Poetry project Essay

He is that fallen lance that lies as hurled, That lies unlifted now, come dew, come rust, But still lies pointed as it plowed the dust. If we who sight along it round the world, See nothing worthy to have been its mark, It is because like men we look too near, Forgetting that as fitted to the sphere, Our missiles always make too short an arc. They fall, they rip the grass, they intersect The curve of earth, and striking, break their own; They make us cringe for metal-point on stone. But this we know, the obstacle that checked And tripped the body, shot the spirit on Further than target ever showed or shone. How does poetry help you see yourself/your world differently? Imagery Imagery is when the poet describes the items in the poem and the reader can picture or feel as the poet wants them to. When poets use imagery they want the reader to be able to see in their mind what the poem is about. Imagery is used with adjectives. The Gladiator Kevin Prufer When I died When my blood feathered away and I stared blankly and sideways into the grass. When the grass ceased against my cheek, I could not help but remember the gladiator who, in falling, never groans, who, ordered to accept it,  does not contract his neck for the final blow. And the hillside grew quiet. The bombers passed withering the trees and the city to flame. The empire fell. My empire, like a blood drop into the grass. It is of little consequence to the observer if the gladiator falls forward into the dirt. He is of a mind, merely, to do as he is told. He will not see the emperor’s thumbs. His city fell to its knees and burned, rolled on its side, but he won’t think of it. Those who once cheered for him are cheering still. The airplanes flew over the hill and I, crouched in the grass, was terrified but did not look up, did not complain  when a lost bomb startled me away. Seal William Jay Smith See how he dives From the rocks with a zoom! See how he darts Through his watery room Past crabs and eels. And green seaweed Past fluffs of sandy Minnow feed! See how he swims With a swerve and a twist, A flip of the flipper, A flick of the wrist! Quicksilver-quick, Down he plunges Softer than spray, Down he plunges And sweeps away; Before you can think Before you can utter Words like â€Å"Dill pickle† Or â€Å"Apple butter,† Back up he swims Past sting-ray and shark, Out with a zoom, A whoop, a bark; Before you can say Whatever you wish,  He plops at your side With a mouthful of fish! 1. In â€Å"Seal† how does the use of rhyme scheme keep you entertained throughout the poem? 2. After you have read both poems: How do the authors compare and contrast in their use of imagery? Which one did you like better? Why? After you read: How did your poem compare to these ones? How was yours different. Did you like the way these poets used imagery? Why/Why not? Figures of Speech A figure of speech is the use of a word or multiple words that can do many things. Simile – A comparison of two things using like or as. Example: I am as sly as a fox. Metaphor – A comparison of two things not using like or as. Example: Life is a Journey. Personification – Giving an inanimate object human quality. Example: The tree waved. Hyperbole – An extreme exaggeration of something. I stood there, waiting for you, for 74 hours. And there are other kinds of Figures of Speech but these are the most common ones. Before You Read: Do you use figures of speech when you write your poems? Why do you use them or don’t use them? While you are reading: Do you understand these uses of figures of speech? Why does the author use the simile/metaphor/etc. in this way? The Writer Richard Wilbur In her room at the prow of the house Where light breaks, and the windows are tossed with linden, My daughter is writing a story. I pause in the stairwell, hearing From her shut door a commotion of typewriter-keys Like a chain hauled over a gunwale. Young as she is, the stuff Of her life is a great cargo, and some of it heavy: I wish her a lucky passage. But now it is she who pauses, As if to reject my thought and its easy figure. A stillness greatens, in which The whole house seems to be thinking, And then she is at it again with a bunched clamor. Of strokes, and again is silent. I remember the dazed starling Which was trapped in that very room, two years ago; How we stole in, lifted a sash And retreated, not to affright it; And how for a helpless hour, through the crack of the door, We watched the sleek, wild, dark And iridescent creature Batter against the brilliance, drop like a glove To the hard floor, or the desk-top, And wait then, humped and bloody, For the wits to try it again; and how our spirits Rose when, suddenly sure, It lifted off from a chair-back, Beating a smooth course for the right window And clearing the sill of the world. It is always a matter, my darling, Of life or death, as I had forgotten. I wish What I wished you before, but harder. What are frail? Spring blossoms and youth; What are deep? The ocean and truth. How can sorrow be heavy as said in the poem? Today and Tomorrow be brief? Youth be frail? And truth be deep? Sounds of Poetry Sounds of poetry contain many different elements including rhyme, rhythm, onomatopoeia, alliteration, and there subtopics. Rhyme –The repetition of the sound of the stressed vowel and anything after it. Approximate rhyme –Not exact rhyme, not an echo. Internal rhyme –Rhyme inside of a line or lines. End rhyme –Usual rhyme at the end of lines. Rhythm –A musical quality of repetition. Meter –Regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables. Iamb –Unstressed followed by stressed. Foot –Stressed followed by one or more unstressed. Trochee –opposite of an iamb. Anapest –Two unstressed followed by a stressed. Dactyl –Stressed followed by two unstressed. Spondee –Two stressed syllables. Onomatopoeia –Words that sound like what they mean. Alliteration –The repetition of the same consonant sound in several words. Assonance –The repetition of vowel sounds.

Political, Social, Economic, and Intellectual Life

Between the time period of 1840 and 1860, slavery played an influential and pivotal role in the development of a new southern lifestyle. In the struggle for dominance in America, slavery was the South’s stronghold and the underlying cause in much of their motives for many of the economic instigations along with the affirmative political actions. By dominating the everyday southerner’s life, slavery also dominated the economic and political aspects of life during the height of the slavery period.By the 1840’s the Southern economy had become almost entirely slave and and agriculturally dependent. Without the dependence of slaves in the south, a person was to remain landless, poverty stricken or struggling to sustain life through the means of a minute, ineffective farm. However, even though slaves dominated the southern economy, slaveholders only included about 2 to 3 percent of the population, and most owned less than ten slaves. This small percentage of fortunate individuals were the few people successful in a slave based, cash crop, agricultural, Southern economy.In turn, the Southern economy was controlled and dominated by those who did and did not have slaves, which generated the political ideology and political atmosphere formed as a result of the utter reliance on slavery controlling all aspects of everyday life. ?Slaves in the south were the main contributors to the South’s economic success. The invention of Eli Whitney’s cotton gin made possible the wide-scale cultivation of short-staple cotton.All professionals worked diligently with one another to make sure each function, from production to distribution, was properly executed on the plantation, and that an ample supply of cotton was always present. An organized network of commerce never developed in the South, as the high demand for cotton in Europe, primarily Great Britain, and in North America, more slaves were needed in the south to continue to produce the lucrative cash crops, booming the southern economy and the need to create and reform the cash crop business.The the new cotton crop and other rising crops like rice and tobacco led to the increasing demands that were higher than the current production rate. In order for them to generate a more lucrative business, the south used slaves as a labor source to produce crops, which had the largest impact on the southern lifestyle. This in turn boosted the south's economy, which allowed the the southern life to thrive and create a distinction between themselves and the other economies of North America. Whilst slaves dominated the southern economy, slaveholders only accounted for about two to three percent of the southern population.This small, yet powerful percentage of individuals were the people successful in agricultural business and the driving force behind the usage and continuation of slavery in the South. Without slaves there would be no cotton, tobacco, or sugar production and without these integral items, the Southern economy would absolutely collapse. The South depended on slaves to fuel their economy which in turn allowed for slavery to dominate the economy and be the sole resource of the South. ?Between 1840 and 1860 many political issues, debates, and actions were inflamed by the presence of slavery.As America grew, both in population and in size, the South wanted more slave states and the North wanted more free states to increase their hold in politics and sway decisions in favor of what put them in a position for the greatest success. One important act that provoked the slavery dominated political world of 1840 to 1860 was the Kansas and Nebraska Act, composed by the highly acclaimed Democrat Stephen Douglas. This act was successful in repealing the Missouri Compromise of 1820 and called for popular sovereignty in Kansas and Nebraska which under the Missouri Compromise had been free, as dictated by federal law.The Missouri Compromise was originally an act to se ttle disputes about free states and slave states entering the Union in an attempt to keep the balance of free states and states that permitted slavery equal. To repeal this was to almost beg for revolution; hence the term â€Å"Bleeding Kansas† which included the John Brown riots and caused political and social unrest in these areas affected by the law. The Compromise of 1850 was another feeble solution to the predominate problem of run-away slaves and the recurring issue of slavery in new territories.This Compromise created stronger fugitive slave laws which satisfied Southern slave catchers and enraged Northern abolitionists. Millard Fillmore, President at the time, was inept in favoring any side and felt that this compromise would be the driving force that would keep the already fragile union together. The compromise also made California a free state, and the area won in the Mexican Cession would be subject to popular sovereignty, and lastly, dictated that there would be n o slave trade in Washington D. C. but it would remain a slave state to keep the proper balance. The weak and extremely controversial compromises would would only further split the nation on the topic of slavery and create a greater schism within the topic. From 1820 to 1860 slavery was a recurring topic in Congress and the House of Representatives. Slavery is even considered to be the cause of the Civil War and in the end, was grasped as the main reason for bloody fighting. All political issues during this time could not be discussed without the topic of slavery behind it. Read also: Theories Actually Seen in Practice in Ojt

Swot Analysis Mcdonalds

Running Head: MARKETING SWOT Analysis Answer 1. The company so selected for the sake of carrying upon SWOT Analysis is McDonalds. The company is found to run its food outlets all around the globe. It basically deals in fast-foods. The customers serve to be the main aspect for the company. It used to collect feedback from the customers on a regular basis. The SWOT Analysis is the tool that is used from the point of developing pertinent knowledge about company’s position in the market. From this, it can improve the weak areas and can strengthen the strong aspects more and more. The information regarding company’s SWOT Analysis can be derived from Company’s website, annual reports, books, articles and journals. All these prove to be effective from the point of developing knowledge about its strength, weakness, threats and opportunities (McDonald’s Corporation: The Past, Present, and Future, n. d. ). The strength of the company is that it is operating in accordance with various cultures. It serves to be a socially responsible company and actively work for community’s betterment. It is also placed on a great position under Fortune ranking list. The weaknesses linked with the company are that it failed to move towards pizza market. In addition to this, it needs to capitalize on the trend towards organic foods as well. The changing preferences of the customers also pose a problem in front of the company. The company understands customer’s value in business and that is why asking them regularly for more improvements. The health of the customers is taken into account with due effect and this makes it high (McDonalds, 2011). It serves to be the opportunities for the company. The threats are that the company faces intense competition and this makes things impossible. At the same time, it is also important to see to it that all these things need to be considered from the point of indentifying company’s actual position. The SWOT Analysis related to the company can be easily found out. But it seems to be very much general in approach. The point is to derive best possible information. The data and all other relevant information are not available easily while writing up SWOT Analysis for a company (Meldrum & McDonald, 007). Answer 2. The SWOT Analysis is being conducted by taking information from books, company’s website, articles etc. All these altogether supports a lot in making things carried upon effectively. The information is being collectively taken from all these sources. The best possible information can be derived from books and articles. Actually, things are quite understandable and comprehensible. With this, it becomes quite easy to u nderstand importance of things in a far better mode. The steps that are being adopted for checking as to information are valid or reliable or not. It is important to arrive at a better conclusion with the help of accumulating information from the authentic sources. The sources so utilized need to be effective and valuable so that interpretations can also be made properly and successfully. In addition to this, SWOT Analysis can be performed and carried out effectively as well (Our Company, 2011). Answer 3. The manager of the company is required to carry upon strategic decisions on the basis of company’s position. The SWOT Analysis so carried upon leads to make things effective and successful in approach. The information so derived online seems to be somewhat ineffective in approach. It would be better to go for developing more knowledge from some better sources. With this, it is for sure that decision-making can be made effective and good in approach. The situations need to be analyzed with due effect as well. It would make manager confident as well as self-assured from the point of carrying upon business practices in a far better way. The other relevant sources that can be used for the sake of completing SWOT analysis for the company are that proper studies and company’s previous records need to be examined and investigated with due respect. It would lead to make things effective and appropriate for the company as well (McDonalds Corporation, n. d. ). References McDonald’s Corporation: The Past, Present, and Future. (n. d. ). Retrieved March 15, 2011, from http://2myprofessor. com/Common/Sample%20Projects/McDonald%27s_Corporation. PDF McDonalds. (2011). Retrieved March 15, 2011, from http://www. mcdonalds. com/us/en/home. html McDonalds Corporation. (n. d. ). Swot Analysis Mcdonalds Running Head: MARKETING SWOT Analysis Answer 1. The company so selected for the sake of carrying upon SWOT Analysis is McDonalds. The company is found to run its food outlets all around the globe. It basically deals in fast-foods. The customers serve to be the main aspect for the company. It used to collect feedback from the customers on a regular basis. The SWOT Analysis is the tool that is used from the point of developing pertinent knowledge about company’s position in the market. From this, it can improve the weak areas and can strengthen the strong aspects more and more. The information regarding company’s SWOT Analysis can be derived from Company’s website, annual reports, books, articles and journals. All these prove to be effective from the point of developing knowledge about its strength, weakness, threats and opportunities (McDonald’s Corporation: The Past, Present, and Future, n. d. ). The strength of the company is that it is operating in accordance with various cultures. It serves to be a socially responsible company and actively work for community’s betterment. It is also placed on a great position under Fortune ranking list. The weaknesses linked with the company are that it failed to move towards pizza market. In addition to this, it needs to capitalize on the trend towards organic foods as well. The changing preferences of the customers also pose a problem in front of the company. The company understands customer’s value in business and that is why asking them regularly for more improvements. The health of the customers is taken into account with due effect and this makes it high (McDonalds, 2011). It serves to be the opportunities for the company. The threats are that the company faces intense competition and this makes things impossible. At the same time, it is also important to see to it that all these things need to be considered from the point of indentifying company’s actual position. The SWOT Analysis related to the company can be easily found out. But it seems to be very much general in approach. The point is to derive best possible information. The data and all other relevant information are not available easily while writing up SWOT Analysis for a company (Meldrum & McDonald, 007). Answer 2. The SWOT Analysis is being conducted by taking information from books, company’s website, articles etc. All these altogether supports a lot in making things carried upon effectively. The information is being collectively taken from all these sources. The best possible information can be derived from books and articles. Actually, things are quite understandable and comprehensible. With this, it becomes quite easy to u nderstand importance of things in a far better mode. The steps that are being adopted for checking as to information are valid or reliable or not. It is important to arrive at a better conclusion with the help of accumulating information from the authentic sources. The sources so utilized need to be effective and valuable so that interpretations can also be made properly and successfully. In addition to this, SWOT Analysis can be performed and carried out effectively as well (Our Company, 2011). Answer 3. The manager of the company is required to carry upon strategic decisions on the basis of company’s position. The SWOT Analysis so carried upon leads to make things effective and successful in approach. The information so derived online seems to be somewhat ineffective in approach. It would be better to go for developing more knowledge from some better sources. With this, it is for sure that decision-making can be made effective and good in approach. The situations need to be analyzed with due effect as well. It would make manager confident as well as self-assured from the point of carrying upon business practices in a far better way. The other relevant sources that can be used for the sake of completing SWOT analysis for the company are that proper studies and company’s previous records need to be examined and investigated with due respect. It would lead to make things effective and appropriate for the company as well (McDonalds Corporation, n. d. ). References McDonald’s Corporation: The Past, Present, and Future. (n. d. ). Retrieved March 15, 2011, from http://2myprofessor. com/Common/Sample%20Projects/McDonald%27s_Corporation. PDF McDonalds. (2011). Retrieved March 15, 2011, from http://www. mcdonalds. com/us/en/home. html McDonalds Corporation. (n. d. ).

The End or Basis of Being Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The End or Basis of Being - Essay Example In this article, I support Rufus’ argument that thinking is not a preserve of the intellect. First, I give reasons as to how decisions are made by humans, second, I argue concerning the possibility of thinking becoming the thing thought, and lastly, I evaluate the merits of the two arguments as presented by Rufus. Richard Rufus rejected the premise that we think by the intellect given forms in the way matter is. This standing by Rufus is true in several ways. Firstly as Rufus (4) argues, man is every created thing, and man constitutes a lesser world: thus in his being, man shares with all created things as below: living with plants, existence with stones, sensitive with beasts, thinking with angels, and finally man shares some aspects with God. This implies that man is a complex creature that shares many aspects with other beings, but yet has some peculiar characteristics make him special; the intellect. Intellect is the part of man lacking in other beings, which presents the difference. As other beings have some degree of knowledge and instincts, so does man share some commonalities with other beings. For example, if a deer escapes an attack by a lion through instincts though it has not sighted the lion, man must use the same instincts to make some decisions in some cases. This follows that man does not only depend on thinking through intellect, but shares other common modes of thinking with other beings. ... Therefore, we do not think by the intellect alone, but use other senses to make decisions that are different and unique from decisions made of intellect. Thinking is a matter of literally becoming the thing thought. Rufus (2) argues that agents are dissimilar at the start; but in the end, after being acted upon, they are similar. This implies that the sensitive part refers to the faculty, and because sensing is being acted upon, it is passive. At the end, when the sensing has been acted upon, the sensitive will be similar to the active, which is namely the sensible. To understand this, first we have to introduce the idea of potency and actuality. A matchbox is fire in potency. This means that the match box can be acted upon to become fire itself. It has the potency to cause fire. Similarly, when the fire has been caused through the matchbox, it then becomes actuality. Likewise, the human soul is a spirit in potency. Rufus (4) in explaining the nature of man elaborates man shares some common things with God. God by himself is actuality devoid of any potency. He is the end; implying God cannot be caused to be any other than God himself. Cindering we share some common aspects with God; God cannot be in corporeal nature but is in spirit itself. The soul is related to the spirit and is the aspect that makes humans to have a common aspect with God, which is devoid of other animals or beings. The human soul is therefore in potency that though being the essence of humanity, it has not yet attained the spiritual status; which is the actuality of the soul, in sharing common aspect with God, whom by himself has no matter. This implies once humans are dead; the soul attains its actuality, and can be related to God, whom is devoid of matter. Rufus (4) in explaining

The Fashioned Body Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The Fashioned Body - Essay Example The essay "The Fashioned Body" discusses the topic of Gender Identity and Social Norms. These include biological factors such as genetic constitution. Social factors also influence gender identity. This paper discusses how one set of social factors, namely social norms, influences a person's perception of being a man or a woman. In order to accomplish this task, backgrounds on gender identity and social norms will be discussed. Thereafter, specific aspects of social norms and how they affect gender identity will be examined. Sigmund Freud is largely held as the father of modern psychoanalysis. In 1905, Freud presented their theory of psychological development in a publication titled Tree Essays on the Theory of Sexuality. Freud claimed and purported to prove that prior to birth, infants do not distinguish between the sexes(Elgstrom, 2000). To them, both the father and the mother have the same reproductive organs and abilities. Based on this, Freud inferred that that originally, a per son is wired to be bisexual. They added that heterosexuality was the result of repression during infancy when gender identity becomes embedded in the infant. According to Freud, at this stage, the child experiences sexual fantasies for the parent of the opposite sex while developing hatred for the parent of the same sex. The problem with Freud is that they tried to explain everything in terms of sex and sexuality. For instance, they are on record for claiming that the reason a farmer engages in crop farming.

Slavery and the atlantic slave trade Research Paper

Slavery and the atlantic slave trade - Research Paper Example The importing of African slaves became an essential, acceptable and profitable part of European commerce. Taking advantage of the internecine warring amidst African nations, Europeans forcefully removed Africans from their homeland, with the largest numbers from the Gold, Ivory and West Coasts. The cruel system of African slavery was uniquely different from other forms of slavery due to the brutal manner in which it was conducted, the treatment of African slaves as goods or personal property, and the great numbers of people who were captured as slaves, believed to be over 50 million. The one-way trip to the Americas was known as the â€Å"Middle-Passage†. One of the major debates among historians about the transatlantic slave trade argues the specific reasons for Europeans to enslave Africans during an extensive period spanning the 15th to the early 19th century. Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to determine whether European motivation for the slave trade was rel ated to profits, racism, or had another explanation. The Significance and Long-Term Effects of the Slave Trade Historian Marcus Rediker has explored not only the transatlantic slave trade, but also the slave ships by which the trade was carried out for centuries. The transportation of enslaved Africans and business transactions of slaves towards their use as forced labor, forms history’s greatest imposed migration. ... Contrastingly, the loss of large numbers of its people led to extensive decline in Africa’s economy and political situation. Despite rich natural resources, the continent’s inability to overcome its low levels of development towards progress is attributed fully to its past of enslavement and depletion of its population3. However, other reasons such as the siphoning away of world financial aids meant for Africa’s development, by politicians in the weak political system, further undermines the continent’s future. Racism and the Brutality of the Transatlantic Slave Trade Significantly, racism is defined as white supremacy4, because no other race in the world has asserted itself to be the superior race; and used political or economic resources to impose oppression on others on the basis of race. The Europeans considered themselves as the superior race on the basis of their light skin color, and believed that dark skin genetically predetermined Africans as infe rior, and suitable only for the status of slave. Thus, the Europeans developed deeply ingrained discrimination against the dark coloured Africans as â€Å"others† belonging to a lower class of humanity. This approach is also evident in the fact that Europeans did not enslave other Europeans because of an underlying commitment to individual rights. They considered other whites as similar to themselves, and consequently their equals. Since Africans were considered as different both physically and culturally, this â€Å"otherness† was the rationalization for enslaving, ill-treating and enforcing hard labor on them. Carl Degler5 and Winthrop Jordan6 supported this view of racism being key to Africans’ enslavement by the white Europeans.

The Five Functions of Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Five Functions of Management - Essay Example According to Denhardt and Vinzant (2008), there are five functions of managers in any organization that must be undertaken effectively to ensure successive growth of any organization. The manager must perform the functions of planning, organizing, commanding, reporting and budgeting functions in an organization. These activities are the real meaning of management. They must be performed if enterprises are to achieve any meaningful growth in terms of revenue collection. At the place of work, the manager in his duty of planning makes sure that the organization moves on into the future effectively, the manager is also well organized. To the manager, planning is a full time event. He makes plans for the whole organization while other managers prepare plans for the departments they are in direct control of. In my organization, planning is one managerial function that is often easy to overlook. Some managers often get held up in the hectic pace of conversations, meetings, and deadlines; they therefore neglect their management duties. However, the most effective managers at the work place are aware of the time they take in carrying out planning activities, whether for the business or for their selves. Good planning practices by the general manager pay rich dividends to the organization. Planning is closely linked to the process of making decisions in the organization. The manager gets involved in any aspect of managerial work that cuts across several othe r areas (Koontz & Weihrich, 2006).... In any work place, planning is the primary function of the manager. All other duties come after planning since the manager first plans before he reacts. The manager determines in advance, the objectives and goals and coming up with a course of action in achieving the set objectives. To the manger, planning involves, looking ahead and deciding what is to be done, when and where it is to be undertaken (Randhawa, 2007). On his duty of organizing, the manager performs several other duties including the division of the organization into different departments, drafting levels in the organization’s hierarchy as well as making decisions on those responsible for certain areas and who to report to incase there are problems. At the work place, especially in specific departments or division, organizing involves the task of defining specific positions and jobs. Themanager does the duties of designing the job. However, the assignment of individuals to such positions involves the staffing ra ther than the organizing function of the manager (Randhawa, 2007). On staffing, the manager performs functions of recruiting, training and developing the skill of the new employees to the organization. Staffing functions are normally described as personnel management or in most cases, hum resources management. Tasks such as hiring, training and firing are examples of the of the staffing or personnel function that the manager undertakes at the work place. The manager, when dealing with employees, employs important communication skills and motivation as well as the capability to make informed choices about whom to recruit or hire into the organization (Rao, 1999). Further, the manager in ensuring the smooth running of the organization performs the functions of directing. Directing is the

The Push and Pull Concept in Marketing and Promotion in Business Research Paper - 11

The Push and Pull Concept in Marketing and Promotion in Business Operations - Research Paper Example The push and pull concept is associated with marketing and promotion in business operations. As the name would imply, in the case of push strategy the item, product or service is brought to the focus of the clients and customers through the different sources available for the promotion and reaching out to the customers. Real world Practical examples of push strategy include the showrooms that are present all over. In case of digital devices, the I phone stores that are established in different parts of the world that promote their new devices, and other presently available devices are available in the dummy form, all these are examples of push strategy of marketing. Toyota’s promotional campaign is an example of a practical world in this regard. Pull strategy, in contrast, does not provide direct and on the spot availability of the item or service. It provides the details and explanation of the items only through a pre-planned promotional program. The examples of pull strategy include the proper promotional campaign initiated before the launch of a particular item or product. In a pull strategy, the idea spread through words to different sources. They can be used subject to the understanding of the situation. To experts, the pull strategy may lead to a more effective outcome from the products and services. It helps to overcome the fear and factor of inventory. Also, the extra forecasts and the fear of getting the forecasts right is also eliminated through the help of a pull strategy. Pull strategy is associated with the Lean management and Lean production process.

Gerontology clinician Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Gerontology clinician - Essay Example Gerontologists study how older people are treated within a society and how elderly deal with the inevitable problems of aging, particularly those involving health and income. Health problems include normal losses in hearing, eyesight, and memory, and the increased likelihood of the incidence of chronic disease. These losses are gradual and proceed at different rates for each individual. In general, the health of older people today is superior to that of previous generations- a condition that is likely to improve still further as more people receive better medical care throughout their lives. In most industrial societies, the high cost of treating chronic illness has been assumed, at least partially, by national health insurance schemes. The second major problem of the elderly involves income and economic welfare. Because most old people no longer form part of the labour force, some form of income maintenance is necessary. Industrial societies generally employ systems of pensions and social security benefits partly for this purpose. In spite of this fact, however, many elderly people live below, on, or only slightly above the poverty level; these are predominantly women and members of ethnic and other minority groups for whom economic security has always been insecure. (Le Shan, 1986) The third factor is that the vast majorities of elderly men are married and live with their wives in homes of their own. In the west generally, many widowed women are able to maintain an independent one- person household. Thus, fewer than about 20 percent of the elderly live in the household of an adult child, and around only around 5 percent are in institutions such as hospitals or nursing homes. Those who live with an adult child or who are institutionalized are typically very old or have serious health problems. Although both the elderly and their children express a strong preference for independent residence, most old people live within a few hours' travel of one of their children. The fourth factor is that the Social relationships might be difficult to maintain in old age because of health limitations, the death of family members and friends, loss of workmates, and lack of suitable affordable transport. Still, many old people invest as much time and energy as possible in friendships and family, and find companionship at special centers and day clubs for senior citizens. Historically, in the past particularly, old people commanded respect, as; indeed they still do in countries such as China and Japan, and the fate of other family members. In most modern societies, however, young people are independent; they themselves choose whom they will marry, and receive public education.(Rashkis, Harold A, 1981). Elderly people themselves, however, often display high levels of morale, satisfaction with life, and feeling of self-worth, even though recently there have been increasing instances of neglect and ill-treatment of elderly people. The important variables in this are, of course, health and income. The responsibility of modern societies in this respect is to ensure that the aged have their basic needs met and that they have the resources to continue to function usefully and happily within the community. (Butler, Robert, 1975). Ageing in biology, combination of changes in an organism that appear to occur inevitably and irreversibly with the passage of time, eventually resulting in death. Among humans they include a decrease in tissue flexibility, loss of some

Kuwait Education System Essay Example for Free

Kuwait Education System Essay This is a study with Kuwait in focus. Its going to analyze Kuwaiti education with regards to the following important factors, efficiency and degree of development of the education system, important changes, effects of these changes, most important weaknesses in the availability of human capital measures to overcome these weaknesses, how good the education service is available and how students from Kuwait perform in internationally comparable test scores. The paper generally to tackle the issue stated. Kuwait is a nation in Middle East. It borders Persian Gulf, which is between Saudi Arabia and Iraq. It has an area of 17,280 square kilometers and a relatively small population of about 2,596,779 as per estimates of July 2008. Most of its population is male and almost half of this total population figure constitutes foreigners. Kuwaitis constitute about 80% of the total labor force as per 2004 estimates. Almost 10% of world’s oil reserves are in Kuwait and it’s a relatively rich country. Kuwait spends about 3. 8% of it’s GDP on education. Also literacy levels stand at very high percentages for instance 93. 3%. Male literacy is higher at 94. 4%compared to female’s 91% as per 2005 estimates. (The World Fact Book, 2008) Before tackling various issues concerning education it’s good to have a historical background of the same. Kuwaiti educational system development is largely attributed to the richness of the nation courtesy of oil exportation. In the early 1990s educational facilities were quite few in Kuwait. The schools that were there were Quranic schools called al-katabibs. The Quranic schools taught arithmetic, reading and writing. Public education was non existent in the earlier part pf the 20th century and thus, funds to education came from wealthier nationals. The government took over the educational system in the year 1939and by 1945 it had begun 17 schools. After the WWII when oil production started to pick up, the government also raised the stake of its revenue that went to education. In 1960s Kuwait had 45000 students in its educational system which 18000 were female. Major development in education also happened in the 1960s and in 1965 schooling was made compulsory in Kuwait (Kuwait Cultural Office, 2008) The efficiency of the Kuwaiti educational system is explained as follows: today in Kuwait there are about 500,000 students in school, which is about 30% of its total population. There are three levels of education in Kuwait and each one of them takes duration of four years to complete. These levels include elementary, intermediate and secondary. Attending school is compulsory for children in the age bracket of six to fourteen years. All these stages of Kuwaiti educational system are free. From second grade in school, children in Kuwait start studying English language. Kuwaiti parents send most of their children to foreign private schools established in Kuwait. These private schools are usually very prestigious. For example American school of Kuwait. Also this private education, though not fully funded by the state is highly subsidized besides allotment of land for construction of schools and issuance of textbooks. Public schools in Kuwait are a bit different compared to private schools since from first grade, there’s segregation of children by sex. Kuwait also ensures equity of education offered to women with that of men. For example the 1989 education initiative, where there was introduction of daytime literacy clinics to benefit women. Kuwaiti government also makes sure that every new school has a library with an expansive book collection. The government also established an â€Å"education Net† which was a project to link each and every government school and library to a telecommunications data network (Kuwait cultural office, 2008) To explain the various important changes and their effects, an overview on the education system of Kuwait will cover from 1900s. In the early of the 20th century education was aimed at gaining basic literacy and this was in context of religion. The existing schools then were quran schools. Wealthier people sent their children abroad for higher education in around 1912 merchants who were interested in their children’s (especially sons) education started private schools. For instance, mubara kiyya school, which was the first modern institution of education. Later on in 1921, another notable private school was established by the name ahmadiyya school and which was the first to offer English as a subject. Shortly after 1921 the first girl’s school was established and it taught home economics, Islamic studies and Arabic. Education was later put under state control in 1939. Teachers from Palestine started a mission for education which had students being sent abroad for education and also started new schools. As a result, four elementary schools started. An overall national department of education to govern government schools and teachers from Palestine, Syria, Iraq Lebanon and Egypt started a program to ensure secondary education in Kuwait. In around 1945 there were 17 schools in Kuwait. Later in the 1950s rapid changes occurred. for example, the founding of the first kindergarten schools and a first technical college in the academic year 1954-55. 80 students were enrolled in this college in the first year. In 1956 the institute for the blind was established. Later on in 1958 an adult education program was started for men. On to 1960s in i1963 an adult education program was started for women. By the year 1970 there were 738,662students in Kuwaiti schools where less than half were Kuwaiti nationals. In 1973 there were 1,644 special needs students and 11 institutes of the special education. Since it’s initiation in 1956. Jumping to 1982, the number of teachers was a bit high at 24,367 of whom 6,748 only were Kuwaiti. By the academic year 1997-98 the number of teachers was 27,359 of which 17,357 were Kuwaiti. This changed from 1: 3. 76 in 1982 to 1. 7:1 in 1997-98 academic years. Today the government provides a kitty for each of the education levels in Kuwait namely, elementary, intermediate and secondary school. Another important change is that at university level, a university was established and which was called Kuwait University with the majority of the student body being made up of Kuwaiti. (State University. com, 2008) Kuwait is highly reliable on foreign countries for human capital and thus the problem of human capital in Kuwait. Human capital is a country’s stock of knowledge and skills and it constitutes the skilled labor in the economy. Kuwaiti labor force is dominated by non-nationals. There was especially an influx of foreign laborers in Kuwait in the 1970’s. Kuwaitis relied at high levels on the labor of expatriates who had high morale from their countries. Kuwaitis have thus become minorities in their own home due to high dependence on foreign skilled labor for both private and public sectors. Unemployed nationals of Kuwait as well as nominally employed ones over-rely on the state for easy jobs and welfare. Foreigners are also seen to influence the traditions and cultures of Kuwait. Real employment may also be desired but hardly attainable due to the set social system where nationals lack the skills to fit in the labor market. To remove the dilemma set by this predicament Kuwaitis thus have to think in the lines of the following solutions: practical education to be offered to nation and that befits the national requirements of the labor market, reduction in the number of work visas issued to foreigners and leveling the wage differences between citizens and non-citizens. Some international assessments have been carried out on Kuwait education system. The factors in consideration are schools self-evaluation, and evaluation of teachers. There was a particular study carried out due to low secondary school student participation rates where completion rates were low, repetition was high besides the high drop-out rates. Also students’ achievements even after high school education are considered as those which are disappointing. This was considered true especially because Kuwait students performed dismally in international assessments of student achievement. To conclude on the study, even though, the government of Kuwait has done a giant leap toward development of its education, a lot remains undone. In focus should be the global applicability of Kuwaitis education and also at national levels. Since today’s labor force constitutes about 80% non-nationals, practicability and fitness of the Kuwaiti education should also be among the major issues that require speedy resolution. Generally to ensure this are there from the findings in this study. So the government’s ministry of education needs to invest a lot on issues to do with Research and Development as regards issues of practical educational development. Incentives to nationals should also be created to take courses at the university level that are similar to those of the non-nationals’ expatriate staff by even making it more interesting and exciting. More students should also get involved on exchange programs with other students in economies which are performing highly and through their human capital. References Hladczuk, J and Eller, W. 1992. International Handbook of Reading Education Greenwood Publishing Group Kellaghan, T. 2008. Developing Assessment Ca pacityIn The Kuwait Education System. Retrieved on October 25, 2008 from http://www. moe. edu. kw/pages/misc/wathaeg%20feb%202008/wathaeg%20almoa shr%20alwa6ani%2017-19feb%202008/Kalaghan_Report1. doc. pdf Kuwait Cultural Office. 2008. History. Retrieved on October 25, 2008 from http://www. kuwaitculture. com/About%20Us/History. htm State University. Com, 2008. Education In Kuwait- An Overview. . Retrieved on October 25, 2008 from http://education. stateuniversity. com/pages/784/Kuwait- EDUCATIONAL-SYSTEM-OVERVIEW. html The world fact book, 2008. Kuwait. Retrieved on October 25, 2008 from https://www. cia. gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ku. html

Defining leadership as a process and property

Defining leadership as a process and property In defining leadership Jago (1982, p.315) states leadership is both a process and a property. The process involves influencing group members to undertake activities that will lead to the accomplishment of the group objective, while the property refers to the set of characteristics believed to be held by those with influence. Leadership theory began by focusing on traits but has since followed a varied course in the search for conclusive evidence on the factors that affect leadership. In this report we will focus on the dyadic process of leadership, looking at the leader as an individual (Lussier Achua, 2009) and will assume that leadership effectiveness will only be understood by looking at the influence of the leader on their followers. We will concentrate on three major theories trait, behavioural or style and situational. Trait Lussier Achua (2009, p. 16) proposes that leadership trait theories attempt to explain distinctive characteristics accounting for leadership effectiveness. Traits were initially thought to be innate or heritable qualities of the individual(Zaccaro,J.S,2007)   This perspective shifted to include all the other enduring qualities that distinguished leaders from Non-leaders. (Kiripatrick and Locke,1991 as cited in Zaccaro,J.S.,2007) There is strong evidence to prove that traits contribute significantly towards leader effectiveness, leader emergence, and leader advancement.()The following are some of the traits which each of us believed lacked in us following group discussion: Decisiveness Barlet Decisiveness is often identified as a key trait in leadership (Ghiselli, 1971 as cited in Lussier, 2008). It involves the ability to logically analyze a situation and make a decision in a timely manner. A leaders decisiveness also provides clarity and direction and gives others confidence in that leader. Readiness to make decisions was identified as a key personality trait that predicted a managerial advancement (Howard Bray, 1983 as cited in Hogan, Curphy and Hogan, 1994). Barlet has identified decisiveness as a weakness, especially in high stress situations where a quick and effective decision was required. After discussing with the group and analysing situations where Barlet lacked that ability to make the decision, it has been identified a number of steps to improve decisiveness. One was to have a procedure where a situation could be analysed and decision made quickly. Its also important to trust yourself and not be afraid of making the wrong decision. Motivation Saran Motivation is a key element of any type of leadership, whether the leader is informal, bureaucratic or and expert it is vital for the individual to be motivated. Three types of motivation stand out with regards to leadership. The first is the goals to which human behaviour is directed, the seconded involves how these goals are selected and pursued and the last involves the process of influencing others. (Huczynski and Buchanan, 1991) After discussion of these three factors with regard to Sarans ability to lead, we found some serious flaws in his motivation. The clearest point that emerged from the discussion was that to lead one must be able to achieve the targets of the task, build and develop the team and have concern for the individuals in the team. (Pettinger, 2007)   It was found that Saran had a clear and genuine concern for the individuals he was responsible for. The problems arose when trying to achieve the task. This problem was there because the goals to which his behaviour was directed did not compliment the task. The priority that Saran gave was based on his own goals, what motivates him to do the task in hand was not what necessarily what motivated Saran. This ultimately led to the problem becoming more and more difficult, and in many cases a serious trade off between time and quality had to be made.   This task has lead Saran to look at the basic attitudes towards goals, by changing this we beli eve he will be able to look at the prioritisation of tasks in a whole new light, completely transforming his ability qto   leaded. Self-confidence Jenny Research on leadership traits has consistently shown that self-confidence is considered to be an important characteristic (Hollenbeck Hall, 2004). McCormick (2001, p.) describes self-confidence as the following: Self-confidence refers to peoples self-judgement of their capabilities and skills, or their perceived competence to deal successfully with the demands of a variety of situations.   Up to now Jenny has persistently shown a lack of self-confidence when undertaking tasks and leading others. She feels particularly uncomfortable when she has to make a decision for a group as she usually has doubts about whether or not it is the correct decision. The group suggested that by increasing her task understanding, by breaking it into specific components, and knowledge Jenny could become more confident as she would have evidence to support her decision making. Hollenbeck and Hall (2004) suggests that self-confidence is built up by a process of taking a small risk and making progress to wards achieving a certain goal. Success in this will lead to increased confidence in your abilities. therefore Jenny would need to begin to take small risks also. Initiative Sandy Initiative has been defined as a leading action or a commencing movement, often associated with the first action of a matter. Effective leaders take initiative. This involves being proactive and making decisions that lead to change instead of just reacting to events or waiting for others to take action (Kirkpatrick and Locke, 1991). In most situations, Sandy has been finding it difficult to demonstrate initiative because she has high agreeableness, and very often prefer to listen to other members suggestions. She lacks self-assurance that she is uncertain about her own opinion, and therefore finds other peoples opinion more favourable. Research on leadership and personality has stated the importance of initiative and persistence in relation to effective leadership, and so by having other qualities such as conscientious and tenacity which are related to the above traits may help (Judge et.al., 2002). Sandy felt she do not have experiences in taking initiative because she felt she is n ot knowledgeable and informative enough. Our group agreed that Sandy should believe in herself and try to improve by gaining more knowledge, and do not have fear to speak up and be arrogant in a good way. Dominance Athmika Dominance was amongst one of the important traits associated with leadership and leader perception (Mann, 1959, as cited in Lord, De Vader and Alliger, 1986). Smith and Foti (1998) have listed several studies that show that dominance has positive correlations with leadership perceptions and people that score high in dominance tend to find themselves in a leadership position. Anderson and Kilduff (2009) found that people who are deemed as being highly dominant in relation to traits were likely to be categorized by other group members as more competent than they actually are. Athmika has always been a team player and values team opinions over hers. From her personal experiences and while discussing with the team, she realised dominance was a trait she lacked the most. To be more dominant, she should have faith in her ideas and be able to influence her group with her ideas. She can do this by reading extensively about the task which would guide her to make   informed decisions. Also, she should voice her opinion out strongly which would make her feel more in control of the situation. Behavioral Leadership theory progressed from researching traits to looking at the impact of behaviour style. Two main types emerged from the research body; task and relationship behaviours. Task behaviours facilitate goal accomplishment (Northouse, 2004) and relationship behaviours focus on how comfortable subordinates feel in a situation (Northouse, 2004). Communication Barlet Communication is essentially the ability to transmit a message from one person to the other, whether this is information, an idea, a feeling or an emotion (Pardey, 2007). Pardey (2007) also identifies communication as one of five critical skills for all leaders and according to Bass (1990, cited by Bligh and Hess, 2007) as communications distinguishes leaders who are successful and effective from those who are not. An effective leader is one who has a deep understanding of others and has the ability to establish a shared vision and motivate those around them (Parker and Stone, 2003). Effective communication is instrumental for all those things to occur and frequently it is the solution to many difficulties faced by an organization (Ashman and Lawler, 2008). So far Barlet has not been particularly effective in communicating his ideas clearly, and this in some cases has undermined the quality and depth of his work. After discussing this with the team members, it was identified that ora l communication and presentation skills specifically were his weaknesses and it was suggested that thorough knowledge of the subject being discussed as well as practice would help in getting the message through and eventually improve communication. Improving tolerance Saran Tolerance is described in many sources as a prerequisite to leadership, not having it places a cloud over ones judgment and leads to inefficient use of resources. Drucker 1993 believed to achieve results, one has to use all the available strengths the strengths of the associates A lack of tolerant behaviour comes from two elements, ones own ego and personal aspirations, as well as the personality and views held. This as an issue as not being able to get the full use of the people being lead is a poor form of leadership. After discussion it was found that this behaviour became more dangerous when leading people who are described as total miss-fits and poor fits by the eligibility versus suitability quadrant. Trusting others ideas Jenny Jenny sees herself as task focused. When working on projects she has difficulty trusting others to deliver top quality work. She finds herself carefully double checking other team members work and this can make the team members feel degraded. According to Blake Moutons Managerial Grid ® she would have an Authority-Compliance style. This makes her concern for results high but her concern for people is at the lower end of the spectrum. Based on this Managerial Grid one way that Jennys behaviour could be altered would be to engage in more people focused activities. She could become more concerned in the interests, needs and problems of her followers (Doyle Smith, 2001). The group suggested that one way to also improve this was match the task at hand to the abilities of each group member, meaning that Jennys trust in them would be increased by her knowledge that they were skilled in that task. Another suggestion was to attempt to communicate more clearly to the group members the task requirements and thus reduce ambiguity. Finally Yukl, Gordon and Taber (2002) suggest that increasing time spent monitoring may make leaders more effective. Giving instructions Sandy As leadership is about gaining power to influence others through communication (Northouse, 2010), it is essential that a leader should be able to give instructions. Lussier and Achua believes that in any supervisory role, such as how well a manager give instructions will directly affect their leadership ability of leading and motivating employees in accomplishing the task (Lussier and Achua, 2003). Sandy finds it difficult to state her objective in a precise and clear manner, due to the lack of confidence and partly because she is not able to use her voice effectively to catch the attention. Therefore, her message becomes difficult to transmit and deliver to other people. Moreover, Sandy described herself as the democratic decision-making leadership style, that she allows people to make their own decisions and only state her opinion in the final stage of the discussion (Lewins leadership style). Therefore, she often fails to give instructions as a leader and become more of a facilita tor when reaching consensus in the group. In order to improve, she should develop a relationship with her group and become more empathic in their needs, as well as checking the receivers understanding to ensure they know what objectives they have to attain. And also make sure these tasks are achievable and have it done by a certain amount of time. Sandy should use her influence power and be more persuasive as an authority to follow up at these situations (Lussier and Achua, 2003). Time Management Athmika Schuler (1979, p. 854, as cited by Macan, 1994) asserted that time management means less stress for individuals, which means more efficient, satisfied, healthy employees, which in turn means more effective organizations. Athmika has always faced problems with proper time allocation of her work. She tends to procrastinate her work until the impending deadline. This leads to unnecessary stress and has also impeded her performance significantly. On discussion with the group, the group suggested that Athmika has to be more task-oriented and should organize her work as described under initiating structure in the Ohio state studies (Stogdill, 1974, as cited in Northouse, 2004). She should prioritize her work by preparing time audits. She also can improve her time management skills by setting realistic and attainable goals. Situational Leadership Fielder (1967) stated that there is no ideal leader, and that both relationship-oriented and task-oriented leaders can be effective if their leadership style fits the situation. Fielders Contingency Theory is one theory where the effectiveness of a leaders behaviour is determined by the situation he or she confronts. Fiedler stated that it was much easier for individuals to find a situation that matched their leadership style than to change their style to fit the situation (Stroh, Northcraft and Neale, 2002). In contrast to this, the Situational Leadership Model suggests that leaders should adopt their style. Hersey and Blanchard (1993, as cited in Fernandez and Vecchio, 1997) stated that leaders are most effective when they employ a leadership style which is most appropriate to the situation they face and to the followers readiness and maturity to complete the task. Path-Goal theory is another model which states that an effective leader is able to clarify the path to various goals o f interest and provide the opportunity/path for the follower to achieve such goals. This then should promote job satisfaction, leader acceptance and high effort (Stroh, Northcraft and Neale, 2002). Delegating situations Barlet Delegating is one of the four leadership styles characterized by Hersey and Blanchard (1977 as cited in Graeff, 1997). It involves the leader passing tasks or responsibilities to an individual or group while the leader is still involved in monitoring the progress. So far, Barlet has not been particularly effective in these situations, and this has often delayed progress and limited performance as he. This has mainly been due to his lack of trust in the team members ability to do a certain task, but also due to his indecisiveness. Hersey (1985) stated that a good leader develops the competence and commitment of their people so theyre self-motivated rather than dependent on others for direction and guidance and in this case, the leaders high expectations causes high performance by the followers. Therefore trusting your people and showing confidence in them by passing responsibility and allowing them to complete a task will get the best out of your team and it is a situation where Barle t needs to improve. While playing vLeader, Barlets natural style was very directing, speaking most of the time and controlling the conversation and kept scenario length very short. In scenario one, Barlet did most of the work in every idea and did not let Olie participate or speak much. While in this case it worked, in many other situations the leader has to focus on the overall objective and delegation becomes more important. This was clearly demonstrated in the Wolfgang Keller case study (Gabarro, 1997 (part of module readings)) where Keller realised that being able to delegate operations was important in allowing him to progress further in the organisation. Supporing situations Sara Supporting situations require a low directive and highly supportive behaviour. (Northouse, 2004)   Ã‚  The S3 square in the four leadership styles is a situation where the task receives more focus than the people.   Being able to act with this leadership quality would allow a leader to flourish in a situation where low motivation   and a some level of skills were present. This situation is becoming more prevalent as Druckers knowledge worker theory become more common place in the work place. Saran finds that when leading a team he does not always actively acknowledge another team members input, this will lead to individuals feeling that they have not been appreciated. After discussion it was decided that Saran should be more empathetic and less task orientated. He could achieve this by   dedicating more time to handing out instructions for the task. Setting goals could also play a part with regular progress reviews forcing a more supportive role. Another strategy could also b e to change his leadership style to a less authoritarian one. Unstructured situations Jenny A situation where Jenny felt she was weak in terms of leadership was one with little structure or direction on how to complete it. Typically in these situations Jenny finds herself being hesitant to direct the group in case she is not undertaking the correct procedure to get a positive end result. Fiedlers Contingency Theory (1964, as cited in Northouse, 2004, p. 109) looks at the impact of a unstructured situation in terms of leadership. Fiedlers Contingency Theory attempts to match the leaders style to the situation as a means of attaining effective leadership. Fiedlers model is based on the leader being task or relationship focused. Situational variables are also taken into account and these are characterised by looking at three factors: leader member relations, task structure and position power (Northouse, 2004). This theory does not however offer an explanation of what can be changed if the leader style cannot be matched to the situation. The group came up with several ways in w hich Jenny could improve in this situation. These included focusing on the goal of the task and try to use the other team members to contribute ideas about how to develop a plan to reach it. Jago (1982) also mentions that in such situations one should try to alter the situational variables by training although the usefulness of such training is not unequivocal. Stressful Situation Sandy Sandy often feels difficult in dealing with stressful situations, especially in demanding situations that focused specifically the performance of her work in a social environment setting. There are conventional views of leaders being a crucial and significant impact on their performance in organizations, that they are constrained with respect to different performance outcomes (Thomas, 1988). The Cognitive resource theory also proposed that stress has been a key factor and had a great impact in determining how intelligence can affect performance (Fielder 1987). And therefore in most stressful situations, since intelligence become less important but higher performance is required; Sandy experienced difficulty in using her knowledge to solve problems and these expectations has created an uncomfortable and undesirable feeling in which Sandy felt challenging in accomplishing the tasks. Situational Leadership theory by Blanchard (1985) discussed that different leadership style has to be ap plied appropriately to a given situation, depending on the competence and commitments of the subordinates (Northouse, 2004). So Sandy should try to include both directive (task-orientated) behaviours and supportive (relationship-orientated) behaviours, and focuses on goal achievement, and also be supportive and meet the needs of the subordinates (Northouse, 2004). To improve, Sandy should try to anticipate and plan ahead, establish objectives and goals at an early stage, and to prepare herself for the unexpected. She also needs to reflect on her performance, learn from the failure experiences and make necessary changes. Directing unfamiliar situations Athmika Athmika finds herself handicapped when faced with new, unfamiliar, or critical situations when the team faces a challenge where she is required to take on a directive leadership style. Directive leadership is defined as providing the members with a framework for decision making and action in alignment with the leaders vision (Fiedler, 1989, 1995; Sagie, 1997; Stogdill, 1974, as cited by Somech 2006, p. 135). Being directive requires the leader to communicate their knowledge and expertise to the group and also telling them how to complete the work (Murphy, Blyth Fielder, 1992). In order to lead in such situations, the group suggested that Athmika should have a good working knowledge of the task and a clear vision on how to achieve it. Athmika should play an active role in problem solving and decision making in order to be more directive (Bass, 1981, as cited in Murphy, Blyth Fielder, 1992). Conclusion Hackman and Wageman (2007) believe that despite the reams of research that have been conducted on leadership the field still remains notably unformed. Building on this Zaccaro (2007) states that within the trait theory of leadership a general consensus has also yet to emerge from the research regarding the role of leader traits, the degree of their influence and how they influence leadership, and the part they play in leadership situations. However leadership is still seen as being an important construct to undertake research on as well as being important as a social phenomenon (Hackman Wageman, 2007). Avolio has proposed the idea that new research are required to acknowledge how leaders have learnt from their past experiences, particularly how they respond and cope in difficult situations. Failure and error has provided opportunities for learning than success, and these experiences will generate data to affect ones assumptions and actions for improvements next time (Hackman Wageman, 2007). However, such decisions are not easy because it require an individual to overcome ones own reasoning, mental model, behaviour routines and may provoke anxiety (Hackman Wageman, 2007). One may argue that if we have already developed a leadership style, it will be rather fixed and consistent that will be difficult to change, others may argue that leadership styles should be changed according to situations in order to be more effective. Fielders contingency theory (1964) has introduced the idea that leadership effectiveness is depending on the suitability of the leader assign to a particular cont ext. As a result, different leadership styles will be matched to different situations; and therefore our group believe that there are still room for improvement for our traits and behaviours to match with a specific situation.

The Circularity of Life in Tess of the DUrbervilles :: Tess of the DUrbervilles

The Circularity of Life in Tess of the D'Urbervilles  Ã‚   Thesis: Hardy is concerned with the natural cycles of the world, and the disruption caused by convention, which usurps nature's role. He combats convention with the voice of the individual and the continuing circularity of nature. Phase the First: The Circles of Life The circularity of life is a major theme of the novel. Hardy treats it as the natural order of things. The structure of the novel reflects this reigning image of the circle at several levels. First, the use of seasons to denote the passage of time implies circularity rather than a linear world-view. Years are shown as repetitions with variations rather than as new creations. Tess herself views time in this way, as she reflects on the various recurring dates which mark events in her life. "She philosophically noted dates as they came past in the revolution of the year; the disastrous night of her undoing at Trantidge with its dark background of the Chase; also the dates of the baby's birth and death; also her own birthday; and every other day individualized by incidents in which she had taken some share. She suddenly thought one afternoon... that there was yet another date, of greater importance to her than those; that of her own death" (149). In the novel, the past and the future are merely points on the cycle which nature designs. Reveals the destructive aspect of this realization to Angel when she declares her disinclination to study history which will only tell that she is "one of a long row only... just like thousands' and thousands'" (182). Secondly, the plot itself is not only circular, but contains a myriad of smaller circles within it. The main circle of the plot is from the discovery of the D'Urberville Tombs to Tess's death. Within this circle revolve others. The life and death of Sorrow is a small circle within the larger one. Alec D'Urberville's repentance and recantation form another. Clare's and Tess's physical journeys towards and away from and back again to each other represent more circles. Hardy's consistent use of these circles in the plot reinforces their importance to the theme. The diction of the novel seems designed to forcefully remind the reader of this theme. At the start of the novel Tess and her companions dance in a circle on the gr een; at it's end, she stops to rest at Stonehenge.

Major Strides Against Poverty Essay -- Papers

Major Strides Against Poverty Throughout time people have been affected by the harshness of poverty and economic strain. It has always seemed to be difficult for the average American to prosper if in fact that person did not come from previous wealth. Our great country prides on the idea of capitalism and the rights to freedom and insists that anyone who puts forth the effort can and will succeed. This has and always will be a debatable issue. The other realism is the role of the federal government and the capacity they work to ensure each and every American the right to become successful. Two Presidents come to mind when I think about the ways in which the government wishes to help the unfortunate. They are Franklin D. Roosevelt and Lyndon B. Johnson. These two administrations are the landmarks to the many programs and policies we see today that battle the likes of poverty and economic downfalls. The Great Depression Industrialization met its first and perhaps greatest obstacle in October 1929, when the stock market crashed that inevitably leads to the Great Depression. The Depression lasted over a decade and affected world affairs by questioning the validity of Capitalism, Democracy and industrialization. The underlying causes of the Depression were a direct result of overproduction. When the market crashed, investors and bankers cut consumer credit, which reduced consumer-buying power. Sales declined; therefore factories had to cut back on production. This led to a large reduction in the number of workers. With more people unemployed, purchasing power plummeted and goods did not move. Factories found themselves producing next to nothing because there was no one buying. This led to more layoffs and fa... ...al to the Reagan Revolution. The John Hopkins University Press. Ballantine Books. 11th ed. Canada, 1992 Bibliography: Bibliography New York Times Articles "Senate Votes a $75 Million Bill to Fight Starvation in Nation." New York Times 5 Mar. 1967. Associated Press. "Long Says Roosevelt Is 'a Liar and a Faker' And 'Just Getting as smart as I Was' at 14." New York Times 9 Jul. 1935. Mallon, Winifred. "New Deal's Pacts For Trade Praised." New York Times 7 Jul. 1935. Books Divine, Breen, Fredrickson, Williams, Roberts. America: Past and Present. Harper Collins College Publishers. 3rd ed. New York, 1994. Langston, Thomas S. Ideologies and Presidents: From the New Deal to the Reagan Revolution. The John Hopkins University Press. Ballantine Books. 11th ed. Canada, 1992

The Great Gatsby : The American Dream Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Perception and reality do not always align. Is true love really true love, or is it a farce, a self-created mythical re-interpretation of the thing we hold so dear? In The Great Gatsby, is Gatsby really in love with Daisy, or his vision of her? Does she feel the same way for him, or does she truly love him? And what does the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock mean to Gatsby?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As Gatsby falls in love with Daisy, Nick is slightly intrigued by this almost improbable match. How can a determined, wealthy man fall in love with a woman so shallow that she wishes her daughter to â€Å"be a fool †¦ a beautiful little fool.† (p. 17)? To everyone else, it’s obvious that Daisy is extremely shallow, but to Gatsby, she’s the most beautiful woman with the perfect personality: the American Dream, so to speak. So what is he in love with? The Dream, or ‘the Daisy?’ The Dream, of course. The ‘Daisy’ he sees is a complete figment of his imagination, a part of his own personal American Dream, one that he’s striving to have a little piece of.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the beginning of chapter one, we are shown a Gatsby in the middle of one of his weakest moments, when his guard is completely let down and his game face is off. He is looking out across the sea, and had â€Å"stretched his arms toward the †¦ water †¦ I glanced seaward—and distinguished nothing except a single green light †¦ far away †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p. 21) Obviously, the green light is Dai... The Great Gatsby : The American Dream Essay -- essays research papers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Perception and reality do not always align. Is true love really true love, or is it a farce, a self-created mythical re-interpretation of the thing we hold so dear? In The Great Gatsby, is Gatsby really in love with Daisy, or his vision of her? Does she feel the same way for him, or does she truly love him? And what does the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock mean to Gatsby?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As Gatsby falls in love with Daisy, Nick is slightly intrigued by this almost improbable match. How can a determined, wealthy man fall in love with a woman so shallow that she wishes her daughter to â€Å"be a fool †¦ a beautiful little fool.† (p. 17)? To everyone else, it’s obvious that Daisy is extremely shallow, but to Gatsby, she’s the most beautiful woman with the perfect personality: the American Dream, so to speak. So what is he in love with? The Dream, or ‘the Daisy?’ The Dream, of course. The ‘Daisy’ he sees is a complete figment of his imagination, a part of his own personal American Dream, one that he’s striving to have a little piece of.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the beginning of chapter one, we are shown a Gatsby in the middle of one of his weakest moments, when his guard is completely let down and his game face is off. He is looking out across the sea, and had â€Å"stretched his arms toward the †¦ water †¦ I glanced seaward—and distinguished nothing except a single green light †¦ far away †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p. 21) Obviously, the green light is Dai...

Faulkner’s Religious Views in a Rose for Emily Essay

Introduction A. General words about William Faulkner and his A Rose for Emily B. The definition of gothic fiction C. The development of gothic fiction in modern time II. The gothic characteristics in A Rose for Emily A. The topic is mainly about murder, dead, violence and necrophilia, which is the â€Å"gothic topic† B. The character of Emily is stubborn, eccentric and mysterious, who is involved in â€Å"gothic form† C. The description of environment adopts the typical â€Å"gothic style† D. The flashback in A Rose for Emily expresses the mysterious atmosphere III. Conclusion: The perfect combination of the gothic form with realistic content in A Rose for Emily Abstract: This paper discusses the creative purpose of A Rose for Emily on the angle of the traditional gothic elements of European and American literature. It points out that William Faulkner uses the gothic characteristics in many aspects, such as topic, hero, environment and plot, etc. Meanwhile, he fills it with fresh air, symbolic meaning and his own emotion. All of these make A Rose for Emily rise at a perfect peak—the combination of gothic form and realistic content, so that the short storyis not only superior to the traditional â€Å"Black Romanticism†, but superior to the â€Å"Realism† in Victoria Age. Key words: William Faulkner, A Rose for Emily, gothic characteristics. I. Introduction A. General words about William Faulkner and his A Rose for Emily William Faulkner is one of the most distinguish writer in American literature. He was born in the South, and he wrote people, background and cases in the South. As the appearance of Faulkner, the South appeared the literary glories of â€Å"the South Renaissance†, which ever was called â€Å"the literary desert. â€Å"(Yu Jianhua, 2004: 460) Maybe there is never an American writer such as Faulkner who catches so many eyes of professors and critics. Even his short story, A Rose for Emily, some writers have discussed and explored it in many ways. However, this essay tries to discuss Faulkner’s creative purpose in the gothic style, which had a great influence on European and American literature. And it is to discover something new to give the reader enlightenment and thinking. B. The definition of gothic fiction The word â€Å"Goth† came from the name of a Germanic trap. The gothic people were famous for their brutal and uncivilized qualities. They ever lived in north Europe , then invaded in Rome Empire around the third AD century to the fifth AD century, and set many kingdoms in Italy, Spain, south part of France and north Africa. A thousand years later, after the Rome Empire died out, Italian Vasari (1511–1574) used the â€Å"Goth† for the first time to refer to an architectural style in middle age, which was â€Å"tall sharp pointed, vaulted roof or tower ,narrow windows, colorful glass, darkness houses, gloomy ladders. â€Å"(Xiao Minghan, 2001: 9) The so-called â€Å"Gothic Revival† appeared in aspects of architecture and literature during eighteenth century to nineteenth century, which was the gloomy and depressed tone in middle age. Meanwhile, some literary works enjoyed the same tone with â€Å"Gothic fiction† in the time. Take Horace Walpole for example, his â€Å"The Castle of Otranto† set an example for early classic gothic fiction. The birth of â€Å"Gothic fiction† is not only related with the â€Å"Gothic feeling† of the cemetery poetry of England, but related with the â€Å"Gothic style† aesthetic standard of Edmund Burke (1729–1797) as well. C. The development of gothic fiction in modern time The gothic style became prevail and spread quickly from England to the whole Europe and the U. S in the eighteenth century. And it had a great influence on American literature to some certain extent. Charles Brown (1771–1810), the most famous American representative in this field, vividly portrayed the terrified psychology of his hero in a gloomy tone and mysterious environment. II. The gothic characteristics in A Rose for Emily Faulkner lived in the South for a life long, and the field of south fertilized him and shaped his character. â€Å"Therefore, his habit, thinking way and life attitude closely related with this unfortunate field. â€Å"(Jay Parinier, 1989:2031) As the representative of the American traditional thinking,† the most important and unconscious content† had deeply precipitated in the deep of his heart. That is why he showed his love to his hometown in such an unusual way–exposed the faults and gloomy aspects of the South. Maybe gothic characteristic in A Rose for Emily is the best way to express his emotion. A. The topic is mainly about murder, death, violence and necrophilia, which is the â€Å"gothic fiction† First of all, the topic is mainly about murder, death, violence and necrophilia. It â€Å"vividly pictures a terrified story of an old virgin. Emily is the last member of the Grierson. She is a slim and gentle lady, but she almost loses her beauty when she appears again in her 30’s, â€Å"She looks bloated, like a body long submerged in motionless water, and of that pallid hue. â€Å"(para6) She dies in her 74 years old finally. â€Å"Alive, Miss Emily had been a tradition, a duty, and a care; a sort of hereditary obligation upon the town. â€Å"( para3) As long as Emily is dead, all the proud and dignity of gentle lady is dead out. Even in order to give her a hand, the premayor Colonel Sartoris only uses an excuse to avoid hurting her. Emily has been separated from the outside for nearly forty years after her father’s death and after the missing of her fiance. â€Å"Daily, monthly, yearly we watched the Negro grow grayer and more stooped, going in and out with the market basket. â€Å"(para33) Sometimes, people could see her through the window, only find her â€Å"like the carven torso of an idol in a niche†. (para33) It is until the end of her funeral that the people discover the secret which they find Homer’s skeleton in a locked room. Obviously, the gentle lady deliberately performs and covers a murder. Critics regard that Emily retaliates by killing the north man with poison because he refuses to marry her. However, on another angle, Emily is too empty to comfort herself. In order to make a man accompany with her, she has no choice but kills him–in the way, she can stay with him forever. But this â€Å"gain† just is the forever â€Å"lost†. The moment she kills him, she is dead in spirit. The grief, desolation and sadness fill in her inner heart forever. Emily can not stand the fact that a south lady courts a north worker but fails. It is a perfect satire under the history condition in that time. Even like this, she still â€Å"carried her head high enough–even when we believed that she was fallen. † (para21) In a word, the topic of A Rose for Emily is the â€Å"Gothic topic†, which describes about murder and dead. B. The character of Emily is stubborn, eccentric and mysterious, who is involved in â€Å"gothic form† The character of Emily is involved in â€Å"Gothic form†. She is stubborn, eccentric and mysterious. She has been isolated from the outside world for forty-year since her father is dead and Homer’s missing. Her door remains closed all the year round and refuses all the visitors. Actually, she is an unrealistic stubborn woman. She does not want to dispose of her father’s body, and â€Å"She told them that her father was not dead. † (para15) Despite the law, she refuses to pay the taxes and repeats that â€Å"I have no taxes in Jefferson. â€Å"(para8) Moreover, she asks the officials to get explanation from Colonel Sartoris, who ever remit her taxes. It seems that she dose not know Colonel Sartoris was dead before ten years. † It can be believed that her refusal to pay the taxes symbolizes the refusal to accept the changed society to some extent. â€Å"(Zhu Zhenwu, 2003:34) She takes pain to keep her superior, dignity and the southern fair lady impression. Emily is a typical example of the dead south. † The failure of the Civil War brought corruption and decline to the South, which was very obvious in economy and politics. â€Å"(Zhang Kuiwu, 2002:74) However, it is imperceptible in moral and psychology. The South originally had their own unique economic form, cultural style, life way and moral standard, even their own language. All of these elements â€Å"easily stimulated the southerner rise a feeling of the nostalgia, which had solidified for the failure of the South in the Civil War. â€Å"(Yu Jianhua, 2004: 460) Therefore, the war led to a strange contradictory phenomenon: the old South â€Å"die† as long as the failure of the war, but it more obstinately â€Å"survive† than any other times. The South â€Å"died† in society and economy, but it is still â€Å"alive† in the culture and mental. Pitiable Emily is solidified by time. She falls into the past glories and honors of the South, but can not be brave enough to face the real life. Faulkner vividly pictures the southerners’ subtle, complicated and contradictory psychology through Emily. Emily only is the epitome of the southern declining aristocracies. As the famous critic Malcolm Cloy says â€Å"The southern people lived under so heavy pressure that they almost lost their rational behavior, but responded mechanically. â€Å"(Yu Jianhua, 2004: 460) Thus, they broke out some uncontrollable violence and unreasonable behaviors occasionally. On the other hand, they tightly clung on the luxury and glories in the past to escape the reality, which seems extremely unrealistic and ridiculous. In this way, Faulkner criticizes the southerners who live in a new time but keep outdated mind. And this distorted psychology is exactly the spiritual essence of the collapsing old south. Standing on a new angle, Faulkner re-examines closely and explains all of these, and sympathizes the southerners’ thinking way and moral standard. C. The description of environment adopts the typical â€Å"gothic style† Besides the topic and â€Å"character are the gothic elements, the description of environment in A Rose for Emily adopts the typical â€Å"Gothic style†. Emily’s house and both inside and outside environment are gothic ones. Emily’s house is a special style building made of wood. When her parents are alive, the house is noble style, which â€Å"had once been white, decorated with cupolas and spires and scrolled balconies in the heavily lightsome style of the Seventies. â€Å"(para2) As the time passes, however, the house still keeps its outdated style and â€Å"lifting its stubborn and coquettish decay. â€Å"(para2) We could feel an incompatible atmosphere with the age. Several years later, the deputation has a chance to go into Emily’s house for the first time. They went into â€Å"a dim hall from which a stairway mounted into still more shadow. † (para5) Moreover, there was â€Å"a dust and disuse–a close, dank smell†(para5) in the air. The parlor was â€Å"furnished in heavy, leather–covered furniture. â€Å"(para5) Faulkner describes a dim and mysterious picture for us. It was really shocking what the town people see in Emily’s base room. â€Å"A thin, acrid pall as of the tomb seemed to lie everywhere upon this room decked and furnished as a bridal. â€Å"(para39) Homer’s skeleton â€Å"had apparently once lain in the attitude of an embrace. â€Å"(para40) The second pillow which in the same bed was the indentation of a head. It is clearly that it was Emily’s â€Å"long strand of iron–gray hair. † (para41) Homer had been missed for forty years, and Emily had been slept with his skeleton for forty years. A sepulchral atmosphere spreads the air. It is shocking and absolutely terrified. But it is not Faulkner who originally adds the terror element in fiction; it is the traditional style of â€Å"gothic fiction. † Faulkner not only uses this style in A Rose for Emily, but exaggerates several details such as murder, violence, etc. D. The flashback in A Rose for Emily expresses the mysterious atmosphere Last but not least, Faulkner deliberately sets a flashback form to tell the story. At the beginning, Emily is dead at her seventy–six years old. The whole town went to her funeral for different purposes: the men have a respectful affection for a fallen monument, the women curious to see her inner house. Who is Emily? What kind of person is she? Faulkner immediately catches readers’ interest to read on. She once was beautiful and slim, but her father drove all the men who pursue her. Only after her father died, she could date with a Northerner. Unfortunately, she could not marry with him, which hurt her so deeply that she had to keep herself far from the world from then on. However, the ending is out of expectation. She was shrewd and unscrupulous. She secretly murdered her fiance by rat poison, and kept his body in her bed and slept with him for forty years. It is really tricky and surprising. The ending may be unreasonable to some extent, but it really shows Faulkner’s creativity. He adopts the flashback to add much profound meaning to the short story, which is superior to the normal narrative way of the general fictions. Actually, many signs and symbols in the story indicate that the ending is like this. Emily is a cruel murderer, she kills her fiance. But it is necessary to clasp the essence through the appearance. In Emily’s age, men had absolutely power to control women. It can be believed that it is Emily’s father who indirectly destroys her whole life to some certain extent. She is forced to kill her fiance to pursue her happiness. As the critics remark that â€Å"villain–hero in rational gothic fiction is murderer as well as victim. â€Å"(Pu Ruoqian, 2001: 47) The â€Å"villain–hero† is not the original crime. The real crime is the distorted humanity, which is formed by the hierarchy rule and moral standard. III. Conclusion All the gothic elements in A Rose for Emily present a perfect gothic fiction. However, Faulkner is not completely imitate the gothic tradition, he uses a clever method to perform a story of his own age. He is fond of gothic style which is the main literary style in Victoria time, may be because he thinks the gothic style accords with the environment of decline of the south. Besides this, he fills with the realistic content and his own emotion to the gothic style. Gothic style once was regarded as â€Å"Black Romanticism†, but Faulkner combines it with realism. Furthermore, Faulkner pours the fierce emotion and fresh air into the old form, which makes A Rose for Emily superior to the gothic fiction and the literary main stream in Victoria time. The background of A Rose for Emily is in the age when Faulkner lived, which is a new form and different from the gothic tradition, and apparently helpful to express the realistic meaning of the work. From what has been discussed, we know the gothic style was not popular in Faulkner’s time. However, A Rose for Emily exposes the real psychology of the southerner, and accepts some irrational aspects of human’s deep heart, which widens the extent of realism and the influence to human. From this, A Rose for Emily can stand out from any other American fiction forms of the time. Faulkner benefits a lot from the gothic tradition, which he improves and thus is superior at the same time. References Jay Pariniet, The Norton Anthology of American Literary, (p2031). New York and London: W. W. Norton & Company, 1989. , , : , 2002. , , , 2001/1. , , , 2001/3. , , : , 2004. , ? (P74–82), : ,2002. , : , , 2003/4.

A. Grocery Store/Courthouses

The courthouse is found on the grocery store’s premises itself. While there are court hearings, the pungent smell of cheese and other strong-smelling meat which Starky is able to identify with his nose, and not with being able to read labels. The overpowering smell plus the proximity of where food is stored to where justice is supposed to be upheld suggests that there is not much respect given to justice in the place. B. The de Spains’ mansion Compared to the other buildings, the deSpains’ mansion becomes more opulent. It has a gate that protects it from the outside world and even a covered walkway.Before reaching the big house, one must pass through a wide driveway. The mansion is representative of the luxurious life of the Southern landowners. C. The Snopes cabin A two-bedroom house may seem more than enough for a sharecropper family such as the Snopes, but the house becomes cramped when there are seven people sharing it. The Snopes have to be used to sharing; they do work for other people’s lands, contributing their effort to plant on ground that will never be theirs. The cabin represents the poverty of sharecroppers in a world where landowners reign. D.Barns – The barns symbolize the properties of landowners that ultimately separate them by status and wealth from other classes of people. Since the barns are symbols of separation, Abner Snopes feels like he is making everyone equal by removing one of the major sources of the landowners’ wealth. 2. Some of Snopes’ possessions are listed as â€Å"the battered stove, the broken beds and chairs, the clock inlaid with mother-of-pearl, which would not run, stopped at some fourteen minutes past two o'clock of a dead and forgotten day and time, which had been his mother's dowry†.They symbolize neglect, just as the lower classes are being neglected by those who have more power and more wealth. Meanwhile, the ribbons that Starky’s sisters wear symbolize th e small luxury that the poor sharecroppers indulge in. These may seem pretty for them as they use the ribbons to adorn their hair, but they are to be labeled as â€Å"tacky† by the rich landowners. 3. The passages that describe the houses of the de Spains and the Snopes show the extreme difference between the two social classes.Moreover, the incident with the rug emphasizes the difference in wealth, as the rug which de Spain claim to be worth a hundred dollars is considered to be several times more costly than the ten bushels of corn that Snopes can produce. The corn is already of great importance and worth to the Snopes family, a family who only cares about the food that they will eat and not about any expensive, luxurious rug. 4. Before the events of the story, Abner Snopes has already been guilty of letting his hog loose on Mr. Harris’ property.Even with Harris trying to negotiate by providing him materials that can be used to build a fence to hold the hog, Snopes i s still uncooperative. He goes unpunished because there is not enough evidence but is ordered to leave town. Although he is guilty of barn burning during the time interval of the story, there is enough evidence to show that he has done the deed several times before: â€Å"that niggard blaze was the living fruit of nights passed during those four years in the woods hiding from all men, blue or gray, with his strings of horses (captured horses, he called them)†.Such a persistent type of behavior shows the disrespect Snopes has for Southern landowners. For him, it is mere property that has made these landowners important, and without the property they are just ordinary men like him. His is not an ordinary envy but a festering hatred that pushes him to perform such extreme actions. 5. An explicit passage that references the idea of `Owning people` is when Abner Snopes declares that: â€Å"I reckon I'll have a word with the man that aims to begin to-morrow owning me body and soul for the next eight months.† There are other more subtle references to owning other people in the text, like â€Å"Pretty and white, ain't it? That's sweat. Nigger sweat. Maybe it ain't white enough yet to suit him. Maybe he wants to mix some white sweat with it. † This line of dialogue suggests that Abner Snopes believes that the black servant is considered by the de Spains as mere property as his sweat is considered to be an ingredient that has helped build the white, pretty mansion. His work is given value but he is still nothing compared to his masters. 6.The story implies that though the United States has already been dubbed as the land of opportunity and justice at that time, there is still an inequality in terms of how justice and opportunity are distributed among the different social classes. The Snopes are mere sharecroppers. They contribute the sweat that feeds the ground but even with daily toil, they are not able to improve their circumstances. The wealthy, meanwhile, has all the opportunity in the world to become wealthier as they sit back and wait for the next harvest. Justice also smiles on people like the de Spains because they are respected by the community.