Notes: Meaning of Life and Distinguished Indian Writer

R. K. Narayan (1906-2001) is one of the most famous and distinguished Indian writer in English. He had a fine insight into various aspects on the lives of the poor and the middle class people, particularly in South India. He makes the dull and common place events more interesting and this essay is one such essay. In a writing career that spanned over sixty years, Narayan received many awards and honours. His writings are full of humour. In this essay he explains the advantages of headache.A blessing for Mankind: R. K. Narayan explains how headache conferred on mankind as a blessing by a benign providence and also talks about the usefulness of headache to avoid difficult situations. He later narrates an incident in his school life about the letter writing exercise, where his teacher used headache as a cause in the specimen letter. He always wondered what made his teacher to select for headache as a cause even in a specimen letter.Later he talks about the drill class during his school days and how students usually mentioned ‘headache’ as an excuse for avoiding the drill class after the school hours. One day the instructor asked all the students suffering from headache to hold their arms. For many students it raised large hope. The instructor also added that he was going to give them some special exercise to cure their splitting headache. Not even a boy raised his arms. Thus the instructor put an end to that problem. Touch of Importance:Headache gives the sufferer a touch of importance because it can be mentioned in any social gathering and is well taken. No other pain can be so openly mentioned with freedom from punishment. Other aches sound crude and bad which cannot be mentioned in publish and thus headache helps us to avoid many embarrassing situation. What is indisposition? Indisposition is a superior expression; it can be used only by eminent people. R. K. Narayan was really concerned about finding the real meaning of the word indisposition sinc e it is very vague and confusing.He feels that he was not able to understand the meaning of the word indisposition except that it sounds very well in press notes or health bulletins or in messages from eminent men to gatherings to which they have been invited. It cannot be written directly and it will sound better in the third person. A gentlemen is an eminent one, has a secretary or a deputy who can speak for him. For example a gentleman regrets his inability to attend the meeting today owing to indisposition (sickness or unwillingness).People will understand and accept the statement and will not question the concerned person. R. K. Narayan wants to know the perfect meaning of indisposition. Is the concerned person down with flu or malaria or cold or rheumatism (pain in joints and muscles)? He feels that the word indisposition could be used only at a particular level, not by all and if a school boy says â€Å"As I am indisposed, I want to be let off†, he will have his ears t wisted for his intelligence beyond his age. Headache as an excuse:If we openly say that we want to avoid the situation or an important meeting, people will get angry. No one has really got courage to tell that he/she is not willing to attend a meeting or a social gathering. The world is not yet ripe for such outspokenness and frankness. So we safely use headache as an excuse. At home, headache is used as an excuse to avoid many uncomfortable situations. The mother-in-law, who is angry with the daughter-in-law, uses it to avoid food. The son, who does not want to take his wife out, gives headache as an excuse.The boy, who has skipped his homework, claims headache in order to avoid his tutor and to send him back away. The cultured existence is not to interfere too deeply, but to accept the face value as expressed by the speaker. Conclusion: Headache has become a confirmed habit. Lots of medicines have been produced to cure headache, which people always carry with them and feels uneasy without them. Opticians give glasses to cure and relieve headache. All these things prove that mankind easily begins to believe in myths.

Evolution of Hard Disk Essay

Hard disk is a storage device that resides inside a computer to read and write the data. Before the arrival of hard disk drive; paper was used as storage device; however the paper worked in a different way. Programs and data would be recorded using holes punched into paper where a special reader with a beam of light would scan the cards or tape. The paper-based computers were used by US Navy to store data during 1940s and 1950s. During 1950s, work began in IBM on experimental hard disks. The researchers at IBM were working on various technologies to develop a disk drive that could not only store data easily, but also feasible commercially in consumer mass market. IBM developed the first hard disks in 1950s, but this disk technology was unlike today’s disk. It rotated on cylindrical drum; over which the magnetic patterns were stored. The early hard disk had heads of hard disk in contact with surface of disk; which was done to allow the low sensitivity to read the magnetic fields and pick up the data bits. The early disk drive was huge in size mainly composed of huge vacuum tube. Its random access method occupied the space equal to two refrigerators with a weight of almost one ton. The disk huge magnetic drums were complex and hard to work with; and its manufacturing technique was also very cumbersome. For example, it was not possible to get the disk surface as smooth as possible to allow reading the data at high speed. The disk head would also easily worn out after little usage and the magnetic head would stop working. It was in late 1950s that IBM engineers found a break through allowing them to create the modern day hard disk drive. The IBM engineer found the solution to the earlier problems; when they realized that with a proper design, the head of hard disk could be suspended over the disk surface to read the data beneath it. Working on this discovery in 1956, IBM first hard disk (IBM 305 RAMAC was introduced. This hard disk was able to store 5 millions characters; which was a huge amount in those days; while today’s hard disk densities are measured in billions of bits square per inch. It was in 1961 that IBM invented separate head for each data surface in their hard drive. By 1973 IBM shipped hard disk 3model 340 that were the first sealed hard disk drive continues till today. This technology is used by almost all the hard disk manufacturers around the world. Further development took place in 1980s; when Seagate introduced the first hard disk for PC or microcomputers named as ST506. Even though it was much more smaller in size than the disks produced in that time; compared to modern hard disks, it was twice the size. During the 1980s Philips also manufactured the optical laser drive. By 1981 Sony also started to ship floppy drive. In 1983 Rodime made the first 3. 5-inch floppy drive; and by 1985 first CD-ROM encyclopedia came into being. The modern 3 1/ 2 IDE drive arrived in the market in 1985. The technology used in IDE drive was not much different from the earlier disk drive technology; but ultimately it was added into the expansion board. The hard card included the drive that finally evolved into IDE hard disk drive, where the controller was finally merged into the printed circuit. During 1980s the arrival of DOS made easy the selling of hard disk; as DOS made computing easy for normal users. However there was problem in DOS version 3. 31 and above. The new DOS 4. 0 did not support hard disk larger than 32 MB. The reason for this problem was the number of sectors that could not exceed 16-bit. This need pushed the programmers to come up with new software. The solution was provided by Ontrack Disk Manager’ that allowed partition in hard disks. In 1986, the first 3-? hard disks that had voice coil actuator were introduced. By 1997 Seagate made big leap by introducing first 7200-RPM ATA hard disk drive for PC followed by 15000-RPM hard disk drive that allowed data reading and writing data much faster. The amazing thing about hard disk is that they haven’t changed that much compared to other PC related components in the past 40 years. The figure below shows the changes taken place throughout the decades in hard disk technology. Even today’s hard disk basic design has remained the same, except the size, capacity and storage. Thus it can be said that 1980s and 1990s allowed the spread of hard disks due to the arrival of PC; which were available to the modern consumers. As the hard disk technology developed so does it capacity and size. The earliest computers normally had 20 MB drive. By 2007 desktop computers hard disks drives have reached 100 to 500 GB.

A Leap Further By Being Stiff Essay

The concept of being inflexible or being stiff in making decisions has been conceivably one of the finest characteristic which has served the protagonists in the famous stories made in Asian literature.   Pak Hun in The Descendants of Cain, the student in Ya Dafu’s Sinking and Junshi in Creation, portray a character which in one point or another gives light to what appears to be sturdy sense of personality in the arena of decision making and in the context of survival and collaboration with the other characters in the story.   Perhaps that certain point of personality is nevertheless one of the viable factors why the aforementioned roles portrayed has been greatly regarded by the viewing audience, and in a larger concept, patronized as distinctive and distinguishing for that instance (Anderson). Pak Hun in Hwang Sun-won’s Descendants of Cain   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The main character of the story is Pak Hun, which is characterized as a passive person with eternally hesitant and ineffectual finesse.   Even though he is placed in a pedestal of social and political turmoil over the issue of survival and the perception of â€Å"not acting is not surviving,† the author gave him a powerful disposition in the love story that he has shared with the married lover, Ojaknyo.   His nostalgic yet inexorable presupposition on how to help the people in his village without compromising his fists just to save the love he has painstakingly pampered has caused him well in leading on to his venture in life and manhood. Unlike the other heroes in most stories, Pak Hun is deprived to act in his own will, driven by the horrors of reality and of what seemed to be his inherited fate in social class and on his manner in taking on the course of life.   Apparently, this so-called stated cowardice has served him the best of his effort, his compassion for others has saved him from the infamous destiny that he has forsaken.   Being sympathetic and sensitive has been a source of syntax towards emotion and a stronger drive for the Hamlet-like character to lead more than what he might further get in return of the â€Å"inflexibility† not to move mountains but to live a life worth living (Choe). The Student in Ya Dafu’s Sinking   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The connotation of â€Å"national allegory† in Yu Dafu’s Sinking offers an articulate and interwoven portrayal as represented by the student in the story (Denton).   Consequently, several critics portrayed the character as that which depicts the political situation of China as well as with the state of â€Å"powerlessness† that it is experiencing—gradually that of a modern mind, alienated from the faà §ade of the society, turned in on itself, ultimately divided and desolate for liberalism—psychologically apart from the social milieu. Sexual liberalism was rarely stated in the story, hence, in the general context in deciphering the meaning of the whole gist of the story, it would be seen that the student is after the â€Å"affection† of love and sexual activity—which on the more complex comprehension determines the fatal state of crisis of China in that certain point of time.   The protagonist’s patience and admiration to the flow of what seemed to be â€Å"natural way of life† has saved him from being off the scene of explicit exposure to the red light society which he later finds out to be a beneficial thing within the grasp of the May Fourth dilemma. Those who were behind the bars of desperation have been emotionally convicted in living in agony’s sagacity and apparently making them a part of the unidentified sinking icons in their community.   All of which lead to a single idea that the protagonist himself his leading a social transformation through the light of traditionalism.   Nevertheless, it showed that the point of â€Å"sinking† was happening in a nationalistic schema which in the vortex of the south and traditional China’s scenario, it may be taken to assumption that a moral community has longed for a distant sense of transformation which is clouded by a strike of fantasy and illusion. Junshi in Mao Dun’s Creation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Creaation, published in the year 1928 commences the story with Junshi, an intellectual man experiencing a crisis in life and a flashback of emphasis on failed projects which on the brighter side has made the protagonist gain much by choosing to stick on the result of what has been defined as lacking of revolutionary consciousness.   The ostensibly optimist portrayal with regard to women’s emancipation has been symbolized through Junshi’s stubborn yet sanguine personality which fueled his drive to overcome pessimism (Anderson).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The inflexible and confining ideals that has bewildered Junshi was basically a manifestation on his dream and hope, perceivably, to transform his wife, Xianxian through the advent of providing her with the amenities and educational entities which are aimed to mold her into a fashionable and politically and culturally inclined woman. Junshi then later finds out that his so-called creation of his wife has not given him the ample point of expectation that he wished to have, rather making him the person who is to catch up rather than one to have molded his wife in return.   The very fact that it has weakened his wife’s dependence on him and made her stronger in an astonishing effect—unlike the other characters in the aforementioned stories, inflexibility in Junshi’s case has been unsuccessful and has even made him see himself as a pitiful and apathetic person rather than that which ruled their marriage. Works Cited Anderson, Marston. â€Å"Beyond Realism: The Eruption of the Crowd.† Mao Dun, Zhang Tianyi, and the Social Impediments to Realism: The Regents of the University of California, 1990. Choe, Wolhee. â€Å"The Descendants of Cain.† Pacific Affairs 73.2 (2000): 2. Denton, Kirk A. â€Å"The Distant Shore: Nationalism in Yu Dafu’s â€Å"Sinking†.† Chinese Literature: Essays, Articles, Reviews (CLEAR) 14 (1992): 107-23.   

Articulating the Culture of Your Cohort Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Articulating the Culture of Your Cohort - Essay Example They include; The group usually holds many meetings during the day which is very different from other groups. In addition, the members of the cohort often dress in a formal manner which makes it unique as compared to other groups. There are also a number of espoused values that makes the group unique in comparison with other groups. They include; The group believes so much in teamwork, and a decision cannot be before the team members conduct discussions. The cohort also values privacy a lot, and leakage of internal affairs by a member of the group is a serious offense (Eliot, 1949). The cohort has also had underlying assumptions that are basic which makes it different from other groups. They include; The founders of the cohort had a definite assumption that for a decision to be there must be discussions by the group members to reach the decision. The other assumption is that dressing in a formal way shows the seriousness of the cohort (Kubr,

Minorities and culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Minorities and culture - Essay Example A concept of whiteness often comes up in different contexts. Â   Social sciences, linguistic studies, psychology, social work, gender studies and many others are focused on the ideas of whiteness. There is no doubt that the concept of "whiteness" is an integrative element of the modern social context. It is often claimed that dark color of skin is similar to peoples inability of a high-level performance. A modern society is well known for the presence of full kaleidoscope of skin colors. The scientists have often agreed upon the existence of a certain biological and genealogical basis, which identifies peoples performance in the global society. A concept of whiteness includes knowledge of body language, ideologies, behavioral norms and some practices, which have been developed for many centuries. The American colonies and the history of European white roots have been often considered as the dominant in development of the concept of "whiteness" (Barrett, 1977). We think about race in a different way and whiteness is based on different social insti tutions, such as legal, economic, educational, political and religious etc. Rothenberg underlined that a concept of whiteness and a rigid differentiation between a concept of "blackness" and "whiteness" are deeply rooted in America. On the one hand, the Europeans were focused on the differences in skin color, but on the other hand, they did not emphasize theirs. White people have often been ruling. The European monarchs have reigned for ages and it should come as no surprise that a stereotype of white dominance became a wide spread one. A power of control often belonged to white-skinned people. Only a small part of elite gains its power because of the color of their skin. It can be often argued that white race is not the greatest benefit, but the inner contents. W.E.B. Du Bois claimed that a "white blindspot" was the name of interests, which related to some white people. A concept of whiteness has a

Tort Law Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Tort Law - Coursework Example According to Winfield & Jolowicz (Tort, 17th ed. ; WVH Rogers ed), in order to hold the defendant liable for defamation, the claimant has to prove the following elements: 1. The statement must be defamatory; 2. The statement must refer to the claimant; 3. It must be published i.e. communicated to atleast one person other than the claimant. The aforementioned principles as applies to the present context in the following manner: 1. The statement must be defamatory: The statements made by Alex were to the effect of degrading public image of the players and team manager. Besides causing harm to their reputation in public, the statement also tends to raise ethical questions on the players and the team manager and hence lowers them in the public eye. Vide Lord Atkin’s judgement in Sim v. Strech [(1936) 52 TLR 669], it is now the settled position of law that any statement that tends to lower the claimant in the estimation of right thinking members of the society can be defamatory. Th is position has been reemphasised in several of the recent judgements as well. Therefore, it cannot be said that the statement is not defamatory and accordingly, any defence on those lines will be valid, if at all, subject to unique situation of the present case and other factual considerations. 2. The statement must refer to the claimant: In the present context, it is undisputed and clear beyond doubt that the statement made is very specific to few players and the team manager. Hence, provided that a claim is brought by the named few, this element will apply and hold good. 3. The statement must be published: In order to ascertain whether this element can be satisfied in the present context, it is necessary to analyse how ‘publication’ is interpreted at common law over a period of time. The statement vis-vis Alex, is made only to one person other than the claimant. The question therefore is – whether such an act of sharing one’s belief with another person without knowledge of the fact that such beliefs/statements would be published, amounts to ‘publication’. At common law, the element of publication is satisfied even if the defamatory statement is made to one person other than the claimant. In Crossland v. Wilkinson Hardware Stores Ltd. [(2005) EWHC 481 (QB)], it was held that slander, which is defamatory statement made orally, made to one person can have a damaging effect. Having said that, another element that needs consideration is – the potential cause of action. It is a settled principle at common law that chain of causation breaks when a statement made is published as it amounts to repetition [Ward v. Weeks (1830) 7 Bing. N.C. 211 followed in Weld Blundell v. Stephens [(1920) A.C. 945]. Thus, in the present case, there would be two causes of action available to the claimants. The first being statement made by Alex to Barbera; the second being the article published in The Daily Truth. The implications differ depending upon the claimant’s choice of action. The defendant in such cases is not liable for the published article where she did not intend such publication/repetition [Cutler v. McPhail (1962) 2 Q.B. 292]. Thus, if the claimants’ cause of action the newspaper article only, then Alex cannot be held liable as she did not intend repetition or publication of the statements made. II TORTIOUS LIABILITY OF BARBERA A. Factual matrix material to the potential lis 1. Barbera has obtained

Self regulation of the press Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Self regulation of the press - Essay Example , private bodies feel the need to regulate itself for whatever reasons whether to respond to consumer demand, to carry out its ethical beliefs, to enhance industry reputation, or to level the market field. Press is also regulated by a separate, non-statutory body, Press Complaints Commission (PCC). It manages the code of practice and complaints of investigation. Any journalist who is said to breach the codes is found guilty; however, the PCC has no status or power to punish the journalists for these breaches (Keeble, 2005, p273). The clauses that the PCC includes in the codes to follow is the accuracy level, the respect for privacy, the interests and protection of children, harassment, incursion into shock or grief, breaking into hospitals, the report of crime and many more. The journalists have to investigate and publish reports keeping these clauses in mind. Yet, the journalists and press does not realize the importance of respecting these clauses and thus statutory control on the framework of these journalists is recommended (Bromley, Tom OMalley, 2009, p115). At first, the statutory control on the press was considered as unreasonable as it subjected to restriction on press freedom and their freedom of speech. However, there have been some activities seen in the press by the irresponsible journalists; moreover the weakness of the PCC led many to reconsider the thought to impose statutory control over the press. Although, the threat to pass on legislation on the press has lightened the irresponsible work of the press and encouraged good practice, there is still serious thought that has to be given on a statutory control of the press (Franklin, 2008, p128). Self-regulation of the press itself has many disadvantages because of which the idea of legislation strengthens. Where there are acknowledgements on the fact that government may not possess the expertise as compared to the private companies, but the major issue is that whether these private companies will

Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 16

Case Study Example The third case entitled ‘FOX news suicide live’ is about a police chase that ends with the suspect shooting himself as FOX television aired the event live. The matter about this case revolves around the merits of displaying such level of violence on television. Regarding the case of the ‘NYC Subway Photographer,’ the first ethical issue revolves around the protection of human life. The second ethical issue focusses on the merits of airing a violent and disturbing video without editing its gruesome details. Viewers with weak sensibilities were obviously disturbed and deeply affected by truth of the death of a man who should have been rescued. Given that the photographer was within range of the incident, it would have been more appropriate for him to act responsibly and humanely by protecting the man instead of taking pictures of the heinous spectacle. Such an intervention would have been defensible on moral grounds. Compassion and empathy should have been the guiding principles to the most appropriate decision from the photographer. Airing the death of a helpless man is not consistent with the ethics of journalistic practice. The cruelty of the situation is that the man was actually pushed to the subway by a violent man who stood nearby to watch the death of his victim. The photograph is an indictment to the photojournalist with regard to his sense of judgment, professional ethics, and moral standards. Protecting the life of a human being must remain the primary concern of a journalist (Smith 61). The photojournalist should have considered the life of the man above his journalistic duties. One ethical issue that connects with the case of the ‘Newspaper Photographer Fired’ is the need to uphold truth and accuracy in the conduct and practice of journalism. The photographer in this case took notice and consequently disapproved of a journalistic practice he found to be outside the ethics of the profession. Photo shopping of pictures to be used in a

Democracy in Israel and France Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Democracy in Israel and France - Research Paper Example Free, Fair, Competitive Elections Democracy is a system that guarantees the freedom of expression and human rights in a country, as well as free and fair elections without discrimination, and as a result, protecting civil and political rights of citizens. In December 2011, Israeli vice president, Moshe Yaalon, declared that majority of the Arab countries were not ready for democracy. This is because of the previous deaths, which occurred in an attempt to fight dictatorship in these countries. The Israel vice president argued that democracy could be achieved through fair and free elections. However, the Palestinians argue that Israel call for democracy is hypocritical, mainly because the Israel government refused to accept the 2006 election results, which were perceived to be free and fair (dawn.com Para 5). As a result, Israel is hypocritical when it claims that it is democratic, in the election process. France is a Western European country, having a population of approximately 61million and is among the successful countries globally. It is a republic compromising of both presidential and parliamentary systems of government. It is considered democratic, with the parliament system being common; however, it has constitutional limits, which include the legislature’s power to bring down a government among others. Needless to say, France is democratic on how it conducts its elections. Freedom of the Press According to the world audit, Israel is rated as number 36, whilst France is at number 24 (World Audit 2011). France has an independent media, where freedom of communication and speech is valued as a human right. As a result, the French are allowed to speak, write, or print any article; however, they are held responsible for abuse of this freedom. France guarantees freedom of the press, which is supported by the 1881 Act on freedom of the press; however, it contains restrictions, which are aimed at balancing freedom of expression, citizen protection, and maintaining law and order (French embassy Para 2). The France law also punishes any acts of defamation and slander, as well as offensive speeches or contemptuous; therefore, the freedom of the press in France is conditional, and as a result, her democracy is flawed. Israel’s drop in press freedom was because of its press regulations on international media early in 2009. Journalists were arrested and even imprisoned, with

The Tragedy of Julius Caesar Essay Example for Free

The Tragedy of Julius Caesar Essay Character List: Flavius tribune who breaks up crowd waiting to honor Caesars triumph Marcellus tribune who breaks up crowd waiting to honor Caesars triumph Julius Caesar Emperor of Rome Casca first to stab Caesar Calpurnia Caesars wife Mark Antony devoted follower of Caesar; defeats Brutus Soothsayer warns Caesar to Beware the Ides of March Brutus joins and then leads the conspiracy to kill Caesar Cassius organizes the conspiracy and gets Brutus to join Cicero Roman Senator Casca to whom talks on the eve of the assassination Cinna plants the forged letter for Cassius, also a conspirator Cinna (the poet) mistaken for Cinna the conspirator Lucius servant to Brutus Decius reinterprets Calpurnias dream and convinces Caesar to go to Senate Metellus distracts Caesars attention so conspirators can carry out their plan Trebonius takes Antony away from the assassination scene so he wont interfere Portia wife of Brutus Ligarius vows to follow Brutus Publius one of many who escort Caesar to the Senate meeting Artemidorus gives Caesar a letter of warning naming the conspirators Papilius wishes Cassius well in his enterprise Octavius heir of Julius Caesar Lepidus joins with Octavius and Antony, used by Octavius and Antony Pindarus servant to Cassius Lucilius captured by Antonys soldiers, mistaken for Brutus Messala reports Portias death, discovers Cassius body Varro servant of Brutus Claudius servant of Brutus Titinius officer, guards tent at Sardis Cato soldier in army of Brutus and Cassius Clitus servant of Brutus, refused to kill Brutus Dardanius servant of Brutus, refused to kill Brutus Volumnius friend and soldier to Brutus, refuses to hold Brutus sword Strato holds Brutus suicide sword Act I 1. In Scene I, what do Flavius and Marcellus want the commoners to do? They want the commoners to break up and move along; they dont want them to celebrate Caesars triumphs. 2. What is the Soothsayers advice to Caesar? The Soothsayer told Caesar to Beware the Ides of March. 3. Explain the difference between the views of Caesar held by Cassius and Brutus. Cassius openly wants Caesar out of power. He is jealous and wants better for himself. Brutus has been thinking about Caesar and the state of his countrymen, and at this point is ready to listen to Cassius. Although Brutus loves Caesar, he recognizes Caesars flaws. 4. Caesar clearly gives his thoughts about Cassius. What does he say? Caesar says that Cassius has a lean and hungry look. He thinks too much and such men are dangerous. 5. Summarize Cascas explanation of why Caesar looked so sad. Antony offered Caesar a crown. When he refused it, the crowd cheered. So, although Caesar really wanted the crown, he at that point could not publicly accept it. Then he had a seizure. 6. At the end of Scene II in lines 312 326, Cassius makes plans. What plans does he make? Why? He is going to forge notes to Brutus from several citizens in order to help sway Brutus against Caesar. 7. Casca says, For I believe they are portentous things/Unto the climate that they point upon. What does he mean? He thinks the list of unnatural sights he has just told Cicero about are signs of the tragedy about to unfold in their country. 8. Why does Cassius want Brutus to join the conspiracy? Brutus is a favorite of the people. He is honorable and well-thought-of.

Moss Bros

Moss Bros Overview of organisation. â€Å"Moss Bros has been synonymous with quality and value in fine clothing for men for well over a century. The Groups unparalleled reputation in formal menswear and unrivalled commitment to customer service sets it apart in a world that demands only the best. A distinguished heritage is the cornerstone of Moss Bros, a dynamic and forward-looking organisation which spans such internationally renowned names as Canali, Beale Inman and Hugo Boss. In the UK, generations of style-conscious customers will know and trust the brands Moss Bros, Moss and Moss Bros Hire, Savoy Taylors Guild and Cecil Gee.† Taken from http://www.mossbros.co.uk/aboutUs/aboutUs.htm As shown above in this paragraph the five main aims are: * Quality * Value * Fine clothing * Reputation * Customer service The entire above are interlinked with each other as they all touch, for example quality is linked with fine clothing and it is important within a store dealing with clothes, if the customer isnt happy with this item due to â€Å"shoddy† materials then this customer might possibly not return to the store. This also links in with customer services because the situation should be dealt with in a professional manner to upkeep the professional appearance and reputation of the company itself. The company has many branches nationwide as well as around the globe it sells many fine clothing such as Hugo Boss, Versace, DG and more. Question 1 Research gathered will help perform a PESTLE analysis on a Moss Bros PLC. PESTLE analysis is a tool that helps organisations making strategies by helping them understand the external environment both in the present and the future. It uses simple methodology but the weakness of a PESTLE analysis is that it doesnt look at the organisations internal environment, its strengths or its weaknesses, but there are other theories for identifying these such as SWOT analysis. Looking at all the different factors that will affect Moss Bros, I will be using an analysis technique called PESTLE this stands for: * Political – (global, national, regional, local and community trends) * Economic – (world, national and local trends, changes) * Social – (culture, behaviour) * Technological – (computer aids) * Legal – (world, EU or national legislation changes) * Environmental – (global, EU, national, local issues or movements) Below is a diagram of the external environment/factors and in the centre of it all Moss Bros: As the diagram above shows how all the factors link into my business and affect it. Political – political and legal factors are closely link within Moss Bros and are both very similar. From a business perspective political impact can have an effect on costs, competitiveness, profitability, organisation behaviour, decision making, innovation, new product development. Also covered in political are; All the above show how complex the environment is and how many restraints and impacts HR have within Moss Bros. * Economic The economic impact of war and current terrorism may impact Moss Bros in the long term. Countries emerging from war normally suffer economic recessions because of the cost of war. If the war in Iraq is lengthy, then customer spending on items is likely to be cut as a measure of the uncertainty. The pressure to cut costs, given by companies further down the supply chain, may also have an impact, particularly on small- and medium- sized businesses. Other implications from the economic side of PESTLE could be the current world recession, lavish spending is at an all time low as people are watching what they spend and just as an organisation would look at saving money by cutting back so do people. The first thing that gets looked in most budgets is leisurely spending and spending money on the essentials such as food, water or bills not designer labels. HR resolutions could be cost cutting and stream lining to help reduce over heads and reduce the final product price meaning t he customer will get the same for less deeming it a better buy. * Social – People are becoming more body conscious in a sense vain; with this people are becoming more metro-sexual and more open to fashions and different styles. More people are turning to bigger names such as Hugo Boss, Versace or Gucci. This will improve sales and profitability for Moss Bros as a result but cheaper versions from other stores such as Topman or Primark take a massive chunk of the primary target market. But with this Moss should be aiming for a smaller higher paid market in order that the brands they sell are seen as classy and desirable. This in turn will bring some of the lower spending market to them as instead of spending  £100 and 2 or 3 things from Primark they may save up and buy only one thing from the store. * Technological – As time goes on efficiently is becoming a key factor in production, technology helps to cut down on wages and time consumption of the making up of the product, making it cheaper to make and keeping the prices the same, this making the customers satisfaction high and the company itself going and making more money with bigger profit margins, as improvement of technology means reduction on workers which in turn from an HR perspective means voluntary or force redundancies will be imposed. * Legal – Opening of a new store or maintaining it has many laws, rules and regulations, a few of them are Sale of Goods Act 1979 which states that â€Å"The Sale of Goods Act is the main piece of law helping buyers to obtain redress when their purchases go wrong.† Department of Trade and Industry [online] Business Guidance leaflet (www.businesslink.gov.uk) accessed on 18/12/09. The other laws such as Trade Descriptions Act 1968 or Sunday Trading Act 1994 these all are factors that Moss Bros have to take into consideration. Employment legislation links in with my organisation as the employment legalisation acts and policies dictates on what a business can and cant pay it staff (minimum wage) as well as what statutory rights they have or what holidays they are entitled to, this all has a knock on affect as these factors will cut into profit margins and budget of the organisation. Other impacts and legislations HR has to take into consideration are; * Environmental/ecological Globalisation is widening the marketplace so that competition not only comes from companies down the road but also on the other side of the world due to the invention of the internet. In order to compete in the market the company has to be the best at what it does, Moss Bros has to stand head over the rest to get noticed and to create the best customer loyalty from local, national and international customers based either in the stores or over the web. This factor interlinks in with all of the PESTLE factors as the market is growing so is the need for new staff, from an HR perspective this means recruitment and selection processes will need to be looked at in order to ensure that the best possible candidates are being chosen. Also this will have an impact on the national unemployment rate as it will help reduce it in the long term providing economic upturn also as less unemployment means more people are in jobs thus creating more money to spend on luxury it ems which Moss Bros provide. Other environmental factors that would directly have an impact on the organisation and HR would be carbon footprint and the companys efforts to join the rest of the world in reducing their own carbon footprint. This in itself would create more work for HR would boost company PR image. With Moss Bros having stores both nationally and internationally they have a lot of factors to take into consideration, three main factors that would affect Moss Bros directly are: * Recession in world markets – this would bring profits, productivity and sales down, as unemployment would be high and sales would be low this would be bad news for the company and its contractors/ sub contractors. * Increase in oil prices – if this were to happen again then eventually it would cut into the companys profit as more money would be spent on the production of the garments and items then there would be less profit. * Changes in consumer spending – if the public decided that they had better things to spend their money on, for example cars, house or living then again this change would cut into the businesses profit and overall total income as there would be most likely a slump in the retail industry, this was seen last year as there was the first slump in clothing retail/retail for 20 years. Question 3 A stakeholder can be any person or organization; they can be positively or negatively influenced by the organisation or they can cause an influence on the actions of a company. Types of stakeholders are: * Primary stakeholders these are people who are those directly affected by the companies actions whether it be positively or negatively. * Secondary stakeholders are the â€Å"middle men† who are indirectly affected by an organizations actions. * Key stakeholders can also fall into the first two groups have a great influence within an organization. Further analysing stakeholders, identifying and categorising stakeholders on Moss Bros. Internal stakeholders are people who own the company, employed by the company or an own part in it like shareholders, employees or managers. All these people above work for the company (apart from silent share holders or investors who can be both internal and external stakeholders) and therefore directly get involved in the day to day operation of the company, these people will help make or break the company. There responsibility towards the company is to maintain and keep up good working standards for the company. Shareholders have a say in what the company has to do but if they dont have a large percentage of shares within the company then there words wont be heard as loudly as for example as someone who has 51% of the company shares. But with anything there is safety and loudness in numbers for example, Moss in store advisors are employed as customer service assistants but are on commission for every  £1000 of items of clothes sold. If Moss looked over this and identified that with the current climate recession this pay scheme needed to be cut back in order to cut over heads this may because a strike by the staff affected (managers/ supervisors/ advisers) with this HR would have to negotiate more up to date cheaper incentives for staff to keep motivated and passionate about selling up on brands. Human resource stream lining which is constantly monitored by the human resource department could be looked into by looking at the overall set up of the company structure this would have a positive and a negative effect of its internal and external stakeholders as redundancies and layoffs would occur but in turn the company would see the benefits in reducing its over heads and monthly salary pay out. This making the company a more efficient and cost effective company. Creating investment desirability from new investors on the stock market, possible mergers from other big high street names such as â€Å"house of Fraser†. External stakeholders are customers, competitors, suppliers, central and local government agencies, banks, trade associations. These stakeholders dont have many if any direct towards the company itself but they do affect it. For example the government is thinking about bringing out a new legislation that states that retail outlets cant stay open any later than 10 hours per day, this would directly affect Moss Bros because most of their stores are open 9am till 9pm this means they would have to redo there opening and closing times causing administration to work perhaps overtime along with other areas of the office, but some stores will result in disruption and this may have an effect on customers as if they are not informed of this change they might come to the conclusion that there store has closed and mightnt return causing a loss in profits. The trading times will have to be well thought out either by the managers of the stores affected or the department that deals with time tables and rotas which is usually personnel. Government bodies and banks have power to influence Moss Bros as well as any other organisation with the interest rates, VAT or inflation rates that they impose. Positive implications for Moss Bros could get grants from the government for bringing jobs to a high level of unemployment area. Instead of outsourcing there manufacturing to foreign labour they could promote that they manufacture there goods in the UK, this would be good promotion for the organisation and the cost of bring the work over here (minimum wages and standards) could be offset by these grants by the government. Stakeholder Mapping is a strategic business tool which identifies and assesses the effect of a different individuals or group of stakeholders in an organisation. It looks at the possible power in which a stakeholder can have; it also shows the possibility of them using their power to change to company organisation and their level of interest in the organisations activities. Stakeholders within the company are put into categories based on their rating and put into the following groups; â€Å"Low interest/low power (A) The company may require little or no effort to be focused on this group. The stakeholders pose no threat due to a lack of both interest and power. High interest/low power (B) This group has a high interest but has little power to exercise control so they can be maintained through the management of information to keep them informed of company events. Low interest/high power (C) – may not realise there overall power they have over the company but should satisfied. But because of their low interest in activities they are unlikely to exert or cause significant disruption. High interest/high power (D) – A company must try to satisfy this group first as they have the power to affect the company and have a high likelihood that they will use their power.† G. Johnson K. Scholes, Exploring Corporate Strategy, Financial Times/Prentice Hall, 2002. This diagram has been recreated by the author. The benefits of an organisation using this tool is that when a project is getting planned then this tool will help identify which group are most likely to be affected by the organisations decisions. Also it helps identify ways to improve communication with stakeholders via their interest in the company. In Moss Bross case a stake holders who is interested in the company but has very little power may just need an email or leaflet to be kept up to date, but a stakeholder who is a â€Å"key player† may and more than likely will want a great involvement with company decisions no matter how small. Question 9 Demographics are the trends within a country, cotenant or on a global scale it describes the changes in a population over a certain time. For example, the average age of a population may increase over time. Certain restrictions may be set in place changing those numbers. For example, China with the one child policy. Demographics are generalisations about groups of people. Information gathered is not about specific to individuals. The weaknesses of demographic profiling are that such a broad approach can only offer a limited view of the information gathered and that the use of these are debatable. Also most demographic information is culturally biased. But still demographics can be useful for statistics, when a government wants to know about its nations political and economic state. â€Å"The first is an enumeration of the number of inhabitants distinguished by age, sex, and occupation. The second involves a continuous record of population trends from the registration of births, marriages, and burials. The third is documentation of the extent of internal and external migration† From Wikipedia Demography of the United Kingdom [Online] (Updated 16 Jan 2009) Available at: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demography_of_the_United_Kingdom [Accessed 14th December 2009]. Demographics are gathered by government by Censuss sent out to all UK households; they ask a range of structured questions to gather the nations current population make up. An example can be seen in appendix 1. Following some in depth research into demographics in the UK, the positive effects on a telecommunications company such as â€Å"T-Mobile† or â€Å"Orange†, an increase in population will mean that a wider selection of candidates and applicants (with the correct advertisement for the role in the appropriate places ) will be sourced from the local and national population. For example if human resources selecting a wider group of applicants they will give recruitment officers a choice of being â€Å"picky† in the recruitment process in order to get the best from the selection gathered. Meaning it will attract a higher performing work force because more people and the same jobs means that the ratio people to jobs are higher (3:1 = 3 people for every job) this means higher levels of applicants will apply for the role will have a higher skills set. Also this applies for languages; ethnicity and religion groups within the UK if they apply for the role within the organi sation the company will gather a wider scope of workers and a broader set of skills. Full research and data from demographics can be found in appendix 2. The population of the United Kingdom in the 2001 census was 58,789,194. This has since risen to 60,587,300 according to mid-2006 estimates by the Office for National Statistics.† Part Population (mid-2006) % (mid-2006) England 50,762,900 83.8 Scotland 5,116,900 8.4 Wales 2,965,900 4.9 Northern Ireland 1,741,600 2.9 United Kingdom 60,587,300 100 â€Å" (1 July 2006 population estimates by UK National Statistics) This would be useful in most departments in the organisation especially in sales as some customers can identify and relate to certain selling techniques and salesmen which can originate from different cultures. For example most of the United Kingdoms culture can be seen as typical â€Å"British Empiricism, a branch of the philosophy of knowledge that states that only knowledge verified by experience is valid, Britain is also notable for a theory of moral philosophy, Utilitarianism† From Wikipedia Demography of the United Kingdom [Online] (Updated 16 Jan 2009) Available at: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demography_of_the_United_Kingdom [Accessed 14th December 2009]. This meaning â€Å"Utilitarianism is a moral philosophy, generally operating on the principle that the utility (happiness or satisfaction) of different people can not only be measured but also meaningfully summed over people and that utility comparisons between people are meaningful. That makes it possible to achieve a well-defined societal optimum in allocations, production, and other decisions, and achieve the goal utilitarian British philosopher Jeremy Bentham described as the greatest good for the greatest number. From Utilitarianism from Econterms [Online] (Updated 16 Jan 2009) Available at: en http://economics.about.com/od/economicsglossary/g/utilitarian.htm [Accessed 14th December 2009]. From this, selling to the general customer should be sold products by experienced staff who know and have a excellent knowledge on the product there selling on, both being able to identifying the customer needs and the business needs. Negative effects on telecommunications organisations from an HR perspective is with attracting a higher level work force can affect turnover of staff, as company retention may be low because the applicants may think that they are too good for the job and may be using it as a â€Å"stepping stone† or â€Å"experience gathering job† for a higher earning more prosperous job. Also costs to the organisation could be high as to pay back the initial investment of training is normally at least 6 to 12 month of employment. Generally people in the UK prefer (if there account is based in the UK) to be dealt with by a UK call agent. This again can be costly to a company if this is a consumer must, as offshore outsourcing is cheaper than that in the UK as minimum wage is less and labour is cheaper for building costs and over heads. Human resource implications from this could be a loss of custom due to the language barrier from offshore centres and the general moral stance by that particular customer. The remedies for this could be to only give the offshore teams particular roles, for example email replies, administration roles or computer based account management and have the UK call centres deal primarily for answering general, technical and sale calls. An ageing UK population combined with the trend for employees to undergo multiple career changes throughout their working life is likely to have some effect on the company as more people will have more money to spend as average pay goes up due to inflation and general pay increases as does the quality of life meaning more leisure money to spend. Also within these questions are asked usually questions about employment status or pay grade this is to gather a social grade definition for the nation. A positive implication towards HR within a telecommunication organisation could be the same as recruitment mentioned earlier where a high level of management or skills will be generated which can be seen as an â€Å"upper class† of workers. Towards the sales environment if the general population has a high pay grade then social and leisure spending will be high if the economy is in a fit state and not in a recession or slump. People will still look for a bargain but wont (as a general rule of thumb) be watching always what they spend going over there allowance and money wont be as tight as it would be in a recession and may not call customer services querying there bill for the money that they have spent back which would increase calls for the call centres and possibly the stores. But with this high level or skills set it means that some out sourcing may need to be outsourced as primarily telecommunication is in the tertiary sector which is services but needs the manufacturing sector (secondary sector) to install, build and maintain the masts and buildings of operation. If a recession hits the economy as it has done now the company would feel the effects of this. The company and the customer may very well be in a 30 day, 12, 18 or 24 month contract but it doesnt always mean they will pay their bills on time or even at all. This means that the companies finance and collection department will have a higher work load to take on and cash flow would slow down and cut backs in some areas would have to be thought throw by HR this causing conflict and worry for staff throughout the organisation. Recession in world markets – this would bring profits, productivity and sales down, as unemployment would be high and sales would be low this would be bad news for the company and its contractors/ sub contractors. Increase in oil prices – if this were to happen again then eventually it would cut into the companys profit as more money would be spent on the production of the garments and items then there would be less profit. Methodology section The assignment lay out comes in three parts for a portfolio presentation. Part 1 Evidence that relays knowledge and understanding of the main themes and issues covered by the module and answer questions to 3 out of 9 questions/exercises. Part 2 3 – methodology and learning reflection. Within this assignment I the author have gathered some strong data supporting the critical analysis written. Use of academic theories examples were made from both real life situations and case studies were used to support the debate. The analysis consists of research from text books, research from web based forums/ pages and past experience that I have had working in different organisations. Furthermore, trying to look at possible scenarios and points of view of all areas of the debate (question) was applied to the assignment in order for the reader to grasp a better understanding of the authors intentions of explanation. Primary and secondary data was collected from journals and texts book and for more up to date information the researcher used the internet. For this particular assignment this was the best approach of research following past experience. Lack of some key s and data hinder efforts to further critically analysis some areas in questions 1 and 3. The research design was more qualitative than quantitative as the aim is a complete and a detailed description rather than to classify features, count them or explain what is observed. Learning reflection section This module has been very interesting it has led the researcher to learn several things and grounded a deeper knowledge of the above areas. I feel that knowledge is vital, but it is useless without the practical side, in order to learning anything you have to notice on some level (whether it is conscious or unconscious). The work has to be decoded and made into the readers own understanding. Upon this I have found that a grasp of different side of the spectrum has been gained as this is present in the writing provided. An example of this is that from the research into stake holder analysis I didnt understand which communication routes stake holders were informed of company progress. It was rather interesting also to see how different stake holders were informed of different methods and information. From a human resources perspective knowledge gained were not only theoretical but also applicable to the general businesses and potential future employment. Other skills sets that were upd ated and learned through this assignment was the lay out and correct presentation of work in a portfolio method, I have done these before but not to this standard. Also the depth and obstacles that hinder an organisation both in the day to day operation and future planning and even to the degree of changing something within the company, reading into and understand conflict management was a great tool and theory gained and overall I think I have gained a high level of learning via this portfolio. Furthermore I already had covered some of the topic areas in previous years but I found that further reading and continuous learning will give me a better insight into the understanding of an organization and explore new avenues. I did feel however that the module wasnt directly linked to human resources but some of the context and implications could be used in future references, assignments and possibly future careers. Appendix 1 Question 9 Demographic Questions (Government Census) Are you†¦ PLEASE TICK (à ¼) ONE BOX †¦male  £ †¦female  £ What is your age? PLEASE WRITE IN Do you have any long-term illness, health problem or disability which limits your daily activities or work you can do? (include problems which are due to old age) PLEASE TICK (à ¼) ONE BOX Yes  £ No  £ What is your ethnic group? PLEASE TICK (à ¼) ONE BOX White Asian or Asian British British  £ Indian  £ Irish  £ Pakistani  £ Other white background  £ Bangladeshi  £ Mixed Other Asian background  £ White Black Caribbean  £ Black or Black British White Black African  £ Caribbean  £ White Asian  £ African  £ Other Mixed background  £ Other Black background  £ Chinese  £ Any other group  £ What is your full postcode?  £  £  £  £  £  £  £ Does your household own or rent the accommodation in which you live? PLEASE TICK (à ¼) ONE BOX Owns outright  £ Rents from a housing association  £ Owns with a mortgage or loan  £ Rents from a private landlord  £ Pays part rent and part mortgage (shared ownership)  £ Accommodation is a residential home or student halls  £ Rents from the Council  £ Other  £ What is your current employment status? PLEASE TICK (à ¼) ONE BOX Self-employed  £ Employed full time (30 hours or more a week)  £ Employed part time (less than 30 hours a week)  £ Unemployed but have worked previously  £ Unemployed and have never had a paid job  £ Unable to work due to illness or disability  £ Retired  £ Student  £ Looking after home/family (this is your main activity and none of the other options apply to you)  £ What is your religion? PLEASE TICK (à ¼) ONE BOX None  £ Jewish  £ Christian (including Church of England, Catholic, Protestant and all other Christian denominations)  £ Muslim  £ Buddhist  £ Sikh  £ Hindu  £ Any other religion  £ From Demographic Questions[Online] (Updated 16 Jan 2009) Available at: www.oldham.gov.uk/community_cohesion_demographic_questions.rtf [Accessed 14th December 2009]. Appendix 2 Question 9 Ethnicity 2001 ethnicity of the English population 2007 ethnicity of the English population The change in Englands ethnic minority population (2001 2007) The 2001 census and 2007 estimates state the following ethnic groups: Ethnic group 2001 population 2001 percentage 2007 population 2007 percentage White: British 42,747,136

Proposal: Causes of corporate failures

Proposal: Causes of corporate failures Introduction The issue of corporate failures (CF) became prominent yet again, following the financial crisis of 2007-2008, caused primarily by risky-investments made in the belief of a continuous appreciation in home-values, due to decades of low-interest rates the era of light-touch regulation[1] [Deregulation free-markets]. Furthermore, the collapse of Lehman-Brothers; a large investment bank, brought the issue of corporate failures to the fore and hence sparked the researcher’s interest in the subject. The collapse of Lehman’s has been described as the largest bankruptcy in the world, it was a bankruptcy ten times bigger than that of Enron and it rattled the global and domestic markets in the midst of an economic recession (M. A. Johnson A. Mamun 2012)[2]. Consequently it is included in the literature-review when looking at the causes of failure in an attempt to answer the research question. The Research Question The research question is focused on why corporations fail, particularly the recurring themes from failures. This question is important as the total-assets of companies filing for bankruptcy in the U.S was at $1.159billion in 2008 (Kalwarski T, 2009)[3]. In addition big-businesses in Ireland that went burst in 2010 were five times greater than was seen at the peak of the Celtic-Tiger[4] (O’Carroll L, 2011)[5], with a huge-amount of failures concentrated in the construction-sector. Furthermore, in Lithuania alone the slowdown of the economy amplified the rate of bankruptcies to about 34% in the first half of 2008 (Silvanavicià »tà ¨, S 2008)[6]. Figure 1- Total assets of U.S Public Companies filing for bankruptcy. Source: Business week, chart by Laurel Daunis-Allen [7] Therefore, given the financial-crisis of 2008, the globalization of the world economies and the ripple effect of corporate-failures on economies the society, the need to investigate the recurring themes is vital. (Azkunaga J, San-Jose L, Urionabarrenetxea S, 2013)[8]. This research will prescribe in its recommendations the use of bankruptcy prediction models (BPM) as a way to predict and mitigate the occurrence of future failures. This is important due to the fact that corporations who experience complete failure usually file for bankruptcy under their various national bankruptcy codes. 1.2 Aim rationale for this research The aim of this research is to collect data on the causes of/themes in corporate-failures, exploring the recurring themes the link between the independent-variables [greed, corporate-culture, economic-cycles, corporate-governance, incentive-schemes etc.] and the dependent-variable [Corporate-Failure]. In addition the impact of the economic cycles (a slowdown in the economy/a recession) in failures will be investigated. Furthermore the research will explore briefly the literature on bankruptcy prediction models, so as to make a valid argument for its continued use in the prediction prevention of failures. The rationale for this research stems from the researcher’s interest in the issues that led to the recent financial crisis, the collapse of Lehman-Brothers, the need to curb future corporate failures and a will to contribute to reducing the prevalence of corporate failures. 1.3 New Relevant Research As at 1988 an integrated theory of corporate-failures was non-existent. Hambrick D’Aveni noted that the focus was on small business failures and public sector failures, with the existing literature being mainly qualitative (Daughen and Binzen, 1971; Richards, 1973; Starbuck, Greve, and Hedberg, 1978 cited in Hambrick). The quantitative aspects focused only on financial-ratios (Altman 1968) [9], with the only work carried to contrast the above being that of Miller and Friesens (1977) to point out the characteristics of large unsuccessful and the more successful firms. The shortcoming of Miller et al 1977 was that their project did not consist of firms who experienced complete failures[10]. (Hambrick, D, DAveni, R 1988) This research aims to pull together the origins of failures, the relevant themes on corporate failures, the impact of an economic recession on corporate-failures and the use of prediction models in predicting failures/distress. The relevance of this, will be to update the existing literature and put the different aspects together under one piece of work. Something of this magnitude has not yet being done by previous researchers based on the literature-review. Consequently, this research will would be of practical benefit to academics and students seeking to further explore the subject matters of CF and BPM. 1.4 Approach to the research A top-down approach was followed in in the literature-review and this assisted in the identification of the relevant themes in corporate-failures and assisted in developing a framework which enabled question asking via semi-structured interviews. The research was approached using both primary and secondary research methods. The interview process provided a primary qualitative insight into the viewpoints/experience of professionals/experts in the bankruptcy, insolvency and liquidation industry as to the key themes in corporate failures. Secondary research-methods enabled data collection through a look at the previous cases of failures, newspaper articles, case-studies, reports, peer-reviewed journals etc. The justification for the research approach adopted will be discussed in greater depth in the research methodology [See Chapter 3]. The final objective will be to identify the implications of this research for literature practice (Williams K, Pg. 68 2013)[11]. 1.5 Learning Style Suitability of the Researcher The learning style of the researcher follows a methodical logical approach, going through a step by step process. It is theoretical, involving reading and gathering information from various sources in order to get a broad view of a subject matter. This learning style is appropriate as this research requires sufficient knowledge of the various themes, models theories pertaining to CF and BPM, generalizations about complex issues, including making necessary inductions. The researcher is a Master’s in Accounting Finance student who has completed all taught components of his degree with distinction. He holds an undergraduate degree [BA. (Hons) in Accounting Finance] from Dublin City University with a significant specialism in accounting. The researcher has studied Corporate-Governance (CG), Quantitative-Methods and attended qualitative and quantitative analysis workshops during his studies, including the use of Nvivo; a qualitative analysis software and SPSS; a statistical software for quantitative data analysis. This would enable the researcher to understand the quantitative or qualitative aspects of this research. Furthermore, the researcher has conducted literature reviews and attended full year lectures on research methodology, including the use of the fine foundation’s criteria to critique articles and journals. This backs up the researcher’s capacity to understand the various themes and the ability to carry out a reliable analysis and critique of data for research purposes. The researcher’s academic experience and knowledge of working on individual/group projects, word-papers and essays on related themes such as the impact of the financial crisis on banks, the Goldman-Sachs Abacus transaction, regulatory capital requirements and a proposal fantasy-budget sent to the Irish Institute of Taxation, financial investment analysis of UK Irish corporations have all laid a foundation to handle the cognitive and challenging aspects of this research. The need to gather qualitative data through semi-structured open-ended interviews will benefit from the researcher’s open and engaging approach to formal/semi-formal situations and the experience obtained from previous interviews conducted with the managers of major multi-national companies. The ability of the researcher to listen attentively and ask insightful questions would aid in the collection of good and reliable data. 1.6 Outline of the Dissertation Title page Declaration Table of Contents List of Tables Figures List of Abbreviations Acknowledgements: This section thanks acknowledges those have helped the researcher in completing this research Abstract: This serves as a brief synopsis of the research. It includes the aim of the research, how it was carried out, the findings from the literature primary research and finally the conclusion recommendations from the research. This dissertation is divided into seven chapters, which includes sub-headings. The contents of each chapter are discussed below; Chapter 1: Introduction This chapter acts as a background to the topic, it goes through the rationale for the research, explaining why the research is new relevant and the approach to be followed when carrying out the research. The learning style and suitability of the research as pertains to this research. An outline of the dissertation and finally the scope and limitations of the research. Chapter 2: Literature Review This chapter explores the literature; origins of failures, the causes the themes in CF. Therefore it raises awareness of the themes in the area and justifies the research question Chapter 3: Research Methodology Methods This chapter examines the research methodology using the ‘research onion’. It justifies by critical evaluation, the selection of an appropriate research philosophy approach etc. It explores the options for data collection. It describes the ethical issues that guide the research, the population sample and how data collection, coding and analysis will be accomplished. Chapter 4: Data Analysis Research Findings Data collected using the research methods outlined in chapter 3 will be critically analysed here and the findings will be presented. Chapter 5: Discussion Conclusion This chapter discusses how this research contributed to the area of CF. It draws awareness to the research limitations. It reviews and interprets the research result, consequently drawing a general conclusion by summarising the research findings. Chapter 6: Recommendations Future Dimensions This chapter recommends based on the research findings what could be done to stem the continued menace of corporate failures and prescribes dimensions for future research. Chapter 7: Self Reflection Performance This is the final chapter and it appraises the researchers learning and engagement, looking at the impact this process has had on the researcher personally and academically. Bibliography This references the original works and literature used to back-up each chapter of this dissertation. Appendices This contains supporting documents: charts, interview transcripts, interview questions, tables, figures etc. 1.7 Scope Limitations of the Research This research focuses only on the failure of big-corporations. Therefore it doesn’t take into account why small-business entities fail. The period required to complete this dissertation is a factor that restricted the sample size which was used in the analysis of the recurring themes in failures. A purposive sample-size was used, which permitted for a critical analysis appropriate for the time frame and word count required for this research. 1.8 Contributions of this Research This issue of corporate failures is not a new topic but this research will update and contribute to literature by highlighting the recurring issues in corporate failures based on the collection of primary data from practitioners in the field of insolvencies, bankruptcy and hence give an updated view on any change in corporate failures themes pre and post the 2007-2008 financial crisis. [1] Financial regulation: Light touch no more Britain’s financial regulators are getting much tougher http://www.economist.com/news/21567399-britains-financial-regulators-are-getting-much-tougher-light-touch-no-more. Accessed 21st May 2014. [2] Johnson, M, Mamun, A 2012, The failure of Lehman Brothers and its impact on other financial institutions,Applied Financial Economics, 22, 5, pp. 375-385, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 21 May 2014 [3](Kalwarski Tara, 2009) Corporate Failure: The worst may be yet to come. Tara Kalwarski and Laurel Dauni-Allen, Business Week. http://images.businessweek.com/ss/09/01/0129_numbers/index.htm Accessed 12th April 2014. [4] Metaphor for the Irish economic growth. [5] Lisa O’Carroll: The Guardian Business failures rising in Ireland http://www.theguardian.com/business/ireland-business-blog-with-lisa-ocarroll/2011/jan/07/ireland .Accessed 2nd June 2014. [6] Simona Silvanavicià »tà ¨ 2008, Estimating the Negative Impact of Business Failures on Lithuania, Socialiniai Tyrimai, 2008, 4, pp. 113-120, SocINDEX with Full Text, EBSCOhost, viewed 12 April 2014. [7] Business week, chart by Laurel Daunis-Allen: Total assets of U.S Public Companies filing for bankruptcy http://images.businessweek.com/ss/09/01/0129_numbers/4.htm Accessed 2nd June 2014. [8] Juan Antonio Azkunaga, Leire San-Jose, Sara Urionabarrenetxea (2013): The impact of financial globalization and financialization on the economy in the current crisis through banking corporate governance. Accessed 12th April 2014. [9] Altman, EI 1968, Financial Ratios, Discriminant Analysis and the prediction of Corporate Bankruptcy, Journal of Finance, 23, 4, pp. 589-609, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 12 April 2014. [10] Hambrick, D, DAveni, R 1988, Large Corporate Failures as Downward Spirals, Administrative Science Quarterly, 33, 1, pp. 1-23, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 12 April 2014. [11] Kate Williams 2013: Planning your Dissertation. Pg. 68. Oxford Brookes University, Palgrave Macmillan, Hampshire England.

Sanchez Essay -- essays research papers

The short story "Sanchez," written by Richard Dokey, is a story about Juan Sanchez and his family. "Sanchez" is told in many different settings, which are all unique and represent various feelings that Dokey portrays to his readers. The settings are described realistically; they affect Juan and Jesus in personal ways. The settings vary from a small village in Mexico to the Sierra Nevada in California. At first the story is set in Stockton in the San Joaquin Valley. Jesus, Juan's son, got his first job in a cannery called Flotill. Stockton is shown to be a working town where Juan had lived before. To Jesus, Stockton is his future and his hopes are large enough to shield him from the "skid row" section of town. Jesus was to live in a cheap hotel while he worked in the cannery. The hotel was described as stained, soiled, and smelly (151). Jesus is proud of his room and his job, but Juan only sees them as disappointing. Stockton, for Juan, brings back memories of hard work and time away from his wife, La Belleza. La Belleza was the prime focus of Juan's life and if he was away from her, he definitely wasn't happy; this is why Juan has bad feelings for Stockton. From the hotel, we, as readers, are taken through the town of Stockton. There are torn buildings and rubble all over the place. A "warm and dirty" pool hall was Jesus' "entertainment" (152). This smoky pool hall was recreation for Jesu... Sanchez Essay -- essays research papers The short story "Sanchez," written by Richard Dokey, is a story about Juan Sanchez and his family. "Sanchez" is told in many different settings, which are all unique and represent various feelings that Dokey portrays to his readers. The settings are described realistically; they affect Juan and Jesus in personal ways. The settings vary from a small village in Mexico to the Sierra Nevada in California. At first the story is set in Stockton in the San Joaquin Valley. Jesus, Juan's son, got his first job in a cannery called Flotill. Stockton is shown to be a working town where Juan had lived before. To Jesus, Stockton is his future and his hopes are large enough to shield him from the "skid row" section of town. Jesus was to live in a cheap hotel while he worked in the cannery. The hotel was described as stained, soiled, and smelly (151). Jesus is proud of his room and his job, but Juan only sees them as disappointing. Stockton, for Juan, brings back memories of hard work and time away from his wife, La Belleza. La Belleza was the prime focus of Juan's life and if he was away from her, he definitely wasn't happy; this is why Juan has bad feelings for Stockton. From the hotel, we, as readers, are taken through the town of Stockton. There are torn buildings and rubble all over the place. A "warm and dirty" pool hall was Jesus' "entertainment" (152). This smoky pool hall was recreation for Jesu...

Summary and Analysis of The Squires Tale :: Canterbury Tales The Squires Tale Essays

Summary and Analysis of The Squire's Tale (The Canterbury Tales) Epilogue to the Merchant's Tale and Prologue to the Squire's Tale: The Host laments the Merchant's tale, praying that he would never find such a terrible wife. The Host admits that he also has a wife that he laments marrying. He advises the Squire to tell a tale next. The Squire's Tale is not complete, ending after only six hundred lines. The Squire's Tale: The Squire tells the tale of Cambyuskan, the king of Sarai in Tartary. With his wife Elpheta he had two sons, Algarsyf and Cambalo, and a daughter Canacee. In the twentieth year of his reign on the Ides of March his subjects celebrated his nativity. During a great feast with the king and his knights, a knight with a gold ring and a sword entered the hall. He was sent from the king of Arabia and India, and offers him a steed of brass that can, within twenty-four hours, transport a person safely anywhere on the globe. He also presence to Canacee a mirror that foresees impending mischance and can determine the character of friends and foes, a ring that enables the wearer to understand the language of any bird, and the healing properties of all herbs. He also offers a sword whose edge will bite through any armor but whose flat will cure the wounds inflicted by the edge. The knight was led to a chamber and the ring given to Canacee, but the brass steed would not move until the knight taug ht people how to move it. The horse was a source of wonder for the people, compared alternately to the Pegasus and the Trojan horse. All one needed to do to move the brass horse was to twirl a peg in its ear, according to the knight. After the revelry of the night before, the next morning everybody but Canacee remained asleep until late. She had dreamed of the mirror and the ring and thus had her first satisfying rest in a very long time. As she went out walking that morning with her maids, she came across bleeding peregrine falcon that cried in anguish. It had maimed itself. Canacee picked up the falcon and spoke to it, a power she had gained from the ring the knight had given her. The falcon told her a tale of a handsome tercelet as treasonous and false as he was beautiful.

Principles and Practices of Management

Ques1: Management is what Management does. Justify the statement and explain.Ans:MEANING OF MANAGEMENT‘Management is the executive function that concerns itself with the carrying out of the administrative policies laid down by administration. Management directs the active operations within the enterprise and combines the work of the employees with the available capital equipment and materials to produce an acceptable product. Management also markets the product or service according to the broad policies established by administration. â€Å"The Management also functions, in carrying out the policies of administration, expand as the lower levels of supervision are reached while the administrative function decreases in importance†.Management is what Management DoesThree different steps involved in it. Viz. (1) Formation of policy and its translation into plans; (2) Execution and implementation of plans; and (3) Exercising administrative control over the plans.These three es sential tasks of management may be titled as ‘Planning', Implementing' and ‘Controlling'. According to Dr. James Lundy -â€Å"Management is principally a task of planning, co-coordinating, motivating and controlling the efforts of others toward a specific objective. It involves the combining of the traditional factors of production (land, labor and capital) in an optimum manner, paying due attention, of course, to the particular goals of the organization. This definition broadens the scope of management and includes within its orbit, three major management activities  viz. (a) Planning; (b) Implementing, and (c) Controlling.Planning is the determination of the course of objectives of a business, division or department to achieve maximum profit effectiveness, the establishment of policies and the continuous seeking and finding of new ways to do things. Implementing applies to the doing phases.After plans have been prepared, personnel must be selected and assigned then- jobs; they must be trained and motivated to perform properly. Activities must be implemented in terms of the plans initially developed. This may include selecting personnel,  training personnel,   motivating personnel,  delegation, direction and   co-ordinatingControlling refers to the evaluation of the performance of those who are responsible for executing the plans agreed upon. This may include: (i) controlling adherence to plans, and (ii) appraising performance.Characteristics of Management1. Management is that important process the principal elements of which are planning, implementing and controlling.2. Management is an endeavor to achieve the pre-determined objectives.3. For the achievement of the enterprise-goals, management plans, organizes, co-ordinates, directs and controls the group-efforts and hence a group activity.4. Management aims at reaping rich results in economic terms. Management carries with it a major responsibility for creative action. It is no longer considered as passive or a mere adjustment of resources.5. Management also implied skill and experience in getting things done through people. Getting the suitable types of people to execute the operations is the significant aspect of management.6. Management is a science as also an art. As there are definite principles in management, it is an art. Further, it is also a science because by the  application of these principles predetermined objectives can be achieved.7. Management is also gradually becoming a profession like other recognized professions.8. The principles of management have universal application. They are not the monopoly of industry alone, but can be applied in any sphere where group effort is required.9. Although management is a scientific method of getting things done through and with the people, yet the identity of the ‘Thinkers' is quite different from the identity of the ‘Doers'.10. Management is needed at different levels of an organization.11. Ma nagement uses organization for achieving the objectives determined by administration.12. It is not necessary that those who manage may also be the owners of the enterprise.13. Principles of Management are dynamic and not static.Ques 2: Explain the Principles of Management.Ans:MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLESManagerial functions are based on certain principles. Principle is a fundamental truth, which establishes cause, and effect relationship of a function, and theory is a systematic grouping of interrelated principles. The principles of management have a tremendous impact upon the practice of management in increasing the efficiency of the organization. The needs and importance of management principles can be visualized as follows:1. To Increase Efficiency. The established principles of management provide managers guidelines as how they should work in different situations. These principles increase managerial efficiency. Though, there is a serious limitation of management principles, that is, t hese have to be modified according to situations as these deal with human beings of diverse nature, these enable a manager to understand the different situation in a better way and save him from costly trial-and-error method.2. To Crystallize the Nature of Management. Lack of understanding of management principles makes it difficult to analyze the management job and  to define the exact scope of managerial functions. Thus, individuals cannot be trained effectively for managerial positions.3. To Carry on Researches. If in any subject certain fundamental principles are developed, the scope and limitations defined, these become the basis for future researches. In the absence of these principles, researches become difficult and future horizons of knowledge cannot be expanded. The recent emphasis on management researches has increased the quantum to knowledge in this field.4. To attain Social Objectives. Management itself is part of the society and it takes the inputs from the society and gives the output to the society. Thus, the standards of the society depend upon the quality of the management. If the management is efficient, the resources of the society are better utilized thereby giving more satisfaction to the society and improving the quality of life of people. In this context, management principles play an important role.Thus, the understanding of management principles enables managers to take a more realistic view of organizational problems and their solution. Management deals with people in the organization, and the structure and behavior of the atom are less complex than the structure and behavior of groups of people. To direct the human behavior for objective achievement, some principles are certainly required.Development of management principles would definitely have an impact on the cultural level of society by increasing efficiency in the use of human as well as material resources. However, managers, while using management principles in practice, s hould check their validity and applicability before use. For this reason, they should be aware of the fundamental nature of management principles.Nature of Management PrinciplesThe following basic nature of management principles should be kept in mind:1. Universality of Principles. Henry Fayol has emphasized that management  principles are universal. These can be applied in different organizations – business, government, hospital, military, etc. The basic task before every human organization is to get the desired results through integrated human efforts. Thus, the managers of different managerial levels may use the principles with equal utility. This shows the flexibility of a manager to handle different departments of an organization or the functions of different organizations.2. Dynamic Nature of Principles. Management principles are flexible in nature and change with the changes in the environment in which an organization exists. Others are replacing many of the golden p rinciples of management, which were thought to be very useful at one time, because of changes in the society. Continuous researchers are being carried on to establish principles in the changing society and no principles can be regarded as a final truth. Nothing is permanent in the landslide of management.3. Relative, Not Absolute Principles. Management principles are relative, not absolute and they should be applied according to the need of the organization. Organizations differ in respect of place, time, social, culture, etc. Moreover, individuals working in the same organization also differ. Thus, a particular management principle has different strength in different conditions and the principle should be modified or replaced by another.4. Limitations Due to Human Nature. Management involves the direction of human behavior in the organization. It is also related with other human factors- suppliers, customers, owners, government, etc. The complex nature of human behavior has conside rably affected the progress of management principles. The principles of other disciplines dealing with human nature such as psychology, sociology, anthropology should also be taken into account.Ques 5: Explain the features of an open door organization.Ans:Organization provides the structure, the frame on which rests the management of the enterprise. Like all structures, it upholds the management functions, in their totality and interrelationship, aiding their movement to the appointed goal.PRINCIPLES OF ORGANIZATIONThere are certain basic principles of an organization structure are :(i) It should reflect adequately a virile awareness of the dynamic goal of the enterprise.(ii) It should reflect adequate decentralization(iii) The unity of command and line of responsibility should be clear.(iv) The channel of communication should be free, easy and logical.(v) The span of control should be legitimate (not too wide nor too narrow) without split in the line of control.(vi) The functional levels in the Organization chart should be armed with proper (-delegated) authority, matching their task and responsibility.(vii) The levels in the Chart (the nodes in the Organization net) should represent homogenous cohesive units of functions.(viii) The Chart should avoid overlapping of functions and authority.(ix) The channels of communication-vertically and horizontally-should be well laid out.(x) The functional aims of the departments (branches) at different levels should be drawn up and reflected with precision.(xi) The hierarchical position of the staff functional levels and their structural relationship with the line management levels should be stated without ambiguity.The organizational tree like structure has properties of a living organism. As the branches of a tree stem from the trunk and the twigs spring from the branches, and every branch and twig draw succor from the roots of the main tree, so in an enterprise the Chief Executive is the main spring of leadership. The other levels provide the feedback and the reciprocal team support. The process is a two-way one.ORGANIZATION DYNAMICS – CLOSED AND OPEN SYSTEMSManagement is a system; organization is the frame that upholds the system. Enterprise organization must share these features, which are common to all living units. It must be responsive to impulses, both within its own system and from the wider social system outside. A common hazard (and experience) in an organizational set up is that it tends to degenerate into a stereotype- a stale, repetitive, dead process losing the quality of life. Divide organizational into two types:(a) open door organization,(b) closed door organization.An open door organization is one that incorporates the mechanism of change. The business situation and the problems that confront a manager are in a state of flux.Features of an Open Door Organization(1) An open door organization is task oriented. The accountability is clearly defined.(2) The authority (within the related functional area) is also absolute (or nearly so) matching the absolute character of the accountability.(3) Consultations are minimum and are not compulsive; the executive is free to consult and communicate (or otherwise) so long as he performs and delivers the objective.(4) Rules and procedures exist but only as guides- the executives (within their sphere of responsibilities) having wide freedom of discretion to depart from the rules within the periphery of the broad corporate policies.(5) The accountability is clear-cut; objective is verifiable- in terms of cost, output target, time and profit. The means are (relatively) unimportant so long as the end is achieved.(6) The managerial behavior is highly flexible bending with lithe suppleness to the internal shifts in conditions and external maneuvers of the environmental zone of contract.Ques6. Explain the different approaches to leadership and its role in management.Ans:Leadership is interpersonal influence exercised in a situation and directed, through the communication process toward the attainment of a specialized goal or goals (emphasis ours). In the terms of Harold Koontz, leadership is influencing people to follow the achievement of a common goal. The two common elements in all these perceptions of leadership are:(i) Influencing People(ii) To pursue a common goal.The Trait ApproachTraits are innate, inherent personal qualities. It follows that (by this approach) if a leader is seen to possess certain traits, his leadership index can be read (almost) off a leadership meter. Three necessary and sufficient conditions which must be satisfied if traits should be unique determinants of the leadership index. These may be summarized thus:(i) The trait quality should follow a descending order as one traverses from the highest (top executives in leadership position) to the lowest (employees) levels of the enterprise system.(ii) There must be a high correlation between the level of a manager's traits and the level of his success.(iii) The correlation between success (achievement) and traits should be higher as one goes up the management hierarchy from bottom (employees) level upward to top executive levels.Common elements of leadership as observed from different surveys and investigations are:(a) Intelligence. (b) Confidence. (c) Initiative. (d) Urge for achievement. (e) Strong power need.Attitude Criterion Approach to LeadershipThe leader-attitude approach to leadership studies registers and appraises the variables in terms of attitudes (orientation to or concern from) conditioning leadership behavior and effectiveness. Studies defined two variables (attitudes) which were termed employees orientation and production orientation. A parallel set of concepts was evolved by Darwin as a result of a number of research studies. They identified the aim of a group as a composite of two elements (group dynamics).(i) Achieving a group goal.(ii) Service of the group itself.The goal-oriented ma nager will set tasks, improve techniques and productivity and structure his activities toward the group goal. The manager, on the other hand, who concentrates on group service and group maintenance, will be relations oriented, with concern for people, cultivating popular participation, fostering and trusting informal group behaviour, trustful and communicative.Still another parallel concept may be observed under what may be styled Authoritarian Democratic behaviour tapering off into the laissez faire leadership style. In terms of the group dynamics phraseology (discussed above), authoritarian leader style is set parallel to achieving the group goal as against group maintenance or service which approximates to the democratic leader style. The authoritarian leader will decide and tell his followers what to do; the democratic leaders will opt for a participative style of decision making.

Who Was the Protagonist in the Scarlet Letter

Scarlet Letter Essay Questions—CHOOSE ONE QUESTION TO ANSWER Please read the following questions carefully, choose one of the questions, think about it and meticulously organize a clear response that includes an effective thesis statement and evidence for support. Your response should be in the form of a five paragraph essay. 1) If Hester and Dimmesdale had the same â€Å"teachers† (Shame, Despair, Solitude), why didn’t they learn the same lesson? 2) The life-changing event happens to Hester when she is in the forest away from her community. What do you think this says about the role of community in the outcome of her life? ) What is Pearl’s function in the story and how does Hawthorne make this evident to the reader? 4) Why did Hawthorne write this novel and how does he use irony to portray his point? 5) Why did Hawthorne write this novel and how does he use symbolism to portray his point? 6) â€Å"Pearl kissed his lips. A spell was broken. The great sce ne of grief, in which the wild infant bore a part, had developed all her sympathies; and as her tears fell upon her father's cheek, they were the pledge that she would grow up amid human joy and sorrow, nor for ever do battle with the world, but be a woman in it. † What is the â€Å"spell† that was broken? ) What was Hawthorne’s purpose for writing this novel and what tools did he use to relay that message to the reader? 8) What is one theme from the novel and how does Hawthorne develop that theme throughout the story? 9) This novel revolves around a strong central female character. Readers may consider her role as a statement about the status of women. What was the status of Puritan women as reflected in The Scarlet Letter and what was the changing status of mid-19th century women, the period in which the novel was written? 10) Some critics say that Hester Prynne was the first American heroine.Others, however, say that her somewhat silent suffering isn’t truly heroic. Name a hero in The Scarlet Letter and discuss what qualities and actions make that character a hero. 11) Who is the protagonist in The Scarlet Letter? 12) Choose a symbol from The Scarlet Letter and explain how this symbol brings greater meaning to the story. The Scarlet Letter Essay Questions—CHOOSE ONE QUESTION TO ANSWER Please read the following questions carefully, choose one of the questions, think about it and meticulously organize a clear response that includes an effective thesis statement and evidence for support.Your response should be in the form of a five paragraph essay. 1. Why did Hawthorne write this novel and how does he use symbolism to portray his point? 2. This novel revolves around a strong central female character. Readers may consider her role as a statement about the status of women. What was the status of Puritan women as reflected in The Scarlet Letter and what was the changing status of mid-19th century women, the period in which the no vel was written? The Scarlet Letter Essay Questions—CHOOSE ONE QUESTION TO ANSWER Please read the following questions carefully, choose one of the questions, hink about it and meticulously organize a clear response that includes an effective thesis statement and evidence for support. Your response should be in the form of a five paragraph essay. 1. â€Å"Pearl kissed his lips. A spell was broken. The great scene of grief, in which the wild infant bore a part, had developed all her sympathies; and as her tears fell upon her father's cheek, they were the pledge that she would grow up amid human joy and sorrow, nor for ever do battle with the world, but be a woman in it. † What is the â€Å"spell† that was broken? 2.Some critics say that Hester Prynne was the first American heroine. Others, however, say that her somewhat silent suffering isn’t truly heroic. Name a hero in The Scarlet Letter and discuss what qualities and actions make that character a hero. T he Scarlet Letter Essay Questions—CHOOSE ONE QUESTION TO ANSWER Please read the following questions carefully, choose one of the questions, think about it and meticulously organize a clear response that includes an effective thesis statement and evidence for support. Your response should be in the form of a five paragraph essay. 1.Choose a symbol from The Scarlet Letter and explain how this symbol brings greater meaning to the story. 2. Who is the protagonist in The Scarlet Letter? The Scarlet Letter Essay Questions—CHOOSE ONE QUESTION TO ANSWER Please read the following questions carefully, choose one of the questions, think about it and meticulously organize a clear response that includes an effective thesis statement and evidence for support. Your response should be in the form of a five paragraph essay. 1. What is Pearl’s function in the story and how does Hawthorne make this evident to the reader? 2.Why did Hawthorne write this novel and how does he use iro ny to portray his point? The Scarlet Letter Essay Questions—CHOOSE ONE QUESTION TO ANSWER Please read the following questions carefully, choose one of the questions, think about it and meticulously organize a clear response that includes an effective thesis statement and evidence for support. Your response should be in the form of a five paragraph essay. 1. Why did Hawthorne write this novel and how does he use symbolism to portray his point? 2. This novel revolves around a strong central female character. Readers may consider her role as a statement about the status of women.What was the status of Puritan women as reflected in The Scarlet Letter and what was the changing status of mid-19th century women, the period in which the novel was written? The Scarlet Letter Essay Questions—CHOOSE ONE QUESTION TO ANSWER Please read the following questions carefully, choose one of the questions, think about it and meticulously organize a clear response that includes an effective thesis statement and evidence for support. Your response should be in the form of a five paragraph essay. 1. Why did Hawthorne write this novel and how does he use symbolism to portray his point? . This novel revolves around a strong central female character. Readers may consider her role as a statement about the status of women. What was the status of Puritan women as reflected in The Scarlet Letter and what was the changing status of mid-19th century women, the period in which the novel was written? The Scarlet Letter Essay Questions—CHOOSE ONE QUESTION TO ANSWER Please read the following questions carefully, choose one of the questions, think about it and meticulously organize a clear response that includes an effective thesis statement and evidence for support.Your response should be in the form of a five paragraph essay. 1. Why did Hawthorne write this novel and how does he use symbolism to portray his point? 2. This novel revolves around a strong central female charact er. Readers may consider her role as a statement about the status of women. What was the status of Puritan women as reflected in The Scarlet Letter and what was the changing status of mid-19th century women, the period in which the novel was written? The Scarlet Letter Essay Questions—CHOOSE ONE QUESTION TO ANSWERPlease read the following questions carefully, choose one of the questions, think about it and meticulously organize a clear response that includes an effective thesis statement and evidence for support. Your response should be in the form of a five paragraph essay. 1. Why did Hawthorne write this novel and how does he use symbolism to portray his point? 2. This novel revolves around a strong central female character. Readers may consider her role as a statement about the status of women.What was the status of Puritan women as reflected in The Scarlet Letter and what was the changing status of mid-19th century women, the period in which the novel was written? The Sca rlet Letter Essay Questions—CHOOSE ONE QUESTION TO ANSWER Please read the following questions carefully, choose one of the questions, think about it and meticulously organize a clear response that includes an effective thesis statement and evidence for support. Your response should be in the form of a five paragraph essay. 1. â€Å"Pearl kissed his lips. A spell was broken.The great scene of grief, in which the wild infant bore a part, had developed all her sympathies; and as her tears fell upon her father's cheek, they were the pledge that she would grow up amid human joy and sorrow, nor for ever do battle with the world, but be a woman in it. † What is the â€Å"spell† that was broken? 2. Some critics say that Hester Prynne was the first American heroine. Others, however, say that her somewhat silent suffering isn’t truly heroic. Name a hero in The Scarlet Letter and discuss what qualities and actions make that character a hero. The Scarlet Letter Essay Questions—CHOOSE ONE QUESTION TO ANSWERPlease read the following questions carefully, choose one of the questions, think about it and meticulously organize a clear response that includes an effective thesis statement and evidence for support. Your response should be in the form of a five paragraph essay. 1. â€Å"Pearl kissed his lips. A spell was broken. The great scene of grief, in which the wild infant bore a part, had developed all her sympathies; and as her tears fell upon her father's cheek, they were the pledge that she would grow up amid human joy and sorrow, nor for ever do battle with the world, but be a woman in it. What is the â€Å"spell† that was broken? 2. Some critics say that Hester Prynne was the first American heroine. Others, however, say that her somewhat silent suffering isn’t truly heroic. Name a hero in The Scarlet Letter and discuss what qualities and actions make that character a hero. The Scarlet Letter Essay Questions—CHOOSE ONE QUESTION TO ANSWER Please read the following questions carefully, choose one of the questions, think about it and meticulously organize a clear response that includes an effective thesis statement and evidence for support.Your response should be in the form of a five paragraph essay. 1. â€Å"Pearl kissed his lips. A spell was broken. The great scene of grief, in which the wild infant bore a part, had developed all her sympathies; and as her tears fell upon her father's cheek, they were the pledge that she would grow up amid human joy and sorrow, nor for ever do battle with the world, but be a woman in it. † What is the â€Å"spell† that was broken? 2. Some critics say that Hester Prynne was the first American heroine. Others, however, say that her somewhat silent suffering isn’t truly heroic.Name a hero in The Scarlet Letter and discuss what qualities and actions make that character a hero. The Scarlet Letter Essay Questions—CHOOSE ONE QUESTION TO AN SWER Please read the following questions carefully, choose one of the questions, think about it and meticulously organize a clear response that includes an effective thesis statement and evidence for support. Your response should be in the form of a five paragraph essay. 1. Choose a symbol from The Scarlet Letter and explain how this symbol brings greater meaning to the story. . Who is the protagonist in The Scarlet Letter? The Scarlet Letter Essay Questions—CHOOSE ONE QUESTION TO ANSWER Please read the following questions carefully, choose one of the questions, think about it and meticulously organize a clear response that includes an effective thesis statement and evidence for support. Your response should be in the form of a five paragraph essay. 1. Choose a symbol from The Scarlet Letter and explain how this symbol brings greater meaning to the story. 2. Who is the protagonist in The Scarlet Letter?The Scarlet Letter Essay Questions—CHOOSE ONE QUESTION TO ANSWER Pl ease read the following questions carefully, choose one of the questions, think about it and meticulously organize a clear response that includes an effective thesis statement and evidence for support. Your response should be in the form of a five paragraph essay. 1. Choose a symbol from The Scarlet Letter and explain how this symbol brings greater meaning to the story. 2. Who is the protagonist in The Scarlet Letter? The Scarlet Letter Essay Questions—CHOOSE ONE QUESTION TO ANSWERPlease read the following questions carefully, choose one of the questions, think about it and meticulously organize a clear response that includes an effective thesis statement and evidence for support. Your response should be in the form of a five paragraph essay. 1. Choose a symbol from The Scarlet Letter and explain how this symbol brings greater meaning to the story. 2. Who is the protagonist in The Scarlet Letter? The Scarlet Letter Essay Questions—CHOOSE ONE QUESTION TO ANSWER Please r ead the following questions carefully, choose one of the questions, think about it and meticulously organize a clear response that includes an ffective thesis statement and evidence for support. Your response should be in the form of a five paragraph essay. 1. Choose a symbol from The Scarlet Letter and explain how this symbol brings greater meaning to the story. 2. Who is the protagonist in The Scarlet Letter? The Scarlet Letter Essay Questions—CHOOSE ONE QUESTION TO ANSWER Please read the following questions carefully, choose one of the questions, think about it and meticulously organize a clear response that includes an effective thesis statement and evidence for support.Your response should be in the form of a five paragraph essay. 1. What is Pearl’s function in the story and how does Hawthorne make this evident to the reader? 2. Why did Hawthorne write this novel and how does he use irony to portray his point? The Scarlet Letter Essay Questions—CHOOSE ONE Q UESTION TO ANSWER Please read the following questions carefully, choose one of the questions, think about it and meticulously organize a clear response that includes an effective thesis statement and evidence for support. Your response should be in the form of a five paragraph essay. 1.What is Pearl’s function in the story and how does Hawthorne make this evident to the reader? 2. Why did Hawthorne write this novel and how does he use irony to portray his point? The Scarlet Letter Essay Questions—CHOOSE ONE QUESTION TO ANSWER Please read the following questions carefully, choose one of the questions, think about it and meticulously organize a clear response that includes an effective thesis statement and evidence for support. Your response should be in the form of a five paragraph essay. 1. What is Pearl’s function in the story and how does Hawthorne make this evident to the reader? . Why did Hawthorne write this novel and how does he use irony to portray his po int? The Scarlet Letter Essay Questions—CHOOSE ONE QUESTION TO ANSWER Please read the following questions carefully, choose one of the questions, think about it and meticulously organize a clear response that includes an effective thesis statement and evidence for support. Your response should be in the form of a five paragraph essay. 1. What is Pearl’s function in the story and how does Hawthorne make this evident to the reader? 2.Why did Hawthorne write this novel and how does he use irony to portray his point? The Scarlet Letter Essay Questions—CHOOSE ONE QUESTION TO ANSWER Please read the following questions carefully, choose one of the questions, think about it and meticulously organize a clear response that includes an effective thesis statement and evidence for support. Your response should be in the form of a five paragraph essay. 1. What is Pearl’s function in the story and how does Hawthorne make this evident to the reader? 2. Why did Hawthorne write this novel and how does he use irony to portray his point?