Irony in Guy de Maupassant’s “The Jewelry”” Essay

Introduction â€Å"Expect the unexpected,† is something that I heard many times. We should follow this rule while reading different genres of writing, because writers use irony to keep readers’ attention, and make their works more interesting. This research paper deals with one of Guy de Maupassant’s short story â€Å"The Jewelry† and with his virtuous ability to use irony in it. It is sometimes said that we live in an age of irony. Because nowadays even politicians in their speeches use ironical device, in order to catch attention of society. Barry Brummet (expert in Techniques of Close Reading) in one of his speech mentioned that â€Å"Irony is a kind of winking at each other, as we all understand the game of meaning reversal that is being played.† The story was first published in Maupassant’s short-story collection â€Å"Contes du jour et de la nuit† in 1885. Since that time people have been reading it, and it won popularity among them. So it has a lot of interesting opinions and analysis which were made by famous critics and writers like Leo Tolstoy. Maupassant is considered one of the finest short story writers of all time and a champion of the realist approach to writing. â€Å"The Jewelry† is interesting to read because it contains irony. Irony has always been fascinating object to study, and it is widely known and popular  to use in modern time as in literature so in speech. It is splendid story; despite of being short it has deep sense and contains interesting topics to discuss. In â€Å"The Jewelry† reader can see what ironical games life can play with us and to what conclusion it can lead us. Chapter I Irony The Greek etymology of the word irony, ÃŽ µÃŽ ¯Ã Ãâ€°ÃŽ ½ÃŽ µÃŽ ¯ÃŽ ± (eironeia), means feigned ignorance (a technique often used by the Greek philosopher Socrates), and from ÃŽ µÃŽ ¯Ã Ãâ€°ÃŽ ½ (eiron), the one who makes a question pretending to be naive, and ÃŽ µÃŽ ¯Ã ÃŽ µÃŽ ¹ÃŽ ½ is also a verb radical of the Greek â€Å"to speak†. The verb ÃŽ µÃŽ ¯Ã ÃŽ µÃŽ ¹ÃŽ ½ (eirein) itself is probably from the Proto-Indo-European root *wer- say. Irony is a stylistic device in which the contextual evaluative meaning of a word is directly opposite to its dictionary meaning. There are very many cases which we regard as irony, intuitively feeling the alteration of the evaluation, but unable to put our finger on the exact word in whose meaning we can see the contradiction between what is said and what is implied. The effect of irony in such cases is created by a number of statements, by the whole text. Many examples of irony are supplied by D. Defoe, J. Swift and many others. Types of irony There are 3 main types of irony: 1. Verbal Irony: This occurs when a character says one thing but suggests or intends the opposite. For instance in Julius Caesar, Mark Antony says â€Å"and Brutus is an honorable man,† when he really means that Brutus is dishonorable because he has betrayed Caesar. It is very similar to sarcasm, although sarcasm is rough and direct while verbal irony is implied. 2. Dramatic Irony: This is the contrast between what the character thinks to be true and what the readers know to be true. Dramatic irony occurs when the meaning intended by a character’s words or actions is opposite of the true situation. Further, the character cannot see or understand the contrast, but the audience can. For example, in Othello, dramatic irony occurs when Othello refers to Iago as â€Å"honest Iago.† Unknown to Othello, Iago is a villain who deceives him into thinking that his wife has been unfaithful. For this, Othello unjustly kills his wife, believing the whole time in Iago’s honesty. Note the difference in examples for verbal and dramatic  irony: Antony calls Brutus â€Å"honorable† and knows he is not honorable, while Othello calls Iago â€Å"honest† and does not know of Iago’s deception. 3. Situational Irony: It is the contrast between what happens and what was expected or what would seem to be more appropriate to happen. This type of irony appears from the events and circumstances of a story. When we see situational irony, we might think circumstances are unfair or unfortunate – for example, if a greedy millionaire buys a lottery ticket and wins additional millions. Irony in literature Here I wanted to list several examples from literature, by means of which, we could understand what irony is more clearly. Firs examples are from â€Å"Romeo and Juliet† by William Shakespeare. I have chosen them, because this story is widely known across the globe. â€Å"Two households, both alike in dignity†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The opening line of Shakespeare’s play leads the reader to believe that both Capulet and Montague families are worthy of respect that they are given in Verona. As the story progresses, we realize that neither household is dignified. In fact, several of their actions are unworthy of their place in society. Another irony in Romeo and Juliet is that the reader remains aware of the fact that Juliet takes a sleeping portion to simulate death, and at the end of the day, when Romeo kills himself after thinking that Juliet is dead, the reader is astonished by the tragic irony. Next examples come from short stories, which I was supposed to read on my first years in university. The Casque of Amontillado, Edgar Allan Poe: In this story, the reader is conscious from the very beginning that Montressor is planning the murder of Fortunato, but Fortunato remains unaware of this and he considers Montressor his friend. It is very ironic how foolish people could be. Fortunato forgot about his past relationship with Montressor, and it led him to fatality. The Necklace, Guy de Maupassant: The protagonist Madame Loise, in order to look good, borrows jewelry from a prosperous friend and then loses it. With her husband she replaces the  jewels but the replacement effects on their financial conditions. Years later, when she meets the same friend again, she learns that the jewels she replaced with real gemstones was mere imitation jewelry. Conclusion to the Chapter I Generally, Irony is the difference between what someone does or says in relation to what is understood about what is done or said. Often there is a bit of confusion over what is ironic and what is simply accidental. The two ideas can be easily confused, but there is however, a very distinct difference between what is ironic and what is simply good or bad luck. Irony has several different types and it appears not only in literature, but in ordinary life also. It is a contradiction between appearance and reality. Irony is a widely known method of explaining something, and is popular to use as in writing and in everyday life so in media. It points on how many different people don’t pay attention to what is happening around them, and how many ironic games our fate can play with us. It is not only when we don’t mention, but it can happen every day and any time with anyone. Chapter II. â€Å"The Jewelry† by Guy de Maupassant Plot summary The story of â€Å"The Jewelry† takes place in Paris. It tells us about Monsieur Lantin, who worked as a chief clerk at the office of Minister of Interior. Story begins with M. Lantin’s falling in love with young virtuous girl(whose name will never be told) and their marriage. The story tells how they happily lived together during several years of their marriage. We can see that Lantins’ wife enjoys going to theatres and loves fake jewelry. She was the best housewife man can ever imagine, and she provided her home with everything. One cold winter evening she came back home from opera freezing and coughing, and after 8 days she died because of inflammation of the lungs. Mr. Lantin loved her very much, so he saved things staying as they were while she was alive. His life completely changed, he couldn’t rule his accounts and soon got into depts. One day he decided to cell one of his wife’s fake jewelries in order to have some money for food. When he went to the jeweler he learned that his wife’s jewelry wasn’t fake. Mr. Lantin was shocked, while she was alive, they didn’t have so much money to buy such  kind of expensive jewelries, so, she had deceived him with somebody. After learning that all of her â€Å"fake† jewelries were not fake, he decide to sell them, after that he decides that he is reach enough and quits his job. He was very happy and pleased with it, so he visits expensive restaurants, orders expensive meals, and boasts to everybody that he is rich, but, he is telling different amounts of money to everybody. After that he marries another girl. They didn’t live happy and loving life together as with the first wife. ii.ii Analysis of the story This story takes place in Paris, which is in France. As it is the general place of setting, there are also specific ones. For instance, in the beginning M. Lantin meets his future wife at a reception at the house of the second head of his department. After we see places like their house, theater, jeweler shops and so on. However, setting doesn’t play major role in â€Å"The Jewelry†, so author doesn’t pay much attention on displaying it. Two main characters of â€Å"The Jewelry† are Monsieur Lantin and his first wife. These two characters are very important for this story, because all of actions in it are connected with them. M. Lantin is a middle class man, who desperately loves his wife, and thinks that she loves him too, because they had very warm relations. Think like unfaithfulness of his wife wouldn’t even come to his mind, and when he learns this fact, he understands that everything is not as it seems to be. In my opinion Lantin is boastful person, and he likes to exaggerate. Maybe because of this characteristic feature, he looked to his family life as if it was ideal. His wife, whose name remains unknown to reader, is professional liar, who is arrogant and narcissistic, even though we don’t see it with unaided eye. I came to this conclusion because in the story it is said that â€Å"Happy the man who wins her love! He could not find a better wife.† Everybody thought that she was a perfect woman, who was able to make happy her man. In fact she could, but, because of hearing these words she became proud of herself, and inside she came to conclusion that she might deserve better man or better life. We don’t know what type of man she was dating with, but it is obvious that she could hide her feelings easily, so, she had two faces. One was how she was acting during staying at home with her husband, and the second is outside of  it. While she was near her husband, she was the most caring wife, tender and kid. She was also very smart, because she ruled household perfectly, but, with the help of her lover’s finances. I can say that her place was on the stage of the theater, because wife of M. Lantin was a perfect actress! The theme of â€Å"The Jewelry† by Guy de Maupassant is that life can be full of irony. Each of the ironies shown in â€Å"The Jewelry† reveal how people keep secrets from one another or themselves, and reveals how they ignore a situation that upsets them if they are com pensated enough. That compensation in this story is money. In this story, Guy de Maupassant as a main literary form of writing uses ironical style. â€Å"The Jewelry† is full of irony from the beginning. It awaked several feeling in me. First, I felt happy, that M. Lantin got married and was living pretty good life, but, I wondered why didn’t he also took a part in house holding or even look in what sphere and what amount of money was spent by his wife. I wasn’t surprised when it turned out that Lantins’ wife had a lover, because he wasn’t paying much attention on her, go out and have fun. It is possible that because of these reasons she was tired of that routine and wanted to try something new. Her lover may have paid more attention to het or shown his love more clearly. ii.iii Irony in â€Å"The Jewelry† The plot of â€Å"The Jewelry† moved from one irony to another. The first couple of paragraphs show how respectable M. Lantin’s wife was supposed to be. But even this early in the story, the author states that â€Å"The young girl seemed to be the very ideal of that pure good woman to whom every young man dreams of entrusting his future.† That â€Å"†¦seemed to be†¦Ã¢â‚¬  lets the reader know that the young girl was not chased woman as everybody took her for. This indicates that the girl was hiding something, although what that something was we didn’t find out until she died. The second irony which we come across in this story, is the fact that they â€Å"†¦seemed to live in luxury†, but in fact they didn’t just simply seem they really did. Unknown to M. Lantin, his wages were being supplemented by his wife’s lovers. They were paying for his good food, fine wine and luxuriously furnished house. I suppose if he had open ed his eyes, and looked through the household expenditures, he would  have learned that the money was coming from somewhere other than his salary. At that point M. Lantin was being fooled by his own self as well as by his wife. But anyway, during that time he was happy! After that comes our third irony. If M. Lantin hadn’t stopped going to the theatre with his wife, then probably another man wouldn’t have had an opportunity to flirt with her, and become her lover. Her attention would have been on her husband or on the stage, not on another man. In every other way, other than the theatre and her jewelry, M. Lantin’s wife devoted herself to him. We can understand it in lines â€Å"It would be impossible to conceive of any attention, tenderness, playful caress which she did not lavish upon her husband†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I think she loved her husband. And then of course, there is irony of the jewelry itself: the fact that the jewelry was real, while she had been acting like it was imitation of it. Even so far as to let the light catch the crystal, and say, â€Å"Now, look at them – see how well the work was done. You would swear it was real jewelry.†, when he would revile her for wearing the fake jewelry instead of being â€Å"adorned with one’s natural beauty and grace.† At that time she might have been mocking at her husband, thinking how stupid he was. After her death, M. Lantin found out that his wife’s entire jewelry was real. The jewelry that the wife’s lovers gave her paid for their luxurious life. After he realized he could get rich by selling all â€Å"fake† jewelry, M. Lantin forgot all about his wife’s affairs, and deceived himself that everything will be okay as long as he became rich. Six months after his wife’s death, he married again to a good virtuous woman which made his life miserable. Conclusion to Chapter II In conclusion, the story emphasized that looks can be deceiving and that sometimes we are blind to what really is going on. We can question if being happy by dishonest values is worth the financial gains or if the unhappiness from honest values is worth the pain. As we see â€Å"The Jewelry† is a little complicated story, and everybody has its own point of view on it. As it is ironical story, and there are people who may not understand it. In fact, I even feel sorry for M. Lantin, because even after his wife’s death, he deceives himself as if he were happy. Nowadays many people may face this problem, and no one is insured from this. Conclusion During writing of this research paper, I learned more about irony, its types and its usage in language. There are very many cases, though, which we regard as irony, intuitively feeling the reversal of the evaluation, but unable to put our finger on the exact word in whose meaning we can trace the contradiction between the said and the implied. The effect of irony in such cases is created by a number of statements, by the whole of the text. Ironies are easy to find in our daily activities; whether in statement, situation, or unexpected event. The simplest irony of our lives is that we feel happier having fun and not worrying about what we are doing or who we are doing it with. At that time ironical situations might occur. Guy de Maupassant was a great French short-story writer. He became famous around the world by the help of his great works. In other words, we can call him â€Å"father of modern short-story writers†. As I read responses of people about his works, they admired him, because his stories contain the face of our everyday life and problems. He points to our negligent treatment for our lives. Maupassant’s stories was popular nowadays is they were in 19th century. The story, which is discussed in this research paper, â€Å"The Jewelry†, points out how unaware we can be of things that happen around us. So we can call it realistic story. I think it would be suitable to finish my research paper by this quote: â€Å"The simplest of women are wonderful liars who can extricate themselves from the most difficult dilemmas with a skill bordering on genius† Guy de Maupassant Bibliography 1.Edgar Allan Poe, â€Å"The Casque of Amontillado†, The Norton Introduction to Literature 8th edition 2.Guy de Maupassant, â€Å"Original short stories†, translated by Albert M. C. McMASTER and others, Plymouth edition, South Australia 5005 3.Guy De Maupassant, â€Å"The Jewelry.† The Norton Introduction to Literature. 9th edition 4.Short Story Criticism, Gale Cengage, 2004 5.William Shakespeare, â€Å"Romeo and Juliet†, Foreign Language Publishing House, Moscow, 1951 6.William Shakespeare, â€Å"The tragedy of Othello†, Foreign Language Publishing House, Moscow 1963 7.http://article.ranez.ru 8.http://en.wikipedia.org 9.http://schoolworkhelper.net 10.http://www.slideshare.net

Blue ocean strategy Essay

The concept of blue and red oceans is used to describe the market universe occupied by business. The red ocean consists of all industries which are currently in operation. In this business universe, the boundaries of industries are defined as well as widely accepted. This business world is characterized by high competition as companies try to outdo their rivals. Increase in competition crowds the market thus reducing prospects of profit and also growth resulting to cutthroat competition. This competition then turns this business ocean bloody thus the name red oceans (Kim & Mauborgne, 2005). The blue ocean on the other hand refers to industries which are not yet in existence. Under this ocean, demand for products is created instead of being fought for as in the red oceans. This universe also has opportunities for growth and higher profitability. Under the blue oceans, competition is irrelevant since the rules are not yet set. This approach defines the potential that is unexplored by the already existing markets. Value innovation is the base of blue ocean strategy and a company creates a blue ocean when it is able to achieve value innovation with the capacity to create value for the buyer and the seller simultaneously. The blue ocean strategy is today being used by most of the successful businesses around the world. Businesses have realized the value of adopting value innovation to help in growth and profit sustainability. China mobile company is one of the businesses which have reaped the benefits of applying blue ocean strategy in its operations (Kim & Mauborgne, 2005). Adoption of blue ocean strategy by China mobile company While using the blue ocean strategy, a company tries to create a space which is uncontested and to create and then capture new demand in the market. Another aim of the company is to ensure that competition is made irrelevant. Blue ocean strategy also tries to break the cost trade off or the value. The other objective of a blue ocean strategy is to align the entire system of the activities of a company towards differentiation and attainment of lower costs (Kim & Mauborgne, 2005). China mobile is among the most successful companies in the mobile phone market which have largely adopted the blue ocean strategy in its operations. Competition in this market is fierce as it has more than 100 phone manufactures and over 1000 products being launched in the market. This competition led china mobile to adopt a different approach to ensure it survives in this industry. China mobile has created over five domains of blue oceans which include the invention of TV phones, stock mobile phones, navigation mobile phones, secure mobile phones and energy saving phones. By the time china mobile was introducing some of these services to their phones, most of the companies in this field had not explored these areas making china mobile sales to increase and costs to reduce. Most of these areas like the secure mobile locks are still widely unexplored by most manufacturers of mobile phones (Federation of Hong Kong Industries, 1996). The mobile products of China mobile are characterized by innovative products which have created and raised their demand all over the world. Their innovative processes involves integrating and converging computers, communications, and consumer electronics functions in coming up with the china mobile phones with above specifications. While developing the phones, the company looks at possible demands within the environment which may arise in the future. One of the most popular phones from this company is the navigation mobile phone. Another make that have attracted more customers is the solar powered mobile phone (Hamel, 1998). While using the blue strategy, china mobile tries to come up with mobile phones which create demand in the market while at the same time reducing possibilities of competition. It makes phones to meet and satisfy a certain need in particular but individual market segments. Hi-tech wealth phones are secure mobile phones from china mobile which are specifically produced to fit the needs of business people as well as entertainment industry. By making this phone, the company was able to create a need in this category of people and also to increase the demand for the product. Before invention of this mobile phone, business men and the entertainment industry had no need for secured phones. However, the nature of their work could have necessitated such a phone. By making such a phone, china mobile did not only create a need in these people but it also created awareness of such needs and successfully met them. Making products which fit or satisfy a need that a company creates is effective in creating blue oceans for a company and china mobile has been able to do this (Wang & Ahmed, 2002). China’s stock market is characterized by red hot ocean. This market has high competition and many players who trade in the stock market. People involved in the stock market operations are keen on the different trends this market takes. China mobile identified these need and came up with the china Unicom and also china mobile which aids in operating the mobile stock business. Invention on the china Unicom led to high demand of it in the country. China mobile have to a large extent applied blue ocean strategy which have enabled it to continue growing and expanding even in the global markets. The products of this company are widely used due to their uniqueness and their markets are not faced with competition unlike other mobile phone manufacturers (Asongu, 2007). However, despite the proven benefits of the blue ocean strategy, it is highly criticized by different authors as well as businessmen. One of the criticisms is based on the unavailability of uncontested spaces in the market. This approach is dismissed as being descriptive or taking a theoretical perspective instead of being prescriptive. While this strategy argues that there are spaces in the market which are unexplored, identifying such places is difficult and maintaining them to avoid competition is also impossible. Since china mobile invented the TV mobiles, most of other manufacturers also followed suit thus increasing competition. The temporary blue ocean created does not last long enough to enable a company attain desired growth. Blue oceans always end up being red oceans within short periods and are hard to maintain. The cost of developing a blue ocean may thus be high than that of operating in a red ocean (Huang, n. d). The blue ocean strategy is also criticized on the ground that there has not been any control group which have been cited or used to determine its viability. There could be many companies which failed while attempting to employ this strategy thus making the viability of this strategy questionable. This theory thus does not meet the criteria of falsiability in the real practice because no deductive process has been followed to ensure its workability (Truch, 2006). The blue ocean strategy is only an enhancement of other theories of competition and now a new idea. It expounds on Porter’s competitive theories of SWOT analysis. However, this theory fails to recognize the potential threats that may face a firm while exploring new markets. Porter’s theory is superior in that it takes into consideration of possible opportunities within the industry and also the possible threats. Also, Porter’s theory is more practical unlike the blue ocean theory (Hollensen, 2007). Conclusion Businesses require strategic planning for them to be able to grow and be productive. There are different business strategic approaches which a business may adopt to ensure it gains a competitive edge in the market place. Blue or red ocean strategies are some of such strategies available to a business. With increase in competition and globalization on the rise, it is vital for any business to be innovative and creative. One of the ways to ensure that a business maintains its market share and profitability is by developing products or offering services which are of higher value as compared to other available goods or services. This can be effectively done by identifying the needs of the customers and producing products that meets and creates more demand for a product. This is only possible if a company is able to identify untapped business areas. A business should however adopt a strategy that suits its marketing needs and its growth prospects. Reference: Asongu, J. J. (2007): Generating Sustainable Funds through Branding: RED Campaign Introduces New Business Model for CSR. Journal of Business and Public Policy Blundell, R. , Griffith, R. & Van Reenen, J. (1999): Market share, market value and innovation in a panel of British manufacturing firms. Review of Economic Studies Federation of Hong Kong Industries (1996): Hong Kong Industrialist: Journal of the Federation of Hong Kong Industries

Hockey in Canada: The Nation’s Passion

Hockey In Canada: A Nations Passion Culminating Activity: Canadian History Essay In 1994, the Canadian Federal Government compromised and voted to make hockey Canada's national winter sport, and lacrosse Canada's national summer sport. Which sport should be named Canada's true national sport? Sport should be named Canada's true national sport? It Is Important to know which sport should be named Canada's true national sport because of its relevance in focusing to improve Canada's athletic skills.By knowing the sport, it will help determine the sport Canada should emphasis upon to be more successful. It Is believed that hockey should be named Canada's national sport due to the appreciation that Canadians have toward their winter climate and well-known winter sports. Also, hockey has maintained Its status as the most popular sport in Canada, while encouraging many women to participate. These reasons are believed to be the major factors that contribute to why hockey should be titled Cana da's true national sport. The history of modern hockey goes as far back as the early sass's.Many regions have claimed to be the birthplace of hockey, but the best-supported cases re in Windsor, Nova Scotia, and Kingston, Ontario, which hold by far the earliest written accounts of a game that has ever been played. Many assumptions were then made that hockey first originated within these three clues. When you think of Canada, what is the first thing that comes into your mind? For many individuals it is hockey. A country's climate has big influences on the type of athletic activities that can occur. In Canada, the climate revolves around cold and bitter weather, which can last up to half a year.Fortunately one of the many advantages is the ability to pursue any of Canada's winter sports such as skiing, snowboarding, bobsledding, figure skating, and most importantly hockey. As a result, it is not a surprise to Canadians when managing to score highly in many of the winter Olympics; in fa ct many Canadians often take this for granted. As seen on February 28, 2010, at the Vancouver winter Olympics, Sydney Crosby stated on CATV â€Å"l just shot it, I didn't really see it to be honest. † This of course, was after the terrific win team Canada pulled against the united States.The victory of this hockey game once again, caused Canadians to legalize the beauty of how successful Its winter sports became. The landscape and weather conditions also contribute to the significance of hockey in the nation. Although it is estimated that there are approximately 2500 indoor and outdoor hockey rinks in Canada, many Canadians still build their own backyard ice rink on behalf of the passion for this sport. Adam shepherd grew up playing hockey, and now with his own family In Whites, Ontario, he wanted to share his experience with his children.Adam states, â€Å"l get real enjoyment watching my kids out here having fun. † 1 OFF January and February, and that's when the weat her is coldest. † Luckily Canada's climate allows the building of an outdoor skating rink to be successful. Tremor, Dam's 9 year old son stated that he loves to be outside playing hockey with his family, and that the cold never bothers him. Hockey plays an important role in people's lives whether winning a gold medal, being able to build hockey rinks, or spending quality time with family.Hockey has become more than Just a sport in Canada; over a period of time, it has become a huge part of Canadian Culture. In the eighth game of he 1972 summit series, Canadians practically came to a standstill as everyone wanted to see the outcome of the final game between Soviet Union and Canada. As a result, Canada pulled another big victory, and after this day hockey became an even more popular sport. Canadian â€Å"Hockey Night† as seen on CB sports airs every Saturday night. Since 1998, more than four million Canadians tune in to watch this show.The number of sales for televisions has increased by the value of seven billion dollars since the year 2000, due to the influence of this shows popularity to improve the development of technology. This is one of the positive impacts toward Canada's economy, which has caused many technological companies to rise. Also, hockey night is a great way for families to bond while supporting Canadian radios such as CB whom broadcasts details about regular hockey games. Another aspect is the number of viewers that watch Canada's hockey games, for example the number of viewers who watched the U.S vs.. Canada hockey game at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. As said before, the love and support for this sport is undeniable which influences its fame. Family and friends that have gathered together to watch this special game caused a hit of 27. 6 million views; one of Canada's most viewed hockey games in all time. Generally, these reasons verify the admiration Canadians have toward hockey. 0 When looking back in Canadian history, women wer e not known for independence as men were considered â€Å"persons† while women were not.This did not come to an end until 1929, when Emily Murphy took action and brought the persons case to court. Although some action had been taken, it did not prevent women's stereotype during the sass's. At that time, it was necessary for women to have feminine qualities, which included the disability to play â€Å"masculine sports. † Hockey was one of the most influential sports that encouraged many individuals to take a step toward women's rights. Canada's national women's hockey team has been on the world stage, winning nine world titles, three Olympic gold medals and twelve 3 nations/nations cups.Its successful Journey has caused its reputation to rise internationally with their only losses being against United States and Sweden. Cassia Campbell, a professional hockey player on Canada's women's hockey team says â€Å"In 1998 we went to the first ever Olympic for women's hockey, and as a Canadian hockey player and Canadian hockey team we were by far the favorites going in, and we lost. We brought home a silver medal and felt like we let down our entire country; we were embarrassed and extremely disappointed.I remember I ran into a great Canadian speed skater Susan Such, when she congratulated me on the silver medal. While seeing the disappointment in my eyes, Susan said something to me that I'll never forget â€Å"do you know how many people in this world don't get a chance to be Olympic athletes, and how many Olympic athletes don't get a chance to be medalist? I realized what we big reason to why we won gold in Salt Lake City in 2002. † This inspiring speech given by Cassia motivated women all over Canada to never give up on their dreams, even if it meant challenging women's stereotype.Although it did take time, hockey is the only sport in Canada that truly represents a successful women's sport team. Long story short, hockey is indispensable to Cana da and its people. Women are better – respected because of the success of its hockey team, while technological industries broadcasting about this sport are emerging. Families bond whether by playing cocky outside their own backyard rink or by watching hockey night together. It is evident that hockey has an essential role in Canadians lives and should be titled Canada's true national sport because of the reasons stated in this piece.

Case Analysis for DLC Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Case Analysis for DLC - Essay Example The main business opportunities place considerable  focus  on manufacturing, trade, processing, and on the transport and distribution which became the  regional’s  leading  trade  hub  serving around two million customers all over the world. Dubai media city, Dubai Internet city and the Jebel Ali free zone were also  extremely  favorable to foreign investors. Foreign companies  were allowed  to set up free of the local  ownership  and would benefit from the renewable fifteen years  guarantee  of the absence of taxation. Foreign companies can setup  free  of local ownership and benefit from a renewable 15 year  guarantee  of no taxation. Dubai Logistics City  was  afterwards  built, to the already existing Jebel Ali Port, like a  further  free  region  and  fraction  of the future  prospect  Dubai World Central. The Jebel Ali port, standing in a free zone allowing  expansion  in the future, which is a paramount con sideration to the  Emirates’  leader. The Dubai World Central would be used to  host  the all-new airport. It would make it remarkably easy to  revolutionize  freight  from sea, air or land transportation. ... It  was characterized  by the existing internationality and the  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœeasy-living’  atmosphere. In addition to these, English  is extensively spoken, which makes it more attractive to foreigners and the  religious  issues in the  country  are handled  liberally. Up to present times, growth in tourism has led to the  booming  of construction. The  latest  ambitious project intended is Burj Dubai. It  is planned  to be the highest tower worldwide in completion. Just like the Burj al Arab Hotel, it  is situated  on a manmade island.  Around 4.9% of its current GPD came from tourism and conferences.  It was  mainly  from the tourists attracted by the world class accommodation and the duty-free shopping. Dubai palm island  development  was of one of the greatest projects. It was an  island made  by  man  in the resemblance of a palm tree. It offered villas, apartments and hotels.  The island's large size made it even visib le from the outer space.  The major focus of every decision in the country has been its development and sustainable  growth. Due to its monarchial system of governance, coordination and long  time  planning  of policies and projects  it is made  exceptionally  possible.  However, adapting to the  country’s way of doing business, i.e., the Arabian  style  is extremely difficult to many foreign investors. In most of the negotiations, these Arab partners do not have open discussions about the positive or negative impacts of a project in question. Instead of this, they just  withdraw  from the negotiations involved, consider the  matter  at hand  private  and inform the  alien  business partners concerning their  private  decision later. Nevertheless, life in the country – as a model of tolerance and with its variety of different cultures

Popular Music, Youth and Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Popular Music, Youth and Education - Essay Example Music plays a big role in the youth today. Some youth use music as a form of identity, while others use it to relax and ‘get away.’ To understand the role of popular music in the lives of young people in the framework of education, we have to look at popular music from a social and cultural aspect, how popular music is embedded into taste and identity of young people and dissect the way popular music is perceived by the education system. Green’s Music on Deaf Ears: Musical Meaning, Ideology and Education explains the status that popular music plays on a social standpoint. Green explains that the set-up of music in classrooms came about because of the roles and eventual division social classes in society. Because the only way to measure skills and set classifications for music was based on the performances of the students, the students who received the most education had enough money for private lessons (Green 51). Therefore, on a social level, it was the higher-cl ass students whose parents set the standard for what music was going to be like in the school system. There was a study done on how social class affected students’ interest in music. ... cal training and thought they had a better understanding of the need, awareness and wisdom that this music brought to an educational setting (Green, 51). The willingness to learn and the likelihood that the students in the higher classes listened to this type of music out of POPULAR MUSIC, YOUTH AND EDUCATION 4 the classroom were higher than students who did not receive this opportunity (Green, 52). The liking of classical music in the upper division and the fact that students who were fond of popular music over classical music not being represented in this study shows the role that music played in society and the relevance in education (Green, 45, 48). According to De Nora’s Music in Everyday Life T.W. Adorno was the biggest advocate of the ‘production of culture,’ an emerging trend that took place in American culture in the 70’s and 80’s (De Nora, 1). Adorno offers a strong insight to this trend and how popular music has embedded itself in culture. In addition to being influential in molding society, Adorno believes that culture plays a part in representing what the society was going through at that particular time in history (De Nora, 2). Other advocates argue that culture dictates how social groups act and behave. For example, in Profane Culture, Paul Willis makes the connection between culture and the labeling of each member of a social group. He says that it is the interaction with culture that gives the overall meaning to the group (De Nora, 6). The constant use of this culture is what makes up social verve. The influence that popular music has in affecting society and culture can be proof that if incorporated into the education system, it can be valuable. Ed Dorn, poet, describes the communal aspect of music as â€Å"that great Zero/Resting eternally

Non-financial risk management for Police Force Dissertation

Non-financial risk management for Police Force - Dissertation Example Thus, risk management as a process â€Å"that can be used to identify potential risks and liabilities that could result in some kind of loss for both public and private sector organizations† (Cukier et al. 2009: p.1) should be understood as an integral part of police accountability. Risk management helps to provide more effective governance and internal control, to reduce insurance and other costs, to ensure a safer working environment. Although the risk management issues are increasingly emerging in agendas of police agencies, Cukier et al. (2009), consider that today risk management in the police services remains a relatively new discipline; different police agencies implement processes and tools in significantly different ways, they even use different terminology and vocabularies for the same things. This document presents a proposal for a piece of research which is aimed to analyse existing methods, procedures and processes of non-financial risk management in the police fo rce agencies; to identify best practices; and to develop and implement such risk management framework for a police force to become the best police force in the world. We hope that our study will play a significant role in improvement of the management and functioning of police force agencies and will make a contribution in positive changes in the system of the world security at a whole. 2. Background Risk is generally understood as â€Å"the chance of something happening that will have an impact on objectives† (OMBC 2007: p. 5) or â€Å"a condition, trend or event that may adversely impact the achievement of Service or Unit objectives† (Cukier et al. 2009: p.7). The impact may be both positive (when it brings an opportunity or a good chance) and negative (when it brings a hazard or a threat). So risk is always characterised by three major elements: an event, which can happen in relation to an object; a consequence of this event; and the impact, which this consequence h as on the object. When a risk is being assessed, it is also important to take into consideration the likelihood of the event. In business, risk management (i.e. recognising, identifying and assessing of risks) is considered as an essential positive aspect of a corporate culture. It helps managers to realise supposed risks and to consider them in performing day-to-day tasks, ensuring that either opportunities will be captured and used (in a case of a positive impact) or threats will be mitigated and eliminated (in a case of a negative impact). Archbold (2005) adds that risk management implies the protection of physical, human and financial assets. From the perspective of employees, risk management ensures safer working environment and improved conditions of work. Risk management can be generally defined as â€Å"a systematic, cyclical process to set the best course of action, under uncertainty, by identifying, assessing, mitigating, monitoring and communicating risk† (Cukier e t al. 2009: p.7). Many police force professionals and experts agree that today risk management is crucial for police agencies. As the work and role of police officers differ from other professions, mission of risk management in

BHS 411 &#8211 Issues of Terrorism Mod 4 SLP Essay

BHS 411 – Issues of Terrorism Mod 4 SLP - Essay Example According to White (2006), the FBI is loosely linked to all America's law enforcement agencies (p. 4). However, many federal law enforcement agencies and local police executives openly resent or do not trust the FBI (White, 2006, p. 4). Most of all, "there is no system to sift, sanitize, and disseminate information to local law enforcement" (White, 2006, p. 4). These are very good points why the FBI is a vulnerable subject to cyber attacks. To launch the attack, I will first design a web log where people who have "bad encounters" or negative criticisms with the FBI can post their blogs. This will be a sort of "character assassination" that can stir emotions against the FBI, and perhaps, loose confidence to this agency. The end result will be a weaker coordination by the American people in providing information for the FBI, thus, will make it so much difficult for the agents to gather evidences and information on terrorist activities. I will also devise a sp

IT & Financial Services Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

IT & Financial Services - Essay Example For this, the needs of financial transactions arise on a regular basis. In these days information technology is the biggest invention that contributes to the welfare of humanity. It not only speeds up the mode of everyday life but also makes life easier. â€Å"Time† is the most precious element in today’s life. The value of time is the biggest concern for everyone. Digitalization and introduction of information technology in the field of financial transactions help mankind to a great extent (Mann & Mann, 2011, p.264-320). Initially it needed some specific computer or web based knowledge to pursue such transactions. However, once a person got the access to knowledge of computer and information technology systems, it turned into the most desired mode of transaction. The online banking facility is one such application of information technology which emerged as the best way to transfer money in short time (Stathopoulos, 1995, pp.56-79). People used to save money in banks no t only for getting interest but also for its security. The implementation of information technology in personal financial transactions, however, gave rise to questions on security. The online banking system depends on a username and password to access an account. So it will be very crucial to make all the transactions in a safe and secured way. Different measures are taken to ensure the security of financial transactions. The measures include generation of one-time passwords, alerts for password changes at periodic intervals, provision of net-secure codes in financial transactions (Glaessner et al., 2002, p.145). Financial transaction When a transaction in terms of money is carried out between two people namely the buyer and seller in the market, such transactions are known as financial transaction. As the transaction is done, the financial position of the two parties gets altered. In most of the cases, a financial transaction is done on account of receipt of different items which c an create value in the form of information, goods, and services. In ancient times, there were no concepts of financial transaction. People used barter system in order to exchange goods and services. The traders faced problems in this system as they may not have needed such items or services in a certain swap. Next, valuable metals like gold and silver were introduced to carry out the transactions. With the advent of civilization, the monetary coins and printed flat money were used for the transactions. These are referred as financial transactions. In the 20th century floating currency gradually got replaced by fixed currency. In recent times, the computer networks are used for electronic mode of money transfer which increased the speed of transactions. However, the advanced mode of electronic money transfer has its own complexities as well (Friedland, 2010, p.245). The money which can be exchanged electronically by using computer networks and internet is known as electronic money or e- Money. When the money is transferred from one account to another through computer using the software and applications of information technology, it is referred to as Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT). The other modes of financial transaction include the use of wire transfer, payment card, debit card, direct deposit, online banking electronic benefit transfer, etc. (Friedland, 2002, p.287). Wire transfer- It is also known as credit transfer. Wire transfer involves transfer of money from

Sustainable water in Austrialia Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sustainable water in Austrialia - Assignment Example e center of water administration turned from expansionary objectives and expansive scale designing ventures to economic productivity and ecological concerns. Topic Sentence 3: Green growth portrays a procedure for practical financial advancement that perceives the interrelationship, whats more, between reliance of components of the environment, economy, and society as an entirety. Cities can be outlined as water supply catchments where urban rainwater gets to be a piece of the supply in water-delicate urban areas (Smith, Vromen, & Cook, 2012). Water utilized for urban watering system and watering parks and road trees has a vital part in enhancing the liveability of Cities by cooling the urban environment (diminishing the warmth island impact) and along these lines decreasing vitality interest for cooling. Investment choices by water powers ought to be in light of adjusted social, monetary and natural examination, educated by sound logical exhortation and actualized through straightforward and contestable methods. Adoption of changes implied in the states and domains dedication to the National Water Initiative, furthermore, all the more as of late asked by the Productivity Commission, would go far to enhancing Australias gainfulness and setting the way for a green development economy in the water and related

Titus Andronicus by Shakespeare Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Titus Andronicus by Shakespeare - Essay Example But, its popularity picked momentum later in the 20th century. Despite being considered most violent and traditionally perceived as quite controversial, Titus Andronicus still digs with acute intelligence into the theme of honor and constructs a riveting framework to cast a spell on the readers. Honor plays a very prominent role in shaping events of the story and also plays a steering role in making different characters act in a revengeful manner. Restoration of honor is perceived as the most valuable objective by every character. This essay seeks to explore at length how the theme of honor is handled by Shakespeare in this tragedy and in how many different ways it influences the structure of the story. In the play, the revered Roman general Titus returns home after a ten year long war having lost most of his sons. He has bodies of two dead sons with him and some important barbarous Goths who are now made prisoners. The harrowing general is exceptionally dishonored by the damage done to his family in the form of death of his sons during the war (Delahoyde) and he in turn after reaching home brutally sacrifices the eldest son of Tamora, empress of the Goths, to pacify the souls of his dead sons. This was certainly a heinous way of restoring honor but plays a momentous role in shaping the future events. Later, when the new ruler of Rome makes Tamora his empress instead of Lavinia, Titus again feels dishonored (McGoodwin) and also Tamora vows to destroy Titus’s life to reestablish her lost honor. It is the influence and driving motivation of honor basically which makes Tamora convince her two spared sons to ferociously rape Lavinia and also disfigure her. Blinded with revenge, the dishonored Goth family agrees on this vicious plan and Lavinia is badly harmed with her tongue and both hands cut off so the culprits could not be named. This extremely cruel act strikes a staggering blow on Titus’s pride because he adores his daughter and the state she is left in by his enemies leaves him anguished beyond possibility. All his life Titus has expected respect from others being a man in high position and the brutality to which his daughter is exposed makes him realize with plain clarity that his prized prerogative of being honored is tarnished. This acknowledgement of infringements on his self-esteem serves as a propeller to seek vengeance, but unfortunately he has no idea who is behind the crime of rape, so an anguished Tamora very cunningly further goes on her secretive plans to demolish Titus’s inflated sense of self-respect by sending him severed heads of his sons. It is easy to realize how myriad inhumane acts are committed in Titus Andronicus in the name of honor. This suggests that Titus has a really warped perception of honor (Annareese). The entire plot revolves around this theme from the beginning till the end and compels the characters who are broken from inside and have no respect for humanity to engage in vicious pla ns. Every single character has an enigmatically twisted approach to restoring honor. The portrayal of violence in this tragedy is unparalleled and it is deliberately kept so to make the theme of honor emphatic. This is why scary acts of violence keep haunting the readers in every act to convey the message how drastically the idea of honor can penetrate the minds of people compelling them to break all barriers to get back this prodigious wealth if snatched by anyone. History is full of events like

Website Migration Project Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Website Migration Project - Term Paper Example I will use The internet-based architecture in this project ,because it is the best solution for online purchasing . HTML based website is used for the user interface, and through the internet the website is connected to the main server.shifting the responsibility for the interface from the client to the server simplifies the process of data transmission and results in lower hardware costs and complexities. The support operations include maintenance. The website will have to be maintained constantly. This is done regularly to ensure that the system is up and running and that the information is up to date. This will be done by the technical staff in direction with the web master.Now that the website will be used by clients to make purchases and order items, another support operation that need to be included is updating the products and their prices. clients will have to be informed of what is there in the store what is lacking. This will enable them to order for items which are availab le in the store. This will be done by the technical staff in collaboartyion with the sales team. Another vital operation that will be done is checking and updating security status of the website. With web security becoming an important aspect of IT, it is important to ensure that security is upto date and that the transaction and the payment process of the clients is secured. With many hackers targeting unsuspecting buyers online, it is important to secure the website and make sure that it is safe always.

One Persons Free

One Persons Freedom Fighter Is Another Persons Terrorist Essay Introduction The terrorist attacks in America have since publicized controversial attitudes in understanding and defining terrorism. There is a misconception of terrorism as it was only in actuality brought to light after the attacks in America on 11 September 2001 (Best Nocella, 2004); this has guided many to assume that terrorism arose in light of the 11 September attacks, when actually terrorism did not begin in 2001; nor is it restricted to extremists in the Middle East. Here is where much of the difficulty lies in defining terrorism; thus the now famous quotation, â€Å"One person’s terrorist is another person’s freedom fighter’. This essay will look at both the way this phrase can be beneficial and inversely cause issues in the objective to define terrorism. It is apparent that there are objective distinctions that can be made that separate the true terrorist from the true freedom fighter. Regardless of derogatory labels or national political ideology these distinctions do exist. Therefore the aim of this essay will be to critically examine the notion that One person’s terrorist is another person’s freedom fighter through examining three existential differences that can help to draw a theoretical line between a freedom fighter and a terrorist. They lie first in tactical theory; second, in sources for motivation; and third, in the discrepancies of the justifications for the actions of each. It is these three distinctions in contrast to the quote’s implied similarities that will assist in achieving an accurate definition of terrorism. To examine the wider processes involving the application of the terrorist label, the Cuban Revolution’s major figure Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara will be used as a framework and a practical source to refer to as the essay unravels the application of a terrorist label in relation to the abovementioned phrase. This somewhat superficial phrase can be useful as it suggests that the motives and the methods used may be separable. Terrorism is merely a phrase. It is tactical choices in which those who chose to employ terror can ideally do so in achieving any cause they desire (Caplan, 2006 pg. 92). Consequently it is indeed possible for any people who are validating themselves as fighting freedom from an unjust authority to make the choice to use terrorism as a tactical choice in achieving their goal. Secondly the phrase advocates that defining terrorism can become a moral issue. The definition depends wholly on the subjective outlook of the efiner. The terrorist label The struggle in defining the terrorist has been apparent throughout history. Scharf (2001) has also made this discovery as he states that the problem of defining terrorism has vexed the international community for years. Conceptual issues are not the only problem in defining terrorism. Labelling actions as terrorism promotes cond emnation of the actors; a definition may therefore reflect ideological or political bias (Silke, 1998). Silke (1998) goes on to suggest that a misleading trend is a result of ‘attribution bias’ and that it has done nothing other than â€Å"taint terrorism with a pathology aura†. Many of the terrorist labels that have been employed over the years are based on community and individual perceptions creating a subjective definition (Jenkin, 2006 Pg. 3). Following the 11 September 2001 attacks, the use of the word terrorism or terrorist has become an offensive label (Ganor, 2002). These labels may lead to further implications for how countries, populations and individuals define terrorism (DeAngelis, 2009). The psychology of terrorism is marked more by theory and opinion as opposed to scientific research. Assisting in DeAngelis findings are many articles implying that many of the individuals who engage in terrorist activity will contest that they are terrorists but rather freedom fighters (Schwartz, Dunkel, ; Waterman, 2009; Whiteley, 2010). This tethering in with the now famous phrase; One persons terrorist is another persons freedom fighter. Before labelling an individual or group of people terrorists or freedom fighters it is important to take into consideration the three differences as apposed to the similarities that the quotation implies: 1. Tactical Choice The first of the three differences is the tactical theory used. The terrorist will employ tactics in order to target civilians (Tavares, 2003 pg. 13). It is however rare for enough civilians to be targeted in order to have any form of physical impact on the states resources. The general aim becomes to separate the greater part of society from its incumbent authorities through the use of fear. Crenshaw (1981, pg: 386) suggests that this is utilized to weaken the powers of authorities that on the contrary result in the terrorist group to be perceived as more powerful. The goal of the terrorists tactics becomes less concrete as they believe that a relatively small attack will result in the overall political goals of their group to be identified. In contrast Ganor (2006) states that freedom fighters do not target civilians however focus their target on armed forces. Their objective then becomes to diminish the militaries resources to the point where the balance of hard power in particular area, shifts into ones own favour leading to the concrete goal of an enemies surrender and capitulation to ones demands (Ganor, 2006). . Sources for Motivation It is stated by most theories that terrorists are motivated by more than just exclusively political goals (Whiteley, 2010). Freedom fighters are motivated by what is encompassed in their name i. e. their quest for liberty; on the other hand terrorists are grounded on a less concrete foundation ranging from a variety of goals, that are not all rationally political. Certain personal goals seem to either misund erstand or directly conflict with the aim of achieving freedom. Jenkins (1983) states that the ultimate terrorist goal is to terrorise in furtherance of an otherwise legitimate political goal rather than just to terrorise; just like when a nation state resorts to war to achieve political goals when diplomacy fails. Jenkins raises a point in relation to the inspiration of terrorist behaviour, stating that learned ideological values are antecedents to terrorist behaviour, not personality defects. The differences in the motivations between a freedom fighter and terrorist are often grounds where the terrorist myths are created. Terrorists justify their actions through exaggerations that consequently result in an inaccurate perception of the world in order to justify their terrorist tactics. The terrorist myth seeks to prove that those who witness terrorism have a misconception of both the world around them and themselves, therefore needing a ‘wake up call’, that of course is in the form of a terrorist attack. This justification will ultimately be to their benefit (Moghaddam , 2006, Pg. 85). This myth is projected to validate what the functions of terrorism are, these include; showing that authorities are impotent, to create a sense of instability in society and to assert the existence of a terrorists power. The goals of a terrorist clearly show that they are less politically focused and more personal; consequently representing less of a fight for freedom and more of a fight to be renown for their power (Whiteley, 2010). In summary of the two abovementioned areas of distinction between a terrorist and a freedom fighter; Senator Jackson was quoted by Benyamin Netanyahus (1985, pg 18) as stating: The idea that one person’s ‘terrorist’ is another’s ‘freedom fighter’ cannot be sanctioned. Freedom fighters or revolutionaries don’t blow up buses containing noncombatants; terrorist murderers do. Freedom fighters don’t set out to capture and slaughter schoolchildren; terrorist murderers do . . . It is a disgrace that democracies would allow the treasured word ‘freedom’ to be associated with acts of terrorists. 3. Justification vs. Legitimacy? Many sources suggest that perception is the main influence and commonly the main issue when it comes to defining terrorism (Sorel, 2003; Gibbs, 1989 Jenkin, 2006). Therefore validation of the actions of both a freedom fighter and a terrorist cannot evolve around general society and how they interpret t errorism to be. Perception becomes a significant issue in determining the legitimacy of the justifications for the actions of both a freedom fighter and a terrorist (Jenkin, 2006). For example a state which is under attack will most likely define the attacks as illegitimate and a form of terrorist activity; conversely those who are attacking the state will define their actions as justified. The difference between the true terrorist and the true freedom fighter appear to pivot around the perceived legitimacy of the motives of each. This social perception of the alleged legitimacy plays a large role on deriving a neutral definition. This becomes difficult due to the aforementioned terrorist label as being pejorative, with the term freedom fighter having positive connotations. The difference in terms between terrorists and freedom fighters seems in many ways to hinge upon the perceived legitimacy of the motives of each. As previously stated, the term ‘terrorist’ is usually pejorative, while the term ‘freedom fighter’ often has positive connotations. It is therefore difficult to derive a neutral definition of legitimacy: it remains a social product (Wardlaw, 1989). Many terrorist organisations only recruit a small amount of discontented individuals who support them; this is done through the prolonged influence of norms. There is a steady shift of certain individuals who are separated from society to an accepted morality of terrorism (Moghaddam, 2006). He goes on to suggests that the support networks utilised by terrorist groups are also discontented, however nearly never consist of sizeable groups of people willing to conduct the terror tactics themselves. Nevertheless it is important to consider that the means of moral and logistical support for individuals like Osama bin Laden has differed significantly from the support for someone like Che Guevara (Whiteley, 2010). Guevara was successful and like other revolutionaries often rallied a large number people relatively quickly, openly and most important effectively. It is therefore credible to state that there is a far wider support base for individuals who are freedom fighters. This is evident through the social product of legitimacy given to them by their supporters. Whiteley (2010) goes on to state that terrorists tend to find themselves in minorities because of the small amount of legitimacy rewarded to them or their cause from other citizens. This perspective is supported by the abovementioned self-interested motives of terrorist and the liberation-seeking motives of freedom fighters. Legitimacy can therefore be summed up by the amount of genuine local support given to a particular group (Whiteley, 2010); consequently true freedom fighters that have legitimate reasons for their existence can recruit members easily while terrorists goals lack legitimacy and consequently result in the recruitment of fewer members. Ernesto Che Guevara Historical Context Ernesto Che Guevara was born into a middle class family in Rosario, Santa Fe Province, Argentina on June 14, 1928. He was a Marxist and left Argentina in late 1953 to take part in a communist revolt in Guatemala. Che was an idealist; believing that everyone should be equal and have the same opportunities. Che joined Fidel Castros 26 July movement where guerrilla troops were sailed to Cuba. Landing on 2 December 1956, they were focused on overthrowing Fulgenico Batistas government. In July 1957, Che was assigned command for more than half of Fidel Castros forces as commandant. He led against government forces in the province of Las Villas while growing hatred for Batistas government that grew in size and gained support rapidly. Che sealed victory for Castros forces in December 1958 becoming Castros most trusted advisor leading the international revolution. She soon became the Cuban minister for agriculture; writing a book in 1960 called Guerrilla Warfare to bring about communism throughout the world. Che resigned his posed in Cuba in 1965 and travelled to Africa as well as many other places in order to organise more communist revolts. In 1966 Che surfaced Bolivia where his movement did not grow much support. His movement came to an end on 7 October 1967 when his surviving group members and he were captured and two days later on 9 October 1967 were executed by a Bolivian fighting squad whom were apparently acting on behalf of the CIA whom were training the Bolivian Army (Guevara, 1985). Che Guevara Terrorist or Freedom Fighter After examining the notion of the phrase One persons terrorist is another persons freedom fighter. It has become evident that although the phrase implies that there are similarities between a terrorist and a freedom fighter, it can be concluded that there are many aspects that differentiate the true freedom fighter from the true terrorist. In order to successfully complete the examination of this notion; it is required that a conflict within a terrorist organisation be examined. The debate as to whether Che was a terrorist or a freedom fighter arises. Che came to be one of Latin Americas most feared and most famous professional revolutionary (Gall, 1998). Ches investigation of capitalism, imperialism and socialism and his precise tactical position on guerrilla warfare were concurrent to his views of ethics and political practice. His thoughts were concerned with the revolutionary organizations to oppressed individuals, the affiliation between political agency and objective conditions, the interrelation between revolution and imperialism and the link between personal values and revolutionary action. The question raised is whether Che adopted any terrorist characteristics in his apparent fight for freedom. Yes, through this essay there has been an establishment that a terrorist differs to a freedom fighter however the question arises as to whether it is that easy to differentiate the two when they are applied to an icon from the past. Ches tactical choice was not to target innocent civilians but to build and attack a government that promoted in-equality (Guevara, 1985). Although Che and his supporters killed many, there has not been any academic documentation to suggest that he killed innocent civilians. Anderson (1997) made the following discovery: I have yet to find a single credible source pointing to a case where Che executed an innocent. Those persons executed by Guevara or on his orders were condemned for the usual crimes punishable by death at times of war or in its aftermath: desertion, treason or crimes such as rape, torture or murder. I should add that my research spanned five years, and included anti-Castro Cubans among the Cuban-American exile community in Miami and elsewhere. Che depicted himself as a guerilla fighter and defined a guerilla fighter in his book as: . . . Must have a moral conduct that shows him to be a true priest of the reform to which he aspires. To the stoicism imposed by the difficult conditions of warfare should be added an austerity born of rigid self-control that will prevent a single excess, a single slip, whatever the circumstances. The guerrilla soldier should be an ascetic. The peasant must always be helped technically, economically, morally, and culturally. The guerrilla fighter will be a sort of guiding angel who has fallen into the zone, helping the poor always and bothering the rich as little as possible in the first phases of the war. But this war will continue on its course; contradictions will continuously become sharper; the moment will arrive when many of those who regarded the revolution with certain sympathy at the outset will place themselves in a position diametrically opposed; and they will take the first step into battle against the popular forces. At that moment the guerrilla fighter should act to make himself the standard-bearer of the peoples cause, punishing every betrayal with justice. Private property should acquire in the war zones its social function. For example, excess land and livestock not essential for the maintenance of a wealthy family should pass into the hands of the people and be distributed equitably and justly. (Guevara, 1985) Furthermore, the question of whether Guevaras sources of motivation were of a terrorist kind comes to light. Che was on a quest for freedom and equality. Presently Ches legacy has lived on and people do not remember him for the power he sought to have but for the goal he strived to achieve; Some view Che Guevara as a hero for example, Nelson Mandela referred to him as an inspiration for every human being who loves freedom while Jean Paul Sarte described him as not only an intellectual but also the most complete human being of our age. This was equality and freedom for those who were less fortunate (Compton, 2009) Like a freedom fighter, Che was able to recruit a great deal of support for his movement as he possessed qualities of a true leader. Many perceive Che to have been a great man who has credibility. Because Che was believable, people would in turn believe him. This is because there was a consistency between which Che was and what Che said (Safty, 2002 pg. 112). Despite all the supporting evidence to suggest that Che was a freedom fighter, many do believe that he was a terrorist. Some who were part of the opposing side, who were part of Batsias movement, would have felt that Ches actions were of a terrorist kind. It is important to note however that although Che was a freedom fighter and not a terrorist some people perceived he to be one as their perception was defined differently and they believed that the actions Che was engaging in were of a terrorist kind. Conclusion Ultimately there is a definitive difference between a terrorist and a freedom fighter. It cannot be implied that one persons terrorist is another persons freedom fighter. Many philosophers have concluded that terrorist do not have any right to be classified within a freedom fighting definition. The means of a terrorist do not justify the ends. The abovementioned three distinctions between a terrorist and a freedom fighter outlined in the first paragraph clearly show that the two are completely disparate.

Communications in business

Communications in business The concept of networks contains the competencies which can enable organizational members to produce better products and services. I worked for a company which provided IT support and maintenance, field services, design, consulting and system administration for a wide range of IT products. In 2001, the company sold its equities to outside investors. Since then the investors have become the majority shareholder, causing the family to largely lose control of the company. The corporate culture has been gradually changed, from ‘family corporate umbrella’ to ‘corporate umbrella’. However, the CEO, a member of ‘family corporate umbrella’ culture, has not yet adapted to the new scenario. The new psychological, communicative and social frameworks do not help the CEO understand how individuals and nonhuman agents could work. In the ‘corporate umbrella’ environment, no single theory can help motivations, which can forge, dissolve, or sustain knowledge of the grapevine network with other nonhuman or other human agents. The grapevine communication network could include authority relations and trust five years ago in the Irish company. At that time, the communication network had been impacted by other influential organizational networks within the family as well as the relations specified by the underlying family culture, the closed-internal networks. I was challenged by the concept of organizational family, psychological mechanism, and communicative network. When the company changed its legal entity, from proprietorship to company owned by many investors, the transition has been discouraged and undermined by the ‘corporate umbrella’ concept. The COO, nominated by the investors, has taken over the CEO position, who might not get used to the ‘corporate umbrella’ concept. The CEO has not shared any attributes to the corporation. In fact, corporate exchange environment might reflect that an individual might look for grapevine network with another individual, if the other can somehow reciprocate and offer something in return. The assumption, based on mutual interest, might suggest that any individual will help contribute to a certain responsibility only if other members in the grapevine are willing to do so, which might help explain why at a global level, the entire network could be successful. Additionally, I believe that individuals tend to look for information from those who they think are knowledgeable. The CEO is under the pressure of being audited by the customers. Major banking organizations and the FDA on behalf of the pharmaceutical clients have scrutinized the company operation. Publishing serves more as a sign about which individuals understand and are responsible for certain areas. However, in the company the responsibilities of CEO and COO are overlapped and not clearly defined. The CEO, high-school graduate and non-corporate experience, cannot offer expertise in area in exchange. Managing grapevine networks procedures can be developed. The COO leverage emerging technological capabilities, implement the new communication community and change the company culture, from ‘family corporate umbrella’ to ‘corporate umbrella’. The new infrastructure and new social communication have been implemented in the company. As a CTO (Chief Technology Officer), I was working closer to the operation side and involved with day-to-day activities. The pressures of stakeholders have caused the COO many concerns. Contrast to traditional communication, the ‘family corporate umbrella’ culture, I have come to realize that I was in a highly knowledgeable intensive and connected in organizational world. The structural interconnections have determined what the people in authority, COO and CEO, can know, can do, or cannot do. I understand that the explosion of work, international codes have crossed many disciplines, not just corporate culture. The financial principals, the pharmaceutical regulations, ISO 9001:2000 standards and the Sarbanes Oxley Act seem burdened to the CEO at high school education level. Concurrently, the amount of knowledge about the network and communication has grown after the company has been taken over by investors for five years. As Morgan believes, corporations can be viewed as biological organisms. [1] The simplest structures can be divided into cells and retain the characteristics of life. Usually start-up as a sole trader, proprietorship, a single person operation can begin the corporate life and perform many functions in my company. Thirty years ago, the company was operated under the ‘family corporate umbrella’. At this time, communication was easy since a person could contact within his own environment. Communications should be changed to adapt to the environment. ‘Many companies do not listen to their environment; they simply wait to speak. This means that 80 per cent of information flows outwards from the organisation and only 20 per cent flows inwards.’ [2] The organizational boundary is coupled with the ideas of organizational identity. In fact, at any given time, the boundary can impact the usage of intellectual capital and capability by the company and vice versa. The organization transforms from ‘family corporate umbrella’ to ‘corporate umbrella’. Leveraging intellectual capital by organizations operating might cause more dynamic in open environment. Furthermore, ‘complex organisms are good at differentiating between long-term and short-term communication mechanisms and goals. The nervous system, for example, deals with short-term adjustments to the organism over minutes and hours. The sympathetic nervous system controls responses to external stimuli, while the parasympathetic nervous syste.’ [3] If this concept had been efficiently implemented in my corporation, the staff turnover would have been much lower. I believe that where any procedures, expertise and human resources are properly shared, organizational boundaries can become indistinct. This might rise to new issues of organizational identity, integrity and ownership of intellectual capability. According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs[4], social needs become prominence in employees’ feeling and thinking. Their social needs can be fulfilled when they surround themselves with others who understand and generally approve their day-to-day life choices. In fact, once secure in my social life, I sought to fulfill my need for esteem. I was discouraged by CEO. As a CTO, at this stage I would ignore money motivators for the sake of the all-important respect and job title. http://www.itstime.com/maslow.htm[5] I am building a social life to match my growing need to make people proud of me, and to be proud of myself. I have seen many professionals in the company oscillate between social needs and esteem needs. The CEO should understand that managing organizational transformation is related to the dynamic, competitive and interconnected to the economic context as well as the open environment. The ‘corporate umbrella’ metaphor can help him explore issues of the organization integrity and identity; he can understand the cognitive and adaptive behaviors of employees in his company. I believe that if the company can be self organized, good corporate culture, which represents considerable elegant communication, responsive to local change while trying to maintain to organization integrity through intelligent networks, internal communication, and relational contiguity, it can be globally positioned. It can locally generate at its best capability and fineness of control in interacting with open environment. The CEO can help generate robustness and challenge the changing conditions. In short, workplace violence, such as threats, abuse, physical assault, aggressive and abrasive behavior, is an issue that companies have responsibilities to assess. Control measures should incorporate protective, preventive and even encouraging measures. Transformation of ‘family corporate umbrella’ to ‘corporate umbrella’ should be well informed, implemented, and educated in the corporate framework and operations. As a result, effective risk measurements can be undertaken in consultation with employees, and avoid negative emotions developing. Bibliography Maslow, A H. 1970, ‘ Motivation and personality’, 2nd ed. New York: Harper Row. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, viewed January 10, 2007, http://www.itstime.com/maslow.htm> Morgan, G 1998, Nature intervenes: organizations as organisms, Executive ed., 1st ed. Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Sage Publications, San Francisco, California. Vincent-Wayne, M, Jackson, P. 2006 ‘the nature of corporate communication’.European Business Forum.London, no.26,p.37 Page 1 Footnotes [1] Morgan, G 1998, Nature intervenes: organizations as organisms, Executive ed., 1st ed. Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Sage Publications, San Francisco, California. [2] Vincent-Wayne, M, Jackson, P. 2006 ‘the nature of corporate communication’.European Business Forum.London, no.26,p.37 [3] Vincent-Wayne Jackson 2006 [4] Maslow, A H. 1970, ‘ Motivation and personality’, 2nd ed. New York: Harper Row. [5] Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, viewed January 10, 2007, http://www.itstime.com/maslow.htm>

The Fast Growth Of Facebook Inc Commerce Essay

The Fast Growth Of Facebook Inc Commerce Essay Facebook Inc the fastest growing e-commerce organisation, with a strong innovative value on it starts up that created by the founder Mark Zuckerberg as a young entrepreneur with managing the organisation with continually growth and trying to sustain the business that has a strong potential for improvement and expending to go big. Facebook founded in 2004 is one of the fastest growing social networking website. Facebook.com operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. since September 2006. Facebook was founded by  Mark Zuckerberg as currently one of the youngest billionaires in the world with personal wealth of US$4 billion in 2010 together  with his college roommates and fellow computer science students  Eduardo Saverin,  Dustin Moskovitz  and  Chris Hughes, at Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA (Business insider Inc. 2010). Initially the websites membership was initially limited by the founders to Harvard students, but was expanded to other colleges in the Boston area, the  Ivy League, and  Stanford University. It later expanded further to include (potentially) any university student, then high school students, and, finally, to anyone aged 13 and over. The website currently has more than 400 million active users worldwide. Based on Joseph Schumpeter entrepreneurship innovation theory Mark I descript as entrepreneur is the one who is innovative, creative and has foresight. The characteristic best fit the founder of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg that innovate of a website that initially try to connect students and share information on the web and he has the foresight of the website is going to expend worldwide. E-commerce businesses require only limited startup capital. Developing the idea and a website is not prohibitively expensiveà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ key issue is making sure web user visit the site of the business, a problem which intensifies all the time as more and more sites are put up. However venture capitalist have at time been investing in these businesses, often accepting risks and uncertainty not normally associated with venture capitalistsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Bolton, W. and Thompson, B.K. (2000) According Bolton, W. 2000, there are 3 factors which determine the extent and value of the opportunity: 1. the concept or idea, 2. Innovation, 3. Engagement and implementation. The concept and idea of Facebook created the value for this business and act as the strongest social network and gaining popularity in speed. The strong traffic determinant and lead to the potential for profit and revenues to attract the potential investors and the advertising revenues opportunities. Because of the innovation and distinction advantages compare with its competitors it builds new values and thus sustain any early advantage. In the early stage engagement and implementation to set up the infrastructure and management was well managed. Farther on there are 3 further factors which reflect the project or business outcomes: 1. Traffic 2. Finance. 3. Visibility. Figure 3, source Hitwise us 2010 Figure 4, Facebook mobile, source: Facebook.com 2010 The booming of Facebook popularity among the globe generated More than 400 million active users, 50% of our active users log on to Facebook in any given day, People spend over 500 billion minutes per month on Facebook, More than 70 translations available on the site, about 70% of Facebook users are outside the US, over 300,000 users helped translate the site through the translations application. There are more than 100 million active users currently accessing Facebook through their mobile devices. Facebook mobile user are twice more active on Facebook than non-mobile users. There are more than 200 mobile operators in 60 countries working to deploy and promote Facebook mobile products. (Facebook.com,2010). Financial history of Facebook likes any other entrepreneurs it started up with a funding of unofficial number USD15, 000. According to the official website of Facebook the round one official funding was $500,000 from PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel, in june 2004. Followed a year later $12.7 million in venture capital from Accel Partners, April 2005; Round three: $27.5 million from Greylock Partners leading the round, Meritech Capital Partners participating, and Accel Partners and Peter Thiel increasing their investment in the company, (Facebook 2010). A leaked  cash flow statement showed that during the 2005  fiscal year, Facebook had a net loss of $3.63  million. Form the year 2005 to 2006 there are lots of companies trying to buy off the latest social network, company such as Yahoo! with price reaching as high as USD1 billion. Board member of Facebook, indicated that Facebooks internal valuation was around $8  billion based on their projected revenues of $1  billion by 2015. On July 17, 2007, Zuckerberg said that selling Facebook was unlikely because he wanted to keep it independent, saying Were not really looking to sell the company; were not looking to  IPO  anytime soon. Its just not the core focus of the company.On October 24, 2007, Microsoft announced that it had purchased a 1.6% share of Facebook for $240 million, giving Facebook a total implied value of around $15 billion.  However, Microsoft bought preferred stock that carried special rights, such as liquidation preferences that meant Microsoft would get paid before common stockholders if the company is sold. Microsofts purchase also included rights to place international a ds on Facebook. The investment follows by more tycoons in November 2007, for example Hong Kong billionaire  Li Ka-shing  invested $60  million and BusinessWeek stated that the private sales by employees, as well as purchases by venture capital firms had and were being. Factures of the website are free for end users; main revenue generates through advertising such as banner ads, referral marketing and casual games and act as a data bank. According to an interview with the CEO of Facebook, there is undisclosed information about the specific revenues generated through this website. (Michael Arrington, 2008). In September 2009, Facebook claimed that it had turned cash flow positive for the first time. Because of the nature of the business as a social networking website, the immediate brand popularity is growing strong. Instant coverage from internet blogs, main stream news around the world about the organisation had been published. However brand identity and brand image should be maintain on positive relationship with the investors and build a balance between the money making relationship with the advertisers and user-friendly with keep the key factor of usability for the end users. Figure 5, source: Ichak Adizes 1988 Figure 6, source: boyd, d. m., Ellison, N. B. (2007 Generally social network companies have a short cooperate life cycle, because of the nature of the business, it will easily replace by other innovative and more advanced site. For example Myspace buyout by News Corporation and Friendster eventually conjunction with its new financial acquisition MOL Global Pte. To keep a social network company in a long run it will need to keep the best interests of the users and invertors. Innovation is the key elements for maintain the business, article from the CNN website review that the signals of success are numerous from investors to market positioning to their founding teams. Key among those seems to be the need for continued innovation and consistent service. Bebo, meanwhile, was a MySpace clone which was able to gain an early foothold in U.K. schools it too lacked a long-term vision beyond getting big fast. Fittingly, MySpaces failings were similar to Friendsters. A lack of technical innovation led to crowded, slow-loading profile pages, sp am messages and a slew of hacking attempts. MySpace also failed to keep up with the rapidly evolving demands of Web users: While Facebook introduced its continually-updated news feed in 2006, MySpace took more than a year to respond with a similar feature. MySpace stagnated; Facebook blossomed. A similar fate awaited Bebo: Post-acquisition, innovation ground to halt and U.K. users embarked on an exodus to Facebooks more fertile shores. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg still maintain as the head of top management that control and lead the organisation. Following will be discussing few of the business strategy directions by the CEO. First of all based on the information by FT.com November 2009 Facebook is showing clear signs that it is preparing for an eventual public offering, It has followed Googles lead and introduced a dual-class stock structure and the controversial structures give certain shareholders, usually founders much stronger voting rights. Yearly event held by  Facebook- f8 conference. Its mission is to bring together the developers and entrepreneurs who are building the social web. Beside f8 is a Facebook developer conference where developers and entrepreneurs collaborate on the future of personalized and social technologies. In the Facebook f8 conference 2010 Mark Zuckerberg announced few of the new features of Facebook such as Social Plugins (Like Button), Open Graph Protocol, Graph API and, OAuth 2.0. The new features will allow developers to store information about their users if they connect to a site. The company has also released a set of plug-in, such as a like button for any site that will tap into its social clearinghouse without much effort. Facebook is depending entirely on their own development technical ability to keep things fresh. For the company, survival is about the innovative services that developers build on their platforms. Most recent news, Facebook will host developer conferences which aim to foster innovative new ideas and developments around their respective services. One of the success factors for Facebook is that others social networking websites were unable to cultivate such healthy ecosystems around their products, eventually reaching the aging and dies off stage. Conclusion As a dot.com organisation, Facebook Inc is a successful organisation with fast growing and expending progress and it has strong connection and relationship with the advertising industrial. The organisation depends heavily on advertising as the main source of income. The organisation needs a strong research and development team to make sure it keep the innovation idea fresh, and building a platform that attract with the most linkage with other brands and companies. Based on the performance and development of Facebook, the organisation is heading toward a more advertising oriented platform that searching for a method to create Facebook as the central of the internet portal that link advertiser and end user in to a new dimension.

The Film (Movie) Version of All Quiet on the Western Front :: Movie Film Essays

The Film (Movie) Version of All Quiet on the Western Front   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the movie "All Quiet on the Western Front"   we see the boys almost innocent as they sit in class. The teacher in this scene is pressuring the boys to go to war. He preaches that it is their "duty" to fight.   The teacher seems very pushy and strict. He is especially strict with Paul, the main character in the movie. In this particular scene, Paul is drawing a picture of a bird. In Paul's family they are glad that he is going to war. His family prays for him and they pray for the Kaiser, the ruler of Germany. We see here that this is ironic because Paul's family is praying for someone they   have never met.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When Paul goes to see his friend in the hospital, another friend asks for the boots he has. This shows that the boys are already changing.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When the boys go to the training camp they are still innocent. They meet Corporal Himmelstoss. Corporal Himmelstoss is very mean to the boys and is very strict. After completing   the Training camp the boys go to war. When the boys get to the battlefield they are told by Kat their leader, that what they learned in training camp they do not need to know because, you don't need to know how to march in war. The first day they are there, Paul sees a horse getting killed. He is very mad about this because the horses are innocent and they are not involved with the war. Paul is changed emotionally by this and he is sad about it.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   After the boys see the Kaiser they talk and don't even know what they are fighting for. One night in battle Paul killed a French soldier. Once he killed the solider he begins to regret that he killed him. He looks at the pictures of the soldier's   family. Paul says that "they could of been brothers". Paul trys to save the soldier's life but, cannot. Paul realizes that he has killed another human. Paul feels remorse      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In battle Albert, Paul, and Franz get wounded. Franz dies and Albert gets his leg amputated. Albert becomes depressed and becomes suicidal.

The Late Middle Ages Essay -- History, The Dark Ages

The Middle Ages, often referred to as the Dark Ages, was regarded to be a time of despair, disease, and death. Just as the name the â€Å"Dark Ages† suggests, this period of European history seemed to be surrounded by darkness and hopelessness. Unfortunately, the majority of people only see this side of the Middle Ages when, in fact, the Middle Ages was a much more important era. Especially during the late Middle Ages, one can find a change in orthodox social structure, political instability mostly concerned with succession to the throne, and economic changes and how those changes went hand in hand with the change in society. After certain demographical changes and turning points such as the Hundred Years’ War, Europe began to transform drastically thus threatening traditional Europe. Therefore, unlike popular belief, the late Middle Ages was a time when absolute monarchy began to die and when social structure seemed to be flipping upside down due to drastic changes in economic practices. Politics in the late Middle Ages is best described as instable due to competition for succession and power. The most significant event during this time period was the Hundred Years’ War, basically a territorial conflict and competition for succession between the king of England and the king of France after the Capetian monarchy crumbled. (Spielvogel 281) After the Hundred Years’ War, Europe was put under a period of adversity in terms of their political stability. In England, â€Å"Parliament increased in prominence† and even the king came to â€Å"rely on Parliament to levy new taxes.† (Spielvogel 285) The English monarch no longer had absolute power; he had a â€Å"commitment to levy no direct tax without Parliament’s consent.† (Spielvogel 285) In France, absolu... ...came ever so popular during the Renaissance period. Although many people regard the Middle Ages only as a period in history when time seemed to stop and all advancements seemed to be put on hold, it proves to be a vital piece of European history. Results from the Hundred Years’ War and other territorial or succession disputes crumbled centralized monarchy and gave birth to political administrations that can be seen present day, such as the Parliament. Additionally, the Black Death brought shortage of population and labor thus allowing peasants to grow in value and lords to fall in importance. Economical patterns began to change direction and encouraged the peasants to continue climbing up the social ladder as lords no longer had the power to do whatever they pleased. Accordingly so, the late Middle Ages proved itself to be a turning point towards modern Europe.

Voice, Words and Sound in Heart of Darkness Essay examples -- Heart Da

Voice, Words and Sound in Heart of Darkness  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   To Marlow, voice is the supreme symbol of civilization, and civilized understanding is expressed through words. The absence of words, or the inability to express something in words, signals meaninglessness. The psychedelic experience brings one into direct confrontation with the breakdown of language (the ‘transcendence of verbal concepts’ cited in the introduction), its inability to express the hidden truth of existence. Marlow becomes aware of this—primarily through his direct experience with Kurtz—yet he does not fully allow himself to believe in the failure of language. After all, language is still the most effective tool he has for communication.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sound is a signifier of meaning to Marlow. If sound is comprehensible, i.e. English or the sound of the sea, then it belongs to civilization and intelligence. If it is incomprehensible, not English, or the silencing of sound, then it belongs to savagery and ignorance. Thus, understanding is represented in sound as well as in thought or action. For example: ‘With one hand I felt above my head for the line of the steam whistle, and jerked out screech after screech hurriedly. The tumult of angry and warlike yells was checked instantly, and then from the depths of the woods went out such a tremulous and prolonged wail of mournful fear and utter despair as may be imagined to follow the flight of the last hope from the earth. There was a great commotion in the bush; the shower of arrows stopped, a few dropping shots rang out sharply—then silence, in which the languid beat of the stern-wheel came plainly to my ears’ (Conrad, 82). The whistle is the signifier of civilization, of all that is incomprehensible to the primi... ...For the story is full of silence, full of the memory of the savage. Does his telling allow him to let go of the savage, erase the memories of the palpable force of the wilderness? Works Cited Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. Editor Robert Kimbrough. New York: Norton, 1988. Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. Editor Paul O’Prey. Middlesex: Penquin Books Ltd., 1983. Cox, C. B. Conrad: Heart of Darkness, Nostromo, and Under Western Eyes. London: Macmillan Education Ltd., 1987.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Guetti, James. ‘Heart of Darkness and the Failure of the Imagination’, Sewanee Review LXXIII, No. 3 (Summer 1965), pp. 488-502. Ed. C. B. Cox.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ruthven, K. K. ‘The Savage God: Conrad and Lawrence,’ Critical Quarterly, x, nos 1& 2 (Spring and Summer 1968), pp. 41-6. Ed. C. B. Cox. Watts, Cedric. A Preface to Conrad. Essex: Longman Group UK Limited, 1993.