Characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth in Act I Free Essay Example, 1000 words

Pushing and insulting, Lady Macbeth will not be hindered by her husband s reluctance. When he claims to be simply acting within the limits of a man and no more, she uses the theme to further insult and pressure him back on course. Innately understanding that her husband s qualms do not erupt from moral misgivings, she invokes his ambition. When you durst do it, then you were a man; And, to be more than what you were, you would Be so much more the man (1, 7, 51-53). If he would only dispatch Duncan, Macbeth would be advancing himself as a man. Additionally, although she is only a woman, she would not hesitate to act. I would, while it was smiling in my face, Have pluck'd my nipple from his boneless gums, And dash'd the brains out, had I so sworn as you Have done to this (1, 7, 58-61). This woman would beat an infant to pieces if she said she would so why would Macbeth falter in killing the man between him and the throne? Displaying the ethical failings that got him into the pl ot, to begin with, Macbeth simply asks, If we should fail? (1, 7, 61) His wife is ready for this indication that he is returning to her position and declares, But screw your courage to the sticking-place, And we'll not fail (1, 7, 64-65). She will ply Duncan s companions with wine until they pass out, so there should be no difficulties before or after the event. What cannot you and I perform upon The unguarded Duncan? what not put upon His spongy officers, who shall bear the guilt Of our great quell? (1, 7, 73-76). So not only will Macbeth face no risk during the act, but he will have two men to blame for the crime as well. Convinced they will get away with the crime, she finally succeeds in putting him back on her course. In admiration for her man-like steeliness, he declares, Bring forth men-children only; For thy undaunted mettle should compose Nothing but males (1, 7, 77-79). Macbeth wonders if framing the servants will be received, and his wife firmly answers, Who dares receive it other, As we shall make our griefs and clamour roar Upon his death? (1, 7, 83-85). We will write a custom essay sample on Characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth in Act I or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now

Analysis Of George Orwell s 1984 The Party

In George Orwell’s novel 1984 the Party is the ruling government over the civilization in Oceania, Big Brother is the image of the ruler that is always watching their actions against society like thought-crime with telescreens. The main character Winston Smith is a worker at the Ministry of Truth and is later joined by a lover named Julia who works with Winston to start a revolution against the Party. The novel 1984 by George Orwell Compared to a government like that of America’s, 1984 creates a more threatening structure of government where the public is limited from freedom and happiness. This novel is an example where a society when only the few upper classmen has power and the freedom from harsh treatment that the general population receives. Power creates problems for others by others, in which they do not deserve. In George Orwell’s 1984 Power is gained most effectively through control, fear and violence. Fear in 1984 is the main reason that society is like it is, people are afraid of the unknown and what may or may not happen if they oppose the rules. â€Å"The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown† Thought-crime is one of the largest reasons why this society is as a result disturbing, any one person who opposes against the rules or has thoughts that seem â€Å"dangerous† will be acted upon and will be vaporized and vanish. The words â€Å"BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU† (4) is in captions by Winston’s grimyShow MoreRelated1984 Argument1249 Words   |  5 PagesGeorge Orwell’s book 1984 is a very interesting novel. The novel is set up in Airstrip One. In George Orwell’s book 1984 it has many situations. One of the many situations are that some people refer society as â€Å"Orwellian.† What does Orwellian mean? Orwellian means, of or related to the works of Georg e Orwell ( especially his picture of his future totalitarian state.) People believe that Orwell is realistic and say his work part of our society now. George Orwell was a writer in the twentieth centuryRead MoreThe Party’s Attitude Toward Love and Sexuality1574 Words   |  7 Pageslove and sexuality 1984 is a novel written by George Orwell, the main theme of the novel is about how totalitarian society can control every aspect of a person thought, sexuality and action. Totalitarianism can be define as a repressive one-party that has total control over people thoughts and actions. In 1984, people are being control totally by the Party through device such as the telescreen. People are stripped away from their freedom to do things that they want. The Party wants people to onlyRead MoreThe s Best Known Works Are? Politics And The English Language?3044 Words   |  13 PagesTwo of George Orwell?s best known works are ?Politics and the English Language? and 1984. In ?Politics and the English Language,? he points out many of the issues with the modern writings of his time, which are still problems today. Nineteen Eighty-Four focuses on the push of totalitarian rule by the government. Orwell?s ideas have been seen before, but he is considered to have presented them in one of the best w ays that is still influential today. The decay of society as portrayed in George OrwellRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s 1984848 Words   |  4 PagesCritical Analysis In the George Orwell’s novel 1984, much of the society is watched and have no privacy of any kind. Every person in the Party is under surveillance. In effect, these people cannot live freely and independently, but it seems to be an impossible task because of of the Party surveillance, and how they limit thinking and manipulate reality. We can similarly see these concerns and their effects in today s society and the ways the novel also acts as a warning for the future. In 1984 a manRead MoreFahrenheit 451 By George Orwell1931 Words   |  8 Pagesare burned by the firemen. Similar to Bradbury’s society, 1984 by George Orwell includes a corrupt government where members of the Party are under surveillance at all hours of the day, and the worst crime committed is thinking anything different from what the central leader, Big Brother, allows members to think. In order to express their concerns for the destructive path they view society taking, the authors of both Fahrenheit 451 and 1984 utilize satirical examples when elaborating on the similarRead MoreEssay about The People’s Republic of China: Tyrannical Political State?1912 Words   |  8 Pageswithin societies past and present. George Orwell prophetically writes about a futuristic society in his book entitled 1984. He uses hindsight of past and present political authority to illustrate the possibility of additional states imposing oppressed control. Orwell asserts the conflicting ideas with, â€Å"†¦the three slogans of the Party: War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength,† (Orwell, 4). In a clever, applicable, and daunting approach, Orwell challenges the so-called pragmatismRead MoreThe Psychoanalysis of 19841019 Words   |  5 Pages The Psychoanalysis of 1984 The social structure of George Orwell’s 1984 is based on Freud’s map of the mind and the struggles between the id, the ego and the super ego. The minds of these individuals living in this society are trained to think a certain way. Freud’s theory of psychoanalysis can be applied to Orwell’s 1984. Using Freud’s psychoanalytic approach, 1984’s main character Winston Smith is portrayed as the one who goes against the ideas of the Party. In a Freudian point of view, Winston’sRead MoreThe Dystopia By George Orwell2154 Words   |  9 PagesThe dystopia depicted in 1984 is a direct result of author George Orwell’s exposure to the oppressive regimes of his day. At the time of Orwell’s composition of the novel, authoritarian governments of the 1940s posed a real and dangerous threat to the free citizens of Europe. Much of what he saw in the Nazi and communist regimes inspired the Party, the government of Oceania, in his text 19 84. The text argues that the effectiveness of an authoritarian regime depends on its ability to dehumanize itsRead MoreNineteen Eighty Four By George Orwell Essay1601 Words   |  7 PagesBook Review for Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell Jason Lee December 12, 2015 SECTION A Date published June 8, 1949 City where published London, England Publisher Secker Warburg Number of pages 267 SECTION B Summary of your book (key details only...address the beginning, middle, and end of the book) Nineteen Eighty-Four takes place in the fictional nationRead MoreEssay on Analysis of George Orwells 19844218 Words   |  17 PagesAnalysis of George Orwells 1984 War Is Peace. Freedom Is Slavery. Ignorance Is Strength. The party slogan of Ingsoc illustrates the sense of contradiction which characterizes the novel 1984. That the book was taken by many as a condemnation of socialism would have troubled Orwell greatly, had he lived to see the aftermath of his work. 1984 was a warning against totalitarianism and state sponsored brutality driven by excess technology. Socialist idealism in 1984 had turned to a total loss of

Competition and Markets Free Essays

United Parcel Service, Inc. is the brand name that this paper seeks to analyze using its monopolistic characteristics and the advertising trends in the company. With its headquarters in Sandy Springs, Georgia, the company is so far the world’s largest package delivery company. We will write a custom essay sample on Competition and Markets or any similar topic only for you Order Now United Parcel Service, Inc major competitors in the US market are the United States Postal Services and FedEx which are also joined with other international operators among of them being: Royal Mail, Japan Post, LDH Express, and FCML Couriers among many other international delivery companies. It is therefore practical to state that United Parcel Service, Inc does not enjoy a purely monopolistic market although various characteristics in its operations have enabled it to enjoy a larger share of the delivery market. In a single day for instance, it delivers over 15 million packages to 6. 1 million customers in m ore than 200 countries (Heijdra and Brakman 2004). UPS gained its popular brand name originally form its brown trucks which are responsible for ‘The Big Brown Machine’ name that is locally used to refer to it. Advertising especially in firms characterized by monopolistic features aims at benefiting the producer to increase the sales levels (Semenik and O’Guinn 2008). On the other hand though, it is argued that advertisement serves a role in ensuring that consumers are more enlightened on market supply hence reduce the risks of making uninformed purchase decisions. Some economists though argue against advertisement stating that it leads to misallocation of resources in the economy as consumers are propelled into buying what they had not intended to initially. It is also argued that it promotes unfair market dominance as firms aim at enhancing their brand name at the expense of other players in the industry. Basing on the reasoning, put above advertising is the only way for firms in monopolistic market to ensure they maintain their edge in the market (Kapferer 2008). References Kapferer, J, 2008, The new strategic brand management, K. P. P. , Washington D. C. Heijdra, B Brakman, S, 2004, The monopolistic competition revolution in retrospect, C. U. P. , California. Semenik, R O’Guinn, T, 2008, Advertising and Integrated Brand Promotion, Cengage Learning, Boston. How to cite Competition and Markets, Papers

Securities and Exchange Commission Market Structure

Question: Discuss about the Securities and Exchange Commission Market Structure. Answer: Introduction: Market structure is an important element in every market. It is the collection of factors that determine how buyers and sellers interact within a particular market. It is best defined as the organizational characteristics that make up a particular market which affects the nature of competition, changes in prices and how different levels of production interact. It also refers to the specific social organization that exists between buyers and sellers in a given market. Various elements that determine the type of market structure within a particular industry. This includes the degree of buyer concentration, the degree of seller concentration, the conditions of entry into that particular market and the degree of product differentiation. There are four major types of market structures in Australia, among them perfect competition, monopolies, oligopolies, and monopolistic competition. There are various characteristics that distinguish one market structure from the other (Market Structures 2016). For instance, the number of firms in the market will affect the firms strategy and ability to influence market prices. Additionally, the availability of similar and differentiated products affects the firms conduct. Specifically, an increase in the price of a product that has close substitutes will affect its sales (Market Structure n.d). The cost of information and barriers to entry are also major elements in market structure determination. Oligopoly Market Structure in Australia An oligopoly is a market dominated by few large firms. Often, key firms collude to create barriers that discourage the entry of new firms into that particular market. Typically, oligopolies aim at maximizing profits (Oligopoly 2016). As a result, they set their prices where the marginal cost equals marginal revenue. Furthermore, the barriers to entry are high. The most prominent barriers to entry include government licenses, patents, economies of scale, and other strategic actions by existing firms designed to discourage the entry of new firms. Also, oligopolies tend to compete on non-price factors. As such, they try to create brand loyalty and increase their sales through loyalty schemes, product differentiation, and advertisements (Khan 2016). A good example of the oligopoly market structure in Australia is the Beer industry. Although there are various manufacturers of beer in Australia the key players in the beer industry are Lion Nathan National Foods and SABMiller which together make up the largest portion of the Beer Industry. By 2014, the two firms controlled approximately 90 percent of the market. These two firms use their dominance to overcome the challenges in the beer market. They also capitalize on the new beer preferences by utilizing their market share to dominate the industry, making the other firms have an almost negligible market share. Moreover, the firms collude and put in place high entry barriers to discourage competition. Monopoly Market Structure A monopoly market structure in which a single firm which has exclusive control and high market power over a particular market. In this structure, the firm is the price setter and maximizes its profits at the point where marginal revenue equals the marginal cost. Often, the firms products have no close substitutes and therefore no competition from other firms. In addition, there are strict barriers to entry (Stigler n.d). Usually, a monopolist has total control over the price and the quality of its products. In case the firm intends to increase its prices, it reduces the amount of output produced. Similarly, it can reduce the price by increasing the amount of quantity of produced. In Australia, economic barriers are a major source of monopoly power. They entail factors such as economies of scale whereby monopolies experience decreasing costs for as quantity of production increases. They are able to reduce their prices below new entrants operating costs to prevent them from achieving profits. Likewise, capital requirements are a major economic barrier for new entrants as production often require large capital investments, research, and development. Such huge costs make it difficult for small companies to enter a market (Monopolies 2016). Technological superiority and control over natural resources may contribute to monopolies. Monopolies are often characterized by their notorious behavior of raising prices above the prices that would normally prevail in a competitive market structure. The Eastern State Gas Suppliers and Pipeline Operators are a perfect example of a monopoly in Australia. The firm raises gas prices over and beyond their operation costs. Gas supp liers have formed a cartel whereby they restrict output to increase prices. Monopolistic Competition in Australia Monopolistic competition is a market structure that combines aspects of perfect competition and monopoly. It is a type of imperfect competition characterized by freedom of entry and exit. Therefore, there are many sellers who produce differentiated products or services. As a result, firms face an inelastic demand curve and can influence their price and obtain supernormal profits in the short run. However, given that there is freedom of entry, the supernormal profits attract new firms who enter into the market. In the long run, the supernormal profits diminish, and firms earn only normal profits (Pettinger 2008). Often, these markets are regarded as productively and allocative inefficient. The coffee industry in Australia is a good example of monopolistic competition. Particularly, the industry is characterized by many firms that have a market share within the coffee industry (Monopolistic Competition n.d). Examples of coffee firms in this market are Most of the coffee firms offer differentiated products and therefore set their own prices with regard to quality. In addition, the Australian coffee market allows firms to make independent production decisions and each firm has some market power. As a result, individual firms can determine the prices of their products and risk losing only a small proportion of their customers. Conclusion The market structure is an important factor in any market as it determines the pattern in which the constituent parts of a particular market are arranged together. It determines the relationship between buyers and sellers, sellers and sellers. It also determines the degree of competition and the level of product differentiation (Levin 2009). It is worth to note that the Australian economy is made up of oligopolies, monopolies, and monopolistic competition. The structure of the market in Australia determines the degree to which the firm can change its prices without losing their loyal customers as well as how companies conduct their business. Reference List Ellickson B. Market Structure and Performance. 1st ed. [Pdf] University of Rochester, pp. 2-13. Available athttps://paulellickson.com/MarketStructure.pdf[Accessed 2 Dec. 2016]. https://www.khanacademy.org/economics-finance-domain/microeconomics/perfect-competition-topic/monopolistic-competition-oligop/v/oligopolies-and-monopolisitc-competition[Accessed 2 Dec. 2016]. Khan, S. (2016) Oligopolies and Monopolistic Competition [Online] Available from: Levin, J. (2009). Entry and Market Structure. 1st ed. [ebook] Stanford: Stanford Univeristy, pp.23-40. Available at: https://web.stanford.edu/~jdlevin/Econ%20257/Entry%20and%20Market%20Structure.pdf [Accessed 2 Dec. 2016]. Market Structure: Oligopoly (Imperfect Competition). (2016). 1st ed. [ebook] Missouri state: Missouri state, pp.2-16. Available at: https://courses.missouristate.edu/reedolsen/courses/eco165/Notes/oligopoly.pdf [Accessed 2 Dec. 2016]. Pettinger, T. (n.d.). Monopolistic Competition. [Online] Economics Help. Available at: https://www.economicshelp.org/blog/311/markets/monopolistic-competition/ [Accessed 2 Dec. 2016]. Policonomics (2016), Market Structures [Online] Available from: https://www.policonomics.com/lp-market-structures-market-structure/ Stigler, M. (2016). Monopoly: The Concise Encyclopedia of Economics. [Online] Available at: https://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/Monopoly.html [Accessed 2 Dec. 2016]. US Securities and Exchange Commission Market Structure [Online] Available from: https://www.sec.gov/marketstructure/

An Overview Of Tirupati Tourism Essay Essays

An Overview Of Tirupati Tourism Essay Essays An Overview Of Tirupati Tourism Essay Essay An Overview Of Tirupati Tourism Essay Essay Tirupati Tirupati is one of the most of import pilgrims journey finish in India. The metropolis is located in the southern Indian province of Andhra Pradesh at the foothills of the Eastern Ghats. The metropolis is celebrated for the Sri Venkateshwara temple as draws 1000s of tourers and fans every twelvemonth. Significance The metropolis of Tirupati seems to deduce its name from the hallowed Tirumala hills which are allegedly the 2nd oldest stone mountains in the universe and happen a reference in pre Christian Tamil spiritual Bibles. The metropolis, if history is to be believed, was an established Centre of Vaishnavism, an ancient Hindu religious order and the temple rites were formalized by the Vaishnavite saint Ramanujacharya in the eleventh century AD and the metropolis has stood the trial of clip despite the Muslim invasions of South India. Attractions Sri Venkateshwara Temple: The Sri Venkateshwara temple is cardinal to Tirupati s rise to fame as a august spiritual finishs. Though the exact beginnings of the temple are shrouded in antiquity, it is by and large accepted that the temple was an on-going piece of work undertaken by consecutive dynasties for several hundred old ages. The Sri Venkateshwara temple holds the record for being the most visited and the richest topographic point of worship in the universe. The temple is located on the celebrated Tirumala hills and is besides known as the Temple of Seven Hills. The presiding divinity is Sri Venkateshwara, an embodiment of Lord Vishnu, and is besides sometimes referred to as Srinivasa , the one in whom Sri or Goddess Lakshmi, Lord Vishnu s consort, resides. Kodanda Ramaswamy Temple: Is a brilliant piece of architecture, the white ornately carved ceiling is mounted on a brown base resplendent with finely carved pillars. This temple is dedicated to Lord Ram, Sita and Ram s brother, Lakshmana. A statue of Lord Hanuman, Lord Rama s ardent and loyal follower sits besides Lord Rama s pess. Kapila Theertham: Is a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and his married woman Parvati. This temple, at the entryway to a mountain cave, is said to hold been the topographic point where saint Kapila Maharishi lived and meditated to Lord Shiva. Devotees and passer-by are greeted by a stone carving of the heavenly bull, Nandi. Lord Krishna Temple: The Lord Krishna temple is a alone work of architecture with the towers coloured in gold and white. The temple is adorned with glass pictures picturing the life of Lord Krishna and the ceilings are glorious with colorful pictures resembling Tanjore art. How to Reach You can acquire to Tirupati by get oning a flight from Hyderabad and Chennai. Tirupati besides has a train station though your best stake would be debarking at Renigunta, approximately 10 kilometers off. Renigunta is good connected by rail with other metropoliss in India. If you would wish to go by route, Tirupati is good connected by route to other metropoliss by coachs and other manners of route conveyance.

Othello and Jealousy Research Paper Example

Othello and Jealousy Research Paper Example Othello and Jealousy Paper Othello and Jealousy Paper Essay Topic: Othello Jealousy is described as feelings of resentment against someone because of that persons rivalry, success, or advantages. It plays a very large role in Shakespeare’s â€Å"Othello†. Jealousy is the fire that motivates Iago and clouds Othello’s judgment, leading to the downfall of both men. Iago is extremely jealous of Cassio because of his position in the army. Iago, a Venetian soldier of so good reputation that he is known to everyone as â€Å"honest Iago†, feels bitterly and deeply that he has been done a gratuitous injustice, His past life has been exemplary; his private actions and public deeds have been above reproach; his superior, the great Moorish general Othello, has trusted him, confided in him, relied on him. Othello has had proof of his soldiership at Rhodes, at Cyprus, and on other grounds Christian and heathen. Three great ones of Venice have used their personal influence on Iago’s behalf. The lieutenancy has gone, nevertheless, to Michael Cassio, a Florentine and a mere theoretical soldier who has never set a squadron in the field. † (McCloskey 25) Iago was equal to Othello in the military until Othello was promoted. Othello then made Cassio his lieutenant which enraged Iago. He set out to destroy Cassio and succeeded as he was stripped of his lieutenancy. Iago was in a jealous frenzy and becoming lieutenant was not enough for him. Iago wants justice and this motivates him to sabotage Othello’s career as well. â€Å"Intellectual, craftly, subtle, and efficient as he is, Iago cannot, however, control his jealous suspicion. (McCloskey 222) Iago is clever and quick-witted but he is completely consumed with envy. He uses all of his intelligence to try and bring down Othello. â€Å"And nothing can or shall content my soul till I am even’d with him, wife for wife, Or failing so, yet that I put the Moor At least into a jealousy so strong that judgment cannot cure. † (Shakespeare;Othello. Act II:Scene 1:lines 307-311) Iago believes that justice would be if Othello experienced the same jealousy that Iago had. Iago’s plan works and Othello is blinded by jealousy. This causes him to change his military opinion about Iago. For good and sufficient reasons, apparently, Othello has decided that Iago does not qualify for the vacant military post. Later, however, at the peak of his jealous rage, Othello belies his own previous military judgment against Iago. † (Kliger 222) In the beginning of the play, Othello is in his prime and he chooses Cassio as his lieutenant with good reasoning behind it. Iago continuously manipulates Othello and by the end of the play they were scheming to kill Cassio. Othello then ordered Iago to kill Cassio and gave him a reward. Now art thou my lieutenant† (Act III:Scene 3:line 478) Othello didn’t use his good judgment to make this decision. He wanted Cassio dead and so he compromised his beliefs to make sure that happened. At first when Iago starts putting ideas of an affair between Desdemona and Cassio, into Othello’s head, he dismisses them saying â€Å"I’ll see before I doubt; when I doubt, prove; And on the proof, there is no more but this: Away at once with love or jealousy. † (Act III:Scene 3: Lines 221-223) Othello doesn’t want to hear anything else about an affair unless Iago has proof. As Iago continued hinting that Desdemona was unfaithful, Othello started to get jealous. By the end of the conversation he was saying â€Å"O curse of marriage, that we can call these delicate creatures ours and not their appetites! † (Act III :Scene 3: Lines 309-311) Over the course of a conversation Othello goes against his previous beliefs about his own wife and becomes quick to believe Iago, as his judgment was hindered. Othello begins to make assumptions as he is caught up with jealousy. Iago tells him to eavesdrop and so when he hears Cassio speaking about Bianca, he thinks Cassio is speaking of Desdemona. Othello isn’t thinking clearly and disregards obvious comments like â€Å"I marry her? What, a customer? Prithee bear some charity to my wit! Do not think it so unwholesome. Ha, ha, ha! † (Act IV:Scene 1: Lines 309-311) From this comment Othello chooses to believe that Cassio is taunting Desdemona and calling her a prostitute. Iago knows exactly what he is doing to Othello and he says â€Å"As he shall smile, Othello shall go mad, and his unbookish jealousy must construe poor Cassio’s smiles, gestures, and light behaviors quite in the wrong. (Act IV :Scene 1: Lines 117-120) Othello is a very intelligent man but he develops selective hearing and only hears of Desdemona’s unfaithfulness. Jealousy led to the downfall of both Othello and Iago. Iago was extremely jealous of Othello and his life revolved around manipulation. He became lieutenant but then he wanted more and wound up arrested, after killing Emilia and Roderigo. Othello was jealous of Cassio because he believed that his wife was having an affair. â€Å"Yet if Othello and Iago are Shakespeare’s examples of â€Å"masculine† men in the play, then manhood is the ability to command and audience, to have power over others. (Pryse 476) Othello and Iago are too masculine and powerful to admit their true feelings of jealousy so they scheme and this leads to their downfall. If Othello had talked to Desdemona and listened to her, he would’ve found out that she was innocent. This would’ve saved both of their lives. Instead he ignored her pleas of innocence and smothered her in their own bed. His judgment was too clouded by jealousy and he made irrational mistakes. Othello said, â€Å"Then must you speak of one who loved not wisely, but too well: Of one not easily jealous but being wrought, perplexed in the extreme†. Act VI:Scene 2: Lines 403-406) Bibliography Babcock, Weston. Iagoan Extrordinary Honest Man. Shakespeare Quarterly 16 (1965): 297-301. JSTOR. 2 Mar. 2008. Kliger, Samuel. Othello: the Man of Judgment. Modern Philology 48 (1951): 221-224. JSTOR. 2 Mar. 2008. McCloskey, John C. The Motivation of Iago. College English 3 (1941): 25-30. JSTOR. 2 Mar. 2008. Pryse, Marjorie. Lust for Audience: an Interpretation of Othello. ELH 43 (1976): 461-478. JSTOR. 2 Mar. 2008. Shakespeare, Whilliam. Othello. Ed. Barbara A Mowat and Paul Werstine. New York: Washington Square Press, 1993.

Articles 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Articles 2 - Essay Example It was identified that the culprit in this dilemma is not lack of skills but rather the use of Black Berries, as the means to send faster emails creating tendencies to make grammatical errors. Further, the contemporary practice of senior executives to rely on their managers and subordinates to do all the writing and resort to quick reviews tend to exacerbate the issue. The more executives climb the organizational ladder, the more their writing skills are not harnessed nor utilized. Personally, I agree with Lopez-Pacheco in proffering the problems in communications skills of today’s generation. However, apart from putting the blame on technology alone, it seems more appropriate to identify the roots of the problem. Black Berries and the internet technology are not the main source of the dilemma – through these technological accessories is contributory to the decline in communication skills. The main cause remains lack of skills in writing and communicating. When one has gained some form of expertise on the English language - verb dropping, mistakes in punctuation marks, and simple grammatical errors - normally seen in email messages should have been avoided. There are still ways to abbreviate words or messages without making grammatical errors. The fact remains that more contemporary graduates lack training and skills in writing and communicating. It is the training methodologies and technological advancement of today that contribute to the laxity in monitoring the honing of communication skills. The accessibility and availability of information at the flick of the fingers from web sources make students rely on alternative sources rather than on development of their own writing and communication skills. Therefore, their sloppy work is Writing is a skill which can be honed over time. It just takes a good grasp of the English language, an artistic flare, a degree of

Exploring the interest Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Exploring the interest - Essay Example Both Baca and Lu assert that language skills can be used for a variety of purposes and to advance causes which cannot be advanced otherwise. Reading books can play a phenomenal role in a person’s life and the power of writing is such that it can cleanse the wounds and quench the maddening thirst. Baca’s description of what he experienced while writing and how writing relates to thinking suggests that the power of words cannot be denied as it helps transform all the hidden thoughts in black and white. Lu also suggests the same idea but in a different context. She claims that there is a conflict between the world of home and the world of schools. Things we learn at home can potentially conflict with the literacy taught in schools (xxx 372). Baca (cited in xxx 390) expresses in his autobiography how his interest in writing eventually helped him immensely in developing language skills which are important to come out to strangers. Good language skills and writing talent play an immense role in ensuring safety and happiness. While imprisoned, words of the poets like Neruda, Paz, and Hemingway brought life to Baca who thrived for such things as they made him feel liberated and rescued from the unfortunate circumstances which targeted him. Power of the words was such that it transformed Baca into another person whenever he listened to the poetry of great poets from other prisoners. Baca expresses how their poetic language used to enthrall him and carry him to places far away from the gloomy prison cells where he was captivated. That power rescued him from the highly unfortunate inability to defend himself by way of words. Nothing is as humiliating as not being able to express himself (Baca, cited in xxx 387). Lu, in similar context as Baca, express how words helped her to fill up the silence which always haunted her throughout her childhood due to not being able to speak up to her mother how overtly

Sustainability and the built environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sustainability and the built environment - Essay Example It therefore follows that sustainable community is a community that is able to persist over generations, one that is flexible, wise enough, and foresighted enough not to compromise either its social or physical systems of support. Discussion Until mid 1980s, economic growth was the major focus as a means of alleviating the conditions of humanity; however, it came to the attention of the international community that it was useless to focus on economic development if it compromises the community’s social and natural foundations. In the terms of Siranni and Friedland 2001, this view of the international community was based on the consideration that focus on economic development that is unrestricted would continuously pollute the world’s water, soil, and air not to mention that it can decimates natural resources as well as forests, thus creating overflowing landfills and toxic wastes to our environment. The desire to have a better life and also to increase the opportunities that accrues from economic growth stimulated the interest in sustainability for purposes of preserving the environment for both the present and future generations. As Davis 2007 argues, it would be worthless after all to have a strong economy and jobs yet we do not have a planet that is habitable to them. Communities facing the same predicament around the country have echoed sustainability. It is quite evident that various communities are facing negative predicaments from the conventional approaches to development of the built environment, economic growth, and transportation planning, yet these are efforts that are meant to alleviate the communities’ quality of life and opportunities. It has been argued that if the same approach is maintained, it would degrade the present quality of life and cause devastating environmental predicaments for the next generation (Huckle 1996). The need to design a workable approach to avoid and repair such problems should therefore be prioritiz ed (Girardet 1999). Sustainable development has proved to be an approach that that can effectively be able to counter such predicaments as it is a process that is ongoing. Through sustainable communities it is indeed possible to alleviate the community wellbeing and economic development in such a way that does not compromise the environment. There are several strategies that can be employed to achieve the balance between sustainable communities as well as maintain a healthy environment. Efficiency use of the available resources is one of the essential factors of achieving sustainability. As a matter of fact, environmental impacts may be reduced significantly if the communities embark on efficiently using the available water, energy, and the available resources. As echoed by Huckle 1996, using improved techniques of manufacturing may also go a long way in reducing waste, pollution, not to mention the reduction in the cost of production. These would in turn enhance economic developmen t with minimal environmental degradation. Energy efficiency for instance can be used as a means of reducing climate change, air pollution, smog, acid rain oil spill among other harms to the environment related to the

Quality and Performance Management of MS

Quality and Performance Management of MS Quality is the second of three value components (Finch,Byron J., 2008).The commitment to producing quality in services and products changes process from just producing to producing things customers want. The development of the methods and techniques to manage quality and a culture of employees who want to produce quality is at the heart of any successful business. INTRODUCTION This Chapter contains an insight into what quality and performance management, meeting customers expectations at Marks and Spencer. I will touch on its history and the effect of quality management at the company will be examined. The basis of choosing M S is due to the fact that it is a well established company. More like an institution. Also I work for the company. About MS For 125 years MS has been trusted by customers to offer high quality products at great value. It has grown from a Penny Bazaar stall to become the UKs leading retailer of quality clothing, food and home products. With more than 21 million UK customers, the company is an expanding international force, now in 40 territories. A team of 78,000 people and over 2,000 suppliers form the bedrock of its business, ensuring their brand will continue to offer Quality, Value, Service, Innovation and Trust. These core values are as important today as they ever have been. They are all about doing the right thing which is, quite simply, how they do business (MS, 2009). Michael Mark started the business in 1884 selling items at no more than a penny. The business was subsequently joined by Tom Spencer when the partnership started. The business grew gradually and by 1926 there were about 125 stores. Marks Spencer has been built on the following values: offering customers a selective range of high quality merchandise; encouraging suppliers to maintain high quality standards in production and working environment; store expansion planned for the convenience of customers, with a greater width of product choice; simplified operating procedures; supporting British industry and buying abroad only when new ideas, technology, quality and value are not available in the UK; fostering good human relations with customers, staff, suppliers and the community. (Whitehead, 1994). An insight into quality management Quality is conformance to requirements (Crosby, 1979), with emphasis on zero defects. (Swanson, 1995) however, implied quality management to be the totality of features and characteristics of a product or service that bear on its ability to satisfy given needs. Implicit in this assumption is a customer with needs and expectations to be satisfied. Quality is a measurable result; quality management improvement is more about the journey than the result. What we do and how we do it determines quality and the actionable elements of quality involve the process rather than the outcome. Good quality reduces the cost of rework, waste, complaints and returns and most importantly, generates satisfied customers (Slack, 2007). Marks and Spencer has what is called a golden rule to always take ownership of helping their customers and also getting feedback about their services. Staffs at Marks and Spencer are expected to adhere to the following three principles when serving customers: acknowledge every customer with a hello or a smile build a relationship by talking and interacting with the customer saying good bye and have good day to customers. Some feedback is done through online surveys and some directly with their customers using survey forms. The result from the survey enables MS to review areas of improvement. I strongly believe that quality of services is MSs competitive edge. The golden rules means treating the customers with courtesy, interacting and engaging with the customers doing the sales with a smile, always helping to pack on the till, asking customers if there is still anything else we can do for them. All these are attributes of good customer services. Good customer service provides the likelihood that the customers would still want to come back. Mr David Williams, an MS customer recently stated It makes a pleasant day for me when a staff of Marks and Spencer says thank you for waiting, attending to their customers when there was a long queue. Consistency with these values make the customers always want to come back which goes a long way in a business. Furthermore, from the companys perspective it also means treating their employees with humanely, with dignity and respect. These in turn encourage the employees to be equally sensitive to the needs and expectations of the customers. If staff feels that their efforts are being rewarded and that future effort will also be rewarded, their quality of work is likely to improve. In this way, total quality can be improved. Moreover, where incremental strategic change is dependent on individual members of staff, acting upon, opportunities and threats, the reward system must be appropriate and motivating (Thompson Martin, 2010). From my experience, I have observed that when staff is not happy, they will not be able to deliver a good service to the customers, which may then affect the business. As an employee of Marks and Spencer, I can objectively say we are highly treated well. Staffs are rewarded in so many ways. Some of the incentives are 20% off any items in the store, promotion opportunities, recognition within the organization and pension scheme. Also the company provide bonuses, flexible working arrangement for all mothers and graduate scheme for new graduates. All these rewards and incentives are motivating factors that enable staff to perform to their utmost level in serving customers in a satisfactory way. Rewards depend upon the success of the Organization as a whole as well as individual, contribution to the success (Thompson Martin, 2010). As an employee of Marks and Spencer, one thing that I have noticed was that when customers visits the store, they have the assurance that they are going to get exceptional services. Marks and Spencer are not trading in service quality gimmicks but also focus on giving what we call exceptional basics i.e. listening very carefully to their customers and giving thoughts to their needs and providing what they really need. For example they offer: three items for the price of two collect by cab for customers if the customer require a cab after shopping sending customers special order to them within three working days v effective and efficient refund policy. Marks and Spencer offers full refund to their customers with their receipt or if has been lost, a credit voucher is issued Marks and Spencer credit card points and vouchers are given to all the card holders on a regular basis which I believe would encourage customers to use their Marks and Spencer credit card to pay at the till Marks and Spencer train their staff to take ownership in everything they do. (Thompson Martin, 2010) emphasised on commitment to customers services, quality and continuous Improvement. Its this attention to detail that counts in providing good customer service to the customers. There is nothing more Important to Marks Spencer than their customers and achieving a high quality of service. The company encourages three things i.e., creativity, initiative and attitude. Attitude is one of the key attributes that management at Marks and Spencer imbues on their employees despite the training and skills developed. It is the quality reflection that sets us apart from the competition. Marks and Spencer have improved in their product offerings and looks like they hire people with positive attitude that takes great pride in delivering exceptional service. commented by one of the customers. It is this type of attitude displayed by their employees that leads to innovation and creativity. For example, there was a time a deaf man came into the store for shopping, he wrote all he needed in a sheet of paper. Marks and Spencer already have some employees that help the blind and the deaf for their shopping. After helping him, he was so delighted that he now believes that everybody is treated in the same way without discriminating. Also if a customer likes a particular product which was recommended and is not in store and in order to satisfy the customer, they take total ownership to make sure they make arrangement for more stock to be available for the next visit of the customer in store. Marks and Spencer also track their product through surveys to know how well a particular product is performing. As explained by (Kanji,Gopal K: Asher,Mike, 1996) To understand the process of total quality management (TQM),where all work is seen as process and total quality management is a continuous process of improvement for individuals, groups of people and whole organizations. What makes total quality management different from other management processes is the concentrated focus on continuous improvement. Most of Marks and Spencer customers knows about their quality and are ready to pay more for the value. MS offers all most ever week, just to motivate customers to buy at the stated price of other competitors products like Tesco and Sainsbury just to let customers knows that there price is still the same as others but the quality is different. Marks and Spencer makes these offers to draw customers attention. They have succeeded as shown my consistently increasing their market share. Also there objectives is to exceed their expectation to deliver good quality to their customers and to achieve zero defects. They design their product to try to prevent errors occurring. Though, it is always impossible to prevent mistakes. Knowing the current quality standards of the product or service in your customers hands is the first stage of being able to improve. You can make mistake and you can measure your improvement if you know the base you are starting from. Having the facts necessary to manage the business at all levels and giving that information to everyone so that decisions are based upon fact are the essential aspect of Quality Management (Kanji,Gopal K: Asher,Mike, 1996) Marks and Spencer rarely get formal complaints but when there is any they resolve it with the customer and they always listen to customers complain which at the end customers feels delighted and satisfy. (Kanji,Gopal K: Asher,Mike, 1996) Satisfying agreed customers requirements- relates to internal customers as well external ones it is necessary to achieve successful internal working relations in order to satisfy the needs of the external customers. The key is service recovery; this is why empowerment is so important. (Slack, 2007) Marks and Spencer train their to turn around any negative experiences they may have into positive ones before the customers leaves the store and not to allow the customer to go home not satisfied. Its really worth the effort. Giving exceptional service has always been the motto of Marks and Spencer for years up till now. It is well known to everybody about their good customer services. They also get tremendous feedback from their customers and that is the more reason that most customers always want to come back despite the prices of their products. Older people are also helped with their shopping list by assigning a member of staff to the customer to do the shopping. It gives the customer confidence to know that their shopping is done to their satisfaction. One of MSs customers, Mrs Johnson commented that price is not the determinant factor for shopping at M&S; it is the good customer services and the way staffs attends to me considering I have been shopping here for over 25 years. They are all well mannered, always with a smile on their face, they take ownership and always wanting to help to pack our shopping One of the key tasks of operation management is to ensure that quality goods and services are pr ovided to both internal and external customers (Finch,Byron J., 2008). Marks and Spencer value their customers; queues are monitored and customers are often thanked for waiting and are given the offer to pack their shopping for them. It is more than compensation to acknowledge someone and as a member of staff, I often hear from customers that how grateful and delighted they for the attention that is given to them. The professionalism shown by the MS employees emanated from the training provided and also interacting with customers makes our job more interesting. (Finch,Byron J., 2008) Contends that The best answer to a customers questions can often come only from the employee directly responsible for a good customers services to the customers MS gives customer choice. They have different range for customers, for the older women it is called classic range. This range was developed as result of the survey that was carried out. One of the survey participants, a customer known as Ms. Williams in the survey wrote It fits perfectly ok without any adjustment or complain, I just cannot go anywhere else to buy my clothes than Marks. Another range for the middle age is called Peruna, they are long lasting but very costly. Customers are happy to pay for what they get because of the quality of the finished products and is visible to see said one of their customers. A quality is the degree of fit between customers expectations and customer perception of the product or service. (Slack, 2007) Marks and Spencer respond quickly to customer demand. One key element of quality management is the dependence on empowered teams to document and then streamline processes based on team knowledge and understanding of customer needs and expectation. States customer requirements often fall short of defining customer needs and expectations (Swanson, 1995) If a product was not in store. Marks and Spencer take responsibility to make sure they find an alternative way to get the product and send it to the customer address just for meeting the customers expectation and to make sure they satisfy customer demand. Dimensions of Quality (Finch,Byron J., 2008) identified eight product quality dimensions and five service quality dimensions which consist of the followings: Performance relates to the perceived characteristics of the product. Features the additional or secondary capabilities of a product or service. Reliability ÂÂ ­- measures the dependency and how consistently it achieves the promises given about the product/service. Durability deals how long the product/service last for. Serviceability usually deals with after sales in terms of repairs guarantees and complaints resolution. Aesthetics deals with the appearance and style of the product/service. Response the relationship between the product/service provider and the customer. Reputation deals with the perception of customers on the company. In addition to the above (Finch,Byron J., 2008)also identified five dimensions of service quality which includes: Reliability in terms of the company keeping to its promises. Responsiveness deals with how promptly the company responds to their customer needs. Assurance dealing with trust and confidence between the customers and employees. Empathy deals with how employees are sensitive to the needs of the customers. Tangibles showing care and attentions with respect to the physical facilities and written materials available at the company. Marks and Spencer provides both products and service to their customers and fully conforms to all the service/product quality dimensions mentioned above. This I believe has led to the consistent domination of market share in the retail industry by MS. Cost of Quality Cost of quality relates to the cost associated with assuring quality of the product/services in addition to costs incurred in correcting defective items. (Finch,Byron J., 2008) explained cost of quality as the cost associated with maintaining and sustaining goods/services which can be categorised into primarily internal and external failure costs, prevention cost and appraisal costs. All of these costs are identifiable with MS. An example of external failure i.e. cost incurred after transfer of ownership to customers at MS are the returns made by customers when something goes wrong with the items purchased at the store when replacement would need to be made in additional to employee time involved in dealing with the defective product. Internal failure cost i.e. costs that may arise due to inadequacy of quality before transfer of ownership to customers occurs at MS when inspection staff have noticed a defection in a product line and had to be withdrawn before reaching the floor level. All the costs associated with this defective product including production and distribution costs aggregates to the internal failure costs. The appraisal costs are those cost associated with meeting quality specification which may include inspection, testing and sampling. At MS this category of quality cost are incurred before the products are distributed to various stores. Usually the quality audits are carried taking samples from millions of product items to ensure they meet quality specification. (Finch,Byron J., 2008) stated that a frequent cause of poor quality is the failure of system that are intended to maintain quality. Hence organisations need to ensure their quality system is audited to ensure that they meet their quality requirements and thereby reduce their appraisal cost. The cost associated to reducing appraisal costs can be categorised as prevention costs. Some these costs includes cost of training, improving the process, quality planning activities. Where more effor ts are put in prevention, it should have an impact in reducing the other category of quality costs. However, as can be seen from figure1 below, quality cost increases as quality problems gets to customers. Figure 1 (Finch,Byron J., 2008) Cost of quality Prevention Internal failure External failure Cost of quality from Prevention to external failure Total Quality Management As defined by (Chartered Institute of Management Accountant, 2002), TQM is a programme that ensures that goods or services supplied are of the highest quality. However, (Feigenbaum, 1986) defined TQM as an effective system for integrating the quality development, quality maintenance and quality improvement efforts of the various groups in an organisation so as to enable production and service at the most economical levels which allows a full customer satisfaction. TQM as a process must encompass everyone in the organisation and with full commitment of senior management. (Finch,Byron J., 2008) put forward that TQM is based on three principles: customer focus continuous process improvement and total involvement. With customer focus, the customer defines what quality is. A distinction is required between what is known as internal customers that are employees within the organisation and external customers who buys the products or services. Each employee in the organisation should have a well defined customer so that there is what is known as supplier-customer relationship extending from the internal customers to the final consumer who consumes the product. For instance in MS an output from a staff (internal supplier) then becomes and input for another staff (internal customer). This chain feeds itself into the final consumer. If the process is broken i.e. the supplier-customer relationship and the quality needs of the internal customer is not met, it is bound to affect the ultimate consumer. Continuous process improvement is about reducing or eliminating variability from quality processes. Outcomes from processes should be predictable and when this is not the case it may become difficult to consistently meet customer expectations. Continuous process improvement at MS has a very low variability if all any. Continuous process improvement is part of MS Plan A which is quality management plan that contains a comprehensive set of objectives that governs how MS does business. The plan came into existence in January 2007 and commits to changing one hundred things over five years. Plan A is makes a real change to the environment, customers, employees and people working in the MSs supply chains. Through Plan A, MS have introduced products and services to help customers live in a sustainably way, continued contribution to local communities and with additional profit generated ploughed back into the business. MS engages every one of its 21 million customers by building Plan A quali ties into all of its products and helping customers to develop their own Plan A eco-plans. MS has integrated its Plan A from being a Plan to How We Do Business by integrating it into processes and giving its workforce the skills, tools and motivation required to make a difference. (MS, 2009) I believe that it is the commitment from management and the active involvement of employees in developing and implementing their quality objectives Plan A that have contributed to the success of the company. To continue to sustain the level of confidence of quality assurance, managers need to ensure that everyone consistently adhere to their standards and ensured it is continuously measured and monitored. Where necessary corrective action should be taken as advocated by (Deming, 1982) to use of the Shewharts PDCA cycle (Plan-Do-Check-Act), as an approach to process analysis. This cycle inevitably leads to redesign and improvement in quality. Tools for solving quality problems There are several processes available for quality improvement including DMAIC(Design, Measure, Analyse, Improve and Control) and DMADV (Define, Measure, Analyse, Design and Verify) of Six Sigma improvement projects. DMAIC is used for existing processes where performance is below what is expected while DMADV is for developing new products/service in order to meet the desired quality level. Also there is the PDCA cycle as illustrated by (Finch,Byron J., 2008) where he identified seven steps to quality improvement summarised as follows: Figure 2 PDCA Quality Improvement tool (Finch,Byron J., 2008) Most organisations including MS can improve their quality by implementing any of the available quality improvement processes. Any process used need to be supported by applying appropriate tools for each step. There are various tools and techniques that can be applied as illustrated in figure 3 below Analytical tools Mostly used Frequently used Idea Generation Tools Consensus tools Process Definition Data Collection Analysing Cause effect Analysing displaying data Planning tools Meeting management tools Benchmarking Questionnaires PLAN Problem identification Analysis of current situation Analysis root causes CHECK Selection planning of solution Check result ACT Standardise Conclusion / next cycle Figure 3 Quality Improvement Tools Technique Matrix (Swanson, 1995) In using the above tools and techniques, analysts should list activities to be carried out and the expected output/results of each step. Though not prescriptive in nature employees or analysts can be flexible with the tools they apply depending on the situation theyre faced. The quality improvement models identified above provides an iterative steps but do not provide how the steps are to be prosecuted but there are tools that will aid the accomplishments of the steps identified within the quality improvement model. These tools as identified by (Swanson, 1995) are not exhaustive but majority of them have been converted into a matrix as illustrated in figure 4 below. Idea Generation Tools Consensus tools Process Definition Data Collection Analysing Cause effect Analysing displaying data Planning tools Meeting management tools Benchmarking Questionnaires Figure 4 Tools and techniques matrix Quality Awards and Quality Standards Many customers are quality assured knowing a business has quality award accreditation. It provides the customer with the confidence that they are buying quality product or quality service. In many cases businesses use quality award as marketing tool which are visible in their marketing and promotion. In some cases some businesses can afford to charge at a premium as a result of quality accreditation. A quality award enables a business or organisation to conform to certain specified standard. A standard that must be consistently adhered to and where a business conducts its business internationally, it may well be a requirement to have and internationally recognised quality standard accreditation. Two internationally recognised standards are the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and the International Standards Organisation. The ISO is one of the most world-acclaimed quality standard award/accreditation is the ISO quality standards amongst others. According to (International Stand ards Organisation Discover ISO, 2010) the objectives of the standards where implemented, are to enable products/services to be more efficient, safer and cleaner; trade facilitation; assist governments with technical foundation for legislation in health safety; sharing of good management practice; safeguarding of consumers and making life simpler. With the insistence of having ISO quality standard in place, it ensures that certified company have the capacity, capability and infrastructure available to produce quality products/services. (Finch,Byron J., 2008). There are various other specific awards depending on the industry. Marks and Spencer especially in the last couple of years have had several awards in recognition of its performance when compared to its competitors in the industry. Some of these awards include are listed below. Awards Position Environmental Investigation Agencys Supermarket refrigeration table Winner Cosmopolitan Magazine Awards Winner of Most Ethical retailer Carbon Trust standard Certification Pesticide Action Network UK supermarket pesticide league table Winner Ethisphere Worlds Most Ethical Companies Top 100 Consumer Focus Green to the Core supermarket league table Joint Winner Greener Package Awards Retail Leadership Award RSPCA Good Business Awards Fashion Commitment Award Letsrecycle.com Awards High Street Recycling Champion 2009 International Wine Challenge Awards Environmental Initiative of the year Forest Footprint Disclosure Project Best General Retail Sector Performer Business in the Community 2009 Corporate Responsibility Index Platinum performer The Independent Green Awards 2010 Best Supermarket ENDS Carbon 2009 Brand Emissions Leader Figure 5 MS Awards (Marks and Spencer, 2010) Conclusion Most organisations including MS strive to continue to satisfy or meet their customer requirements. MS over years have consistently developed and sell quality products to their consumers. This is reflected as they continue to dominate their industry and the fact that consumers believes that whatever they purchase from MS, it is essentially a quality item. Total Quality Management is a continuous process and must have the contribution of everyone in the organisation from the corporate leadership right down to the shop floor staff in order for the organisation to continue to meet their responsibility in delivering quality. Organisations with quality standards and awards must continually review their processes and find a way to continue to improve in order to maintain their market share and most importantly their profitability and competitiveness.

Good and Evil in Good Country People Essay examples -- people

Good and Evil in Good Country People  Ã‚   In her short story, Good Country People,  Flannery O’Connor employs all the elements of humor, irony and, paradox intermingled within the system of Christian belief in evil and redemption. This is no more evident than in the character of Joy, the daughter, who had lost a leg in a hunting accident at the age of 12 and who now has a wooden leg in his place. Throughout the story, it becomes increasingly clear that Joy’s physical affliction is closely paralleled by a spiritual one as well. As the narrative unfolds, the great lengths Joy has gone to recreate her inner self, her soul, are revealed in painstaking detail. It appears she has succeeded in fashioning her own soul into a spirit that is as hard and unyielding as the prosthesis that now takes the place of her missing naturally soft and flexible appendage. In Christian society and belief, as well as many other religions, the one true possession that a person has total control over is their everlasting soul. It is this spirit that makes one truly unique from everyone else. The fight within one’s self between good and evil and the day to day struggle to ensure that the goodness prevails is the focal point of a true believer’s life. It is only by this triumph on goodness that he can achieve Salvation in the eyes of God. Joy, on the other hand, seems intent on building barriers around her soul that would make it as rigid and unfeeling as her wooden leg. As did the surgeon who had to perform the prosthetic surgery years before to replace a natural part of her physical body, she is apparently trying to perform this same function with the spiritual side of herself as well. She has taken great care to recreate her  «Ã‚  self  Ã‚ » into one th... ...ears were now completely useless. To be an atheist and realize, not that there is a God, but discover there is a Devil, must be a very chilling and disheartening experience. For if there is definitely one, there must be the other. Works Cited Asals, Frederick. Flannery O’Connor  : The Imagination of Extremity. The University of Georgia Press  : Athens, Georgia, 1982. Brinkmeyer, Robert H. The Art and Vision of Flannery O’Connor. Louisiana State University Press  : Baton Rouge, Louisiana  , 1989. DiYanni, Robert. Literature Reading Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and the Essay. McGraw Hill  : Boston, Massachusette, 1998. Eggenschwiler, David. The Christian Humanism of Flannery O’Connor. Wayne State University Press  : Detroit, Michigan, 1972. Feeley, Kathleen. Flannery O’Connor  : Voice of the Peacock. Rugers University Press  : New Brunswick, New Jersey, 1972.