The Big Sleep essays

The Big Sleep essays In Raymond Chandlers novel The Big Sleep the main character, Phillip Marlowe, is a private investigator hired by the Sternwoods to solve a blackmail conspiracy. He is successful in his crime solving, but in his success, Marlowe raises many mysteries or questions. The crimes that he solves raise a moral and ethical debate on how far he should go to protect the Sternwoods or whether he should obey every law exactly. Marlowe is hired to stop the blackmailing that is happening to Carmen, the daughter of General Sternwood. It is safe to say that he accomplishes this very well. In doing so, he stumbles on Carmen in A.G. Geigers house. Normally this would be a big deal, but Geiger is dead. Also, the pictures that he took of Carmen are missing. Marlowe describes the scene when he thinks, No plateholder. I took hold of his limp chilling hand and rolled him a little. No plateholder. I didnt like this development. (38). Marlowe takes to the tasks of solving this murder and the blackmail. He finds out that Joe Brody has the pictures. In thinking of his clients first, Marlowe goes to Brodys apartment. He manages to get the pictures back right before Brody gets shot, dead on the spot. Marlowe chases after the killer and finds out that it is Carol Lundgren, Geigers special friend. Marlowe makes Carol go with him to Geigers house to find out the whole story. After learning everything from Car ol, Marlowe takes him to the D.A. and tells him about everything that has happened. He gives the D.A. all the evidence he has, except for the couple of personal matters. I intend to keep on leaving them out (110). Thus ends the sleuthing of Phillip Marlowe temporarily. As stated in the opening paragraph, Marlowe solves the crimes but he opens up a mystery. The mystery is whether or not Marlowe is ethical in protecting the Sternwoods. Marlowe is ...

Cempoala - Totonac Capital and Ally of Hernan Cortes

Cempoala - Totonac Capital and Ally of Hernan Cortes Cempoala, also known as Zempoala or Cempolan, was the capital of the Totonacs, a pre-Columbian group that emigrated to the Gulf Coast of Mexico from the central Mexican highlands sometime before the Late Postclassic period. The name is a Nahuatl one, meaning twenty water or abundant water, a reference to the many rivers in the region. It was the first urban settlement encountered by the Spanish colonization forces in the early 16th century. The citys ruins lie near the mouth of the Actopan River about 8 kilometers (five miles) in from the Gulf of Mexico. When it was visited by Hernan Cortà ©s in 1519, the Spaniards found a huge population, estimated at between 80,000-120,000; it was the most populous city in the region.   Cempoala reached its fluorescence between the 12th and 16th century AD, after the previous capital El Tajin was abandoned after being invaded by Toltecan-Chichimecans. The City of Cempoala At its height during the late 15th century, Cempoalas population was organized into nine precincts. The urban core of Cempoala, which includes a monumental sector, covered a surface area of 12 hectares (~30 acres); housing for the citys population spread far beyond that. The urban center was laid out in the way common  to Totonac regional urban centers, with many circular temples dedicated to the wind god Ehecatl. There are 12 large, irregularly shaped walled compounds in the city center that contain the main public architecture, temples, shrines, palaces, and open plazas. The major compounds were composed of large temples bordered by platforms, which elevated the buildings above the flood level. The compound walls were not very high, serving as a symbolic function identifying the spaces which were not open to the public rather than for  defense purposes. Architecture at Cempoala Cempoalas central Mexican urban design and art reflect the norms of the central Mexican highlands, ideas which were reinforced by the late 15th-century Aztec dominance. Most of the architecture is built of river cobbles cemented together, and the buildings were roofed in perishable materials. Special structures such as temples, shrines, and elite residences had a masonry architecture built of cut stone. Important buildings include the Sun temple or Great Pyramid; the Quetzalcoatl temple; the Chimney Temple, which includes a series of semicircular pillars; the Temple of Charity (or Templo de las Caritas), named after the numerous stucco skulls that adorned its walls; the Cross Temple, and the El Pimiento compound, which has exterior walls decorated with skull representations. Many of the buildings have platforms with multiple stories of low height and vertical profile. Most are rectangular with broad stairways. Sanctuaries were dedicated with polychrome designs on a white background. Agriculture The city was surrounded by an extensive canal system and a series of aqueducts which provided water to the farm fields around the urban center as well as the residential areas. This extensive canal system allowed water distribution to fields, diverting water from main river channels. The canals were part of (or built onto) a large wetland irrigation system that is thought to have been built during the Middle Postclassic [AD 1200-1400] period. The system included an area of sloping field terraces, on which the city grew cotton, maize, and agave. Cempoala used their surplus crops to participate in the Mesoamerican trade system, and historic records report that when famine struck the Valley of Mexico between 1450-1454, the Aztecs were forced to barter their children to Cempoala for maize stores. The urban Totonacs at Cempoala and other Totonac cities used home gardens (calmil), backyard gardens which provided domestic groups at the family or clan level with vegetables, fruits, spices, medicines, and fibers. They also had private orchards of cacao or fruit trees. This dispersed agrosystem gave the residents flexibility and autonomy, and, after the Aztec Empire took hold, allowed the homeowners to pay tributes. Ethnobotanist Ana Lid del Angel-Perez argues that the home gardens may also  have acted as a laboratory, where people tested and validated new crops and methods of growing. Cempoala Under the Aztecs and Cortà ©s In 1458, the Aztecs under the rule of Motecuhzoma I invaded the region of the Gulf Coast. Cempoala, among other cities, was subjugated and became a tributary of the Aztec empire. Tributary items demanded by the Aztecs in payment included cotton, maize, chili, feathers, gems, textiles, Zempoala-Pachuca (green) obsidian, and many other products. Hundreds of Cempoalas inhabitants became slaves. When the Spanish conquest arrived in 1519 on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, Cempoala was one of the first cities visited by Cortà ©s. The Totonac ruler, hoping to break away from Aztec domination, soon became allies of Cortà ©s and his army. Cempoala was also the theater of the 1520 Battle of Cempoala between Cortà ©s and the captain Pnfilo de Narvaez, for the leadership in the Mexican conquest, which Cortà ©s handily won. After the Spanish arrival, smallpox, yellow fever, and malaria spread throughout Central America. Veracruz was among the earliest regions affected, and the population of Cempoala sharply declined. Eventually, the city was abandoned and the survivors moved to Xalapa, another important city of Veracruz. Cempoala Archaeological Zone Cempoala was first explored archaeologically at the end of the 19th century by Mexican scholar Francisco del Paso y Troncoso. American archaeologist Jesse Fewkes documented the site with photographs in 1905, and the first extensive studies were conducted by Mexican archaeologist Josà © Garcà ­a Payà ³n between the 1930s and 1970s. Modern excavations at the site were conducted by the Mexican National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) between 1979-1981, and Cempoalas central core was recently mapped by photogrammetry (Mouget and Lucet 2014). The site is located on the eastern edge of the modern town of Cempoala, and it is open to visitors year-round. Sources Adams REW. 2005 [1977], Prehistoric Mesoamerica. Third Edition. Norman: University of Oklahoma PressBruggemann JK. 1991. Zempoala: El estudio de una ciudad prehispanica. Coleccion Cientifica vol 232 INAH Mexico. Brumfiel EM, Brown KL, Carrasco P, Chadwick R, Charlton TH, Dillehay TD, Gordon CL, Mason RD, Lewarch DE, Moholy-Nagy H, et al. 1980. Specialization, Market Exchange, and the Aztec State: A View From Huexotla [and Comments and Reply]. Current Anthropology 21(4):459-478.del Angel-Pà ©rez AL. 2013. Homegardens and the dynamics of Totonac domestic groups in Veracruz, Mexico. Anthropological Notebooks 19(3):5-22.Mouget A, and Lucet G. 2014. Photogrammetric archaeological survey with UAV. ISPRS Annals of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences II(5):251-258.Sluyter A, and Siemens AH. 1992. Vestiges of Prehispanic, Sloping-Field Terraces on the Piedmont of Central Veracruz, Mexico. Latin American Antiquity 3(2):148-160.Smith ME. 2013. The Aztecs. New Yo rk: Wiley-Blackwell. Wilkerson, SJK. 2001. Zempoala (Veracruz, Mexico) In: Evans ST, and Webster DL, editors. Archaeology of Ancient Mexico and Central America: An Encyclopedia. New York: Garland Publishing Inc. p 850-852. Edited and updated by K. Kris Hirst

Analysis of Marketing Mix Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1

Analysis of Marketing Mix - Research Paper Example The marketing strategy of a business organization is seen to be embedded in its marketing mix decisions. The marketing mix is a set of marketing tools that the firm uses to pursue its objectives in the target market. McCarthy classified these four broad groups that he called the four Ps of marketing: product, price, promotion, and place (Kotler 2003). Qantas (an acronym for Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services) is the world's second oldest continuously running independent and Australia's largest airline. The firm traces its roots in November 1920 when it operated air mail services subsidized by the Australian government. Through the years, the airline has significantly developed and evolved into an international carrier. With its fleet of 200 aircraft, Qantas flies to more than 80 destinations in about 40 countries and to some 20 cities in Australia (Qantas 2006). During the fiscal year ended June 2005, the company reported $9,632.1 million in total revenue representing double-digit annual growth of 23.0%. Out of this huge revenue, profits realized $579.5 net profit. The airline currently employs 38,000 employees to man its various business operations. It should be noted that the number of employees has increased by 12.2% from the previous year. This significantly indicates Qantas' aggressive expansion (Hoover 2006). Currently, Qantas continues to be one of the market leaders in the global air transportation industry. Its main international hubs are Sydney Kingsford-Smith airport and Melbourne International Airport, followed by Singapore Changi Airport. However, Qantas operates a significant amount of international flights into and out of Los Angeles International Airport, London Heathrow, Brisbane International Airport, Tokyo Narita Airport, and Perth International Airport. Its domestic hubs are Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane airports, but the company also has a strong presence in Perth, Adelaide, Cairns and Canberra Airports (Qantas 2006). This impressive performance of Qantas, which makes it the world's leading long distance airline and one of Australia's strongest brands, can be directly attributed to its well-laid marketing strategy. Included in these are the crucial decisions on product, price, promotion, and place. Qantas, as an airline, is primarily involved in offering passenger transportation and air freight to its market. However, we can see that the product portfolio of Qantas also includes other associated business operations like in-flight catering, and holiday and travel operations (Qantas website 2006).

How did eugenics contribute to the final solution Essay

How did eugenics contribute to the final solution - Essay Example Eugenics is a movement that was planned before World War II in Germany in 1923 and 1933, which ultimately changed the lives of millions of people. Before World War II ever came along, there was a movement in Germany to rid society of undesirables. Undesirables fell into several categories later on, although initially the report that was issued seemed like a simple plot to rid society of disabilities by not allowing certain sectors of the populace to reproduce due to defects or detriments of some sort. â€Å"In May 1923, [physician Gerhard] Boeters sent a report to the government of Saxony in which he demanded compulsory sterilization for the hereditarily blind and deaf, the mentally handicapped, the mentally ill, sexual ‘perverts,’ and fathers with two or more illegitimate children.†1 Sterilization was the beginning of a regime change which began to discriminate against individuals that were different or â€Å"not normal† in some way.

Oil Paintings Essay Example for Free

Oil Paintings Essay The oil painting technique traces its roots all the way back to a time between the fifth and ninth century when it was first used in Western Afghanistan, yet it was made famous and the premier means of expression by the Renaissance movement in the 15th century by men like Leonardo Da Vinci and Raphael (Davide 46). The reason the oil painting technique gained this newfound popularity was due in large part to its ability to convey things such as human flesh more accurately while also giving the painter weeks in drying time to work. However, in order for us to properly understand the oil painting technique, we must first understand its composition and ability to create. The paint itself is created using two elements: pigments and oil. The pigments are dry colorants, such as mineral salts and other earth types, ground-up into a fine powder and separated by color. But since the pigments could not adhere to the painting alone, oil was used as a binder to do just that. Typically, linseed oil was used because it can polymerize, and therefore is a drying oil (Mayer, Ralph, and Sheehan 123). However, other oils such as walnut oil, sunflower oil, and tung oil are also used, especially if the artist would want to alter the drying times of the paint or lessen faint colors. A good example of an artist who even used different oils in the same painting was Leonardo Da Vinci, who â€Å"†¦ used a combination of oils while painting Adoration of the Maji, which some speculate was for the benefit of the artist to takeover this unfinished work† (www. henryfordgroup. org). Additionally, there are other elements to the composition of the oil painting that help altar the paint. In order to make alterations and correct elements, artists like to paint multiple layers; this also gives them the luxury of stripping off the paint already applied to the gesso (white glue that covers the medium on which the painting will be applied) without ruining the portions, which they would like to remain permanent. However, for the artist to do this, they need to apply thin layers of paint initially (‘under painting’), meaning they must mix the oil with a solvent such as white spirits or turpentine to dilute the oil. This is especially good for the artist using the â€Å"fat over lean† ethod, where each layer of paint contains more oil than the previous layer. Additional additives would also include varnishes that are usually made from damar gum crystals dissolved in turpentine, thus sealing the work and giving the painting a greater glossiness (Davide 47). The advantages of oil paintings include durability and versatility; oil paintings completed using proper drying time and properly created are very durable. Oil itself is non-polar and hydrophobic, meaning it will repel water, a key element in the deterioration of many pieces of art. Furthermore, oil actually dries through oxidization, in which â€Å"†¦non-polar covalent bonds are governed by the ionic forces between functional groups and the metal ions present in the pigment† (Mayer, Ralph and Sheehan 125). The consequential result is a stable film that’s bit of elasticity helps prevent any bleeding or flow from gravitational pull. In terms of versatility, varnishes allow for one to work on and complete independent elements over a vast time frame, while also the stripping of the varnish allow for the proper cleaning of paintings after many years of display. Moreover, the fine pigments ground into the oil allow for greater optical effect and translucency, which makes things such as human skin appear far more life-like. And with the use of a smooth surface greater lightness is reflected in the oil painting, which the varnish will help accentuate color and depth (Mayer, Ralph and Sheehan 125). This is due to the multiple refractions the varnish helps create, thus creating more perspective in the painting itself. There aren’t many disadvantages when it comes to oil painting, yet there are issues with drying time, aging, and blending. Drying time is an advantage to quite a few artists, yet those who like to use a sequence of washes in quick succession often find the oil painting technique difficult (Davide 48). Also, most curators would tell you that it takes from 60-80 years for an oil painting to finish drying. Aging concerns also are a major disadvantage, especially when artists use linseed oil, which tends to yellow or darken with age. However, this aging can be stifled if the artist has the proper tools. Finally, blending can also be a key concern because the oil tends to blur together causing the painting to become muddy and taking away from istinctive properties. The oil painting technique is typically applied to a canvas that is composed of a linen or cotton cloth and wooden â€Å"stretcher. † The canvas can then be coated with animal glue and primed with a mixture of white paint and chalk. This medium has been very popular since the 16th century; however, other mediums for oil paintings such as panels, linoleum, paper, and slate were also used (Davide 48). The canvas, though, was highly regarded for its lightweight, cheaper, and not prone to warping like a panel. In conclusion, the oil painting technique is still a very popular method used by artists today. However, many artists don’t make their own paint, rather they buy tubes from specialty stores, but still many of them stress the importance of knowing the components of the paint in which they are using. And as a result, those artists are able to showcase their works to the best of their abilities, because their understanding of the materials allows them to make adjustments and highlight key elements, thus putting their knowledge on par with the great painter’s of the Renaissance.

Job Satisfaction and Employee Retention Essay -- High Turnover, Job En

Employee satisfaction is undoubtedly the best predictor of employee retention. A job environment consisting of good working relationships usually fosters employee satisfaction. Employees feel motivated as they believe that the company is appreciating their service and commitment. Job satisfaction results in employee retention. Employee retention could be defined as the length of time employees stay with the organization. The purpose of this report is to brief the management on the importance of employee satisfaction in achieving the competitive goals of the organization through increasing the retention of the employees. Description and background As per preliminary analyses conducted with job satisfaction and anticipated job retention—it was concluded that the two were not correlated. (Cohen & Cohen, 1983). As per the results of this analysis, the prominent job satisfaction factors were: †¢ Less formal education; †¢ Positive perceptions of supervision †¢ Competence and autonomy based joins Cross, W., & Wyman, P. A. (2006). Training and motivational factors as predictors of job satisfaction and anticipated job retention among implementers of a school-based prevention program. Journal of Primary Prevention, 27(2), 195-215. Job retention was also recommended for people with chronic medical history of diseases. In a random experiment in which individuals in the group (with medical disorders) received a job retention intervention and persons in the control group received a minimal intervention. It was concluded that satisfaction with the job retention intervention was greater than that for minimal attention. Employment status was assessed at 6 month intervals up to 48 months .The log-rank test was used to detect a differ... ...gsworth, C., SÄ mbhar, R., Ball, M., & al, e. (2004) WORK CULTURE IN ASSISTED LIVING: KEY TO STAFF SATISFACTION AND RETENTION. The Gerontologist, 44(1), 593. †¢ Bamberger, P. A. (1990). Antecedents and consequences of role stress: The processes leading to turnover intentions among public sector professionals. (Order No. 9018061, Cornell University). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, 289-289 p. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.libraryproxy.griffith.edu.au/docview/303850297?accountid=14543. (303850297). †¢ Accessed 27 Apr 2014 ;( http://managementstudyguide.com/challanges-in-employee-retention.htm) †¢ Sherrie Scott; demand Media; Accessed 27 Apr 2014 ;( http://smallbusiness.chron.com/employee-retention-strategies-important-1241.html) †¢ TerryIrwin;29.11.11;accessed 27 Apr 2014;(http://www.mondaq.com/x/155322/Five+Top+Employee+Retention+Strategies)

Models of Communication Essay

According to the authors of â€Å"Human Communication in Society†, communication occurs simultaneously between senders and receivers, with meaning co-created by all participants. The authors are saying that in communication the individual’s character affect the process of communication. Linear Model views communication as a one-way process in which the speaker speaks and the listener listens. The earliest model primarily involved the transfer of information from one person to another. An encoded message sent from the sender or the speaker to the person receiving the encoded message. Interactive Model of communication is a simultaneous or real-time exchange of information over a transmission medium, such as during a video conference. The linear model depicts communication as a one-way process. The speaker of sender of the message in the interactive model also listens to the feedback given by the receiver or listener. Both the speaker and listener take turns to speak and listen to each other. This method works better if the speaker and listener have common fields of experience. Transactional Model of communication shows that the elements in communication are interdependent. Each person in the communication act is both a speaker and a listener, and can be simultaneously send and receiving message. The interactive model does not indicate that communicators can both send and receive messages simultaneously. Transactional Model of communication shows that the elements in communication are interdependent. Each person in the communication act is both a speaker and a listener, and can be simultaneously send and receiving message. The interactive model does not indicate that communicators can both send and receive messages simultaneously. Transactional Model of communication shows that the elements in communication are interdependent. Each person in the communication act is both a speaker and a listener, and can be simultaneously send and receiving message. The interactive model does not indicate that communicators can both send and receive messages simultaneously.

Fasting, Feasting Style Essay

Point of View The novel is written in the third person limited point of view. This means that the author tells the story from an objective position, as if viewing the story’s events without benefit of any thoughts or feelings coming directly from the individual characters. The author presents the chain of events in the story and then interjects what the characters may be thinking or experiencing based on their reactions, facial expression, and tone of voice. This point of view is especially pertinent for the content of the novel, which revolves around the issue of repression, especially for the female characters. The women are not allowed authentic voices in their homes or their societies. So the author restricts what the reader can know to mimic the repression experienced by the characters. Genre A speedy, intense narrative switching point of view and tense as needed. There are many unheralded transitions from scene to scene and flashback (15-63) is used to excellent effect. Threads of the story are left unfinished only to be taken up again later in the novel and given a deeper significance (see Anamika’s or Aruna’s story). General Vision or Viewpoint Think well about this question from a couple of standpoints. It might be easy to dismiss Uma’s world as oppressive to women and to the servant underclass and to decide that life could not be a fulfilled experience in such circumstances. You might think that Uma’s life is a tragic injustice; that she is used and misused by a patriarchal family and society. You might see Arun as a narrow-minded, judgemental outsider unable to adjust to a culture different to his own and whose life is quite unfulfilled. But this might be to miss the humour and love that is invested in daily living. In India people have a warmth and a variety to their lives that is enviable. 1. Read these notes taken from different sources on the web. Do you agree with what they say? Does the point of view used by Desai make you sympathise with a certain character? Explain the use of point of view and provide quotations to support your ideas. Themes Family Life Although the novel has action in two separate countries and has many characters, there is the central theme of family life that unites them all. In India, the immediate family has great importance; but the extended family also has an impact on the characters’ lives. This is evidenced by the coming together of family members for securing bridegrooms and making wedding arrangements for Uma and Aruna. There is also huge family support and involvement related to times of sorrow, such as the coming together after the death of Anamika. The rituals for both these happy and sad occasions are marked with tradition and purpose. These elements seem to be sorely lacking in the Patton household in America. It is understood that the time period of Arun’s stay with the Pattons encompasses only three months and does not represent a comprehensive look at the Patton family. Themes and issues Suffering Human suffering is depicted frequently in both parts of the novel. Uma is made to suffer by her parents and men who take advantage of her. The unusual thing about her is her response to this suffering. She seems to maintain optimism throughout her ordeals. Anamika’s terrible life and the abuse she suffers may illuminate your discussion of suffering as would the plight of Melanie who suffers mental illness and bulimia and is a sad example of American youth. Loneliness The plight of Arun in America will yield many examples of loneliness as will Uma herself who despite her large extended family keeping her busy she seems quite isolated. Loyalty/Betrayal  You might advance the notion that Uma and Anamika are betrayed by their parents in that they treat them very badly when it comes to marriage and relationships. Both girls are seen as burdens to be disposed of and you could say they were betrayed. Similarly, Melanie’s plight is so ignored by her mother that the word betrayal might not be too strong. 2. Can you think of other themes in the novel? Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work. Provide quotations to justify your choice. 3Example of an analysis of passages Do you agree with him? Can you find more examples of how Desai uses X to  create Y ? Now analyse the following passage. 4 Questions 5. Poetry Pied Beauty Gerard Manley Hopkins Follow this link: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/gerard-manley-hopkins 1. Listen to the poem and read it at least twice. Hopkins was born in 1844, and died just 45 years later, in 1889, but in this relatively short life he wrote some of the most startling and original poetry of the whole 19th Century. He was a deeply intellectual and religious man, and became a Jesuit priest in 1877, the same year in which he wrote ‘Pied Beauty’. Throughout his life Hopkins was deeply fond of the countryside and its beauty, in which he could see the work and power of God. In ‘Pied Beauty’ he expresses his delight and astonishment at the sheer diversity of nature. What do the things Hopkins describes have in common? How does Hopkins celebrate diversity? How does the image of the chestnut link the physical with the spiritual world? How is the human world linked to the physical world in the poem? How are both the physical and the human world linked to God? Comment on the following compound nouns /verbs: ‘couple-colour’, ‘fresh-firecoal’, fathers-forth’. Comment on the use of sound in the poem and the effect it creates. Comment on the rhythm (metre) of the poem N.B. it is irregular). How does it contribute to its meaning? Annotate the rhyme scheme. What comments can you make on its effect? The poem begins and ends in a symmetrical way. Why? What is the effect of the short final line? In what way are the first and second parts of the poem the reverse of each other? What is the effect of delaying the verb ‘fathers-forth’ to the beginning of the penultimate line? Examination Question: How does this poem seek to convey the ‘glory’ and grandeur of God for Hopkins? After reading the poem, write in paragraphs a summary of what you think the poem is about and your analysis of it. You can work in groups (not more than four in each group) and hand in your work to Carolina, please. What does Curnow’s reading of his poem adds to your appreciation of it? 2. Read the following which will help you to analyse the poem. Entrapments at Home and Abroad in Anita Desai’s Fasting, Feasting T. Ravichandran Assistant Professor of English, Department of Humanities & Social Sciences, IIT Kanpur Anita Desai’s Fasting, Feasting, as it is implied in the title itself, is a novel of contrast between two cultures, the one, Indian, known for its pious and longstanding customs representing ‘fasting,’ and the other, American, a country of opulence and sumptuousness epitomising ‘feasting.’ The plot unveils through the perceptions of Uma, in India, and of Arun, in America. Both of them are entrapped, irrespective of the culture and enveloping milieu, by oppressive bonds exercised by their own parents, MamaPapa. They are just MamaPapa or PapaMama but remain nameless throughout the novel. Yet, this namelessness does not indicate their anonymity but signifies their universality. They are the prototypical parents found everywhere in the middle-class families of India, who discuss, plan, plot, control, govern the activities of their children, be it marriage or going abroad for studies. And in their over-domineering concern, they tend to ignore the inadverte nt possibility of entrapping their own offspring. Thus, they do not give contingency to the fact that perhaps their children too can have a life to call their own. May be even their own preoccupations, their own priorities, maybe an agenda for themselves that goes beyond what they actually want for their children. The novel beings with a snapshot of MamaPapa in a contemplative mood: â€Å"The parents sit, rhythmically swinging, back and forth. They could be asleep, dozing—their eyes are hooded—but sometimes they speak.† That is when a sudden deluge of ideas hit them and they order their eldest daughter, Uma, to carry out them without delay. Uma is asked first to inform the cook to prepare sweets for her father, with neglectful impatience she states that she has been already asked to pack a parcel to be sent to her brother, Arun, in America. While she comes literally running on her toes, she is entrusted with an additional job of writing a letter to their son. Somewhere in the middle of the novel, the reader understands that it is the usual scene that goes on in the household of MamaPapa. â€Å"All morning MamaPapa have found things for Uma to do. It is as if Papa’s retirement is to be spent in this manner—sitting on the red swing in the veranda with Mama, rocking, and finding ways to keep Uma occupied. As long as they can do that, they themselves feel busy and occupied† (133). In th is manner, living under the demanding rule of MamaPapa, Uma is repressed, suppressed and is imprisoned at home. The first part of the novel tells us in a flashback how she became a reluctant victim of entrapment at home. The second part of the novel shows how her brother Arun, who leaves his home for higher studies feels trapped by the very education that is meant to liberate him. Usually, at home, it would be an oppressive atmosphere even if one of the parents is overpowering. With regard to Uma, both of her parents appear to have merged into a single identity MamaPapa/PapaMama, as if they have a â€Å"Siamese twin existence†(6). Hence, whenever MamaPapa say something, and whoever says it, it comes with double the intensity and power that it cannot be defied at all. â€Å"Having fused into one, they had gained so much in substance, in stature, in authority, that they loomed large enough as it was; they did not need separate histories and backgrounds to make them even more immense†(6). Despite a slight variation in the roles they have chosen to play, Papa’s of â€Å"scowling† and â€Å"Mama’s scolding†(10), in terms of opinion, they never differed from each other. Therefore, if one refused there would not be any â€Å"point in appealing to the other parent for a different verdict: none was expected, or given†(14 ). Furthermore, the women are not allowed for outings usually, but when Papa feels that the women laze around the house too much, then they would be taken to the park for walk. On one such occasion, Uma gets easily distracted and fails to keep pace with her Papa. Though Papa is far away, and she is left in the company of Mama, she would not dare attempt  to buy some eatables on her wish though it is highly tempting: â€Å"Uma finds saliva gathering at the corners of her mouth at the smell of the spiced, roasted gram but decides to say nothing† (12-13). In the end, Uma is blamed for being â€Å"slow† when all the while Uma could not reconcile herself as why they are hurrying just to go back home. Likewise, the children are not allowed to have any sense of privacy even when they have grown-up. They are not allowed to shut any doors in the household. For this meant secrets, especially nasty secrets, which are impermissible: â€Å"It meant authority would come stalking in and make a search to seize upon the nastiness, the unclean blot†(15). MamaPapa also decide which of their children should have education and how much of it. As far as Uma is concerned, a pleasant escape from her claustrophobic conditions at home is her school-going. The convent school for her is â€Å"streaked with golden promise†(20). Hence, she always goes early to the school and later finds some excuse to linger there for longer time. Conversely, she feels deprived during dull weekends when she is left at home: â€Å"There were the wretched weekends when she was plucked back into the trivialities of her home, which seemed a denial, a negation of life as it ought to be, somber and splendid, and then the endless summer vacation when the heat reduced even that pointless existence to further vacuity†(21). Regardless of Uma’s verve for convent education, she is forced to stop going to school when Mama gives birth to the third baby, Arun. Even as Uma shows disagreement, she is coaxed, cajoled and finally threatened to accept her Mamaà ¢â‚¬â„¢s decision: ‘But ayah can do this—ayah can do that—’ Uma tried to protest when the orders began to come thick and fast. This made Mama look stern again. ‘You know we can’t leave the baby to the servant,’ she said severely. ‘He needs proper attention.’ When Uma pointed out that ayah had looked after her and Aruna as babies, Mama’s expression made it clear it was quite a different matter now, and she repeated threateningly: ‘Proper attention’ (31). Later, Uma looks forward towards her marriage to give her the much-needed relief, yet, unfortunately, she returns home frustrated after a deceitful marriage and subsequent divorce. Back at home, she gets a rare, job offer  through Dr. Dutt, but MamaPapa refuse to send her. When Dr. Dutt persists on taking Uma for the job, Mama lies of an illness for which she needs Uma to nurse her. In like manner, when Uma receives an invitation for a coffee party from Mrs. O’Henry, MamaPapa refuse to send her to the party because of the apprehension that Mrs. O’Henry might ensnare her and convert her into a Christian nun. Reduced thus to a baby-sitter at her earlier days and an unpaid servant for her self-centred parents for the rest of her life, Uma finds no escape from her entrapment. Uma experiences, however, a brief repose of happiness and freedom once when she is allowed to accompany her ailing aunt, Mira-Masi, on her pilgrimage. During her stay at night in an ashram, Uma finds a strange link of her life with the barks and howls of the dogs: At night she lay quietly on her mat, listening to the ashram dog bark. Then other dogs in distant villages, out along the river bed and over in the pampas grass, or in wayside shacks and hovels by the highway—barked back. They howled long messages to each other. Their messages traveled back and forth through the night darkness which was total, absolute. Gradually the barks sank into it and drowned. Then it was silent. That was what Uma felt her own life to have been—full of barks, howls, messages, and now—silence (61). At this juncture, one is reminded of Anita Desai’s characteristic way of making her internally turbulent protagonists find expression by association with external surroundings. Thus, for instance, in Cry, the Peacock, Maya’s feelings of isolation and longings are coupled with those of the crying of the peacocks. Still, one locates a kind of sublimity in the agonised inner cry of Maya when it is likened with peacocks. When Uma’s pain is related to the barks and howls of dogs, the poetry of Maya’s anguish is to be seen in sharp contrast to that of the excruciating poverty of Uma’s entrapment. Catering to the whims and fancies of MamaPapa, but keeping her remorse selfcontained, at one point of the novel, Uma feels utterly friendless and alone, even when she is at home and surrounded by her MamaPapa. In desperation, she thinks of writing a letter to a friend to share her grief but it only ends up with the realisation that she has none to confide with: She could write a letter to a friend—a private message of despair, dissatisfaction, yearning; she has a packet of notepaper, pale violet with a pink rose embossed in the corner—but who is the friend? Mrs. Joshi? But since she lives next door, she would be surprised. Aruna? But Aruna would pay no attention, she is too busy. Cousin Ramu? Where was he? Had his farm swallowed him up? And Anamika—had marriage devoured her? (134). However, it would be wrong to presuppose that Anita Desai shows Uma’s unattractiveness, clumsiness and dullness of mind as causes for her entrapment. Uma’s polar opposite, her graceful, beautiful and brilliant cousin, Anamika’s confinement is more poignant. While Uma’s failure in her school exams pressurises her to stay at home, Anamika does so excellently in her final school exams, that she wins a scholarship to Oxford. Yet, Anamika lives in a patriarchal society that considers higher education to be the prerogative of males, and marriage as the major preoccupation of females. The scholarship obtained is used only as a means to win her a husband who is considered an equal to the family’s prestige. Anamika’s parents are unperturbed by the fact that he is so much older than her, so grim-faced and conscious of his own superiority, and is â€Å"totally impervious to Anamika’s beauty and grace and distinction† (70). But it is Anamik a, who starts another life of entrapment the moment she enters her in-laws’ house. Anamika’s husband is a typical ‘Mama’s boy’ to the extent he could be a silent witness to his mother’s beating of his wife regularly. Anamika, who won a scholarship to Oxford, spends her entire time in the kitchen cooking for a very large family that eats in shifts—â€Å"first the men, then the children, finally the women† (70). After a miscarriage, which followed a brutal beating, and the belief that she could not bear more children, finally, the family ties her up in a nylon saree, pours the kerosene over her, and burns her to death. Here again Desai is not implying that the un-burnt brides and the well-settled ones may live a content life. In this regard, she portrays the story of Aruna, Uma’s smart and pretty younger sister who makes a discreet choice and marries â€Å"the wisest, †¦ the handsomest, the richest, the most exciting of the suitors who presented themselves†(101). Aruna’s marriage to Arvind who has a job in Bombay and a flat in a housing block in Juhu, facing the beach is just a like a  dream-come-true. Yet to live that dream-life fully she transforms hersel f and desperately seeks to introduce change in the lives of others. She cuts her hair, takes her make-up kit wherever she goes, and calls her sister and mother as ‘villagers’ once they refuse to accept her sophisticated and flashy style of life. For that reason, she avoids visiting her parents’ home and the rare occasions of her short visits are spent in blaming the untidiness of the surrounding and the inhabitants. Even she goes to the extent of scolding her husband when he splits tea in his saucer, or wears a shirt, which does not match, with his trousers. In this way, Aruna’s entrapment is different from the rest. She has liberated herself from the customs and dominating home rules that bind the rest of the characters like Uma and Anamika. Yet, in negating those codes, she ensnares herself in her mad pursuit towards a vision of perfection. And in order to reach that perfection she needs to constantly uncover and rectify the flaws of her own family as well as of Arvind’s. When none other than Uma sees through the entrapment of Aruna, she feels pity for her: Seeing Aruna vexed to the point of tears because the cook’s pudding had sunk and spread instead of remaining upright and solid, or because Arvind had come to dinner in his bedroom slippers, or Papa was wearing a t-shirt with a hole under one arm, Uma felt pity for her: was this the realm of ease and comfort for which Ar una had always pined and that some might say she had attained? Certainly it brought her no pleasure: there was always a crease of discontent between her eyebrows and an agitation that made her eyelids flutter, disturbing Uma who noticed it (109). While Uma, Anamika, Aruna present the female versions of entrapment in Fasting, Feasting, Arun pictures the male version of it. Unlike his sisters, right from his birth, Arun desists eating the food of his family which is symbolic of its values. Much to the dismay of his father, he shows his preference for vegetarian food. Simply because it revolutionised the life-style of his father, Arun can not be forced to eat non-vegetarian food. This, of course, is a cause of disappointment for Papa: Papa was always scornful of those of their relatives who came to visit and insisted on clinging to their cereal-and vegetable-eating ways, shying away from the meat dishes Papa insisted on having cooked for dinner. Now his own son, his  one son, displayed this completely baffling desire to return to the ways of his forefathers, meek and puny men who had got nowhere in life. Papa was deeply vexed (32- 33). Nonetheless, Arun cannot fully come out of the clutches of Papa, especially, in terms of his education. And ironic enough, it is education, which instead of offering the desired autonomy, paves way for Arun’s entrapment. Papa, in order to give â€Å"the best, the most, the highest† (119) education for his son, takes charge of Arun’s life from his childhood. Although Arun’s school examinations are over, Papa cannot allow him to go to his sister’s house in Bombay during holidays, since he has planned that time for taking up entrance examinations and preparation for sending applications to go abroad for ‘higher studies’. However, in the eyes of Aruna, her father’s manic determination to get a foreign scholarship for Arun, is actually on account of his unfulfilled dreams, which he tries to impose on his son. That is why, when the letter of acceptance from Massachusetts finally arrives, it stirs no emotions in Arun: Uma watched Arun too, when he read the fateful letter. She watched and searched for an expression, of relief, of joy, doubt, fear, anything at all. But there was none†¦. There was nothing else—not the hint of a smile, frown, laugh or anything: these had been ground down till they had disappeared. This blank face now stared at the letter and faced another phase of his existence arranged for him by Papa (121). As a reviewer rightly observes, â€Å"With a deft touch, Desai shows us that MamaPapa’s ambitions for Arun are as stifling as their lack of ambition for Uma, †¦.† From America, Arun’s letters come just to indicate his endurance and survival. His messages are diluted, and are devoid of any emotion and substance. â€Å"The most personal note he struck was a poignant, frequently repeated complaint: ‘The food is not very good’† (123). The ties, though invisible, are so overwhelming that even in a country that feasts on individuality, Arun fails to manifest his identity as an individual. Caught in the prison house of his own family’s food habits, he can neither nourish the alien food nor develop a sense of belonging with Patton’s family that  shelters him during his vacation. The smell of the raw meat being charred over the fire by Mr. Patton for steak or hamburger is loathsome for Arun. Conversely, Mr. Patton fails to understa nd why Arun really refuses to eat a good piece of meat. While Mrs. Patton symphathises with Arun, and gives him the vegetarian food items, particularly tomato slices and lettuce on bread, Arun finds them detestable too. Because he thinks that â€Å"in his time in America he has developed a hearty abhorrence for the raw foods everyone here thinks the natural diet of a vegetarian† (167). Hence when Mrs. Patton, quite satisfied with her job of a host, watches him eating with pride and complicity, Arun ate with an expression of woe and a sense of mistreatment. How was he to tell Mrs. Patton that these were not the foods that figured in his culture? That his digestive system did not know how to turn them into nourishment? (184-185). Where Mrs. Patton’s daughter, Melanie, bluntly says she finds the food revolting, and refuses to taste it, Arun has to helplessly eat it. Melanie, however, suffers from bulimia—a disorder in which overeating alternates with self-induced vomiting, fasting, etc. Her bulimia, along with her mother ’s frenzy for buying food items to fill the freezer, signifies the consumerist society that she hails from, where excess becomes the malady. This seen in contrast to Rod, the fitness fanatic, who spends all his time and energy in jogging, baffles Arun who wonders that â€Å"one can’t tell what is more dangerous in this country, the pursuit of health or of sickness†(204-205). He apprehends that like Melanie, who eats, vomits and lies on her vomit most of the time, the people of her country too, go through an inexplicable pain and a real hunger. Yet he cannot reconcile his mind to the unanswerable question: â€Å"But what hunger a person so sated can feel?†(224). Anita Desai, in portraying the stories of entrapment in Fasting, Feasting, presents one version after another; each contributing together to a master version, and each simultaneously subverting the other towards an open and contingent version. Accordingly, in the story of Uma, we find her unattractiveness leading to her eventual entrapment. Yet, if we pass a final verdict on this account, we would be proved erroneous since Desai presents the versions of Aruna and Anamika, Uma’s appealing sister and charming cousin, respectively. Beauty cannot offer them escape from entrapments; in truth, it is rather their good looks that victimise them. Further, if we think again that it is Uma†™s lack of  education that has led to her entrapped situation, Desai presents us the subversion of Anamika, where foreign scholarship fetches her an equal match but fails to provide her the required escape, it suffocates and kills her literally. In like manner, if as Uma thinks, â€Å"A CAREER. Leaving home. Living alone† (130) would bring in the necessary freedom from entrapment, Desai presents us the story of Arun, who leaves home, lives alone for a career but feels the pangs of entrapment despite it. Also, in providing a male version through the story of Arun’s entrapment, Desai negates any feministic verdict based on the other female versions of entrapment that is likely to put the blame on the patriarchal, male-centred society. Thus, Anita Desai, often described as one of the finest writers of this country, has moved from her earlier, typical way of sympathising with her characters, females especially, to a different level of sensibility now. Where it would be easy to presuppose her overt feministic concerns in a novel like Cry, the Peacock, it would be unwise to approach her Fasting, Feasting with any such preconceived notions. Desai herself speaks out in a recent interview that she has been deliberately shifting her focus from female characters to male characters. She rather feels she needs to address and voice out themes which concern males too. She says: â€Å"Specially in my earlier work I found myself addressing the same things over and over again: very much about the life of women, specially those women who are confined to home and family, also the solitude from which a person can suffer even if living within a big family or surrounded by crowds. But after several years and several books I began to feel suffocated myself by the confinement of these subjects. I felt I was limiting the territory to such an extent that it created a kind of suffocation even for me. So I deliberately opened the doors, to widen the canvas, and started writing more about male characters and their lives, because I felt they had a wider experience of the world, and I could address a greater variety of experiences.† Finally, if we consider the male version represented by Arun and the female versions constituted by Uma, Anamika and Aruna as Indian versions, Desai offers American versions to counter them. The story, thus dangling between two countries and cultures shows to prove through the characters of Uma and Arun, and their counterparts Melanie and Rod, that attempts of escape from entrapments can only be temporary, illusory and self-destructively futile since entrapments through familial knots are ubiquitous, all encompassing and universal. And perhaps the salvation comes when one accepts entrapment of one kind or another envisioned as an inescapable fact of life. References 1Anita Desai, Fasting, Feasting (London: Vintage, 1999) 3. All subsequent page references are to this edition. 2Sylvia Brownrigg, â€Å"Fasting, Feasting† by Anita Desai. http://archive.salon.com/books/review/2000/02/17/desai/print.html. [9/15/2002]. Magda Costa, â€Å"Interview with Anita Desai, Lateral (March 2001). http://www.umiacs.umd.edu/users/sawweb/sawnet/books/desai_interview.html. [9/15/2002]. http://www.sawnet.org/books/writing/desai_interview.html

The Search for Meaning in Slaughterhouse Five essays

The Search for Meaning in Slaughterhouse Five essays Kurt Vonnegut's novel Slaughterhouse Five represents a man's desperate, yet, useless search for meaning in a senseless existence. Vonnegut uses a narrator, which is different from the main character to develop his theme. Vonnegut introduces Slaughterhouse Five in first person point of view. In the second chapter, however, this narrator changes to a bystander who speaks from a third person perspective. Vonnegut wants the reader to realize that the narrator and Billy Pilgrim, the main character, are two different people. In order to do this, Vonnegut places the narrator in the text, multiple times. An American near Billy wailed that he had excreted everything but his brains...That was I. That was me.? This statement clearly illustrates that the narrator and Billy are not the same people. The narrator was the American disgusted by Billy. Vonnegut places his experiences and his views in the text. He begins the book by stating, "All this happened, more or less." The war parts, anyway, are pretty much true...I?ve changed all of the names.? He feels war is a senseless act and, Slaughterhouse Five allows Vonnegut to express his feelings on the matter. Through Billy Pilgrim, he is able to portray his views. They had been lying in ambush for the Germans. They had been discovered and shot from behind. Now they were dying in the snow, feeling nothing, turning the snow the color of raspberry sherbet. So it goes.? He uses vivid and meaningful imagery here. The reader can picture the snow slowly being colored with the blood of the soldiers. By ending with the statement,So it goes,? The reader is satisfied. Vonnegut uses this statement throughout the book to show that death is death, there is no glorious or great death; all death is equal. Vonnegut doesn't want to glorify war. The narrator made a vow to O?Hare's wife , in chapter one, that the story would not do this. ...I give my word of honor. I'll call it the children's crusade.? ...

Argentavis - Facts and Figures

Argentavis - Facts and Figures Name: Argentavis (Greek for Argentina bird); pronounced ARE-jen-TAY-viss Habitat: Skies of South America Historical Epoch: Late Miocene (6 million years ago) Size and Weight: 23-foot wingspan and up to 200 pounds Diet: Meat Distinguishing Characteristics: Enormous wingspan; long legs and feet About Argentavis Just how big was Argentavis? To put things in perspective, one of the largest flying birds alive today is the Andean Condor, which has a wingspan of nine feet and weighs about 25 pounds. By comparison, the wingspan of Argentavis was comparable to that of a small planeclose to 25 feet from tip to tipand it weighed anywhere between 150 and 250 pounds. By these tokens, Argentavis is best compared not to other prehistoric birds, which tended to be much more modestly scaled, but to the huge pterosaurs that preceded it by 60 million years, notably the giant Quetzalcoatlus  (which had a wingspan of up to 35 feet). Given its enormous size, you might assume that Argentavis was the top bird of Miocene South America, about six million years ago. However, at this time, terror birds were still thick on the ground, including descendants of the slightly earlier Phorusrhacos and Kelenken. These flightless birds were built like meat-eating dinosaurs, complete with long legs, grasping hands, and sharp beaks that they wielded on their prey like hatchets. Argentavis probably kept a wary distance from these terror birds (and vice-versa), but it may well have raided their hard-won kill from above, like some kind of oversized flying hyena. A flying animal the size of Argentavis presents some difficult issues, chief of which is how this prehistoric bird managed to a) launch itself off the ground and b) keep itself in the air once launched. Its now believed that Argentavis took off and flew like a pterosaur, unfurling its wings (but only rarely flapping them) in order to catch the high-altitude air currents above its South American habitat. Its still unknown if Argentavis was an active predator of the huge mammals of late Miocene South America, or if, like a vulture, it contented itself with scavenging already-dead corpses; all we can say for sure is that it was definitely not a pelagic (sea-flying) bird like modern seagulls, since its fossils were discovered in the interior of Argentina. As with its style of flight, paleontologists have made a lot of educated guesses about Argentavis, most of which, unfortunately, are not supported by direct fossil evidence. For example, analogy with similarly built modern birds suggests that Argentavis laid very few eggs (perhaps an average of only one or two per year), which were carefully brooded by both parents, and presumably not subject to frequent predation by hungry mammals. Hatchlings probably left the nest after about 16 months, and were only fully grown by the age of 10 or 12; most controversially, some naturalists have suggested that Argentavis could attain a maximum age of 100 years, about the same as modern (and much smaller) parrots, which are already among the longest-lived vertebrates on earth.

Risk Management Overview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Risk Management Overview - Essay Example A business may not be able to run without all these basic activities and it is also likely to collapse. Business risks are usually categorized into two groups; systematic and unsystematic business risks. Systematic risk is where the economy generally experiences a downfall due to natural calamities floods and drought, political instability, recessions, inflation or even fluctuation in currencies. Any business operating under the same economy is bound to fail or make more losses than profits (Akhter, 2010). Unsystematic risk is where a specific section of the economy or industry fails unlike systematic where it’s the overall market (Sensarma and Jayadev, 2009). The common way of counter attacking this is to employ diversification. Business risks are further categorized into strategic, compliance, financial and operational. Strategic is where there is new competition in the market, compliance is where a certain business is responding to new terms and regulations that have been n ewly put in place to run businesses. Additionally financial business risk is where for instance several customers are unable to pay back to the business and operational business risk is when for example there is burglary to the business (Akhter, 2010). The banking as an industry has risks associated with it. One of them is aggressive and almost philanthropic lending of loans to clients and selling the loans to other financial institutions and hoping to run entirely on the interest generated from it, usually with an aim of maximizing profit (Akhter, 2010). This becomes a risk when the economy collapses, experiences inflation or recession because with that, comes an automatic delay in loan servicing and sometimes the money given out looses its value with time because of currency fluctuation. Most banks are involved in lending. This involves a bank client giving a security pledge to a bank that they are able to pay back or service their loans fully. It is usually called collateral. It can be land, car or a house (Sensarma and Jayadev, 2009). In order to maximize their profit and returns, banks have increased their interest rates. This poses such a risk to the banking system because with increased interest rates comes with an exponential reduction in lending activities. This is because not so many clients are wiling or able to pay for a higher than normal interest rates, so they don’t take loans all the same. This creates a financial confusion which the bank has to solve lest it collapses completely (Devine, 2006). To solve this, banks have to lower their lending standards and attracting more clients by using new in the market methods. Liquidity risk is a type of risk that results from the unavailability of a proper market for an investment that cannot be sold fast enough in order to counter attack a foreseen loss (Akhter, 2010). Banks have severally taken houses or antiques as collateral from clients. When the clients are not able to service these loans on time the banks decide to sell these collateral. Antique is one of the hardest items to sell in the markets because not so many people know their value and there is never ready market for them (Breeden and Whisker, 2010). Many banks suffer loss before recovery before selling such products and may never sell it completely leading a major loss. Liquidity risk therefore leads to a situation where the banking institution is unable to meet it objectives or profit