Thursday, December 26, 2019

The President Speech on BP Oil Spill Free Essay Example, 500 words

ï » ¿The President Speech on BP Oil Spill President Obama’s introduces his speech by greeting his audience and gives a brief view of the state of the United States as it faces numerous challenges. The president then goes directly to introduce the core of the matter which is the BP oil disaster. THE PRESIDENT: Good evening. As we speak, our nation faces a multitude of challenges. At home, our top priority is to recover and rebuild from a recession that has touched the lives of nearly every American. Abroad, our brave men and women in uniform are taking the fight to al Qaeda wherever it exists. And tonight, I’ve returned from a trip to the Gulf Coast to speak with you about the battle we’re waging against an oil spill that is assaulting our shores and our citizens. (Whitehouse, par 1). The president, in the second and succeeding paragraphs - which form the partition, delves deeper into the subject of his speech. He states that on 20th April, the Gulf coast BP oil spill occurred. This was as a result of digging oil deep in the sea and the carelessness of the BP Oil Company. We will write a custom essay sample on The President Speech on BP Oil Spill or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Values Debate Paper - 1275 Words

Values Debate NUR 542- Dynamics of Family Systems The controversy of whether values should be taught at home or at school has been a debate for many years. In fact, many states have already begun establishing boards to define what core values are most important and should be taught within the school system. This was and continues to be a topic of interest as many legislatures and school officials notice an exponential increase in students and young Americans that exhibit poor decision-making and lack character traits essential for success in today’s society. Cheating, substance abuse, interracial intolerance, poor sportsmanship, and malicious social behavior lead the list of concerns as lawmakers mull over a solution. In any case,†¦show more content†¦Third, young people spend eight hours a day, five days a week at school. During this time, students interact with other students, teachers, coaches, and other school personnel. This means that the students have the opportunity to learn and then do. Hence, teacher s have the chance to observe practical application of the values system and provide real-time feedback. Teaching values at home is our society’s current practice. It has becoming a dying art, however. The struggle in relying solely on a value system that is taught in the home is that America is rich in culture and diversity. There is a melting pot of ideals that is subject to each family’s individual beliefs. This creates confusion as families themselves struggle with what is proper and what is right. In fact, some families do not have a value system at all. These families survive by any means necessary. This may include dishonesty, disrespect, and injustice. Not only is this a concern, but also the inconsistency of family values. In some homes, values are ever changing. Religion and democracy become intertwined with the values system, which creates a different family structure and dynamic. Due to the frequent changes and evolving expectations, children never grasp the concept of what is real and what is right. While the current practice has its concerns, there are those individuals that argue that values are best taught in the home. Some fear that the valueShow MoreRelatedA selective Annotated Bibliography on Convergence and Divergence1577 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"Current Debates in Global Strategy† International Journal of Management Reviews, 51-69 This paper contributes to the global strategy literature by outlining the four debates that we believe to be frontier issues with which the field will engage in the years to come. Its purpose is to review four current debates taking place in the field of global strategic management and international business. The review provides in-depth coverage of the four major global strategic management debates, comprising:Read More History of the Origins of Environmental Ethics Essay1045 Words   |  5 Pagesenvironmentalists started urging philosophers who were involved with environmental groups to do something about environmental ethics. An intellectual climate had developed in the last few years of the 1960s in large part because of the publication of two papers in Science: Lynn Whites The Historical Roots of our Ecologic Crisis (March 1967) and Garett Hardins The Tragedy of the Commons (December 1968). Most influential with regard to this kind of thinking, however, was an essay in Aldo Leo polds ARead MoreGenetic Variance Between And Within Species1638 Words   |  7 Pagesin adaptive evolution. With the publication of two independent papers this central tenet was brought into question with the new notion of selectively neutral mutations accounting for the majority of identified variance. 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They discuss how this PresidentialRead MoreThe Debate Over Organic Certification For Aquatic Animals1687 Words   |  7 Pagesa) Becky Mansfield uses â€Å"the debate over organic certification for aquatic animals† (216) in order to enlighten the inconsistency of the organic movement’s ideas (230). The organic community creates standards that are supported by their ideas, but when the ideas become inconsistent and contradictory, it becomes very clear that their standards are not set up on stable grounds. b) The article was written in 2004, two years after the â€Å"first US National Organic Standards† was implemented (216). ThisRead MoreEpistobabble Warfare1364 Words   |  6 Pagesphenomenon of interest being investigated. Getting caught up in debating which philosophical viewpoint is valid or has more use diminishes the opportunity to put together and take away the ‘learnings’ from each that could be applied to the study whose value can only be determined by its use. Rod’s objective therefore in his commentary was to demonstrate the benefits of accepting, reconciling and compromising the ‘epistobabble’ in making an invaluable contribution to marketing research that could benefitRead MoreConceptual Framework For Financial Reporting1512 Words   |  7 Pageson a combination of quantitative and qualitative information. How are Standards Developed? Discussion Paper includes: a comprehensive overview of the issue possible approaches in addressing the issue the preliminary views of its authors or the IASB an invitation to comment Discussion Paper is NOT Mandatory How are Standards Developed? Exposure Draft is a mandatory step Unlike a Discussion Paper, an Exposure Draft sets out a specific proposal in the form of a proposed Standard In development, IASB

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Value Management in Project Portfolios †Free Samples to Students

Question: Discuss about the Value Management in Project Portfolios. Answer: Introduction: Program management is defined by Martinsuo (2013), as a style of associated tasks assembled to be matched, dealt with in ways and administered to bring benefits separately. Projects can constitute component of related capacity from the scope of the particular assignments in only a program. The Project management could be the discipline of applying recognized concepts, techniques and guidelines to take care of a task from conception through completion. It is usually abbreviated as PM. Project administration oversees the preparing, planning and implementing of a project. An activity is surely an undertaking with particular begin and end parameters made to produce a defined outcome, just like a new computer system. An activity is different from continuing processes, just like a governance program or anadvantage managementprogram. As stated by Mike Fritz, the program management director is relied upon to make a common language that can be utilized through the whole association. He is a business pioneer, which means that he is responsible for everyday business activities inside the association. The program management director will probably know how to exactly speak with persons about them in order to guarantee the agencies seeks its objectives. In Megatronic Organization, a program manager will probably strategy and execute any products or company progress and guarantee so it matches the boundaries requirements (Milosevic, Patanakul Srivannaboon, 2010). This clearly proposes or clarifies the roles and obligations required for a program director inside an association. The approach that has been set out by Megatronic Organization is only a decent exercise of program organization required inside an association to help the organization of assignments and sub undertakings in only an organization. Differences between project and program management The roles and obligations of program and project manager change from one business to some other one. There are a few unmistakable component (special) between similarly degrees in an organization. Task can be depicted in a lot of angles. Beringer, Jonas and Kock (2013), depicts it as a transitory undertaking attempted to make an unmistakable thing or administration. Project comprises of the following: Cycle of responsibilities Spell out deliverables and outcomes Establish first, conclusion, routine, and strategy Prepare finances Allocating certain assets to the work Defining the proper strategy Program might be portrayed as material which brings an outstanding volume of execution. In a program, there is a collection of specific tasks or projects particularly with a deliverable a material of its usefulness. Program includes the accompanying: A deliverable or single thing Numerous items or deliverables Its reliably focus on the association targets and cost of providing it. Assistance administration Differences between program and project manager The program managers are mainly involved with management of portfolios and they are more targeted towards context. Their main focus is on achieving of strategic goals and transaction related business strategies as well as objectives. Project managers are mainly associated with managing of projects and handling of risk management. They also focus on dealing with requirements of the project. In accordance to Turner (2016), a program is described as a type of related jobs, design activities and sub-programs which are thought of to be composed and kept up in a way that might be helpful separately. The basic proposals for James is as the program manager associated with Mega Security is that he should have top to bottom comprehension of how this system and test are kept up together to deliver shared advantage to the organization. For James to accomplish the organization's destinations and points, he needs to comprehend the undertaking start program to be on the cutting edge to direct up the program and guarantee it is fruitful. Depending on the organization requirement James probably will discover the Early Birds Limited since they fit in with what the law states, they do not have cost of execution, they are anything but difficult to degree their utilization and they have organization association and help transactions. In any case, he is required to develop a document for project initiation, which will help in understanding the level of organizing and bring all the direction required to empower the utilization of the endeavor and to drive forward through that there is correspondence with the stakeholders of the project. James can give everyone access the Mega Security Company realize the point of the project and where it will be with the help of an in depth project initiation document. In the Project Initiation Document of Mega Security, the following should have been included: The assignment ought to be unmistakably clarified having its scope The task ought to be sensible James should secure funds for commencing the task The capacities and obligations of other participants in the project ought to be obviously clarified There should be proficient correspondence and arrangement of information which are exceptionally powerful and gainful to guarantee the fruitful execution of the assignment Management of project initiated in Mega Security The Project Initiation Document is truly a plan to control the test, dispense clear purpose behind the project, its destinations along with organizing and managing of project (Stettina Horz, 2015). This assistance each staff inside the organization to determine progress of project from first to final stage. The aggregate number of detail in the document for Project Initiation must be adequate for the administration of Mega Security Company to discover the required project direction and to execute the required idea, the complete practicality of the project goals and plan. This report is fortified by various document for planning that are not basic to be required at time of preparing Project Initiation Document. It is advised to essentially have a small business event for controlling that challenge successfully combined with following factors: Advantages: What are the benefits of that challenge in the entire business target? Alternatives: What other available possibilities may be moved out in developing that challenge development? Cost and Timescale: There should an obvious break down of the challenge charges as well as related fund to execute the project. Cost/Benefit analysis: This method helps in balancing the expectations of project with respect to lifecycle of a project. Program Stakeholder Engagement Nicholas and Steyn (2017), defines Stakeholder theory as particular way of offer and identify stakeholders, based on the created idea of stakeholder. The absolute best decision of the Executive group ought to be to first comprehend the idea of stakeholder engagement and figured out how to control their stakeholders so as with the end goal for them to acquire their targets and also objectives. In a program, stakeholder connote every one of the individuals who connect, similar to any threats stakeholders ought to be distinguished, classified, followed and examined. Stakeholder could be focal or outside to this program and they could impact this framework both completely and adversely. In this manner, it is moderately electronic for project supervisors to control stakeholders closely. Stakeholder engagement could be alluded to as essential and sideways strategy for communication including the projects pioneers and the group in addition to the stakeholders encourages engagements in basically any program is constantly chosen by various parts in the project and program groups. The various methods of engaging stakeholders are listed as below: High power having large interest They are the kind of stakeholders who require to thoroughly be locked in to guarantee their vitality are bigger and should unquestionably be fulfilled. High power having low interest There is a need positively to sufficiently set perform to enable them to be held fulfilled. Minimal Power having large interest They are type of the general population that must be educated acceptably and incessant correspondence with them are urged to lessen problems or issues that may emerge because of program administration (Teller, 2013). These type of stakeholders are people may more often than not be useful with part of a program or project. Insignificant power having low interest These individuals must be checked however do not exhaust them with extortionate correspondence. The Program Stakeholder identification In General Public Hospital, there is an enrolment of stakeholder made for the administration to examine their stakeholder, their drives and qualities to affect the result of this framework and help it. For instance, payroll team is classified to be the group having high power as well as high interest, thusly they must be totally utilized with better work to fulfill this framework needs (Rothman, 2016). While the focus party are related to expansive enthusiasm with insignificant vitality inside this framework, thusly they must be sufficiently instructed and talk with the end goal for them to guarantee that a number imperative issues can be discovered to be emerging in the association. In context to the particular case of General Public Hospital, their review meeting sets out many of the plan for managing stakeholders. The engagement of stakeholders is frequently done throughout the entire period of program for ensuring that their cultures as well as expectation of the organization are delivered and tracked as per aim of the program. The Executive team of General Public Hospital are answerable for making proper decisions inside the company. They should have reasonable facts so that program manager can aid administration in the company and also to be sure the company work out ahead, and this program targets tend to be met. Program governance will be a method as well as program that is a program get used to check, assess as well as offer the corporation doing the job of the sponsors. Program governance will be sessions as well as sessions expressed by the audience provides to be certain it truly is program will likely be managed successfully as well as consistently. It is reached throughout the actions relating to right managing on the subject of final decision making. The Program Strike Zone features a power tool that will involves any manage examine constraints regarding individual important accomplishment problem from the program. The tool is utilized to track the progress of the association accomplishment to guarantee they are according to goals and objectives of the association, without fundamental contribution of the vital administration group. Merits of program strike zone With the Program Strike Zone, they empower awesome methods for association on design goals, targets, and quality for the span of this framework life period from design start through this framework conclusion. This program strike zone had something that will be utilized to control and concentrate on the group considerations on the virtual arrangement situations Also in this Program Strike Zone, there are given conditions which are plainly specified, reasonably to assess and be comprehended in administration of this framework inside the association. In program strike zone, support was required to be a la mode to mirror the steady program targets, desires and electronic program issues Program strike zone, it unquestionably was imperative to target or limit the considerations of the administration chamber or the legislature. The official and plan supervisors utilized that plan to control their arrangement easily, they support the program by clearly laying out a viably detailed and perceived contract of so exactly how to they will regulate the program and screen its accomplishment and objectives. The program boss is mindful of building up the program vision fixated on essential factor accomplishment through utilization of program strike zone idea (Kaiser, El Arbi Ahlemann, 2015). The enterprise objectives and targets are adjusted close by the key vision to figure out how to ensure smooth obligation of reference operation and potential operation. The program strike zone ensure a specialized strategy is particular and offered to encourage smooth working of business activities from design supervisors and diverse partners inside the venture (Turner, 2016). This advance streamlining of business vision, vision and destinations are met in only a stipulated time period and beyond any doubt it decrease the expenses relate sincerely to pointless correspondence. As far as possible perceived by the official administration was a method for collaborating the general arrangement advance and accomplishment and to manage issue related with the program all through the process of program lifecycle. Program Theory As indicated by Martinelli and Milosevic (2016), a procedure thought is characterized concerning how it clarifies the treatment between a program, a methodology and a policy is recognized to build a change of the outcomes that may result into particular effects. A fabulous arrangement thought by and large copies the foundation of innovativeness happening in laps. For example, various applications have a points of changing particular type of conduct. In spite of, the occasions of particular results that need to happen first. Individual reliably change their conduct after first adapting some new information, making another capacity, or changing their point of view about something. In real administration, it is extremely hard to separate between the program and project, since it is basically comparative in controlling both the program and task. There are some difference between project and program as provided below: Duration: However sometimes jobs usually takes longer years, but they usually get smaller period match facing programs which often takes longer time. In programs they always split in two stages since they are likely to take a longer duration (Behrens Patzelt, 2016). Effort: The project may be considered as the single effort given by a person to accomplish it whereas program is a collection of projects. It is many individuals making a group for working towards a general objective. Tasks are complimentary and along these lines helps to encourage the projects to achieve its targets and objectives. Structure: With venture scope, goals all around characterized, and contained in a Project Charter with program they are elevated amounts of vulnerability since it has a bigger group included. The group are in charge of organizing and directing the work. Favourable circumstances: The interest of a project to be diverse is that something must be procured at the accomplishment, as some program group activities require surely to accomplish and achieve a result. The results could be touchable however not continually are. The interest of a program is the amount of the results in different occupations and this can whole up to an arrangement or ethnic change, or the adjustment in exhibitions of the organization. Project management will be the itemizing, comparing, controlling, and overseeing of an occupation applying firm resources. It is for precise time while gave the task targets last. Obviously venture organization will be the prerequisite portion, exercises, and directing of sources inside the business with respect to time, range and expenses, according to specific attempts and result supply schedule, the entirety sum costing as per the accomplishment and use of assets. Program management will be the assignment, utilize, and heading of firm sources which are approved to three amounts of organization chain of importance, the absolute most truly successful level will be the strategic administration with increased general the responsibilities within the organization (Martinsuo Killen, 2014). For instance, at the reduced level will be the project managers which can be accountable for handling various jobs within the typical program. The program manager or director will be in the middle level and they are accountable for handling the business enterprise methods result as significant responsibilities in a stipulated timeline. Their roles comprises of setting the objectives and reviewing them, coordination of activities for the project, and administering integration of products as well as reusing the results of interim work. References Behrens, J., Patzelt, H. (2016). Corporate Entrepreneurship Managers' Project Terminations: Integrating Portfolio?Level, Individual?Level, and Firm?Level Effects.Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice,40(4), 815-842. Beringer, C., Jonas, D. Kock, A., (2013). Behavior of internal stakeholders in project portfolio management and its impact on success.International Journal of Project Management,31(6), pp.830-846. Costantino, F., Di Gravio, G., Nonino, F. (2015). Project selection in project portfolio management: An artificial neural network model based on critical success factors.International Journal of Project Management,33(8), 1744-1754. Kaiser, M.G., El Arbi, F. Ahlemann, F., (2015). Successful project portfolio management beyond project selection techniques: Understanding the role of structural alignment.International Journal of Project Management,33(1), pp.126-139. Martinelli, R. J., Milosevic, D. Z. (2016).Project management toolbox: tools and techniques for the practicing project manager. John Wiley Sons. Martinsuo, M., Killen, C. P. (2014). Value management in project portfolios: Identifying and assessing strategic value.Project Management Journal,45(5), 56-70. Martinsuo, M., (2013). Project portfolio management in practice and in context.International Journal of Project Management,31(6), pp.794-803. Milosevic, D. Z., Patanakul, P., Srivannaboon, S. (2010).Case studies in project, program, and organizational project management. John Wiley Sons. Nicholas, J. M., Steyn, H. (2017).Project management for engineering, business and technology. Taylor Francis. Rothman, J. (2016).Manage Your Project Portfolio: Increase Your Capacity and Finish More Projects. Pragmatic Bookshelf. Schwalbe, K., (2015).Information technology project management. Cengage Learning. Stettina, C. J., Hrz, J. (2015). Agile portfolio management: An empirical perspective on the practice in use.International Journal of Project Management,33(1), 140-152. Teller, J. (2013). Portfolio risk management and its contribution to project portfolio success: An investigation of organization, process, and culture.Project Management Journal,44(2), 36-51. Teller, J., Kock, A. (2013). An empirical investigation on how portfolio risk management influences project portfolio success.International Journal of Project Management,31(6), 817-829. Turner, R., (2016).Gower handbook of project management. Routledge. Verzuh, E. (2015).The fast forward MBA in project management. John Wiley Sons.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Yousif Saleh Essays - Education, Knowledge Sharing,

Yousif Saleh Philyaw AP Lang 3/13/16 Synthesis Essay: Technology Throughout the years of education, Technology has become integrated into the scholastic system. Technology has become a widespread method of schooling as it proves to be beneficial for the advancement of the students' performance. Although technology allows teaching to become more fluid, it can hinder the performance of students. National test scores are declining ever since technology became a daily part of people's boring lives. There are speculations to why students are obtaining drastically inferior results; however, the most obvious reason to this phenomenon is the implementation of technology in society and especially in schools. A school should consider the effects of technology on students' cognitive ability and the probability for students to commit to off-task activities. Students tend to deliberate less with the wide usage of technology. They place an extreme amount of trust on the internet and rarely rely on their own cognitive prowess. This reliance on technology causes students to feel at ease since no actual thinking is involved and the solutions are all located with a click of a button. Without the ability to properly analyze and brainstorm, students will be hopeless when technology is stripped from them. During a timed essay prompt, technology will not be there to aid the students through the assignment. Essays require highly advanced analysis and creatively skills since the student must take position regarding the prompt. To develop an argument, one must completely have faith in themselves and determine faults in both their own argument and the opposing argument. Technology does nothing but diminishes their capabilities to do so. Dyson asserts that technology "stifles a child's imagination rather than stimulate it." (Source C). Instead of technology improving the extent of a child's imagination it ruins and encloses it. This must be recognized by schools because if technology is not used wisely, it can seriously affect students' academic betterment. It is almost as if technology locks people up in a virtual prison. Angel Boligan draws a fascinating cartoon of a child imprisoned in a dark and gloomy room (Source F). The child is experiencing the outside world through a television screen, and this is a perfect example of the entanglement that technology oppresses on students. As the student watches only the television, he completely depends on the TV for information. In a sense, nature represents the blossoms of creativity and technology holds students back from true enlightenment. Although I made it seem like technology is a horrible device to use for education it has some benefits. It allows academics to become more convenient and accessible for both students and teachers. The internet provides students with a wealth of information that could assist students when and if they are perplexed about a certain topic. With a click of a button, students are able to find explanations and solutions to problems they couldn't probe through. I learn efficiently through everyday technology. Delaney affirms that technology "allows educators to interact with students, parents and each other in ways they never have before." (Source B). Innovation generated a large community of educator with a goal of providing knowledge to their fellow students. Students can access all sorts of information to their benefit. Gelernter quotes from President Clinton that technology "could make it possible for every child to reach every book ever written." (Source E). With every book ever written, students can become literary geniuses, but they choose not to. Rotstein argues that "electronic materials will get students more engaged in learning." (Source A). However, I ultimately deviate from his point of view because technology will only lead students to conform to non-scholastic online activities. None of the sources address this issue as a problem to the school system but I dispute that it is most important. If students don't stay on the course given materials, then they won't learn anything at all. There are an abundance of information on the internet, consisting of beneficial and useless information. Since the internet is such a broad medium it is easy for students to drive off-task. The internet mostly consists of garbage that can only restrict the human mind. Gelernter offers another point of view claiming that the internet "is

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Comparison of writers

Comparison of writers The author Arthur Miller as analyzed through the book â€Å"Death of a sales man† and the author Flannery O’Connor as analyzed through the book â€Å"A good man is hard to find† are both similar because the authors are inclined towards tragedy. In other words, their works both end disastrously.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Comparison of writers specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, the circumstances surrounding these downfalls are very complex and dependent on the dissimilar surroundings that the two writers were focusing on. In Death of salesman, the author talks about a delusional and self obsessed man. However, his tragedy was partly a direct result of his own inadequacies. Therefore, Miller breaks away from the traditional form of tragedy because the protagonists’ ruin was his own undoing. He was under the misconception that greatness could be achieved merely through oneâ €™s personality yet this was not so; such kind of thinking led to his self destruction. In this regard, the death of the protagonist also causes readers a sense of despair because the main character was not transformed prior to his death. All lessons are to be learnt by the audience only. On the other hand, author O’Connor focuses on growth or transformation in her main character (Votteler, 53). Initially, the grandmother is a selfish and overbearing individual who wants to bully the whole family into going for a vacation at her choice destination. Her selfish ways are also seen when she attempts to save her own life during the encounter with the Misfit. However, at the end of the story, grandmother is overcome by grace and soon realizes that she has been living a pretentious life. Therefore, although this play is still a tragedy in that the main character died, the author created a different twist to her character by illustrating that she has undergone a transformatio n and is now more charitable and graceful. O’Connor and Miller also resemble one another in their attempt to depict an everyday person. Readers can relate to both types of writings because the characters embody everyday Americans.Advertising Looking for term paper on comparative literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Miller and O’ Connor also want to bring back their characters to reality and if this eventually involves some form of violence or even their own demise, then the authors were willing to take it there. In Death of the salesman, Arthur Miller continually illustrates the importance of taking reality seriously through Willy. Willy asserted that in order to be successful, one should be well liked (Miller, 1949). However, when he soon finds out that this was not insync with reality then he immediately looses hope. Also his continual resistance to technology and the new developments in socie ty put him at odds with it. He believes that he has more worth if he were dead than if he were alive. Eventually, this despair causes his tragic end. O’Connor also stresses the importance of reality through the grandmother. This protagonist has been living under the illusion that she is the perfect Christian. She has her mind fixated on her own ways and does not really care about the perspective of the people around. Since grandmother’s head is so deeply separated from reality, the only aggressive way of bringing her back is through an act of violence. The violent acts of the ‘Misfit’ eventually caused the protagonist to look at herself and realize that she is indeed a mirror image of the hardcore criminal who has attacked them in their trip. Even the murderer remarks that grandmother was meant to be a good person the only thing she needed was to be shot everyday. In other words, O’Connor sacrifices the life of the main character in order to prov e a point on reality. To this author, violence was the only way that grandmother would ever look at herself for who she really is. Likewise, Miller saw that Willy’s end was the only way that readers could identify with the importance of reality (Sandage, 2005). These writers’ literary works may also be viewed as commentaries on society. Miller wanted to despise the individualistic nature of American culture, corporations and its people. Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Comparison of writers specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These entities have become carried away with image/perceptions rather than solid character. Many Americans can identify with the protagonist Willy because salesmanship has permeated all aspects of American’s lives. Everyone seems to be in a continual quest to be the best but this is never really possible for everyone. Nothing drives this point home like Willy’s s ituation. Similarly, O’Connor also gives a commentary about society. She wanted to illustrate that most people lack an understanding of true spirituality. They are obsessed with self preservation and may border on being deceitful and egotistical. The authors also had mostly unlikeable characters in their works. O’Connor chose Grandmother who was always quite petty and dominating for a reason. She wanted to illustrate that even the worst of us deserve a little grace. There were plenty of opportunities for the protagonist to mend her ways and become graceful but she chose not to take up those challenges because of her spiritual blindness. Many characters in this story also miss critical moments of truth because of this blindness, however, when they finally do, it is clear to realize that even the most unlikeable individuals still deserve grace. Similarly, Arthur Miller has used an unlikeable character to drive his main point across. Willy thinks that he and his sons are likely to succeed in the business world owing to their greatness. He thinks that likeability is all one needs to be successful. This grave misconception causes the audience to realize how pitiful Willy is. Furthermore, as the play continues, Willy’s mental state gets further and further away from the norm. He is always resisting change and often questions any new technological developments. Advertising Looking for term paper on comparative literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More These are all issues that make his character seriously flawed. However, in the midst of all this, the author is still able to make his main point which is that the frantic and often self obsessed American culture has its casualties and never really offers real solutions to problems. Comparison of O’Connor, Miller and Faulkner Faulkner is similar to O’Connor in terms of his description of the American South at that time. It may be true that the South may have changed from 1939 when Faulkner wrote â€Å"A barn is burning† and 1952 when O’Connor wrote â€Å"A good man is hard to find†, nonetheless; these authors were still writing about a region that was rarely the focal point of literary works. In fact, these writers sparked off a lot of controversy because of this. O’Connor’s protagonist comes from the South and she was representative of what actually goes on in most households there. Non southerners misunderstood the Grandmother and wrote her off as nothing more than an evil character. However, when a Southerner reads about her, one can easily relate to her because it is likely that the reader also has a relative who is just like Grandmother. In fact, this makes Southerners more sympathetic towards the protagonist in â€Å"A good man is hard to find† because they all realize that she means well (Oschshorn, 1990). Miller and Faulkner are also quite similar because they both utilize protagonists who are not sure about themselves. In Miller’s â€Å" Death of salesman†, Willy is a product of the harsh corporate system that used him down to the last drop then poured him out once he was of no use to them. His identity is therefore shattered because he can no longer be the salesman that he was so used to being. He is in dire need of curving out a new identity but his inability to do so has caused him his demise. The same thing goes on in William Faulkner’s Barn burning. Sarty is strugglin g with his identity as well. He does not know whether to take actions based on loyalty to his father or whether to focus on his own moral principles (Faulkner, 154). This individual is quite confused and even goes through an emotional rollercoaster. At the beginning, Sarty sticks to his family inclinations when he expresses solitude and support to his father. He stretches this loyalty when he becomes a partial accomplice to his dad’s ill actions by fetching the fuel to be used in lighting the fire. However, he eventually sheds off this identity of a good son by listening to his inner conscience. The story is therefore characterized by a continuous battle to find himself as a person. Faulkner also resembles O’Connor because protagonists in both narratives get to redeem themselves or to find themselves. Sarty avoids becoming a victim to his father’s manipulations, threats, paranoia and selfish thinking by running away from him. It is these inadequacies that bri ng Sarty and the family much discomfort; his father causes them to become poor plus they are always in a state of transit. Eventually, this protagonist sees his dad for who he really is and thus frees himself from such bondage. Similarly, Grandmother also goes through a similar experience by the end of the narrative. At first, she is driven by her own needs and thinks that she is the ideal Christian. Eventually, she redeems herself when she sees a reflection of herself in the hardcore criminal who had attacked her family (O’Connor, 1955). Generally, all three writers focused on tragedies but these were dependent on the ideals prevalent at the time of composition i.e. modernist and realist thoughts. Their portrayal of the tragedies was also dependent on their themes and the ends that the authors were trying to achieve at any one time. Sandage, S. (2005) Born losers: a history of failure in America. Cambridge: HUP Miller, A. (1949). Death of a salesman. NY: Viking press Oâ₠¬â„¢Connor, F. (1955). A good man is hard to find. NY: Harper Oschshorn, K. (1990). A cloak of grace: contradictions in a good man is hard to find. Studies in American fiction Faulkner, W. (1939). Burn Burning: selected short stories of William Faulkner. NY: Modern Library Votteler, T. (1969). O’Connor, Flannery on her own work. Gale research Inc, 21(5): 1-67

Saturday, November 23, 2019

The Apple, Authentec Merger The WritePass Journal

The Apple, Authentec Merger Abstract The Apple, Authentec Merger . The paper analyses the process of the negotiations and with a keen interest on the motivation behind the deal. This is Apple’s biggest deal ever and there are many questions pointing at the reason and the speed of this merger. This paper delves into the timing of the negotiations examining indicators that could reveal any hidden motives that Apple could have had that led to the signing of the final agreement. The paper uses a theoretical lens to explain the occurrences, the nature of negotiations and who actually exerted pressure on the process and the reason why. The paper investigates the relationship between Apple’s aggressiveness and the pending release of its new product.   Introduction Fingerprint sensor technology company AuthenTec Inc announced its acquisition by Apple on July 27. The agreement was at $356 million and was to be the biggest acquisition in Apples 36 year period, in operation. A year after Apple Inc  (AAPL.O) acquired  AuthenTec Inc  AUTH; a patent application was made public by the US Patent Trademark Office  (Purcher, 2012). This application from Apple pointed at a new technology for the iPhone and its other devices, a security feature that would incorporate fingerprint scanner. Interesting was the fact that this technology was acquired from AuthenTec. Purcher (2013) explains that Apple had made such applications earlier in 2009, an indicator that it was interested in fingerprint scanners for its future devices. It appears that this research was at an advanced stage in 2012 with the revelation that this technology would be used together with face or Retina recognition as a sophisticated security measure on its iPhone and MAC. The Q-Theory of Mergers explains that mergers can be used as means for technology transfer and capital reallocation  (Jovanovic et al., 2002). This paper focuses on the former in regard to the merger and acquisition in question. It is the light of this argument that this investigation delves into the background of this deal, Apples agenda and maneuvers and the eventual take over to bring to light its real purpose. The Process According to Brian (2012), the negotiations between AuthenTec and Apple started towards the end of 2011 with a simple approach by AuthenTec whether Apple would be interested in implementing its latest technology. Brian’s (2012), revelation extends to the fact that Apple was not the only company that Authentic approached and despite its wealthy customer base that included â€Å"Alcatel-Lucent, Cisco, Fujitsu, HBO, HP, Lenovo, LG, Motorola, Nokia, Orange, Samsung, Sky, and Texas Instruments†Ã‚  (Brian, 2012), Its only Apple that responded to AuthenTec’s approach and by showing interest in developing the technology. At this moment, it appeared as though the main reason Apple was interested in commercially pursuing this technology was cost. Nonetheless, the negotiations began with the focus turning to the extent to which Authentic would grant intellectual property (IP) to Apple for the latest technology  (Bell, 2012). At this point, it seemed there was a lack of ag reement on such terms and this completely shifted the nature of the agreement. This was the beginning of these negotiations in late February 2012 and Davidoff (2012 ), in his article revealed the nature of these negotiation as Apple would direct. According to Ogg (2012), the deal took a different turn with many consultations between the two parties over licencing, exclusivity, cost as well as issues over the new product and, as a result, Apple was unsatisfied with the proposed commercial agreement. On May 1, it made a counter proposal to AuthenTec’s negotiation team to acquire the company instead  (Brian, 2012). In its proposal, Apple gave a price of $7.00 for each share, and valued the firm at a 115 percent of its previous day common stock ending price  (Ogg, 2012). Apple knew that no other potential buyer would make such an incredible offer to AuthenTec and as such it began to intensify the negotiations. It also believed that AuthenTec technology would not benefit Apple s rivals, who utilized different smart phone platforms  (Brian, 2012). Apple’s products are known to have a narrow platform that is compatible with component parts of universal unit volumes. Nonetheless, Apple wanted this negotiations as quite as possible it appeared to value its privacy on this one, it did nothing as far as news releases on this deal were concern. AuthenTec on the other hand did not mention the acquisition, despite its penchant to news release on every issue  (Davidoff, 2012 ). Ross et al. (2007) rightly express that acquisition process is the most dramatic and controversial undertaking in corporate finance  (Ross et al., 2007). Apple did not want controversy surrounding the revelation of its true intention in the merger. Apple has long been known for its innovation, an asset that it has struggled to maintain since its last release. Apples innovation has put it at the top of the market with pundits valuing it at $1 trillion US dollar market cap  (Woh lsen, 2013). The secrecy surrounding this deal was not only an indication of Apples reduced innovation, but protection of its reputation and market share, Apple was buying technology at a cost of $356 million. Acquisitions of this nature make headlines in the financial press, which could be scandalous  (Ross et al., 2007). Subsequently, Apple proposed a transaction structure and timeline for the acquisition an indication that it needed something more than just AuthenTec, it needed its technology and it needed it fast. The Technology Integration Strategy At the pre-merger negotiation phase, the Apple negotiation team expressed their company’s desire for the process to move quickly as a result of its product plans as well as what it referred to as engineering efforts  (Cheng, 2012). Apple was in a hurry and wanted the pre-merger negotiation rushed, due to its focus on timing. In addition, the company was against the auction process and threatened to rescind its proposal if AuthenTec further proposed alternative proposals  (Cheng, 2012). It is important to note that since the beginning of these negotiations, at no point did AuthenTec filing indicate Apples intention to include neither hardware nor a soft ware feature. However, in Apple’s acquisition proposal to AutheTec, there was an inclusion of a $20 million IP agreement that gave it a free hand on the patents  (Brian, 2012). These patents, AuthenTec, earlier in the strategic planning could have costed Apple as much as $115 million. The filing incorporated an agreement allowing Apple the right to have non-exclusive license as well as other rights that included hardware and software technology, as well as patents for the commercial use of 2D fingerprint security sensors intended for use in or with their products  (Bell, 2012). Based on this, it is reasonable to assume that Apple’s intention was to acquire AuthenTec fingerprint technology that it planned on incorporating in its new eWallet also called â€Å"Passbook†Ã‚  (Bell, 2012). The Passbook was the long awaited application running on iOS 6 and was meant to serve as storage for tickets, loyalty cards and other packages; this device was to be a digital wallet that could also offer digital payments  (Brian, 2012). It is also safe to assume that Apple’s idea was to incorporate a security feature that could verify payments and ensure that was not accessible to an authorized user in case it fell on wrong hands. On the other hand, prior to the acquisition deal, on May 8th 2012, AuthenTec had announced the introduction of the smart sensor; a security feature designed specifically NFC mobile. This was a 192 pixel by 8 pixel sensor that comprised of identifying finger prints alongside other sophisticated features such as the One Time Password (OTP) generator  (Bell, 2012). In other words, this product was ideal in securing the Apple’s eWallet Passbook an innovation that came in time and they had to seize the opportunity. In addition, this sensor that was 1.3 mm could be assimilated in more than one application including a Home button. Apple was tactful in its negotiations as it had to meet specific deadlines. If it could finalize the deal fast enough, then it could have used the new technology in one of it’s yet to be released products. In fact there were secret reports of Apple launching it next generation iPhone later in September of 2012 and thereafter, the a 7.85-inch iPad. It makes sense to assume that this would give Apple a little under 90 days to embed this new technology in its products. Moreover, it is important to note that this could also have been relevant in the Apple’s computer line-up since there had been numerous fingerprint sensors given by AuthenTec for desktop computers for a long time  (Neurotechnology, 2013). There was a possibility of this technology could make its debut in Apple’s Mac lineup. Nonetheless, the question was, it was this technology was developed for Apple, why was there the rush to settle the deal? And is this not an indication that the technology was to be used before the end of the year 2012? Well, if Apple needed a product, then it could have span out such technology from the iOS6 operating system which was to hit the market later on the same year. It is only possible and true that Apple had a perfect timing for the technology for use in one of its products due for release sooner. After consultations with its board alongside its investors, and following exploration of its ability to pursue acquisition deals with other electronic firms, AuthenTec put an offer of $9 for every share to Apple for continuity of the negotiations. However, Apple made a final bid of no more than $8.00 for each share, and consequently, in less than a month the two parties resolved to finalize the deal  (Bell, 2012). This was not to be the end of this transaction as once again AuthenTec put a halt to it claiming that it had undertaken its due diligence and pending this resolution, it was not willing to proceed with the deal  (Brian, 2012). This was not because it wanted to drop the deal, but rather the company had shifted its focus to licensure issue in regard to the new technology. Starting June 1 to 3rd of July 2012, the two firms embarked on developing the technology as needed by Apple and went on to thin out their differences in regard to acceptable commercial agreement terms  (Cheng, 2012). This was revelation of how aggressively Apple was pursuing the technology for integration in its products. This was further strengthened by AuthenTec’s announcement that it had successfully completed and resolved its due diligence issues and that it had brought back the deal on the negotiation table  (Ogg, 2012). July of 2012 saw the two companies iron out the issues that allowed AuthenTec to make the technology available to Apple while at the same time maintain an open bid for other interested companies  (Brian, 2012). However, Apple insisted that development of the technology was to be on schedule regardless of the status of the deal and on the 19th of July both companies agreed on the contentious issues on the IP agreement and made an agreement  (Brian, 2012). The Deal From the beginning, Apple had the intention of licensing the new technology from AuthenTec and utilize it in one of its yet to be released products. It was said that Apple was to officially release a new iPhone and talk of the 7.85-inch iPad were gaining pace  (Slivka, 2012). As Ross et al.(2007) explain, one of the main disadvantages of a merger especially of such a nature, must be approved by AuthenTec stockholders, this has to be a two thirds approval. Having mentioned that, the fact that AuthenTec had submitted its proxy papers, its shareholder were yet to vote on the deal in question. This was certain to proceed regardless and in case AuthenTec wanted out for a bigger offer, it probably needed to have paid Apple $ 10 million.   It did not matter whether the deal was complete or not, the new finger print technology was sure to end up in one of Apple’s products. In addition, in all the negotiations, Apple maintained that the development of the new technology was to cont inue no matter whether it agreed with AuthenTec or not or even acquired the company. There were many negotiations between these companies, one that also involved other parties including Alston   Bird and Piper Jaffray, and by the 26th of the same month, a deal was brokered and Apple agreed on $8 on each share alongside 20 million for the technology as well as $115 million for licensure of the technology  (Brian, 2012). The following day on the 27th of July, announced a deal after it filed an 8-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Apple is did not waste time to incorporate the finger print sensor feature in its devices  (Apple Inc, 2013). AuthenTec has been known to specialize in development of security hardware and software and it is possible that these could have found their way into the Apple’s devices including the desktop computers. However, these details are not easily available, but Apple’s aggressiveness in using such technology is a point of speculation that this is possible. Conclusion Apple Inc acquired AuthenTec in July of 2012 after intense negotiations. The deal that was worth $ 356 million dollars is said to be the biggest Apple has ever made. This paper has delved into the issue surrounding this merger. The paper asserts that the motivation behind this merger was the AuthenTec’s finger print sensor that Apple aggressively wanted to acquire. The sensor had a chip that could be incorporated in computers and more so a perfect fit for Apples products that run on a narrow platform that is compatible with component parts of universal unit volumes. However, the company wanted this negotiations as quiete as possible it appeared to value its privacy on this one, the tech firm did nothing as far as press releases on the deal. In addition, the new technology was useful to Apple as it could be relevant in the Apple’s computer line-up since there had been numerous fingerprint sensors provided by AuthenTec for PC computers for a long time. It makes sense to a ssume that Apple had the intention of licensing the finger print sensor from AuthenTec and utilize it in one of it’s products most likely the the 7.85-inch iPad, a talk that has   gained pace. A close examination of the merger between these two companies reveal the fact that it was fuelled by Apples desire to utilize the new technology.  Ã‚   Bibliography Apple Inc, 2013. iPhone 5s: About Touch ID security. [Online] Apple Inc Available at: http://support.apple.com/kb/ht5949 [Accessed 17 December 2013]. Bell, K., 2012. Apple’s Purchase Of AuthenTec Could Mean Future iOS Devices Will Unlock With Your Fingerprint. [Online] Available at: cultofmac.com/184996/ [Accessed 17 December 2013]. Brian, M., 2012. Why Apple really bought AuthenTec: It wanted â€Å"new technology† for upcoming products, and quickly. [Online] Available at: http://thenextweb.com/apple/2012/08/16/the-real-reason-apple-acquired-authentec-because-needed-new-technology-quickly-products/#!p3ghF [Accessed 17 December 2013]. Cheng, J., 2012. Apple wanted AuthenTec’s â€Å"new technology† ASAP for future products. [Online] Available at: http://arstechnica.com/apple/2012/08/apple-wanted-authentecs-new-technology-asap-for-future-products/ [Accessed 17 December 2013]. Davidoff, S.M., 2012. Apple’s Quiet Deal for AuthenTec. The New York Times , 1 August. Jovanovic, Boyan Rousseau, P., 2002. The Q-theory of mergers. American Economic Review , 92, pp.198-204. Neurotechnology, 2013. AuthenTec AF-S2 (FingerLoc). [Online] Available at: neurotechnology.com/fingerprint-scanner-authentec-fingerloc-af-s2.html [Accessed 17 December 2013]. Ogg, E., 2012. Pre-merger, Apple, AuthenTec were working on new tech together. [Online] Gigaom Available at: http://gigaom.com/2012/08/16/pre-merger-apple-authentec-were-working-on-new-tech-together/ [Accessed 17 December 2013]. Purcher, J., 2012. Apple Invents Biometric Features for e-Commerce Security. [Online] Available at: patentlyapple.com/patently-apple/2012/10/apple-invents-biometric-features-for-e-commerce-security.html [Accessed 16 December 2013]. Purcher, J., 2013. Apples Acquired Fingerprint Sensor Patent from AuthenTec Comes to Light. [Online] Available at: patentlyapple.com/patently-apple/2013/07/apples-acquired-fingerprint-sensor-patent-from-authentec-comes-to-light.html [Accessed 16 December 2013]. Ross, S., Westerfield, R., Jordan, B. Roberts, G., 2007. Fundamentals of Corporate Finance. McGraw-Hill Ryerson Higher Education. Slivka, E., 2012. Why Apples 7.85-Inch iPad Mini Isnt a 7-Inch Tablet. [Online] Available at: macrumors.com/2012/07/10/why-apples-7-85-inch-ipad-mini-isnt-a-7-inch-tablet/ [Accessed 17 December 2013]. Wohlsen, M., 2013. Apple’s Reputation for Innovation Is Now Its Greatest Liability. [Online] Available at: wired.com/business/2013/09/apple-annoucements/ [Accessed 17 December 2013].

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Ethic of globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Ethic of globalization - Essay Example The present-day developments demonstrate that a good number of business organizations now tend for the movement of globalization. Since worldwide struggle in business extends and the financial systems of the world grow to be more and more mutually dependent, this development is estimated to continue. Hospitality industry is a chiefly inconsistent element in this movement of globalization. The reason is that hospitality companies begin to explore fresh marketplaces on the universal horizon. Furthermore, numerous corporations are launching interior "codes of conduct", so that principled conduct for their organizations can be encouraged. This is the method by which such business enterprises now demonstrate to their employees (administrators and other workers) that exceptional moral performance is important for the business firm. With the above observation, it is noteworthy to bring forth the figures that exhibit the entertainment of business ethics by a great deal of schools and a numbe r of business firms. This tells us that business ethics is escalating in importance as a subject matter of learning and research. The kernel of the discussion thus unfolds: ethics on the international horizon is momentous to the world's upcoming course of events and to the hospitality business. Discussion Advancement in the direction of globalization now carries along a mutual reliance among business organizations and nations. Sequentially, mutual reliance is likely to frequently yield outcome in disagreements among international business organizations and the host countries; however, disagreements among countries alone cannot be sidelined. It is highly predictable that these disagreements will stand on a small number of issues of ethics only. The dictionary definition of the expression ethics informs us that is it an area where good and evil forces come into contact and carry ethical duty on their sides; moral values or practice. However, the dictionary semantic exploration of the phrase and the relevance of this definition are probably dissimilar from society to society. Ethics, for the moment, is not used in the universal discourse. Although there possibly exist a number of models which maybe alike, each nation's manipulation of the term bears the depiction and observance of it rather exclusive. It may not be a surprise to consider ethical business dealing in India as corruption in the U.S. At this very point, there is a stark need for canon of an international code of ethics: a global ethic-constitution which is recognized by the whole world and cultures in order that the worldwide business practices continue to flourish. The significance of a worldwide code of ethics is obvious for any hospitality firms which see thei r existence as global organizations. The higher degree of similarity prevails across societies, the more straightforward it would be for common citizens from diverse cultural backgrounds to put hands together for mutual production. Another view that this observation registers is the initiative that establishment of a homogeneous system of ethics will give birth to originality and innovation. This present point of discussion maintains that providing each person practices things in the same fashion, the

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

The Use of Literary Elements in Shakespeare's Hamlet Essay

The Use of Literary Elements in Shakespeare's Hamlet - Essay Example The metaphors are used by the author of the play to reveal that despite the fact that Claudius, Hamlet’s uncle, had killed his brother to attain the throne, they were extremely alike to each other. It shows Hamlet’s belief that both his uncle and father were men who valued their own power more than those people who were around them. It is because of this that eventually, both came to their downfall because had they valued their people, then the tragic events which took place in the play would not have happened. Another important metaphor that is used in the play is that related to the cannon fire, which accompanies the king’s toasts, and this helps to show that Claudius, the king, is united with the land that the rules. In reference to the cannon fire, Hamlet states, "†¦or that the Everlasting had not to fix'd his canon 'gainst self-slaughter!" (Act 1 scene 2). This is used to express Hamlet’s wish that his uncle Claudius would turn into a cloud (a pl ay with the name Claudius) so that when the cannons shot into that cloud, it would be able to kill him. This would, in essence, freed Hamlet from his promise to his father’s ghost that he would kill Claudius to avenge his death. Tone When one considers the tone of this play, one would say that it is extremely dark. This is especially because of the fact that almost all the characters within it either are thinking dark thoughts or are plotting to commit evil things. From the very beginning of the play, we see plenty of anxiety and uncertainty concerning the events that are taking place or are likely to take place. The mood in which Hamlet is put after talking to his father’s ghost is extremely dark, and those who know him come to believe that he is going mad. This dark mood is also transmitted to those who either are around him and their actions, directly or indirectly, reflect the darkness, which is in the play. The soliloquies, which Hamlet has concerning the dark asp ects of life such as betrayal and mortality, are some of the things that contribute to the tone of the play. However, from the first line of the play when the guard, Bernardo yells, â€Å"Who’s there!† (Act 1 scene 1) the dark tone of the play is set. It is later revealed that this may have been an expression of the anxiety, which the guards felt after seeing the ghost of their former king several times during the nights. Style One of the aspects of style that is revealed when one reads Hamlet is the use of verse among the main characters when they speak. These characters often use words, which have an unaccented syllable followed by an accented one. This creates a rhythmic pattern in their speech and it can be said that Shakespeare used this style of writing in order to keep the attention of the audience on the play and the characters within it. An example of the use of verse in the play is in Act 1 scene 2 when Hamlet states, â€Å"O, that this too too solid flesh w ould melt, Thaw and resolve itself into a dew!† When one considers Hamlet’s soliloquies, one will find that he often speaks in a formal tone, and this is used to reveal that he comes from the nobility.  

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Description of a Response Journal Essay Example for Free

Description of a Response Journal Essay Journals provide learners with an opportunity to record their personal thoughts, emotions, ideas, questions, reflections, connections, and new learning on what they hear, view, read, write, discuss and think. â€Å"What we as educators want is that their writing enable students to personalize a story and gain insights about the character, to help them reflect, and to help them see the world in a different way.† (Brownlie, 2005) â€Å"Our reflections are the making of deeper meaning and richer understandings. Our reflections are our dreams, our ideas, our questions, our initiatives, our visions – our journeys of lifelong learning and teaching. † (Schwartz Bone, 1995) Why are Response Journals an effective reading strategy? Response journals allow the students to â€Å"remember to hold on to their thinking† about what they are reading. (Zimmermann, 1997) Response journals are easily implemented at all levels. They can be used to target specific outcomes of the Provincial ELA Curriculum. Response journals can be used with any genre of literature (poetry, short stories, media text, novel studies) and in different content areas that use expository text. When should Response Journals be introduced? Response journals should be introduced as soon as possible using scaffolding such as sentence frames or prompts to start. The goal should be to have students enter the middle years feeling comfortable with recording their responses to reading with little or no scaffolding. How can I ensure student success? Choose poetry, stories or books with enough depth to elicit responses. Students should have the opportunity to discuss the reading before ever being asked to write a response. Use of the â€Å"Say Something† strategy (Brownlie, 2005) creates an atmosphere of acceptance and trust. Modeling, scaffolding, building criteria with students and practice with feedback are the most important tools for improving the quality of responses. Scaffolding is the use of a variety of starters, frames and graphic organizers to allow students to develop thoughtful responses. If needed, open ended prompts may be used for some students. (See Appendix) Modeling is critical to the success of student journal writing. Teachers need to model their thinking about a selected piece of text and how that thinking can be used to form a written response. This needs to be done regularly throughout the year with a variety of texts and responses. Students require frequent practice in the various forms of journal writing. The teacher must provide feedback based on criteria that has been developed with the students. This practice with feedback allows students to monitor their growth and set goals for future journal responses. What are the different formats for Response Journals? (See Appendix for examples) 1. Double Entry Journal This is the most common response journal. The page is divided in half lengthwise. One side refers to a specific piece of text in the form of a quote or a summary. The specific text may target a literary strategy, technique or element of the author’s craft. It may also elicit a personal response such as a connection, feeling or opinion. The other side targets the students’ thoughts regarding the selected piece of text. 2. Diary Entry In this style, the student writes from the point of view of one of the characters. It should include what the character might be thinking or feeling. 3. Illustration Students draw or illustrate a specific scene using thought bubbles or captions to show the character’s thoughts and feelings or demonstrate the scene’s importance. (Brownlie, 2005) 4. Interview The student makes up questions they would ask one of the main characters. The questions are answered in the characters â€Å"voice†. 5. Letter There are many options in this response. Students may write a letter to a character, to the author, to the teacher, to a friend, to another student. In the letter they are asking questions or sharing ideas about what they have read. At times, certain letter types could be responded to in the same fashion as a Dialogue Journal. 6. Dialogue Journal Students reading the same novel work in pairs. They write a reflection to their partner in response to the novel. The following day, they exchange journals and write back to their partner. (Brownlie, 2005) 7.Graphic Organizers Graphic organizers such as KWL Charts, Mind Maps, Venn Diagrams, Timelines, Bar Line Graphs are used to assist students in constructing meaning from text. 8.Coding the Text There are a variety of coding techniques including the use of stickies or highlighting to target specific elements of text such as vocabulary, figurative language, and confusing parts of text, questions and memorable quotes. If specific letter/symbol codes are being used, they should be developed in collaboration with your students and clearly posted in your room. How do I assess my students’ journal responses? Teachers assess for content not conventions. Students must be part of the criteria setting process. This will enable students to set clear and realistic goals. Teachers may choose to examine journal entries as evidence of student writing at the draft stage. However, this does not mean that students cannot choose one of their responses to take through the writing process and publish at a later date. How do I build and use criteria with my students? Criteria are the standards by which something can be judged or valued. When we determine these criteria, we are deciding what counts. Teachers set criteria with their students. When students are involved in developing criteria, they are much more likely to understand what is expected of them, â€Å"buy in†, and then accomplish the task successfully. A four step process for setting criteria with students encourages student participation, understanding and ownership. The first three steps should be carried out before or as students are beginning their project or assignment. †¢Brainstorm †¢Sort and Categorize †¢Make and Post a T-Chart †¢Add, Reuse, Refine For further information on setting criteria, refer to Setting and Using Criteria. Copyright 1997. Kathleen Gregory, Caren Cameron, Anne Davies, Connections Publishing. How do I tie the Reading Continuum descriptors to my students’ journal responses? At every level of the continuum, there are descriptors that can be assessed by some type of journal response. For example, at the Expanding Level students should be able to â€Å"express opinions with evidence from the text†. In the journal response, the teacher should be looking for opinions supported with evidence from the text. The teacher should see evidence of this at least three times before noting this skill on the reading continuum.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Solomon Barney Project :: essays research papers

SOLOMON BARNEY PROJECT Political Website and Online Book Store Project Charter PROJECT MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK Solomon Barney Project Document Revision History V 1.1 11/15/04 2nd Draft produced containing updated "project definition" work from 11/08/04 worksession 1.2 11/22/04 Contribution and work flow planning finalized. Roles and Responsibilities finalized. 1.3 11/29/04 Initial project steps defined and waypoints defined with customer. 1.4 12/02/04 Revised final draft containing work from 11/29/04 work session and accepted previous changes 1.5 12/05/04 Final Draft accepted. Table of Contents PREFACE 1 PROJECT STATEMENT 2 PROJECT PLAN PURPOSE 2 PROJECT OBJECTIVES 3 GENERAL OVERVIEW OF PROJECT 3 CURRENT ENVIRONMENT 3 PREVIOUS ACTIVITIES 4 WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE 5 TIMELINE 8 RESOURCE ALLOCATION 9 BUDGET 10 COMMUNICATION PLAN 11 PROJECT RISK/CONTINGENCY PLAN 12 Preface Document Version Control: Questions regarding updates and currency of the subject document should be directed to the owner of this document, or the project manager. This plan was generated by the WSC Project Team. WSC will be implemented and deployed for the Office of Solomon Barney Associates. Project Stage: WSC will be based on the commercial-off-the-shelf application titled vBulletin. The project is currently in the Development stage of the life cycle. Approval: A completed stage exit will constitute approval of this plan. Document Owner: The primary contact for questions regarding this document is: Dale Gribble, Project Manager/Planner WSC Project Team Phone: (555) 555-5555 Internet: bsm@Dalecom.com Document Change History: (Nature and date of each change are recorded here) November 15, 2004 – Document Creation. Privacy Information This document may contain information of a sensitive nature. In particular, staff names and phone numbers, and E-mail addresses. This document should not be distributed outside of the Project Team. 1. Project Statement Create a user friendly, customer oriented website for political debate and a digital store front for the sale of political merchandise. 2. Project Plan Purpose This document provides an orientation on how the Web Site Creation (WSC) project will be managed. It also defines the deliverables, schedules, risks, dependencies, assumptions, estimates, and change management philosophy. This plan will: †¢ Provide a general product description and overview. †¢ Provide a project plan purpose and objectives †¢ Identify a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS). †¢ Identify a timeline through schedules and activities to be performed. †¢ Identify required resources through a resource allocation plan. †¢ Identify a risk analysis and contingency plan. †¢ Give a detailed budget. †¢ Establish a communication plan. †¢ Provide a basis for management tracking and control. This plan is an active document and may be formally revised at the end of each of the following stages of implementation: †¢ Research and Testing †¢ Planning †¢ System Integration †¢ Pilot Installation and Testing †¢ Pilot Deployment and Acceptance †¢ Pilot Post-Implementation Assessment †¢ Host wide Implementation 3. Project Objectives †¢ Refine requirements from customer. †¢ Develop an overall plan for project waypoints. †¢ Assign subtasks to the waypoints. †¢ Develop a timeline for completion of each task. †¢ Allow for rework at each waypoint. †¢ Create a preliminary budget for the product, and get customer approval. †¢ Refine the budget. 4.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

The Soldier by Rupert Brooke

â€Å"The Soldier† A Detailed Look at a Criticized Poem Grief, death, devastation: with the strong exception of Rupert Brooke, these were the themes reflected in most war poetry during WWI. Brooke laced his poetry with sentimentality and nationalism, which was very different from the themes of other works during the time. Many people love and admire his poems, but despite his poetry being criticized by the public, Rupert Brooke was a talented young poet throughout World War I. This poem was first published in Brooke’s book of sonnets, 1914 rightly named for the year they were authored. WWI was an influential time for poetry and a catalyst for an important movement in poetry; war poetry. The poetry of this time reflected the feelings of the general public at the commencement of WWI. Brooke’s â€Å"The Soldier,† though seen as a hymn to the great nation of England during WWI, is today seen as overly sentimental and as romanticizing the horrors of the war through strong figurative language and symbols (â€Å"The Soldier†). The theme reflected most prominently in â€Å"The Soldier,† patriotism, is seen again in many of Brooke’s war sonnets, but not commonly in the poetry of emerging poets during the war. Brooke is notorious for his use of sentimentality and nationalism in his war poetry. The voice in â€Å"The Soldier† talks about his untimely death in a fiercely patriotic manner, undaunted by his likely demise. When referring to the foreign field in which he will be buried, he describes it with â€Å"†¦there’s some corner of a foreign field that is forever England. There shall be in that rich earth a richer dust concealed† (Brooke). In these lines Brooke is saying that the dust, the earth, in which he is buried in will be richer because an English soldier lies in it; because a piece of England lies beneath the earth. Through this statement, Brooke is associating the soldier in the poem with England, making him not just English, but England. Patriotism shines through again in the next lines, â€Å"A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,/ Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam,/ A body of England’s, breathing English air†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Brooke). â€Å"A body of England’s† supports Brooke’s embodiment of soldiers as not only English, but England. It is these examples of Brooke’s strong patriotism reflected in his poetry that created the riticism for its maudlin nature (â€Å"The Soldier†). In continuation, the second most prominent theme employed by Brooke is the notion of transformation, which is distinguished clearly throughout â€Å"The Soldier. † The second stanza was a prime example of the conversion displayed in the poem. The line in the second stanza, â€Å"And think, this heart, all evil shed away† (Brooke) implies a tr ansformation from a soldier, ordinary and human, to a cleansed soul who will live forever through England. The second stanza is saying that with death for your country comes great honor and transformation into a pure soul, forever remembered for fighting to the end for their country. By making yourself a martyr, you have â€Å"cleansed your soul† and this is a great transformation. This idea is what inspired soldiers to be willing to die for their country, and to want to fight for England. Brooke is saying that there is a larger purpose that can be achieved through death, which is another example of Brooke romanticizing the war and death. To soldiers, the thought of being transformed into a great soul, forever linked to your nation because of your connection with England, is consistent throughout, which is why transformation is a prominent theme of the poem (â€Å"The Soldier†). The figurative language in â€Å"The Soldier† defines the poem and displays the message, but also supports the fact that Brooke’s poem approaches the horrors of war in an indirect and romantic manner. When Brooke refers to â€Å"some corner of a foreign field† he is using the field as a symbol for the simple graveyards soldiers were buried in. Here, Brooke is addressing the war in a lighter tone, which critic Chris Semansky criticized Brooke for. The line in â€Å"The Soldier† addressing how the earth in which an English soldier is richer again uses a light symbol for a serious subject of war. Brooke refers to dust as a body in the line, â€Å"In that rich earth a richer dust concealed;† (Brooke). Dust is used again in the next line, â€Å"A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Brooke). In both lines â€Å"dust† is a symbol for a dead soldier. Another example of Brooke’s figurative language is his repetition of England in his poem. This is another prime example of the theme of patriotism that is presented throughout in â€Å"The Soldier. † Critic Bruce Meyer calls attention to more use of symbols in the poem, including the line, â€Å"And think, this heart, all evil shed away† (Brooke) which is symbolizing a man being purified before offering himself as a lamb to the slaughter (Meyer). The poem also uses an Petrarchan and Shakespearean rhyme scheme, using an alternating rhyme scheme of ABABCDCD rhyme scheme in the first stanza, which is Shakespearean, and then in the second stanza, a EFGEFG rhyme scheme, which is Petrarchan. Many of Brooke’s poems use a Shakespearean alternation rhyme scheme consistently. The entire style of the poem remains â€Å"English,† polite and â€Å"gentlemanly,† and the style matches the figurative language and poetry techniques used: symbols to lighten the poetry’s subject and a Shakespearean rhyme scheme (â€Å"The Soldier†). Furthermore, the time in which Brooke’s â€Å"The Soldier† was written is crucial to understanding not only the poem, but why â€Å"The Soldier† has slipped from a famous to infamous piece of literature. The poem was written in 1914, at the beginning of WWI, during which Brooke had enlisted in the Royal Naval Division. Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Sarajevo, his wife, were murdered by Serbian nationalists, which had catapulted England into WWI (â€Å"The Soldier†). This was a time when England was sending their young men off to fight, without the assurance that they would return home. The public was coping with the deaths of their sons and husbands, and Brooke’s poem was playing to the times. It was a reassurance to the general public about the war and the death occurring, and its strong level of patriotism was met with the public’s own patriotism, as critic Semansky reiterates (â€Å"Semansky†). Brooke had war experience himself, through the Royal Naval Division, but was not fighting on the front lines or having any major experiences in war. He spent his first assignment assisting civilians in the evacuation of Antwerp, though he was originally assigned to help hold down the Channel ports with the navy. He did not complete his next assignment, to take back Constantinople from the Turks, because of his death, of fever, on the way to Gallipoli. Brooke did not have the immense war experience many other poets of the war had, and it influenced the demeanor of his poetry. Other war poets, Sassoon, Owens and Rosenburg did not adopt Brooke’s heavily patriotic views, but rather questioned his attitude towards the war. By the public, â€Å"The Soldier† was revered, but as the war continued, and eventually ended and the horrors of the war made themselves more evident, â€Å"The Soldier† was thought of as sentimental literature, and not as a personification of the war (â€Å"The Soldier†). In conclusion, Rupert Brooke’s â€Å"The Soldier† reflected the attitude of England during the start of WWI, a comparison which has made it both famous and infamous. The historical context of the poem, the background being WWI, is a key to complete understanding the poem and the reason for its notoriousness. â€Å"The Soldier† gives you a small insight into the ideology of soldiers and the public, who were looking for a deeper meaning for the death and destruction occurring. Through this, the poem informs your understanding of Rupert Brooke’s reactions to England, the war, and the mayhem of the beginning of the war. His general attitude towards the war was strongly patriotic, and criticized for being as sentimental as it was. Brooke, as you can determine through the poem, felt that death during the war was a sacrifice for England that would ultimately be rewarded in the afterlife, and that it was the greatest show of devotion that one could show for their country. He felt strongly for England, and appealed to the people, but his poetry lost its appeal as the war progressed and the lightness in which Brooke regarded the war was recognized (Semansky). Through the fact that â€Å"The Soldier† was accepted during 1914, you can make the connection that the public shared Brooke’s view of hope for a deeper meaning to the war and death. â€Å"The Soldier† meshes with Rupert Brooke’s ideology, experiences and style, as well as with the time period. Though Brooke’s fiercely patriotic and light take on WWI in â€Å"The Soldier† strongly appealed to the public as they coped with loss during the commencement of WWI, its sentimentality has been criticized for romanticizing the war and masking the true horrors England was experiencing. If I should die, think only this of me: That there's some corner of a foreign field That is for ever England. There shall be In that rich earth a richer dust concealed; A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware, Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam, A body of England's, breathing English air, Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home. And think, this heart, all evil shed away, A pulse in the eternal mind, no less Gives somewhere back the thoughts by England given; Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day; And laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness, In hearts at peace, under an English heaven. WORKS CITED: Brooke, Rupert. â€Å"The Soldier. † Poet’s Corner. 1914. http://www. theotherpages. org/poems/brooke01. html. Meyer, Bruce. â€Å"The Soldier. † Poetry for Students. Ed. Mary Ruby and Ira Milne. Vol. 7. Detroit: Thomson Gale, 2000. 217-227. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale. Springfield Township High School. 9 Nov. 2008 . Semansky, Chris. The Soldier. † Poetry for Students. Ed. Mary Ruby and Ira Milne. Vol. 7. Detroit: Thomson Gale, 2000. 217-227. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale. Springfield Township High School. 9 Nov. 2008 . â€Å"The Soldier. † Poetry for Students. Ed. Mary Ruby and Ira Milne. Vol. 7. Detroit: Thomson Gale, 2000. 217-227. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale. Springfield Township High School. 9 Nov. 2008 .

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Anna Karenina

Marital infidelity is condemned by law, religion and society in almost any country, more so in late 19th century Russia. In our modern culture as well, the unfaithful woman gets greater censure than the man who is guilty of it. This is also the case in Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina. Oblonsky (Stiva) cheats on his wife, not once but twice, but he gets no more than a gentle reprimand. Anna Karenina, on the other hand, earns severe contempt from society for her adulterous liaison with the dashing Count Vronsky. On the surface, Tolstoy himself must have realized the gravity of her crime and to appease the moralists of his day he had to make her pay for it: she commits suicide, crushed beneath an oncoming train. But an in-depth comparison of Stiva’s and Anna’s infidelities, seen in the light of Tolstoyan thought, would suggest the author did not intend to condemn Anna’s deed alone, but the entire society of his day for its hypocrisy, its double standard of morality. Discussing the inequality of rights in marriage between men and women, Pestsov acknowledged that â€Å"the inequality in marriage†¦lay in the fact that the infidelity of the wife and the infidelity of the husband are punished unequally, both by the law and by public opinion. † (4. 12). Conservative Russia and even contemporary society would tend to look at Stiva with greater understanding and even approval. This emerges after a brief comparison between him and Anna vis-a-vis their adulterous affairs. Oblonsky (Stiva) intended to keep his infidelities a secret; Dolly found out about his affair with the French governess only by his carelessness. In contrast, Anna flirted openly with Vronsky despite knowing Kitty was in love with him and was waiting for his proposal. While it was not her fault that Vronsky followed her in the train, letting other people into the budding romance, she could have observed some degree of decorum or discreetness in his affair with the handsome officer, but she did not. The mere fact that Anna and Vronsky remained talking to each other at the little table even in the presence of her husband, at the beginning of their romance, was considered by the circle of guests present â€Å"indecorous. (2. 7). Seemingly unable to comprehend, like Vronsky, the gravity of their crime, she opted to ignore the judgment of society, including the elite of St. Petersburg where â€Å"everyone knows everyone else, everyone even visits everyone else† as well as of Moscow who frowned on such dalliances in contravention of the established morals of the day. (2. 4). Karenin became furious only when, against his insi stence that she at least observe propriety and decorum, she allowed her lover to visit her at their home (2. 22). Alexey, Anna’s husband, is depicted as the suffering party. He is pictured as one who is without vices and all virtue, although Anna hates him for it. He refuses to be jealous when his wife is besieged with other men. Giving her all the benefit of the doubt during their marriage, and before the affair, Alexey believed a gentleman was not supposed to go down in fits of jealousy, in reference to a woman’s exposure to temptations from other men, since he â€Å"could never lower her and himself by jealousy. † (1. 6). Despite his initial hatred at Anna for leaving him and her son, he readily forgave her when he thought she was about to die (4. 17). Then as now, people dismissed a man’s extramarital affairs in consideration of his virile nature. Oblonsky thought he could not be faulted for fooling around as he was still young and good-looking, while his wife was already past her prime. He was prone to temptation, and therefore could not be easily faulted for succumbing to earthly temptations. He thought his trysts with other women were but innocent, harmless pursuits. In contrast, Anna is severely judged for breaking her marital vows. It ignores as of no moment that fact that she married a man she did not love, who was twenty years older and made her life inexplicably miserable. She is condemned because of the perception that she had no excuse for wanting the affections of another, no matter how infatuated she may be. She openly flirted with Vronsky, knowing Kitty was in love with him and awaiting his proposal. To the moral guardians of her day, Anna Karenina was irresponsible, being unable to realize the consequences of her actions. Oblonsky remains his cheerful, confident self despite his marital troubles, even committing another infidelity with a pretty dancing girl despite his earlier avowal of regret, while Anna is physically and mentally devastated on account of her affair with Vronsky. Stiva considered his flings a mere pastime to escape the ennui of his everyday life, never seriously giving them much thought. To him, one â€Å"can be fond of new rolls when one has had one’s rations of bread. † He tells Levin, who is unconvinced, it really â€Å"does so little harm to anyone, and gives oneself so much pleasure. † He said he did not â€Å"count life as life without love. (2. 14). In his mind, Stiva did not rue the fact that he was no longer in love with his wife; his only regret, believing she was secretly aware of his dalliances but shut her eyes to them, was not being able to hide it from her. He was the type who relished his pleasures. He thought: â€Å"There’s something com mon, vulgar, in flirting with one’s governess. But what a governess! † (1. 2). For Stiva, as with many other men (or even society in general), a sin is not to be ashamed of as long as you maintain a sense of decorum or do it discreetly, careful about the sensibilities of other people who might be offended. Men are even expected to engage in such pursuits, provided they do not compromise their honor or make a fool of themselves before others. Such was the reaction of Vronsky’s mother, the countess, who thought that nothing â€Å"gave such a finishing touch to a brilliant man as a liaison in the highest society. † (2. 18). She was also pleased it was Anna Karenina who was involved with her son. To her, the matter became vexing only when she realized that their passion might lead him â€Å"into imprudence† and displease certain connections in high society. Vronsky’s brother shared the sentiment of the countess: He did not distinguish what sort of love his (Vronsky’s) might be†¦(he kept a ballet girl himself, though he was the father of a family, so he was lenient in these matters), but he knew that this love affair was viewed with displeasure by those whom it was necessary to please, and therefore he did not approve of his brother’s conduct. (2. 18). Of judgment by society, distinction should be made. There is a circle composed of the fashionable world, to which Anna was attached, that rendered no harsh judgment of her. Vronsky was conscious of the fact that he ran no risk of being ridiculous in the eyes of Betsy or any other fashionable people. He was very well aware that in their eyes the position of an unsuccessful lover†¦might be ridiculous. But the position of a man pursuing a married woman, regardless of everything, staking his life on drawing her into adultery, has something fine and grand about it, and can never be ridiculous†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (4. 4. ). (? ) Ther e was, however, another circle, composed of â€Å"elderly, ugly, benevolent, and godly women†, known as the â€Å"conscience of Petersburg Society† at the center of which was the Countess Lidia Ivanovna. Unlike the first circle which delighted in scandals and sympathized with the lovers, this particular group saw nothing but the immorality of Anna’s affair with the count. The first circle tended to condone the lovers, seeing in them reflected their own human weaknesses. The second circle condemned it, finding the scandal loathsome in the eyes of man and God. Unlike his brother Stiva, Anna totally turned her back on her family to make a new life for herself, not in pursuit of temporary pleasure or thrill as Stiva is wont to do, but in obedience to the dictates of her heart, utterly disregarding convention. Both Anna and her brother found it difficult to fathom the depth of their sins. Stiva believed himself quite powerless in the face of a woman â€Å"who loves him but who seeks nothing in return. † (1. 2). But whereas Stiva could not repent of his sins because they gave him so much pleasure, Anna and Vronsky cared not at all on how they shall be judged by society because of their total devotion for each other, finding that â€Å"the passion that united them was so intense that they were both oblivious of everything else but their love. †(2. 21). People might be gentler to Oblonsky because he immediately sought forgiveness from his wife when she discovered the affair; it did not once occur to him to forsake his family. As Anna points out to Dolly, men who commit such mistakes consider their families sacred. They may commit indiscretions but they would never seriously consider abandoning their home. â€Å"Somehow or other these women are still looked on with contempt by them, and do not touch on their feeling for their family,† observed Anna, unaware that she too would be judged severely in her future affair. They draw a sort of line that can’t be crossed between them and their families. † (1. 4). On the other hand, Anna left her husband to live with Vronsky without the formalities of divorce, earning the bitter ire of society and the church. By tradition, Anna’s infidelity to his husband Karenin is deemed more contemptuous in view of the attendant biases, tenets, prejudices and beliefs surrounding t heir milieu. Infidelity marked the woman as guilty of a capital crime. Vronsky’s mother judged her â€Å"a bad woman,† concluding that her desperate passions were all â€Å"to show herself something out of the way. The countess condemns her for completely ruining the life of his son and her husband, that â€Å"her very death was the death of a vile woman, of no religious feeling. †(8. 4). Then, a man’s pride was considered above all considerations, and an offended spouse was expected to challenge to a duel the man who stained his honor. On the other hand, the unfaithful husband receives only a mild censure. After all, society is not disturbed by his dalliances, so long as these are kept discreet and he does not abandon or neglect his own family. The unwritten dictum of the day, as now, was: Do what you have to do, but be discreet about it. We find that there is very little distinction between the adulteries of Stiva and Anna Karenina. Anna’s crime is deemed, at first blush, more reproachable, but we tend to understand her actuations, her emotions, upon deeper inquiry into her life. A young charming woman, married to an older man whom she detested for his virtues, is fair game to a dashing suitor. Never having been in love, she can not be faulted that easily considering her passionate nature, to fall madly in love while forgetting its possible repercussions. Such was the enormity of their love that they heeded not the probing and accusing eyes of society, religion, and the law. At least, the offenders commited everything in the name of their love for each other, and this at least, to my view, mitigates their crime. Of Stiva’s dalliances he has no saving grace. Oblonsky engages in it purely for the pleasure it brings, not because he is forced by the strength of his emotions. He has the temerity to seek forgiveness when his sole regret was not at hurting his wife but in having been so careless that his letter to his mistress was found. He even used Dolly’s own money to pay off his debts. Tolstoy depicts the suffering of the man wronged, but he also pictures the offender in a sympathetic light. Vronsky, for all his faults, undergoes suffering because of his forbidden love for Anna; he shoots himself in an attempted suicide. He speaks to no one for six months after Anna’s death, and refuses to eat unless forced to. He volunteers to serve in war, expecting never to return. (8. 4). Stiva looks upon him as a hero and an old friend. (8. 2). In War and Peace, Tolstoy tells of the suffering of Pierre Bezukhov on account of his wife’s adulterous affair with Dolokhov, whom Pierre challenges and wounds in a duel. Tolstoy then depicts Dolokhov, despite his flaw, as â€Å"the most affectionate of sons and brothers. (4. 5). We condemn the woman, but isn’t the man who seduces the wife of another, by the very definition of law and the Commandments, also an adulterer? The protagonists in Tolstoy’s novels are handsome and dashing counts, princes, and nobles, the unfaithful wives charming and beautiful countesses and women of stature in society, not ungainly rogu es and common women. He makes Anna Karenina a most charming, pretty, intelligent, educated woman. That she could have fallen low in the eyes of society makes one wonder, for it is commonly believed only ordinary mortals are susceptible to moral corruption. Other than his pre-occupation with the upper class, to which he himself belonged, perhaps Tolstoy was driving home a message: infidelity is not confined to class or breeding; all human beings are vulnerable to human frailty and error. By focusing on the infidelities of Stiva and Anna, contrasting them with each other, Tolstoy could have been presenting to us his view of the elite of Russian society and their morals, depicted in all their hypocrisy and nakedness despite the glamour and elegance of St. Petersburg and the other cosmopolitan cities where they lived. When we consider the infidelity of Anna Karenina and Count Vronsky against the unfolding of their mutual affection, we come to slowly understand that it would appear to have been foreordained, aided by their temperament and character, their passion and yearning for life, other than a predisposition to commit evil. Vronsky perceives that his affair with Anna had drawn so much condemnation from society because they could not understand it. Vronsky believed that if it were some common affair, people would have cared less. But society became annoyed because it could not comprehend his immense love for her, that the woman is â€Å"dearer to [him] than life. † (2. 21). While the young men envied him, â€Å"the greater number of the young women, who envied Anna and had long been weary of hearing her called virtuous, rejoiced at the fulfillment of their predictions, and were only waiting for a turn in public opinion to fall upon her with all the weight of their scorn. † (2. 18). Despite her failings, Anna refuses to run away with Vronsky as she did not want to part from her son, terrified of his future attitude when he shall realize his mother had abandoned his father for another man (2. 23). Again, this softens our attitude towards Anna in the same way perhaps, that Dolly warms up to her upon sensing that she, too, has her own weaknesses. Stiva, on the other hand, appears outwardly kind and genial and considerate to all persons, but his remorseless cheating ought to be condemned the greater, if we are to judge him by the severity with which we judge Anna Karenina. A person who repents does not necessarily have to wear sackcloth and ashes, but he should at least resolve to cease completely from doing that which hurt others. If he insists that he is incapable of repentance, why should he not be guilty of society’s condemnation? Anna Karenina, in this regard, would appear to be an indictment of society as a whole, showing the hypocrisy of those who find mirth and satisfaction in every scandal, assured that they are not lacking in company. It reveals a community of educated, fashionable, religious, noble persons who cannot stand the unfaithfulness of a woman completely immersed in his love while ignoring the acts of a man who makes adultery nothing but a pleasurable game. Perhaps Tolstoy was asking us not to judge, for by judging others, as Jesus warned, we shall likewise be judged. WORKS CITED Tolstoy, Leo. â€Å"Anna Karenina†. 22 February 2007. —â€Å"War and Peace†. 26 February 2007.    Anna Karenina The novel opened up to an implication of the strife in the Oblonsky household. There was an atmosphere of confusion as everyone was concerned about the discovered sexual affair of the Master of the house with the French governess. The wife of Prince Arkadyevitch Oblonsky (Stiva) did not leave her room and it showed how the situation evident with how everything has been going wrong.Examples were given to prove establish the confusion and the mess of the situation like the children going wild all over the house, how the house helpers were quarrelling, the man-cook quitting his job and others who were threatening to do so.Stiva woke up on the leather-covered sofa in his study without having to realize that he was not sleeping with his wife until he reached for his dressing gown that was not where it should have been, within arm’s reach of their bed. After which, he remembered his current predicament. The setting in this scene how a marital dispute can affect so many people and ho w more marital disputes can stir the course of the following events in the novel.Kitty’s big night, the ball, was narrated to be a dream-like event where she was to go down a â€Å"great staircase, flooded with light and lined with flowers and footmen in powder and red coats (Tolstoy Part 1, Chapter 9).† The sound of the orchestra can be heard. Women and men were wonderfully dressed, expensive fabrics and vibrant colors filled the ballroom as people started to waltz on the dance floor.This shows how Kitty, at the start of the novel was naà ¯ve in a way as she saw so much romance in the night and how she loved social gatherings like that night’s ball. The setting described the vibrancy and excitement Kitty felt before she found out that Vronsky, the man she loved, fell in love with Anna, the woman she adored.The description of the ballroom and the atmosphere was further elaborated with describing how perfect everything was with Kitty, from her hair, to her dress to her shoes, only to come to a huge turning point wherein she sees Vronsky’s affection for another woman.   The description of how exquisite Anna looked that night, added much weight to the twist that was about to take place, it made Vronsky’s admiration for Anna like a harder slap on Kitty’s face.ThemeThe major theme in the novel was about society and family. The second part of the novel gave much emphasis to solidifying this theme through different instances wherein Anna was reprimanded or placed in a bad light because of a foreseen case of infidelity.   It was important for families to stay together, more so during their time as women who are divorced loose a lot of ground in society, while the men do not loose as much.There was one instance wherein the text showed how Anna had three sets of friends in the Petersburg society.   There are those who belonged to the circle of her husband’s colleagues that seems to serve merely as acquaintances wit h the family.Another set was concerning the friends in Countess Lydia Ivanovna’s circle that Anna soon disliked greatly and the last set was one with Princess Betsy Tverskaya who was the wife of her cousin.   Each set of friend offered much of their opinions about how Anna changed and often gossiped about her and her husband Karenin.Alexey Alexandrovitch, Anna’s husband, only saw fit to talk to her wife about her behavior with another man upon realizing that others are already gossiping about them. The confrontation was indifferent for both of them and their relationship changed but they stayed together to avoid any societal conflicts.When Anna and Vronsky made love, it was obvious that Anna was distraught as to the consequences of her actions with society and how it will affect his family, even her son.When Vronsky fell of his horse during a race, Anna could not contain her emotions in public. This had shown her improper affection for Vronsky.   She cried as she w as so worried about him. Instead of being jealous about Anna’s obvious feelings for another man, Karenin simply warned her to be careful about how she reacts in public and showed how he valued his social stature more than he did his actual relationship with his wife.Even after Anna admitted his relationship with Vronsky, Karenin was more preoccupied with protecting his honor. During that time, it has established how people were more concerned about the opinions of society and how they maintain a clean image in public. 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