Use of Characterization in Miguel Street Essay Example

Use of Characterization in Miguel Street Paper The authors Vidiadhar Surajprasad Naipaul, commonly known as V. S Naipaul was born in Trinidad, on 17th of August 1932. His family descended from immigrants from north of India. His grandfather worked in a sugar cane plantation and his father was a journalist and a writer. He was educated at Queens Royal College and after winning a government scholarship, he went on to study in England at University College in Oxford from where he achieved his Bachelor of Arts degree. Apart from a few years in the middle of 1950s when he was employed by BBC as a free-lance journalist, he has devoted himself entirely to his writing. His works consist mainly of novels and short-stories, but some are also documentaries. In the beginning he found himself rootless, as he felt alienated from his background but he found his voice as a writer in the mid 1950s, when he started to examine his own Trinidadian background. Most of his novels revolve around the Trinidadian society and Miguel Street is one of them which came out in 1959. Miguel Street has been classified as a group of short stories, as a series of sketches and as a novel. It is considered as a novel because of the fact that it is unified by a single narrator and by several patterns and themes. We will write a custom essay sample on Use of Characterization in Miguel Street specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Use of Characterization in Miguel Street specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Use of Characterization in Miguel Street specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer It can be seen as a group of short stories and a series of sketches because each chapter is dominated by a single character. Furthermore those major characters reappear as minor characters in other chapters. Characterization is a key factor in understanding Naipaulss Miguel Street and V. S Naipaul reveals its characters in a certain way. He uses conflict to reveal a character to the reader and the other characters in the novel. Most of the characters in the book are controversial and each character has an element of conflict. The readers learn about a character through the conflict they are facing and the way that character faces its conflict. It is conflict through which the nature of the character is revealed and the way that character thinks when faced with different problems. V. S Naipaul has used a narrator boy through whose eyes we see other characters. The narrator is a young boy in his adolescence whose observation of the people of the street also reflects his unconscious awakening as he grows from childhood through boyhood to early manhood. His growing up process is reflected in the unmasking of the characters who are each introduced initially as mysterious, romantic or colorful personalities who win the admiration of the people of the street until they are gradually exposed to emerge in their true colors. They are forced to emerge in their true colors when their conflict is revealed. V. S Naipaul uses the narrator boy and the gang to a certain extent to bring each of the characters one by one under a microscope where they are examined in detail. First the readers are given a fake image of the character because the character lies about his real identity and hides the conflict or the problem they are facing. But as soon as the conflict is revealed to the readers and the other characters in the novel, they all get to see the real side of the character. It is not only his peculiarities which are revealed but also their frustrations in life and their gradual decline from high expectations to an acceptance of failure, resignation to it or resorting to escape from the street. Bogart Bogart is the first character that the readers are introduced to. He has no identity and it is ironic how his mysteriousness is accepted unquestioningly by the people of Miguel Street. No one really knows about Bogart, not even his real name. He was first named Patience just because he plays a cards game called Patience all day and then he is given the name Bogart because of his resemblance to an actor in a movie called Casablanca. He comes to Miguel Street from somewhere and becomes the most popular man in the street at one point as the narrator boy says on page 11 He was at one time quite the most popular man in the street. Bogart creates a fake identity of himself in Miguel Street and never tells anyone about his real story, about his problem or conflict that he is facing. In fact he goes way out of his real life into fantasy which is apparent when he explains where he had disappeared to, on page 14 He had got a job on a ship and had gone to British Guiana. There he had deserted, and gone into the interior. He became a cowboy on the Rupununi, smuggled things into Brazil, and had gathered some girls from Brazil and taken them to Goergetown. He was running the best brothel in the town when the police treacherously took his bribes and arrested him. So he creates this fake identity of himself. However everything is revealed altogether when he is arrested under the charge of bigamy. He had left his first wife in Tunapuna because they could not have any children which questioned his manhood. So to avoid reality he ran away and came to Miguel Street. Then after some time he goes away and makes a baby with a Caroni Girl, Bogart still returns to Miguel Street to be a man as Hat explains at the end. POPO Popo story is quiet similar to Bogarts. He is also at first seen as a happy person. He also creates a fake identity of himself for self-amusement. He calls himself a carpenter and pretends to be busy building a thing without a name. He doesnt do anything for living and depends entirely on his wife who is employed as a cook. He shows off his prosperity in life and his status as a carpenter. He stands in the sun every morning with a glass of rum which he doesnt drink, he just holds it and when someone passes by he dips his fingers and licks them and waves at the person which shows that he is just showing off and enjoys himself being envied by other characters in the Miguel Street. However, when his conflict comes up the readers and the other characters in Miguel Street get to see a new character of Popo. His wife suddenly runs away with a gardener in her workplace and it is after that a change in Popos life-style is seen. It is also from there the readers and the other characters learn about Popo. He is no longer a man to be envied and then he disappears from Miguel Street just like Bogart and beats the guy with whom his wife had run away. He comes back to Miguel Street as a completely changed man. He starts working day and night at his carpentry and is no longer making the thing without a name. He even paints his house a bright green and red as though to express his new-found character. Eventually, his wife returns, takes up her old employment and Popo reverts to the old life of making the thing without a name.

Free Essays on Maggie

The environment in which a person grows up in strongly impacts his/her ability to succeed in life. An environment has the ability to shape and alter a person’s psychological growth. It can control what a person does for a career, or what a person has to accomplish to survive. An environment will affect whom a person will encounter in his lifetime. And finally, an environment always manipulates a person’s personality according to his surroundings. The environment in Maggie and â€Å"A Mystery of Heroism molded the respective characters causing them to make crucial decisions. In the novel Maggie the environment hinders all the people within it. Maggie and Jimmie’s environment consisted of a poor neighborhood with little to no chance of getting out. Their parents were very bad influences. For example, the parents always fought and got drunk. The father died. They let one of their children, Tommie, die, and they beat their kids. In this environment there are not any prosperous jobs. Therefore, there is no way to know that there is a better world outside of the environment that Maggie is located. Because of the environment in the novel Maggie, the characters are forced into making decisions that are not in the best of interest. For instance, because of the violence at home and the better world that Pete has shown her, Maggie decides to take refuge with Pete. When she does this her mother tells her she can not come back. Therefore, Maggie is completely relying on Pete. Furthermore, when Maggie finds out that Pete was just using her while he was waiting for Nell to come back Maggie ends up all alone in a horrible environment where not even a priest will give her shelter. Maggie becomes a prostitute probably in seek for refuge, and then eventually kills herself. As for Jimmie, both his mother and father abused him verbally and physically. He most likely felt powerless against his parents. Therefore, that is why he tried to seek power e... Free Essays on Maggie Free Essays on Maggie The environment in which a person grows up in strongly impacts his/her ability to succeed in life. An environment has the ability to shape and alter a person’s psychological growth. It can control what a person does for a career, or what a person has to accomplish to survive. An environment will affect whom a person will encounter in his lifetime. And finally, an environment always manipulates a person’s personality according to his surroundings. The environment in Maggie and â€Å"A Mystery of Heroism molded the respective characters causing them to make crucial decisions. In the novel Maggie the environment hinders all the people within it. Maggie and Jimmie’s environment consisted of a poor neighborhood with little to no chance of getting out. Their parents were very bad influences. For example, the parents always fought and got drunk. The father died. They let one of their children, Tommie, die, and they beat their kids. In this environment there are not any prosperous jobs. Therefore, there is no way to know that there is a better world outside of the environment that Maggie is located. Because of the environment in the novel Maggie, the characters are forced into making decisions that are not in the best of interest. For instance, because of the violence at home and the better world that Pete has shown her, Maggie decides to take refuge with Pete. When she does this her mother tells her she can not come back. Therefore, Maggie is completely relying on Pete. Furthermore, when Maggie finds out that Pete was just using her while he was waiting for Nell to come back Maggie ends up all alone in a horrible environment where not even a priest will give her shelter. Maggie becomes a prostitute probably in seek for refuge, and then eventually kills herself. As for Jimmie, both his mother and father abused him verbally and physically. He most likely felt powerless against his parents. Therefore, that is why he tried to seek power e...

The Nurses Responsibility in the Prevention of Medication Errors Essay

The Nurses Responsibility in the Prevention of Medication Errors - Essay Example Thus, this area needs careful administration in order to avoid unhappy accidents caused by the medication error. When a student studies in medical higher institution, he/she is told that a healthcare professional should not make any mistakes at all, as they are not excusable in the area of medicine. Everybody makes mistakes but a doctor must not as he/she simply does not have a right to do that. â€Å"Any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm while the medication is in the control of the health care professional, patient, or consumer† is defined by the newest legislation as a medication error (cited in Preventing Medication Errors). Moreover, medication errors usually lead to court cases. Unfortunately, the number of medication errors in the modern society is very high and tend to increase. The main reasons are the following: Ignorance of drug management rights; The absence of regular drug check. Healthcare workers are obliged to check medications before giving them to patients; The absence of appropriate patient administration. The state of patient’s health may vary so only recent tests should be taken into account when prescribing medicines; Giving drugs to patient being unsure about the dosage and medication appropriateness. Nurses should remember that in the modern world medicine develops fast. New illnesses people die from make pharmacists work hard to invent new medicines. Thus, new drugs appear every day and it makes it necessary for nurses to trace the development of new drugs, to study them carefully in order not to appear in a situation when the prescribed drugs are unfamiliar to them. A nurse should not give a drug to patient if she does not know its characteristics and what it is used for. It may be the cause of medical error. It is also very important to remember that a drug that is used for adults, not always can be used for children or its dosage should be corrected. Unluckily, last time many medication errors reported are connected with children, who should be safe first of all. â€Å"Drugs approved for adults are often used for children under the age of 12, although they aren't formulated for pediatric use† (Hospital medication errors frequent with children). Reporting medical errors is also a big problem. Unfortunately, if a medical error occurs, medical personnel prefer to conceal it rather than to report. Such behavior is caused by the fear of humiliation, of shame, of loosing job etc. However a fear can’t be considered as an excuse as timely reported error can save somebody’s life. Unluckily, nurses often forget about that (Tackling medication errors: European Medicines Agency workshop calls for coordinated EU approach). There are several measures that should be necessarily taken by the nurse to prevent medical errors. The first is the appropriate evaluation. A nurse should find out if a patient has any contra-indications to this or that medicine, make necessary tests to define the state of his/her health. Secondly, it is necessary to create a plan of medicines taking, define the right dose and warn the patient about possible side effects. The third important step is to advise the patients to apply to nurse in case he has any doubts about the drug prescribed (dose, size, color etc.). The final important prevention measure is the assessment of outcomes. It is very essential to check the state of the patient in order to trace the

Lafarge Financial Statements Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Lafarge Financial Statements - Case Study Example The trend analysis of Lafarge's P&L statement shows that the increase in company's sales has been stable over the years with a hike in sales by about 17% in 2005. The cost of sales has also been rising with the increase in sales and they have finally mounted by about 17% during the last financial year. It reflects that the percentage change in sales is almost same as the percentage change in cost of sales, however a reduction in depreciation account by 4.1% has magnified the company's gross profit by 22% in 2005. The SG&A have expanded drastically during the year 2005 i.e., by 13% (1.2% in 2004). However, due to a substantial increase in gross profit, the company managed to display a rise in the operating income by about 32%. The company has had a substantial decline in the interest payable for two years, however it seems to have rebuilt during 2005. The company's pre-tax income had declined by almost 3% in 2004, which recovered surprisingly with an increase of 36% in 2005 as compare d to the year 2003. With a 50% increase in net income, the company's retained earnings has flourished by 54% while the dividend distributed have increased by 41%. Thus, an analysis of profit and loss suggests that the company has risen up from the decline that took place in its financial performance in 2004. Three-Year Earning Per Share Analysis EPS 2005 2004 2003 Earning Per Share 6.39 5.16 4.92 "Common shareholders and potential investors in common stock first look at a company's earning record" (Meigs & Meigs, p934, 1993). The EPS analysis of Lafarge's financial statements reflects that the company has had an increasing trend in the earnings per share for the last three years. The company's EPS increased by 4.8% in the year 2004, which further rose by almost 24% in 2005. This sudden enhancement of the company's earnings has also been evident in its P&L statement, which highlights a pleasant reform in the company's financial performance in the year 2005 owing to a drastic increase in sales revenue. EBITDA Analysis EBITDA 2005 2004 2003 Lafarge Group 14.8% 14.7% 14.2% Cement 23.3% 23.0% 23.0% Aggregates & Concrete 7.4% 7.1% 6.3% Gypsum Products 10.3% 9.6% 7.0% Roofing 6.5% 10.0% 9.4% Speciality products -285.7% -128.3% -38.7% EBITDA refers to the Earnings Before Interest, Taxation, Depreciation and Amortization. Therefore this analysis takes into account all the major costs and expenses other than the items mentioned above. The EBITDA margins presented in the above graph reflect a segregated view of the company's earnings in terms of the group as a whole and its subsidiaries (on the basis of products). The group's EBITDA margin represents a stable and subtle rise in the company's earnings, which is a sum up of its subsidiaries. Cement and A&C are also having a stable uplift in earnings, while Gypsum products section is showing a remarkable growth in terms of EBITDA. Roofing's earnings have declined in the year 2005 whereas the specialty products section has had a substantial increase in the declining state of earnings, which

Individual Report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Individual Report - Assignment Example These findings have shown that the process of building and managing small group in a learning environment is very important. Small groups are a critical way of observing and developing various skills necessary in learners’ life thus giving group work a new status. It’s only within group work that self confidence, team work and interpersonal skills can be nurtured and assessed. The development of communal activities is reported by students to create environments where by they can observe their own learning, adjust the learning to suit different situation thus get more engaged in their subjects. These attributes are part of a deep approach to learning and ensures higher retention levels buy the learners (Hogan 45). Cognitive research has revealed that even with what is considered to be good instruction, many learners, including academically gifted students have an inferior level of understanding than perceived by most. With commitment, students taking an examination are normally capable of identifying what they have learnt or what they have read; cautious probing, however, often reveals that their understanding is imperfect or distorted, if not altogether mistaken. People have to build their own understanding regardless of how evidently teachers or books tell them things. Mostly, a learner does this by relating new information and ideas to what he or she already believes. Concepts—the basic units of human thought—that do not have numerous links with how a student reasons about the world are not likely to be memorized or useful. Or, if they do remain in theory rather than practical, they will be tucked away in some corner of the brain and may not be available to influence thoughts about any other facet of the world. Concepts are best retained when they are met in a variety of contexts and articulated in a variety of ways, since that ensures that there are more occasions for them to become embedded in a

The Key Principals Of Effective Communication English Language Essay

The Key Principals Of Effective Communication English Language Essay An interpersonal relationship is an association between two or more people. Interpersonal communication is a term that refers to the ways that interpersonal relationships are shaped, maintained, and changed. Interaction between people, usually in face-to-face or private settings deals with issue of interpersonal communication. People view communication differently, so it helps to understand why people behave and communicate different. Communication may contain the aspects of listening, persuading, asserting and nonverbal communication. Communicating effectively is when the person receiving the information understands you, and you understand them. If your ability to converse well with others is not good, it will affect the importance in your personal and professional success. The concept of interpersonal relationships is given by ones understanding of interpersonal communication its main beliefs, misconceptions and barriers. First, the concept of interpersonal relationships is given by ones understanding of interpersonal communication its main beliefs, misconceptions and barriers. Interpersonal communication includes message sending and receiving between two or more individuals. This can include all areas of communication such as listening, persuading, asserting, nonverbal communication, and more. To communicate well, one must have the basic communication skills. These skills include: Leveling, Listening, Validating, and Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ statements. Leveling means letting a person know your thoughts and feelings. When both parties do not know all of the information, a misunderstanding or conflict arises. Listening is a skill that not only involves hearing what a person is saying, but also comprehending what they are saying. Active listening is when someone makes a mental outline of important points, thinking up questions or challenges to the points that have been made, and becoming mentally involved with the person talking (Hybels Weaver, 2007, p.85) There are several steps involved in active listening. First, we must identify the central idea or the main thought. Next, we must form a mental outline of the speech. Next, we should predict what will come next in the conversation. Fourth, we relate the points of the conversation or speech to our own experience. Then we should look for similarities and differences on the information we are receiving. Is it similar or different from what we already know? Finally, we should ask questions. The next basic communication skill is validating. Validating is a skill that involves communicating to others that you have heard their position or opinion. With validation, we should accept the opinions and feelings of others as being true. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ statements are when the speaker takes responsibility for their own feelings. This keeps defensiveness, or conflict, away from the communication. An example of an Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ statement is when someone states I understandà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ or I feelà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Using I statements allows us to speak for ourselves. Secondly, people expand and uphold their self-concepts through the course of taking action and building, then reflecting on what they have done and what others tell them about what they have done. Our perceptions are influenced by physical differences, like what we see and hear. Our perceptions are also influenced by the information we receive and what we already know, by habit, and culture. Self-concept is how you think about yourself. Self-concept comes from reflected appraisals from family and friends, and social comparisons. Sometimes judgments can be good or bad. You can change your perceptual influences by staying healthy, avoiding conflicts, taking time out, being accessible, and being able to adjust to other influences. There are many barriers to effective communication. These barriers can be present a persons work or even at home. At work, we speak to many different kinds of people. Many do not have the experience of communicating effectively with others. You need to learn as much as possible about whom you are communicating with, so you can pick the best way to send your message, and then there might less misunderstandings or confusion. The choice of a persons words is one barrier. The words we select to use will have an influence on the quality of our communication. To use words effectively, we need to understand their meanings and associations, in different situations. An additional barrier is the misinterpretation of body language, tone, or other forms of non verbal communication. Again, we should learn how to read another persons nonverbal cues so we know how to respond to them. The way you pay attention, look, shift, and respond tell the other person whether or not you care and how well youre listening. We learn from the very beginning of our lives how to get what we want with gestures and non-communication, and then we learn to trust our environment One more barrier is selective hearing. A very irritating thing about communication is when the person is not listening to you. This can lead to misunderstandings and confusion. Many people choose what they want to hear and do not hear all of the important facts. We should be active listeners so the communication is not lost from one person to the next. You should not be distracted when listening. You should paraphrase, make acknowledgments, dont interrupt, and then respond. A good example of selective listening is with children. Children only hear the beginning of the conversation. They become bored with what they are hearing and lose their concentration. So it is best not to beat around the bush; get straight to the point. Also, an extra barrier is to overcome is power struggles. Sometimes we do not want to listen to someone who does not have the authority over us. Many people think they do not need to listen to another person that may not be of a higher rank then they are. This is true in children and at the workplace. Some other barriers may be stereotyping, or culture differences. All of these barriers can be overcome. To overcome these barriers and become good listeners with effective communication, we should be open-minded, polite, and thoughtful. Everyone could use to learn more when dealing with communication, to learn and understand how to make the interpersonal interactions more efficient. There are many principles to be effective in interpersonal communication. By understanding these principles, we can improve our communication with our coworkers, and anyone we come in contact with. The first principle is to treat each other with respect (Sharland, 2008). This means that instead of putting our energy into complaining about others, we should use that energy for a better use. We should have an open hearted consideration for others no matter who they are or whatever they have done. Treating someone disrespectfully leads to escalating responses. For example, if we have a disagreement with a coworker, we should listen to their point of view to keep the communication ongoing. It would be nearly impossible to work with someone you cannot have a conversation with. This does not mean we have to like this person, but it does mean that the circumstances that caused the issue are unlikely to get worse. The second principle is that we should not interrupt one another (Sharland, 2008). Interruptions can be in a form of speaking at the same time, cell phones ringing, or something other than listening to the speaker. By not interrupting others and focusing on what another person is saying, we are more likely to be listened to. Many times we assume we know what the person is going to say and we bring our own thoughts into the conversation. This is also interrupting. The listener takes over the conversation and they never fully hear what the speaker is saying. Many discussions are hindered by interruptions and often at the end those involved go away with very different views about what has been said (Sharland, 2008). The third principle is that we have the right to pass (Sharland, 2008). Sometimes we may want to pass on something but we still participate because we feel coerced or guilty if we do not participate. We often call this peer pressure. When people are not able to pass on something, they become closed up about their thoughts and feelings because people begin to talk about them. Resentment can build against others and damage a relationship. At work there is often pressure to do what others are doing. If we do not conform to others, we feel isolated and resent the other coworkers. Sometimes it is just difficult to say no. The fourth principle of effective communication is that we do not volunteer others (Sharland, 2008). Sometimes before making a decision for someone else, we should check with them first. When we do not communicate, we cause confusion and conflict. For example, if I were to decide to go somewhere for the weekend and my spouse has made other plans, there may be a conflict between us. Although it may take time to communicate with this other person, it will eliminate any conflict. The time to resolve the conflict is greater than the time it takes to communicate with another. Sometimes we are volunteered to do something that is not in our job description. When this happens, because there is not pay increase, we may resent our employer and may appear unenthusiastic about our job. The fifth principle is to speak only for ourselves (Sharland, 2008). In speaking for ourselves, we often use I statements. Many times we do not hold the same views as others and should not assume they feel the same way. Speaking for others usually leads to conflict. We can assume we know what someone is feeling, but the only way of knowing is to ask them. By using this principle, we make more accurate statements with our communication and avoid unnecessary resentment or conflict. The sixth principle is that we do not speak too often or for too long (Sharland, 2008). If we speak too long, we will have bored listeners and will lose their attention. We will also take too much time and not give them a chance to voice their own opinions. This situation can happen at our workplace such as in meetings or can happen in the home. Many times a parent goes on and on to a child. The child gets tired of listening and is then disciplined for not listening. If a person speaks too often, they are resented because they do not allow others to speak. This happens often in meetings when an individual contributes their thoughts on the subject. They continue with their thoughts and do not give others the opportunity to voice their opinion. The effectiveness of the communication is reduced because the conversation is one-sided. When someone speaks too long or too often, we can improve the conversation by showing our interest. Many times people who repeat things over and over feel t hey are not being heard. If we question them or show our interest, they feel their ideas are being listened to and will move on to the next topic. The seventh principle is that we challenge the behavior and not the person (Sharland, 2008). When we challenge or label a person, ineffective communication occurs. Many times we focus on how someone is perceived to be rather than the behavior they exhibit. Labels are often the result of a conflict. This ineffectiveness in communication brings defensiveness in the person being labeled. When we label a person, the communication does not move forward. We may be able to vent our anger, but we do not communicate the reason for the anger. Instead of name calling, one should express their feelings or the reasons for their behavior. Name calling is just an endless solution. The eighth principle of effective communication is that we respect confidentiality (Sharland, 2008). When we respect ones confidentiality, we gain a persons trust. It also brings a feeling of safety, intimacy, and acknowledging and respecting ones vulnerability in relation to the issue. If we pass on confidential information, we lose the trust of the other person. Many times if people feel their personal information is going to be shared with other, they are uncomfortable and less likely to share their views, fears, ideas, vulnerabilities, or mistakes. The ninth principle is that it is ok to make mistakes (Sharland, 2008). With this principle, we realize that we are not perfect and making mistakes are opportunities for learning, connecting and insight rather than opportunities to condemn others. Without this principle, the other eight would be useless. When we make a mistake, we should use a different principle to be effective in our communication. All of the principles are not rules to go by, but are guidelines to make communication meaningful and effective. Communication is composed of verbal and nonverbal expressions. Verbal communication is what we actually say. Nonverbal communication includes facial expressions, eye contact, body posture, and motions. We are sensitive to these types of body language. As many of us have heard the saying, Our actions speak louder than words. Our nonverbal communication must match what we say. Nonverbal communication can help emphasize the truth, sincerity, and reliability of our communication. Nonverbal communication is important in many situations. It is good to pick up nonverbal cues to prepare oneself on how to handle the situation. We can respond to another appropriately when we understand their nonverbal cues. It also allows us to prevent a violent situation from being escalated. There are many things to consider when interpreting nonverbal communication. We should consider distance. The distance a person stands from another often gives a nonverbal cue. In some cultures, the distance shows how intense the communication is. A persons posture shows how formal the communication is or how relaxed it is. We may be sitting or standing, or have our arms crossed. Another thing to consider is the physical contact with the other person. Shaking hands, embracing, pushing, or patting are all ways to send a nonverbal cue. Some great features of nonverbal communication include facial expressions, gestures, and the way we look at someone. A smile, frown, raised eyebrow, yawn, and sneer can all carry information. There are many different facial expressions and they can change throughout a persons conversation or interaction with another person. Hand movement is the most frequently used gestures but the least understood. People use their hands quite often while they are talki ng. It may be difficult to know what a person is meaning when they use their hands. The person could be just demonstrating something with their hands. Another feature of nonverbal communication is eye contact. Effective communication is very important for you the speaker and the listener. When we communicate effectively, we can eliminate misunderstandings and conflict. When we listen, we need to hear all of the details and be sympathetic to their feelings. We need to learn how to read nonverbal cues. By learning the basic communication skills one can have better communication with others. Effective communication is an essential component to be successful whether it is at work or at home.

Essay on Light and Dark in The Scarlet Letter :: Scarlet Letter essays

Light, Dark, and The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne's bold novel, The Scarlet Letter, effectively employs three major symbols: light, dark, and the scarlet letter. The novel relies heavily on light and dark symbolism to represent the eternal struggle of good versus evil. One example of the effective use of light and dark symbolism occurs when Hester and her daughter are walking in the forest, Pearl exclaims: Mother, the sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on your bosom. Now see! There it is, playing, a good way off. Stand you here, and let me run and catch it. I am but a child. It will not flee from me, for I wear no- thing on my bosom yet (192) Hester tries to stretch her hand into the circle of light, but the sunshine vanishes (192). She then suggests that they go into the forest and rest (193). This short scene actually represents Hester's daily struggle in life. The light represents what Hester wants to be, which is pure. The movement of the light represents Hester's constant denial of acceptance. Hester's lack of surprise and quick suggestion to go into the forest, where it is dark, shows that she never expected to be admitted and is resigned to her station in life. Another way light and darkness is used in symbolism is by the way Hester and Dimmesdale's plan to escape is doomed. Hester and Dimmesdale meet in the shadows of the forest with a gloomy sky and a threatening storm overhead when they discuss their plans for the future (200). The gloomy weather and shadows exemplify the fact that they can't get away from the repressive force of their sins. It is later proven when Dimmesdale dies on the scaffold inste ad of leaving with Hester and going to England (269). A final example occurs by the way Hester and Dimmesdale can not acknowledge their love in front of others. When they meet in the woods, they feel that, "No golden light had ever been so precious as the gloom of this dark forest (206). This emotion foretells that they will never last together openly because their sin has separated them too much from normal life. The scarlet letter also takes many different forms in the novel. The first and clearest form that the letter A takes is "Adulteress.

The Human Lives Depending on Technologies

As we approach the new millenium, it has become obvious that more than ever before, we need technology. And yet every new technology places new demands upon us creating new forms of frustration and stress. We can not live with it, but we can not live without it. If we fail to conform ourselves, will we remain the ignorant victims of the computer age? Will we become its slave? This is the focus of this paper. We have learned from our readings that the Luddites learned about the technology that was being abused in their time. They worked on the cotton gin machines and were skilled technicians. They understood that it was not the power of a useful machine they were fighting but the power of those who mismanaged it. The same can be said for the management of computer technology. There is not doubt that computer technology has become central to the operation of global multinationals, financial markets, security surveillance, and as well as everyday life. There is little we can do with a computer interface device that will preserve our identity. Governments acting as a global police force protecting us from ourselves can easily monitor the electronic trail of commands and transactions. Perhaps the Luddites could see farther into the future than anyone suspected. With regards to the downfall of technology and the role it would play on people's lives, as they became dependent upon technology for survival. Let's take for example the huge technological dilemma of the fast approaching twenty-first century; the issues surrounding Y2K. It has been feared that people's lives will be totally devastated, as the technology they have grown to depend on will suddenly fail them on January 1, 2000. It is thought by many that all of the technology that we have come to depend upon for survival will cease to function successfully. The cars which we depend on for travel, the coffee we depend on to start our day, the electronically controlled furnaces we depend on for heat, and the elevators we depend on to bring us to work will suddenly fail us all together. Even the traffic lights will become chaotic as the computers that control them will be tricked into believing it is January 1, 1900. Even the great mastermind computer programmers of our time could not think of anything more than a band-aid solution to the transportation problem. It appears that the Transportation Department of the City of Calgary will solve their traffic light dilemma by tricking the computer system that controls the traffic lights into believing it is January 1, 1972. Obviously this band-aid solution will not solve all problems, as this will still be a problem for the next generation of transportation programmers. It appears as the New Millenium fast approaches we need to return to an age that does not depend on technology for survival. People are concerned that since no technology is reliable enough to survive the Y2K dilemma that we will have to return to the ways of our ancestors for survival during this time of technological uncertainty. Heaven forbid if we could not get a fresh loaf of bread from our technologically advanced breadmakers. Information technology is a valuable extension of our power of perception and reasoning, but when we rely on it exclusively it has a debilitating effect. When we were first confronted with this new technology it absorbed all of our human resources in order to learn and adapt to the magnitude of this new technology. Many of us overextend ourselves and become obsessive allowing computers to consume all of our attention; therefore, losing our perspective of reality and purpose. If this remains the permanent attitude resulting in the overextension of our own resources, which this technology was meant to serve, then we have become the servants of this technology.

Frankenstein an Ill Tempored Scientist essays

Frankenstein an Ill Tempored Scientist essays The aggressive competition in todays marketplace is compelling companies to find new ways to maintain their customer base and at the same time to expand upon it. Retention of customers is paramount to the success of any company. It costs five to six times more to acquire a new customer than it does to keep an existing one. A powerful way to increase the retention of customers is to institute a Customer Satisfaction Program. It is through this need that I have conducted my research on the benefits of a Customer Satisfaction Program. Research was conducted at the St. Albert Public Library as well as through the Internet. Although most of this research proved to be positive for the benefits of a Customer Satisfaction Program, some critics claim that this type of program requires too much of the companys resources to be used in maintenance of a program. (Loyalistics.com White Papers) Customer Satisfaction Program Defined A Customer Satisfaction Program is a company wide program encompassing all employees in the building of strong customer relations through adding value to products and or services offered to the customer. (Davidow Establishing a Customer Satisfaction Program To retain customers through a Customer Satisfaction Program, a company must spend resources to: Ø identify their customers needs and expectations Ø identify the needs and resources of employees Ø establish a measuring tool to gauge the success of the program. Identify Customer Needs and Expectations Identifying the needs and expectations of a customer allows the company to set standards suitable for the customer. Putting the interests and needs of the customer first will create loyal custo ...

Pure, Per Se and Natural Monopolies

Pure, Per Se and Natural Monopolies Introduction Today’s economies need to evaluate and analyze effects influenced by decisions made in production, consumption or relatively all production and marketing activities. Economic agents interact in the production and marketing environments and a particular agent decision can have an influence to social-economic effects on the other (Externalities and policy, nd).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Pure, Per Se and Natural Monopolies specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These influences and effects are regarded as the externalities. This means are effects beyond production or consumption of a project, firm, industry or individual spectrum (Mankiw, 2008). Externalities effects can be positive or negative. Negative externalities are actually painful to the immediate agent. Governments through its institutions need to develop and implement policies to curb negative externalities effects that could other wise cause malfunction of another economic agent. As a policy maker concerned with correcting externalities relating to gases and particularly emitted by local power plants, various policies need to be developed and enforced. Policies to curb negative externalities due gases emission and consumption thus will lessen the overall effects to other agents still maintaining and maximizing the economic activity. Policies to reduce the total amount of emissions There are many costs related to the production and the consumption of gases. For example damage of the environment and risk of explosive gases emission and levels. Some of the policies to be developed include pure, per se and natural monopoly market structure policy and an environmental policy. Monopoly market structure policy Because the competitive economy of emission and the production of gases in presence of externalities are inefficient, fighting externalities through monopoly structure policy is legitimate. In this monopoly ma rket structure policy, objectively target to shift production levels into a more social-economic level (Hirshleifer et al., 2005). This will further reduce reduction. Market inefficiency in competitive economies regarding production of gases occurs due to production more that the market demand and thus increasing the negative externalities. The policy will reduce production of gases because the monopoly industry will produce enough to meet market demand.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Only one firm will be provided with the license to produce gases under pure, per se or natural monopoly bases. Government can franchise international company to engage in the production and benefit the monopoly powers. Conversely, there are various costs related to monopoly market structure. Bearing in mind the industry produce enough for consumption, it still possesses powe rs to regulate prices thereby assuming the role of capitalistic market system (Hirshleifer et al., 2005). In fact, the industry is responsible in setting prices and not the demand supply mechanism in the market. Environmental policy The policy acts as externality control policy. Environment policy is usually also referred to as targeting policy (Riley, 2006). The policy involves deciding economic variables such as prices or outputs regulated in an attempt to control externalities. Developed policy reduces production by giving quotas to the involved firms. Further as argued by Zilberman, (2002) production level is curtailed by applying taxes and subsidies to regulate or reduce production. Environment policy targets outputs reduction, inputs or externality generating activity to reduce overexploitation thereby reducing production levels. Government measure and calculate the pollution produced per unit of outputs and set tax percentage on the output to achieve externality reduction tax . Conversely, there are various cost related to environmental policy. According to Riley, (2006) one cost is that the government institution may find it’s difficult in estimating the degree of pollution or externality thereby causing underestimation or over estimations. In addition, increase in taxes and giving of subsidies may drive firms from the industry decreasing production levels lower than demand (Riley, 2006). This causes inefficiency in the market and under utilization of resources. Conclusion Externalities are usually connected to market failures. Usually, when externalities prevail and the policies are instituted to curb effects, prices do not reflect the true marginal costs. Ideally, many policies lead to erosion of competitive economy spirit leading to low production and consumption levels.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Pure, Per Se and Natural Monopolies specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The benefits of producing and consuming gases do not only benefit the producer or consumer. The economic activity may bring fourth other negatives to the consumer. Thus immediate policies need to be formulated to protect other economic agents such as consumer and the social ecological systems. Government should therefore reduce or internalize the main externalities through adoption of various policies. The above policies, market structure policies and environment policies would reduce externalities due to production and emission of gases. References â€Å"Externalities and policy† (nd). Negative externalities and policy. Web. Hirshleifer, J, Glazer, A., Hirshleifer, D.A, (2005). Theory and Applications: Decisions, Markets, and Information. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,  Mankiw, N. G. (2008). Principles of economics. New Jersey: Cengage Learning. Riley, G. (September 2006). Externalities Government Policy Options. Markets Market Systems. Eton College Web. Zilb erman, D. F. (2002). Negative externalities and policy. University of California. Web.

Finance assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Finance - Assignment Example These Advisory services provide the clients to grow. A Financer: as a financer it provides their clients i.e. the local, state and national governments to finance and expand the infrastructure. It also works for the clients to transact, support, manage, innovate and invest (The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (GS), 2015). The profit on the investments is known as the rate of return, it can be of two types. Firstly are the Dividends that paid to the shareholders out of the profits of the organization in the form of returns of the investments made by the shareholders. The dividend rate is announced by the Board of Directors of the organization. Secondly, the return is in the form of Capital Gain/Loss. Mostly, the capital gain is reinvested by the shareholders to get new shares of the company. The total return can be calculated by adding the Dividends and the Capital Gain. Where Rs denotes the rate of return from investment in the company’s shares, DY denotes the dividend yield that provides investors the idea about the actual percentage of returns paid out to the shareholders in the form of dividends, and CG is the capital gain that shareholders can achieve from their holding in the company’s shares. The dividend yield can be calculated using the following formula. Where, D1 is the dividend expected in period 1 that is determined by applying an estimated growth rate of dividends to the dividend paid in period 0, P0 refers to the price of the company’s shares in period 0 and P1 is the stock price in period 1. It helps in measuring the risk of change in the value of the company’s stock in relation to the change in the value of the market index. It is mainly used to compare the risk of one stock with other stocks. The measure can help investors make their investment decisions based on their risk assessment and acceptance of risk. The value of beta equal to 1 represents that

Explain this statement and conclude your discussion by saying whether Essay

Explain this statement and conclude your discussion by saying whether or not you agree with the law commission's current proposa - Essay Example Laws regarding the rights of consumers across the UK were not protective enough to sufficiently safeguard the interest of consumers. The new laws were, therefore, put forward to enhance sanity in sales of products and consumption of faulty products. In order to show that the grievances presented by the European Commission were heard, the Law Commission published laws that would protect the consumers against consumption of faulty goods. Law Commission made an indirect response to the European Commission’s paper with pretence that it was responding to the 2002 Consumer Sales Directive. Whether or not the publication of the Law Commission was ignited by the October release of the European Commission, these laws are a sure relief to the UK consumers. The laws protect the rights of consumers in a way that had not been possible in the past. A critical analysis of the Law Commission Proposals and Remedies for Faulty goods to Consumers relays a lot to be desired about the laws. The ne ed for harmonization of European consumer rights and related remedies was the primary objective of both publications. Whereas the consultative paper was not designed to directly respond to the â€Å"The European Law Commission Proposals†, it indirectly touched the core values of that proposal as an attempt to harmonize all United Kingdom Laws relating to consumer rights and remedies with those of the Commission proposals. This Consultative paper further earmarked an indirect advice to the commission regarding short term remedies to be harmonized across Union members without necessarily deviating from the traditional Contract Law remedies like rejection, repair and replacement or rescission (The Joint Consultative Paper, 2009, P.63). European Commission Proposals are another area of the laws that exhibit great deal of fascinating and likeable issues. The Law Commission Proposals were aimed at achieving the â€Å"consumer acquis† across the European Union relating to goo ds consumed and trading rights (The European Law Commission,2008). These rights include the right of withdrawal by the consumer from an ambigueous contract and is associated with the â€Å"cooling off period†, the need to protect consumers from â€Å"aggressive commercial practices†, removal of all trade barriers across all member states boarders, promotion of online contractual arrangements or trading among other things. The right of withdrawal is concerned with door to door and distance trading activities including both goods and services rendered to the consumer (Schultze, 2009, P.179). By all means, such steps to protect the rights of citizens of the wider European Union are a reason to smile about. The commission proposals are most likely going to enhance economic productivity of the region with increased trade and commerce. These European Commission proposals are majorly intended to harmonize trading activities among European states and once the Union has achieve d this, it will have a better competitive advantage over other regions in trade and industry. The major bottleneck is understanding the micro and macro economic factors that drives businesses. More in particular is an understanding of the