Monday, September 30, 2019

A Critique on Berger’s Uncertainty Reduction Theory Essay

Introduction When people first meet and interact with each other, they are uncertain with their behavior and with what to say. When this happens, they have the tendency, of course, to reduce that uncertainty. This is what the uncertainty reduction theory of communication talks about. This theory is very applicable in people’s everyday living and experiences. However, although it is widely used, some are still ‘uncertain’ with this theory. This paper aims to give the reader an analysis of the uncertainty reduction theory. Background on Uncertainty Reduction Theory Uncertainty reduction theory or URT was started off by Charles Berger in 1975. During the start of his career, a number of his graduate students disputed that communication was too diverse and unpredictable. That means that it is impossible to be dealt scientifically. Because of this, Berger was challenged to find and present some proofs that would support his theory. He believed that human communication can be studied methodically and precisely. The uncertainty reduction theory was created. In the start of personal relationships, high level of uncertainty is about the other person is present. During the preliminary stages of interaction among strangers, Uncertainty Reduction Theory looks for to direct communication behavior. Then, the major goal or purpose of this theory is to reduce the uncertainty. Along with this, it also aims to increase the predictability. Shared characteristics occur at some point in the initial dialogue between strangers. These include recurrent questions and answers during the first few minutes. There is also an exchange of information with the absence of opinion and usually their conversation is focused on topics like hometown and occupation. In order to minimize uncertainty, URT ponders on how people use communication in obtaining knowledge and discernment. At the first meeting of strangers, their behaviors while communicating are influenced by a set of communication rules and norms. These norms are both explicit and implicit. Furthermore, these rules and norms put up expectations and precedents for early interactions which eventually, cause predictability in the discussion and a diminution in uncertainty. (Moncrieff, 2001) The Uncertainty Reduction Theory proposes that people, particularly strangers, have a want to reduce uncertainty or hesitation about others. This is done by gaining information from each other. This information can be used to predict the behavior of the other. The specific importance of the reduction of uncertainty is in relational development. Successful decrease of uncertainty supports or gives way for positive future interactions. There are two types of uncertainty, behavioral and cognitive. Behavioral uncertainty concerns the prediction or calculation of behavior in certain circumstances. For example, one can predict that interaction will go well because of positive behaviors like smiling. On the other hand, cognitive uncertainty is associated with mind-set or beliefs and attitudes people embrace and is reduced through the gaining of information. (Moncrieff, 2001) The Seven Axioms of Uncertainty Reduction Theory Berger suggests a series of axioms to further discuss the relation between uncertainty and seven vital variables. This is the axiomatic theory, certainty about uncertainty. Axiom 1 says that as the amount of verbal communication increases, there is a decrease in the uncertainty level of the two strangers that has just met.   As a result, the decrease in their uncertainty increases the verbal communication. Axiom 2 is known as the nonverbal warmth. Decline in uncertainty level will cause proliferation in nonverbal affiliative expressiveness. It is because as nonverbal affiliative expressiveness rises, uncertainty levels will lessen. Axiom 3 is about information seeking. Because of the high levels of uncertainty, increases in information-seeking behavior occur. When the uncertainty level drops off, information-seeking also decreases.   Axiom 4 is self-disclosure. The reduction in the intimacy level of communication content is usually caused by relationship’s high level of uncertainty. When there is a decrease in the levels of uncertainty, high levels of intimacy are produced. Axiom 5 is known as reciprocity. Like Axiom 3, high rates of uncertainty also yield high levels of reciprocity. When there is low level of uncertainty, there is low level of reciprocity. Axiom 6 is about similarity. Likeness between persons decreases uncertainty. Much difference between persons produce high rate of uncertainty. Last but not the least, Axiom 7 tells about liking. When there is high uncertainty level, a person tends to dislike the other person. Hence, when there is a decrease in uncertainty, increase in liking is produced. (McGlish, 2006) Critique on the Uncertainty Reduction Theory Natalie Wright critiques Charles Berger’s Uncertainty Reduction Theory in terms of scientific and humainstic. She believes that Berger uses scientific method in dealing with humanistic values to prove and certify his theory. In the Uncertainty Reduction Theory, Wright said that ‘Berger addresses the humanistic feelings of understanding how people feel in unfamiliar relationships and the appeal we have to reduce those anxieties by learning more about others’. However, still according to her, URT is scientific because Berger makes used of all five elements of the scientific model to substantiate and defend his theory. Wright presents a table that would further explain the distinction between scientific and humanistic models (Wright, 2000): Scientific: Humanistic: explanation of data understanding of people prediction of future clarification of values relative simplicity aesthetic appeal testable hypothesis community of agreement practical utility reform of society As a researcher, I support the claim of Natalie Wright. Berger’s theory is scientific because he has clear definition and explanation of his theory. He even provides theory’s purpose and seven axioms that explain how to reduce uncertainty. It is true that it is cored to humanistic ideas. However, its scientific strategies make this theory useful and practical in everyday living. I could say that his axioms are effective. For example, when someone observes two persons who have just met and interact for the first time follow Berger’s patterns of uncertainty reduction, that someone may prove that Berger’s axioms are very accurate. Furthermore, I can say that these axioms are true based on my personal relationships. I also experience meeting a stranger and has applied the uncertainty reduction theory in my own ways. In general, Uncertainty Reduction Theory focuses on how to reduce uncertainty by using human communication in gaining knowledge about the other person. Hence, it results in creating a more predictable and directed relationship. Charles Berger, who designed the theory, comes up with seven axioms. These axioms are accurate and practical enough to be understood and applied by anyone. BIBLIOGRAPHY McGlish, G. (2006). A First Look at Communication Theory Retrieved November 21, 2006, from http://www.afirstlook.com/manual5/ed5man10.pdf. Moncrieff, K. (2001). Uncertainty Reduction Theory.  Ã‚   Retrieved November 21, 2006, from http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/Speech/rccs/theory52.htm Wright, N. (2000). A Critique of Berger’s Uncertainty Reduction Theory Retrieved November 21, 2006, from http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~nw583098/unc.htm

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Douglas MacArthur Essay

Carlos Peà ±a Romulo once wrote that each of his careers â€Å"might have been lived in a different country and a different age.† Soldier, journalist, educator, author, and diplomat, he was a definitive world figure of the 20th century. Romulo grew up in the town of Camiling in the province of Tarlac in northern Philippines. He was born within the Spanish walled city of Intramuros, Manila, on January 14, 1898, at the twilight of one colonial regime and the dawning of another. His father, Gregorio, fought in the revolution for Philippine independence against Spain and, until surrender, America. The bitterness of the conflicts left an impression on the young boy—marking â€Å"the beginnings of a rebel,† as he called it—and he made a promise never to smile at an American soldier. His levelheaded father eventually welcomed American schoolteachers who came to Tarlac to teach English, however, becoming the first of the town’s elders to learn the language. Likewise, the young Romulo’s hatred abated not only because of his father’s example but also because he became friendly with an American sergeant. His father’s dream of an independent and democratic Philippines lived on. One of the last to take his oath of allegiance to America, the elder Romulo learned to accept the foreign power’s rulings except—as the young Romulo recounts in his memoirs—â€Å"in the manner of the flag.† â€Å"The American law says we cannot display our flag in any public place,† Gregorio Romulo told his family. â€Å"Well, my bedroom is not a public place.† In World War II Romulo was aide-de-camp to General Douglas MacArthur. As a journalist he wrote a series of articles, after a tour of the Far East, about Japanese imperialism, and predicted an attack on the United States. For this he won the Pulitzer Prize in Journalism for Distinguished Correspondence, and it was MacArthur himself who delivered to his friend the good news. His skill at using words made Romulo the logical choice to become â€Å"the Voice of Freedom,† which broadcasted news of the war effort to Filipinos and Americans alike. Often contrary to Japanese propaganda, Romulo’s reports earned the ire of the enemy, who put a price on his head. But Romulo kept broadcasting until the Fall of Bataan, and abandoned his post only after MacArthur’s strict orders to leave. He flew first to Australia, eventually ending up in the United States in exile, leaving behind his wife and four sons. In 1924 Romulo married Virginia Llamas, a local beauty titlist. They met at a picnic and they married not long after being crowned King and Queen of a Manila carnival. She once commented that she was the type of wife who preferred to glow â€Å"faintly in her husband’s shadow,† to which one acquaintance quipped, â€Å"this didn’t leave much room to glow in†Ã¢â‚¬â€a jab at Romulo’s height. Standing only 5’4† in his shoes, Romulo often made fun of his height. His book I Walked With Heroes opens with the anecdote about being the newly elected president of the United Nations—the first Asian to ever hold the post—and having to be â€Å"perched atop three thick New York City telephone books† just to see and be seen by all the delegates below the podium. When MacArthur fulfilled his promise to return to the Philippines, with Romulo at his side, it was reported that the American general was wading in waist-deep water. One correspondent, Walter Winchell, immediately wired back asking how Romulo could have waded in that depth without drowning. He also used his height to his advantage. â€Å"The little fellow is generally underrated in the beginning,† he once wrote. â€Å"Then he does something well, and people are surprised and impressed. In their minds his achievement is magnified.† A very early photo of Romulo Team members of the University of the Philippines debate team, with Professor Carlos P. Romulo (center). From left: Pedro Camus, Teodoro Evangelista, Deogracias Puyat, and Jacinto C. Borja. The photo was taken in San Francisco, California, April 18, 1928, and the caption reads: â€Å"Four students of the University of the Philippines, under the leadership of Prof. Carlos P. Romulo of the College Faculty, recently arrived in the United States on a tour of the world to debate the question of Filipino independence. The round-the-world debate on the Philippine question is academic and has nothing to do with politics.† This kind of understanding served him well as he began a career as a diplomat at the United Nations. Describing himself as the â€Å"barefoot boy of politics,† he had never before attended an international conference and was new to diplomacy. To add to this challenge, he was representing a small nation that had not yet achieved independence. (There already had been reports of Filipino delegates being ignored at international meetings.) Romulo—whose lifelong dream was to help build a body such as the United Nations—resolved to make the Philippines the voice of all small nations. As a signatory of the charter forming the United Nations in 1945, he spoke the famous line, â€Å"Let us make this floor the last battlefield† at the first General Assembly. There was at first silence, but then he received a standing ovation—the only one given to any speaker at the conference. Romulo launched himself fully into the world of international diplomacy, standing his ground against the big powers and committing himself to the causes of fledging nations. Dismissed by some, like Andrei Vishinsky, chief of the Soviet delegation, as a â€Å"little man from a little country,† Romulo was undeterred, fighting â€Å"like David, slinging pebbles of truth between the eyes of blustering Goliaths.† President of the UN General Assembly Carlos P. Romulo introduces US President Harry S. Truman to Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Vishinsky of the USSR, October 24, 1949, during the cornerstone laying ceremony of the UN headquarters in New York City. President of the UN General Assembly Carlos P. Romulo introduces US President Harry S. Truman to Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Vishinsky of the USSR, October 24, 1949, during the cornerstone laying ceremony of the UN headquarters in New York City. Dubbed by his colleagues â€Å"Mr. United Nations,† he was elected president of the United Nations General Assembly in 1949—the first Asian to hold the position—and served as president of UN Security Council four times, in 1981, in 1980 and twice in 1957. Despite all the triumphs, Romulo hit low points in his life. His eldest son Carlos, Jr., died in a plane crash in 1957, and his beloved wife died in 1968, near the end of his terms as president of the University of the Philippines, his alma mater, and, concurrently, Secretary of Education. â€Å"I had to be outstanding,† he wrote, â€Å"to make the greatest effort to win, to prove I was capable not in spite of having been born a Filipino but because I was a Filipino.†

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Depletion Of The Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Depletion Of The Environment - Essay Example The man has survived on this planet, even when the great dinosaurs had died out, become extinct. The instinct for survival is the strongest instinct in any living being. The man survived through the ages because of this and also using his superior intelligence and powers of adaptation. And now it is as if the man is bereft of his powers of reasoning, it’s as if he has suddenly succumbed to a death-wish. It’s as if, like the lemmings of the tundra, he is hell-bent on committing suicide en masse. If we go on in this crazy manner by the turn of the next century, mankind as species will have become extinct. If we take preventive action with immediate effect and a long-term perspective in view, we can arrest this problem now. But the tragic thing about it is the fact that there is only one group of people who can really help in this matter and those are the politicians. In a way, you cannot blame them. All their actions are governed by their tenure of five years sometimes ev en less in these times of political uncertainty. Their imagination refuses to stretch beyond this time limit, with the result that they cannot or are afraid to make any long-term decision. In the meantime, humanity suffers. In spite of the warnings of experts, these politicians refuse to see the problem that is facing all living beings, for what it is. And in collusion with some greedy, grabbing industrialists, they are hell bent on destroying life, the most fragile, the most divine of all things on earth.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Why Yield Management Is Important To Hotels Essay

Why Yield Management Is Important To Hotels - Essay Example The paper focuses on the potential value of ‘revenue management, also known as yield management’ to hotels. In the context of the hotel industry, yield management is a term used for describing a high range of techniques through which occupancy is appropriately managed so that the profits of a hotel are increased. Therefore, yield management is quite important to hotels. However, in practice it has been revealed that yield management can also have a series of implications for the organization, its employees, and customers; this issue is discussed below using literature published in this field. Yield management in the hotel industry has a series of advantages. Baker, Huyton & Bradley note that yield management if it is used in the particular industry, it can lead to ‘the increase of a room’s revenue and of its space’. It is explained though that yield management can play the above role only if a staff is appropriately trained for offering customer servi ce of high quality. In other words, low employee efficiency can eliminate the value of yield management, either in the short or the long term. In any case, the value of yield management, as a key concept in the hotel industry, cannot be doubted. Indeed, yield management can highly benefit the hotel industry. The potential for accurate forecasting is considered as one of the most important advantages of yield management systems. However, the above benefit can be available only in hotels that use advanced IT systems that can monitor every organizational activity and provide accurate information in regard to the organization’s strengths and weaknesses.   Yield management can also help hotel managers to make effective plans in regard to the potential expansion of the organization. For example, in order for a hotel to enter a foreign market, it would be necessary for the hotel’s managers to have an accurate view of the hotel’s profitability so that they are able to check whether the risk of potential losses could be undertaken or not.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

The Impact of Key External Environmental Factors Assignment

The Impact of Key External Environmental Factors - Assignment Example This paper gives a critical analysis and discussion of the interaction of the Morrison’s Supermarkets with its environment and its implication on the performance of the firm. In addition, the stakeholders of the firm are analyzed in terms of the potential conflict of interest. Wm. Morrison’s Supermarkets Plc Morrison’s Supermarket is a grocery retailer in the United Kingdom and is one of the largest retail business which has a large share of the food market. The supermarkets supply food ingredients to its customer base and it aims at providing fresh supplies as its selling point. This has greatly has contributed to its immense success. The supermarket has skilled and experienced food specialists who have enabled fresh food ingredients are provided to the customers. The interaction of the firm with its environment gives it a competitive edge over its competitors. Supply chain The Morison’s has its own supply chain which has enabled it to have a competitive advantage over businesses which supply the same products. In addition, Morrison’s has its own production plants for its food products which means they manufacture, pack and grade their own products before they are supplied to the customers. ... The Political and Social Environment Needle The consciousness of the society on healthy living has increased tremendously and this has impacted on the strategies used by retailers in promotion and marketing of their products. There is an increased prevalence of obesity in the United Kingdom which has led to the involvement of the government in attempting to reduce the obese cases in the country. According to Wm. Morrison’s Supermarkets Plc (2009), 23% of adults within the United Kingdom are classified as being obese. Pressure groups in the UK have attacked the retail market arguing that misleading labeling on foodstuffs by supermarkets are to blame for the unhealthy lifestyles in the country. Many families have therefore found it hard to balance their diet through proper food lifestyles. The regulation of the government on the food products of the Morrison’s include the determination of the sugar, salt and fat content of the food which is produced and sold to the public . This is due to the increased campaigns on the benefits of a balanced diet that have caused the public to be conscious of the number of nutrients in the foods sold in supermarkets. Because supermarkets act as the major source of food supply to the public, they are blamed for the poor health among the majority of the UK citizens. Some segments of the UK food market are unable to access and supply healthy food to the public. As a result, the Morrisson’s have utilized this opportunity by providing the healthy and fresh ingredients at a reasonable cost to its customer which has made the firm to be among the top suppliers of food ingredients in the United Kingdom.  

Colonialism gave nothing to Africa,expect poverty,famine, disease and Essay

Colonialism gave nothing to Africa,expect poverty,famine, disease and underdevelopment. Discuss - Essay Example The past has been so tragic that the future looks hopeless. Undeniably, the only known fact of African development for the foreseeable future is that underdevelopment and poverty will increase and intensify. The hallmarks of underdevelopment in Africa have been the increase in slums, stagnating agricultural production, widening elite mass gap, increase in diseases, foreign debt, and balance of payments deficit. Underdevelopment scholars have contended that the underemployment of human and natural resources and insufficient development was acquired by African nations as a result of historical circumstances such as colonialism, neo-colonialism and slavery. Colonial history of exploitation and extraction has been attributed the continent’s current status. Boahen (1987: 89) notes that there is no doubt that a huge amount of structural attributes of the process of economic underdevelopment has historical roots that go back to past colonial times. Experimental studies have confirmed that there is a connection between a nation’s past colonial experience and its current level of economic development. According to Cooper (2002: 76), colonization of African nations applied a direct effect on the post-colonial arrays of growth and human and physical capital build-up. This paper will focus on underdevelopment and poverty in Africa providing an account of the ancient roots of Africa’s underdevelopment. It will focus on the period before and during colonialism, and the effects of European colonialism on the development of the region. During the pre-colonial period, African nations had well-established laws, customs, ethics, conventions and rituals, which were particularly effective in resolving issues and conflicts both within and outside the community. These institutions were fruitful in overpowering numerous forms of predatory or rent-seeking behaviour (Boahen, 1987: 91). Rent-seeking behaviours are those acts of exploiting the political process in

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 60

English - Essay Example One of the topics that I will be involved in research about it is microfinance. It involves providing of banking services to the low-income earners. It is evident that microfinance enables the low-income earners to be self-sufficient by providing a means of insurance, saving money and borrowing. My research on the topic will boost my marketing skills in the bank sector and I will be able to add more value. The other topic that I will be involved in research about is psychology. It entails the scientific study of human mind and its functions. It is apparent that the research on psychology will help to improve my marketing skills and I will be able to handle different people. Also, I will be able to know the reasons behind the people’s preferences in the business world. For my essay to be factual, I will refer information from the books of Sarkar and Sundaresan about microfinance. I will refer my research on the topic of psychology from McKenna book of business psychology and organizational

Monday, September 23, 2019

Littering the side of the street Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Littering the side of the street - Assignment Example Additionally, trash may harbor diseases, which can be passed to animals eating it. Also, litter may attract other litter since it tells people to continue dumping litter in the same place. Moreover, litter may turn out to be a fire hazard. Furthermore, apart from littering being bad, it just looks disgusting (â€Å"JB Green Team†). Cigarette butts are considered the main source of litter (â€Å"Keep America Beautiful†). Despite being small, they are very dangerous. Cigarette butts have harmful chemicals such as arsenic that contaminates both soil and water. Cigarette butts are also a potential fire hazard (â€Å"JB Green Team†). It simply means that cigarettes can now not only harm us when we smoke it, but even when we do not smoke it. Generally, litter prevention starts with an individual. As an individual minimizing litter may be easy, however it requires vigilance. For beginners, never throw trash from your  car, and always ensure that you tightly seal the household garbage bins so that animals do not get the contents. Also, never forget your garbage upon leaving a public space such as a park. If you smoke then consider quitting bearing in mind the impacts that cigarettes have on the environment. Furthermore, if the roadway to your home is like an asylum for litter, volunteer for a cleanup. â€Å"Litter in America: Results from the Nation’s Largest Litter Study.† Keep America Beautiful, Inc. 2010. Web. 19th April 2015.

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Economics of Warfare Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Economics of Warfare - Essay Example For instance, some numbers only include civilians and does not count those who are in the military and those who are in the militia groups that have been resisting the government. In all, the number of deaths is very high (Atassi, 2013). Children have not been left behind have hundreds of them have faced death as a result of the attack. What is even more unfortunate is that some of these children have died from attacked from the government. However, the government has denied any of these allegations. However, it is clear that both the government and the militias have caused deaths of non-resisting civilians (Rabil, 2003). The Syrian economy has also been affected badly from the war. Like many wars, the Syrian war has affected the ability of the country to produce economically. Syrian exports have been reduced by over 75 percent, and the country is no longer able to export the exports it used to export which development agencies valued at $2.73 billion in 2010. These losses have brought many problems to the country, including illnesses that have been caused mainly by the lack of adequate proper basic amenities such as sanitation services. Syria is one example of how war can affect the economy. As Reynolds (2003) says, most non-economists tend to think that the major economic cost of a war is the money used to manufacture the equipment for war. They also consider the cost of war to involve cost to pay the soldiers to carry out the war. But as has been seen in Syria and indeed in many other wars around the word, there are many other economic issues that come from war (Benet, 2014). However, the economics effect of the Syrian war is only affecting Syria. It is affecting the rest the world, especially Europe. As Lobello (2013) says, even though Syria itself is not a major producer of oil, the conflict in Syria is affecting the prices of oil

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Street Scene Essay Example for Free

Street Scene Essay In the painting Street Scene, Pink Sky, Paris, there are several elements that make the painting a unique piece of art reflecting the contemporary feeling of the expressionistic and post impressionistic movements of the early twentieth century. James Wilson Morrice expresses these movements completely in this painting, which is a masterwork of form, color and balance. In this painting, the first thing the eye goes to s the upper right hand part of the painting. Here there is a series of four buildings that are well lit and in shades of yellow and gold. The roofs are in shades of charcoal and burnt umber. One notices that the buildings grow progressively smaller as thy move down the street. Next, you notice the people. There appear to be three women and a man. The man appears all in black, black overcoat and black hat. Next to him, facing him is a woman in a red dress and hat in brown and umber. She is wearing gloves. One’s eyes then drift to the front left of the painting where the other two women are walking by the cafe. One appears to have brown hair and be wearing a white dress with a matching white hat. The hat has a pink flower on it. The woman next to her, to her left, is wearing a dress of yellow-brown, and a black hat. She also has brown hair. To the extreme left, there is another building that appears to be a series of shops. This building has a dilapidated feel to it and is not as brightly lit as the buildings across the street. It presents a very stark contrast. The eyes then drift to the sky. It is a cacophony of steely blues and pinky mauves. It looks like an evening storm sky, but it is just the settling dusk. One can feel the hurry of the people to get home after a day of social gatherings or work. Finally, one gets to the bottom of the painting. Here one sees the edge of tables and chairs as one sits and contemplates as the world goes by. It is at if the viewer is at a cross street. Looking down one street as they watch people pass by on another. That brings the viewer to another element of the painting—mainly, the street. It is vacant save for the people. There is not a carriage, horse, car, or anything on the street. Everyone is on foot. Though they are walking, there is no sense of urgency in their movements. It is as if everyone is out for a Sunday stroll and the viewer is there watching as they drink their coffee and eat their croissant. This feels like a fairly typical street scene. The final element of the painting is just to the left of center. It is a cluster of trees and shrubbery. It ties the light and dark elements of the painting together, as the trees have dark greens and blacks combine with light greens and yellow-greens to make a unifying element that brings all the elements together. The elements are arranged as if one is looking on a street and down a street at the same time. It is almost like a â€Å"T† intersection. The paining has a balance to it that takes the shape of a triangle. The lighter shaded elements are on the right side, and the darker shaded elements are on the left side. The browns, creams, umbers, and ocher colors confine themselves to the left. The golds reds, and blacks confine themselves to the right. The trees tie the light and dark elements together and blend them into a coherent style and picture of everyday life on a Paris street. The trees also provide a much needed balance. If it were not for the trees, there would be a harshness to the painting that would make it unbalanced and off-center. Morrice picks mostly muted shades for his painting, even the ocres and golds have a slightly muted quality about them. The colors blend one into another, giving the painting a much needed fluidity. Morrice also arranges his larger elements to the back of the painting, forcing your eyes into the aforementioned triangle of the sky and the people. These are his main elements, and the ones your eyes go to after the brightness of the building. He wants the viewer to see the sky and the people and see both as time stopped, a moment that is captured forever. As mentioned before, the people are unhurried, and the sky is unhurried, which are the two elements that are the most important in this picture. Stylistically, the painting is a wonderful example of twentieth century post-impressionism. While it lacks the subtlety of Monet, it generates the same feelings that the impressionists do—that is the sense that you are there, leaving you to interpret the details. That is the very nature of impressionism. The viewer is given an idea, and they have to fill in the details. Post-impressionism at its soul is a revamping of the style without the subtle colors. Where Monet used pales and shades to make his point, Morrice uses muted bolds to bring the viewer to the scene. There is more a sense of making the impression more realistic instead of making it stylistic. This generates the move to the more bold moves of Picasso and his followers. Morrice’s work is in the vein of Cezanne. The use of color and element is similar in form and function, and the overall sense of the move to realism is there. Cezanne and Morrice both fit into the same mold, simply because they are both scene painters that use people as a focal point. The main difference is that Cezanne tends to use darker colors while Morrice uses brighter tones. They both tend to mute their tones, though Cezanne tends to do it more effectively than Morrice. Morrice borrows heavily from Cezanne. He uses blocks of color and focuses on sky, and the traditional views of the plane of the painting become obsolete. Additionally, the conventions between foreground and background begin to become ambiguous. There is also a spatial ambiguity to the painting, as the sky becomes a patchwork of color, flowing seamlessly one into another. Even in the two women walking down the street seem to blend into each other, the only differences seem to be in the distinction of their faces. The woman in brown seems to almost blend into the shops in the background. The woman in white appears to blend seamlessly into the scene. Faces are the only distinctions between people and background. There is only a bit of street and the black hat and face that even distinguishes her as an individual. The blocks of yellow are the only things that distinguish that there are four buildings. This is very much in the style of Cezanne. Even the trees and shrubbery seem to be in a block of color. Though the greens, blacks, and yellow-greens seem to blend, the eye can easily pick out the distinct shades and can see the summer look of the trees against the dusky sky. Looking at the style of both Morrice and Cezanne, one sees incredible talent and gracious style. The overall impressionistic feel that we get from both painters is evident. As both move towards the twentieth century, there is a shift from the previous impressionistic movement to the post impressionistic movement. The movement also shifts to the use of color in blocks to give movement and a sense of fluidity to the painting. Additionally, the focus on sky and people shows a movement away from the still lives and landscapes of the past to a movement of expressing people as the object and main idea of the painting. Thought the movement was not a long-lasting one, it left an impression on the art world that has affected painters and artists for years. The use of texture and color and form and function blend together flawlessly to create a new and exciting use of elements that added to the art world and still give us much to talk about today. The fact that we are able to draw comparisons to the present and the past shows us the relevance of the new art forms and how they still relate to today’s art world. We as art historians cannot forget the contributions of the past as they will and do affect our futures. References Adams, L (1997). A history of western art. Madison, WI: Brown and Benchmark. Art Gallery of Ontario, (2009). James Wilson Morrice, Street Scene, Pink Sky, Paris. Retrieved March 15, 2009, from Art Gallery of Ontario Web site: http://www. ago. net/ago103760 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, (2009). Art History. Retrieved March 15, 2009, from Art History Web site: http://www. unc. edu/depts/wcwebs/handouts/arthistory. html

Friday, September 20, 2019

Project Management Challenges In Construction Of Emirates Stadium Construction Essay

Project Management Challenges In Construction Of Emirates Stadium Construction Essay The PMI defines project management as the art of directing and coordinating human and material resources through the life of a project by using modern management techniques to achieve pre-determined goals of scope, cost, time, quality and participant satisfaction (Smith 2002) Through the project management process, business needs and requirements are transformed into deliverables or outputs the project will provide to meet; this transformation process is made up application of constraints such as time, cost, quality, motivation and application of project management tools and technique.(APM 2002) According to Dinsmore, and Cabanis-Brewin (2006), project management processes are grouped into the following areas: they are initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling and closing. A good project manager must be skilled in applying this knowledge and be able to integrate these activities as the project moves through its life cycle. The aim of this report is to critically evaluate the project management challenges and the management approaches in the construction of Emirate Stadium described in the groups presentation. Some of the challenges identified in group discussions includes; time constraints, planning approval, design and site constraints, procurement path, organizational/stakeholders management..This report compares some of the identified challenges with the established best practice in project management. The second part of the report is develop guideline for the 2012 Olympic Stadium which will include an overview of the difference between managing a single, simple project and a project that is part of a large complex programme of work, also to outline the project management challenges of the 2012 Olympic Stadium. 2.0 The Emirates Stadium 2.1 Background of the Emirate Stadium complex The need to generate additional revenue from the football event and also to provide a state- of the- art facilities for the fans is identified as the requirement for a new football stadium to replace the existing one .by Arsenal Football Club The Emirate Stadium is located in Holloway in London Borough of Islington town. The stadium is located in a high density residential area therefore restricting feasibility of increase capacity. Over 2000 new homes were built in Islington as part of the project. Two of the key points in the club brief to design team were for the pitch to be as good as Highbury, and to create an exhilarating stadium atmosphere through the design. Over 2,500 legal documents were signed in order to give the project full clearance. The overall project put at about 390million pounds. . It was opened in July 2006, with seated capacity of 60,432 making it the fifth largest football stadium in the UK (Source www.arsenal .com/emirates stadium.) Fig 2.1 emirates stadium under construction Source www.arsenal .com/emirates stadium.) Main Project management challenges identified by different groups Based on the group presentations some of the main project management challenges identified include: Time constraints, Planning and consent approval, Design and site constraints, Procurement path, Organizational/stakeholders management Document control Some of the management approaches considered by the group include; Involving contractor in early stage of the process Design and Build contract Site investigation Collaborating planning and possible overlap during construction to meet deadline Several procurement path Involvement of the stakeholders Redesigning to suit the shape of the site Understanding of the scope of the project. Evaluation of project management challenges and approach in the group work 2.4.1. Involving contractor in early stage of the process. This can help in integrating the contractors idea and expertise in the planning and design process, although, Austin, Baldwin and Wasket (2000) identified that it might result in uneven design workload while they wait for consultant and other contractors to develop their own design, this result in the client paying for retainer while the project is yet to start, thereby increasing the cost of the project. Therefore it might be beneficial to delay the introduction of contractor early 2.4.2 Time constraints It can be seen that in the case of Emirate stadium, delivering the project on time is very crucial; to enable the club to meet up with football season, Harrison and Lock (2004) stated that delivery a project on time is an extremely important objective to client as well as avoiding the risk of being skimped in respect of quality and reliability of being close to the budget but most time all the objective of the project cannot be met. 2.4.3 Planning and consent approval. Two sets of people are involved in planning; they the client and the contractor .Obtaining the consent approval and satisfying planning requirement as well as defining the project goals, ensure availability of funds and selecting the design is the primary responsibility of the owner, this is one aspect that group presentations did not consider. On the side of the contractor, proper planning and scheduling contributed to their delivering the project on time. 2.4.4 Contract /procurement strategy The contract strategy used in the construction of Emirate Stadium is identified as Design and Build. The type of contract is assumed to be the best when time constraint is considered, Rowlison and McDermontt (1999) reported that Design and Build approach involving overlapping of design and construction phases leads to economics and fast project, though the client has to limit the variation to minimum , finds evaluation difficult and also have to make early decisions. However, Aritua, Bower and Turner (2006) reported that Design and Build procurement options has been criticized for being cost rather than design quality driven. Chan and Yu-Ann 2005 identified design liability as the most important practical problem encounters in design and build system. 2.5 Best practice in project management The best practices in project management are those practices that are generally agreed that their application in the project has shown to enhance the chances of success over a wide range of projects. (PMBOK, 2004) Atkinson (1999) queried, if successful project management means doing something right, that result in a project which was implemented on time, within cost and to a quality parameters requested, but which is not used by the customers, not liked by the sponsors and does not seem to provide either improved effectiveness or efficiency for the organization Kerzner (2006) affirmed that best practices in project management are those actions or activities undertaken by the company or individual that led to a sustained competitive advantage, it can be learned from both failure and success. Defining project objective at the outset and establishing relative importance of these objectives is crucial (Smith 2002). The Primary objectives of the project are usually measured in terms of time cost and quality, whilst it may be possible to meet one or two of the objectives, meeting all three of them is almost impossible. (Smith, 2002). However, the general knowledge, skills and processes described in general agreement documents of project management should not always be apply uniformly to all projects, the project manager and the team is responsible for determining the appropriate process and tailored it down to suit the specific project, because every project is unique on its own. (PMBOK, 2004) 3.0 The 2012 Olympic Stadium complex Fig .3.0 Olympic Stadium complex under construction 3.1 The background of the 2010 London Olympic Stadium. The 2010 London Olympic Stadium is located at the south of Olympic park Stratford, East London. The EDAW consortium working with Arup and Atkins was appointed by Olympic delivery Authority (ODA) to develop the master plan and the design of the Olympic Park, while the design of the Olympic venue or the Athletes Village was tendered separately. In 2007, The Olympic Delivery Authority Signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the consortium known as Team Stadium to design and build the Olympic Stadium. The consortium is made up the designer, Hoks sport. Main contractor Sir Robert McAlphine, structural engineer Burro Happold, service engineer and landscape designer. The project was estimated at 498miliion pound. The stadium consists of a lower tier of 25000 permanent. Seats set into the landscape with an upper tier of 55000 temporary seats. The sunken bowl built into the ground will contain the field of play and lower permanent seating. However, facilities for athletes within the Stadium include changing rooms, medical support facilities and an 80m warm-up track. Spectator services, refreshments and merchandise outlets will be located outside the venue on a podium that will surround the Stadium, rather than being located within the Stadium itself. Constructions began three months ahead of schedule and it is expected to be completed by 2011. In addition, construction works in other parts of the Olympic village is still on-going, while some are close to completion, others are yet to start. This is based on the planned milestone schedule set out by the Olympic Delivery Authority., According to the chairman of the Olympic Delivery Authority, some completion date has been moved further, this is to avoid the venue been completed and standing idle in the years before Olympic, as this call for additional cost of maintenance. (Culled from official site of 2012 Olympic). 3.2. The outline of the Olympic Stadium People will be able to see with their own eyes a stadium which is designed to be different: an innovative and sustainable design which uses temporary elements to meet a complex brief, a stadium built for both Games and legacy.(Olympic Delivery Authority Chairman John Armitt). The design of London 2012 Olympic Stadium is much more than dazzling or out of this world Architectural structure that is norm of modern day Olympic stadium. The emphasis in the design has been on minimizing the quantity of material, whilst still producing the required performance, ensuring the sustainability of the stadium after the games give rise for incorporation of some temporary structures. However, design and construction of such large and complex project need effective and efficient management to deliver the agreed scope of the project. The management approach in multi-projects is generally different from single project. Flexibility management process with explicitly define rules and procedure can be a source of success with large complex project. (Dietrich and Lehtonen 2005). Baccarni (1996) defined project complexity as project that consists of varied interrelated parts and be operationalised in terms of differentiation and interdependency .On the hand Coffman believed that complex project comprises of subset of project that are composed of so many different facets that no individual or small team possesses all of the knowledge, experience, or skills required to design and implement them. Considering 2012 Olympic Stadium as a part of Olympic park which consists of interrelated and multidisciplinary projects that demand exceptional level of management and system approach which will be described to be inappropriate for a single project Looking at the technical and organizational complexity of the Olympic park, it is clear that it requires involvement of lots of multi-disciplinary contractors, sub contractors, supply chain, trade, different technology and specialties. Williams (1999) sees technical complexity as a three-fold concept: the variety of task as the degree of interdependencies within these tasks, and the instability of the assumptions upon which the Tasks are based. Complex project requires proper structuring and scheduling in terms of Work Break down Structure and further down into related bid package for the qualified construction firms .to bid .For effective organizational management, the services of a planner, scheduler, contract administrator, legal advis er, procurement engineer, accountant will be require in a complex project unlike a single project where all the task will be handle by the project management.. Moreover, managing a large, multi-projects environment or complex projects is refers by some author as programme management, Fern(1991), stated that the common theme of programme management can be identified as the co-ordination of projects to gain benefits that it would not be possible to obtain were the projects managed independently. He also defined programme management as the coordinated support, planning, prioritization and monitoring of projects to meet changing business needs. Pellegrinelli(1997) pointed out that programme management is not same as multi-project management, that the nature and practice of program management are much more than resource management though management of scares resources or the establishment of appropriate information system is identified as core elements of programme management. Fern (1991), proposed single objective programme model as one of the generic models to describe how organizations define and practice programme management. According to Fe rn (1991), programme with single objective are often called macro-project or simple project which consists of large numbers of project which run concurrently, often employ large numbers of contractors and can benefit from programme management techniques. Furthermore, the differences between managing a simple project and a project that is part of a large complex programme, can be identify in the description of project and program by Pellegrinelli(1997) and Fern (1991), which states that project is a group of related task(activities) which together satisfy one or more objectives, while programme is a frame work for grouping existing projects (or defining new projects) and for focusing all the activities required to achieve a set of major benefits. Some of features of managing a simple single project include project manager been responsible for directing and coordinating human and material resources throughout the life of a project by using modern management techniques to achieve predetermined objectives, while a large complex programme involves having a programme manager facilitates the interaction of other managers and team manager responsible for work package. In addition, a single simple project have a set objective and self dependent for delivery, which entails, ensuring that trade-offs between scope, quality, time and cost are satisfactory and acceptable(Wideman,1990), while multi-project is interrelated and interdependent with other project in the programme. Significant increase in the number and independence of element between disparate project within a programme raise structural complexity to a level higher than that of single projects (Blismas et al 2004) A single project has a linear life cycle and fixed duration in which performance of the project is measured; while in multi-project duration depends on the delivery of the entire project in the programme Single project involves one main contractor with few sub contractors while multi-project involves large number of contractor, sub contractors and supply chain. Other features of a single project includes managing risk and uncertainties in line with the project scope and objectives, abbreviated planning process and Single client management In addition, scheduling and resources allocated is more complex than that of a single project the need and priority of a particular project is considered, detailed communication, organization and strategic management, multi-stakeholders management, development of software for project planning/scheduling and system control. 3.3. GUIDELINES FOR 2012 OLYMPIC STADIUM The purpose of these guidelines is to help in organizing, planning and control 2012 Olympic Stadium to achieve the project objectives. The guideline covers the life cycle of the project from initiation, planning, execution, monitoring and controlling and closure of the project. 3.3.1 Initiation This is the beginning of the planning phase, the need is identified, resources, preliminary drawing and block diagram is produce, analysis including budget estimation, project charter including cost, task, and deliverable schedule, scope is defined and impact assessment initiated, conceptual design created followed by detailed design and planning 3.3.2 Project planning This include developing management Plan, scope planning and definition, creating a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), activity definition and sequencing, Resource estimating and allocation, Estimating budget and cost control, activity duration estimating, schedule development, human resource and communication planning, risk management planning, contracting, purchases plan (PMBOK, 2004) Management Plan: is necessary for the development of preliminary project scope statement, project management processes, environmental factors and organizational process assets. (PMBOK, 2004) Scope planning and definition is essential for creating project scope management plan that documents how the project scope will be defined, verified and controlled and also the creation and definition of WBS. Secondly development of detailed scope statement as basis for future project decisions. (PMBOK, 2004) Work Breakdown Structure (WBS): Developing WBS with a corresponding project organizations and functional responsibility chart (Wideman,1990) Establishing the programme work breakdown structure and breaking it into work package for contract purposes. (Wideman,1990) Activity definition and sequencing is crucial in identifying specific activities that needs to be performed to achieve project deliverable and also identifying and documenting dependencies among schedule activities. It contains the activity list and attributes, milestone list, requested change and approved change requests project schedule network diagram. (PMBOK, 2004) Resource estimating and allocation is important in estimating the type and quantities of resources required by each work package Estimating budget and cost control: Each work package is treated essentially as a separate and autonomous effort requiring resources and input from variety of source (Clough et al, 2000).At the earliest possible time, an acceptable program budget breakdown must be established, which properly reflects the best estimate of the work required to achieve the overall project objectives. This will form the basis for regular cost monitoring and reporting (Wideman, 1990) Contracting, purchases plan: Laws and regulations will require public bidding procedure in the government owned project. Advertisements of the project are required to ensure that all contractors who might have interest are offered equal opportunity to bid. A number of work packages may be assembled into a contract package for procurement purposes(Wideman,1990) Type of contract strategy and procurement route to be use and allocation of risk of project is identified Human resource and communication planning: this is necessary in identifying and documenting roles and responsibilities and reporting relationships, secondly. Information and communication needs of the projects stakeholders are determined. (PMBOK, 2004) Risk management: The purpose of risk management process is to make effective project management decisions about what happens on the project in future. This consist of risk source identification, risk impact assessment and analysis and managerial response to risk in the context of the project (Smith, Merna, Jobling, 2006) 3.3.3 Execution stage This involves coordinating people and resources, integrating and performing other project activities. Some of the activities of this stage include Directing and managing project execution, performing quality assurance, acquiring and developing project team, information distribution. Selection of consultant, supply chain contractors and sub contractors. (PMBOK, 2004) Directing and managing project execution. This process is necessary for directing the various technical and organizational interfaces that exist in the project to execute the work defined in the project management plan. Some of the activities here consist of approving corrective and preventive actions, approving change request and defect repair, validating defect repair, administrative closure procedure. (PMBOK, 2004) Acquiring and developing project team: this is essential for obtaining human resources needed to deliver the project and also for improving the competencies and interaction of team members to enhance project performance. (PMBOK, 2004) Information distribution: design and foster intensive, open and timely communication within the project stakeholders. Employ multiple channels and mediums, in particular modern information technology and extensive face-to face interactions. Prepare systems that prescribe for most processes simple and brief procedures for flexibility of details. Restrict optimization to the essential. Selection of consultant, supply chain contractors and sub contractors. This process is essential for reviewing bids and proposal, selecting from among the potential contractors and negotiating a written contract, it also entail risk allocation between the client and the contractor. (PMBOK, 2004) 3.3.4 Monitoring and controlling This process is crucial for collecting, measuring and dissemination performance information, and assessing measurements and trends to effect process improvement Integration and ongoing progress is monitored against agreed milestones, results reported in accordance with mechanisms identified in the communication plan.Secondly monitoring changes and recommending preventive action in anticipation of possible problem is an important element of monitoring and controlling (PMBOK, 2004) 3.3.5 Health and safety and environment Maintenance of health and safety on the site is vital for a successful project delivery. Mandatory personal protective equipment for all the workers on site is necessary Also all the site machine and equipment should be working properly. Workers should be properly trained to use the equipments. 3.3.6 Project closure: this involves closing of project and contract closure. It is necessary for finalizing all activities, completing and settling each contract, including the resolution of any open items and closing each contract applicable to the project. (PMBOK, 2004 3.4 Outline of Project Management Challenges 2012 Olympic Stadium Some of the project management challenges: Design constraints: This involves getting an aesthetics design which depicts legacy of modern day and world class Olympics, as well as being iconic, environmentally friendly and sustainable in terms of future use and maintenance. Time constraints; Meeting deadline for the project for the Olympics events is very crucial and one is of the major indicator of measuring success or failure of the project. Site constraints The soil/site ground is poor from engineering and environmental viewpoint. Owing to past use of the site which resulted in uneven settlement that can only support very light construction. Site is located between two branches of River Lea an old embankment containing sewage artery. The above constraints call for redesigning to suit the site location and environment. Complexity of the project The multi-project nature of the project involves managing large numbers of subcontractors and supply chain. The construction of the stadium is just one component in the Olympic park, Resource allocation and scheduling Efficient allocation of resources in multi-project environment is a major challenge facing the programme manager, as this can lead to success or failure of the projects. Global recession and price inflation The world economic crisis of 2009 is a major challenge for the project, as this will cause price inflation for goods and services required for the project. The initial project estimate will no longer be feasible. Stakeholders management The project has different level of stakeholder. They include the financier, the host community, the supporters, the critics, the press and the general public. Project Co-ordination and document control.. The complexity of the project comprises large number of document which might have minor and major changes from the initial design that need to be communicated to people involve with the project. Logistics Challenges Transportation of huge numbers of workers and materials to the site using the existing means of transportation, amid the busy city of London. Health and Safety Maintaining safety in the site is a major challenge in construction site with large number of workers and ensuring that all contractors adhere to the health and safety rule in the site. 3.5 Conclusion ` The facts remains that projects are distinctive and unique in their own way. Project life-cycle as well as their requirements is different from each other. What worked for one organization in a particular project might not work for another; it all depends on the organizational culture and values, project environment, interpersonal skill, etc. The general guideline as contained in the Project Management Body of knowledge is only to serve as a guide that needs to be tailored down to suit a particular project. Also it can be seen that project management is more of a practical discipline than theoretical, this can be deduce from the uniqueness of every projects, because change is inherent in any project. There must be a change from the laid down planned and schedule strategy, change therefore cannot be eliminated, most especially in construction because of the project uncertainty, it is expected that plan must change. The ability of the project manager to apply the principles of risk management and improve effective change management will determine result of the project.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Death by Highlighter :: Graduate College Admissions Essays

Death by Highlighter I woke up Tuesday morning with a strange sense that I was not alone in bed. Something was jabbing me in the left hip. I opened one eye tentatively. It was 8:47 a.m., and I did not want to be awake. I investigated the source of the jabbing feeling to discover, to my horror, a florescent yellow, uncapped highlighter that I had let slip after falling asleep while reading a report on science and engineering at Duke. I shuddered, moved the higlighter to a more innocuous location on the floor, and went back to sleep. The perils of highlighters, however, extend well beyond my now-fluorescent-yellow sheets, nightgown and left hip. Having highlighted my way through three years of college, four years of high school and a few years of junior high, I have reached the shocking conclusion that highlighters have undermined my education. Before the days of transparent yellow markers, readers took notes on reading, or wrote in ball-point pen in the margins, forcing themselves to transmit information from words on a page to coherent thought to at least somewhat coherent squiggles on the page. The highlighter offers a seductive shortcut--the reader can bypass the "coherent thought to squiggle" step of the process and simply smear interesting passages with fluorescent ink, no analysis required. Particularly impressive phrases may merit an emphatic mark in the margin, and, on rare occasions, the holder of the fluorescent wand may even add a note in blue or black ink. Regardless, however, the marker-wielding reader generally smears large tracts of text with ink, never bothering to summarize or paraphrase information. I know the pathological symptoms of highlighter-addiction because I am a victim. I shouldn't have turned out this way--I had a strictly traditional fifth-grade history teacher who required us to take notes on our reading in outline form. But something happened in high school, I think in European History, when I realized I could never write down every iota of information in our menacingly dense text book--so I grabbed hold of a highlighter and started marking interesting facts in bright yellow. I meant to make notes in the margins, but there wasn't time . . . and so I launched myself down the highlighter path to mental oblivion. Highlighters should shoulder at least as much of the blame as MTV for Generation X's short attention span and anti-intellectual leanings. Death by Highlighter :: Graduate College Admissions Essays Death by Highlighter I woke up Tuesday morning with a strange sense that I was not alone in bed. Something was jabbing me in the left hip. I opened one eye tentatively. It was 8:47 a.m., and I did not want to be awake. I investigated the source of the jabbing feeling to discover, to my horror, a florescent yellow, uncapped highlighter that I had let slip after falling asleep while reading a report on science and engineering at Duke. I shuddered, moved the higlighter to a more innocuous location on the floor, and went back to sleep. The perils of highlighters, however, extend well beyond my now-fluorescent-yellow sheets, nightgown and left hip. Having highlighted my way through three years of college, four years of high school and a few years of junior high, I have reached the shocking conclusion that highlighters have undermined my education. Before the days of transparent yellow markers, readers took notes on reading, or wrote in ball-point pen in the margins, forcing themselves to transmit information from words on a page to coherent thought to at least somewhat coherent squiggles on the page. The highlighter offers a seductive shortcut--the reader can bypass the "coherent thought to squiggle" step of the process and simply smear interesting passages with fluorescent ink, no analysis required. Particularly impressive phrases may merit an emphatic mark in the margin, and, on rare occasions, the holder of the fluorescent wand may even add a note in blue or black ink. Regardless, however, the marker-wielding reader generally smears large tracts of text with ink, never bothering to summarize or paraphrase information. I know the pathological symptoms of highlighter-addiction because I am a victim. I shouldn't have turned out this way--I had a strictly traditional fifth-grade history teacher who required us to take notes on our reading in outline form. But something happened in high school, I think in European History, when I realized I could never write down every iota of information in our menacingly dense text book--so I grabbed hold of a highlighter and started marking interesting facts in bright yellow. I meant to make notes in the margins, but there wasn't time . . . and so I launched myself down the highlighter path to mental oblivion. Highlighters should shoulder at least as much of the blame as MTV for Generation X's short attention span and anti-intellectual leanings.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

The Role of John Proctor in Arthur Millers The Crucible Essay

The Role of John Proctor in Arthur Miller's The Crucible Arthur Miller wrote the play 'The Crucible' to show the historical parallel between the Salem witch trials of 1692 and the McCarthy 'witch' hunt of the late 1940' and 50's. The character John Proctor seems to represent and show the viewpoint of a real man, unaffected by hysteria; a difficult thing to portray during the 1950's in the USA, due to the fear and hate of Communism and the 'witch' hunt for communists. John Proctor is the central character of the play. He a realistic character, the audience can relate to him and sympathize with him. He is a somewhat strong character and is described by Miller as "powerful of body, even-tempered and not easily led", the last comment perhaps being the most important. His character earns respect throughout the play as the audience sees the moral arguments he has and internal conflicts he has to deal with. John Proctor is a man with a guilty conscience, which makes him indecisive until it is too late, audiences can relate this to their own, maybe far less dramatic lives. John Proctor has made a mistake; he has slept with his former servant girl, teenage Abigail Williams. It is also shown in Act 1 that he still lusts after her - when she asks if he looked up at her window for her, he replies "I may have looked up", this shows his characters weakness, but he remains strong willed. He does not give into what he obviously thinks of as great temptation, again. This shows the audience that he has recognized his mistake and is not repeating it. John Proctor is an honest man, but has undermined himself with his one act of dishonesty. ... ... parallel, as he knew himself what height the communist hysteria had reached. Like the witch hysteria in Salem, he knew that he would be persecuted for writing about fear and conscience if he were to set the play in contemporary America. Miller uses John Proctor to almost play himself and to show what he would do if put in the position of being on trial. He later proved his point by not accusing any other people of being in communist parties when he really was put on trial, to get himself off the hook, like so many other people did. John Proctor plays the crucial role in 'The Crucible' of being the man that is on the brink of giving in but stands strong, even though he knew that one individual would not bring down the hysteria. Works Cited: Miller, Arthur. The Crucible: A Screenplay. New York: Penguin Books, 1996.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

The Client by John Grisham     :: The Client John Grisham    

The main character of my book was Mark Sway. Mark Sway is a bad little eleven year old boy with a huge burden on his hands. Mark smokes ciggaretes, uses foul language, and picks on his little brother, Ricky. Mark grew up in a trailer, with an abusive father, a mother who is hardly around, and his little brother Ricky who annoys him plenty. Mark was a very strong character who did not take anything from anyone! The trouble Mark ran into with Jerome Clifford only made him stronger. All he cared about was protecting his little brother, and his mother. Jerome Clifford was a heavy set man, who was trying to commit suicide, because of a dangerous secret he knew. Mark and his younger brother Ricky, stumbled upon Jerome one day, as he was trying to commit suicide. Jerome revealed the dangerous secret to Mark, which made Mark a major target of the mafia. Mark was pushed around and overlooked, but as soon as people found out Mark knew this dangerous secret, they all wanted a piece of him. Mark knew he was in trouble so he did t! he only thing he knew possible, which was get a lawyer. The lawyers' name was Reggie Love, a woman. Mark despised Reggie at first, knowing that a woman was not capable of fullfilling his needs, like a man could. Then something happened where Reggie grew on him, he got more used too her, and he found himself telling her personal things, spending tons of time with her, and starting to care for her. She was like the mother figure he never had. Mark and Reggie were in the tangle of mess together. Mark realized through the whole ordeal he could not do everything by himself, he also realized how vulnerable he was by being independent. Mark and Reggie became bestest friends, right up to the point where he would have to leave into the witness protection program. I liked the way Mark was so rowdy, and uncontrollable. He was so young, yet so smart and mature. He knew how to protect himself, and he knew the importance of his family members and friends, and how important it was too protect them. No matter what the mafia did to Mark, he made sure his family was safe first, than he took care of himself. Â  I could not really find anything I did not like about Mark, I did not like at the end how he had to relocate into the witness protection program.

Andre Trocme

â€Å"These people came here for help and for shelter. I am their shepherd. A shepherd does not forsake his flock†¦ I do not know what a Jew is. I know only human beings. † Andre Trocme was born in St. Quentin, 1901, in the north of France to Huguenot parents. After seminary in Paris and graduate work at Union Theological Seminary in New York, he was ordained into the French Reformed Church and served for eight years among the coal miners and steel workers of Maubeuge and Sin-le-Noble, two small towns in the north of France. He preached nonviolence at a time when such views were unpopular in France. In 1934 Andre Trocme accepted a call to be pastor in the remote Huguenot village of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon on the Plateau Vivarais-Lignon in South Central France. These parishioners were more sympathetic to his views on nonviolence. Magda Trocme (1901-1996) was born in Italy to an Italian father and a Russian mother. She graduated from the University of Florence with a degree in literature and earned further degrees in French. She and Andre Trocme met in the United States while she was attending the New York School of Social Work, and they were married in 1926. Together they had four children, Nelly, Jean-Pierre, Jacques, and Daniel. Andre Trocme was the spiritual leader of the Protestant congregation in the village of Le Chambon sur Lignon in South Eastern France. He urged his congregation in 1942 to give shelter to any Jew who asked for it. Village was soon filled with hundreds of Jews, both permanent and temporary depending on whether they were able to cross the border or not. Approx 5,000 Jews passed through Le Chambon. Vichy authorities knew what was happening for it was hard to hide. They demanded Trocme to stop but he refused and said â€Å"These people came here for help and for shelter. I am their shepherd, a Shepherd does not forsake his flock†¦ I do not know what a Jew is. I know only Human beings. † and for that he was arrested but shortly released. Andre then had to flee and hide from the Germans but the village kept his legacy and continued to shelter for the Jews. Magda Trocme was his wife and was involved in creating and maintaining this sanctuary made for the persecuted Jews. Part of Magda’s role was locating families who were willing to lodge Jewish refugees and prepared the town’s many residential schools for increased enrollment, but she was not the only one helping in this work. Community activists reported to the railroad station to receive the arriving refugees so they could then be housed by the town or taken to safer places. All these undertakings frustrated the regime’s anti-Jewish policies. Several days after august 15th, 1942, gendarmes moved into Le Chambon to â€Å"eliminate† the town of its â€Å"illegal† aliens and two weeks after that on August 30, rumors were around about an arrest warrant. Trocme urged the congregants to â€Å"do the will of God, not of men† and stressed the importance of the commandment in Deuteronomy 19:2-10 concerning the rights of the victimized and their need for shelter. There were no arrests that day, and several days later the gendarmes left the town, their mission failed. Approx 5,000 Jews passed through Le Chambon. Vichy authorities knew what was happening for it was hard to hide. They demanded Trocme to stop but he refused and said â€Å"These people came here for help and for shelter. I am their shepherd, a Shepherd does not forsake his flock†¦ I do not know what a Jew is. I know only Human beings. † In 1943, Trocme and two colleagues were arrested where he was held at a camp for 5 weeks. Commanders were trying to get him to sign an agreement that would mean following government orders, but refused and was later released but had to then flee from the Germans. Although he was gone the town still carried on without him, saving and hiding Jews lives. In the late 1940’s Andre and Magda Trocme traveled as European Secretaries for the International Fellowship of Reconciliation. On the 5th of January in 1971, Trocme and his wife, Magda were recognized for the Righteous among the nations along with 32 others from Le Chambon and in 1998 the town was given a diploma of honour for their humane gestures in the war.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Road Safety Speech Essay

A very good morning to the Principal of SM Sri Mayang, teachers and fellow friends. As the chairperson of the school’s organizing committee for the ‘Road Safety Week’, I would like to give a talk on some safety tips for the students. As we know, there has been an increase in the accidents reported involving students of this school. I hope this talk will raise your awareness to be more responsible and careful when using the road. I would like to identify some of the reasons why road accidents occur. First, speeding beyond the prescribed limits is the main cause.Some drivers not only speed but also drive recklessly, breaking road rules and beating the traffic lights. Moreover, drivers who are tired after long distance driving or after a long day work, may not be able to concentrate on the road, thus causing accidents. Youngsters using the road as their racing track is another cause too. Drivers who do not check and maintain their vehicles often may be involved in ac cidents because their vehicle is faulty. Many potholes and uneven roads which contribute to the poor condition of the road too can cause accidents.However, these problems can be overcome with strict enforcement of traffic rules to those who flaunt the law. The offenders should be caught and fines should be increased. Only road-worthy vehicles, which have been maintained well, should be permitted on the roads. Awareness campaigns on safe driving should be carried out everywhere. Since young drivers are high on the accident list, their age limit should be increased. If the drivers are involved in any accidents, their licence should be suspended. I hope the short talk that I have delivered have given you some ideas of how to use the road safely. Thank you for listening.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Athenian audience Essay

Examine and compare the motives and actions of Orestes and Electra. To what extent will an Athenian audience admire and approve of them?  Electra is the central character in the play. Her main purpose in this play is to achieve the motive of a typical Greek person, which is to be noble to the gods, family and cherish their homeland. This is why tries as much as possible to kill the murderers of her father and why she thinks by doing this, she is obeying the gods. These murderers happen to be her mother and her lover; Aegisthus.This makes her hate her mother without considering the circumstances to which she was subjected to before killing Agamemnon. Electra describes her as ‘the queen of falsehood†. Pg 77. And a â€Å"worthless slot†. She expresses the hatred for her mother freely. She also hates Aegisthus as he has taken the place of her father. â€Å"Aegisthus sitting in my father’s chair, wearing the clothes he wore, pouring the same libations at the altar where he killed him’. Pg 76. This shows Aegisthus’ lack of respect for Agamemnon, the tradition of the Greeks and the Gods. As a result of the situation she denies herself of the privileges and luxuries of being a princess because she doesn’t want to live of f the means of her worst enemies. She describes herself as ‘an alien slave, a menial†¦dressed like a slattern in coarse and ugly garments’. The death of her Father and the exile of her brother, Orestes makes her mourn helplessly and continuously, as she cannot do anything. â€Å"So I can do nothing but wait in misery†. Pg 77. Mourning in the ancient Greek sense here meant tearing off your hair, crying and all sorts of self-harm. ‘I bring my sad s ongs here and tear my breast till it bleeds†. Pg 71. In addition, Electra also loves her father very much. Her love for him is more of an obsession, which has been seriously affected, as he is now dead. She is subjective to him and is ready to do anything for his sake though he is dead. † I will fall, if need be, for my father’s sake†. Pg 80.She also loves her brother, Orestes who has been exiled. She refers to him as â€Å"her darling† and her â€Å"darling’s own son†. Pg 92 &107.Her feelings towards her sister Chrysothemis is ambiguous as it changes according her actions. At a particular time she can adopt a harsh tone when addressing Chrysothemis â€Å"You ought to be ashamed, if you’re our father’s daughter†. Pg 78. Later on, she refers to her with a much more caring approach. † Listen to me my dear†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Pg 81. Furthermore, Electra has an aggressive approach towards issues. She lacks patience and is unable to consider the consequences of her actions before s he does them â€Å"Prepare fit punishments and turn their pomp to ashes!† This portrays her aggressiveness’ Pg 75. On the other hand we have Orestes who is one of the main male characters. He is the son of Agamemnon and his main aim is also to revenge the death of his father who has been killed by his mother and her lover, Aegithus as explained earlier, as he feels it his responsibility to the gods, which he is trying by all means not to disobey. â€Å"I would not have come back but in the gods’ good time; they brought me back to you†. Pg 108.It is important I note that Orestes expresses a bit of doubt after killing Clytaemnestra. â€Å"All right†¦if Apollo was right†. Pg 114. Also, unlike Electra, Orestes is a more calm and reserved. He does not pour out all his emotions and is more cautious in his actions. He is coordinated and plans his actions before carrying them out. For example, he tells the tutor to deceive his mother, Clytaemnestra and sister, Electra that he is dead in order to set a calm mood in the palace for his mother and also to make his sister lose all hopes that he’ll be coming back to revenge the death of their father. The result of this will be that Electra will calm down. Even when she eventually finds out he is her brother he cautions her. † I would not curb you; but there is danger in too much happiness†. Pg 108. He then comes disguised to kill the murderers of his father. In addition, Orestes contributes to the use of irony. For example â€Å"Which of you, I wonder, would be so good as to tell them within that a long expected visitor is here?† Pg 102. This is an irony as it is true that he has been long expected. Electra also makes use of ironies in the play. â€Å"Yes I see†¦you have it there in your hands†¦there is no doubt, then†¦O my brother†. Pg 103.This is an irony as she is actually talking to her brother. Lastly, Orestes main objective is more of justice and duty than personal hatred for the murderers of his father, Clytaemnestra and Aegisthus or his great love for his father unlike Electra .He believes that killing his father’s murderers is a responsibility given to him by the gods. â€Å"I could not have come but in the gods’ good time; they brought me back†. Pg 108. One can still say that Electra believes it is her duty but her motives still have an implement of her personal love and affection for her father. â€Å"You admit you killed my father; and that is the most monstrous admission you could make, whether you had justice on your side or not†. In conclusion, I personally think that the Greek audience would have sympathised with both Electra and her brother, Orestes as they both present the actions of a Greek person if he or she was in a similar situation, though it might be in different styles. In Electra, I think the audience would have loved the way she cherished the main priorities of a typical Greek person which, is to be loyal to your family and homeland. They would also have admired this in Orestes as he also does the same. The Greek audience would have also loved how she portrayed the regular tradition and culture through her mourning. In Orestes, I think the Greeks would have admired his ability to think of good ideas and his ability to make good use of his sense, as it was regarded as a very important characteristic in the society. They would also have loved the use of irony used by the two characters. The main shortcoming of this play is that the intrigue and suspense is limited, as it would have been more if the audience did not know the story..

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

Advanced Academic Writing The wide attention of critics to Hemingway â€Å"Indian Camp† can be attributed in compare two secondary sources: â€Å"Hemingway Primitivism and Indian Camp† by Jeffrey Meyers, and â€Å"Dangerous Families and Intimate Harm in Hemingway Indian Camp† by Lisa Tyler. Both Meyers and Tyler explore the theme of masculinity and Hemingway biography. The story introduces the theme of masculinity in the context of giving birth in anIndian camp. Although childbirth typically concern women, Hemingway turns it into a male-dominated situation and shifts the focus to DRP. Adams, who performs a Cesarean operation, and to the husband's suicide. Both Tyler and Meyers examine this masculine focus of a typically female endeavor-?childbirth. Tyler refers to DRP. Adams role as the person who passes on values and shape perceptions of masculinity and especially how to respond to a women suffering to his son- Nick.Meyers, on the other hand, refers to the India n husband who feels responsible for the male sexual behavior during the birthing that contaminates his wife and â€Å"cannot bear this defilement of his wife's purity â€Å", therefore follows his primitive values and customs and â€Å"punishes himself for the violation of taboo†. Both secondary sources cite Hemingway biography. Tyler uses Hemingway biography in order to demonstrate how Hemingway own relationship with his father extends to the interactions between Nick Adams and his father. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

Friday, September 13, 2019

Explain how and why the LIGHT BULB works Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Explain how and why the LIGHT BULB works - Essay Example To understand how the light bulb works one needs to know the basic physics behind light energy. Light is the energy that atoms release. It is composed of small particles or energy packets. These particles have momentum and have zero mass. These are called photons and constitute the basic unit of light. When an atom releases photons, it indicates that the electrons in that atom have become excited or possess a higher level of energy. Electrons are negatively charged particles and orbit around the nucleus of an atom. These electrons have set orbital pattern; an atom has different levels of these orbits. Each electron revolves in fixed orbit based on the energy it possesses.1 The speed and distance from the nucleus also determined on which level an electron revolves. The general principle is when an electron possesses higher energy level it is further away from the nucleus. In principle when an atom loses or gains energy this energy change is exhibited through the motions of the electrons. An electron might get a temporary boost in its energy level and jump to a higher orbit. This action is temporary, and an electron holds this position for merely a fraction of a second. And in an instant it returns to its original position. When an electron returns to its lower energy level, it releases this extra energy or a photon; this is the fundamental principle of what goes on inside lightbulb. To understand how this phenomenon is implemented in this tool we need to look at the structure of the lightbulb. Lightbulb has a simple structure. It has two metal contacts at the base connecting the ends of an electrical circuit. The metal contacts are connected to two stiff wires that are attached to a thin metal filament. This filament sits in the middle of the bulb supported by a glass mount. This filament and the connecting wires are surrounded by a glass bulb2. The glass bulb has no oxygen in it (Nobleman, 2003).

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Provide a critical review of the current risk management activities of Essay

Provide a critical review of the current risk management activities of any one (large, international) financial institution of y - Essay Example The organization has intensified their cost disciplines while investing in some selective growth areas that support the priorities of execution. Risk management is the process through which potential risks of the organization is identified, analysis is done and then precautionary steps are taken in order to reduce or cut down the risk. In the world of finance this practice is a very common one and is followed by almost every financial institution. Whenever an entity goes with some investment decision they are exposed to a large number of financial risks. The degree of risk involved depends on the type of financial instrument involved in the investment. These financial risks can be of various forms like recession, volatility in the capital market, high inflation and bankruptcy. Therefore, in order to control and minimize the exposure of the investment to such risks, the investors and the fund managers are seen to practice risk management. If adequate attention is not given to the risk management while making important investment decisions then disastrous situation may result during the financial turmoil in the economy (Webster, 2010; The Economic Times, 2013). Different categories of asset classes are attached to different levels of risk. Risk management is a vital function within Barclay, which is operating globally and enjoys great visibility. The risk team formed with the organization plays a significant role by aiding the senior management to incorporate informed decision taking the implications into account. The risk management team of Barclays operates across the organization protects the reputation of the organization by ensuring and securing the financial performance of the organization. The organization has dedicated team of experts who carries out valuable work in managing the issues that causes significant impact on the business (Barclays, 2013a). This study focuses on the risk management of Barclays bank, measures it risk appetite and discusses wheth er corporate governance supports these risk management activities. Figure 1 Source: (Youngberg, 2010) Risk Appetite Good risk management does not signify avoid all types of risk at any cost. It indicates the various types of informed choices that the organization makes related to the risk in pursuit of its measures and objectives that lead to mitigation of risk. Defining the risk appetite of an organization is an integral part of risk management. Best-of-class companies does not design or discuss their risk management as an isolated add-on process but it is viewed as an important part of their strategy execution and design. The new strategic initiative taken by the organization may open attractive opportunities for the organization but the rewards should be balanced properly with the risk that is generated. In order to integrate risk dimensions fully in the strategy design the company needs to be aware of how much risk it is willing to take and how it is planning to balance between opportunities and risks. Foe enterprise risk management defining the risk appetite is very essential (Barfield, R., n.d.). While deciding on the risk appetite of the organization the board of directors should categorize the different types of risk and decides on the capacity. This includes the type and amount of risk the organization is capable of supporting in pursuit to the business objectives and taking into account the access to the

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Sector Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Sector Analysis - Essay Example This is a dangerous sign, and many companies try to continuously update and innovate their business models in order to achieve success in terms of profitability and growth. Sector analysis is one of the new innovations that are being used by corporations and managers. It is a spin-off from Financialization. Financialization can be described as a process whereby financial markets and organizations dictate the economic policy of a country. In other words, Financialization is process where financial elites dictate the business policies formulation by the government. (Froud et al. 2006) Sector matrix defines the activity horizon of a company. As a result, it is sometimes also called â€Å"activity matrix†. Sector matrix is nothing but a representation of overall finances or revenues of a company coming into the business from its various areas of operations. The matrix is based on modern business and financial thinking. The old way of thinking about the supply was to consider it th e function of technology and product. The supply can only be increased if there are significant improvements in the production technology. This concept soon become obsolete and the new way of thinking was developed which stated that firm as a whole should be considered on the basis of its business model and various sources of income. A business usually makes money from diverse sources of profits and, hence, all of these sources should be taken into account before the supply and demand function of a business can be determined. Similarly, the old thinking about the demand was about winning the nameplate competition. It was all about improving or differentiating the brand from other competing brands in order to generate demand and make sales. However, the new way of thinking demand is about capturing the expenditure that consumers spend on substitutes and encouraging a complement product in order to increase the overall revenue of the firm. (Bowman & Singh 1993) The differentiating fac tors of the sector matrix and supply chain industry are that related products or complements are demanded together, therefore, a firm can achieve great success and double its sales if it starts producing complementary products. It is also believed that the firm operates in a boundary or in a particular sector. For example, a firm producing motor cars can produce car lubricants or wheels, but it will not immediately start a healthcare business. Hence, business models have boundaries. Similarly, a firm will try to enter into new businesses to lever its profits and in doing so there are chances that it may attract competition that may follow a similar matrix as this firm. However, it must be remembered that no existing firm exists in a particular matrix before the entry of this firm. The sector matrix can be explained more aptly by using two examples from different industries. The first example is taken from the Car Manufacturing Business and the second example is from Healthcare Busin ess. The reason for choosing these two sectors is to determine the applicability of the model in service and goods sector. This approach will check whether or not the model can be used for both goods and service sectors or whether or not this model is applicable for only one sector. (Brigham & Ehrhardt 2010) Example 1: Figure1: Sector Matrix of Car Assembly Source: (Froud et al. 2006) The above diagram shows that a car manufacturer exists in the upper left corner. This is unrewarding business because the industry is saturate and there are enough cars in the market that many people tend to buy used cars. This leads to demand substitution and demand for the firm’s products goes down. This has resulted in declining revenue for car

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Discussions Week 1-3 CIS462 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Discussions Week 1-3 CIS462 - Coursework Example Employees demonstrating the highest level of acceptance to policies get honorary or monetary compensations. Another method would involve provision of training programs that increase employees’ knowledge regarding the workplace policies. Lastly, acceptance can be improved through participative decision making. Managers should involve subordinate employees in formulation of policies (Lindsey, 2012). Potential challenges during implementation of these acceptance methods include but not limited to financial constrains and cultural barriers. Within an organization, security control measures are classified as technical measures, administrative measures or physical measures. Physical controls include things like door locks and fences for restricted access, while technical controls include authentication details like login information. These classifications contain control measures which are preventive, corrective or detective in nature. Within an organization, preventive controls like passwords deter unauthorized access of information. Detective measures like alarms notifies of security breaches while corrective controls like backup servers limit damages resulting from security breaches (Lindsey, 2012). Technical preventive measures feature as the most challenging control measures to implement. As mentioned earlier, preventive measures under the technical category include use of authentication details and antivirus software. Because of advancement in information technology, new programs and software that can bypass authentication barriers emerge regularly. In this case, redundancy of preventive controls undermines prolonged data security (Lindsey, 2012). One way of overcoming this redundancy challenge would involve regular updating of technical controls. The Children’s Internet protection Act, abbreviated as CIPA, protects minors from access to obscene online content. Technically, CIPA requires institutions like

Monday, September 9, 2019

Research paper on any controversy of an book author

On any controversy of an book author - Research Paper Example His works was dismissed by feminists, who believed that Hemingway’s tone was quite condescending and associated extremely foul traits with women. His hatred for women is understandable as throughout his life, he never had a stable relationship with the opposite sex that in turn led him to create some extremely controversial stories about women and the dynamics of marriage. When Hemingway was conscripted in the American army during the World War I, he fell in love with a nurse when he was admitted into a hospital after sustaining some heavy injuries on the battlefield. The said nurse’s name was Agnes and Hemingway was clearly infatuated with her. The two shared a short-lived romance and even made plans of marriage but Hemingway was left heartbroken when Agnes deemed her Italian fiance a better match for her than Hemingway. However, this was just the tip of the ice berg. Hemmingway’s misogynistic attitude roots back to his childhood and the conflict between him and his mother caused him to hold several grudges against women and these thoughts were often projected on to the male protagonists of his stories. Hemingway has said to have shown great hatred towards his mother on several occasions, who was an opera singer by profession. It is a documented fact that Hemingway referred to his mother as ‘That bitch’, he was weary of her mother’s domineering nature and despised her immensely for it. He believed that her mother not only emasculated his father, but also tried to emasculate him by not adhering to the gender roles and further inciting incestuous conflicts between his sister, Marceline and him (Jung, 2010). His childhood can be described as being quite turbulent for it was filled with her parents bickering and his mother eventually overpowering his father. He believed that his father’s masculinity was suppressed by his mother’s over-demanding nature and from then on Hemingway not only frowned upon marriage b ut began to believe that women were the biggest source of conflicts in a man’s life. He held them responsible for triggering identity problems in men and it can be rightly assumed that Hemingway too began questioning his identity because of his mother and sister. His tumultuous relationship with his mother was ostensible after some the letters that he exchanged with his mother became public and he openly passed derogatory remarks about her. Of course, every controversy has a story behind it and so travelling back into Hemingway’s childhood, one can easily see how the controversy was spurred into action. Back in the 19th century it was common for families to dress their males in feminine clothing. Therefore, so like every other young boy living in the late 19th century Hemingway was dressed in feminine clothes since birth. It was the set norm, but later on his mother, Grace, took it a step further and began dressing Hemingway and his sister, up in similar dresses, shoes , and even gave them the same hairstyles. She became intensely obsessive over making the two siblings look like twins. She went through great measures into keeping her fantasy alive. For example she made them sleep on the same bed; they were given the same toys, and such. Grace coupled the two up so much just so she could be happy in her fantasy world; she played with her children like dolls and often treated them heartlessly. The woman eventually cultivated