The Advantages of Having Good Communication Skill

Communication is undoubtedly one of the most important skills to hone. Being able to communicate effectively and clearly in your own environment and comfort zone may seem challenging enough, but it increases exponentially in a different culture. Globalization is unavoidable in this day and age, and therefore being able to communicate in the face of cultural diversity is more important than ever. There are two parts of communication that hold true no matter what culture you are in. Verbal and nonverbal communication exists regardless of the surrounding environment.Last summer I studied abroad in Valence, Spain. Obviously the verbal communication was completely different due to the language barrier, but the most difficult part was understanding and using the appropriate colloquialisms and metaphoric phrases. Informer the bomb† and â€Å"Chill out† when directly translated do not take on the same meaning as they do here. It was interesting learning the different phrases and the locals found it funny when we told them they were explosives or to cool off in a refrigerator as they understood it. The most challenging difference of communication in Spain was the nonverbal specs.To best explain, Americans typically speak at an arms length distance. The Spaniards, however, have a completely different concept of personal space. If you were to hold out your arm and touch the person's shoulder in front of you that you are speaking to, you would be at an appropriate distance away from he or she in our culture. Now if you both fold your arms at the elbow and take a step closer to where your elbows are touching, you are at an appropriate distance in the Spanish culture. I found that very difficult to get used to. It was as if our noses were touching.Personal space was Just one of many of the nonverbal aspects of communication that was different in this culture but it is by the far the one I remember most. Although there are many topics that can be covered under th e umbrella of communication I chose communication in the face of cultural diversity because I have recently had a personal experience with it and hope to have many more in my lifetime. It is critical that I learn and understand how to communicate in different cultures for my future career and I am excited about future opportunities to do so. Conflict Management andNegotiation Recently I have learned the importance of conflict management in a leadership role. I am planning formal for my sorority this year, and have been in the process with my co-chair for over a year. In December 2010 we had a venue and date booked for this Saturday, February 18, 2012. Eleven days before the event, close to one hundred girls signed up after the specified deadline almost doubling the guest count to four hundred people. This has caused my co-chair and me to go into a craze with changing transportation, catering, and venue costs for the additional people.The aroma was originally free as we had been plan ning and budgeting extremely well for over a year, yet changing the numbers exponentially less than two weeks before the event incurred breach of contract fees, additional staffing fees, additional security fees, additional transportation fees, and additional catering fees per person. Unfortunately after promising our sorority a free formal for the first time in history of formals, we are now having to charge eleven dollars a person or twenty-two dollars a couple due this Thursday by 5:PM.Obviously any manager or individual in a dervish role can imagine the conflicts this additional charge has caused between my co-chair and me and the members of our sorority. We have received very inconsiderate emails and are dealing with explaining to two hundred why a week before the event there is a charge to attend. Through the assigned reading I have realized I am going through an interrupt conflict, or a conflict between groups or teams in an organization. Unfortunately the groups are incredib ly unevenly divided, as it is two against two hundred.My co-chair and I have been frantically trying to explain the situation and accommodate everyone o ensure a positive atmosphere surrounding the event without severing the relationships and bonds we have with out sisters. Although some understand the situation and are still appreciative of the hard work that we have put in for over a year, others are still upset and we receive emails everyday with questions and concerns that are not always written as appropriately as we would like.The biggest issue that my co-chair and I have been coping is the idea of losing trust amongst our sisters. Although some understand the situation, the few that do not have made it clear they do not appreciate the last minute details, even though ecological it was not our fault for the situation. We have not placed blame on anyone but unfortunately others have placed blame on us causing a mix between functional and dysfunctional conflicts within the inter rupt conflict.We are sure the event will still be pleasant and everyone will enjoy it, but if I have learned anything from this it is that no matter how much time, effort, and organization a person puts into the planning of an event, something will always go wrong and someone will always be dissatisfied. However, it is important to manage the conflict with those that I can and o ensure that I take care of myself and enjoy the event Saturday that I have worked so hard planning for. Customer service is truly an industry that is not the fantasy it is glorified to be and I am thankful to have learned that now.Power Influence Influence is the process of affecting the thoughts, behavior, or feelings of another person. Personally, influence is the determining factor of all decisions I make. The ethical question behind influence, however, is where does it come from and which influence tactic is most appropriate and effective in a given situation. Ideally I hope that all decisions I make com e from within. However it is difficult to determine how and what has shaped my basis of beliefs. Do I make my own decisions, or does my faith, family, boss, or group of friends influence my decisions?In addition to where influence comes from, another driving force behind decommissioning is influential tactics. According to the reading, there are four influential tactics used most frequently. These four tactics are consultation, rational persuasion, inspirational appeals, and integration. Tactics are used for impression management, which refers to individuals' use of influence tactics to control others impressions of them. Determining which influential tactic to implement depends on the target audience and target goal.For example, I am actively involved in Relay For Life on campus as I hold the Marketing Executive Co-chair position benefiting the American Cancer Society. We are always looking for new ways to influence the student body and ourselves to get involved and remain enthusia stic. At each of our meetings and events, we implement the inspirational appeal tactic. We open each meeting with a student's story of why he or she relays. Often these stories as very heart-wrenching and appeal to everyone s we all have gotten involved due to some effect of a loved one suffering from cancer.Influence is a powerful tool in everyday life and especially in high involvement decisions. It is important to utilize ethics when influencing a person though. Determining which appeal is most appropriate may be difficult but is essential to avoid coercing another's decision that he or she may not be satisfied with at a later date. Overall, influential basis and tactics can and should be used appropriately to help another individual's decision process and not abuse power over someone else.

Secret River

Shaira Sanchez 05/09/12 Shaira Sanchez 05/09/12 The Secret River by Kate Grenville Essay Explain the way that narrative devices have been employed by an author to construct a representation of people or places in at least one text that you have studied. You must make specific reference to â€Å"The Secret River. † One of Australia’s finest writers Kate Grenville wrote The Secret River which challenges traditional gender roles of women in the early nineteenth century London and Australia.The novel has challenged the female stereotype in a patriarchal society through the strong female character of Sal Thornhill. Sal has been the brains of her family through their tough times in London and their settlement in Sydney. Sal is the wife of William Thornhill, a convict. The memory of how the gentry treated Thornhill pushed him to work himself up into the foreign land of Australia to become like that gentleman he had served once back in London, in the water of Thames–the one with the power and the one who looked down on him who represents the working class.His determination to set off a space for himself in the foreign land eventually placed him and some of the settlers in direct opposition to the Aboriginal people by their desire to finally have control on their own lives. The use of a wide range of narrative devices in The Secret River has vividly taken the readers back to the nineteenth century where power and wealth determines a man’s position in the society. Sal Thornhill has been constructed in The Secret River as a strong female character who challenges traditional gender roles in the early nineteenth century–mainly when women were biologically, socially and intellectually inferior.Although Sal was raised in a quite comfortable lifestyle, she still has managed to cope with the tragic events in her life as a mother and as a wife. We see through Thornhill’s limited omniscient point of view that Sal would have to â€Å"brig hten herself up† because they both knew that Sal would have to offer her service in the cold streets of London to support her family’s financial needs, while Thornhill was convicted for theft. Sal’s staggering sacrifices did not just end in London.Her character even became stronger when they settled in a place that nothing Thornhill had ever seen–where â€Å"trees were tortured formless things† that looked half dead and when Christmas was during the hot days of summer. Women in that time were normally perceived as housekeepers and child-bearers. However, Sal did not just take care of her family emotionally and physically, but financially as well â€Å"At the end of each week Sal would count up the takings, from Thornhill’s work on the water and from her own selling liquor, and hide them away in a box. † which is evident through the descriptive language used.As a migrant myself, I understood Sal’s attitude towards the new environ ment that she was in. It wasn’t a part of her plan, but she accepted the circumstances and lived with it half-heartedly. Although her heart was always reminding her of ‘Home’, her mind and body still endured the harsh conditions, all for her family. It wasn’t the usual approach of women back in the nineteenth century to stand up for her family instead of the husband. However, Sal’s character was constructed to challenge the representation of women during that time by being the provider and the child-bearer all at once.Sal, her family, and the other settlers encountered the ‘otherness’ once they arrived in Sydney–which had two different representations as a race in The Secret River. Australia was not an empty land when the Thornhills and the white settlers arrived. They were not expecting people living in that type of place for thousands of years. These people were as strange as the place through the settlers’ perception. T here was one who hung about the Thornhills’ hut and entertained them, dressed only with a faded-pink bonnet on his head in trade for food and a sip of rum.They called him Scabby Bill who represents the ‘visible’ natives. His drunkenness and his appearance symbolises the detrimental impact of colonialism to the Aboriginals. The other sort of native were the ‘invisible’ ones who stayed away from the settlement. They were represented through Long Jack’s strong character. The settlers did not initially affect them, but they saw them as â€Å"snakes or the spiders, not something that could be guarded against† which symbolises as a threat to their dreams. The blacks, on the other hand had a different view of what the settlers referred to as ‘stealing’.Their belief is that nobody owns the land, not them, not the settlers. This clash of beliefs has lead to the novel’s climax, the massacre, where the ‘invisible’ became ‘visible’. The way Thornhill addresses the natives and were given English names symbolises Thornhill’s attitude being Eurocentric. Thornhill did not want to be engaged to the natives, but he himself implanted the European traditions on them. The settlers did not have the same beliefs towards the blacks, just like the natives were to them which also lead to two different representations–one that respects the ‘otherness’ and one that doesn’t.A huge contrast in the characters was made in the novel between Blackwood and Smasher. Blackwood was described as a huge deep and silent man who had â€Å"a rough dignity about him†. He believed in the concept of â€Å"give a little, take a little† in terms of dealing with the blacks. While Smasher’s appearance was constructed as â€Å"a naked-looking face without eyebrows† and always craves for attention that is evident through his dialogue that he had â€Å"not se en the event (rage) personally† but spreads the story anyway. He believed in the concept of ‘whips and biters’. There was no single respect that was given to the blacks from Smasher.Of all the characters, Blackwood has the greatest knowledge and appreciation of the Aboriginals and even lived with an Aboriginal woman and had a child. Smasher did live with one as well, but he referred to her as his â€Å"black bitch. † Although the settlers had the same hopes of finding a better life in Australia, they still ended up on two different paths due to the contrast on their attitude towards the Aboriginals. William Thornhill’s character was not constructed consistently in The Secret River as his attitudes and values towards Australia and the Aboriginals changed throughout the novel.Through Thornhill’s limited omniscient point of view, we sympathise with him by the way the gentry treated him as a waterman in the lower class. He had worked hard but his efforts were not appreciated, thus, pushed him to steal that lead him in his deportation to Australia. Thornhill and the majority of the convicts found a hope for a better life in Australia. It was what they have always longed for–to own a land, to finally have something they can call their own. Thornhill’s change n values was revealed through his dialogue, â€Å"Forgetting your manners are you, Dan Oldfield† he said to an old friend who he chose as one his servants. He became hungry for power and authority when he had a taste on what it was like to be on top of the others: on top of his fellow settlers, on top of the Aboriginals.Thornhill has spoken to the Aboriginals the way the gentry did to him â€Å"Old Boy, he started. He fancied the sound of that. † Thornhill and some of settlers saw the blacks as a hindrance to their one last chance to achieve their ultimate dream, like when Sagitty suggested to â€Å"get them before they get us. He has been succ essful in this goal but behind the high walls of his ‘villa’, was an unfulfilled William Thornhill after losing his friends and ultimately, his son Dick, who sympathise to the indigenous way of life. He became like the gentry, but not quite. He possessed the land, the house, the servants, but not the respect. The scars of his past were embedded on his name–William Thornhill, who was once a waterman, illiterate and an ex-convict. The Secret River has diverse representations of gender, class and race that have been successfully constructed in each character through the use of narrative devices.Sal represents those women who stood up for their family, in spite of the tagged inferiorities built by the society through the years especially in the nineteenth century and the earlier times. Scabby Bill and Long Jack represent the two different approach of their race on colonisation of the Europeans. Their values differ, just as the settlers’ views had towards them. Blackwood amongst all the others respects the Aboriginals, while Smasher had no heart for these people and treated them like animals.William Thornhill as the novel’s protagonist did not have a certain representation. His whole character was constructed based on his life back in London that resulted in a change of values as he found himself flourishing in his new ‘Home’. This novel lets the readers engage themselves in each of the representations effectively through Thornhill’s limited omniscient point of view. We tend to judge the differences in gender, in every class and in every race through what the society has already built on people as time goes by.However, Kate Grenville gave us a wider view of how each of these people ended up the way they were before, and the way they are in present time. As a migrant myself, I can compare myself with Sal, above all the characters. Migration wasn’t a part of our plan, but if that leads us to a better life, why not endure the circumstances? At the end of the day, every sacrifice and effort will be worth it. However, I believe that I will never end up the way Thornhill had– a wealthy man with a ‘villa’, without a peace of mind.

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Chapter 4

Chapter 4 Yet another reason that I loathe the heavenly scum with whom I share this room: today I found that I had offended our intrepid room service waiter, Jesus. How was I to know? When he brought our pizza for dinner, I gave him one of the American silver coins that we received from the airport sweet shop called Cinnabon. He scoffed at me – scoffed – then, thinking better of it, he said, â€Å"Seà ±or, I know you are foreign, so you do not know, but this is a very insulting tip. Better you just sign the room service slip so I get the fee that is added automatically. I tell you this because you have been very kind, and I know you do not mean to offend, but another of the waiters would spit in your food if you should offer him this.† I glared at the angel, who, as usual, was lying on the bed watching television, and for the first time I realized that he did not understand Jesus' language. He did not possess the gift of tongues he had bestowed on me. He spoke Aramaic to me, and he seemed to know Hebrew and enough English to understand television, but of Spanish he understood not a word. I apologized to Jesus and sent him on his way with a promise that I would make it up to him, then I wheeled on the angel. â€Å"You fool, these coins, these dimes, are nearly worthless in this country.† â€Å"What do you mean, they look like the silver dinars we dug up in Jerusalem, they are worth a fortune.† He was right, in a way. After he called me up from the dead I led him to a cemetery in the valley of Ben Hiddon, and there, hidden behind a stone where Judas had put it two thousand years ago, was the blood money – thirty silver dinars. But for a little tarnish, they looked just as they did on the day I had taken them, and they were almost identical to the coin this country calls the dime (except for the image of Tiberius on the dinars, and some other Caesar on the dime). We had taken the dinars to an antiquities dealer in the old city (which looked nearly the same as it did when I'd last walked there, except that the Temple was gone and in its place two great mosques). The merchant gave us twenty thousand dollars in American money for them. It was this money that we had traveled on, and deposited at the hotel desk for our expenses. The angel told me the dimes must have the same worth as the dinars, and I, like a fool, believed him. â€Å"You should have told me,† I said to the angel. â€Å"If I could leave this room I would know myself.† â€Å"You have work to do,† the angel said. Then he leapt to his feet and shouted at the television, â€Å"The wrath of the Lord shall fall upon ye, Stephanos!† â€Å"What in the hell are you shouting at?† The angel wagged a finger at the screen, â€Å"He has exchanged Catherine's baby for its evil twin, which he fathered with her sister while she was in a coma, yet Catherine does not realize his evil deed, as he has had his face changed to impersonate the bank manager who is foreclosing on Catherine's husband's business. If I was not trapped here I would personally drag the fiend straight to hell.† For days now the angel had been watching serial dramas on television, alternately shouting at the screen or bursting into tears. He had stopped reading over my shoulder, so I had just tried to ignore him, but now I realized what was going on. â€Å"It's not real, Raziel.† â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"It's drama, like the Greeks used to do. They are actors in a play.† â€Å"No, no one could pretend to such evil.† â€Å"That's not all. Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus? Not real. Characters in a play.† â€Å"You lying dog!† â€Å"If you'd ever leave the room and look at how real people talk you'd know that, you yellow-haired cretin. But no, you stay here perched on my shoulder like a trained bird. I am dead two thousand years and even I know better.† (I still need to get a look at that book in the dresser. I thought maybe, just maybe, I could goad the angel into giving me five minutes privacy.) â€Å"You know nothing,† said Raziel. â€Å"I have destroyed whole cities in my time.† â€Å"Sort of makes me wonder if you destroyed the right ones. That'd be embarrassing, huh?† Then an advertisement came on the screen for a magazine that promised to â€Å"fill in all the blanks† and give the real inside story to all of soap operas: Soap Opera Digest. I watched the angel's eyes widen. He grabbed the phone and rang the front desk. â€Å"What are you doing?† â€Å"I need that book.† â€Å"Have them send up Jesus,† I said. â€Å"He'll help you get it.† On our first day of work, Joshua and I were up before dawn. We met near the well and filled the waterskins our fathers had given us, then ate our breakfasts, flatbread and cheese, as we walked together to Sepphoris. The road, although packed dirt most of the way, was smooth and easy to walk. (If Rome saw to anything in its territories, it was the lifelines of its army.) As we walked we watched the rock-strewn hills turn pink under the rising sun, and I saw Joshua shudder as if a chill wind had danced up his spine. â€Å"The glory of God is in everything we see,† he said. â€Å"We must never forget that.† â€Å"I just stepped in camel dung. Tomorrow let's leave after it's light out.† â€Å"I just realized it, that is why the old woman wouldn't live again. I forgot that it wasn't my power that made her arise, it was the Lord's. I brought her back for the wrong reason, out of arrogance, so she died a second time.† â€Å"It squished over the side of my sandal. Well, that's going to smell all day.† â€Å"But perhaps it was because I did not touch her. When I've brought other creatures back to life, I've always touched them.† â€Å"Is there something in the Law about taking your camel off the road to do his business? There should be. If not the Law of Moses, then the Romans should have one. I mean, they won't hesitate to crucify a Jew who rebels, there should be some punishment for messing up their roads. Don't you think? I'm not saying crucifixion, but a good smiting in the mouth or something.† â€Å"But how could I have touched the corpse when it is forbidden by the Law? The mourners would have stopped me.† â€Å"Can we stop for a second so I can scrape off my sandal? Help me find a stick. That pile was as big as my head.† â€Å"You're not listening to me, Biff.† â€Å"I am listening. Look, Joshua, I don't think the Law applies to you. I mean, you're the Messiah, God is supposed to tell you what he wants, isn't he?† â€Å"I ask, but I receive no answer.† â€Å"Look, you're doing fine. Maybe that woman didn't live again because she was stubborn. Old people are that way. You have to throw water on my grandfather to get him up from his nap. Try a young dead person next time.† â€Å"What if I am not really the Messiah?† â€Å"You mean you're not sure? The angel didn't give it away? You think that God might be playing a joke on you? I don't think so. I don't know the Torah as well as you, Joshua, but I don't remember God having a sense of humor.† Finally, a grin. â€Å"He gave me you as a best friend, didn't he?† â€Å"Help me find a stick.† â€Å"Do you think I'll make a good stonemason?† â€Å"Just don't be better at it than I am. That's all I ask.† â€Å"You stink.† â€Å"What have I been saying?† â€Å"You really think Maggie likes me?† â€Å"Are you going to be like this every morning? Because if you are, you can walk to work alone.† The gates of Sepphoris were like a funnel of humanity. Farmers poured out into their fields and groves, craftsmen and builders crowded in, while merchants hawked their wares and beggars moaned at the roadside. Joshua and I stopped outside the gates to marvel and were nearly run down by a man leading a string of donkeys laden with baskets of stone. It wasn't that we had never seen a city before. Jerusalem was fifty times larger than Sepphoris, and we had been there many times for feast days, but Jerusalem was a Jewish city – it was the Jewish city. Sepphoris was the Roman fortress city of Galilee, and as soon as we saw the statue of Venus at the gates we knew that this was something different. I elbowed Joshua in the ribs. â€Å"Graven image.† I had never seen the human form depicted before. â€Å"Sinful,† Joshua said. â€Å"She's naked.† â€Å"Don't look.† â€Å"She's completely naked.† â€Å"It is forbidden. We should go away from here, find your father.† He caught me by my sleeve and dragged me through the gates into the city. â€Å"How can they allow that?† I asked. â€Å"You'd think that our people would tear it down.† â€Å"They did, a band of Zealots. Joseph told me. The Romans caught them and crucified them by this road.† â€Å"You never told me that.† â€Å"Joseph told me not to speak of it.† â€Å"You could see her breasts.† â€Å"Don't think about it.† â€Å"How can I not think about it? I've never seen a breast without a baby attached to it. They're more – more friendly in pairs like that.† â€Å"Which way to where we are supposed to work?† â€Å"My father said to come to the western corner of the city and we would see where the work was being done.† â€Å"Then come along.† He was still dragging me, his head down, stomping along like an angry mule. â€Å"Do you think Maggie's breasts will look like that?† My father had been commissioned to build a house for a wealthy Greek on the western side of the city. When Joshua and I arrived my father was already there, directing the slaves who were hoisting a cut stone into place on the wall. I suppose I expected something different. I suppose I was surprised that anyone, even a slave, would do as my father instructed. The slaves were Nubians, Egyptians, Phoenicians, criminals, debtors, spoils of war, accidents of birth; they were wiry, filthy men, many wearing nothing more than sandals and a loincloth. In another life they might have commanded an army or lived in a palace, but now they sweated in the morning chill, moving stones heavy enough to break a donkey. â€Å"Are these your slaves?† Joshua asked my father. â€Å"Am I a rich man, Joshua? No, these slaves belong to the Romans. The Greek who is building this house has hired them for the construction.† â€Å"Why do they do as you ask? There are so many of them. You are only one man.† My father hung his head. â€Å"I hope that you never see what the lead tips of a Roman whip do to a man's body. All of these men have, and even seeing it has broken their spirit as men. I pray for them every night.† â€Å"I hate the Romans,† I said. â€Å"Do you, little one, do you?† A man's voice from behind. â€Å"Hail, Centurion,† my father said, his eyes going wide. Joshua and I turned to see Justus Gallicus, the centurion from the funeral at Japhia, standing among the slaves. â€Å"Alphaeus, it seems you are raising a litter of Zealots.† My father put his hands on my and Joshua's shoulders. â€Å"This is my son, Levi, and his friend Joshua. They begin their apprenticeship today. Just boys,† he said, by way of apology. Justus approached, looked quickly at me, then stared at Joshua for a long time. â€Å"I know you, boy. I've seen you before.† â€Å"The funeral at Japhia,† I said quickly. I couldn't take my eyes off of the wasp-waisted short sword that hung from the centurion's belt. â€Å"No,† the Roman seemed to be searching his memory. â€Å"Not Japhia. I've seen this face in a picture.† â€Å"That can't be,† my father said. â€Å"We are forbidden by our faith from depicting the human form.† Justus glared at him. â€Å"I am not a stranger to your people's primitive beliefs, Alphaeus. Still, this boy is familiar.† Joshua stared up at the centurion with a completely blank expression. â€Å"You feel for these slaves, boy? You would free them if you could?† Joshua nodded. â€Å"I would. A man's spirit should be his own to give to God.† â€Å"You know, there was a slave about eighty years ago who talked like you. He raised an army of slaves against Rome, beat back two of our armies, took over all the territories south of Rome. It's a story every Roman soldier must learn.† â€Å"Why, what happened?† I asked. â€Å"We crucified him,† Justus said. â€Å"By the side of the road, and his body was eaten by ravens. The lesson we all learn is that nothing can stand against Rome. A lesson you need to learn, boy, along with your stonecutting.† Just then another Roman soldier approached, a legionnaire, not wearing the cape or the helmet crest of the centurion. He said something to Justus in Latin, then looked at Joshua and paused. In rough Aramaic he said, â€Å"Hey, didn't I see that kid on some bread once?† â€Å"Wasn't him,† I said. â€Å"Really? Sure looks like him.† â€Å"Nope, that was another kid on the bread.† â€Å"It was me,† said Joshua. I backhanded him across the forehead, knocking him to the ground. â€Å"No it wasn't. He's insane. Sorry.† The soldier shook his head and hurried off after Justus. I offered a hand to help Joshua up. â€Å"You're going to have to learn to lie.† â€Å"I am? But I feel like I'm here to tell the truth.† â€Å"Yeah, sure, but not now.† I don't exactly know what I expected it would be like working as a stonemason, but I know that in less than a week Joshua was having second thoughts about not becoming a carpenter. Cutting great stones with small iron chisels was very hard work. Who knew? â€Å"Look around, do you see any trees?† Joshua mocked. â€Å"Rocks, Josh, rocks.† â€Å"It's only hard because we don't know what we're doing. It will get easier.† Joshua looked at my father, who was stripped to the waist, chiseling away on a stone the size of a donkey, while a dozen slaves waited to hoist it into place. He was covered with gray dust and streams of sweat drew dark lines between cords of muscle straining in his back and arms. â€Å"Alphaeus,† Joshua called, â€Å"does the work get easier once you know what you are doing?† â€Å"Your lungs grow thick with stone dust and your eyes bleary from the sun and fragments thrown up by the chisel. You pour your lifeblood out into works of stone for Romans who will take your money in taxes to feed soldiers who will nail your people to crosses for wanting to be free. Your back breaks, your bones creak, your wife screeches at you, and your children torment you with open, begging mouths, like greedy baby birds in the nest. You go to bed every night so tired and beaten that you pray to the Lord to send the angel of death to take you in your sleep so you don't have to face another morning. It also has its downside.† â€Å"Thanks,† Joshua said. He looked at me, one eyebrow raised. â€Å"I for one, am excited,† I said. â€Å"I'm ready to cut some stone. Stand back, Josh, my chisel is on fire. Life is stretched out before us like a great bazaar, and I can't wait to taste the sweets to be found there.† Josh tilted his head like a bewildered dog. â€Å"I didn't get that from your father's answer.† â€Å"It's sarcasm, Josh.† â€Å"Sarcasm?† â€Å"It's from the Greek, sarkasmos. To bite the lips. It means that you aren't really saying what you mean, but people will get your point. I invented it, Bartholomew named it.† â€Å"Well, if the village idiot named it, I'm sure it's a good thing.† â€Å"There you go, you got it.† â€Å"Got what?† â€Å"Sarcasm.† â€Å"No, I meant it.† â€Å"Sure you did.† â€Å"Is that sarcasm?† â€Å"Irony, I think.† â€Å"What's the difference?† â€Å"I haven't the slightest idea.† â€Å"So you're being ironic now, right?† â€Å"No, I really don't know.† â€Å"Maybe you should ask the idiot.† â€Å"Now you've got it.† â€Å"What?† â€Å"Sarcasm.† â€Å"Biff, are you sure you weren't sent here by the Devil to vex me?† â€Å"Could be. How am I doing so far? You feel vexed?† â€Å"Yep. And my hands hurt from holding the chisel and mallet.† He struck the chisel with his wooden mallet and sprayed us both with stone fragments. â€Å"Maybe God sent me to talk you into being a stonemason so you would hurry up and go be the Messiah.† He struck the chisel again, then spit and sputtered through the fragments that flew. â€Å"I don't know how to be the Messiah.† â€Å"So what, a week ago we didn't know how to be stonemasons and look at us now. It gets easier once you know what you're doing.† â€Å"Are you being ironic again?† â€Å"God, I hope not.† It was two months before we actually saw the Greek who had commissioned my father to build the house. He was a short, soft-looking little man, who wore a robe that was as white as any worn by the Levite priests, with a border of interlocking rectangles woven around the hem in gold. He arrived in a pair of chariots, followed on foot by two body slaves and a half-dozen bodyguards who looked like Phoenicians. I say a pair of chariots because he rode with a driver in the lead chariot, but behind them they pulled a second chariot in which stood the ten-foot-tall marble statue of a naked man. The Greek climbed down from his chariot and went directly to my father. Joshua and I were mixing a batch of mortar at the time and we paused to watch. â€Å"Graven image,† Joshua said. â€Å"Saw it,† I said. â€Å"As graven images go, I like Venus over by the gate better.† â€Å"That statue is not Jewish,† Joshua said. â€Å"Definitely not Jewish,† I said. The statue's manhood, although abundant, was not circumcised. â€Å"Alphaeus,† the Greek said, â€Å"why haven't you set the floor of the gymnasium yet? I've brought this statue to display in the gymnasium, and there's just a hole in the ground instead of a gymnasium.† â€Å"I told you, this ground is not suitable for building. I can't build on sand. I've had the slaves dig down in the sand until they hit bedrock. Now it has to be back-filled in with stone, then pounded.† â€Å"But I want to place my statue,† the Greek whined. â€Å"It's come all the way from Athens.† â€Å"Would you rather your house fall down around your precious statue?† â€Å"Don't talk to me that way, Jew, I am paying you well to build this house.† â€Å"And I am building this house well, which means not on the sand. So store your statue and let me do my work.† â€Å"Well, unload it. You, slaves, help unload my statue.† The Greek was talking to Joshua and me. â€Å"All of you, help unload my statue.† He pointed to the slaves who had been pretending to work since the Greek arrived, but who weren't sure that it was in their best interest to look like a part of a project about which the master seemed displeased. They all looked up with a surprised â€Å"Who, me?† expression on their faces, which I noticed was the same in any language. The slaves moved to the chariot and began untying the ropes that held the statue in place. The Greek looked to us. â€Å"Are you deaf, slaves? Help them!† He stormed back to his chariot and grabbed a whip out of the driver's hand. â€Å"Those are not slaves,† my father said. â€Å"Those are my apprentices.† The Greek wheeled on him. â€Å"And I should care about that? Move, boys! Now!† â€Å"No,† Joshua said. I thought the Greek would explode. He raised the whip as if to strike. â€Å"What did you say?† â€Å"He said, no.† I stepped up to Joshua's side. â€Å"My people believe that graven images, statues, are sinful,† my father said, his voice on the edge of panic. â€Å"The boys are only being true to our God.† â€Å"Well, that is a statue of Apollo, a real god, so they will help unload it, as will you, or I'll find another mason to build my house.† â€Å"No,† Joshua repeated. â€Å"We will not.† â€Å"Right, you leprous jar of camel snot,† I said. Joshua looked at me, sort of disgusted. â€Å"Jeez, Biff.† â€Å"Too much?† The Greek screeched and started to swing the whip. The last thing I saw as I covered my face was my father diving toward the Greek. I would take a lash for Joshua, but I didn't want to lose an eye. I braced for the sting that never came. There was a thump, then a twanging sound, and when I uncovered my face, the Greek was lying on his back in the dirt, his white robe covered with dust, his face red with rage. The whip was extended out behind him, and on its tip stood the armored hobnail boot of Gaius Justus Gallicus, the centurion. The Greek rolled in the dirt, ready to vent his ire on whoever had stayed his hand, but when he saw who it was, he went limp and pretended to cough. One of the Greek's bodyguards started to step forward. Justus pointed a finger at the guard. â€Å"Will you stand down, or would you rather feel the foot of the Roman Empire on your neck?† The guard stepped back into line with his companions. The Roman was grinning like a mule eating an apple, not in the least concerned with allowing the Greek to save face. â€Å"So, Castor, am I to gather that you need to conscript more Roman slaves to help build your house? Or is it true what I hear about you Greeks, that whipping young boys is an entertainment for you, not a disciplinary action?† The Greek spit out a mouthful of dust as he climbed to his feet. â€Å"The slaves I have will be sufficient for the task, won't they, Alphaeus?† He turned to my father, his eyes pleading. My father seemed to be caught between two evils, and unable to decide which was the lesser of them. â€Å"Probably,† he said, finally. â€Å"Well, good, then,† Justus said. â€Å"I will expect a bonus payment for the extra work they are doing. Carry on.† Justus walked through the construction site, acting as if every eye was not on him, or not caring, and paused as he passed Joshua and me. â€Å"Leprous jar of camel snot?† he said under his breath. â€Å"Old Hebrew blessing?† I ventured. â€Å"You two should be in the hills with the other Hebrew rebels.† The Roman laughed, tousled our hair, then walked away. The sunset was turning the hillsides pink as we walked home to Nazareth that evening. In addition to being almost exhausted from the work, Joshua seemed vexed by the events of the day. â€Å"Did you know that – about not being able to build on sand?† he asked. â€Å"Of course, my father's been talking about it for a long time. You can build on sand, but what you build will fall down.† Joshua nodded thoughtfully. â€Å"What about soil? Dirt? Is it okay to build on that?† â€Å"Rock is best, but I suppose hard dirt is good.† â€Å"I need to remember that.† We seldom saw Maggie in those days after we began working with my father. I found myself looking forward to the Sabbath, when we would go to the synagogue and I would mill around outside, among the women, while the men were inside listening to the reading of the Torah or the arguments of the Pharisees. It was one of the few times I could talk to Maggie without Joshua around, for though he resented the Pharisees even then, he knew he could learn from them, so he spent the Sabbath listening to their teachings. I still wonder if this time I stole with Maggie somehow represented a disloyalty to Joshua, but later, when I asked him about it, he said, â€Å"God is willing to forgive you the sin that you carry for being a child of man, but you must forgive yourself for having once been a child.† â€Å"I suppose that's right.† â€Å"Of course it's right, I'm the Son of God, you dolt. Besides, Maggie always wanted to talk about me anyway, didn't she?† â€Å"Not always,† I lied. On the Sabbath before the murder, I found Maggie outside the synagogue, sitting by herself under a date palm tree. I shuffled up to her to talk, but kept looking at my feet. I knew that if I looked into her eyes I would forget what I was talking about, so I only looked at her in brief takes, the way a man will glance up at the sun on a sweltering day to confirm the source of the heat. â€Å"Where's Joshua?† were the first words out of her mouth, of course. â€Å"Studying with the men.† She seemed disappointed for a moment, but then brightened. â€Å"How is your work?† â€Å"Hard, I like playing better.† â€Å"What is Sepphoris like? Is it like Jerusalem?† â€Å"No, it's smaller. But there are a lot of Romans there.† She'd seen Romans. I needed something to impress her. â€Å"And there are graven images – statues of people.† Maggie covered her mouth to stifle a giggle. â€Å"Statues, really? I would love to see them.† â€Å"Then come with us, we are leaving tomorrow very early, before anyone is awake.† â€Å"I couldn't. Where would I tell my mother I was going?† â€Å"Tell her that you are going to Sepphoris with the Messiah and his pal.† Her eyes went wide and I looked away quickly, before I was caught in their spell. â€Å"You shouldn't talk that way, Biff.† â€Å"I saw the angel.† â€Å"You said yourself that we shouldn't say it.† â€Å"I was only joking. Tell your mother that I told you about a beehive that I found and that you want to go find some honey while the bees are still groggy from the morning cold. It's a full moon tonight, so you'll be able to see. She just might believe you.† â€Å"She might, but she'll know I was lying when I don't bring home any honey.† â€Å"Tell her it was a hornets' nest. She thinks Josh and I are stupid anyway, doesn't she?† â€Å"She thinks that Joshua is touched in the head, but you, yes, she thinks you're stupid.† â€Å"You see, my plan is working. For it is written that ‘if the wise man always appears stupid, his failures do not disappoint, and his success gives pleasant surprise.'† Maggie smacked me on the leg. â€Å"That is not written.† â€Å"Sure it is, Imbeciles three, verse seven.† â€Å"There is no book of Imbeciles.† â€Å"Drudges five-four?† â€Å"You're making that up.† â€Å"Come with us, you can be back to Nazareth before it's time to fetch the morning water.† â€Å"Why so early? What are you two up to?† â€Å"We're going to circumcise Apollo.† She didn't say anything, she just looked at me, as if she would see â€Å"Liar† written across my forehead in fire. â€Å"It wasn't my idea,† I said. â€Å"It was Joshua's.† â€Å"I'll go then,† she said.

War Crimes and crimes against humanity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

War Crimes and crimes against humanity - Essay Example Turkish officials killing Armenians during the war, Germans committing atrocities on Jews, Polish people and others, cases that came up during Nuremburg trials, Russian treatment of German prisoners all came under war crimes. Crimes against humanity include genocide, mass murder, en mass slavery, mass executions, enslavement, deportation, extermination etc. This means any atrocious act committed on a large group could be termed as crimes against humanity. Sometimes these two overlap one another. Paul Touvier, Klaus Barbie, and Maurice Papon in France, and Imre Finta in Canada are a few examples. The origins of the war crimes must have started as soon as the war started and that was immediately after the Stone Age when people began grouping together and individuality ended. The groups fought against one another and heaped atrocities on the vanquished men and women. In recent centuries, after the advent of social Darwinism, people have understood the sufferings and harshness that the wars have imposed on Mankind. In Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism, there are dictums against war and war crimes, especially so, in Buddhism and there are historical stories that inform us about the emperors who gave up the war path to avoid atrocities on ordinary soldiers and civilians. But in recent centuries once again, wars have been glorified and war crimes have taken place in many regions of all the continents. In first and second world wars, Japan, Russia, Germany, Italy like countries practiced war crimes. In later years, former Yugoslavia became another example of crimes against humanity. I t is the duty of International law not only to punish war criminals, but also to prevent such happenings. "Essentially, international humanitarian law has a two-fold purpose. It is intended to protect non-combatants, or those who are not now or never were, taking part in the fighting. It also limits the methods and means by which the fighting is carried out," Chuter (2003, p.59). War crimes could be of many kinds. It should involve 'cataclysmic, direct acts of violence', there should be 'logical connection between these events and the discipline of criminology' Yacoubian (2006, p.5). War crimes and crimes against humanity are not limited to only governments and armies. "The framework is not restricted to crimes committed by governments. Criminal acts committed by individual members of society, or corporations therein, are also eligible for inclusion" (Ibid). Genocide, ill-treatment of prisoners of war, ill treating women including sexual assault, mass murder, torture all come under this category of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The main purpose of International Criminal Court is to try war crimes and crimes against humanity and punish the deserving war criminals. Violations of Geneva convention like wilful killing, inflicting serious injury, inhuman torture, or starvation, confinement, wanton destruction of property, forcing a prisoner of war to serve the opposite side, torturing him or denying him a proper trial come under war crimes. In addition, taking hostages and using them for ransom, direct and purposeful attacks on civilians, attacking, injuring or killing peace workers, NGOs, charity organisations and humanitarian organisations like Amnesty international or Red Cross, killing doctors who are on duty as doctors also

Organizational Srtucture Shapes Corporate Culture and Influences Essay

Organizational Srtucture Shapes Corporate Culture and Influences Organizational Change - Essay Example For example, formal, even bureaucratic as opposed to liberal or lenient relations. Structure also includes the allocation of power in an organisation, whether concentrated in the hands of a few people or there is sharing of power and decision making at all levels. Organisational culture can be understood as a â€Å"the shared set of assumptions, beliefs, values and behavioural patterns of a group, that guide that group’s perceptions, judgments, and actions† (Levin 2000, p.83). Its significance is related to its ability to influence the activities of members and the functioning of the organization without particular control measures (Awal, Rongione, Klinger et al 2006). Poole and Van de Ven (2004, p.xi) define organizational change as a â€Å"difference in form, quality, or state over time in an organizational entity† which may differ from an individual’s job, a work group, an organisational subunit, or the overall organisation. Change may be planned, unpla nned, incremental, radical, recurrent, or unprecedented. Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to critically discuss the extent to which an organisation’s structure shapes its culture, and impacts its ability to transform itself. Different Management Styles: Effects on Organisational Performance Over recent years, the role of present-day managers has become increasingly empowered, with a more networking, consensus-seeking approach (Reigle 2001). Different management styles have their distinctive effects on organisational performance, and the effectiveness of organisations. Management style pertains to â€Å"how the leader approaches opportunities, what he or she chooses to emphasize, to defer and to delegate to others† (Krause 2007, p.19), based on managers’ traits. Research evidence indicates transformational style as the most beneficial for driving safety and for creating a high performance culture. According to Early and Davenport (2010, p.59), †Å"transformational leadership and transactional leadership are very different styles of leadership, but they are not mutually exclusive and can be complementary if employed correctly†. Additionally, an individual can have and develop skills required to be both a transactional and transformational leader. Transformational managers invoke colleagues and followers to view their work from new perspectives; they generate awareness of the mission or vision of the team and organization; managers guide employees to achieve their highest levels of potential; motivate colleagues to work for the larger interest of the group and the organization. This leadership style attempts to engage the employees’ creativity and loyalty, thus achieving a higher level of commitment and effort from employees. Tranformational behaviors include idealized influence, intellectual stimulation, individualized consideration, and inspirational motivation. Idealized influence is the leaders’ sharin g of vision and sense of mission with employees, and the proposal of radical, innovative solutions to critical problems (Early & Davenport 2010). Transactional leadership occurs when a leader â€Å"rewards or disciplines a follower depending on the adequacy of the follower’s performance† (Early & Davenport 2010, p.59). Transactional leadership is closely associated with traditional models and strategies employed in leadership theory. In

City Tourism Management and Marketing Research Paper

City Tourism Management and Marketing - Research Paper Example The London governing bodies has distinctive bodied identified with specific brand projection for the tourism promotion of London and its major attractions. The Greater London authority (GLA), The London Development authority and the Visit London campaign defined their working areas to collectively promote tourism in London. The GLA, the LDA and the visit London has formulated strategies keeping in view of the 2012 Olympics. The previous results show that the cities that hosted Olympics projected an increase in the tourism revenues and the tourist arrivals. The "Totally London" campaign was major success as the number of tourist arrivals has increased from the year 2003. An effective contingency management plans were drawn to cope with the adverse incidents like the SARS, the mad cow disease, the terrorist attacks at London. One of the largest tourism marketing campaign (Totally London) was rolled out in 2003 by the Mayor and London Tourist Board. The campaign entailed-national press advertsing, promotional offers and discounted holiday packages. The key target markets were USA and the European countries. The tourism in France has centuries of tradition with grandeur of the attractions imbibed in the country. The state governments were provided with the freedom to implement the policies suitable to their region. The central government has initiated many important decentralization programs to streamline the ground realities of developing tourism with key target on implementing regional plans locally. The French authorities organized programs like "experience the Parisian lifestyle" to elevate the perceptions regarding the Parisians and awareness campaigns to enhance the tourist experience (Arrogant paris on tourist charm offensive, 2007). The researcher has asserted more on the development of the rural areas and highway zones to generate revenue and create employment opportunities. The developments plans in the mountainous regions "Snow plans" in the 1960s' and 70 and establishing ski resorts along the sea banks were major initiatives. Dubai has strengthened its position as the tourism capital of the Gulf region working out rapid strides in the areas of real estate and the massive construction spree. The Government has been working on economic development of not entirely dependant on oil. The government was proactive in agressivley promoting Dubai as an dream destination in every sector. As a result of these initiatives there has been an incredible boost in the revenues of the tourism industry in UAE.The World Travel and Tourism Council(WTTC) in its global travel forecast has suggested that UAE's revenues from inbound tourism are likely to grow at 7.2% annually till 2015.The tourism sector revenues account for 15% of Dubai's GDP.Furthermore,over the last decade Dubai has evolved as a global hub, climbing fro the 26th to the 10th international hub in terms of the volume of international traffic. Airlines have taken advantage of the city's strategic location, attracting flyers on their way from Europe, Asia and Afric a. (khaleej times) City Infrastructure and Destination Appeal: The Dubai International Airport is one of the world's fastest growing airports. It registered a

Article Critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 5

Article Critique - Essay Example They also identify the environment used for the research, which was an Australian primary school. The data collected was primarily interviews with staff and students, observations conducted on the playground, and document analysis. The data was verified and tested via triangulation, member checking, and auditing. The most obvious drawback of this study is that it took place on a very small sample, a single primary school. Thus, it would be difficult to generalize the results of this study to primary school populations as a whole. The literature review is particularly well-balanced. Longaretti and Wilson note that most teachers perceive conflict as negative, but conflict is at the center of learning and development. This focus on the positive side of conflict helps the reader eliminate any personal bias he may have toward conflict before beginning the heart of the study. In addition, the authors use the literature review to briefly examine the types of conflict management that teacher s employ with students. After the literature review, the authors begin the discussion of their study. They note that the sample size for the study was small but explain that this choice was to concentrate in more depth on the issues as â€Å"insiders.† While the explanation is valid, it certainly does not rectify the problems that accompany a small sample size, such as skewing of data and limited applicability of conclusions to other populations. In examining the data, the researchers tabulated teacher and student responses to conflict and then the types and frequency of different conflict management strategies. The research revealed that all students and teachers described conflict as negative. But, the degree to which they found conflict to be negative governed their actions. Students who described conflict as very negative often resolved it in a negative manner, i.e. with more conflict. Likewise, teachers who saw conflict in a more negative light often used more aggressive conflict management strategies such as authoritarianism. The authors note that these results match those of several studies conducted in America and New Zealand. While noting that fact, it is still debatable as to whether this research is productive as the results seem predictable even without study. The authors do note that teachers and students do not utilize complex conflict management skills. They posit that this deficiency is due to the perception of conflict. The most useful part of the study is that it suggests that teachers and students would benefit from training in conflict management and in their perception of conflict. I have always felt that conflict was positive. While physical conflict is destructive, most conflict leads to learning. Without intellectual conflict, most of the major discoveries we enjoy would not have been made. Our most productive times in history have been when disagreements between two great thinkers have spurred development. The famous political d ebates between Hamilton and Jefferson immediately spring to mind. In the end, conflict is necessary in the education process. We simply must train teachers to see themselves not as disciplinarians but as facilitators. Then, the perception of conflict and the types of conflict manageme

Aldous Huxleys Brave New World and the Movie Gattaca - Genetic Enginee Essay

Aldous Huxleys Brave New World and the Movie Gattaca - Genetic Engineering and Its Effects on People - Essay Example On the other hand, Gattaca by Niccol seeks to present a biological vision whereby in the future, liberal eugenics drives the society through the selection of potential children through pre-implantation genetic processes. Through this envisioned process, best hereditary traits of the parents are maintained and passed down to their children while comparatively vague traits undergo elimination. Most importantly, the movie shows concern on the effects and consequences of the reproductive technologies that facilitate eugenics. Evidently, both Brave New World by Aldous Huxley and Gattaca by Andrew Niccol seek to enhance and adapt the engineering advancements allowing genetic alteration to produce a new generation of humans. However, both illustrate a certain degree of fear of the outcome as well as the effects resulting from excessive genetic engineering on people. At the outset, evidence shows Dr Lamar’s battle within himself stating human nature as the problem. He says that creation of genetically superior society consequences to snatching away of the rights and dreams of the society born as â€Å"God-children.† This quote clearly illustrates the detrimental idealism behind genetic engineering. Realistically, the story in Gattaca mainly seeks to show how aspects of desire and heart prove to be immeasurable but in an ironic way. Moreover, Lenina in Brave New World quotes that everyone works for everyone else. This quote focuses on insisting on the neutrality of humans even with the attempts to create a difference through genetic alteration. Furthermore, this quote depicts the equality of both â€Å"species,† regardless of caste, to death. Moreover, Gattaca portrays a new world in which everybody, especially the successful, undergoes genetic alteration to perfect their DNA. Vincent further insists on the need for genetic alteration to become successful when he quotes that the normal humans who have not been genetically altered are outcasts with less capability in the real world.  Ã‚  

Opeartions Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Opeartions Management - Essay Example Part of the design process include the facilities that will include the facilities and equipment that will be used to produce the goods and services, as well as the information system that will be used to control and monitor the performance. The decisions of the manufacturing process are considered to be very integral to the ultimate success or failure of the system. Design is an issue in operations management since; there is a need for facility design which involves determination of capacity, location and the production facility layout. This will enable the company to know and measure its ability to supply the demanded goods and services in their right quantities at the correct time. Design will also enable the organization to determine where to place the facility with respect to its suppliers and customers, in order to be able to control the transportation cost. It is also determined by the long-term commitment of resources which cannot be changes

The disclosure of sensitive and classified information by persons Research Paper

The disclosure of sensitive and classified information by persons currently or previously employed by or affiliated with the Uni - Research Paper Example However, these sources and not authorized disclosures of the core information. This is also because the press only releases individually and cumulatively. Just like secret intelligent actually works. But however, this is a very major issue. If one is working or has worked with United States federal government, then one should know the importance of keeping your organization secrets to yourself. Being not an ordinary citizen, you are of the key persons of the country to keep in-charge of the national security of the United States. The unauthorized disclosure of classified intelligence has always been extraordinarily been resistant to the authenticity. Though there is a committee named as Foreign Denial and Deception Committee. This organization makes an interagency effort in order to understand how other agencies get to know about and how they try to defeat the US secret intelligence activities, but then even the unauthorized disclosures of classified intelligence still seem to be a s erious problem for the US national security. Where the term classified information means the information, which at the time of violation of the US laws is, for thenational security, specifically designated by a United States Government Agency for limited rights of distribution. George Tenet – the Director of the CIA, said in an interview about unauthorized disclosures, that they have become one of the biggest threats to the survival of the US intelligence. And definitely, what harm the wikileaks did to the US national security, no one would deny it. Though the US law states that whoever intentionally shares any kind of classified intelligence information to an unauthorized person or transmits, furnishes or publishes it in any way which leads to the benefit of any other foreign government or to the insecurity if the United States concerning the preparation or use of any code, design, construction, maintenance or repair of any device or apparatus or communication of any intelli gence activities of the United States with any foreign government shall be either fined or be imprisoned for not more than ten years, or as a punishment may be have to suffer from even both but the steps take to stop the violation of these rules must be improved in order to assure the security of the US intelligence. George England, the Acting Deputy Secretary of Defense while stating the rules and the responsibilities for the national defense of the US in his Reporting and Investigation Guide said that every civilian employee, active or reserved National Military Guard, any member, contractor or an employee of a contractor of the department of defense working with the classified material is instantly supposed to report through any security channel, any suspect disclosing the classified information to anyone. Then further actions will be taken after consulting with the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs and other officials after confirming if the information of offici ally released under a proper authority or what. Then further decisions would be made for starting an investigation by some military organization or Federal Bureau of Investigation, which will base on how accurate was the information that was disclosed, how much damage was caused to the national security by the disclosure of that information, how many people gained access to that information, if its investigation will increase the damage caused, the reasonable expectations of the

Interview Assignment Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

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Tech Environment Essay Example for Free

Tech Environment Essay The company I am continuing to work with is US Airways Group. There is plenty of hard and soft technology to list for the domestic environment. Some of the hard technology used in the domestic environment is aircraft, security system, and safety gear. Some soft technology used in the domestic environment is management, government regulations that govern the procedures of the company, and training for employees. The hard technology I listed above is the obvious technology the air line company utilizes yet there is more hard technology being used. The soft technology being used is essential to the success of the company which I will capitalize on later. I stated the hard and soft technology of the domestic environment but this same technology is used in the global environment also. Hard technology used within the global environment is aircraft, customs operatives, and safety gear. Soft technology used within the global environment is management, different government regulations than the domestic environment, and guides who help foreign travelers from different countries. Although the hard technology is about the same as it is in the domestic environment you may see some outdated equipment within the global environment. The soft technology used such as guides to assist foreign travelers may not be found within the domestic environment due to a large majority of passengers residing within the domestic environment. There are technological barriers for the domestic and global environments. Within the domestic environment there are flaws such as the security system. People find ways to breach the security system and are able to sneak items that should be able to sneak past the system such as drugs and weapons. Of course we do the best we can but this is the nature of the beast and we can always better our systems. Another technological barrier is that we need more foreign employees that can communicate with foreign passengers who travel within the domestic environment. It can be hard to travel within a location where you do not know anyone and no one understands your language. Within the global environment there are technological barriers also. I stated earlier that the technology in some locations is not as good as it is in the domestic environment. This is unfair to the passengers and to the people who work for the company. There should be up to date equipment for the global environment just as there is in the domestic environment. Another barrier is that customs can be difficult to deal with. I always hear of horror stories dealing with customs because they may take a long time to process certain individuals through or the rules are interpreted differently. The barriers can be overcome in both the domestic and global environments. The flaws within the security system are currently being corrected as we speak according to sourcesecurity.com. They have stated that â€Å"turning security weaknesses into strengths, using perimeter and surveillance solutions together, use of video analytics software and managing airport access control system† will better the security in airports significantly (Smith). I believe if those principles stated are applied then the security in airports will be safe as can be. The fact that we need more translators or guides that can speak other languages can be fixed. We need to create a job that specifically guides passengers from other countries to their next gate or to taxi services to get passengers to their next destination without any issues. The barriers within the global environment can be corrected just as they can be corrected in the domestic environment. The fact that the technology within the global environment needs to be up to the same standards is an issue that should be addressed. â€Å"To raise efficiency or establish a better competitive position, firms’ efforts are oriented towards developing capabilities to absorb, adapt and master technologies often developed elsewhere in a process of technological learning† (Goedhuys, Janz, Mohnen, 2008). I honest believe this is the only remedy for providing up to date technology, the company has to make it a priority to provide the same technology to the global environment. The customs can be corrected by provided a print out of what is allowed and what is not allowed to be brought into or out of a country a passenger is traveling through. The information is available online but some older passengers aren’t as savvy with technology so they may not r eceive the same information. With this tactic there is not any excuse for not knowing what is expected when going through customs. The strategies I stated above will be successful, only if they are applied. Without application the strategy will be a failure. Within the domestic environment the security system can be significantly improved and decrease the risk for terrorist attacks greatly. This technology needs to be protected by requiring a security clearance for all employees who work for the company. This way you have a thorough back ground check on everyone who works for US Airways Group and the risk for inside information getting out to enemies of the United States is low. Within the global environment technology needs to be advanced. The company can protect this technology by only providing the technology to its global counterparts and not the competition.

Contrasting And Comparing Mass Society With Popular Culture Media Essay

Contrasting And Comparing Mass Society With Popular Culture Media Essay When studying mass society and popular culture it is evident that there is a connection between the two theories. Yet, both also consist of two different perspectives in the relationship between media and its audiences. Popular culture, also known as pop culture, is a modern day standard of living life and items that are well recognized and usually accepted by our society today. On the other hand mass society is a society which possesses a mass culture and large-scale, distant, social institutions. The theories of mass society and popular culture provide two distinct perspectives on the relationship between media and the audience. However, in modern civilization it is mass society that dominates and is more applicable in todays society. Sub Topics: What is mass society? What is popular culture? Mass society and the audience. Popular culture and the audience. Proof that mass society is more applicable in todays society. Conclusion. Paragraph 1: When attempting to grasp the theory of mass society it is important to know that mass society is a theoretical perspective which is most popularly defined as a passive and manipulative form which possesses a mass culture and a number of people in modern day society. In other words mass society is a theory that draws together the work of various classical social theorists, as well as behavior scientists. Unlike popular culture, in a mass society people are manipulated into feeling the need to buy what there being sold, by the media, for personal needs. Individuals are seen as rootless not treated or valued on the basis of their individual qualities but bound together by needs rather than tradition (Kevin Williams Pg.25). Overall it is the mass society theory that has encouraged a view of the effects of the media on peoples lives and behaviors as straight forward and unmistakable. Paragraph 2: Similar to the majority of things that form a big part of our daily lives, popular culture is familiar and obvious. Popular culture, also referred to as pop culture, by definition consists of the traditional practices and beliefs or way of living life. It is in fact a collection of practices society follows in their everyday life. Popular culture consists of two very important words that help define its purpose and meaning a little better; the words popular and culture. Popular is the word used to define something that is liked by many individuals and the majority. An example of this would be the show The Jersey Shore. A television program that has been ranked by its viewers and MTV live, as the number one show that teenagers watched when it was aired. Making the show what is defined as something popular. The word culture on the other hand, has two definitions to it. One being the artistically perspective and cultural sense, and the other definition is an understanding that culture i s a form of living life and what can differentiate between our social and ethnic groups. Although these two definitions are the most common to culture, there are still other definitions applied to it. Another for example is; the social production and reproduction of sense, meaning and consciousness, the sphere of meaning which unifies the spheres of production (economics) and social relations (politics). (OBrian. p.5). This is merely an example, because of the many definitions that can be given to culture, of how diverse even the term culture itself is. From the two terms popular and culture springs the theory of Popular Culture, which is an acceptable way of consuming and producing and living life freely. Paragraph 3: As stated previously, the mass society theory is known to have a way with its audience. Threw the theory of mass media, the media is known to be passive and manipulative with the audience. The media manipulates its audience to desire and consume whatever it is they are attempting to sell and produce. Although many sociologists would go against this belief that the media does has a direct effect and sense of control on their audience, the constant growth rate and vast amount of money that corporations gain today says the contrary. In modern times, society is filled with constant advertisements that corporations produce so that their products will be purchased and used by individuals. Aside from the vast amount of advertisements on television society is also surrounded by more advertisements outside of the television, such as magazines and billboards. The question still arises; if the media does not have an influence on its audience why is it that so much money is being put into advert ising? (Kevin Williams, Pg. 165). It is evident that the media does in fact have a huge impact on society today. Paragraph 4: When looking at popular culture and the audience it can be argued that unlike mass society, popular culture is not primarily about consuming and production. Popular culture is not just a business it is also a lifestyle and unlike mass society it gives society the choice and freedom to choose what they do and do not want to consume. For example; when different trends are born individuals are given the option to follow these trends or to chose a different trend that they feel will show there personality better. Even with foods and life styles pop culture will vary. It is a choice and a way of living that is constantly changing throughout time. Paragraph 5: In todays culture it is obvious that mass society does dominate. The purpose to sell and suck the audience into the products is becoming harder to resist. Individuals are being manipulated from a very young age by the numerous amounts of corporations and advertisements surrounding them in their everyday lives. James Steyer, the author of the book The Other Parent, writes the following in his book; Its pretty clear that the goal of this multinational, sophisticated marketing scheme is not to benefit young children who shouldnt be watching a lot of TV anyways but to sell and enrich the network, manufacturers, and producers. (Steyer, Pg.98). This is the case in present times as mass society has their way with its victims. James Steyer later states that the target of these huge, manipulative campaigns are children of all ages, like his two year old daughter Carly. The aim was to encourage her attachment to the TV characters so that shed ask for the licensed products(Steyer. Pg.98). Pro ving just how the theory of mass society is dominating more and more each day. Once children gain the emotional attachment to the TV persona, companies will use that attachment to sell and produce products that the audience feels a connection with so that they can sell through them. Conclusion and Restate Thesis: Overall, the when comparing and contrasting the two theories of mass society and popular culture one can acknowledge that although both are two businesses, they are two different perspectives on mass media and society. Attempting to grasp an understanding of how the mass society works and has come to be known as passive and manipulative requires a lot of over viewing. The theories of mass society and popular culture provide two distinct perspectives on the relationship between media and the audience. However, in modern civilization it is mass society that dominates and is more applicable in todays society.

Colonialism Heart Of Darkness And Chinua Achebes English Literature Essay

Colonialism Heart Of Darkness And Chinua Achebes English Literature Essay Joseph Conrads novella, Heart of Darkness is considered to be a great work of art not only because it painfully portrays how brutally and unjustly the natives are treated in the African wilderness, but also because its treatment of colonialism is considered a cornerstone in the history of western fiction. Colonialism refers to the enterprise by which a nation extends its authority over other territories; it is characterized by an unequal relationship between the colonists and the natives of a country. Colonists usually think that they are doing the country good by bringing civilization and enlightenment; however the result is atrocity and death. This is clearly portrayed in Heart of Darkness. One of the characters who exercises colonialism is Kurtz whose main purpose is extracting ivory from the land in whatever way he can. He is treated as a supernatural authority by the Africans who always seem to obey and listen to him carefully. Marlow indicates the Africans obedience to Kurtz when he tells us, He was not afraid of the natives; they would not stir till Mr. Kurtz gave the word. His ascendancy was extraordinary. The camps of these people surrounded the place, and the chiefs came every day to see him. They would crawl. (p. 131) Kurtz believes that everything in the wilderness belongs to him, as Marlow hears him say, My Intended, my ivory, my station, my river, myà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (p. 116) Moreover, he thinks that there is nothing wrong with what hes doing; on the contrary, Kurtz believes that hes doing the right thing. His civilization mission and his philosophy regarding the natives are expressed in his report of which Marlow tells: But it was a beautiful piece of writing. The opening paragraph, however, in the light of later information, strikes me now as ominous. He began with the argument that we whites, from the point of development we had arrived at, must necessarily appear to them [savages] in the nature of supernatural beingswe approach them with the might as of a deity, and so on, and so on. By the simple exercise of our will we can exert a power for good practically unbounded, etc., etc. (p. 118) Although Marlow is not a native, he finds himself obliged to be treated like one. In other words, he finds himself reacting in the very same way as the natives themselves to Kurtzs authority. I did not betray Mr. Kurtz it was ordered I should never betray him it was written I should be loyal to the nightmare of my choice. (p. 141) It is interesting that Marlow refers to Kurtz as the nightmare; it seems as if he is hypnotized by him and has no choice but to do as he is told. Moreover, the phrase, it was ordered adds to the ambiguity of what Marlow is trying to say. He could have said, I was ordered but he does not. It is worth mentioning here that Heart of Darkness is a novel that is partially biographical. Conrad was obliged to seek employment with a Belgian company in Africa due to difficult labor conditions in 1889. Although he stayed for a short while in Africa, it was an experience that shattered his health and changed his world-view, while the moral degradation he witnessed in the Congos economic exploitation disgusted him. A decade after this, he wrote Heart of Darkness, which is about his experience in Africa. What is really ironic is that in the book Joseph Conrad in Context, it is mentioned more than once that Conrad never got over his experience in Africa, as if other people in his place would not feel the same thing! So basically, Marlow seems to echo Conrads own opinions in his novel. Colonists are driven to exploit ivory at an insatiable rate without even bothering to think about the devastating effects on the natives. This is very clearly shown in the following quote: Marlow refers to the ivory merchants as a devoted band calling themselves the Eldorado Exploring Expedition. He says they were sworn to secrecy. They spoke the language of sordid buccaneers: it was reckless without hardihood, greedy without audacity, and cruel without courage; there was not an atom of foresight or of serious intention in the whole batch of them, and they did not seem aware these things are wanted for the work of the world. To tear treasure out of the bowels of the land was their desire, with no more moral purpose at the back of it than there is in burglars breaking into a safe. (p. 87) In brief, what these colonizers were doing was purposeless, which in turn means that the consequences which were brought about as a result of their actions were also useless. Furthermore, the colonists had a quasi divine authority to do as they pleased in the colonies; this is portrayed by the conversation between the uncle and the nephew, which was overheard by Marlow, Certainly, grunted the other; get him hanged! Why not? Anythinganything can be done in this country. Thats what I say; nobody here, you understand, here, can endanger your position. And why? You stand the climateyou outlast them all.' (p. 91) Here, they are talking about hanging Kurtzs assistant and probably Kurtz himself, so that they can get Kurtzs possessions, including his ivory. Colonialism is also explored in other parts of the novella, where the reader can see just how mercilessly and brutally the natives are treated by the colonizers. When Marlow is on a steamer with a Swedish captain, he describes how the natives, whom he sees on his way to the station, are being exploited and treated as mere beasts. All the natives are represented as being naked and horribly thin; they are never referred to as humans. They are forced to work under hard conditions, are given no clothes, and are left to starve: A continuous noise of the rapids above hovered over this scene of inhabited devastation. A lot of people, mostly black and naked, moved about like ants. A jetty projected into the river. A blinding sunlight drowned all this at times in a sudden recrudescence of glare. (p. 63) When Marlow finally arrives at the station, he sees yet another traumatizing scene, A slight clinking behind me made me turn my head. Six black men advanced in a file, toiling up the path. They walked erect and slow, balancing small baskets full of earth on their heads, and the clink kept time with their footsteps. Black rags were wound round their loins, and the short ends behind waggled to and fro like tails. I could see every rib, the joints of their limbs were like knots in a rope; each had an iron collar on his neck, and all were connected together with a chain whose bights swung between them, rhythmically clinkingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ but these men could by no stretch of imagination be called enemies. They were called criminals, and the outraged law, like the bursting shells, had come to them, an insoluble mystery from the sea. All their meagre breasts panted together, the violently dilated nostrils quivered, the eyes stared stonily uphill. They passed me within six inches, without a glance, with that complete, deathlike indifference of unhappy savages. Behind this raw matter one of the reclaimed, the product of the new forces at work, strolled despondently, carrying a rifle by its middle. He had a uniform jacket with one button off. (p. 64) When reading this passage, one cannot help but wonder, how could these poor natives possibly be criminals? They do every single thing they are told to do, without the least bit of complaining and yet, they are called criminals. The words tails, collar, breasts panted, and dilated nostrils immediately bring to the mind the image of dogs. And of course, we should not forget the colonizer, who is right behind them with a rifle, making sure that these men walk in a file, without glancing at Marlow, and only staring stonily uphill. So not only are they compared to animals, but they are also expected to work like machines! This is the main reason why Achebe does not accept Heart of Darkness, it is because he does not like the way African people are portrayed in it. Chinua Achebe, a Nigerian poet and novelist, was attracted to Conrads Heart of Darkness as a child. However, in the 1970s, he changed his mind about it and until today, he continues to dismiss the novel. In his essay on Conrads novel, Achebe attempts to explain why. He says that what Conrad is terribly worried about is the idea of kinship between him and the blacks, which is why he dehumanizes them. Contrasting with this is Edward Saids opinion that Conrad is exaggerating the imperialistic and the dehumanizing discrepancies so that we, as readers, are outraged at its injustice and therefore work out solutions for ourselves. In other words, Heart of Darkness is, according to Said, a self-referential novel. But still, Achebe has a strong point in saying that Conrad has dehumanized the Africans because Conrad seems to be obsessed with the words black and darkness since he associates them with the Africans and uses these words numerous times throughout his novel. Convincingly Achebe believes that the most revealing passages in the novel are about people. He says that the following quote contains the meaning of Heart of Darkness, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ but what thrilled you was just the thought of your remote kinship with this wild and passionate uproar. Ugly. Yes, it was ugly enough à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ If only the thought was thrilling, then what would knowing do to us?! It is this remote kinship that seems to terrorize Conrad and is implied throughout the novel several times. However, his passages about the natives or savages, as Conrad refers to them, seem a mere description of what they are and what they are going to do. His personal sentiments are never revealed. But the vocabulary he chooses and the way he describes the Africans force the reader to sympathize with them. However, there are parts in the novel where we can infer that Conrad, although not showing sympathy towards the savages, cannot bear looking at them. For example, when he sees the six men tied to each other with chains around their necks, he says, My idea was to let that chain-gang get out of sight before I climbed the hill. And in another incident, he says, The hurt nigger moaned feebly somewhere nearby, and then fetched a deep sigh that made me mend my pace away from there. Clearly, he was not strong enough to neither hear nor see these savages being treated mercilessly. When Marlow arrives at the Central Station, he witnesses more of these atrocities towards the niggers. The manager of the station is apparently an uncivilized person who is there only because he hasnt been ill, as Marlow tells us, He had no genius for organizing, for initiative, or for order even. That was evident in such things as the deplorable state of the station. He had no learning, and no intelligence. His position had come to himwhy? Perhaps because he was never ill . . . He had served three terms of three years out thereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦He was neither civil nor uncivil. He was quiet. He allowed his boyan overfed young negro from the coastto treat the white men, under his very eyes, with provoking insolence. (p. 74) One of Conrads greatest fears that is implied in the novel is the possibility of the whites having distant kinship with the blacks, and this is mentioned by Achebe. This explains why Marlow wasnt able to forget his African helmsmans look on his face just before he died, And the intimate profundity of that look he gave me when he received his hurt remains to this day in my memory like a claim of distant kinship affirmed in a supreme moment. Conrads careful word choice of distant kinship rather than brother, for example, is cautiously observed by Achebe. He understands that Conrad is trying, as much as possible, to create layers between himself and the natives. Also, the words remains to this day in my memory, are understood by Achebe as a negative connotation, as if this memory continues to torture him to this very day. Achebe concludes from this that Conrad is a racist. Moreover, Achebe states that Conrad has dehumanized Africans. But I do not agree with him on this point. My evidence to this can be seen in this quote, when Marlow who can be considered Conrads mouthpiece at this instance says, The conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look into it too much. We can infer from this quote that Conrad was actually against the idea of Africans being treated the way they were. Also, according to Edward Said, Conrad, being a creature of his time, could not grant the natives their freedom, despite his severe critique of the imperialism that enslaved them. In other words, Conrad was against this imperialism and he criticized it as well, but the era that he lived in made it impossible for him to do anything about it. In my opinion, it might be that Conrad never meant to dehumanize the Africans; it might be that the experie nce he was going through during his stay in Africa was so overwhelming to him that he could not or was not able to reveal his sympathy. Maybe he did not want to reveal anything at all in order to emphasize it being a part of its darkness. After all, it is Conrad himself who chose to write his novel in an ambiguous and subtle way which leaves the reader with puzzled thoughts about what exactly Conrad is trying to say. Almost everything in Heart of Darkness seems; everything is not is. In conclusion, as we can see, examples of colonial acts are displayed throughout Heart of Darkness. Colonists take over the wilderness and practice exploitation only to acquire ivory. But at the same, the colonists actions are purposeless, such as when they order the natives to aimlessly blast the railway when there is actually nothing to blast. This brings about the failure of their exploitation and civilizing mission. Works cited: Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. London: J.M. Dent and Sons Ltd, 1967 Achebe, Chinua. An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrads Heart of Darkness' Massachusetts Review. 18. 1977. Rpt. in Heart of Darkness, An Authoritative Text, background and Sources Criticism. 1961. 3rd ed. Ed. Robert Kimbrough, London: W. W Norton and Co., 1988, pp.251-261 http://kirbyk.net/hod/image.of.africa.html Said, Edward. Two Visions in Heart of Darkness Culture and Imperialism, (1993) pp. 22-31 http://www.ecfs.org/Projects/EastWest/Readings/SaidConrad.pdf Feminism in To the Lighthouse Mrs. Ramsay vs. Lily Briscoe During Virginia Woolfs time, women were deprived of numerous rights which men had access to, including education. Women were only expected to get married, give birth to children, raise them, and take care of the household. However, towards the end of the 19th century, a series of feminist movements began, whose concern was to give equality to women in terms of education, employment, and marriage laws. These movements are known as the three waves of feminism. The First Wave occurred in the late 19th century and ended in the early 20th century, during Woolfs time; its primary gains were to acquire the right to vote and the right to practice birth control. Virginia Woolf, among other female writers, had to fight for her rights as a woman. In the novel, To the Lighthouse, Woolf presents two female characters, Mrs. Ramsay and Lily Briscoe, as complete opposites. Mrs. Ramsay is depicted as a subservient Victorian woman, whose main mission is not only to take care of her family, but also of others around her. This was very typical of Victorian women, who basically spent their time at home, making sure that everything was tidy and fine. However, Lily Briscoe on the other hand, is the total opposite of Mrs. Ramsay. The fact that she achieves her vision and completes her picture at the end of the novel is because she has asserted her rights as an independent individual and has rejected Victorian morality. Throughout the novel, it is clearly understood that Mrs. Ramsay is an uneducated woman. Her lack of education is presented in several quotes: What did it all mean? To this day she had no notion. A square root? What was that? Her sons knew. (p. 123) Woolfs deliberate use of sons instead of sons and daughters or children is to show that Mrs. Ramsays daughters, just like Mrs. Ramsay herself, are uneducated. Her husband spoke. He was repeating something, and she knew it was poetry from the rhythm and the ring of exaltation and melancholy in his voice. (p. 129) This again shows her lack of education, for she recognizes that her husband is speaking poetry because of the rhythm and tone, not because she knows the poet Charles Elton. Even while reading a book, she has no notion of what she is reading, for she feels that she is climbing backwards, upwards, shoving her way up under petals that curved over her, so that she only knew that this is white, or this is red. She did not know at first what the words meant at all. (p. 139) Also, when Charles Tansley talks to her about his dissertation, she is not able to quite catch the meaning, only the words, here and thereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ dissertationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ fellowshipà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ readershipà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ lectureship. She could not follow the ugly academic jargon. (p. 13) Although this may seem exaggerated, it was very true of the condition of women during that time. Women being uneducated was a privilege to men for this gave them superiority and complete control over women. While looking at his wife reading, Mr. Ramsay wondered what she was reading and exaggerated her ignorance, her simplicity, for he liked to think that she was not clever, not book-learned at all. He wondered if she understood what she was reading. Probably not, he thought. She was astonishingly beautiful. (p. 141) Not only does he seem to enjoy that his wife is uneducated, but he also mocks at her for not being able to understand what she is readi ng. The only thing that he praises about her is her beauty. In his critical essay, John Hardy presents the metaphor of Mrs. Ramsay as a queen. He claims that she is constantly queen like during dinner; while sitting at the head of the table, she carefully observes, one by one, each and every person sitting round the table. Hardy furthermore says that Mrs. Ramsay is enabled to triumph over her husband, because during dinner and even afterwards when dinner is over, she is able to read his mind. These two qualities, again, elevate the female, i.e. Mrs. Ramsay, over the male, i.e. Mr. Ramsay. However, although being uneducated, Mrs. Ramsay seems to have supernatural powers, such as having premonitions and casting spells. They must come now, Mrs. Ramsay thought, looking at the door, and at that instant, Minta Doyle, Paul Rayley, and a maid carrying a great dish in her hands came in together. (p. 114) Always she got her own way in the end, Lily thoughtà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ She put a spell on them all, by wishing, so simply, so directly. (p. 118) These are powers that none of the male characters in the novel have; in fact they do not even seem to understand such things. Woolf, by giving Mrs. Ramsay such powers, has elevated the female figure to a higher status. Will you not tell me just for once that you love me? But she could not do it; she could not say ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ For she had triumphed again. (p. 144) Mrs. Ramsay, by not saying the thing that her husband very desperately wants her to say, has triumphed over him. According to John Hardy, in this scene, what may seem to us as Mrs. Ramsays surrendering to her husband is in fact the inverse. By admitting that he was right and that they would not be able to go to the lighthouse, she has surrendered to her husband. But because, while doing so, she has lost her self, i.e. her personality as a Victorian woman, the surrender becomes a triumph. In other words, her being able to say that she was wrong places her, Hardy says, on another and higher plane which is undoubtedly right. Hardy, furthermore, views Lilys final painting of Mrs. Ramsay as an admiration of her, in triumph over her husband. Even more important than her powers and intuitions is the fact that she not only takes care of her family, but also of others around her, as we learn that she knits a stocking for the lighthouse keepers ill boy. (p. 5) It is Mrs. Ramsay who prepares dinner for her entire family as well as the guests and tries her best, during dinner, to make sure everything goes fine. This again is another characteristic of a typical Victorian woman. After all, it was not knowledge but unity that she desired. (p. 59) Interestingly, Hardy argues it is Mrs. Ramsay who holds everything together and hence is the central figure of the novel. After all, it is only after Mrs. Ramsays death that the characters feel an unbearable silence with undertones of panic. Since Mrs. Ramsay is gone, her power has also gone. Moreover, we are left with the thought that if it wasnt for her, there never would have been a trip to the lighthouse. And Lily too, is able to complete her painting only after Mrs. Ramsays death. Berenice A. Carroll, however, in her essay, To Crush him in our own Country, has opposed this view. According to her, it is Lily who is the heroine of the novel. But the fact that she is persistently associated with being little and insignificant and also that she paints as she sees, not as the dominant artist of the time makes her anti-heroine. By creating the character of Lily Briscoe, Woolf presents the absolute opposite of Mrs. Ramsay. Although faced by many obstacles, namely Charles Tansley, who tells her women cant paint, women cant write (p. 56) and whose voice seems to haunt her for the rest of her life, Lily Briscoe overcomes them and succeeds in asserting her rights and achieving her vision. It is this exact thing that has shocked many readers in the Modernist Era a woman breaking away from Victorian beliefs and customs. Every time Lily hears Charles words women cant paint, women cant write (pp. 100, 106, 183, 184, 228) in her head, she is greatly disturbed and struggles, yet does not give up. Aside from saying that women can neither paint nor write, Charles also believes that It was the womens fault. Women mad civilization impossible with all their charm, all their silliness. (p. 99) Women, according to him, are charming and silly, nothing more. Yet, what is ironic is that while everybody is having dinner together, it is Lily who comes to Charles rescue after he goes through great pains in order to state his opinions. Lily Briscoe knew all that. Sitting opposite him could she not see, as in an X-ray photograph, the ribs and thigh bones of the young mans desire to impress himself lying dark in the mist of his flesh that thin mist which convention had laid over his burning desire to break into the conversation? But she thought, screwing up her Chinese eyes, and remembering how he sneered at women, cant paint, cant write, why should I help him to relieve himself? (pp. 105-106) Lily can very clearly see that Charles is suffering for not being able to join the conversation, yet she does not help and enjoys watching, rather she sits there smiling. Of course for the hundred and fiftieth time Lily Briscoe had to renounce the experiment what happens if one is not nice to that young man there and be nice. (p. 107) It is only after Mrs. Ramsays request that Lily finally helps Charles and he is relieved. Again, it is women who seem more powerful than men and come to the rescue. Mrs. Ramsay also functions as a match maker in the novel. In fact, this is the only thing she seems to be thinking of most of the time. She was driven on, too quickly she knew, almost as if it were an escape for her too, to say that people must marry; people must have children. (p. 70) Mrs. Ramsays belief that people must get married actually seems to come out of her spontaneously. The word driven shows that she cannot help but think this way. Of Paul and Minta, Mrs. Ramsay keeps insisting that they must marry. (p. 57) In fact, Paul is driven to propose to Minta because of Mrs. Ramsays ceaseless insistence. (p. 136) This shows that Mrs. Ramsay is only concerned with making the match, but completely indifferent of its outcomes, as what happens to Paul and Minta. This is exactly why Hardy argues that Mrs. Ramsay is a colossal egotist the fact that she matches up couples and arranges walks for them by the beach but at the same time is irresponsible of their outcomes does in truth show her as egotistical. Ah, but was not that Lily Briscoe strolling along with William Bankes? Yes, indeed it was. Did that not mean that they would marry? Yes, it must! What an admirable idea! They must marry! (p. 83) Another clear instance where we see Mrs. Ramsay being obsessed with matching up people for them to get married. However, Lily is the only woman in the novel to assert her independence as an individual. By doing this, she becomes Mrs. Ramsays foil. Lily, in fact looks at marriage, as degradation and dilution. She need not marry, thank Heaven: she need not undergo that degradation. She was saved from that dilution. (p. 119) In his essay, Hardy points out that Lily goes as far as to describe Mrs. Ramsays matchmaking mission as mania of hers for marriage. After ten years, when Lily does in fact not get married, she feels she has triumphed over Mrs. Ramsay. (p. 202) I must move the tree to the middle; that matters nothing else. (p. 100) For Lily, her art is more important to her than anything els e, including marriage. Even while having dinner, while everybody is engaged in conversation, all Lily can think about is how to improve her painting. During Woolfs time, it was very difficult for women to get educated and even if they were educated secretly, it was difficult for them to publish their writing. Therefore, they had to hide their work and Woolf shows this in her novel through the character of Lily. She kept a feeler of her surroundings lest someone should creep up, and suddenly she should find her picture looked at. (p. 20) and so to clasp some miserable remnant of her vision to her breast, which a thousand forces did their best to pluck from her. (p. 22) These two parts are where Virginia Woolf has very skillfully portrayed the difficulty women had to go through in order to do what men could without facing any hardships. Mrs. Ramsays daughters, in a sense, resemble Lily, though not completely, in that they too dream of a life, where they do not always have to take care of some man or other. (p. 7) However, this is not what Mrs. Ramsay believes. During dinner, she looks at Prue, her eldest daughter who is watching Minta, and says to herself, You will be as happy as she is one of these days. You will be much happier, she added, because you are my daughter, (p. 128) referring that she will get married. Mrs. Ramsay believes that women, only through marriage, will find true happiness. According to her, an unmarried woman has missed the best of life. (p. 58) Ironically, those who do get married in the novel end up in a tragic life. After Paul and Mintas marriage, not even a year passes and Paul leaves Minta for another woman. As for Prue Ramsay, she dies in childbirth. Even Mrs. Ramsay dies. It is as if these women are taught a lesson for following Victorian conventions. Lily, on the other hand, does not get married and is rewarded by being able to complete her painting that she had started ten years ago. Hardy points out that Woolf has deliberately chosen to end her novel with Lily and her painting, nothing else. We never get to know about the work of Augustus Carmichael, the only other artist in the novel. This again, is done intentionally by Woolf, her purpose was to reinforce Lilys, and in turn the females work over that of the male.