (Bredillet, Tywoniak Dwivedula, 2015). The project management has a greater versatility and the managers are common in smaller business houses where they can get involved in the business every facet. Conclusion Overall, it has been discussed throughout the topic that to make a project successful, a project manager has to play versatile roles. Therefore, a project manager should have the capability so that he can play all the roles in the most efficient way to guide the project towards a successful end. To make such a successful end, the project managers as well as the functional managers have to excel in their responsibilities with utmost superiority. Such a combination will definitely form a team, which will lead the organization to see a glorious future. References Hodgson, D. E., Paton, S. (2016). Understanding the professional project manager: cosmopolitans, locals and identity work.International Journal of Project Management,34(2), 352-364. Bredillet, C., Tywoniak, S., Dwivedula, R. (2015). What is a good project manager? An Aristotelian perspective.International Journal of Project Management,33(2), 254-266. Kerzner, H. R. (2013).Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling. John Wiley Sons. Walker, A. (2015).Project management in construction. John Wiley Sons. Eweje, J., Turner, R., Mller, R. (2012). Maximizing strategic value from megaprojects: The influence of information-feed on decision-making by the project manager.International Journal of Project Management,30(6), 639-651. Schwalbe, K. (2015).Information technology project management. Cengage Learning. Raelin, J. A. (2012). The manager as facilitator of dialogue.Organization, 1350508412455085. Fung, H. P. (2014). Relationships between leadership roles and project team effectiveness as perceived by project managers in Malaysia.Journal of Empirical Studies,1(1), 1-22. Verzuh, E. (2015).The fast forward MBA in project management. John Wiley Sons. Mir, F. A., Pinnington, A. H. (2014). Exploring the value of project management: linking project management performance and project success.International Journal of Project Management,32(2), 202-217.

Friday, April 10, 2020

Globalisation Has Made The Modern Nation State Irrelevant Essay Example

Globalisation Has Made The Modern Nation State Irrelevant Paper Globalisation challenges the state centred set of theories that assume that the nation state is the most powerful organisation in society, and can therefore be used to challenge the idea that there is a single ruling elite because there is no power in society to force the state in a particular direction. A state is a central authority exercising legitimate control over a given territory and which can use political violence against either its own citizens or other states to enforce that control. A nation state is constantly under scrutiny because it has not yet been defined but sociologists are still happy to use the term nation state. However, most sociologists agree that the term nation state refers to any country that can make its own laws, operate its own economy and maintain economic power within its own territory. Nation states also wish to determine their own foreign policy, having their on defence and military capabilities. James Fulcher defines globalisation as the growing integration between of people across the world. There are four main forms that globalisation takes; global communication, global interdependence, global awareness and global organisation. Global communication is used to express the increasing speed of which information, goods and people can be moved around the world, however, it is the capacity of forms of information that can be communicated that has really changed. Global interdependence shows that as different parts of the world are become interlinked, they become more interdependent. This interdependence takes two main forms economic and ecological. We will write a custom essay sample on Globalisation Has Made The Modern Nation State Irrelevant specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Globalisation Has Made The Modern Nation State Irrelevant specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Globalisation Has Made The Modern Nation State Irrelevant specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Many poor countries are becoming increasingly dependent on tourists from rich ones, for example, workers in the Caribbean process data for the United States and Europe. This is closely linked to financial dependency because Capitalism is a global issue and every country is dependent on the flow of capital. Ecological interdependence is more complicated as it is and unintended consequence of technical and economic development. Environmental issues effect the whole world, deforestation in one country may not directly affect it but could affect another country. Global warming is mainly due to carbon dioxide emissions from rich countries like the United States but in the end it will be low-lying countries that will suffer when they loose land not the United States. Global awareness is the sense that we all live in one earth, this has been driven by economic and ecological interdependence. Robertson (1992) claims people increasingly see themselves not as members of a community or a nation but as members of humanity, of a single threatened species. This awareness that we live in a global village is supported by global communications because it is bringing people closer together. Global organisations like McDonalds, Ford and Greenpeace are present all over the world and it is not yet clear how big a corporation must be for it to be global. Giddens (1985) supports the idea that nation states can no longer control their own economies and argues that political decisions are no longer taken by the state or governments but that decisions are made through global networks of information exchange, the world capitalist economy and world military order. David Held (1992) follows a Marxist perspective and argues that international bodies like the World Bank reduce the power of the nation states. Massey (1999) argues that multinational corporations have created the myth of globalisation in an attempt to legitimatise economic and social policies that serve in their interests rather than the countrys in which policies originate. International organisations are often thought of as supranational that transfer authority from nation states to international bodies above the nation. They do subject the nation state to some external regulation but this is negotiated by nation state representatives and operates through nation states. The UN is handed power by the supranational corporations and may only use this power when another nation states security is threatened. The UN accepts the sovereignty of the nation states; however, they are dependent on nation states when the military becomes involved. International organisations are composed of nation states, whereas transnational organisations operate outside the nation states, the key feature of a transnational corporation is the movement of money, information, ideas, and people across national boarders. The movement of money seriously limits government policies because money can go anywhere if government policies threaten profits or weaken a currency. Gould (1993) argues that there has been a Japanisation of welfare as European countries cut back on welfare states expenditure in order to compete with Japan, where welfare expenditure is much lower. This transnational migration of labour shows the widening gap between rich and poor countries, meaning that ethnic, cultural and religious diversity is created in the nation states. Naomi Klein argues that women and children living in third world countries and working in free trade zones are extremely exploited and are allowed to be paid less than the real cost of living. Large supranational corporations can turn over more money in one week than some nation states do in a year. For example, the American giant corporation, Wal-Mart, the parent company of ASDA has a weekly turnover of i 4 billion. For a Marxist, globalisation is an extension of capitalism and how capitalism has been promoted throughout the world. They would therefore agree that the nation state has become irrelevant because multinational corporations grow with capitalism and are taking over in every aspect of human life; culture, religion, ethnicity, gender, age and class. Marxists understand that world trade is important and that the division of labour can help every country to grow faster however; the division of labour is established under capitalism and therefore the division of labour is imposed upon the less developed countries. Marx and Engles claim in the Communist Manifesto The bourgeoisie has through its exploitation of the world market given a cosmopolitan character to production and consumption in every country All old-established national industries have been destroyed or are daily being destroyed. In conclusion, we now live in a multi level society that has a global level of organisation but also regional and national levels. Global international agencies reinforce the nation state; global movements only challenge the authority of the nation state and although nation states are loosing some of their autonomy and sovereignty, but that this has been lost because countrys are becoming more regionalised. Castells (1997) argues that subnationalisms and communal resistance by ethnic and religious groups have forced the nation state to decentralise authority and decision making to meet their demands.

Monday, March 9, 2020

The Secret History Essay Example

The Secret History Essay Example The Secret History Paper The Secret History Paper Essay Topic: Literature When it was published in 1992 The Secret History was acclaimed as the most hyped novel of all time. It sold in vast numbers and despite being marketed as The Thinking Persons Thriller it included elements of many other genres. It has been stated by some critics that much of its success comes from the depth provided by the first person narrative along with the autobiographical detail from Tartt herself. The narrative in The Secret History is provided by Richard Papen, who fulfils the role of an outsider; looking in upon the classics group and gradually becoming assimilated within them. Through the use of the first person narrative the reader only sees Richards perception of events, along with the inaccuracy of his observations; an example of this is his reference to the heavy sweet smell of apples rotting on the ground being both the thing he hated about Plano and one of the things that made Hampden so appealing to him. Richard also states that one of his skills is lying on my feet, something which hardly lends reliability to the narration. This effect is furthered by the separation of Richard the narrator and Richard the leading character. The narrative switches between the recall of events in the past tense and his feelings about these events in the present tense; through this use of a first person retrospective narrative the progression from the focaliser and past self to the narrator represented by the present self can be seen: I suppose at one time in my life I might have had any number of stories, but now there is no other. This is the only story I will ever be able to tell (Prologue) This creates a drama in which the protagonist attempts to make sense of his own self and place within society as the novel progresses. The narration is intra-diegetic and the expression of thought and feeling that this entails draws the reader into the plot very effectively; it has been said by some that it almost implicates the reader in the action themselves. Richard as a narrator drew a mixed response from the critical press; Lee Lescaze in the Wall Street Journal review accused Tartt of using this first person narration as a way of masking her substandard abilities of characterisation, whilst James Wood in the London Review of Books found Richard a fascinating invention and colluded to the fact that he drew the reader into the action. When Bunny is murdered the reader is sympathetic to the actions of the group because they see it only from the perspective of Richard, who by this stage perceives himself to be an integral member of the group. Later in the text he acknowledges his less important position in the whole thing: And it made me feel better in some obscure way: imagining myself a hero, rushing for the gun, instead of merely loitering in its path like the bystander I so essentially am. (Epilogue) In a similar vein, as the group begins to fall apart, and the realisation of the full implications of their actions sinks in, then the reader shares to a certain extent the revulsion and the shame experienced by Richard. As a result of the narration coming from an outsider, who himself is drawn into a group; the sense of involvement felt by the reader is heightened. As Richards is the only perspective provided on events the reader shares his surprise and dismay as initial preconceptions about other characters such as Charles and Camillas incestuous relationship are removed. Through the use of the first person narrative Tartt gains the ability to legitimately provide a biased view on events, as well as to give a much deeper insight into the workings of Richard as a character. His influences become clearer; his cultural reference points are revealed to be very different to those of the group whilst his suburban, west-coast, childhood is evident in his phrasing and language. This difference is one of the things picked on by Bunny; he chastises Richard for his use of the phrase totally weird. Richards thought process is that of the modern mind it bears many similarities with that of Judy Poovey and his tendency to digress at the critical moment leads him to remain an outsider and not fully comprehend the magnitude of events. An example of this is when he fails to understand that it was more than mere coincidence finding the flight details in Henrys flat; his ability to live without thinking something which Henry later admits to be jealous of means that he takes the most logical course of action and does not attempt to understand the background to events. His lack of understanding of the motives and actions of the group is undoubtedly a result of his inability to think in Greek and it is this separation that he never overcomes, something that adds intrigue and suspense to the narrative. These elements combine to create a more thrilling plot which it can be argued led to the commercial success of the novel. The narrative technique also gives Tartt scope to purge her own emotions through the feelings expressed by Richard himself in the novel; the potential for exploring autobiographical detail is vastly increased. This adds intrigue to the plot and is also of direct benefit to Tartt herself. It has been suggested by the critic Amanda Vaill of the Washington Post in particular that Tartt uses the novel to avenge her beloved T. S. Eliot; a critic of Eliot (Edmund Wilson) also went by the name of Bunny and it was implied that her vilification of Bunny was in a way a vengeful lash against him. The use of intra-diegetic narration does however limit Tartt in her exploration of other characters, something that has led to criticism of the novel for weak characterisation. Indeed, James Kaplan (writing in Vanity Fair) went as far as to say that he found it necessary to return to Richards initial description of the characters to even tell them apart. The style of the narration is fixed and does not vary; this can be somewhat tiresome in a novel of such length. The final limitation comes from the appeal of the book; readers like protagonists that they can identify with on a personal level and therefore to increase the potential readership of the book Tartt was required to use an everyman character as a narrator. This prevented her from making the book totally autobiographical. Tartts success in creating an everyman narrator is illustrated by Richards lack of outstanding characteristics that would vary the narrative; the two goals are irreconcilable for it is impossible to have an everyman narrator who has enough character traits and variations to be in themselves a point of interest throughout a novel as long as this. It is widely accepted that Tartt did succeed in creating an everyman narrator, something illustrated by the wide variety of critics who claimed that they could identify with Richard and indeed his lack of distinguishing characteristics. Tartts narrative technique bears a strong resemblance to that used by F. Scott Fitzgerald in The Great Gatsby, a novel that is made explicit reference to in the text. A split narrator/focaliser is used to a great and similar effect, something that is especially apparent in the opening passages; Chapter One of The Great Gatsby and the Prologue of The Secret History. The pervading sense is that of the experience having changed the narrator permanently; an experience that transcends all others within each of their lives. Richard says that This is the only story I will ever be able to tell and Nick Carraway describes the sense of hope he found within Gatsby as being something I have never found in any other person and which it is not likely I shall ever find again. This flatters the reader into believing they are to be told something of great magnitude and encourages them to read on. A feature of both novels is the jaded perception that the narrator has of other characters in the book, much of the plot being subsequently derived from watching their preconceptions fall apart. Tartt uses an interesting twist on this in relation to Richards perception of Charles and Camilla, his initial view of them as a couple is broken down, only to be reaffirmed much later: I thought they were boyfriend and girlfriend, until one day I saw them up close and realized they ad to be siblings. Later I learned they were twins. (Chapter 1) This tendency to is true of Richards views on almost of all of the characters and Nicks view of Gatsby and Jordan Baker in particular. When compared with other first person narratives, Tartt does not exploit the medium to its full potential; for example when compared to Brontes Wuthering Heights which employs a far more sophisticated narrative technique. The Secret History uses a diachronic narrative structure whereas Wuthering Heights begins the narrative in medias res and the plot is then built up in a synchronic manner. This adds a far greater level of depth, intrigue and suspense to the plot and launches the reader in the centre of the action in the opening chapter; in contrast in The Secret History the reader has to wade through a lengthy preamble that builds up the character of Richard before the action begins. It can however be argued that without this period of characterization first then the subsequent events would lose much of their resonance and the factors that make the narrative appealing such as the inaccuracy of the narration itself would be far less apparent. Whilst it cannot be argued that The Secret History begins in medias res the prologue does however provide an initial retrospective view of events and it is from this that much of the suspense in the first book is generated. The split between the narrator and focaliser is introduced, explaining the time gap between Richards description of events and his subsequent commentary on them: through once I thought that I had left that ravine forever on an April afternoon long ago, now I am not so sure. (Prologue) When interviewed by Kirsty Wark for the BBC, Tartt explained that she believed she was experimenting with the technique of in medias res by beginning her narrative after the conclusion of events and then using a diachronic narrative structure to build back up to that point once again. Her technique could perhaps be therefore described as in finis res. One way in which Tartt varies the narrative is through the limited use of letters, something that is also evident in Wuthering Heights. In Francis suicide letter to Richard the cultural reference points that Francis employs are evident as being different from those of Richard and this adds depth to his character. This is similar to the way in which Bronte uses the letter from Isabella to Ellen Dean to provide a different perspective on events. Henry is used to a limited extent in the narration as well; when Richard finds out about the events of the bacchanal it is Henry who describes them to him. Henrys aloof manner and detachment from society is emphasized in this passage. It can be said that the losses inherent with first person narration can be excused because of the benefits that vastly outweigh them. The commercial success of the book indeed points to that fact whilst in a literary sphere the intra-diegetic narrative technique gives the reader a much deeper insight into Richards emotions. The reader feels almost implicated in the actions of the group themselves as a result of this. However in contrast to this, the appeal of the book is limited by the need for readers to identify with the protagonist, Richard, and this in turn reduced Tartts scope for exploring in greater depth the psyche of other characters. As such it appears that first person narration gave the book much of its success and the author indeed gained more than she lost. It has been argued by many critics that The Secret History is largely autobiographical. When the content of the novel is compared to Donna Tartts life then there are indeed a number of similarities, but they are spread amongst the main characters rather than being embodied entirely by one. No one character follows the pattern of her life; therefore the novel cannot be strictly regarded as being autobiographical. Despite this, the way in which elements of her life are evident amongst most of the main characters does lend the novel certain autobiographical qualities; Tartt is relating experiences that actually happened to her, although it can be argued that by including elements of her own experiences within all the major characters she limits her scope for deeper characterization and more varied personalities. When Tartts life is compared to that of Richard then a number of similarities become apparent. She moved from Mississippi University to Bennington, a move that is replicated in Richards own from a small college in my home town to Hampden College. Although strenuously denied by Tartt in interviews, there are a vast number of similarities between Bennington and Hampden and it is accepted by many critics that Bennington was in fact used as a model for the setting of The Secret History. At Bennington Tartt was a member of a similar Classics clique around a tutor called Claude Fredericks who, in remarkable similarity to Julian, taught Greek and admitted very few students to his classes. A good friend of Tartts at Bennington was Paul McGloin who bears resemblance to Henry intellectually, sartorially and physically. In another similarity to Richard, Tartt used her own past as a disposable resource, creating a new existence for herself at college. Tartt makes this trait of Richards very clear to the reader: My years [in Plano] created for me an expendable past, disposable as a plastic cup. Which I suppose was a very great gift, in a way. (Chapter 1) Beyond these bare facts the similarities with Richard end and any further details emerge from analysis of the other leading characters and events. Tartt was the only female in the clique, drawing similarities with Camilla, and the eccentric and incongruous figure she cut at Mississippi is reminiscent of Richards impression of Henry. In her childhood Tartt spent much of her time bed-bound through illness, a time in which she claims to have increased her literary awareness through reading, again in much the same manner as Henry does. Events that replicate themselves in the narrative are evident in her past too, the drugged experience at the funeral may be in reference to her own long, drugged afternoons in bed whilst her family background of abnormal relationship structures as a result of absent parents is evident in the past of Charles and Camilla. Her sense of being left behind by her aloof mother is replicated by Henry and Francis. The use of a first person narrative does not lend credibility to the autobiographical nature of the novel because if this was the case then her life would be embodied by the experiences of Richard. Whilst there may be passing similarities it would be difficult to say that Richard is representative of her path through college, and as already discussed her experiences also manifest themselves in the other characters. The autobiographical elements are also evident in the setting of the novel. It would have been as easy for Tartt to explore these issues using a third person narrative and it can be argued that this would have enabled her to explore aspects of her past, such as being the only female in the clique as Camilla is, with greater ease. What Tartt gains in emotional detail with relation to Richards character could be autobiographical but due to her secretive nature and reluctance to reveal details about her own past then this cannot be proven. Indeed, her own Secret History is what makes the book so interesting because of the tantalizing glimpses into her past which the reader flatters themselves into believing that they are seeing. Autobiographies are in their very essence first person narratives and Tartts use of this technique does lend that implication to the plot but her previously stated reticence to divulge information on how her life related to The Secret History makes further discussion on the point little more than fatuitous speculation. In conclusion The Secret History is a modern literary classic at least in part as a result of the depth and intensity that comes as a result of the first person narrative. Tartt employs this technique to such an effect as to draw the reader into the text to such an extent that they themselves feel implicated in the crimes that occur. It is true that this intra-diegetic narrative limits the scope for characterization and leads to a lack of variety in the novel, something which drew criticism from some parties, but the losses incurred as a result of this do not outweigh the aforementioned gains. It is difficult to say that the use of a first person narrative lends much credibility to the autobiographical argument because of the manner in which such details are distributed amongst the main characters as opposed to being embodied in Richard. Whilst certain aspects of her life that bear similarity to Richards could have given her a deeper insight into his emotional state, not only are the instances too diverse to represent such a trend, but the lack of information divulged by Tartt makes further investigation almost impossible.

Saturday, February 22, 2020

Substance Abuse, Homelessness, Hunger and How They Relate Research Paper

Substance Abuse, Homelessness, Hunger and How They Relate - Research Paper Example Homelessness is the aspect of an individual lacking housing facilities as a basic need and they end up living in the streets. These people lack a fixed or even regular place they can stay at night and end up living in tents or structures made up of unsustainable materials to shelter themselves at night which is only temporary (Shumsky 12). Hunger can be defined as staying for long periods of time usually a minimum of 24 hours without eating any food for the lack of it. Hunger causes health problems as a result of lack of energy to enable them function to full physical and even mental capacity. According to statistics, homelessness in the United States is attributed to the following main causes: poverty, unemployment, lack of affordable housing and the greatest of them all is substance abuse (Didenko & Pankratz 9). Substance abuse incapacitates an individual to the extent that they are unable to function to their full physical and mental capacity. They lose their jobs and cannot sustain their families. With the lack of income and money to pay rent or even purchase food, they end up homeless and hungry and have to reside on the streets or even emergency shelters and temporarily made up tents. The deplorable conditions under which the homeless people live in provides a reason for them turning into substance abuse as a way to drown and forget their current poor state of affairs or the hunger they are constantly facing. A food pantry is a food bank or a large storage of food products mostly the canned food that cannot easily expire and it is mostly for emergency purposes only or when a given part of the community requires the food. Since the homeless are incapacitated to provide decent food for themselves and most of the time they go hungry, there is a need for the community to have a food bank to be supplying food to these homeless people occasionally (Gitterman 25). Taking care of the homeless people as a community through feeding them is one huge step in changing their lives.

Thursday, February 6, 2020

The Dispute between Shylock and Antonio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Dispute between Shylock and Antonio - Essay Example It is ineffective when one or both parties are bargaining from an extreme position, in that one party either has a high demand and cedes ground slowly, or that one party has a low demand and cedes ground quickly (Carnevale & Pruitt, 1992). Mediation is negotiation between two parties, with a neutral third party guiding the process (Goltsman, et al). Mediation may be successful in traditionally high conflict situations like divorces. That said, it is not successful in divorce cases where one party is unreasonable, one party dominates the other, or one party is unable to approach the issues in a fair way (Gold, 1992). Litigation is the solution when the other strategies fail, and the parties appear before a judge and allow the judge to decide the case (Fox & Nelson, 1999). In this case, Shylock is not rational, is operating from emotion, and cannot approach the issues in a fair way. Because of the nature of the parties, and the conflict of the situation, litigation would be the most ap propriate method of settling this dispute. Discussion Negotiation and mediation are both non-coercive actions that help parties come to an agreement (Bercovitch & Jackson). The first type of legal maneuver that will be examined will be negotiation. Carnevale & Pruitt (1992) state that negotiation is basically a discussion between the parties in an attempt to get to a goal. Goltsman et al. state that negotiation may end with one party winning; a compromise; no agreement; or a win-win, where both parties end up with an agreement that leaves them in a better position than if there were a straight compromise. The strategies of negotiation are that one party may concede some ground; one party may contend, in that they try to make the other person concede by stating that they will not concede; or problem-solving, in which both parties work together to find a solution that may be beneficial for both (Chapman, 1996). Carnevale & Pruitt (1992) state that all three strategies are needed to co me to an agreement, even if each of the strategies seem to be mutually incompatible. Mediation is another tactic that may be used. Mediation is basically negotiation between the parties, but with a neutral third party guiding the proceedings (Carnevale & Pruitt, 1992). Goltsman et al. state that mediation has an advantage over negotiation only in the situations where conflict is high. If conflict is low, then non-mediated negotiation may produce favorable outcomes with just two sessions (Goltsman et al.). Mediation may be effective, if the mediator is able to make each side see the other’s point of view. A mediator may also make use of a caucus, where the mediator meets privately with either side. Carnevale & Pruitt (1992) states that this is most effective when the parties show a high level of hostility towards one another and a joint agreement seems unlikely. That said, a mediator may be misled by one of the parties, who might make a derogatory statement about the other par ty, and the other party is not around to rebut the statement. Mediators may be helpful in the negotiation process, as they may help one party realize how to save face; may help them resolve internal disagreements; or may help them talk to their constituents. They may also help the parties reach agreement by adding in incentives for agreement, or issuing threats for non-agreements. They may als