An analysis on the character of Margot Essay Example

An analysis on the character of Margot Essay The Diary of Anne Frank has gripped the world from the moment it was first published in 1947 in Amsterdam, just 2 years after the war ceased. After years of enjoyment from the book, a play emerged in 1955 by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett. The story begins in 1942, when Anne is 13. Nazi domination has spread to the Netherlands, and a segregated anti-Jewish community forces the Frank Family to go into hiding with another Jewish family called The Van Daans. Living in cramped conditions, with barely enough food to nourish the 7 of them, Anne kept a diary, pouring all the events, her emotions, feelings and thoughts into its pages. At the end of the 2 years and 8 months that the families were hiding for, they were found by the Green Police (a Nazi organisation designed to uncover unruly Jews hiding or otherwise, and remove them from the community) and taken to concentration camps, one of the Nazis favourite forms of punishment for the Jews. When Anne died in 1945, just two months bef ore her camp was released by British troops, Otto Frank, Annes father, the only surviving member of the group, found and published the diary we all know today. Whilst reading the dramatised version of the diary, I took a particular interest in the character of Margot, and by thoroughly revising the script have analysed her character in this essay. In my first section of the essay, I will look at the scenes in which Margots character plays a significant role, and suggest reasons for her behaviour. In Act 1 Scene 3, the scene opens on a tense atmosphere. Everyone has removed their shoes and they are still adjusting to the daily routine in the Annexe. It is a few minutes past 6 oclock and Mr Frank is waiting anxiously by the window, waiting for the final workmen to leave the building before they can all relax. As soon as he confirms this, there is a stir of relief from everybody, except Margot, who is in her bedroom, actively studying, oblivious to the fact that she can now finish her work. It is only when she is prompted by her father that school is now over, that we see her stop. We can see this in the quote Schools over (Margot rises and stretches) We can suggest here by the evidence given, that she will always obey anybody with any authority over her, because of in those times the role of a woman was considered to be modest, polite and never to argue or question the word of your husband, nor anyone with a higher status. Later on in the scene we see Anne having a dispute with her mother about Peters attitude towards her, and about how she only wants to have some fun. In a protest of boredom, she asks Margot to dance with her, apparent in the quote Come on Margot dance with me. Come on, please and in reply we see Margot dismissing her, I have to help with supper. (She returns to her duties with Mrs Frank) Through Margots choice of words, we see here that by the use of the word have, she feels that she is compelled to help her mother. We will write a custom essay sample on An analysis on the character of Margot specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on An analysis on the character of Margot specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on An analysis on the character of Margot specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer It intimates that she feels that she has no other purpose in the Annexe, and because of this it is her duty to help with the supper and household chores. We also see by the fact that she refused to dance with Anne that Margot has low self esteem and self confidence, despite the fact that she is often used as role model to Anne. Language plays a key role in this point here. Again later in the scene, when Mr Frank is discussing his daughters achievements in their studies that day, Mr Frank tells Anne when admitting he doesnt have the knowledge to mark her algebra paper, Well leave it to Margot to correct.This proves that Margot is very clever, which could be one of the reasons why people compare Anne to her. Also it shows that Mr Frank can trust her with a responsibility of marking a paper, probably because from what we know of Margots character, she unearths herself to be very responsible. When Margot inquired her results, Anne exclaims in praise, Excellent, excellent, excellent, exce llent! even before Mr Frank has told Margot her grades. This shows that it is a common occasion that Margot gets high marks, and it would be an almost certain prediction of her results from Anne. When Mr Frank suggests a way of improving her work, Margot becomes immediately attentive, as shown in the stage direction (Margot and Mr Frank become absorbed in the copybooks) This shows that as well as being bright, Margot also is eager to improve on her work to be the best that she really can be. This could impart that she has an ambition of some description, or just a goal that she wishes to achieve. This deepens her character, and can imply her to be a bit secretive. When Anne spills milk over Mrs Van Daans coat, Margot helps her sister by immediately fetching a tea towel and helping, in the stage directions (Margot hurries down to them with a tea towel) Margot doesnt say much; she keeps her head low and avoids controversy, as she is wise enough to know where it would lead. Margot thinks the world of her sister; it is obvious through all her actions. If the day came, Margot would put her sisters life before her own. Anne seems to think that Margot doesnt express, or even has an opinion about anything, and this is apparent after the accident, when Mrs Frank is talking to Anne, and discloses to her that it would benefit everyone if she were more like Mar got, Anne defends herself by saying And have them walk all over me, the way they do her? This proves that Anne thinks Margot should stand up for herself, and not just always stand the middle ground. When she says this her Mother tries again to talk to her but Anne exclaims Margot! Margot! Thats all I ever hear from anyone how wonderful Margot is Why arent you like Margot?' Margot replies with a rather feeble response and the drama ends with Anne running to her room. Subsequently, Margot comforts her Mother, whilst hushing her when her mother when she starts to say too much about the Van Daans. This displays maturity, and also great courage from Margot, as she appears to have an adult mind in the fact that her mother could have said something to offend their neighbours, but also she had the bravery to stop her Mother, which is usually something Margot would not do, seeing as she usually keeps her head down and never interferes. When Mr Kraler suggests the idea of another person coming into hiding, Margot doesnt seem to have any negative views about the topic, as she happily welcomes all ideas of new sleeping arrangements with no objections, even though they affect her, when she says Thats right. We could do that. This shows that generally Margot is quite a welcoming and an agreeable girl. When Anne finds out that her best friend Jopie has been sent to a concentration camp, she cries and Margot puts an ameliorating arm around her sister, in the stage directions (Margot puts her arm comfortingly around Anne) This is another factor to prove that the love and compassion shared between Anne and Margot is very strong. In Act 1 Scene 4, in the initial sounding of Annes scream the Annexe, Margot sits up in her bed terrified, and hurries quickly to turn on the light. After Anne turns her mother away, Margot defends Anne when Mrs Frank confronts her. Margot displays great sympathy for both sides, both Annes and her mothers. She comforts her Mother by saying Its a phase you heard father most girls go through it- they turn to their fathers at this age they give all their love to their fathers Then Margot helps her Mother ease her mind from the troubles that are haunting it, quoting from the stage directions (Margot takes the shawl from Mrs Frank and smoothes the bedMargot sits beside her a moment, comforting her) This shows that Margot has a very benevolent nature, shown by the ways of comforting her mother, and it also shows that Margot has no favourites, and she comforted Mrs Frank whilst defending Anne, showing no nepotism towards either side. It is almost like whilst there is a war going on outsi de the Annexe, that a war between separate people or persons inside the Annexe. There is the constant bickering between The Van Daans, the almost painful disagreement between Anne and her mother, the feuding in the previous scene between Anne and Peter, the arguments between Anne and Dussel and the silent war between Mrs Frank and The Van Daans. It appears that they went into hiding to get away from the affects of war onto them, but instead inside here they seem to be thrusting war upon themselves. The only two people who seem to be in constant harmony with everybody are Margot and Mr Frank. I believe it is in this way that the two of them are similar, as they are patient, tolerant and courteous towards everybody. In Act 1 Scene 5, Margot is delighted with the gift she received form Anne. Even though it is not new, and would seem pointless, she is elated, as it is something to do to relieve her boredom. We see her happiness when she says Its wonderful Anne. Thank you. As always, she is gentle and modest, but she shows a great exuberance in joyous celebration of Hanukkah, and she is the most relaxed we have ever seen her. When Mr Frank turns to blow out the candle, Margot for once, not being her usual quiet self, makes a protest of tradition in the line But Father, youre supposed to let them burn themselves out. This shows that Margot is not only quite pious and religious, but also a great lover of tradition. When the scene changes and they hear the noise, Margot is sent by her mother to get some water, stopped by Mr Van Daan and then sent forward again to get the water. It is a sign of her patience that she doesnt challenge this in any way. Margot is concerned about everyones welfare, as it is shown when her father says he will go downstairs, to check when she says No, Father. No. There may be someone there, waiting it may be a trap. Even when her father explains his reasons, she still is not convinced it is right. Even when Mr Frank resurfaces and asks her to turn on the light she replies with Are you sure its alright? when she is reassured that the danger has passed and then goes and switches on the light. Margot is interesting in this way. She is quiet and shy, but if there is any danger to anybody who she is close to, or there is an unfair treatment, she will speak out. This is demonstrated thrice in this scene, the first being the protest of the candles, which she spoke out about because it appears that she is lover of tradition however she also did it because she is close to God. The second Time, it was because she was close to her Father, when he wanted to advance downstairs plus the third because she was close to everyone in the Annexe. In Act 2 Scene 1, Margot is ill with flu of some description. When Miep asks her how she is she replies Im all right It seems that she doesnt want to cause any hassle for anyone, and she is just trying to keep herself to herself as usual. When Mr Kraler and Mr Frank rise to go downstairs, Margot senses something suspicious. She questions Whats happened. Somethings happened. Hasnt it, Mr Kraler? After they find out about the blackmail, Margot seems sad, and almost exhausted. She says Sometimes I just wish the end would come, whatever it is Mrs Frank is shocked by this remark, however Anne, who puts her arms around her seems to understand. She continues Then at least wed know where we were Mrs Frank tells Margot off, but Anne jumps back in defence, defence of herself, but also for Margot and Peter too. For all the children in the war, convinced the world will be wrecked for them because of the adult generation then. Anne seems to be doing what Margot did for her, but in a much more obv ious way, defending and backing her sister, because they are in it together. In Act 2 Scene 2, the scene opens on Anne and Margot in Annes room, with Anne getting ready to go to Peters room. Anne asks for Margots opinion on how she looks, and then asks Margot a question, Am I terribly ugly? Margot tells her Oh, stop fishing because she disapproves of looking for compliments and vanity. Mrs Frank comes in and talks to Anne about how inappropriate it is that she goes into Peters room. Anne tells her that her opinions are unchanged, and Mrs Frank leaves. Afterwards Margot discusses with Anne the fact that Mrs Van Daan mocks them and Mrs Frank is compelled not to say anything. Margot says You dont understand Mother at all, do you? She cant talk backIts not in her nature This shows that Margot shows empathy for her Mother because even though she is like her mother in the way in which she is describing , she never had to suffer teasing from Mrs Van Daan, so it shows that she is sympathetic. When Anne reveals that she thought that Margot might be jealous of her and Peter, Margot replies with a simple no. When Anne questions again she says Of course Im jealous jealous you have something to get up in the morning for but jealous of you and Peter? No. When Anne invites her to join them, she replies simply I have a book. This scene demonstrates the close bond between Anne and Margot, but also Margots individuality. Margot is not a brilliant socialiser, so when it comes to a book or company, I would think, as displayed in this scene she would select the book aloft the cortege. In Act 2 Scene 3, we see Margot cry in despair at her mothers anger-influenced behaviour. She cries in desperation Please, Mother! and begs Dussel to stop counting the potatoes, as she believes it is despicable attitude to display. We know this when she says We havent sunk so far that were going to fight over a handful of rotten potatoes. Margot seems along with Mr Frank and Anne, the only person who is seeing sense here. All her rules and past guidelines are gone because the community and the boundaries within the 8 of them come crashing down before her, and all she is trying to do is make them stop the arguing. When Miep arrives it is as if a wind of realisation has swept through all of them, and everyone suddenly feels very foolish. This scene shows the fall of Mrs Franks temper, and Margot reacted in a very mature way. It shows that even in the scenarios of the highest of tension levels, her temper and patience does not break. During Act 2 Scene 4, everyone is waiting nervously, and everyone can almost foresee the future, like they are preparing themselves for the worst. When they are discovered by the Germans, Margot stays close to her mother, who by this time, after her outburst in the previous scene, seems very weak and fragile compared to previous encounters. We see Margot comforting her mother in the stage directions (Margot moves to Mrs Frank and takes her hand) It is almost as if Mrs Frank as had enough of taking the role of the hostess of the house, or the Mother Hen, and she is passing the responsibility on to Margot. Margot realises the hardship that they are going to take, and she probably knows the groups chances of survival, but she knows that she has to keep it all together. The War that was going on inside the Annexe has stopped, they have signed the treaty and they have to work together to support each others weight. They have nowhere to hide; they have to accept and face the world, no matt er how unfair it is, with as much optimism as possible. In this section, I will try to summarise Margots character in my own words, according to the play. Margot is the kind of person that is always helpful, kind, obedient, courteous pleasant and clever. Everyone praises her such as in this example Mrs Frank says Watch Margot, shes always courteous to themAnd they respect her for it. All in all, she is your ideal child. When Margot came into hiding, I think she realised immediately that this was not going to be effortless, and an odd sort of holiday, like Anne fantasised it as. She is wise, and she realised from the start what something as dangerous as hiding would endure. She became more helpful, and more courteous, in order to perhaps ease the burden on the people who would be more susceptible to the emotional stress of it. She becomes more helpful, and has less time for childish fun and games, like the time when she refuses Annes invitation to dance with the comment I have to help with supper Margot, throughout the play hates arguments, and never once got into one. She always however, attempted to resolve the situation in the most s ensible way possible. The time Mrs Frank had a large dispute with Mr Van Daan, she pleaded with her Mother Stop it, please! She avoided arguments by being gentle and polite to others, especially the Van Daans, who she was less familiar with. Anne however, was wild and unruly, and was also purposely cheeky, and almost went looking for an argument in Margots eyes. Consequently, Margot was treated with the same respect as she gave out and others got on well with her, but with Annes fiery temper, she was bound to get insults thrown back at her. In conclusion, the impression Margot makes on me is that she is an extremely humane girl who impresses everyone she meets. She is exceedingly clever, as we find out when Anne praises her work Excellent, excellent, excellent, excellent! She is also very patient and good-natured, as we see when Anne is crying Margot goes to comfort her, even though she is probably upset too, in the stage directions (Margot puts her arm comfortingly around Anne) I think by the end of the play, Margot had accepted the role of the hostess of the group, because Mrs Frank had seen enough. She is very wise, so she knew the chances of survival were slim, but positivity was their friend, no matter who was not. I believe Margot is a good role model to Anne because she has a better temper, and Anne has a very short one, but I also believe strongly that everyone should be their own person, because if everyone aspired to be the exact double of one person, the world would be very dull indeed.

The Lord of The Flies †English Essay

The Lord of The Flies – English Essay Free Online Research Papers The Lord of The Flies English Essay There could be many factors contributed to the boy’s destruction of society on the island. But, the main factors are proven in three of the many themes. The struggle for power between Ralph and Jack led to destruction of the island because power can be either used or abused. The dark side of human nature can also contribute because it is the evil in people that brings out the worst in them. Finally the fear of the unknown also led to destruction because what people fear can cause them to do things that can cause harm or hurt to others or themselves. In the novel, Lord of the Flies, by William Golding the struggle for power, the dark side of human nature, and the fear of the unknown all contribute to the destruction of the boy’s makeshift society on the island. To begin with, the constant battle for power ultimately leads to the breakdown of society on the island. The first instance of the struggle for power is between Ralph and Jack. This is shown clearly when Jack says â€Å"He’s not a hunter. He’d never got us meat. He isn’t perfect and we don’t know anything about him. He just gives orders and expects people to obey him for nothing. All this talk- â€Å"(Golding,140). This quote illustrates the back and forth battle between Ralph and Jack. They both share common differences which contradict each other. One might want one thing while the other would want another, this would make it difficult on the group as they would have to choose which person to follow. Secondly, Jacks craving for power also leads to the breakdown of society when Jack states â€Å"Who thinks Ralph oughtn’t to be chief, hands up, whoever wants Ralph not to be chief?†(140). This quote shows how Jack is in constant need of pow er and how is always attempting to take power from the chief, Ralph. He believes that the strongest should rule with brute force and therefore he should be chief. Also, by taking the power from Ralph he believes that there will be no more interference as Ralph could be the only one to oppose him. Jack tries to use authoritian power to try and gain control. Lastly, Jacks persistent battle with Ralph to gain control and be chief and lead the tribe is demonstrated when Jack says â€Å"Listen all of you. Me and my hunters are living along the beach at the flat rock. We hunt and feast and have fun. If you want to join come and see us. Perhaps we’ll let you join. Perhaps not†(155). In this instance, after jack is turned down for leader in the original tribe leaves to create his own tribe thus leaving the group demolished. He believes that the tribe Ralph is leading is not proper and he is the only chief on the island. To end off with, the craving and struggle for power ultim ately lead to the destruction of society the boys created on the island. To start off with, the darkness of the human heart can also be blamed for destruction of society on the island. Firstly, the boys start off as innocent boys looking for rescue but later turn dark as proven in the quote â€Å"The afternoon wore on, hazy and dreadful with damp heat; The sow staggered her way ahead of them, bleeding and mad, the hunters followed wedded to her in lust. Excited by the long chase and the dropped blood.†. This quote shows the boys dark thirst for blood. Later in the novel the boys completely dismiss their old values by constantly killing. Even the courageous leader Ralph has his hand at killing. All this killing shows how the darkness of humans can be shown. Also, the boys show darkness again in the killing of Simon â€Å"At once the crowd surged after it, poured down the rock and leaped on the beast, screamed, struck, bit, tore. There were no words, no movements but the tearing of teeth and claws.†(168). The darkest act of the boys is the kil ling of Simon because all the boys can be blamed for his death not just a few. This diminishes all that is good and proper on the island. Simon is sacrificed to stop darkness just as Jesus was. Finally, the boys darkness is proven again in the killing of the wise Piggy shown in this quote â€Å"Piggys arms and legs twitched a bit, like a pigs after its been killed. Then the sea breathed again, in a long, slow sigh, the water boiled white and pink over the rock and when it went back again, sucking in, the body of piggy was gone.†(200) To Justify, the selfishness that comes along with the darkness lead to the death of the rational thinking on the island. The darkness that was shown in piggys killing is at the point of the novel where all the boys except Ralph are savages. The savagery of the boys shows how dark the human soul can become. The evil that comes along with the darkness of human nature and the deaths of simon and piggy help lead to destruction of society. Research Papers on The Lord of The Flies - English Essay19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraCapital PunishmentComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoBringing Democracy to AfricaCanaanite Influence on the Early Israelite ReligionWhere Wild and West MeetEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenThe Hockey GameThe Spring and AutumnAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 Europe

Week 3 Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Week 3 - Article Example Besides, the emergence of information communication technology and expansive public-private partnership exposes corporates to public scrutiny hence need for integrity. The cut-throat competition that characterize this era of globalization emphasizes the need for ethical business practices. This is a multi-dimensional approach that would benefit corporates through offering a competitive level ground. It takes virtue to achieve this noble course lest the corporate world collapse into an avalanche of mayhem. Recent cases of corporate fraud by some firms and irresponsible observations are blamed on managers (Havard, 2007). For instance, the unfair Walmart labor practices, BP oil spill in Gulf of Mexico have all served as the examples of the cost of non-virtuous corporate leaders. There is need to emphasize virtue during selection of corporate managers as it serves as a critical tool in the modern business world (Havard, 2007). Virtue has been a key tool of organization progress in the long run from the past and in this era of a complex socio-economic and political dynamism, it is even more important. It is therefore worth to assert the need to consider virtue as a central corporate leadership selection

International Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

International Business - Essay Example The Cold had ended, with the emergence of one single bloc. The world had become a single ‘market place’ (Eriksen, pp.3, 2007). This was aided by the phenomena, Globalisation. Globalisation is undertaken as a reality, and Renato Ruggeriero has put it aptly, a reality that has overwhelmed all others (Scholte, pp.1, 2000). Globalisation has been aided by free trade and the increment of international businesses. What in essence is free trade? There are various definitions of free trade; free trade is trade that is not held up by national or international laws (Baggini, Fosl, pp.32, 2010). Globalisation is a term that is on everyone’s lips. However, only a few people have had a clear and definitive definition of the term. However, definitions form the basis of an individual’s perceptions and evaluations (Scholte, pp.42, 2000). The definition of globalisation, according to the European Commission is: â€Å"Globalisation can be defined as the process by which mar kets and production in different countries are becoming increasingly interdependent due to the dynamics of trade in goods and services and flow of capitals and technology† (Held, pp. 92, 2000). In essence, increased trade, and international economic activity, faster communication networks define globalisation. In a way, globalisation has led to the compression of the world. Due to this, the world has been brought closer, in different ways, for better or for worse (Eriksen, pp.4, 2007). The beginning of the paper will identify the benefits that have been brought due to increased trade and international business. The neo-liberals largely advocate the working of the free market, and in effect promote free trade. A very common theory that promotes free trade is that of comparative advantage. This theory assumes that there are two countries in the world, each producing one single good. In a way, these two countries will only produce goods in which they are better off, because it wi ll be more profitable, and exchange the goods with each other. Therefore, ‘comparative advantage theory’ is the rationale for free trade. For example, India and China have a comparative advantage in the production of clothing because of cheap labor. In addition, Japan has a comparative advantage in electronic equipment because it has a technological edge (Gitman & McDaniel, pp.73, 2008). David Ricardo gave this theory. Technically speaking, the consumption frontier of a country will lie outside the production frontier of a company due to free trade (Thirlwall & Lopez, pp.7, 2008). In addition, another rationale for free trade has been the neoclassical factor endowment theory. This theory argues that it is not because of â€Å"technological differences that free trade is required, but because different countries are endowed with different factor supplies† (Todaro & Smith, pp. 560-565, 2003). In a sense, neoclassical thinkers suggest that trade has provided nations with the opportunity to capitalize on those resources which are abundant (Todaro & Smith, pp 561, 2003) In addition, although globalisation has received much criticism, a closer look into statistics will also show that globalisation has created wealth and jobs. Because of globalisation, livings standards have greatly improved, because a large consumer market is created. International competition also keeps prices down, therefore keeping the risk of inflation quite low. For example, since 1997,

Strategic management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words - 7

Strategic management - Essay Example This essay analyzes that both power and political skills are necessary for conducting corporate functions in a benefit reaping way. While power provides for the energy that can help in strategic management, political skills act as the mandatory components that help the management of the organization to implement the strategic management initiatives in the practical scenarios of the organization. However, both power and corporate politics should be employed in a controlled and monitored manner so that the negative effects of these factors like biased behaviors, exploitations and high levels of autonomous and dictating behaviors can be avoided. Organizational change can be stated as an alteration in an organizational environment, technology, human capital, and culture. This form of change is essential for the organization in order to stay competitive in the marketplace. Organizational change can be regarded as a constant force, a threat or opportunity, and reality. Change cannot take p lace on its own but it requires the support of a change agent. Change agent undertakes overall responsibility for change or is the one to structure change initiative. This change agent is also held responsible for efficiently managing organizational change. There are various dimensions of strategic change and leadership plays a significant role in the change process. Change is an aspect which cannot be ignored in organizational or social context. There are different factors causing strategic change.

The Company Culture Of Enron Management Essay

The Company Culture Of Enron Management Essay Just as the destiny of individuals is determined by personal character, the destiny of an organization is determined by the character of its leadership. And when individuals are derailed because of a lack of character, the organization will also be harmed (Josephson, 1999). The merger of two Houston-based pipeline companies in 1985 led to the creation of Enron. It started as an energy delivery company, but the deregulation a few years later helped it change its focus and become an energy matchmaker or energy broker. The company started matching the buyers and sellers of energy and utilised creative trading methods to generate profits. So in a short span of time, Enron corporations fortunes changed from just a surviving company and it become a thriving company- a symbol of successful American corporation. 1.2 The Company Culture The deregulation in 1988 led to a dramatic change in the corporation. Enron had become the symbol of dynamism and aggression. The culture at Enron was to encourage creativity amongst the employees. It embraced a culture that rewarded cleverness. The employees were motivated to explore innovative approach to their work. The limits were pushed for performance on the individual employee level to sustain the astonishing growth levels that the corporation was experiencing. It was slowly moving towards a culture that admired unchecked ambition. In the pursuit, Enron led a culture which believed in stretching the performance until the limits of ethical conduct were overlooked. We will also see ahead how the leadership at Enron affected a change in the culture of the corporation. If corporate leaders encourage rule-breaking and foster an intimidating, aggressive environment, it is not surprising that the ethical boundaries at Enron eroded away to nothing. Schein (1985) has focused on leaders hip as the critical component of the organizations culture because leaders can create, reinforce, or change the organizations culture. This applies not the least to an organizations ethical climate (Sims, 2000; Trevinoet al., 2000; Sims and Brinkmann, 2002).According to Schein (1985) there are five primary mechanisms that a leader can use to influence an organizations culture: attention, reaction to crises, role modelling, allocation of rewards, and criteria for selection and dismissal. Scheins assumption is that these five criteria reinforce and encourage behavioural and cultural norms within an organization. So to summarise the culture at the company as depicted in the movie which was influenced by the following factors. Leadership Behaviour (reference?) Espoused values and visions Communicating the vision for the organisation through stated strategic long-term objectives in the vision statement/annual general meeting statement. Role modelling and attention There were multiple instances of Management-Employee seminars. There were also Enron Gas services solution days, where the management would use motivational speech to inspire employees. Reaction to crisis Initially in the nascent stages of the accounting misdemeanours the management devised way to avert crisis with efficient use of Public relation to make the event look insignificant. Programs , structures Criteria for rewards and personnel decision Enrons remuneration system rewarded individuals who adopted Enrons aggressive, individualistic culture and were based on short-term profits and financial measures. Symbols , rituals and stories The enron management way of celebrating success- organising weekend adventure trips. Jeff Skilling mantra- Do it right, do it now , and do it better 1.3 The External Environment Enron had become an energy trading giant in the US market and it was expanding in more sectors and international markets. The surprise with the companys growth was not its ingenuity of doing business but the speed at which it was expanding. But with a careful balance of public relation and good CSR skill, Enron had succeeded in developing a niche amongst the American corporate houses, the American media and the masses. It was a symbol of corporate excellence teamed with an ambitious zeal to succeed at all cost. Enrons spectacular success was receiving positive reviews from the press and the financial analyst community which was incremental in adding fuel to the companys competitive culture. So the movie very succinctly describes the leadership at Enron which encouraged a culture that was morally flexible leading to ethical degeneration in the name of ambition. Leadership at Enron The pillars of Enron were the top management team which always believed in exuberant performance. They were driven in their pursuit of delivering on the bottom-line numbers at all cost. This attitude was percolated to the complete organisational structure at Enron by dividing the company in either the high performing employees or the so- called low-performers. The employees who were a part of the upper-crust were handsomely remunerated. This led to a negatively infected passion amongst the employees to break the performance bench-mark in the organisation to happily afloat. The reflection of the leadership style in the movie is Indirect leadership It is evident from the movie that there was a heavy influence of the top management on the culture of the organisation which cascaded down to all the employees of the company, but indirectly. A form of indirect leadership involves leader influence over the organization culture, which is defined as the shared beliefs and values of members (Scheinn, 1992- trice Beyer, 1991). Leaders may attempt either to strengthen existing cultural beliefs and values or to change them. There are many ways to influence culture, and they may involve direct influences (communication, a compelling vision or leading by example) or other forms of indirect influence, such as changing the organization structure or reward system. Transactional leadership It refers to the leadership style wherein the leader exchanges rewards of economic or financial value with the follower. These rewards are based on the premise that the leader recognises the parameters and the levels of performance which justify reasonably the task and also clarifies the conditions under which the rewards are available for justification. The goal is to enter a mutually beneficial exchange, but not necessarily to develop a enduring relationship. Although a leadership act transpires, it is not one that binds the leader and follower together in a mutual and continuing pursuit of a higher purpose. But in the movie it is also seen that leaders were in a constant pursuit to convince their followers about their genuine interest of promoting the welfare of the stakeholders, which was not the case in reality. Yet they were successful in blinding the stakeholders (employees) with their leadership position and skills. So here we see an overlap of transactional as well as transformational leadership traits as the leaders at Enron were successful in their motive. Effective transformational leaders may exhibit transactional behaviors, but their leadership style also includes one or more of the following characteristics: idealized vision, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration (Bass, 1985; Bass Avolio, 1994). These characteristics are assumed to transform followers and motivate them to do more than initially expected. This transformation presumably occurs through raising the followers awareness of the signi ¬Ã‚ cance of designated outcomes, getting followers to transcend their self-interests for the good of the organization, or augmenting followers needs on Maslows (1954) hierarchy of needs (Bass, 1985). Although leaders and followers purposes may begin as separate but related, they eventually become fused into a linkage of power bases that provide support for both members of the relationship. Leadership is about making choices (Kouzes and Posner, 2003). Choice is a binary action that divides options into two sets, the desired and the undesired ones, according to a higher principle or value (Rawls, 1999). Mostovicz (2008) posits that the way people choose is a reflection of their worldview. This discovery can be approached in 2 ways (1) By the need for achievement (the Lambda worldview); or (2) By the need for affiliation (the Theta worldview). Both the world views have a unique set of characteristics. The Lambda are self- motivated and highly driven to attain individaulistic goals whereas the Theta are more society welfare oriented. The Lamba have a narrow prespective towards the society as such whereas the Theta have a much broader view. The unique characteristics of both the worldviews along with leadership approach is as mentioned below. Theta Lambda Motivation/reason Socially oriented Personally oriented Goal Seeking unity and certainty Seeking challenge and creation Behaviour Communion Agency Benefit Building respect Looking for personal freedom Leadership principle Authenticity = truthfulness Authenticity =genuineness Inclination Toward choice Toward contrast Perception of truth As an objective As a set of rules Transformation of a leader A leader is born. Qualities are subconscious A leader is developed consciously So the reflection in the movie about the leadership at Enron is more on the Lambda worldview. The attitude induced by the top management through the company made the organisation develop a Lambda view which led to the massive breakdown of the ethical machinery. The Leader Jeff Skilling- the man with the ideas. He was the kind of a person who had big vision of things. One of his favourite books was the Selfish Gene, which was a description about the human nature being steered only by greed and competition in the service of passing on the genes. He wanted to alter the way in which Energy was being traded. He succeeded in initiating a market for natural gas wherein it started being traded as stocks. He converted energy into a financial instrument and this led to Enron becoming the largest energy trader in North America. Kenneth Lay was a visionary and he liked people who shared this attribute. Jeff Skilling fit in the picture perfectly. He was aggressive, intelligent and possessed exemplary leadership qualities which was incremental in creating a culture of aggression and incentivised competition in the organisation. Under his leadership the organisation transformed from a small energy market player to the biggest energy trading company in North America with a rapidly expanding global operations network. The company was being driven by the aggressive and individualistic attitude which was strongly ingrained in the system by Jeff Skilling and the policies of the management team for attaining short term profit. These were successful in achieving the results in hindsight but were seriously damaging the ethical balance in the system. According to the Big Five model (Hogan, Curphy Hogan, 1994, Page 61), Jeff Skilling exhibited the Surgency personality type which had specific traits of Extroversion, High Energy/activity level and a Need for power. Charisma was the most important aspect of his personality. He believed in gaining power and self glorification, caring very little for his followers, the ideals or values. This is usually seen in the case of negative charismatics. He used his charisma, to influence people in a way which made them awe-stricken, wanted his acceptance and hence they could not criticise him or his actions. This not just has an influence on the followers, but has an effect on the leader as well. The leader in such cases become not only over-confident but also delusional of their infallibility. To describe further we utilise the following table to understand the charismatic leadership and its effect on the organisation. The leader has total and absolute authority. Leaders build their eminence and maintain their grip on their followers throught a well-articulated ,emotive communication of their vision. The leader cultivates a compelling and captivating self image Immense faith invested in the leader Heavy emphasis on the charismatic attributes of leadership. The CEO had immense and unchallenged authority. Events such as the annual management conference, where leaders promoted themselves in a thearitical manner. Intense faith exhibited by emploess in Lay and Skilling and a declining confidence in the quality of their perceptions Charismatic Leadership A totalistic vision, leading to a higher sense of purpose and achievement. Employees assured they were transforming how business was conducted in the world. An intense transcendent ideology. A high degree of personal commitment by followers, to the goals of their leaders. The replacement of the followers existing belief system with a sense of being involved in a meaningful or revolutionary change. A compelling vision and intellectual stimulation Intense recruitement rituals, designed to engage employees in a process of affliation. The transformation of attitudes, behaviour. Constant messages that those hired were part of a special elite and were the brightest and the best in the world Indoctrination rituals that alternate between stressful and exhilarating. A process of conversion enacted Continuous indoctrination ,to reinforce initials sense of affiliation Individual consideration Perceived dissenters marginalised Financial data falsified Cultivation of obscure jargon, familiar only to people within the organisation Punitive internal regime. Promotion of a Common Culture Punitive internal environment: dissent demonised Unidirectional communication Negative information suppressed and positive information maximised. Total conformity from followers Power and Influence- Amongst the different types of powers Skilling had both at his disposal. He made use of his position power due to his position in Enron and also the personal power. In terms of position power it appears that applied the reward power which meant that his followers complied in order to obtain rewards and also legitimate powers where in the followers complied as they believed that he had the right to make the request due to his position. Also, we could see the use of his personal powers to a great extent where in his vast knowledge about the subject enabled his followers to comply. The followers also admired him and aspired to be like him due to his charismatic personality which also gave him the referent power which helped him gain loyalty and commitment. In order to influence his followers in supporting him he did use rational persuasion to show them the logical side of his argument based on factual evidence. The followers at some time did realise that Skilling was being unethical in his practices and in spite of this realisation still continued to support him. To explain the influence Skilling had on his followers we can make use of the 3 well known experiments-Milgrams experiment, Solomon Aschs conformity and Zimbardo prison experiment. Milgrams experiment tells us how people conform to an authority figure. The agentic state theory explains this further by stating that the person comes to view himself as an instrument in carrying out another persons wishes and therefore no longer sees himself responsible for his actions. Similarly the other 2 experiments highlight the human behaviour in terms of role conformity and social conformity where in people have a tendency to come under the pressure of social acceptability and conforming to everything they feel they need to in order to be a part of the group. Leader-Member Exchange Enron was a company of believers. In a survey in 1997, employees who were surveyed for a feedback faced tremendous faith in the leadership of Kenneth Lay and Jeff Skilling. It has been discussed in this analysis that the company had an indirect leadership style, whereby influence of the top management percolated to all the employees in the company through the use of multiple communication strategies (Enron Gas services day) when the top management discussed the future strategy of the company, the importance of employee contribution, commending excellent employee performance etc. So the employees became blind believers in the methodology adopted by the leadership at the organisation and started working with the win at all cost attitude which led to the slow erosion of the ethical fabric. Also the reward system that was created in the organisation, reflected the expectation of the management. The companies reward system only appraised employees who performed consistently with little re gard to ethical conduct. Overall, Enrons reward system rewarded individuals who embraced Enrons aggressive, individualistic culture and were based on short-term profits and financial measures. Leadership development at Enron Leadership calls for total commitment to the perpetual process of purpose seeking. While leaders are usually concerned with their legacies, their commitment to purpose has to go far deeper. This total commitment implies that, in reality, leaders seek either my way or nothing. However, this commitment is intrinsic; it calls for the leader to mobilise himself, body and soul, but in no way does it imply extrinsically that what is not my way is wrong. Ideal leaders do not exist in practice. Thus, we can relate to leadership as a progressive development only. Since humans cannot be fully conscious of our emotions, a posteriori, we cannot fully mobilise them in order to understand and attain our life goals and purpose. Because our purpose remains opaque at best, it follows that leaders will act unethically even when they do so unwillingly or unconsciously. The only way for leaders to improve their ethical position is to interact with others in society to help them reveal their hidden agenda over time. The particular worldview, in turn, shapes these agendas, either Theta or Lambda, that a person embodies in his search for greater self-awareness and contextualisation with his external environment. Appendix

Essay on Stephen’s Heroic Quest in Portrait of the Artist as a Young Ma

Stephen’s Heroic Quest in Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ...His mother said: -O, Stephen will apologise. Dante said: -O, if not, the eagles will come and pull out his eyes.    This utterance, which comes at the climax of the short first passage that Joyce presents to us, defines the heroic quest that Stephen (and/or his latent identity as mythic Daedalus) must undertake. He is, in this instance, bound by a strict commandment from "above" (from the towering grown-ups above him, from the air-borne, attacking eagles), from the poets of the past , and - most superficially   from his elders, to perform an act of "apology". Stephen seals this cosmic agreement with his little song:    Pull out his eyes, Apologise, Apologise, Pull out his eyes.    Apologise, Pull out his eyes, Pull out his eyes, Apologise.    Stephen internalizes his predicament   or legacy - by chanting the words that descend to him from layers of higher authority. He shapes the received words with his own voice (whether it be "out loud" or only inside his head), compresses /extractions phrases from the longer syntax, and utilizes rhyme in a patterned repetition. (In short, he has applied a "craft".)    If his mother, a temporal and merely parental figure, initiates young Stephen's artistic covenant in a mundane way, "Dante" (whose "real" identity in Stephen's world is sparsely revealed in this passage) is the accidental and incidental avatar of an old poet, or the "poetic tradition", or the artist-creator that Stephen (or Joyce, if we treat this work as autobiographical) must become. The implied historic Dante serves as a representative, for Stephen and Joyce, of the poetic c... ...e University of Windsor Review.   vol.1,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   no. 1.   Spring, 1965.   1-15. Rpt. in Twentieth Century Literary Criticism.   ed. Dennis    Poupard.   Detroit:   Gale Research Company, 1985.   16:229-234.    Litz, A. Walton.   James Joyce.   New York:   Twayne Publishers, Inc., 1966.    Peake, C.H.   James Joyce:   The Citizen and The Artist.   Stanford:   Stanford University Press, 1977.     Ã‚  Ã‚   56-109.    Pope, Deborah.   "The Misprision of Vision: A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man".   James Joyce.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   vol.1. ed. Harold Bloom. New York:   Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. 113-19.    The World Book Encyclopedia.   New York: World Book Inc., 1987.   3.    Wells, H.G.   "James Joyce".   The New Republic.   March 10, 1917.   34-46. Rpt. in Twentieth    Century Literary Criticism.   ed. Sharon K. Hall.   Detroit:   Gale Research Company, 1980.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   3:252.   

A Reflection Paper on Night by Elie Wiesel Essay

Night, an autobiography by Eliezer Weisel, recounts his experience of being a Jew in the Holocaust during the early 1840’s. The story explores the escalation of fear in the Jews and its overriding presence in their lives, Eliezer’s crisis of faith, and the loss of humanity in the Jewish people including the numerous images of death put forth in the book. Weisel portrays their fears in ways we could never dream of and makes us look at how people are affected spiritually in the wake of dehumanizing suffering. Also, he portrays in the story how the Jews were stripped of everything in the Holocaust including their human dignity and self worth. The escalation of fear is a common thread throughout this book. In the beginning, when all foreign Jews were expelled from their town of Sighet, the remaining Jews pretended that those exported were better off wherever they were now. Then, when Moishe the Beadle (an exported Jewish foreigner) returned to Sighet one day and told the Jews how he had escaped by pretending he had been killed along with the others, he was titled as a madman who only wanted their pity. The Jews refused to even listen to Moishe the Beadle let alone accept anything he said as the truth. The Jews lived in denial and in a state of pretending up until the point in which they were transported and brought to the concentration camp at Birkenau. At that point fear became real in the eyes of the Jews for they saw for themselves the flames from the crematorium and the smell of burning flesh. From then on fear guided their every waking moment for it enveloped their common sense and being. It began to control them and it made them act in unimaginable ways. Eliezer feared losing everything he had. This was in a way a driving force that kept him alive. For example, when the alarm at the concentration camp sounded and everyone had to stay in their barracks, a couple of pots of soup were left unguarded. Even though they were starving, fear overcame hunger. However, there was one Jew who was bold enough to risk his life for an extra ration of soup and who ended up with a bullet in his back. This scene cemented their fear of death in everyone’s mind. One of the main conflicts in Eliezer Wiesel’s life is his struggle with his faith. Before the Holocaust, Eliezer was a deeply observant scholar who had devouted much of his time towards his faith and studies. His faith in God  was unconditional and seemed unchangeable up until the moment he left his train car and arrived at the death camp. It was at that point in his life when he would never regard his faith with the same view again. He did not understand why the God he had spent so much time on throughout his life would just suddenly desert him and the whole Jewish race. He felt deeply betrayed because God has let Jews be taken from their homes, brought to concentration camps, and be left to be tortured and even cruelly killed. These events are permanently embedded in his mind and caused his faith to prove not so unshakable after all. One particularly scarring event for Eliezer was when a little boy was hung because his barrack was found to be in possession of many weapons. Eliezer felt God’s complete abandonment in that He would allow such a young and innocent boy to be hung. Eliezer’s loss of faith makes one think how easily one might lose his own faith if put in Eliezer’s same position. For it is easy to love the Lord in times of peace, but the real challenge is keeping one’s faith in God and in His unconditional love for us when profound suffering comes knocking at the door. Through seeing Eliezer’s shaken faith, we learn that the Jews did not only suffer physically, emotionally, and mentally in the Holocaust but also spiritually. A third common theme in the story is one of death and the loss of the Jews’ humanity through their suffering in the concentration camps. The amount of torture and cruelty and stark images of death the Jews encounter in the Holocaust is unfathomable. Take for example the instance when Eliezer and his father were being transported for the last time to Buchenwald concentration camp. When their open train car passed through a town, the townspeople thought it would be entertaining to throw bread into their cars and then witness the savage pandemonium that would ensue. The Jews in those cars were at the point of dying. Frozen and starved they would lose all human decency and actually fight to the death over a piece of bread. At this point there were no morals left among the Jews for their suffering was so profound that they began to lose their humanity and act like animals. This dehumanization of the Jews can be further demonstrated in comparing their corpses to sacks of flour. When dead bodies were thrown out of the train  cars or into the crematoria, no respect was shown to the humanity of that Jew. The concluding image of the corpse in the mirror succinctly sums up the themes in the book. The Jews’ fear of death prevented them from acting rashly which might have gotten them killed but it also prevented them from taking bold steps to ensure their survival (for example, stealing food). The corpse image represents Eliezer’s loss of faith because by denying the existence of a loving and merciful God he is denying his dignity in being created in the image of God. And thirdly, the corpse is a clear representation of death and one’s loss of humanity in the wake of immense suffering that strips you of your dignity and worth. In conclusion, the suffering of the Jews in the Holocaust was so profound that they were affected on all levels beginning with being physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually affected to being treated like animals stripped of all self dignity and humanity. Bibliography for Pride and Prejudice Reflection Paper 1. Weisel, Elie, Weisel, Marion. Night. New York: Hill and Wang, 2006. Print.

Gothic Tales and Edgar Allan Poe Essay

Compare ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’ with ‘The Black Cat’. How, in these tales, does Poe draw on the Gothic tradition and take us into the tormented, diseased minds of his narrators In both ‘The Tell-Tale Heat’ and ‘The Black Cat’ there are many gothic effects used. For example, the gruesome concealment of the victims is described in a deadpan but detailed manner. In The Black Cat our narrator describes all of his options and then illustrates exactly how he carried it out, â€Å"†¦I easily dislodged the bricks, and, having carefully deposited the body†¦Having procured mortar, sand, and hair†¦I prepared a plaster which could not be distinguished from the old†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Then in The Tell-Tale Heart he describes this concealment procedure again, † I took up†¦ the flooring†¦then replaced the boards so cleverly so cunningly the no human eye†¦could have detected anything wrong†¦nothing to wash out†¦no blood-spot whatever.† Both narrators seem proud at their astute covering-up of the innocent victims. The gruesome lexis, mixed with the matter-of-fact tone gives off a horrifyingly insane, b ut calm feel to the passage. Also the motives for the killing seemed irrational and over emotional in both stories. This is another typical Gothic characteristic. In The Tell-Tale Heart he says â€Å"I loved the old man†¦never wronged me†¦never given me insult†¦One of his eyes resembled that of a vulture†¦take the life of the old mad, and thus rid myself of the eye forever.† His incentive was unreasonable; he states that there is no other reason than his eye. In The Black Cat his reason for the first killing of his cat Pluto was â€Å"perverseness†¦for no other reason than because he knows he should not?† In this part of the passage it seems strange as he seems to be excusing himself for the sin he is about to narrate to us. Then also at the end of the story when he kills his wife because she stopped him from killing the second cat he says, â€Å"†¦this blow was arrested by the hand of my wife. Goaded, by the interference, into a rage more than demoniacal †¦buried the axe in her brain. She fell dead upon the spot.† The lexis used here is brutal and infernal, typical of Gothic writers â€Å"rage more than demoniacal† references to the devil highlight the white hot anger surging inside the twisted narrator. The use of an unreliable, villainous storyteller was not a typical Gothic feature at the time but it has greatly influenced future authors who write in the Gothic style. In both tales the narrators give off an intensely nervous energy by using repetition and strong, unruly lexis. The first line of The Tell-Tale Heart sets the tone for the whole story instantly â€Å"TRUE!-nervous-very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I a mad?† The dashes break up the sentences making them erratic; this is helped by the uneven sentence structure and the fusion of long and short clauses to make the whole pace of the story jerky and uneven. A typical Gothic feature that appears in only The Tell Tale Heart and not The Black Cat is the use of the night. The narrator describes how â€Å"†¦that every night, just at twelve, I looked in upon him while he slept.† Also the murder itself was committed at night and the use of the disguise of darkness gives an eerie feel to the piece and emphasis the Gothic tone of the story. However in The Black Cat the story was described through the day and the night and the murders of both the narrator’s wife and cat were during the day. Although this was not traditionally Gothic, and the description of the gruesome death caused some sections of the story to be more in the genre of horror. An element of Gothic literature that was in The Black Cat and not The Tell Tale Heart was the use of â€Å"omens†, obviously the title itself was a bad omen at the time and the other story had no omens, other than the heart beat motif that causes the narrator to confess his sins to the police. The title itself was not the only omen used in The Black Cat; Poe writes about two other obvious omens in this tale. Firstly the large imprint of â€Å"the figure of a gigantic cat†¦ There was a rope about the animal’s neck†, this was left on the wall the night after our narrator had killed his cat, this is not a figment of his imagination though as other people around can see it; later on however the narrator describes a mark of white hair, which shows â€Å"the image of a hideous -of a ghastly thing -of the GALLOWS!† This is more likely to be an illusion as the remorse builds up inside him. But he describes it as â€Å"†¦terrible engine of Horror and of Crime -of Agony and of Death!† The lexis used here is full of anger and is very strong. The capitalisation of the more significantly brutal words personifies these aspects and emphasises the narrator’s fear of the cat and of guilt. Poe uses many different techniques to suck the reader into the mind of his narrators. For example in the The Tell Tale Heart he describes his â€Å"disease† to the reader and excuses his actions. â€Å"The disease has sharpened my senses, not destroyed, not dulled them.† This line shows how the narrator is quite openely conceited. His insanity is revealed to us in a number of ways, firstly the deadpan tone of many parts of the passage give the reader an eery feeling of calm, that causes a disturbing sensation, such as when the narrator is describing his method of concealing his victim’s corpse, â€Å"I took up three planks†¦deposited all†¦then replaced the boards†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This use of everyday lexis â€Å"deposited† almost makes us forget that he is talking about a corpse, it makes the whole procedure sound mundane, which gives the impression of madness but also numbness to the narrator. Secondly, his lunacy is exposed to us as the character of the narrator is unravelled through the story. Throughout, hints are dropped as to the overconfidence of our narrator, repetition of various phrases. â€Å"†¦what had I now to fear?† and then again when the officers arrived, â€Å"for what had I to fear?† This reiteration of egotism makes us feel as if the narrator is reassuring himself that he is confident, and suggests to the reader that he has inexplicable insecurities lying beneath his cool exterior. Also in The Tell Tale Heart Poe uses many capitalised words and short, broken phrases to speed up the pace of parts of the account. â€Å"They heard! — they suspected! — they KNEW!† This shows how truly nervous and petrified the narrator is, and with the staggered, gaunt sentence structure makes the reader feel the same way, even if not to the same extent. A way in which The Black Cat’s method of pulling the reader into the mindset of a murderous narrator is near the beginning we are given some background about the narrator’s life. In The Tell Tale Heart we were given no information about setting or circumstance to help us detail our image. I find that this helps more as we have more pictures painted to us and these can then feed our imagination to produce a far more complex, but realistic understanding of the narrator’s mental situation. â€Å"I was especially fond of animals,† This line is quite ironic, as we learn from the rest of the story he seems to, infact, have a severe problem with cats. The way in which Poe implies the insanity of the narrator is in the language used to describe his cats. â€Å"†¦sagacious to an astnoishing degree† His strange attachment to the cat gave the narrator an untrustworthy and evil feel. Then when he describes his motives for hanging his first cat, Pluto, this insinuates utter, pschotic madness, â€Å"the spirit of PERVERSENESS†¦have we not a perpetual inclination†¦to violate that which is Law† This strange, confused motive gives the narrator a trace of humanity, but more of a childlike malevolence which emitts an air of wickedness. This infantile but wicked narrator, I find, is more chilling than the more simple, insane and evil narrator in The Tell Tale Heart, because of its uncanny likeness to reality. A similarity between The Black Cat and The Tell Tale Heart is that both narrators have a sense of superiority about them and this strong impression of narcissism makes the reader feel overwhelmed by malice and also builds up a strong feeling of resentment to their disagreeable characters. In both stories, the narrators end with a confession to their terrible deeds, both obviously caused by insolence and bravado. Another feature that is in The Black Cat but not The Tell Tale Heart is the sense of paranoia given off by the narrator, about the mark of white hair on his second cat’s chest, â€Å"†¦the mark†¦of which I have spoken†¦assumed a rigorous distinctness of outline†¦the image of a hideous- of a ghastly thing – of the GALLOWS!† This paranoia of an omen about the sadistic murder of Pluto blatently lays out the narrator’s madness and causes the reader to feel possibly more sympathetic, but more likely, to feel more estranged from the narrator. In conclusion I found the ways in which we were drawn into the psychotic mind of our killers were more effective in The Black Cat, as some were more subtle, but the more obvious one’s were easier to spot and gave a more definite and outlined picture of the narrator’s psyche. However, I found that the typical Gothic features used in The Tell Tale Heart made it more Gothic than in The Black Cat and also made the tale more chilling, even if not as gruesome or detailed as The Black Cat.

4 crucial recruiting trends you need to know

4 crucial recruiting trends you need to know As an HR or recruitment professional, you know that some things in your field never change- like matching the right talent with the right position. Just about everything else, however, may be up for grabs. Like every other industry, recruiting grows and evolves with the times. So what does that mean for this year? Let’s look at some of the biggest trends that will impact your professional life in the coming months.Crunching the dataWe live in a data-driven society now. And using that data to refine hiring practices isn’t an especially new concept, but the level of detail we can harvest and use, as well as the tools we can use to analyze the information, has grown exponentially. According to Jobscience, developing a clear data-driven strategy for hiring can help speed up the hiring process from a current average of two months to fill a given position.Data from current employees (like skills, level of experience, time in the position, or job performance) can help you deve lop metrics for recruiting people with the right skill sets. It can also help you figure out ahead of time which candidates might be a flight risk, or determine what kinds of hiring packages you should offer to ensure job offer acceptance and employee retention down the road.If your company isn’t data-focused just yet, don’t worry- there’s lots of emerging tech that can help you get there. For example, this year LinkedIn is releasing Talent Insights, a self-service tool that compiles analytics data on talent pools, employee skills, and workforce composition to help companies streamline their own analysis and hiring decisions.Embracing automationSpeaking of tech solutions, nothing has revolutionized talent acquisition quite like automation. The days of hand-scouring a slush pile of resumes for the right interview candidates are gone now. Artificial intelligence (AI) tools are already helping staffing and recruiting professionals to streamline virtually every part of the hiring process- particularly the early stages, when large talent pools need to be narrowed for particular positions.hbspt.cta.load(2785852, '9e52c197-5b5b-45e6-af34-d56403f973c5', {});Chances are, you already use some of the automated apps and software out there to read resumes and identify potential candidates based on keywords or other metrics. But what’s coming next will revolutionize hiring even further: tools that not only screen resumes and application materials, but also schedule candidates, create compensation models, and source candidates for future job openings.Going hand in hand with a stronger focus on data analysis, these AI tools have the potential to make the recruitment, hiring, and retention processes more efficient. Using chatbots, companies can also add a â€Å"human† touch when reaching out to candidates to answer questions, schedule interviews, or conduct assessments. We still haven’t reached peak â€Å"Alexa rules the world† when it comes to using AI in corporate hiring, but the tools that are now emerging are bringing that level of automation closer to reality.Stepping up diversity and inclusivityDiversity in the workplace has shifted from a â€Å"nice to have† in many companies to a â€Å"must have,† driven by increased public scrutiny and accountability. In order to keep up with the growing diversity of the workforce, companies are left trying to figure out how to not only find more diverse candidates but also improve employee retention and meet the needs of that workforce. However, many companies are finding that merely hiring for diversity just isn’t enough- if employees feel like token hires, or like they’re add-ons, it can have serious repercussions for employee engagement and retention. Companies need to get serious about adding inclusivity as part of their diversity plans.So what does that mean in the short-term? It’s not about filling numbers or quotas- itâ⠂¬â„¢s about creating an environment that feels welcoming to a broader range of qualified people. Checking boxes on hiring forms won’t cut it. Instead, companies are turning to holistic reviews of their company policies and culture to make sure that people of diverse backgrounds, genders, etc. feel like part of the team.Rethinking the company’s culture and making conscious efforts to make it more welcoming is not the only avenue for companies to consider if they’re looking to expand their inclusivity. Much of the change happens in the employee recruitment arena: reaching out to local communities, broadening language in job postings and descriptions to reach a more diverse audience, ensuring diversity in recruiting or interview panels, educating employees and recruiters on unconscious bias, and consulting employee resource groups for guidance.Rethinking the interview processAs part of the trend of increasing efficiency in all areas of hiring, we’re also st arting to see closer scrutiny around whether the traditional interview process still works with a quickly evolving recruitment world. Traditional interviews require a significant investment of time and energy on the company’s part. That’s time that could be spent on data analysis or other initiatives. Candidates need to be reviewed, scheduled, interviewed, interviewed again as necessary, and handled at every point through the process. So how can that process be streamlined?Companies are increasingly turning to alternative interview formats to identify the best candidates for a position. Instead of the usual â€Å"you come in and spend hours talking to a panel or a series of interviewers† format, some companies are hosting â€Å"auditions,† or competitions that give candidates a chance to demonstrate the skills necessary for the job. From these hands-on interviews, employers can get a stronger sense of what the candidate can do, rather than rely on resumes and general questions in a traditional interview format.How recruiters and hiring managers read resumes is changing as well. Before, hard skills and experience were king; now, the focus is slowly moving to soft skills (like people skills, organizational skills, and teamwork) and potential over experience. It’s not that experience no longer matters, but rather that companies are increasingly valuing trainability and teamwork over what a candidate has done in the past.Many companies are also shifting interview responsibilities to the employees who will actually be working with the new hire, in an effort to get a more realistic sense of how a candidate might fit in with the day-to-day dynamics. These interviews may be informal, but they give the candidate a chance to see what the job is really like and give the current employees a chance to weigh in on how the candidate might fit in with the existing team.In 2018, the message is pretty straightforward: work smarter, not necessa rily harder, to find the people you want for the jobs you need to fill. Whether that’s using the new tech tools at our disposal, or rethinking how we bring people into the fold, the status quo just isn’t going to cut it anymore.

Mise-en-Scene Analysis Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Mise-en-Scene Analysis - Term Paper Example The plot of the film begins when a 'cure' is found for the mutant gene and the debate about whether mutants should be forced to take it begins again. Predictably, Magneto is in favor of banding the mutants together and forcibly claiming supremacy over the non-mutant humans while Xavier is in favor of educating the public to a greater degree so that mutant and human can co-exist peacefully. It is a difficult argument to win, though, as the scientists continue to try to find new ways to neutralize their powers. Jean's appearance in the film is surprising because her character died at the end of the last film in the series as she saved the rest of the party from certain death. She reappears in front of Scott when he goes out to the lake to grieve for her and then kills Professor Xavier before she emerges fully as the Phoenix. Xavier and Magneto had been battling wills to see which one would gain the Phoenix's assistance in their conflict with the humans. With Xavier out of the way, Magn eto quickly enlists the Phoenix to his cause and the X-Men have a new problem. The challenges they overcome and the way they overcome them are sold to the audience through careful directing, detailed production design and a skilled art director. The director is responsible for the positioning of the actors, the camera angles, lighting choices and editing cuts, but it is up to the production designer to come up a fitting setting and visual effects to convey the story to the audience and it is the art director who ensures everything, including costumes and makeup, blend with the overall vision (Mackendrick, 2004). In the hands of director Brett Ratner with production designer Ed Verreaux and art director Chad Frey, a climactic scene such as the one in which the Phoenix finally falls takes on highly intense dimensions. The setting for the climax scene of the film is at the shattered remains of the pharmaceutical laboratories on what seems to be Governor's Island where the mutant cure i s produced and where the mutant who produces it is held against his will. The building and surrounding structures have been crumbled by battling humans and mutants. Twisted, burnt-out cars, huge chunks of concrete and tortured metal constructions lay around in total destruction. Small fires burn in pockets throughout the scene and Jean herself stands on a rise of debris. Wind whips around the characters, blowing lighter weight debris around them and, in flashes, whips so hard at Wolverine as he attempts to approach her that his clothing and even his skin and bones become stripped away in places. It is only because of his fast-healing abilities that he is able to overcome her attacks to reach her side. This wrecked scene demonstrates the extreme wastefulness of war as there doesn't appear to be anything truly useful left standing in the vicinity. When the camera looks up at where Jean is standing, the area looks like ancient Greek ruins, emphasizing the film's suggestion that mutants such as Jean are approaching the status of gods and have unearthly power. The tremendously destructive energy that is coming from Jean in the form of the wild and powerful wind couples with the destruction seen around them as an indication of Jean's lack of control over her own power while her position at the top of the hill demonstrates her superiority over everything she sees. Wolverine's battle uphill reveals his increasing mastery over himself and his own acceptance of responsibility for his powers. At the same time, the fitful nature of the winds illustrate the Phoenix's internal battle with the consciousness of Jean and provides

Carmen Jones Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Carmen Jones - Essay Example Carmen Jones was a 1943 musical which was later adapted to film in 1954. Much of the original cast was African American during a time in this country when segregation was still prominent. This fictional story is centered around one character by the name of Carmen Jones and is done so in musical fashion. Carmen Jones is a young woman who makes parachutes for the flyboys in the American military. Incidentally, Carmen falls in love with one flyboy in particular named Joe. Joe however, is initially in love with another girl by the name of Cindy Lou. Joe intends to marry Cindy Lou on his next day of leave only to spurn Carmen’s jealousy enough to cause her to destroy a parachute. Since the parachute is government property, Carmen is in danger of getting in to trouble for doing so, so she must flea and does so with Joe. As they run off together, Carmen is able to both enchant and seduce Joe, who quickly forgets about Cindy Lou. As a result, Joe does not return to his post as he is s upposed to and therefore is court marshaled. Carmen in the meantime, meets a boxer in a saloon who invites her and her friends to attend his next boxing match. At first, Carmen does not consent to go but then later sees the wealth bestowed on her friends by Husky the boxer, and so therefore decides to accept the advances of Husky while rejecting Joe altogether. While at the apartment of Husky the boxer, Carmen has her cards read to her wherein she learns that death is soon coming for her. Additionally, Joe is confronted with Cindy Lou who wishes fro him to return to her and marry her. He rejects her completely as he is in love with Carmen. Incidentally, it is Joe who comes for her shortly after this in hopes of convincing her to come back to him. When she rejects him, he kills her thereby fulfilling the prophecy of the cards. In looking at the multi-layered themes of this piece, there is a lot to