Harmonium and Nettles Essay

Harmonium and Nettles both highlight the theme of memory. As they both are looking back over past memories that are painful, the poems feature the feelings of being helpless in stopping the hurt that was caused. The writer in Harmonium feels remorse for the things he hadn’t said to his father as Armitage states â€Å"then mouth in reply some shallow sorry phrase or word too starved of breath to make itself heard†. The writer in Nettles is protective of the recurring threat to his child that he can’t destroy. â€Å"rain had called up tall recruits behind the shed,† this quote shows the father cannot destroy them .They differ in the way they felt powerless however as in Nettles the father is feeling powerless because of a physical threat whereas in Harmonium it is an emotional threat of the inevibility of death and unspoken feelings that makes the writer feel powerless. Furthermore they both include the reality of family life as the poems are realistic and the poems, especially Nettles, have both the love and misery of family relationships. In Nettles the love in the poem is the protective instincts of a parent towards his son but the misery is the Nettles that had hurt his child and the fact that being protective isn’t enough to stop him from getting hurt. The realistic relationship in Harmonium is the family resentment and frustration from a son to his father. We can tell that the writer resents and is frustrated by his father as it says â€Å"and he being him can’t help but say†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. and I, being me† which shows that he is frustrated at their relationship. However the Harmonium is used to describe his father so therefore his family life whereas in Nettles it is reversed. The Nettles, that had caused pain for the boy, is actually describing soldiers and war therefore the underlying message is not about family b ut about war and the underlying message in Harmonium is not about the Harmonium but about family.

Globalization and Its Effects on Mexico Essay

Mexico has the size and assets which could contribute to wealth and prosperity within their borders. The nation has the second longest border with the United States, significant oil resources, and the 11th largest population in the world. Mexico underwent all the necessary free market changes to help support globalization despite initial resistance, but they are yet to complete the interior microeconomic makeover they drastically need. Mexico has many things working for them but continue to underperform when it comes to global power and economy, China out performs Mexico for low-cost manufactured goods and India is often the target for outsourcing jobs and services over Mexico (Biggs, Shiess). After sustained pressure from the United States and the International Monetary Fund, Mexico decided to change their global economic stance to one that supports the free market. They changed their economy to one based upon exports, they eliminated most tariffs while lowering others, attracted foreign direct investment and private state assets, and finally reduced government spending. These steps were taken at an effort for Mexico to join in on the economic benefits of globalization, but Mexico only finished half of the necessary adjustments necessary for economic prosperity. (Biggs, Shiess) Many residents of Mexico may blame their problems on issues such as the drug cartels, the lack of quality jobs, or lack of foreign investment. Although these ideas may contribute to the problems that control Mexico, they are not the true reason. After Mexico completed their globalization efforts by using the ideas of macroeconomics, they had only completed half the necessary adjustments to truly co mpete as an economic superpower in the world today.(BBC News) Mexico has failed in great part due to their stubbornness and interior corruption to evolve their nation from that of an above average Latin American Economic power, to that of one on par with most European nations, China, India, and the United States. The second half of the puzzle that Mexico is missing relies heavily on the ideas of microeconomics. Mexico never created the level playing field for companies within their country and is greatly powered by monopolies which ruins an economy due to lack of competition and innovation. For Mexico to begin to succeed in the free market needs to put resources into banks, education(specifically on technology), mechanisms which will support collaboration between competing companies, and most importantly new laws to disallow the monopolies which control Mexico’s economy. (Biggs, Shiess) Until these steps are taken Mexico remains a country which can be overwhelmingly difficult to do business in, which turns away the majority of investors, and people looking to expand companies into different countries. It is not a good sign when according to the International Finance Corporation Mexico ranks 75 out of 183 countries in the world for â€Å"ease of starting a business†. (IFC) Around the year 2000 when the globalization movement was fully set in motion, Mexico was going through an extreme change in their political stance as well. This was a major problem for Mexico, even though the economic changes which were drastically needed were happening outside Mexico’s borders it is a very difficult task of changing their political institutions at the same time of changing economic institutions. Mexico continues to stand where they are rather than take a step back to allow for future gains, for example Mexico continues to rely on their state owned oil giant Pemex instead of bringing in new companies and investors for an attempt at innovation and competition in their oil industry. (Biggs, Shiess) Until Mexico decides to take a small hit and clean house in regards to their current internal economic stance companies will continue to avoid Mexico at all costs. Startup companies need stability in a political and economic system, and until Mexico is willing to offe r that and put in place fair trade laws, better tax laws, and economic regulations they will continue down the same road. Mexico is greatly reliant on their petroleum exports; this has been called the Resource Curse by many experts. The problem lies in that when they started to nationalize their oil resources, they needed foreign investment to refine petroleum into oil as they lacked the local funds to do so themselves. This results in some economic benefits due to other countries purchasing crude oil for themselves, but the process remains to be quite draining on what could be the road to economic prosperity. Mexico needs to mine the crude oil, export it to outside nations where they can refine it and then re-import it as gasoline. (Biggs, Shiess) The biggest problem that their fossil fuel dependence will bring upon Mexico is that the country is relying on the industry, and because demand and prices are high Mexico has no reason to start new industries. Oil is a fossil fuel and resources are diminishing, and when they are gone Mexico will not be in even rougher shape than they are currently. Mexico is at the crossroads when it comes to their economy and what direction those in power want to take the country in. As of right now the globalization efforts have helped the Mexican economy but due to lack of funds and a change in political scenery at the same time Mexico was unable to fully capitalize on the free market. They may have helped their trading relationships with outside countries, but not enough was done within their own borders to disallow corruption and monopolies. Mexico is stuck in place until they take the necessary short term economic downfall to get the full rewards from globalization. With the constant changing of political motives, problems with drug cartels, and corruption the chances of new businesses starting up is slim. Without new businesses to inspire competition the economy will continue to rely upon oil to sustain the country’s economy, but eventually the oil resources they have will run out and lead to ultimate turmoil within Mexico. Works Cited Biggs, Cate, Ami Shiess, Kelly Korenak, Linda Chang, and Laura Neumeister. â€Å"World Savvy Monitor.† World Savvy Monitor. Ed. Anita Trachte. The World Savvy Board, Aug. 2009. Web. 17 Oct. 2012. . â€Å"Mexico Country Profile.† BBC News. BBC, 09 Apr. 2012. Web. 17 Oct. 2012. . â€Å"Doing Business in Mexico – World Bank Group.† Doing Business in Mexico – World Bank Group. International Finance Corporation, 2012. Web. 17 Oct. 2012. .

Life on the Road Essay

â€Å"Life on the Road† was in my opinion written to entertain, but also to inform the reader about a hitch hikers life. The author explained the basics of his everyday journeys and how they affected him. He explained how he had to adapt to certain ways of living, from where he would sleep to where he was going to find food the next day. Surprisingly traveling also taught him how to better present himself. For example, he learned to stand, instead of sit while trying to catch a ride. This showed his determination and a more favorable self portrayed image. The lifestyle he was used to living had completely changed. He no longer had luxuries easily handed to him as we Americans do today. I also believed he wrote this article in order for us to recognize the small, but important factors in life that we usually miss considering the busy life most of us lead now a days. Wertz said, â€Å"I was gone only three months, but in those three months I felt heart. † (Wertz, 13). His view on society and life changed completely after his experience on the road. Being alone on the streets forced him to learn how to fend for himself and learn how to interact differently with people. Through out his encounters he learned there is many kinds of people. He met very beautiful people, overly happy people, extremely rude people, and sadly even people suffering worse than he was. Traits he never knew he had like sympathy peeked their head out and taught him that even though he was struggling, there are still a tremendous amount of people out in the world that have it worse than he did. His journey led him through many challenges, but mainly taught him more about how special life really is.

Comparing the novels 1984 and A Brave New World with the Communist Essay

Comparing the novels 1984 and A Brave New World with the Communist Soviets - Essay Example In fact, many of the propaganda posters in 1984, do not have even have the correct war on them. None of this matters because a common enemy has been created, giving the government a lot more power in achieving exactly what it wants, without any internal conflict or protest. Both Trotsky and Goldstein are also accused of terrorist attacks, which is another way for political leaders to create fear within people, which was possible because they â€Å"were able the establish control over a large number of presses, paper supplies, and other printing establishments† (Suny 23). Creating fear among the population base is a good way of blinding them to the real motives behind their actions. In both situations, the governments create a representation of evil, in order to achieve a certain goal. A scapegoat is created in order to distract the people from reality and make the powers that be less accountable for their actions.  In fact, many of the propaganda posters in 1984, do not have even have the correct war on them. None of this matters because a common enemy has been created, giving the government a lot more power in achieving exactly what it wants, without any internal conflict or protest. Both Trotsky and Goldstein are also accused of terrorist attacks, which is another way for political leaders to create fear within people, which was possible because they â€Å"were able the establish control over a large number of presses, paper supplies, and other printing establishments† (Suny 23). Creating fear among the population base is a good way of blinding them to the real motives behind their actions. In both situations, the governments create a representation of evil, in order to achieve a certain goal. A scapegoat is created in order to distract the people from reality and make the powers that be less accountable for their actions.   The communist leaders of the Soviet Union were notorious for the manner in which they were able to control their popul ation. These leaders used methods that are very similar to the methods used in Brave New World and 1984, as these novels show situations in which mind control and totalitarianism are used in order to keep a population under control. In Brave New World, a mind controlling drug is used in order to achieve this, while in 1984, fear of an unknown enemy is how the population is controlled. In both cases, the government uses whatever methods are necessary, just as the Soviet governments did during the Cold War.  

Indonesia Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Indonesia - Research Paper Example Indonesia carves its identity as a nation through hundreds of years first as a strategic trade point for Indian and Arab traders, then as a land annexed in conquest with European colonization. Social issues divide the population at many points, for example, the place of women in the labor market, feminized labor, women's rights and prostitution, suffrage, dress, religious observance and  politics.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The demographics of Indonesia inform on the population's race, religion, languages, and ages. Indonesia is a country of diverse ethnicities. Javanese, Sundanese, Madurese and Minangkabau represent some examples of these races. Catholicism, Protestantism, Hinduism are some recognized religions in Indonesia. The official languages of Indonesia are Bahasa Indonesia  and Javanese. From the national census in 2009, Indonesia reported a population totaling 240.3 million. The life expectancy for men is 67 years and the life expectancy for women is 72 years (U.S. Departm ent of State).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although not an Islamic state, more than 85 percent of Indonesia profess the Muslim faith. Islam has established deep roots in Indonesia since the 5th century in which Indian traders transferred their beliefs to the Indonesian Natives. The mixture of traditional religion with Islam produced a syncretistic version of Islam such that Indonesian Muslims retain certain doctrines of animism. Although there were a few attempts to implement shariah law within the national constitution of Indonesia, Indonesia remains a democratic, liberal and secular state where adherents of different religions can freely practice religion according to their consciences. However, a few guerrilla extremist Islamic groups exist in Indonesia that continue to fight for a stricter Islamist state, so that constitutional laws would be subject to shariah law.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The political history of Indonesia is wide and rife with conflict, conquest and colonialism. Be tween the 7th and 14th century A.D., the Indonesian island of Sumatra enjoyed the flourishing of a Buddhist-centered empire called Srivijaya. This kingdom spread far and wide to encompass a vast region including West Java and the Malay Peninsula. In the thirteenth century, the Mataram dynasty began as a small kingdom in central Java. The chronicles of Mataram indicate it was a pro-Islamic state which encouraged preservation of traditional animism.   The fourteenth century marked the introduction of another Hindu-based empire named Majapahit. Majapahit lasted about two centuries until the 1600s when the Dutch began a campaign of colonization. The broken kingdom and divided islands facilitated conquest. Soekarno/Sukarno ne Kusno Sosrodihardjo is the mastermind behind Pancasila. He emerged as Indonesia's first president after the declaration of independence and reigned as President until 1967. The end of WWII marked the end of colonialism for Indonesia since Japan occupied and gained control of government for three years between 1942-1945. After Sukarno renounced power, one of Sukarno's military generals, Suharto, rose to command presidential authority. Suharto is noted to have played a great role in the extensive bloodshed of 150,000-500,000 alleged communists in 1966. Contrary to his predecessor, Suharto's tenure ushered in a "New Order." He put in place new policies to further develop the infrastructure of Indonesia.   After successive re-election terms, President Suharto

Marketing communications Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Marketing communications - Essay Example Advertising using these mediums has changed perspectives of brands in our minds. Furthermore, marketing tools such as aiming below-the-line marketing, direct marketing, personal selling, door-to-door selling are now being used to sell customized products to the customers just like the way they want it. Now customers can also enjoy the luxuries just by a click of a mouse or a remote on a TV to shop online, order through the phone or book products through telemarketing. A company can use many different mediums of communicating their intended message to the customers as mentioned in the preceding section. However, due to resource shortage, companies do efficient resource allocation which in the marketing world is known as adopting the right Marketing (Promotion) Mix. The Promotions Mix is the specific mix of advertising, personal selling, sales promotion, public relations, and direct marketing that an organization uses to pursue its marketing objectives. The promotional mix itself is part of the wider marketing mix; it is one of the four P's of marketing, product, price, and place and of course promotion itself. First and foremost it is important to consider the relative strengths and weaknesses of each component/tool of the promotional mix in deciding... Typical advertising media include Yellow Pages, local newspapers, radio, television advertisements, trade journals, exhibitions and websites. The advantage of advertising is that it can reach a large and geographically dispersed audience It has a low cost per exposure, though the overall costs of making advertisements and producing and airing them might be high. Advertising also tends to create brand recognition Reinforces product existence (by consistently repeating key messages) Dramatizes company/brand Builds brand image The disadvantages can be its impersonal outlook lack of direct feedback (one-way communication) As mentioned earlier it is expensive Personal selling Personal selling is a very effective form of promotion since it allows customization according to the needs of the customers. For example it can be a presentation by a company's sales force for the purpose of making sales and building customer relationships Personal selling is very effective marketing tool for building customer relationships as personal interaction allows for feedback and adjustments; Buyers are more attentive; Sales force represents a long-term commitment; Allows for direct and immediate response to customer feedback; Disadvantages are that it is one of the most expensive of the promotional tools both in terms of time and money. But it must be borne in mind that active networking with existing customers, business associations and even suppliers can play an important role in promoting the business to a wider target audience. Sales promotion Sales promotion usually constitutes short-term, specific incentives to encourage the purchase or sale of a product or service. A large variety of sales promotion tools can be used such

Microsoft Analysis Paper Term Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Microsoft Analysis - Term Paper Example The purpose of this paper is to analyze the operations of Microsoft using a variety of business analytic tools Mission, Vision, Stakeholders The mission statement of Microsoft Corporation is â€Å"Our mission and values are to help people and businesses throughout the world realize their full potential† (Microsoft, 2011). As a public company the firm’s actions must comply with the best interest of a variety of stakeholder groups. Some of the stakeholders that Microsoft must respond too are the shareholders, employees, board of directors, executive management team, suppliers, lenders, community, and the government. The company has tremendous aspirations and visions for the future. â€Å"At Microsoft, we believe the most engaging digital experiences will grow out of the combination of four things: smart devices, cloud-based services, natural forms of interaction between people and technology, and finally, people’s imaginations† (Microsoft, 2011). Five forces of Competition The threat of new entrants in the software industry is high. There are thousands of software companies in the marketplace. It is possible that one of these companies might be able to develop a new operating system to compete directly with Microsoft. In the gaming segment it seems as if the industry operates as an oligopoly with Sony and Nintendo being the only competitors. It takes billions of dollars and years of research to develop a new gaming console. The bargaining power of suppliers is low. Microsoft can take advantage of economies of scale to get better prices from suppliers. The bargaining power of buyers is medium low. Buyers are willing to pay the market price for software despite its relative high prices. The buyer power increases during certain seasons such as Christmas. The threat of substitute is medium. In terms of operating system I would classify the buyer power as low due to the lack of real substitute despite the existence of Linux and Mac computer s. In the gaming industry substitute are medium since there are only two competitors. The rivalry among firms competing in the industry is high. Due to the intense competition companies have to spend a lot of money on marketing. SWOT One of the strengths of Microsoft is its strong economic position and history of outstanding financial performance. The company’s equity is considered a blue chip stock. The company generated in 2011 sales of $69.94 billion. During the past five years the sales of the company have increased by 36.81%. The net income of the firm in 2011 was $23,150 billion. In comparison of the previous year the net income of the company increased by an outstanding margin of 23.40%. The market capitalization of Microsoft is $216.19 billion. The net margin of the firm in 2011 was 33%. The average net margin in the software industry is a mere 1.9% (Dun & Bradstreet, 2011). The net margin of Microsoft was 17.36 times higher than the industry average in 2010. The divi dend yield of the company was 3.10%. A second strength of Microsoft is the brand value of the company. Microsoft has the leader software industry largely due to the superior design of its operating systems programs. The current version of the Operating system Microsoft is selling is Windows 7. The customers of computers visualize Microsoft as the top brand in the industry. Due to the preference of customers for Windows product the majority of new computers come equipped with Microsoft operating systems. Another strength

Leadership Philosophy Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Leadership Philosophy - Coursework Example positive influence, developing right priorities, integrity, creating positive change, problem solving, right attitude, developing people, vision, self-discipline and team building. All these aspects are very important in respect of a comprehensive approach to leadership. However, one of the most important qualities of a leader is to have a vision. A vision is a clear image or idea about the aspirations of a leader. A vision comprises a set of specifically defined objectives that an individual or a firm aims to achieve, along with ways to achieve the same. Vision can also be defined as a picture of the future, where a leader defines the aspirations, develops plans for achieving the same and predicts future changes related to the venture. Maxwell explained that vision is developed by combining the past, present and future ideas. An individual is able to learn different lessons from past experiences, which act as cornerstone for vision development. The present helps an individual in determining resources that he/she would require while giving a physical shape to the vision. The future enables development of the bigger picture of a particular idea conceived in an individual’s mind. The paper is a self-reflective essay about a particular vision of the author and the various measures to be adopted for giving physical shape to the vision. Personal health is an asset for every individual. Yet, with increasing complexity in the surrounding environment, most of us are unable to enjoy a healthy life. One of the important aspects of maintaining health is food. Our food consumption behavior is reflected on our health. For instance, high consumption of fast food results in obesity, while excessive dieting causes malnutrition and related diseases. Most individuals want to eat healthy food, but hate to compromise on requirements of the taste buds. Consequently, taste gets more preference over health. The above situation is common for almost every individual and considering

The dangers of Online Gaming Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The dangers of Online Gaming - Essay Example Online gaming tend require a high degree of involvement. As these games integrate communication and entertainment in a play environment they become significant to players and their lives, they become more and more popular drawing obsession from players across the globe. This paper has illustrated that online games could have an adverse impact on a person’s well-being especially when played excessively. Online game addiction is characterized by the same symptoms and effects as those other addictions that are considered as illnesses and medical cases. Personal relationships, social interaction, physical activity – these factors are just some of the casualties of online game addiction. Finally and most importantly, online games display a worse kind of media violence that threatens to undermine the proper development of young people. Positive values are under attack as shocking images of images of violence and human sufferings are glorified with computer and technological a esthetics. According to David Trend, while such images do not necessarily compel players to action, they gradually reinforce acceptance. As previously mentioned, players are no longer spectators in the violent acts as in movies and television materials. They partake in the action and, needless, to say it adds up to the influence on a player’s psyche. Numerous cases have already been reported in the media, directly linking online games to deaths, ruined relationship and bad health implications. This is the reason why attention must be given to this sector either by governments and the parents. Studying, monitoring and possibly regulating online games could address the dangers that it may pose not just to individuals but to society as a whole.

Describe experimental approaches to distinguish between competitive Essay

Describe experimental approaches to distinguish between competitive inhibitors and non competitive inhibitors and discuss the i - Essay Example These drugs potentially target those enzymes that are responsible for proliferation of cancer cells (Nelson, 2008). Enzyme inhibitors diminish the enzyme's capability to combine with the substrate. They reduce the enzyme's catalytic actions. There are two kinds of inhibitors: 1. Reversible inhibitors: They are the agents or molecules that separate from the enzyme. They are competitive, that compete with the substrate to gain access to the active site of the enzyme, it lowers the KM and reduces the reaction velocity (Nelson, 2008). Mixed inhibitor reduces apparent substrate binding ability of the enzyme. Thus it alters the chemical nature of active site. They are capable of binding with ES complex and thus reduce the substrate binding ability of enzyme. Mixed inhibitors can either reduce or enhance the KM or diminish Vmax (Nelson, 2008). Non-competitive inhibitor is not influenced by E or ES. It binds with both with same affinity. Non-competitive inhibitors decrease the Vmax while kee p the KM unchanged. 2. Irreversible inhibitors: They are the molecules or agents that do not get detached from the enzyme or from the active site of enzymes, thereby they does not allow the substrate to combine with the enzyme. Thus they bind to the enzyme tightly or permanently, inactivating the enzyme. E.g. Male baldness drug Propecia.

Church and Government Essay Example for Free

Church and Government Essay According to Article II, Section 6 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution states that, the separation of Church and State shall be inviolable and Article III, Section 5 states, No law shall be made respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. . The free exercise and enjoyment of religious profession and worship, without discrimination or preference, shall be forever be allowed. No religious test shall be required for the exercise of civil or political rights. Given the articles of the constitution regarding the relationship of the church and the state, is the Catholic Church violating the principle of the Separation of Church and State by daring to speak out against certain bills? First, what does the separation of the church and state really means? The separation of the state means that the state does not have an official religion. It means that the people are free to choose in what religion depending in their own belief. It also means that there should be no laws that shall be pass that favors a religion over the other. It also means that there should be no discrimination of the religion and belief of the people. In short, what the union of the church and the state really means is that the citizens should be forced to follow a particular doctrine and those that do not follow should be penalized. We can see from banners outside of cathedrals the popular phrase â€Å"No to RH Bill, Yes to Life.† But can we consider this action as a violation of the constitution? The separation of the church and the state does not mention that church officials cannot speak or try to influence the state policy. Since the Philippines is a democratic country, every person, group and organization is free to express their own opinion regarding certain issues. The church does not force people to go against a certain bills; the decision still lies in the people according to their conscience and understanding. It means that the church is not violating the constitution since it is only expressing its right to speak in order of its belief. Given the reasons above, that the Philippines has no state religion and given that the state does not subsidize the church, and that no church has any official access to the instruments of state power, I believe that the church does not violate the constitution and that there is really a separation of the church and the state.

Pre-1914 literature Arthur Conan Doyle Essay Example for Free

Pre-1914 literature Arthur Conan Doyle Essay The previous pair of quotes significantly carries the Victorian assumption of evil and mysterious foreigners. Victorians associated drugs with the Far East: As I entered, a swallow of Malay attendant, and the rascally Lascar who runs it has sworn to have vengeance upon me. Both these quotes suggest similar nature in the Victorian attitude to others of different origins. The drugs and alcohol is unfairly associated with Malaysia being a Far Eastern country, this unfairly creates unnecessary judgements about the atmosphere of the country. Lascar was a Victorian term used to label an East Indian (Pakistani) sailor army servant. The Lascar in The Man with the Twisted Lip was described as rascally Lascar, although this indicates that the den runner is Asian but also the description creates an image of a mischievous person. We have seen how Arthur Conan Doyle has used stereotypical thoughts in his work to satisfy the aristocracy. The Victorians feared that the culture and customs of non British people, they felt threatened by foreigners; Sherlock Holmes was a method of reassurance in which the Victorian culture and values were still respected. During the Victorian era there were three sets of class between people. The highest class were called the Aristocracy, the middle class were called the Merchants, and the lowest class were known as the poor. The aristocracy lived a life of luxury and had huge amounts of materialistic wealth and possessions. The aristocracy were all educated and had a high status amongst all people. The merchants could have possibly been literate, but they were not as highly renowned compared to the aristocracy, but they were better off compared to the poor. The merchant class would do a certain job for a living. Lastly, the poor were very uneducated and lived in awful conditions. They were detested by the aristocracy because of their lack of hygiene and also because of their class. The aristocracy at the time of the Victorian era were seen as the most intelligent, in The Speckled Band we are clearly shown that Holmes is of the upper class: Very soon to knock you up Watson; he uses upper class speech. Holmes in The Speckled Band also shows his intelligence No, but I observe the second half of a return ticket; this quote shows the wise and intelligent remarks Holmes uses. The upper class were also shown to be very respective and polite, in A study in Scarlet, Holmes shows his upper class etiquettes: His eyes fairly glittered as he spoke, and he put his hand over his heart and bowed, as it to some applauding crowd conjured up by his imagination. The upper class would help and always relate to each other, in The Noble Batchelor: I presume they were hardly from the same class of society, No I am descending, My last client of the sort was a king. Holmes tells a client that he has worked for a King. In another Sherlock Holmes novel The Adventure of Black Peter: he frequently refused his help to the powerful and wealthy where the problem made no appeal to his sympathies. These quotes show how Holmes who is of the upper class helps the upper class only if the problem is actualy a valid one for him to have nay interest in. In the customs of Victorian culture Victorian gentlemen were intelligent and rational thinkers and also family leaders and role models. If a man of the upper class fails to acquire these fundamental aspects of a well character gentleman they would be known as a fallen gentleman. In The Speckled Band Dr Roylott is a perfect example of a fallen gentleman: he beat his native butler to death and narrowly escaped a capital sentence, he shut himself up in his house and seldom came out save to indulge in ferocious quarrels with whoever might cross his path. Violence of temper approaching to mania. Dr Roylott is a fallen gentleman, some aspects which make him one is that he is a murderer and has a violent nature. Another perfect example of a fallen gentleman can be found in The Man with the Twisted Lip, the character Mr St. Clair displays clear characteristics of a fallen gentleman: to my relief, that instead of being identified as Mr Neville St. Clair, I was arrested as his murderer. Mr St. Clair has been caught acting as a beggar to earn money when he seemed to be a of the higher class standards. Doing such things was an obvious big offence to the Victorian customs. The aristocracy thought of themselves as supreme and pure, they never did any physical work that could discolour their skin: a pale face (From The Man with the Twisted Lip). The aristocracy tend to have very pale skin, indicating that they do not work, because work can causes skin discolouring. Hygiene was a very important aspect of everyday aristocracy life, in The Speckled Band, it is very unusual that Holmes packs a toothbrush when he is off to investigate an incident: That and a toothbrush are, I think, all that we need. As well as hygiene, appearance was obviously a very important item addressed in everyday upper class life. From The Man with the Twisted Lip we are shown: such as he had started to town in, he has on neither collar nor necktie. This quote reveals to us how important this was to the upper class. This is demonstrating that a man of high class would never be seen without a tie around his neck. The merchant class were not as intelligent and as respected as the aristocracy. The middleclass were not better than the upper class. As justified by the following quote from The Scandal in Bohemia, it displays a very basic outline in what Holmes does: he was still, as ever, deeply attracted by the study of crime, and occupied his immense faculties and extraordinary powers of observation in following out those clues and clearing up these mysteries, which had been abandoned as hopeless by the official police. Not only does this quote demonstrate the powers and qualities of Holmes, but in meaning it also shows us that the police who are the working class are being outsmarted by Holmes who is of the upper class, which suggests that the upper class is better than the merchant or working class. The aristocracy also control the middleclass: if you leave it to a court of law to clear the matter up on the other hand, if you convince the police authorities that there is no possible case against you (From The Man with the Twisted Lip). This quote shows us the Victorian thinking that a person belonging to the aristocracy will always have power and manipulation over the lower classes. The poor were hated by the upper classes. The higher class hated them for many reasons, one being there appearance, and extract from The Man with the Twisted Lip: He was, as the inspector said extremely dirty, but the grime which covered his face could not conceal its repulsive ugliness. This reveals that the Victorian upper class thought the poor as being very ugly, disgusting and dirty, this was the stereotype that all poor people were ugly and dirty. The lower class were seen as the worst of all people; the gypsies were hated just because they lived in a different way. In The Speckled Band, the Ms Stoner states: sometimes it may have referred to some band of people, perhaps to these very gypsies in the plantation might have suggested the strange adjective she used. This demonstrated the class differences, Ms Stoner feels superior to the gypsies, also revealing that the Victorian aristocracy though themselves as being superior to all other classes. Victorian assumption to crime mysteries is that if there was a person out of the upper class or the poor they were the criminals. From The Man with the Twisted Lip, this attitude is clearly shown: wash his hands, and his face is as black as a tinkers. Well once his case is settled he will have a regular prison bath. This quotes significance is that the poor people were always the assumed of committing crimes, because that is the only way they can survive. When someone decides to change their class it is seen as the worst possible thing that could happen in the view of Victorians. The poor cannot be changed to the aristocracy because of their past and their low status. The same way a man of the aristocracy cannot become lower than his usual class, if this does happen then this is seen as the most shameful situation. Prime examples are Dr Roylott from The Speckled Band and Mr St. Clair from The Man with the Twisted Lip. From analysing mainly the two novels; The Speckled Band and The Man with the Twisted Lip that were both written by Arthur Conan Doyle, the Victorian attitudes towards gender, ethnicity and class are revealed. In terms of gender these points have been discussed and proven; Men were fare more intelligent and rational than women. Women were over emotional; they also had authority over domestic matters. However, men were in control over all aspects of Victorian life. Points concerning ethnicity were; Victorians felt threatened and also hated foreigners (Xenophobia). Victorian saw foreigners and animals as dangerous and mischievous. Victorian towards class was that the Aristocracy were very wealthy, the working class worked for their wealth and the lower class was just poor. Someone transferring classes was not acceptable in Victorian society, the Victorians held a strong belief that someone should stick to their status and class. From the previous Victorian assumption we can conclude that the Victorian morals, values and thinking were much contrasting than what the present views on society are, and things have changed in a positive way.   Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Arthur Conan Doyle section.

Impact Of The Studio System On Filmmaking

Impact Of The Studio System On Filmmaking Examine the extent to which the Hollywood studio system nurtured or inhibited the artistry of film makers. This essay will be analysing to what extent the studio system has helped or possibly hindered the artistic nature and idea of filmmakers. The studio system can be defined under the idea that the studio owns and controls all aspects of the film creation. The largest and most prominent studios at this time were Warner Brothers, Paramount and MGM, they had final say over all decisions to do with the film (Filmsite, 2010). The Studio system was at its most prominent in the 1950s after having dominated the market from the 1920s to the 1940s, they made the final decision on all aspects of the film, and choose who they wanted to direct the film; this director would be given clear guidelines and rules to follow when creating the film. During the 1950s there started to emerge in Europe a belief that film should be more than just a story on the screen and that it was in fact an art form. This idea of the director taking control over the film to produce their own version, to show how they felt about the film carries into the theory of authorship. Authorship is when a creator of something puts their own stamp on what they are producing, from telling the story in a different way to shooting the film in a different style. The idea of authorship is seen in many texts over the centuries like Shakespeares Hamlet, where Hamlet speaks to the audience and in Jane Eyre when the main character addresss the reader in the first person. This idea is related to filmmakers because a film adopts the idea of literacy theory. During the 1950s a group of film critics in France created a magazine called Cahiers Du Cinema, to celebrate the film maker within the system, and to champion the cause of authorship. (Versobooks, 2009) From this the idea of Auteurism was born, whereby the director was given the control of the film making process to create their vision for the film. This theory is born out of the idea that film is art, and not just about making money, as was the conception to be the goal of the studio system during this time. The resulting flow of privately created artistic films that were created in Europe in this period, was known under the title of The French New Wave. This gained more momentum due to the magazine set up by Banzin, Chabrol, Truffaut, Rohmer and Godard, due to the growing idea of film as art through the theory of Autuerism. (Suite101, 2008) The French new wave was about legitimising cinemas as an art form, they believed that the idea of authorship was about the notion of a creative person, you are responsible for what you create and it will show in your art. They wanted to make films that were different from what most studios allowed. Most studios just made films that were based on novels and stories. A medium in which and by which an artist can express his thoughts, be they abstract or whatever, or in which he can communicate his obsessions as accurately as he can today in essay or novel (Unattributed B, 2010: 1) The French new wave believed that the director should be seen as a chief source of creativity, they believed that the idea the director comes up with has a huge impact on the film. It could be argued, that the Hollywood studio system has always tried to nurture the artistry of film makers, because even though the idea of film makers being seen as the director emerged slowly, studios did begin to see that directors has specialities in certain genres, and allowed them to build on that genre. John Ford was best known for his westerns, and Alfred Hitchcock was best known for his horror and suspense stories, this idea grew and allowed directors to grow in their own right. After the idea of the French new wave hit American it brought thought to studios, and they began to consider whether or not film should be seen as an art form. T.W. Griffiths film Birth of a Nation, was one of the earliest films that made studios question film as an art. His film brought the beginning to the golden age of Hollywood cinema, it shows that filmmakers tend to use film to make a point about what is going on at the time. Like Griffith many cinematic historians have examined stories from the past to suggest lessons concerning modern day controversies. (Toplin, R B, 1940: 18) The ideas that the Hollywood studios allowed the growth of creativity of film makers, is easy to see because, the auteur theory expresses the belief that a creative personality can surface through unpromising studio material, and in the end they make it their own. A film is seen as being unique because it does something only a film can do, it is an art form that can express a moment in time, and this idea is also called the holy moment. The idea of the auteur theory began to emerge from this, and it expressed a belief that some Hollywood directors could shape their material to something that meant something to them. It sought to establish individual creativity as the source of value in Hollywood ( Maltby, R, 2003: 46) the idea of the film maker being creative soon followed, and studios began to develop, with each studio having specialities like directors, MGM was good at creating musicals like singing in the rain, Warner brothers was good at making gangster film. One main person who believed that film makers like directors should be acknowledged more in a film is Alexandre Astruc, he was a film critic who was born in France and he argued that certain directors used the camera like a pen. The images themselves add nuance and develop the narrative as much as the dialog does (Unattributed C, 2010: 1) Using this idea and looking at American directors, it could be argued that as well as film makers being seen as authors with a creative process, there is an artistic value that results from their ideas and thoughts, allowing them to creatively express their imagination. The ideas of a film maker being creative, is all about whether they can create something amazing from not much that is given to them, and allowing themselves to work within the studio system. Sometimes auteurism is identified within specific genres and is linked to specialisation; each director has reoccurring elements that is found in all films they make. Alfred Hitchcock is one of the directors who makes each of his films with similar elements, and whose name always comes up when talking about auteur theory. His films are suspense films that keep audiences on their seats. Hitchcocks success didnt come from the type of genre the film was in. The skill which he exhibited in the filmmaking i.e. his treatment of the subject in terms of the shots he uses and how he combines them (Unattributed D, 2010: 1) However on the other hand it could also be argued that the Hollywood studio inhibited the artistry of film makers because, most film makers really only do what studios tell them, most work they do has to be checked by someone higher. The whole idea that Hollywood wanted to produce product not art is common because, under the studios rule the director is mainly a person hired to do what they want, he just puts the camera in the right place. Singing in the rain is a prime example of the way Hollywood saw its actors, directors etc, they were just hired. The ideas of auteur theory being a celebration of a directors freedom cant be understood by everyone because, it isnt just one person that works on a film it is a variety of people. More than one person will work on a film, so what makes the director more worthy of praise than, say, the scriptwriter or the camera operators? (Unattributed A, 2007: 1) Whether a film maker is creative or not in their film making process, may not even matter due to the fact that everyone sees things differently, what the person feels is not always what the audience sees. Due to the fact that films are made by studios, and the director isnt always the dominant one, most try to go independent but lose because, equipment used to make and produce films was expensive and not widely available. The idea of the independent American auteur is rare however, they do exist and they try to create a film that is away from the control of the studio system. Independent filmmaking consists of low-budget projects made by (mostly) young filmmakers with a strong personal vision away from the influence and pressures of the few major conglomerates that control tightly the American film industry (Daisies, G, 2010: 1) Independent film makers do work for studios as directors/ writers, and even actors for hire, just to make money to fund their project. Orson Welles is one of the film makers who pushed away from the studio system to make something he wanted. Welles embodies the concept of the tragic artist, he does everything an ideal film maker should do, he acts, writes, to raise money, but making his films he becomes a suffering artists. He wrote and starred in Citizen Kane which was about an investigation into the life of newspaper tycoon Charles Foster Kane. Orson Welles did make many films after Citizen Kane, but his success in making independent films was very expensive and so he didnt make many big budget films, after twenty years in the studio he made another independent film called chimes at midnight. The fullest, most completely realized expression of everything [Welles] had been working toward since Citizen Kane. (Unattributed E, 2010: 1) No matter the financial problems at the end, Orson Welles remains the ideal film maker who fought against the studio systems control. In conclusion it is hard to try to discover whether or not the Hollywood studio system nurtured or inhibited the artistry of film makers, no matter how much the directors/film makers are seen as creative, most of them all are contracted by the studios. Followers of the French New Wave movement argue that, the studio system does hinder a director, as they think that films should be art and should be a representation of the directors views, and emotion towards the script. According to (Alfred Hitchcock: Auteur?, 2010) the idea behind the auteur director are done in terms of personal vision, the recurring themes, even a defined view of the world, and a degree of control over production, In auteur films, it is the director who controls the artistic statement, takes credit for the film and is responsible for attracting the audience. (Unattributed F, 2010: 1) Alfred Hitchcock was a major example of seeing a director as a auteur, as his films follow the necessary needs taking up by the French new wave, they have reoccurring themes which are done by a personal vision of his and will even shock audiences. So looking at American directors it is common to see that each one has a creative way to express their imagination. Studios throughout the 50s and onwards always had some control over the films production, when a director is hired and given a clear set of rules and guidelines to follow, and is not given full control of all aspects of the film, (such as stars of the film, setting or style) then they cannot possibly make their mark on the film. This may well be the case that the Studio system does hinder a director, and stop him from being an artist, but maybe this is not what the public want from films. This can be seen in the current situation we have where, although previously widely thought to be a hindrance to directors and their artistry, the studio system period is now being heralded in the media and by the public as the golden age of cinema. The idea of authorship takes hold in the film industry after the 1950s when film was seen as art not entertainment, however Hollywood had been in an era of a golden age, there reign caused many problem and in 1948 the US department of justice sued the ma jor studios for anti competitive practices. No longer could the film industry control (or monopolize) all aspects of film production, distribution and exhibition (Kliedie, 2007: 1) It seems that regardless of whether or not the studio system affects the artistry of filmmakers, it is now becoming more popular again, and some of the films from this period that are used to stereotype the studio system, are being heralded as classic films. So it would seem that despite films not being creative art and having complete authorship from the director, the mass public does not seem to mind watching studio system type films.

Shadows in Fifth Business :: Fifth Business

Shadows in Fifth Business    Incidences that occur in one's childhood tend to affect them possibly for the rest of the rest of their life.   This applies to the novel Fifth Business and the characters Dunstan Ramsey and Boy Staunton.   Throughout the lives of these characters Dunstan lives in the shadow of Boy due to feelings of guilt and responsibility as a result of one winter evening in the town of Deptford.   As Boy and Dunny grew up together they were each others best friends and also worst enemies, but they were on basically   equal terms in their childish trials of life.   This remained to be true until that winter day in Deptford when Mrs. Dempster was struck with a snowball that was meant for Dunny.   Since that point in time Dunny, being the more caring and excepting of responsibility for other peoples problems, of the two, has not lived up to par with the life of Boy Staunton.   Ever since the snowball accident Dunny has been preoccupied by worrying   over Mary Dempster, and now her son Paul.   At the age of sixteen the small town of Deptford becomes too much for Dunny to handle so he decides to drop out of secondary school and   join the Army.   Dunny needed a change in his life, something to get his mind off Mrs. Dempster and the guilt he felt for her.   Leading up to his departure to the War he never really saw much of Mary, mainly because Mr. Dempster told him to stay away, but also because every time him saw her he couldn't hold back feelings of guilt and remorse.   This troubled Dunny, much more then he would ever let on.   On the other hand, Boy was doing as well as ever, possibly due to the fact that he knew that much of the responsibility of Mary and Paul was securely on the shoulders of Dunny.  Ã‚   Dunny knew this as well but it was too late to do much about it except leave.   While Dunny was away at war, Boy was still finishing school and in the process of stealing Dunny's girl while he was away.   Boy and Dunstan had been competing for Leola all their life up until when Dunny left.   This loss for Dunstan could have been avoided if in fact he had not   accepted responsibility for the snowball incident he wouldn't have had to leave and therefore could have kept Leola.

Defining Good Advice :: Definition Essays

Defining Good Advice Many times, good advice will happen if a person has gone astray, then, suggestions would be made to the lost and he could either take it or leave it. Also, as Doug mentioned in discussion, is that "it may be impossible to deny information given to you." So, in this case, the advisee knows what has been said to them, and "he may not take the advice at the time", but store it for later.(Nate Hall), and because of this, good, or bad advice, in my opinion, is also in the eye of the beholder. Advice may only be used if it hasn't been heard before. For example, if someone is doing something wrong, and someone keeps telling them over and over, it may just go in one ear and out the other. This is why the advisor must find a way to leave the suggestions up the person weather they want to use it or not and they have to be ready for the information given to them.(Mike) Being the advisor takes a lot of patience and confidence. You must be able to tell truthfully to someone, something that they may not want to hear. When my friend came to me asking why her boyfriend wasn't acting the same towards her, I had to be honest and sincere to tell her the bad news. Tone of voice may also play a role in this factor. If someone says something to me in a rude tone or like I am in 5th grade, I may not take them seriously, or may even get mad. In basketball, someone might catch me doing something wrong and would like to point it out to me. If they yell at me I get frustrated and on the other hand, if they talk down on me, that makes me furious. Advice works best when the advisor should puts themselves in the other person's shoes. Sincerity is a must to make a good connection. Advice can be spoken, written, or portrayed by body language. Putting your finger up to your lips may make someone quiet for awhile, but saying, "Shut up." Would make more of an effect on them. As far as good advice in writing, I believe that many people are capable of saying many things while writing, but not always is the right idea portrayed. Sharing advice in notes, or e-mails, isn't the same as hearing it person.

Tragic Hero :: essays research papers fc

In Antigone Creon is the tragic hero. Throughout the story he displays the four tragic hero characteristics. He was a person of high character. Creon was the King of Thebes and he thought he was the most powerful person. Creon didn't think anything could stop him. Pride was Creon's downfall. It lead to the loss of many loved ones that were close to him. At the end Creon realized he was wrong. He tried to fix it but couldn't. What makes Creon a tragic hero in the story Antigone? Since Creon was the King of Thebes he didn't care what others would think or say. Creon thought he was above everyone. Creon immediately made the decision that Polyneices would not be buried even though he was family. He still was a traitor and because of this he would not receive the privilege of being buried. Anyone who did bury him would be killed. Creon shows he doesn't care about anyone when he finds out Antigone buried Polyneices. He tells Antigone, "And yet you dared defy the law"(I. 285). Creon doesn't even care if it is his own relative that bertays him. That person will have to pay for their action of going against the law that he provided. Creon believes he is a rock and nothing can stand in his way. He thought he was above the gods. He didn't want to believe in Teiresiasis or anything that came out of his mouth. Creon continues to think he is above the gods. To him, nothing can change his will. Not even Teiresiasis, the blind prophet who sees the future, can change his mind. "Whatever you say, you will not change my mind"(V. 299). In this example, Creon is being stubborn. Teiresiasis tells Creon that what he is doing is wrong and the gods will get him back. Creon doesn't believe this and thinks he is just a liar. The tragic flaw of pride is what over took Creon and made him come to his downfall. Creon thought what he was doing was right. To him it didn't matter that he destroyed his son's future with Antigone. It didn't matter that he was killing his own family. It also didn't make any difference that the gods tried to stop him and would get even with him. Creon thought he was at the top and in control of all. Creon realizes his tragic flaw got the best of him when he says, "Oh it is hard to give in! but it is worse To risk everything for stubborn pride"(Exodos. Tragic Hero :: essays research papers fc In Antigone Creon is the tragic hero. Throughout the story he displays the four tragic hero characteristics. He was a person of high character. Creon was the King of Thebes and he thought he was the most powerful person. Creon didn't think anything could stop him. Pride was Creon's downfall. It lead to the loss of many loved ones that were close to him. At the end Creon realized he was wrong. He tried to fix it but couldn't. What makes Creon a tragic hero in the story Antigone? Since Creon was the King of Thebes he didn't care what others would think or say. Creon thought he was above everyone. Creon immediately made the decision that Polyneices would not be buried even though he was family. He still was a traitor and because of this he would not receive the privilege of being buried. Anyone who did bury him would be killed. Creon shows he doesn't care about anyone when he finds out Antigone buried Polyneices. He tells Antigone, "And yet you dared defy the law"(I. 285). Creon doesn't even care if it is his own relative that bertays him. That person will have to pay for their action of going against the law that he provided. Creon believes he is a rock and nothing can stand in his way. He thought he was above the gods. He didn't want to believe in Teiresiasis or anything that came out of his mouth. Creon continues to think he is above the gods. To him, nothing can change his will. Not even Teiresiasis, the blind prophet who sees the future, can change his mind. "Whatever you say, you will not change my mind"(V. 299). In this example, Creon is being stubborn. Teiresiasis tells Creon that what he is doing is wrong and the gods will get him back. Creon doesn't believe this and thinks he is just a liar. The tragic flaw of pride is what over took Creon and made him come to his downfall. Creon thought what he was doing was right. To him it didn't matter that he destroyed his son's future with Antigone. It didn't matter that he was killing his own family. It also didn't make any difference that the gods tried to stop him and would get even with him. Creon thought he was at the top and in control of all. Creon realizes his tragic flaw got the best of him when he says, "Oh it is hard to give in! but it is worse To risk everything for stubborn pride"(Exodos.

Deception Point Page 105

127 The Triton fell†¦ Michael Tolland staggered to his feet on the inclined deck and peered over the anchor spool at the frayed winch cable where the Triton used to hang. Wheeling toward the stern, he scanned the water. The Triton was just now emerging from under the Goya on the current. Relieved at least to see the sub intact, Tolland eyed the hatch, wanting nothing more than to see it open up and Rachel climb out unscathed. But the hatch remained closed. Tolland wondered if maybe she had been knocked out by the violent fall. Even from the deck, Tolland could see the Triton was riding exceptionally low in the water-far below its normal diving trim waterline. It's sinking. Tolland could not imagine why, but the reason at the moment was immaterial. I have to get Rachel out. Now. As Tolland stood to dash for the edge of the deck, a shower of machine-gun fire exploded above him, sparking off the heavy anchor spool overhead. He dropped back to his knees. Shit! He peered around the spool only long enough to see Pickering on the upper deck, taking aim like a sniper. The Delta soldier had dropped his machine gun while climbing into the doomed helicopter and Pickering had apparently recovered it. Now the director had scrambled to the high ground. Trapped behind the spool, Tolland looked back toward the sinking Triton. Come on, Rachel! Get out! He waited for the hatch to open. Nothing. Looking back to the deck of the Goya, Tolland's eyes measured the open area between his position and the stern railing. Twenty feet. A long way without any cover. Tolland took a deep breath and made up his mind. Ripping off his shirt, he hurled it to his right onto the open deck. While Pickering blew the shirt full of holes, Tolland dashed left, down the inclined deck, banking toward the stern. With a wild leap he launched himself over the railing, off the back of the ship. Arcing high in the air, Tolland heard the bullets whizzing all around him and knew a single graze would make him a shark feast the instant he hit the water. Rachel Sexton felt like a wild animal trapped in a cage. She had tried the hatch again and again with no luck. She could hear a tank somewhere beneath her filling with water, and she sensed the sub gaining weight. The darkness of the ocean was inching higher up the transparent dome, a black curtain rising in reverse. Through the lower half of the glass, Rachel could see the void of the ocean beckoning like a tomb. The empty vastness beneath threatened to swallow her whole. She grabbed the hatch mechanism and tried to twist it open one more time, but it wouldn't budge. Her lungs strained now, the dank stench of excess carbon dioxide acrid in her nostrils. Through it all, one recurring thought haunted her. I'm going to die alone underwater. She scanned the Triton's control panels and levers for something that could help, but all the indicators were black. No power. She was locked in a dead steel crypt sinking toward the bottom of the sea. The gurgling in the tanks seemed to be accelerating now, and the ocean rose to within a few feet of the top of the glass. In the distance, across the endless flat expanse, a band of crimson was inching across the horizon. Morning was on its way. Rachel feared it would be the last light she ever saw. Closing her eyes to block out her impending fate, Rachel felt the terrifying childhood images rushing into her mind. Falling through the ice. Sliding underwater. Breathless. Unable to lift herself. Sinking. Her mother calling for her. â€Å"Rachel! Rachel!† A pounding on the outside of the sub jolted Rachel out of the delirium. Her eyes snapped open. â€Å"Rachel!† The voice was muffled. A ghostly face appeared against the glass, upside down, dark hair swirling. She could barely make him out in the darkness. â€Å"Michael!† Tolland surfaced, exhaling in relief to see Rachel moving inside the sub. She's alive. Tolland swam with powerful strokes to the rear of the Triton and climbed up onto the submerged engine platform. The ocean currents felt hot and leaden around him as he positioned himself to grab the circular portal screw, staying low and hoping he was out of range of Pickering's gun. The Triton's hull was almost entirely underwater now, and Tolland knew if he were going to open the hatch and pull Rachel out, he would have to hurry. He had a ten-inch draw that was diminishing fast. Once the hatch was submerged, opening it would send a torrent of seawater gushing into the Triton, trapping Rachel inside and sending the sub into a free fall to the bottom. â€Å"Now or never,† he gasped as he grabbed the hatch wheel and heaved it counterclockwise. Nothing happened. He tried again, throwing all of his force into it. Again, the hatch refused to turn. He could hear Rachel inside, on the other side of the portal. Her voice was stifled, but he sensed her terror. â€Å"I tried!† she shouted. â€Å"I couldn't turn it!† The water was lapping across the portal lid now. â€Å"Turn together!† he shouted to her. â€Å"You're clockwise in there!† He knew the dial was clearly marked. â€Å"Okay, now!† Tolland braced himself against the ballast air tanks and strained with all his energy. He could hear Rachel below him doing the same. The dial turned a half inch and ground to a dead stop. Now Tolland saw it. The portal lid was not set evenly in the aperture. Like the lid of a jar that had been placed on crooked and screwed down hard, it was stuck. Although the rubber seal was properly set, the hatch-dogs were bent, meaning the only way that door was opening was with a welding torch. As the top of the sub sank below the surface, Tolland was filled with a sudden, overwhelming dread. Rachel Sexton would not be escaping from the Triton. Two thousand feet below, the crumpled fuselage of the bomb-laden Kiowa chopper was sinking fast, a prisoner of gravity and the powerful drag of the deepwater vortex. Inside the cockpit, Delta-One's lifeless body was no longer recognizable, disfigured by the crushing pressure of the deep. As the aircraft spiraled downward, its Hellfire missiles still attached, the glowing magma dome waited on the ocean floor like a red-hot landing pad. Beneath its three-meter-thick crust, a head of boiling lava simmered at a thousand degrees Celsius, a volcano waiting to explode. 128 Tolland stood knee-deep in water on the engine box of the sinking Triton and searched his brain for some way to save Rachel. Don't let the sub sink! He looked back toward the Goya, wondering if there were any way to get a winch connected to the Triton to keep it near the surface. Impossible. It was fifty yards away now, and Pickering was standing high on the bridge like a Roman emperor with a prime seat at some bloody Colosseum spectacle. Think! Tolland told himself. Why is the sub sinking? The mechanics of sub buoyancy were painfully simple: ballast tanks pumped full of either air or water adjusted the sub's buoyancy to move it up or down in the water. Obviously, the ballast tanks were filling up. But they shouldn't be! Every sub's ballast tanks were equipped with holes both topside and underneath. The lower openings, called â€Å"flooding holes,† always remained open, while the holes on top, â€Å"vent valves,† could be opened and closed to let air escape so water would flood in. Maybe the Triton's vent valves were open for some reason? Tolland could not imagine why. He floundered across the submerged engine platform, his hands groping one of the Triton's ballast trim tanks. The vent valves were closed. But as he felt the valves, his fingers found something else. Bullet holes. Shit! The Triton had been riddled with bullets when Rachel jumped in. Tolland immediately dove down and swam beneath the sub, running his hand carefully across the Triton's more important ballast tank-the negative tank. The Brits called this tank â€Å"the down express.† The Germans called it â€Å"putting on lead shoes.† Either way, the meaning was clear. The negative tank, when filled, took the sub down.

Mainframe/Pc Evolution

Mainframe/PC Evolution The evolution of mainframe computing to personal computing began with the invention of the mainframe for businesses and government use. The Personal Computer (PC) evolved from companies wanting the same information from scaled down version of the mainframe and dumb terminal. Though they both consist of data storage, processors, input and output devices. However, they have their differences. Mainframes The mainframe was invented in the 1950’s. One of the first mainframes was the Univac 1, which was delivered to the Census Bureau in 1952.It measured 25-feet by 50-feet and had a storage capacity of 1000 words or 12,000 characters (Lexikon Services, 1982). In the 1970s the mainframe changed with the development of UNIX operating system (Rogers, 2010). A mainframe according to Vaughan (n. d. ), â€Å"A mainframe is a continually evolving general purpose computing platform incorporating in it architectural definition the essential functionality required by it s target applications† (par. 5). The Mainframe is a multi-user data storage and application computing system.Mainframe systems can be a single mainframe unit or multiple mainframe units, depending on the number of users and uses, it is needed for. Information is entered in on a dumb terminal or workstation. The mainframe can be in the same room or in another room and even on a different floor. The mainframe is known for its reliability and why companies are willing to spend the half-a-million dollars or more for them. Mainframes have fast bus speeds, high cache speeds, error detection, and error correction (Rogers, 2010). Personal Computers One of the first computers to be considered a Personal Computer was the IBM PC in 1981.Others were invented from 1955. It consisted of a monitor, keyboard, and desktop base with diskette drives. It weighed 28 pounds. Companies were looking for a way to down-scale and cut the cost of the mainframe system. The Personal Computer, according to Whatis. com is a â€Å"microcomputer designed for use by one person at a time† (TechTarget, 2008, par. 1). In today’s terms it consist of a display unit, keyboard, mouse, tower or desktop that consists of a hard drive, memory, processors, mother board, and other hardware to carry out its functions as a microcomputer.The cost of a Personal Computer has become affordable over the years for an individual to purchase for home use as well as company use. The use of a personal computer varies in that it is used for company business, home computing, gaming, and has other opportunities for an individual computing needs. The PC has changed the way people do business, pay their bills, entertain themselves, and communicate. The PC can process data, run programs and applications, become a database, and can be networked into other PC’s and mainframes.The Personal Computer makes it easier for smaller companies to achieve what larger companies can do with mainframes. Pcâ€℠¢s can be networked together can share the same information, store information, and work efficiently. The hand held PC provides for computing mobility, which provides for more productivity. PC and Mainframe Comparison The mainframe is a large, reliable, multi-user computing system costing millions of dollars. If a mainframe has any downtime, the whole system and users cannot work. The PC is a small, affordable, and single user microcomputer that an individual can buy.It can be used for business and home computing. It has similarities to the mainframe; display unit, keyboard, processor, memory, information storage, and operating systems. Contrasts â€Å"Mainframe operating systems are designed primarily to optimize utilization of hardware. Personal computer (PC) operating systems support complex games, business applications, and everything in between† (Silbershcatz, Galvin, & Gagne, 2009). The mainframe is more costly than a PC. However, it is more reliable than the PC. The ma inframe can process information much faster than a PC.It also has faster bus speeds and higher cache speeds. The hardware in a mainframe has error detection and error correction for less downtime (Rogers, 2010). The PC is smaller, cheaper, and a single-user computer system. Its uses include home, business, and entertainment purposes. The PC system is can easily be moved by one person, the Mainframe system takes multiple people to move it. Conclusion The mainframe made way for the personal computer. In a large business setting a mainframe would be worth the price.The PC is continuing to evolve and is becoming smaller and more evolved as technology advances. Even though they have their differences, each serves it purpose in today’s society. References Blinkenlights Archaeological Institute. (1999-2007). Pop Quiz: What was the first personal computer? Retrieved November 26, 2011from http://www. blinkenlights. com/pc. shtml Lexikon Services. (1982-2000). UNIVAC 1 (1951) First Com mercially Available Computer. Retrieved November 26, 2011 from http://www. computermuseum. li/Testpage/UNIVAC-1-FullView-A. htm Rogers, S. (2010).Comparison and Contrast Between Mainframes and PC's. Retrieved November 26, 2011 from http://www. associatedcontent. com/article/5884114/comparison_and_contrast_between_mainframes. html? cat=15 Silbershcatz, A. , Galvin, P. B. , & Gagne, G. (2009). Operating System Concepts (8th ed. ). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. Inc. TechTarget. (2008). Whatis. com. Retrieved November 26, 2011 from http://whatis. techtarget. com/definition/0,,sid9_gci214279,00. html Vaughan, L. H. (n. d. ). What is a â€Å"Mainframe†. Retrieved November 26, 2011 from http://www. mainframes. com/whatis. htm

Lean Management in a Salon

1. 0. About the organization Yellow Nails Salon is a privately run business which specializes in nail care and started off as a nail-bar 5 years ago. It is a small setup with 10 service staff, one main work floor, 2 treatment rooms, a storeroom, a pantry and a restroom. The owner visits the salon every day for a couple of hours to keep an eye on the over-all running of the salon and to ensure work is being done up to the standard. The salon services about 20 customers on weekdays and up to 40 customers on weekends/peak seasons, and receives about 20% turn-away customers daily. . 1. Main products and services The core services provided by the salon are different types of manicures and pedicures. Since 2010 the salon has grown in popularity and seen a demand from regular clients to offer more varied services, so hair treatments, massage services, hair removal and specialized facials have been introduced. The salon also stocks nail polishes which the customers can purchase. 1. 2. The cu stomers The client base consists of women from low to mid-income families residing in the area.These are women that like the convenience of having a salon close by that they can visit regularly and pamper themselves, yet not blow a hole in their pockets by doing so. A lot of the customers treat their salon time as a requirement rather than an indulgence and slot it in as a job in their busy schedules. 1. 3. Order qualifiers and order winners for the company The order winners for the salon are the prices offered along with the decor and environment.There are no other salons in the area with a matching stylish interior while offering similar competitive rates. Any salons that offer this type of ambience will be too pricey, and those that are not, will not have the same sort of interiors. The order qualifiers are the experience of the staff, the services offered and the location. 2. 0. Challenges One of the biggest challenges faced by the business is that a lot of customers have to be turned away because the salon is unable to accommodate them in several ways.While a lot of similar salons thrive on new and walk-in customers, in Yellow Nails, unless you have pre planned the visit and booked, you will not be attended to, even if is it a case of adding an extra treatment during your visit. Appointments are made and not kept, yet the staff is obligated to sit idle until the customer arrives and turn away walk-in customers. Another major problem is that a lot of time is taken up by each customer alone as a single specialist attends to a customer at a time, while other staff waits for their booking to arrive.There have been occasions when it has been witnessed that some roll-on wax has been thrown away because it has dried up so the attendant has had to open a new case, which is also the case with other beauty products. Seemingly, there is quite a bit of wastage due to old stock being kept. Another issue seems to be that though the staff is very friendly and their work is of a high standard, the space around them is not very organized, resulting in longer waiting time for the customer, even between services.Along with these challenges, the cost of operations is high, as the owner gets the spa products from Switzerland which she visits periodically and stocks up on her visit and has also invested heavily in treatment machines, which require regular maintenance. These factors show that it is quite important for the business to structure its operations more effectively in order to generate more desirable profits. 2. 1. Evidence Having been to the salon many times and witnessing the problems on a first-hand basis, there is no doubt that the problems observed do truly exist.Many businesses have challenges which are buried under a shiny exterior, but when the customer starts facing it directly, you know it’s an issue that needs to be dealt with immediately, possibly more critically in a service-based company. 2. 2. Effects on the Business While the salon is making sufficient revenue, it is losing out on prospective business because the jobs are not streamlined effectively. Having spoken to the manager of the salon about how the business is performing, she said it is doing quite well and they are making â€Å"good money†.On the slightly negative side, she went on to say that they are unable to hire any more staff because they don’t have space to accommodate more customers at one time and the owner had no intention to expand the space. What was perceived from the discussion was that they do recognize that a lot of customers have to be turned away due to which they are losing potential business, and that the owner is interested in hiring more girls in order to boost profit but is unable to, and she doesn’t think there is any other solution to this problem.The obvious answer, as per the owner, is that more staff equals more customers, which means more revenue. ? 3. 0. Lean implementation in the service sec tor Traditionally, Lean practices have been largely associated with the manufacturing industry, with literature and methods of implementation being more accessible in that particular sector. We therefore look at the research of several authors that discuss how lean can be applied in service industries and the factors that need to be focused on in order to be able to do so.We also look at the different frameworks of lean that makes it a recommended approach. 3. 1. Literature Review The term Lean management has first been used in the book The Machine That Changed the World by Womack, Jones and Roos (1990), describing the fundamentals of the Toyota production system as lean production (Coote and Gould, 2006). Following on from which, Coote and Gould’s (2006) literature talks about lean as a concept that has come to mean different things to different people, from claiming that most view it as a collaboration of efficiency and low cost which they depict as being a narrow view.They provide a more wholesome definition describing it as ‘delivering customer value without waste’. As businesses tend to place a high importance to their customers, it would be inevitable that a concept with a large focus on that factor would be adopted, although one would question whether the approach is only fit for a manufacturing company. Abdi et al (2006) state that lean can be applied to service sectors and that there are similarities and differences in adopting the approach from a service point of view.Their literature discusses five different principles from the works of Womack and Jones (1996) and how these lean manufacturing principles can be applied to the service sector, which includes specifying value by service, indentifying the service value stream, making the service flow, supplying at the pull of the customer and implementing the pursuit of perfection and in order to apply these principles, they place the human element as a crucial variable in the service s sector.Another piece of literature, researched by Bonaccorsi et al (2011), concludes that lean thinking has the potentialities to be implemented in the service industry as an effective way to cut costs and increase customer satisfaction. They emphasize that applying lean to service is challenging which is why lean concepts must often be redefined in a proper way, and to solve this, the concept Service Value Stream Management (SVSM) has been developed.This approach is flexible in nature and can be applied to a wide range of cases, including Yellow Nails salon, wherein the principles of lean need to be tailored to the requirements of that particular sector. As SVSM is claimed to be flexible and used functionally as a general guide, there should be no complications to develop a true lean service via its implementation. Piercy and Rich’s (2009) research findings highlight that through the adoption of lean service tools, service business can serve the traditionally competing pri orities both of operational cost reduction and of increased customer service quality.The lean approach is validated in the service context and proposed as a valuable addition to traditional service marketing approaches to services improvement. In their paper, they present the data on the implementation of lean process approaches in the call centre context highlighting rapid improvements such as value identification, process/value stream mapping, and removal of barriers to flow value to the customer. An empirical study by Alsmadi et al (2012), analyzes the differences in the relationship between lean practices and firm performance in the UK manufacturing and service sectors.Although lean practices have been successfully implemented in many manufacturing cases, their effect on firm performance in both manufacturing and service sectors is still limited. First, the empirical findings in both sectors suggest that Lean practices are positively associated with firms’ performance and the degree of impact on performance is also identical between the two sectors, therefore their study supports the positive argument concerning the applicability of Lean practices in service firms and their potential effect on performance.The results also suggested that soft Lean practices related to customer and HR management in the service sector was performing highly which is why it is essential, as stated by other authors, that Lean practices need to be distilled and tailored to the specific features of the sector. Once the idea of lean principles has been accepted that is can be implemented by a service based company, it would be important to focus on the specific internal implementation techniques, wherein Malayeff (2006) attempts to provide insight into the management of an internal service system derived from a perspective of Lean management.He claims this would exist within professional service units of development, engineering, information technology, human resources and c onsumer affairs. In the case of Yellow Nails salon, the focus would be on the HR and consumer functions.. Malayeff’s (2006) study stated that internal service systems have numerous common structural characteristics including the importance of information, process flows across functions, many hand-offs of information, hidden costs and benefits and no explicit motivation for urgency.The wasteful activities can be classified into seven groups: delays reviews, mistakes, duplication, movement, processing inefficiencies and resource inefficiencies, and he found that the most common problems included a lack of standard procedures, long service times, communication breakdowns and poor personnel management, out of which all but communication breakdowns are issues that Yellow Nails salon can be seen as a victim of. Draghichi and Petcu (2011) also propose Lean Six Sigma as a strong leadership approach for improving management rocesses, while reducing errors which can in turn help both t he organization and its employees do things quicker and better through quality principles, resulting in improvements at all service organization levels Bortolotti and Romano (2012) developed a framework based on a study they conducted wherein they found that the automation of a process that is not streamlined can generate problems that can slow down the flow of work and increase errors. They state that a process should first be mapped to highlight waste and only when the new process is streamlined, can it actually be automated.They go on to say that by doing so, the new process will automate only value-added activities recognized by the customers which we will touch upon in more detail for Yellow Nails salon in section 4. 3. 2. Recommendations Though the authors state that through tailored concepts being applied to service sectors, lean can be effectively employed, it is important for authors in the field to depict more focused principles relating to lean practices for a full servic e based business, which seems to be missing. 4. 0. Project Plan for Lean ImplementationIn order to fix the problems that the business is facing, I would propose a new business model incorporating a lean approach. Lean focuses on elimination of waste (Slack et al, 2010) and the following are some of the Muda, or non-value adding work for the customer that can be eliminated with the suggested operational implementations. 4. 1. Reducing waiting time Yellow Nails Salon will benefit from eradicating the appointment system that they are currently enforcing, which in fact ties up the service slot, even if the customer is late due to the business’ policy that could be given to a walk-in customer.Management should instead implement job cards with a list of what treatments the customer wants with service being given on a first-come-first-serve basis. This will allow the business to maximize the number of customers they are taking on daily, not turn any customers away and eventually cut down on the waiting time of the customer. 4. 2. Full utilization of Human Resources Currently, the staff is not being utilized to their maximum capability so it would be beneficial to the business to reorganize the way the service staff is taking on workload.A full utilization of all staff at all times approach should be set into place, so if there is one customer and two staff members available, they should both attend to the client to speed up the service where possible . This would essentially free up 50% of the client’s time in the salon, which no doubt will be give them better value for money. The improved efficiencies can be highlighted by illustrating this using Value Stream Mapping. 4. 2. 1 Value Stream Mapping Value stream mapping focuses on value-adding activities and distinguishes between value-adding and non-value-adding activities (Slack et al, 2010).The following is a simplified version showing the value added activities for a customer at the salon and highligh ts the waiting time as the ‘waste’ which should be eliminated. Example of customer x – Requirement: Manicure, Haircut & Waxing It can be seen that with the current means of operations, a customer with the mentioned requirements will be at the salon for three hours and fifteen minutes, whereas by employing lean practices, their time can be cut down by a full hour and fifteen minutes. 4. 3. JIT implementation for beauty productsThough the owner may view it as a major set-back, it would be an intelligent decision to acquire a local supplier that can provide good quality products that the salon can order in smaller batches when required, rather than purchasing excellent quality products in large quantities, keep the stock in storage over long periods of time and throw a large portion of it away due to it being spoilt.. By introducing JIT, the salon can keep customers happy as well as combat avoidable costs. 4. 4. 5S principles implementationAnother factor that can im prove customer service provided at the salon would be to reorganize the workspace by adopting the 5S lean implementation framework which would help the staff operate in a more orderly manner. The staff is directly customer facing so there is not a lot of scope to waste time locating the required goods to service the customer. 5. 0. Conclusion To conclude, though the business is currently at a good stable position in the market with a loyal customer base, there is scope for growth in terms of increased profits and new business which can only be enjoyed by Yellow Nails if it implements lean practices.The challenges which are currently faced comprising of turning away customers, long waiting time and wastage of stock can all be solved by incorporating the 5 principles of lean thinking, which include focusing on value of the customer, appreciating the value stream, concentrating on improved flow and perfecting quality. The business possesses some very strong attributes wherein some lean values can already be found such as the pull factor as staff is flexible in fulfilling customer requirement, and additional care is given to quality of service.However, there is still a gap in the model which is not allowing the business to perform at its full potential, and by tapping in to this area, going forward, Yellow Nails will be able to see substantial improvements. ? 6. 0. References †¢Abdi, F. et al. (2006) Glean Lean: How to use Lean approach in service industries?. Journal of Services Research, 6 p. 191-206. †¢Alsmadi, M. et al. (2012) A comparative analysis of Lean practices and performance in the UK manufacturing and service sector firms. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 23 (4), p. 81-396. †¢Bonaccorsi, A. et al. (2011) Service Value Stream Management (SVSM): Developing Lean Thinking in the Service Industry. Journal of Service Science and Management, 4 p. 428-439. †¢Bortolotti, T. and Romano, P. (2013) ‘Lean first, then automa te': a framework for process improvement in pure service companies. Production Planning & Control: The Management of Operations, 23 (7), p. 513-522. †¢Coote, P. and Gould, S. (2006) Technical Matters – Lean Management. Financial Management, p. 31-34 †¢Draghici, M. and Jenica Petcu, A. 2011) Knowledge Transfer – The Key to Drive Innovation for Service Organizations Excellence. Journal of Knowledge Management, Economics and Information Technology, (4), p. 44-53. †¢Maleyeff, J. (2006) Exploration of internal service systems using lean principles. Management Decision, 44 (5), p. 674-689. †¢Piercy, N. and Rich, N. (2009) High quality and low cost: the lean service centre. European Journal of Marketing, 43 (11/12), p. 1477-1497. †¢Slack, N. et al. (2011) Essentials of Operations Management. Harlow: Prentice Hall Financial Times, p. 1-318.

Odysseus vs Rama Essay

Two exciting epics that are widely read and well-known across the globe hold many likenesses between the heroes. The Odyssey by Homer and The Ramayana by Valmiki, tell the tales of two heroes who hold many similarities between them even as their stories differ. Both poems are epics because their heroes are great men, well-known to their worlds, both suffer long difficult journeys, and both are aided by as well as taunted by gods and goddesses of their religions and cultures. But in the end both men overcome great tragedy and catastrophes to rightfully rule as kings of their own lands. Odysseus and Rama were both strong warriors of great stature. Athena speaks of Odysseus to his son and calls him â€Å"a mighty man† (Homer, Odyssey, Book I,p. 7). Griffith describes Rama as â€Å"Tall and broad-shouldered, strong of limb,† (Griffith, Book I, stz. 1) who has â€Å"†¦massive jaw and ample chest† and â€Å"strong arms reach below his knee† (Griffith, Book I, stz. 1). Throughout the story these men both are challenged and use their great strength of the warrior to defeat their challengers. Odysseus is challenged by the sea many times and with great strength survives the power of the sea against him. In the house of King Alcinous he describes many a plight where he fought against the drowning waves and the storms of Poseidon. â€Å"†¦. Zeus with white bolt crushed my swift ship and cleft it in the midst of the wine-dark deep†¦. I clung with fast embrace about the keel of the curved ship, and so was I borne for nine whole days†¦. † (Homer, Osdyssey, Book VII, p. 105). Only a man of great strength and endurance could cling in the moving waters for nine whole days without fail. Then, against Poseidon’s enormous waves, Odysseus later survives a storm at sea by swimming through the forcible waves to reach land. For Poseidon, shaker of the earth, stirred up the same, who roused against me the winds†¦. Thus the storm winds shattered the raft, but as for me I cleft my way through the gulf yonder†¦. † (Homer,Odyssey,1950, Book VII, p. 105). Odysseus exhibits godly strength against the seas and her challenges. Rama displays an unconquerable stamina in Griffith’s epic. Rama slays a giant to gain the friendship of Agastya but this leads to his being attacked by the giantess Surpanakha and her three sisters. Still they are no match for Rama as â€Å"†¦. they and myriad fiends beside Beneath the might of Rama died† (Griffith, Book I stz. ). Both heroes are challenged by enormous odds and yet both are victorious proving stout strength and stamina above all other men. However, physical strength is not the only weapon these heroes wield. Cunning and strategy play an important role in defeating more powerful enemies. Odysseus exhibits such mental strength against Cyclops when he helps his companions to escape the Cyclops’ cavern. Odysseus devised a plan to deceive Cyclops and in his cunning is even smart enough to predict Cyclops’ call for help from his brethren. And in knowing this, he tells Cyc lops his name is â€Å"Noman. Thus does Cyclops call out for help after Odysseus blinds him with the torched end of a stake and cries â€Å"My friends, Noman is slaying me by guile, nor at all by force† (Homer,Odyssey,1950, Book IX, p. 137-8). Thus his friends who thought â€Å"no man† was assaulting their brother determined his suffering to be a sickness sent by Zeus and bade him to call upon his father Poseidon for help and went their ways. Odysseus further exhibits his craftiness when he devises a plan of escape. When Cyclops is blinded, he sets himself before the cave entrance with arms wide to prevent the men’s departure through the cavern mouth. However, Odysseus is more clever than he and fastens three sheep together across and ties a man beneath the middle one’s underbelly. For himself he hangs on beneath the magnificent ram until sunrise when they are allowed through the mouth of the cavern by Cyclops out to pasture to graze. Once far from Cyclops Odysseus comes out from under his ram and then unfastens his men, and they are all able to escape. By their hiding beneath the sheep, Cyclops only felt the fleece and thereby allowed the men to pass through. This is a grand display of cunning. Rama also portrays some semblance of intelligence when he chooses his allies against the demon king, realizing that he can win their loyalty by defeating their enemy and convincing the king of the monkeys that they share a suffrage because they both have been banished from their homelands, Rama is able to convince the monkey army to come to his aid (Griffith, Book I, stz. 1) . â€Å"Who, knowing all the tale, before The sacred flame alliance swore. Sugriva to his new-found friend Told his own story to the end: His hate of Bali for the wrong And insult he had borne so long. And Rama lent a willing ear And promised to allay his fear† (Griffith, Book I, Stz. 1). With his crafty ways, Rama knew since he had slain the object of Sugriva’s , the monkey king’s, hatred, that he would be allied at once with the monkey armies. This was his key to finding his wife, Sita, and rescuing her. Odysseus and Rama were both intertwined with the deities of their cultures. Odysseus had the help of Athena throughout his entire trip home after the war in Troy and his exile with Calypso on her lonely island where he was a kept man by the goddess (Homer, Odyssey, Book I, p. ). Athena bodes Zeus â€Å"O father†¦. if indeed this thing is now well pleasing to the blessed gods, that wise Odysseus should return to his own home, let us then speed Hermes the Messenger†¦. to the island of Ogygia. There with all speed let him declare†¦. our unerring counsel, even the return of the patient Odysseus, that so he may come to his home† (Homer,Odyssey,1950, Book I, p. 3). If not for Athena’s plea and reminder to Zeus, Odysseus would have remained with Calypso forever. But Athena provides further assistance and stays beside Odysseus along the way. She is with him when he travels to the house of King Alcinous and tries to protect him and to guide him. â€Å"At that same hour Odysseus roused him to go to the city, and Athene shed a deep mist about Odysseus for the favour that she bare him, lest any of the Phaeacians†¦. should meet him and mock him†¦. † (Homer,Odyssey,1950, Book VII, p. 97). And disguised as a maiden she journeys with him home on the ship and stays until he has defeated his wife’s wooers who have consumed the spoils of his home. She lends her assistance when needed such as when she cloaked Odysseus and his son and his men in darkness so that they may leave the town to come back to defeat the wooers in battle. Athena provides even more aid as she convinces his son Telemachus to search for his father and to bring him home. She also gives him advice such as having his mother hide Odysseus’ bow that no man can string other than Odysseus, foreseeing the contest to prove his identity later after his journey (Homer,Odyssey,1950, Book II, pp. 25-7). Rama himself is a god although he does not know this. He is the born human entity of the god Vishnu Narayana who has a premeditated plan to take human form and then to defeat the demon god, Ravana hated by all supernatural gods and goddesses alike. But it is not until the end of his epic journey that Rama remembers that his true essence is the god Narayana (Griffith, Book I, stz. 19). This is unlike Odysseus who was favored by the gods and knew of their help and their interest in him as he bore them many sacrifices in return. One such sacrifice being in the cave of the Cyclops as they awaited his return from shepherding his flock. â€Å"Then we kindled a fire, and made burnt-offering†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Homer,Odyssey,1950, Book IX, p. 132). Such offerings are made throughout the story before and after challenges are met. Once the Cyclops was defeated, Odysseus took the best ram for offering â€Å"†¦the ram for me alone my goodly-greaved company chose out, in the dividing of the sheep, and on the shore I offered him up to Zeus†¦. and I burnt the slices of the thighs. † (Homer, Odyssey,1950, Book IX, p. 142). From this a conclusion could be drawn: it is expected of a hero to make offering to the gods who find favor with him. Likewise, Rama shows respect to the gods and his father, King Dasaratha, when he unfailingly responds to their commands without question. When asked by Queen Kaikeyi if he promises to honor his father’s vow and do his bidding, Rama replies, â€Å"I, at the bidding of my sire, Would cast my body to the fire, A deadly draught of poison drink, Or in the waves of ocean sink: If he command, it shall be done,–My father and my king in one† (Griffith, Book II, stz. 8). Rama leaves for his banishment without delay and without question to honor his father’s vow to Kaikeyi. He meets his challenges without hesitation and follows what the Indians name â€Å"dharma†, the will of the gods (Brockington, 1984, p. 33) or what the Greeks refer to as fate, a story of life darned out by the Muse (Homer, Iliad, 1950, p. 175). Both epics contain heroes who follow their dharma or fate without question and praise and honor their gods. It is when the heroes anger or disrespect the gods that evil befalls them. For example, when Odysseus tells king Alcinous how he injured Cyclops and this angered the creature’s father, Poseidon who aided Cyclops as he attacked the ship with hilltop and large boulder causing waves to drive the ship back to shore. (Homer, Odyssey,1950, Book IX, p. 141-2). Or when Rama slays the giant and angers the demon king Ravan, because Rama is vigilant in his respect to the gods, he overcomes the challenges brought before him when his wife is stolen from him. Rama is the example of true dharma and a great hero to the Indian religion of Hindu. Brockington, 1984, p. 8). Odysseus and Rama both face a great journey and banishment. Odysseus takes twenty years to return from the battle of Troy and suffers many hardships along the way that detain him from reaching his homeland for which he desires. One such suffering be at the hands of Calypso on the Isle Ogygia for seven years where she forced his stay as he had no means by which to depart until Calypso was bade by the gods to sent him adrift on a raft (Homer, Odyssey,1950, Book V, pp. 74-75. Among these misadventures that halted Odysseus’ return, was the Isle of the Lotus-Eaters, where the men ate of the Lotus which made them lose their desire to continue their journey home, and the Sirens who attempted to attract them to their own deaths (Homer, Odyssey, Book IX, p. 128-130). The Odyssey is the story of Odysseus’ journey home once he has befallen these challenges after the War of Troy. This journey takes more time as he meets hardships mostly set upon him by Poseidon, who â€Å"†¦. saw Odysseus as he sailed over the deep; and he was mightily angered in spirit†¦. (Homer, Odyssey, Book V, p. 79) and reveals â€Å"it must be that the gods at the last have changed their purposes concerning Odysseus†¦. But methinks that even yet I will drive him far enough in the path of suffering† (Homer, Odyssey, 1950, p. 79). Thus another journey begins and Odysseus is troubled once again, taking a total of twenty years before he reaches his homeland. If not for Athena’s aid and the aid of the other gods, Odysseus would not have been successful. Rama is also taken from his homeland. On the eve of his preparations to take over the throne for his father, one of his father’s other wives, Queen Kaikeyi , to whom King Dasaratha owes two vows as she had saved his life previously, beseeches the king to throne her son, Bharat and exile Rama for fourteen years to the forest. â€Å"These rites in Rama’s name begun Transfer them, and enthrone my son. The time is come to claim at last The double boon of days long-past, When Gods and demons met in fight. And thou wouldst fain my care requite. Now forth to Dandak’s forest drive Thy Rama for nine years and five, And let him dwell a hermit there†¦. (Griffith, Book II, stz. 11). With these words Kaikeyi reminds Dasaratha of his promise to her when she saved his life by caring for a fatal wound. She then asks for her son to be throned without challenge from Rama and also that Rama be exiled for fourteen years to live as a hermit in the forest. Kaikeyi only does such a greedy act because her maid Manthara has convinced her that horrible tidings await her future and that of her son if Bharat does not take the throne and Rama is enthroned (Griffith, Book II, stzs. -8). Still, honoring his father’s lamenting bid, Rama departs, ready to make a life anew with his wife and his one half-brother, Lakshmana (Griffith, Book II, stz. 19). As did Odysseus, so did Rama face many sufferings once he left in exile and his journey was not yet over. Sita, his wife, is stolen from him while he is away. Thus Rama, takes on the tasks of allying with the monkey armies to have aid in finding and saving his beloved wife. Then he faces Ravan, the demon king, to save her (Griffi th, Book IV, V, VI). Odysseus’ and Rama’s stories both reveal the importance of a warrior’s weaponry and strength in their respective cultures. When Odysseus returns home, with the deviousness of Athena, he and his son and wife, Telemachus and Penelope, devise a contest to prove his identity so that Odysseus may overtake his kingdom of Ithaca once more. Whosoever can string Odysseus’ prominent bow will have Penelope for his wife and all the kingdom of Odysseus for his own. So does Penelope set the bow and quiver before the wooers. And one by one they attempt to string Odysseus’ mighty bow. But none can accomplish this feat. Once Telemachus convinces the wooers to let the beggar who is his disguised father attempt the feat, â€Å"†¦. Odysseus straightaway bent the great bow, all without effort, and took it in his right hand and proved the bow string, which rang sweetly at the touch, in tone like a swallow â€Å" (Homer, Odyssey, 1950, Book XXI, p. 336). All at once he revealed his true identity and all was lost to the suitors of his wife.