The dimensions of the Decision-Making Processes Research Paper

The dimensions of the Decision-Making Processes - Research Paper Example One of the widely suggested approaches to effective organisation management is proficient leadership. Proficient leadership is particularly needed to deal with the decision-making process. This is in consideration to the fact that success relies on how smart the decisions are made. However, the decision-making process appears to be a complicated subject, considering the common blunders that are committed by the managers, the underlying factors and the imperatives of the process of making decisions. This paper aims at exploring the imperatives decision-making process in organization, including the factors that affect the decision-making processes. Literature perspectives about the decision-making process and organization Literature information regarding the decision-making process, it challenges, imperatives and dimensions is well documented. According to Schwartz (2013), what makes a manager worth is if he can make decisions that are sound. Schwartz (2013) argues that all the other r oles of managers or organization leaders are dependent on how the decision-making processes are executed. The roles of leaders are effectively elucidated based on principles of proficient management, as documented by Madura (2007). Here, proficient leaders are expected to execute a range of functions. These can be enlisted as controlling, organizing, leading, staffing and planning. Planning can be described as the process where mapping is done to achieve certain goals. In the case where the goals of the organizations are seeking sale improvement, the leaders are needed in devising decisive steps that would enable the organization realize these. Such decisive steps could include conducting recruitment or offering training to the teams responsible for sales and even increase advertisements. Such steps are what would be considered to add up to a plan that enables companies achieve success. After the plans have been executed, the leaders should go further in mobilizing the resources and necessary materials in accordance with the plans. Such a process is known as organizing. Essential to organizing is giving the authority for the activities to be carried out, and this includes making assignation of the tasks. In all these processes, it will always become necessary for them to conduct recruitment of additional employs or offer training to the existent employees, and this could be labelled as staffing. More often than not, this is often done by the departments of human resource. This also requires that proficient leadership is to be exercised. Leading is also pivotal in the sense that it is a process that involves making communications, offering encouragement, motivation and guidance to the team members so that the goals can be achieved. This role does not only require one to assist, but also coach and help with solving problems. Lastly, controlling is also another pivotal role. Leaders are required to monitor the results in a continuous fashion. They are also requir ed to implement various forms of correction that ensure the intended outcomes are achieved. There is further suggestion that every member on the management teams is to perform such functions, only that the time that is set aside for the execution of this may vary (Trompenaars 1993). While this point may serve to consider the managers and leaders as synonymous to perform

Internationanl Business Essay Example for Free

Internationanl Business Essay The organization that I have chosen is Sony Corporation. Sony Corporation is one of the most successful multinational Corporations in the world; it is also one of the best-known names in consumer electronics industry. Since it was established shortly after World War 2, Sony has introduced a stream of revolutionary products, including the transistor radio, the Trinitron television, the Betamax VCR, and the Walkman portable cassette player (FundingUniverse, 2000). Over the years Sony has successfully developed into one of the biggest player in the consumer electronics industry, producing a wide range of products including Audio system, Video cameras, Television, gaming system, Semiconductors and also electronic Components. Valued at $17.12 Billion in the market (Forbes, 2011), Sony Corporation is a great example of successful Multinational Corporation that has competitive advantage in the global market place. Daniel Spulber’s Star Analysis is an analytical framework that helps strategy makers in gathering and processing data about global market (D.F.Spulbur, 2007). By identifying the culture, feature and structure of the business environment in different country, Spulber’s Star Analysis can assist the manager in developing a global strategy that provide their organization with the competitive advantage to succeed in the international market. Star Analysis is based around five major components, which is the features of the company’s home country, supplier countries, customers countries, partner countries and competitor countries. In this case, Star analysis will be used to evaluate the competitive strategy of Sony Corporation and how Sony Corporation improved their global competitiveness. Home Country A company’s home country refers to the country where the business has its headquarters (D.F.Spulber, 2007). In this case, the home country for Sony Corporation is Japan. D.F.Spulber (2007) stated the features of home country are often a good guide to the company’s business practices, corporate culture, and core competencies. D.F.Spulber (2007) also stated that a company can benefit from home-country strengths by using the home country as a launching pad for international expansion, and this is the case for Sony Corporation. Benefiting from the culture and features of Japan, Sony Corporation has developed a strong foundation for their international expansion. This can be justified using the Porter’s diamond theory. M. Porter states that basic factors of endowment, such as natural resources, climate, location and demographics, can provide an initial advantage that is subsequently reinforced and extended by investment in advanced factors, examples of advanced factor s are communication infrastructure, sophisticated and skilled labor, research facilities and technological know-how. Conversely, disadvantages in basic factors can create pressure to invest in advanced factors (Charles.W.L.Hills, 2010). That is the case in Japan, where they lack arable land and mineral deposit, and yet through investment from government and organizations has built a substantial endowment of advanced factors. Japan government’s subsidies and investment in education system, has created large pool of engineers, which is vital to Japan’s success in many manufacturing industries (Charles.W.L.Hills, 2010). This environment provides Sony Corporation with sufficient workforce and skilled labor. Japanese’s constant investment on Research Development has developed the technological know-how of the country. This practice can also be seen in Sony Corporation’s strategy, which spent approximately 6.99% of their revenue, which is $5.5 billion on RD annually and the percentage of employees engaged in RD is 32.49% (TechnologyReview, 2012). This gives Sony Corporation the competitive advantage in the global technological market. Another attribute in Porter’s Diamond is demand condition; In this case, the pressure from Japan’s sophisticated and knowledgeable buyers of cameras has helped stimulate the Japanese camera industry, including Sony Corporation, to improve product quality and to introduce innovative models (Charles.W.L.Hills, 2010). This constant demand for innovative and high quality product has forced Sony Corporation to invest in RD and hence, improved the performance of the company and therefore, gained competitive advantage in the global market. The next attribute is the presence of suppliers or related industries that are internationally competitive. In this case, most of the suppliers of Sony Corporation, for example, Dai Nippon Printing Co, Ltd are one of the top smart card vendors in Asia (Sony.Net, 2011) .Successful electronic IT manufacturers including Hitachi Ltd., Fujitsu Ltd. and NEC Corp has contributed to the semiconductor industry in Japan, which provided the basis for Sony Corporation’s success in cameras and other technically advanced electronic products (DailyYomiuriOnline, 2012) The last attribute of Portal’s Diamond is the strategy, structure and rivalry of firms within a nation (Charles.W.L.Hills, 2010). ). In this case, there are many successful Multinational Corporation in Japan’s technological manufacturing field, such as Toyota, has come out with management philosophies like Total Quality Management, Just-in Time Philosophy and so on ( James et al, 2009). By practicing the same Sony Corporation has benefited from these practices and be more cost effective(Richard A.Gershon, 2007). Major domestic competitors such as Panasonic Corporation also induce Sony Corporation to look for ways to improve efficiency and produce more innovative products. All t hese factors have improved Sony Corporation’s overall global competitiveness. Supplier Country Supplier countries refer to those countries in which the international business transacts with its input suppliers and countries in which the international business manufactures its products (Daniel.F.Spulber, 2007). In this case, Sony Corporation previously had more than 2,500 suppliers around the globe; however after incurring heavy lost in year 2009, Sony Corporation has decided to cut down the number of suppliers (CRN, 2009). To achieve global competitiveness advantage, Sony Corporation’s strategy is to outsource, or externalize part of their value chain activities to different supplier countries, and internalize their core competence, which in this case is their innovative design and technology of their product. Their current major suppliers are companies from China and USA, for example Shenzhen LVSUN Electronics Co., Ltd, which supplied laptop batteries and Nvidia Corporation, which supplied Laptop’s graphic cards (Sony.Net, 2010). China are well-known for their l ow wage labor force so the cost of production for Sony will be much lower compare to their global competitors. USA is a technology-advanced country and by buying new technologies from firms in USA, Sony Corporation’s products are much more advance and better in quality, which in turn increased their global competitiveness. The company is vertically integrated in their supplier’s countries. Sony Corporation established production facilities such as manufacturing plants in Japan, China, USA, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand (Sony Supply Chain Solution. Inc, 2011). Country like USA and Singapore has low trade-barriers and their government policies encouraged Foreign Direct investment, which smoothen Sony’s plan to establish manufacturing plant in their land. Conversely, China and Malaysia has higher trade barriers and strict government policies that might increase the risk of recovering the cost of investment. This strategy has both positive and negative effects on Sony Corporation. By establishing their own manufacturing plants in suppliers countries, Sony are able to protect their proprietary product technology from their competitors, this view is supported by Charles.W.L.Hills (pg 558, 2010). Besides that, majority of Sony’s manufacturing plant are located in technologically advanced countries such as Japan and USA. Therefore with the advanced infrastructure and skilled labor, Sony’s production are more cost-savings and efficient. However, on the other hand, managing and operating plants and firms in different countries has increased Sony’s organization scope, which in turn will increase the organizational complexity and hence raise the firm’s cost structure, this cost is known as cost of hierarchical governance. This view is support by Charles W.L.Hills (pg 559, 2010). In fact, the high cost of governance in different country has been such a burden to Sony that the top management has decided to shutter some of the factories and manufacturing plants, in order to reduce overall cost (CRN, 2009). Furthermore, to overcome this issue, Sony has decided to outsource part of their production to companies in China and USA. Examples are Foxconn Technology Group for the manufacturing of Sony LCD TV and Blackboard Inc for the manufacturing of Sony’s FeliCa Card readers (Sony.Net, 2011). By outsourcing part of the manufacturing,, Sony was able to take advantage of less costly workforce in China and more efficient production facilities in USA. As a result, Sony has been able to avoid bureaucratic inefficiencies and reduce their cost of operation that arise from vertically integrate, and the resulting increased in global competitiveness. This view is supported by Charles.W.L.Hills (pg 559, 2010). Customer Countries In this case, Sony Corporation’s major customers, or target market are the home country itself, Japan, USA and Europe countries. The Japan market is accounted for 24.2% of Sony Corporation’s revenue while USA market is accounted for 23.6%, Europe market for 25.7% and others minor customer countries for 26.5% (Sony.Net,2010). Evaluating the Entry mode of Sony Corporation, the company has initially chosen wholly owned subsidiaries as their strategy to enter the U.S market. More specifically, Sony Corporation practices Greenfield ventures, by establishing manufacturing plants and retails stores in U.S. Sony Corporation first move was the establishment of a small television assembly plant in San Diego, California back in 1972. Sony then expanded and diversified its U.S operation by adding more production facilities in different region of U.S (Sony.com, 2011). In 1960, Sony Corporation of America (SONAM) was established in the United States to manage operation in U.S (Sony.com, 2011).Sony Corporation’s initial entry to U.S. market was facilitated by the unfavorable exchange rate between yen and dollars at that particular period of time, and also the U.S government policies that encouraged foreign investment (SonyNet-history, 2011). Similar scenario happened in Europe, where Sony Corporation initially enter the Europe market by Greenfield ventures, establishing operating firms such as Sony (U.K.) Ltd in United Kingdom, Sony G.m.b.H.in Germany and so on. This strategy proved to be beneficial because this entry mode allowed Sony to protect their technological competence and gives Sony the ability to engage in global strategic coordination. However, the drawback is that this method of entry can be very costly. This view is supported by Charles.W.L.Hills (pg 482, 2010) After establishing firms and production facilities in foreign market, Sony Corporation further strengthen their position by joint ventures with Tektronic Inc from U.S and Ericsson in Sweden, which later on has been wholly acquired by Sony (Sony.com, 2011). Besides that, Sony Corporation has also established strong distribution network, by having retail stores and distributors throughout the U.S and Europe region. Through the establishment of operating firms in foreign market and joint ventures with local companies, Sony Corporation has managed to get closer and understand the demand and preference of consumers in the U.S and Europe market. Consumers in the USA and EU are generally technologically savvy and have always been demanding innovative technological products; The income per capita for US is 47199 US dollars and research shows that the highest technology expenditure for households in US is at around $94 per month ( Huffingpost.com, 2011). They are certainly willing to spend more on technologically products (Accenture, 2010). By understanding these preferences and demand of consumers in USA and Europe, Sony Corporation is able to design and produce innovative products that satisfied consumers, hence achieving the global competitive advantage. Partner Countries According to Daniel.F.Spulber (2007), the features of partner countries are highly useful in determining the potential contribution that the business and its partner will bring to the joint activities. One of Sony Corporation’s most beneficial and strategic alliances is their partnership with Korea’s Samsung. Sony and Samsung shared complementary technology that would benefit each other. Sony was able to utilize Samsung’s knowledge and technology to make LCD, which is critical for the large flat –panel TVs that were in high demand. Samsung’s skills were complementary to Sony’s since they were tuned to computer displays while Sony brought TV display knowledge (Daniel F.Spulber, 2007). According to Charles W.L.Hill (2010), one of the benefits of strategic alliance is the share of cost and risk. This is certainly the case for the Sony-Samsung joint venture. The Sony-Samsung Joint venture set up a manufacturing facility in Tangjung, South Korea ( Daniel F.Spulber, 2007). The joint venture helped Sony and Samsung save significant cost in RD and manufacturing and helped the companies gain substantial economies of scale in manufacturing (Daniel F.Spulber, 2007). By sharing ideas between both companies, product innovation is enhanced, allowing Sony to boost its global sales of flat-panel TVs (Daniel F.Spulber, 2007). In order to keep up with advances in digital technologies that was driving innovations in the global market, Sony and Samsung agreed to share patents for a variety of technologies-13,000 patents from Sony and 11,000 patents from Samsung (Daniel F.Spulber, 2007). Another successful alliance for Sony Corporation is the research joint venture between IBM and Toshiba. This particular joint venture had developed the Cell chip that powered the Sony PlayStation 3 (SonyNet, 2011). The companies split the high development costs and employed engineers around the world. Besides that, Sony Corporation’s joint venture with Ericsson from Sweden allowed Sony to enter the mobile communication industry in Europe, which later expanded to Asia with the name of Sony Ericsson. Sony’s successful alliance with global companies like Samsung, IBM and Ericsson has allowed Sony to produce and design innovative products with high quality. Besides that, joint venture with Ericsson allowed Sony to understand Europe’s market condition better which smoothen their entry to Europe market and all these have helped Sony to achieve global competitive advantage. Competitor Countries One of Sony Corporation’s major competitors is LG Electronics. LG Electronics is a Korean-based company that sells electronic products such as televisions, mobile phone, Air conditioners, Home appliances and a lot more. The features of LG Electronics’s Home Country, South Korea, has played an important role in the company’s business culture and global strategy. South Korea’s government has set their goal to open new opportunities for the electronics industry and this has given LG Electronics an extra boost for expanding their market internationally (Frost-Sullivan, 2007), which is a treat to Sony Corporation in the global market. However, Korean’s culture of high uncertainty avoidance might be the reason they are less innovative, since LG Electronic employed their staffs from Korea, their products might not be as innovative as Japanese companies like Sony. As for LG Electronics supplier countries, their major suppliers are Hong Kong HuiChun Co.Ltd a nd Veise Electronic Co.Ltd from China mainland. Utilizing the labor of lower wages in China, the cost of production for LG electronics might be lower than other companies in the industry, which is a treat to Sony as well (GlobalSources, 2012). As for LG Electronics partner countries, LG Electronics has established strong alliance with multinational companies like Intel, Microsoft and Mozilla has given them the technological advantage to compete in the global market. These alliances have helped LG Electronics to overcome their lack of technological innovation in their home country. In order to compete with LG Electronics in the global market, Sony Corporation has initially practices the international strategy. According to Charles W.L.Hill, an enterprise pursuing an international strategy is confronted with low cost pressures and low pressures for local responsiveness. These type of enterprise tend to centralize product development at home but tend to establish manufacturing and marketing function in each major country or geographi c region in which they do business (Charles W.L.Hill, 2010). This is initially the case for Sony Corporation, who started their entry to foreign market in such pattern. By centralizing RD in Japan, Sony entered foreign market by establishing manufacturing plant and operating firms in USA, Europe and other Asia countries. However, as the cost pressure and pressure for local responsiveness increases, Sony Corporation has change to transnational strategy. According to Charles W.L.Hill (2010), a firm that pursue a transnational strategy is trying to simultaneously achieve low costs through location economies, economies of scale, and learning effects; differentiate their product offering across geographic markets to account for local differences; and foster a multidirectional flow of skills between different subsidiaries in the firm’s global network of operations. By partnering with strong suppliers in China and USA, economics of scale can be achieved. Besides that, multidirectional flow of technological skills and knowledge from different subsidiaries, such as Sony Ericsson in Sweden, and the Samsung-Sony joint venture in South Korea and so on is also happening constantly. However, such strategy is so difficult to implement that Sony Corporation has faced some negative impact, having too high cost due to differentiation of product in different market. Conclusion As a conclusion, by applying the Spulber’s Star Analysis, Sony Corporation was able to achieve global competitive advantage in the global market. By using their strong foundation in Japan, where they receive not only support from government but also the culture, knowledge and infrastructure, Sony successfully expanded their business worldwide. Economics of scale has been achieved with the help of strong suppliers from mainland China and USA. Sony was able to enter their customer’s countries easily with joint ventures with local firms and Greenfield ventures. Using the information gathered they managed to understand the demand and consumer preferences of each market. Sony further strengthens their positions in the global market with help from their strong alliances such as IBM, Ericsson, and Samsung and so on. Evaluating the function of Star Analysis, such analysis is fairly useful for international managers to plan their strategy. By studying the features of the home, suppliers, customers, partners and competitors countries, the strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of a organization can be found and this information can be use to help the organization achieve global competitive advantage. For example, the SWOT of Sony has been identified after applying the Star Analysis. Therefore, international managers should practice Star Analysis before implementing their global strategy. Reference Charles W.L.Hill (2010). International Business, Competing in the global marketplace. 8th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill. pg181-183, pg255, pg405-407, pg487-489, pg556-560. Spulber, F.Daniel (2007). Global Competitive Strategy. London: Cambridge University Press. pg 134-150. Michele Masterson. (2009). Sony Says Sayonara to 1250 Suppliers. News, Analysis, and Perspective for Vars and Technology integrators. 13 (2), pg23-24 Bob Ferrari. (2011). Sony’s Supply Chain Remains in Turmoil. Supply Chain Strategy. 12 (5), pg 5-6. Anon.(2011).PartnerSupplier.Available:http://www.sony.net/Products/felica/business/partners/index.html. Last accessed 29th Feb 2012. Anon. (2010). Sony said to be outsourcing production of high-end LCDs, Foxconn and Wistron getting the nod. Available: http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/18/sony-said-to-be-outsourcing-production-of-high-end-lcds-foxconn/. Last accessed 29th Feb 2012 Anon. (2011). Sony Supply Chain Solution. Available: http://www.sonyscs.co.jp/english/index.html. Last accessed 29th Feb 2012 Anon.(2011).SonyCorporateHistory.Available:http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/CorporateInfo/History/history.html. Last accessed 29th Feb 2012. Anon. (2011). LG Suppliers. Available: http://www.globalsources.com/manufacturers/LG.html. Last accessed 28th Feb 2012. Anon. (2007). Government Policies Set to Position South Korea Among the World’s Top Industrial Nations . Available: http://www.frost.com/prod/servlet/press-release.pag?Src=RSSdocid=103675273#top. Last accessed 28th Feb 2012.

Sleep Apnea Essay -- Sleep Apnea Sleeping Disorders Essays

Sleep Apnea Sleep, why do people sleep at all? Why can't we just stay awake? Some biologist suggest that sleep provides the opportunity to conduct self-repair and purge the body of it's waste that has built up during the day's activity. Nevertheless, the body is capable of repairing itself and disposing of wastes during waking hours, so sleep in a way really isn't necessary for routine maintenance (e.g., urinating, etc.). Dr. Quentin Regestein, lead sleep and sleep disorders researcher at Harvard Medical School also believed that sleep kept our distant ancestors out of harms way during the night when they could not see as well as their night roaming predators. Sleep is regulated by a connected series of structures in the deep midline areas, and along other way stations that extend through the central axis of the brain, these structures relay information about things that affect sleep. In Dr. Regestein notes, he spoke of experiments that were performed by researchers. The researchers he spoke of would destroy specific brain structures of a lab animal and then note how the animal slept. For instances, in one lab animal the researcher cut through the axis of the brain at one level, which would prevented the animal from awakening; showing that brain structures below the level of the cut were responsible for awakening the lab animal. The American Sleep Disorders Association (ASDA), Association for the Psychophysiological Study of Sleep (APSS), Association of Sleep Disorder Centers (ASDC), and the American Psychiatric Association (APA) has studied sleep and sleep disorders since the early 1970's. Out of all the sleep disorders currently being studied, sleep apnea has gain world wide attention, affecting over 15 million people. Apnea, derived from the Greek word "want to breath." Sleep Apnea (cessation of air flow at the mouth for greater than 10 seconds) can reflect 1) loss of central nervous system drive to maintain ventilation, 2) mechanical upper airway obstruction, or combinations of both. The second edition of Anesthesia and Co-Existing Disease states "Conversely, obstructive forms of sleep apnea are due to an abnormal relaxation of the posterior pharyngeal muscles" - there is persistence of respiratory movements, but airflow is absent due to upper airway obstruction. Study shows awakening occurs when the arterial partial pre... ...p because of a sleep disorder like sleep apnea can eventually lead to interruption of daily task and human survival is greatly reduced. Many people choose to prognosis themselves as to why they are having trouble sleeping. Researchers urge patients with a unbalanced sleep pattern to seek professional help. "Five billion people go through the cycle of sleep and wakefulness every day, and relatively few of them know the joy of being fully rested and fully alert all day long." - William Dement (1988) References Arthur J. Speilman, Phd.D., and Paul B. Glovinsky, Ph.D. - Department of Psychology. The City College of New York Pinellas Public Library Cooperative, Inc. - InfoTrac System - Largo, Florida Drs. Robert K. Stoelting, Stephen F. Dierdorf , and Richard L. McCammon. -Second Edition / Anesthesia and Co-Existing Disease John P. Dworetzky - Psychology / Fifth Edition Dr. Quentin Regestein - lead sleep researcher, Harvard Medical School - Sleep problems and solutions Dr. Scott Mantel - Anesthesiologist - Morton Plant Hospital, Department of Anesthesiology Dr. Paul Borelli - Anesthesiologist - Morton Plant Hospital, Department of Anesthesiology

Ethics and Social Responsibilities in Management :: Ethical Standards Management Essays

Ethics and Social Responsibilities in Management   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ethics can be defined as a process of evaluating actions according to moral principal of values(A.Alhemoud). Throughout the centuries people were trying to choose between profit and moral. Perhaps, some of them obtain both, but every time it could have roused ethical issues. Those issues concern fairness, justice, rightness or wrongness; as a result it can only be resolved according to ethical standards.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Setting the ethical standards for the way of doing business in corporation is primarily task of management. Corporations have to maintain the same standards as an individual person and, in addition, corporations, as organizational units, have their own social responsibilities toward customers, employees and society. However, any business should keep it's original purpose of functioning - making profit. Balancing the traditional standards of profitability and burden of social responsibilities is not an easy task. In recent years it has been a trend of setting standards of corporate ethics according to high degree of morale.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To be able to keep the ethical standards management must follow the law. However, there are some complications in enforcing it. The law affects and is affected by social forces and prevailing ethical standards. "Although the law can codify societies ethical ____________________________________________________ ____________________ Alhemoud, Ali " Management Ethics is Smart Business." values, ethical decision making transcends the law in that 1) the law deals with actions not with thoughts, and therefore it does not (and cannot) codify all ethical requirements; and 2) an individual or a group may perceive a given law as immoral, not as a guide to ethical behavior." ( A. Alhemoud). How, then, a company can ensure that its code of ethics is both followed and enforced ? " . ..Defense firm such as General Dynamics and TRW, and an information company, Dun & Broadstreet, have appointed internal ethics officers or ombudsmen. Whether employees have faith in these safeguards against corporate retaliation is hard to tell, though it is one step forward (The Economist August 19 1995)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The ethical codes of corporations that that get so important nowadays also did not come into being at once. They emerged from individual ethical standards and corporate consciousness. Moreover, the public demand for prosecution of any violations of corporate, professional and business ethics has been increased. Finally, mass media made possible for society reveal secrets that were kept from public before. So, the business conduct regulations were created to "draft guidelines for ethical conduct, develop a process for monitoring business practices and recommend ways to correct questionable activities." (J.Byrne) All these measures were taken to balance various social responsibilities with the high degree of moral and sense of attainment.

In the time of the butterflies Essay

1 Overview In the Time of the Butterflies is a book about the struggle of the Mirabal sisters in their fight against the totalitarian of Rafael Leonidas Trujillo, the merciless ruler of the Dominican Republic. The, though, fictitious, book tackles many issues mainly centered on the Dominican Republic Government and the true essence of its function. The Mirabal sisters went through drastic changes, one of the notable themes in the book is that the sisters put photographs of Jesus Christ and Trujillo together and cite differences between the two. The tremors of a dictatorial rule to citizens is also another attention grabbing theme in the narrative. The story in its entirety is told by the famous Mirabel sisters who each tell their version of how they fought Trujillo’s tyranny. The book was based on a true story Summary In an era where free will is totally controlled by one person, four sisters showed courage in its truest form and joined a rogue faction to fight a dictator to the end. The tale of the Mirabel sisters tells a story of courage and repulsion. The four sisters denied dictatorial decree in every means necessary until their lungs ceased to draw breath. The narrative starts with the surviving Mirabal sister, Dede. Telling th events of their struggle to an American interviewer. The succeeding chapters are told by each sister. Throughout the book, the sisters’ endeavors against the government, apart from this, a personal struggle on the hands of Trujillo are also told by each sister. Three of the Mirabal sisters who were major contributors to the rebel group that fought against Trujillio were beaten to death in 1960. In the Time of the Butterflies 2 The Root of all Evil Trujillo claimed his name to power the hard way, meaning he did not simply grabbed it but he worked his way to achieve it. The path to his reign began when the United States conducted an occupation on the Dominican Republic in the twentieth century. The U. S Marine-trained Trujillo quickly rose among the ranks in the Guardia Nacional, an army of locals trained by the U. S armed forces. The United States made many developments during the occupation. The Americans built infrastructures, developed public health, and established schools, creating a middle-class society. Trujillo enrolled himself in a military school operated by America, in the year 1921. By the end of the year, he was assigned to command a particular battalion. This was the stepping stone to his rule. He the collaborated with rebel troops and forced the current president to file an immediate resignation. Come the next election, Trujillo was the sole candidate for the Dominican Party. Rafael Trujillo’s Tyrant career was already put into practice upon the beginning of his term. This is because of the disastrous hurricane that hit the country, Santo Domingo was totally devastated. Help soon arrived and the United States Red Cross provided the funds and the City of Santo Domingo was reconstructed by Trujillo. Tranquility lasted for a year, Trujillo later began to make the citizens aware of his powers. He decreed that the only political party shall be the Dominican Party, hence making elections only a formality for his dictatorship to last. Government employees were forced to shell out ten percent of their wage to the National Treasury. All who opposed the decrees met their demise. From own yard, Trujillo expanded his domain to the local populace. Trujillo was incomprehensive of the biggest challenge to his career, upon unveiling his will to the people, Maria Argentina Minerva Mirabal refused to be controlled by Trujillo and fought for what she believed in, Trujillo was unmindful of the other threats and the only dreadful thought to him was to be beaten by a woman, when Trujillo finally got rid of his greatest nemesis, he thought the he finally won. Contrary to his convictions, the assassination of the key figures of the resistance led to a revolution in a nationwide scale which led to the plot of his his death on May 30, 1961. In the Time of the Butterflies 3 The Way of the Butterfly Minerva was the second born of the Mirabal Sisters. Minerva grew up a strong woman with rebellious tendencies. She started concerning herself when she noticed that she can’t even speak her mind in her own home. In Minerva’s narrative chapter, she told that her eyes opened little-by-little, she exclaimed that her primary motives were political as she fought for her freedom, as a girl and as a citizen. As she sees the torment inflicted by Trujillo’s cronies to her friends’ families, in her years with Immaculada Concepcion, her separatist ideology was turning into angst. Her revitalized cause went on, as she got associated with the Popular Socialist Party. Her acquaintance with the group’s leader strengthened Minerva’s rogue emotions toward the Trujillo Administration. These sentiments that she had were also backed up by literary works with leftist implications and radio frequencies from the nearby lands of Cuba and Venezuela that centered discussion on the Dominican Republic’s political turmoil. Minerva’s first encounter withTrujillo was when the Mirabals were invited to a party by Trujillo, the invitation was personally brought by prominent local government officials. Don Enrique, Dona Chea, Patria with her husband Pedro, Dede along with her husband Jaime and Minerva attended the Banquet. A storm ruined the party which prompted the family to make a graceful exit. Minerva’s father was immediately apprehended the next day, followed by Minerva and her Mother the day after. Trujillo, angered by the family’s early departure, treated such act as a form of disrespect. Prior to their arrest, the governor suggested that Don Enrique should submit a letter of apology to Trujillo. The head of the Mirabal family complied, however Trujillo was not satisfied. Minerva was detained with her mother at he Hotel Nacional apart from Don Enrique who was barred at the Ciudad Trujillo(Santo Domingo). Everyday, Minerva was taken to the Fortaleza Ozama for interrogation. Minerva was questioned about communism charges and was also obliged to write a letter of apology but declined. The connections of the family brought Minerva and her family back to liberty’s arm. In the Time of the Butterflies 4 They were again arrested, after two years of freedom, Don Enrique was incarcerated on Ozama while Minerva and the other females were placed under house arrest. They were convicted of failure to purchase a book written about Trujillo. The truth behind the arrest was actually Minerva’s contempt for Trujillo’s ideologies in government. These accounts proved to be too straining for their father, fear and stress brought Don Enrique Mirabal to his grave in 1953. Due to this recent events, Minerva’s motives list added a fresh one, a personal motive, her angst turned into desire, the desire to get Rafael Trujillo out of position. She went to the city of Santo Domingo to study law in her belief that it would give her a big leap in her struggle against Trujillo’s governance, she was then persuaded by a law professor, Lio Morales and taught her that Trujillo was Neither the God nor the Supreme Ruler whom the people believed he is. As she was in law school, her her studies were ordered to stop due to the sensitivity of her topic. The next years were periods of peace for Minerva as she led a normal life. Minerva and her sisters pursued romantic relationships. Four years later Minerva would be part of an internal anti-regime group in her re-kindled attempts to abolish the Trujillo-led government. The group in which Minerva’s husband was the president, was named The 14th of June Movement. The movement was named as such as a tribute to the Dominican Liberation Troops who were slaughtered by Trujillo’s army in an effort to end his regime. The group has an elite subgroup â€Å"The Butterflies† in which Minerva is a part of. The members of the Leftist Sect were apprehended and later released due to increasing anti-government uprisings. Unfortunately, some of the prisoners remained, one of them was Minerva’s husband Manuel. This move by Trujillo did not stop Minerva in fighting for her cause, one after noon when Minerva was on her way home from a visit to her husband, the vehicle they were in was ambushed by the Trujillo Soldiers. They were brought in a sugarcane filled where the unarmed Minerva together with her sisters Patria and Maria Teresa. Here they were ruthlessly beaten to death. Minerva did not die in vain. Her death served as a wake up call and started an anti Trujillo which resulted to the ruler’s assassination, thus ending his barbarous sovereignty. References Alvarez, J. (1994). In the Time of the Butterflies. New York. Alonquin.

Old English Terminology essays

Old English Terminology essays Present days English language has changed in many ways in the past 350 to 1600 years. The way words are pronounciated and written have changed the most. I have chosen the subjects of sports and games because both have altered in both of these manners. By looking at the words I am going to describe, you will able to see how modern people have came up with our own way of saying the same item. Sports are now being called different names then when they were originated, but the games have almost stayed the same. For example, what we call two chickens fighting to the death is a cockfight. During old England, the called the same fight a Shrove Tuesday(www.regia.org/games). There were slight differentials though, in where kids would bring these angry chickens to school and the schoolmaster would control the fights. Some minor changes in the language were words like billiard, which was spelled billard (Hendrickson, page 23), or javelin, which was known as gafeluc(www.mun.ca/ansaxdat/vocab). Board games were also a favorite pastime of children and adults alike. The most played games were tafl (www.regia.org/games), which was virtually checkers with a few special pieces that had more options on the board. Tafl literally meant table. Brannantafl, hnefatafl, and hraeotafl were all variations of the special game of checkers, except there were a few variations of the rules de pending on where you were in the country. Chess, however, was by far the most popular game of the time. In the 1200s, it was spelled hchestafl(www.mun.ca/ansaxdat/) but it had the same rules that we use today. Other pastimes of the era included knatteleik, kingy-bats, and skofuleik, which were all violent versions of hockey and hurling combined (www.regia.org/images/Tiberius/). Some less violent sports played in about 1000 were swimm ...

What extent did Augustus establish a monarchy between 31BC and 19BC Essay Example

What extent did Augustus establish a monarchy between 31BC and 19BC Essay Example What extent did Augustus establish a monarchy between 31BC and 19BC Essay What extent did Augustus establish a monarchy between 31BC and 19BC Essay Essay Topic: History Light in August The key component of monarchy as a political system is generally considered to be the rule, usually in this period absolute, of one person over a state for the duration of their lifetime. It also contains an inherently hereditary nature, with the holder of the office not being elected or appointed through a political process, but named by their predecessor as heir. Rome of the first century BC, however, boasted a strong tradition of proud Republicanism; a tradition with which the concept of monarchy seemed wholly incompatible. Despite the virtual collapse of the Roman Republic in the foregoing years of military demagogues and civil war, and the systematic murder of vehement Republicans such as Cicero under the Triumvirate, the concept of hereditary rule was still widely regarded with hostility following the Battle of Actium. Memories of Julius Caesars adoption of quasi-monarchical powers in Rome loomed large, and the civil war had left the concept of monarchy indelibly associated with the eastern despotism and excess of the reviled Cleopatra. Such different systems of government are seemingly irreconcilable, being as they are inherently antagonistic. Yet Augustus Caesar, one of the most consummate politicians of the ancient world, somehow managed to achieve what had eluded all his predecessors; the establishment and maintenance of sustainable political dominance in Rome. Throughout his long period of rule, Augustus was careful to cloak the reality of his power in Republican phraseology and custom, yet, in bequeathing the Roman world a legacy of hereditary rule in many ways akin to monarchy, he simultaneously destroyed the very fabric and ideals of the Republican tradition. Following his victory over Antony at Actium, Caesars young heir, was, by his own admission, in complete control of affairs1 in Rome. At this point, Octavian enjoyed power similar to that of his adoptive father. Yet, although the true foundations of his pre-eminence his imperium over a vast army, granted in 43BC,2 his triumphant emergence from the civil war, and his command of unparalleled financial resources- had been established, Octavian was in no sense a monarch at this point. His regime lacked stability, especially since his position may have had little constitutional validity. His official term as triumvir had ended in either 33 or 32BC, and there is little solid evidence that he was ever granted additional extraordinary powers, although this possibility cannot be discounted. The Res Gestae inevitably points to the rather ambiguous universal consent,3 as the foundation of this dominance, which, given that Octavian had defeated the unpopular Antony and that all hopes of the peace Rome desperately craved now lay with the young man, may actually contain a grain of truth. Whether universal consent was the sole basis of his power or not, support was likely to have a finite duration, given that Octavians dominance was redolent of the political systems most despised, monarchy and dictatorship. The precedent of his adoptive father, however, loomed large, and Octavian, a consummate politician, was all too aware of the probable peril of riding roughshod over Republican sentiment; assassination. He recognised that, for his power to be sustainable, it would have to develop a basis acceptable to the Roman conscience. This is not necessarily proof that Octavian held any genuine desire to fully revive the Republic; whilst Suetonius asserts that twice Augustus seriously thought of restoring the Republican ystem,4 the princeps actions reveal any such intention, if it did ever exist, quickly evaporated. Octavian, despite his propagandist assertions to the contrary in the Res Gestae, was in all probability interested in maintaining and sustaining his power; in translating Caesars dream of permanent, stable family dominance into the realm of the possible and achievable. To do this, he had to create a monarchy veiled in Republican terminology and tradition, and establish himself as a mo narchical figure acceptable to the Romans. Dio leaves us in little doubt as to Octavians motives, claiming that he was eager to establish the monarchy in very truth. 5 In terms of establishing a stable political system in which his own power was accepted, Octavian used two main tactics. Firstly, he had to secure a constitutional legitimacy for his continued dominance, and, as Suetonius claimed, take great trouble to prevent his political system from causing any individual distress,6 particularly to the conservative political classes. Octavian, as quoted by Suetonius, was eager to build firm and lasting foundations for the Government of the State. 7 Secondly, and just as importantly, he had to secure his personal popularity amongst the Roman people, and cultivate a new, acceptable image of monarchy far removed from popular images of tyranny and despotism. In terms of achieving a new constitution, Octavian realised that he would have to tread exceptionally carefully, given that resistance to overt displays of power was strongest amongst the conservatives of the Senate. Ever the shrewd politician, Octavian quickly realised that, paradoxically, the best way to obtain sustainable personal power was to appease the elite by posing as the defender, rather than the destroyer, of the Republican tradition. Octavian, once known for his ruthless ambition, suddenly and seamlessly metamorphosed into the saviour of Roman liberty, an image which he would cultivate until his death. The settlement of 27BC was the striking culmination of this tactic; Octavian appeared before the senate and resigned all of his extraordinary powers. The Res Gestae alludes to the event only briefly, but, given its propagandist purpose, understandably implies that Augustus was acting benevolently as he transferred the republic from my power to the dominion of the senate and people of Rome. 8 The ambiguity of this statement conceals the true nature of the settlement, which Dio more accurately paints as a clever trick to have his supremacy ratified by the Senate9 and the Res Gestae fails to mention the vast provincia that Octavian, now rewarded with the cognomen Augustus, received in return. Suetonius, who also addresses the settlement only peripherally, informs us that Augustus kept for himself all the more vigorous provinces;10 these were Gaul, Spain (excluding Baetica), Syria and Cyprus, over which he gained proconsular authority for a ten year period, in addition to Egypt, which he administered as virtually his own private kingdom. Suetonius and the Res Gestae, however, both neglect to mention that Augustus retained control of all the legions (although Dio to an extent implies this in saying that Augustus took the more powerful11). In addition, Augustus continued to stand for, and was elected to, the consulship. This was an unprecedented move, as no previous public figure had held both consular and proconsular authority concurrently. Undoubtedly, the settlement was not a service12 to Rome as Augustus implied, but an enormously clever manipulation of the Senate that simultaneously gave Augustus vast powers within the Republican system, legitimised his position, and won him mass acclaim. The claims in the Res Gestae that after this time I possessed no more official power than others who were my colleagues in several magistracies13 are strictly true, but what is omitted is the fact that Augustus had an unparalleled accumulation of magistracies. Dio even dates the foundation of the monarchy to the settlement of 27BC, claiming In this way the power of both people and senate passed entirely into the hands of Augustus, and from this time there was, strictly speaking, a monarch14 Arguably, this statement needs to be qualified on two grounds. Firstly, Augustus did not have absolute legal power; he still ultimately accountable to the law. Additionally, many facets of the Republic were restored, albeit in a modified form the Senate regained control over the more peaceful provinces, and all magistrates performed their traditional functions. Secondly, the settlement did not instantaneously establish a monarchy; it merely provided the constitutional basis for, and therefore enhanced the legitimacy of, Augustus dominance within the Republic. Further enhancements were made to the political settlement in 23BC, when Augustus renounced the perpetual consulship and gained instead all the components of tribunician power, in addition to imperium maius over the other consuls that was valid even with the boundary of the pomerium. This settlement is alluded to neither in the Res Gestae (Augustus simply mentions that he was awarded tribunician power15) or in Suetonius, whose coverage of constitutional matters is sketchy. Dio mentions that Augustus was granted tribunician power, but only vaguely implies a political purpose in saying Augustus resigned the consulship n order that as many as possible might become consuls16 The reason for these changes is unclear; one interpretation is that Augustus wanted to make his power even less overt, perhaps as a result of a conspiracy against his life in 24BC (although Dio dates the conspiracy to 22BC, the year after the settlement,17 which may suggest that it occurred as a response to the settl ement), another is that referred to above by Dio, namely, that he realised his monopoly of the consulship was infuriating other politicians as it limited their possibilities of advancement to the position. Although the second settlement ostensibly reduced Augustus power, depriving him of his consular imperium, and probably, therefore, his imperium within Rome itself, it transpired that the period of 24BC-19BC was key in the establishment of the principate. To what extent Augustus anticipated the constructive effects of the settlement is difficult to gauge, but given his immense political acumen, it cannot be discounted that the settlement was a highly calculated move. To the politically unsophisticated masses, this settlement indicated Augustus resignation from Roman politics. Fortuitously for Augustus, this resignation coincided with damaging floods and food shortages, which the superstitious interpreted as negative omens. In consequence, there were demands for Augustus to accept the dictatorship or the perpetual consulship,18 a clear validation of his continued dominance. Augustus refused, claiming that I would not accept any office inconsistent with the custom of our ancestors. 19 He thus managed to simultaneously emerge with an enhanced reputation, and with popular support that could potentially be used as leverage to force the senators into acquiescence. Any loss of power, too, seems to have been temporary, for Dio indicates that in 19BC Augustus gained [authority of] consul for life,20 although he did not formally hold the post. This is not mentioned in the Res Gestae, but, given that the constitutional basis of Augustus dominance is largely ignored, this is unsurprising. Between 31BC and 19BC, Augustus established the legal foundation of his predominance extremely successfully. His tactic of acting inside the Roman constitution had allowed him to amass considerable power whilst avoiding offence to Republican sentiment. He had, indeed established the legal foundations of a new position that, although strictly a composite of constitutional positions, allowed him to gradually assume monarchical authority. Augustus choice to omit mention of his legal powers, or potestas in the Res Gestae means that it is easy to underestimate their importance, but by 19BC his legal rights were indeed great; not only did he have proconsular authority over half the empire and control of most of the legions, but his imperium maius enabled him to intervene even in senatorial provinces, whilst the consular imperium he may have received in 19BC gave him legal pre-eminence in Rome itself. Although tribunician power was primarily symbolic, giving Augustus an image as defender of the people, it did allow him to propose legislation and veto the laws of the Senate. Despite these successes in establishing increasing dominance, there were still key differences between the constitutional powers of Augustus and the powers usually associated with monarchy. Augustus ultimately did not enjoy absolute power, as he was accountable to the constitution and the law. Indeed, many of his special rights, namely his proconsular authority over his provincia, were officially only granted for periods of five or ten years, although they would never be revoked. What is paramount, however, is that although Augustus recognised the importance of having his position ratified in constitutional terms, largely in order to secure the acquiescence of the governing class, he did not intend to have his authority continuously scrutinised in terms of legal minutiae. Augustus potestas, or legal powers, clarified his role and legitimised his pre-existing dominance, but Augustus never intended for them to provide an exhaustive description of his role or to limit his powers. Instead, Augustus hoped that, with success and popularity, he would evolve into a monarchical figure acceptable to the Romans, and would be able to issue commands without people inquiring by virtue of what statute he was acting. This unofficial influence, or auctoritas, was a key component of Augustus power. Augustus auctoritas was largely derived from his unparalleled achievements, and, fortuitously for the princeps, these continued to occur after 31BC. Augustus exploited the true foundations of his power, namely his military success and enormous wealth, plus his considerable political skill, to gain triumphs for the Empire. Between 31BC and 19BC he achieved more success in the provinces, pacifying Gaul and Spain and annexing Galatia and Lyconia. In 25BC the Temple of Janus was closed, which, as is mentioned in the Res Gestae, symbolised that victories had secured peace through land and sea throughout the whole empire of the Roman people. 21 Military success was combined with striking munificence; in the Res Gestae Augustus highlights that between 31BC and 19BC he gave 700 sesterces to each of the Roman plebs, that after the war he gave 1000 sesterces to each of his soldiers, and that in 23BC he bought grain to help ease the food shortages. 22 This was in addition to his lauded building programme; by 19BC his immense spending on public works had begun. The inevitable result of such achievements was popularity amongst both the masses and, increasingly, the Senate, and as more people concurred with Augustus dominance his auctoritas further increased. Interestingly, Augustus chose to highlight his auctoritas rather than his potestas in the Res Gestae, which contains the implicit assumption throughout that great successes merited great rewards and influence. Indeed, whilst barely mentioning his imperium and omitting his provincia totally, Augustus confidently asserts that he excelled all in influence. 23 His choice to emphasise his unofficial power rather than his potestas was again politically expedient, reinforcing the image that Augustus was not the destroyer of the Republican tradition, but a great man who had been rewarded for service to his country. The latter image was far more acceptable to the conservative nobility, who, as a result of the peace and success that Augustus had heralded, and also due to the memories of the functi oning Republic becoming more distant, were increasingly prepared to collaborate with Augustus and accept his diluted version of monarchy. Allied to his pursuit of personal popularity, Augustus also attempted to reduce the instinctive Roman hostility towards one man having overt control through creating an image of hereditary rule far removed from previous notions of tyranny and poor government. A skilled propagandist, Augustus presented himself simultaneously as a benevolent patriarch, a skilled general who actively championed the liberty of the Republic24and added to its glory, and a great statesman. He also manipulated his position as the divi filius of the deified Caesar, and encouraged, particularly in the provinces, the development of an imperial cult. To propagate these images, Augustus employed subtle yet pervasive propaganda. Coins were minted and statues built in praise of Augustus achievements, and poets such as Horace and Virgil were encouraged to write in praise of the princeps and the Empire. Commonly ascribed to him were the virtues of, as he writes in the Res Gestae, courage, clemency, justice and piety,25 and even the cognomen Augustus was suggestive, meaning revered one. Although the amassing of auctoritas continued until his death, by 19BC Augustus had certainly started to evolve into a monarchical figure who boasted the support of the Roman people and had largely overcome resistance to his rule. Whilst Augustus longevity and continued success would allow his power to further increase, by 19BC he had, as Suetonius claimed was his aim, built firm and lasting foundations for the Government of the State. 26 His next concern was to ensure that these foundations which I have established for the State will abide secure. 27 This appears to be a veiled reference to his wish to appoint a successor, which is perhaps the best proof that Augustus aim was always to develop hereditary monarchy in Rome. Even before 19BC, Augustus was preoccupied with the issue of the succession, particularly during his serious illness of 23BC. Although Dio asserts that Augustus did not, to be sure, appoint a successor,28 he, perhaps surprisingly, states that all were expecting that Marcellus would be preferred for the position29 (Augustus seemed to instead prefer Agrippa). The latter quotes suggests that even as early as 23BC, there was a growing acceptance of hereditary rule, one of the most important precepts of monarchical government. By 19BC, the precepts of monarchy, only recently anathema to proud senators and politicians, were beginning to become the undeniable realities of a Roman political system increasingly dominated by one individual, Augustus Caesar, who had carefully yet systematically undermined the values of the Republican system he had purported to protect. Whilst Augustus did not officially possess monarchical power and was ultimately subject to the law and constitution, his skill in amassing numerous offices, powers and honours, combined with his popularity and unparalleled auctoritas, meant that his authority was increasingly unchecked. Even after only 15 years of rule, Caesars heir had skilfully laid the foundations for a monarchy distinctly Roman, a monarchy cloaked in Republican phraseology and custom, yet which would consign the Republic itself forever to history.

3 Types of Phrasal Verbs

3 Types of Phrasal Verbs 3 Types of Phrasal Verbs 3 Types of Phrasal Verbs By Mark Nichol Phrasal verbs are constructions consisting of a verb and either a preposition, a particle, or both. 1. Prepositional Phrasal Verb This construction consists of a verb and a preposition, as in â€Å"I take after him,† â€Å"We’re looking into that,† and â€Å"Please stand by.† 2. Particle Phrasal Verb This construction consists of a verb and a particle, as in â€Å"She didn’t want to give in,† â€Å"I decided to follow up,† and â€Å"He left out the best part.† A particle phrasal verb can also be interrupted by a noun or a pronoun, as in â€Å"He tried to look the name up,† â€Å"I handed the assignment in yesterday,† and â€Å"We worked the details out.† In these latter types of constructions, the particle can be relocated to be adjacent to the verb, as in â€Å"He tried to look up the name,† â€Å"I handed in the assignment yesterday,† and â€Å"We worked out the details.† Which alternative looks or sounds more natural varies randomly; in the first example, â€Å"look up the name† suggests viewing the name from a certain direction, while â€Å"look the name up† implies research, but the other two sentences seem better written when the verb and the particle are adjacent. 3. Prepositional-Particle Phrasal Verb This construction consists of a verb, a particle, and a preposition. Examples include â€Å"I’m looking forward to a vacation,† She sat in for me during my absence,† and â€Å"They’re not willing to put up with it anymore.† Note that many words serve as both prepositions and particles. As noted above, the phrase â€Å"look up† can refer to the act of directing one’s attention upward, but it also has a figurative meaning: When one looks something up or, to be more formal, conducts research sight, but not an upward motion of the head, is involved. Take care not to confuse phrasal verbs and compound nouns (sometimes used as adjectives) that consist of the same words. For example, one signs up for a class but attends a signup session, or simply a signup. Also, the prepositional phrases â€Å"in to† and â€Å"on to† are combined into one word only in certain circumstances: Into is correct when the reference is to a location, as in â€Å"I went into the doctor’s office,† a literal reference, as opposed to â€Å"I went in to see the doctor,† which is figurative. Onto is correct when you could precede it with up, as in â€Å"I climbed (up) onto the rock,† but in sentences such as â€Å"I want to hold on to this book,† the two-word form is preferred. Notice, too, that phrasal verbs are generally colloquial and are seldom suited for formal writing; a more succinct alternative is frequently available. And even in informal prose, writers should consider omitting extraneous adverbial particles when a verb alone would do, as in â€Å"help out† in place of help. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar 101 category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:75 Contronyms (Words with Contradictory Meanings)50 Idioms About Arms, Hands, and Fingers40 Irregular Verbs That Can End in â€Å"-t†

Torus Fracture at Distal Radius Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Torus Fracture at Distal Radius - Essay Example Some of the initial cares include splinting, pain control, and mechanisms aimed to reduce swelling (Morritt, 2014). The torus fractures that are evident at the distal radius are commonly present during childhood but rarely observed in adulthood (Colaris, 2014). Since the children's bones are still undergoing growth and tend to get relatively soft. Due to this reason, among the children, whose bones of their distal radius have high tendency to buckle, most of the fractures will affect the radius mostly at the distal. By this I mean that the bones around the children’s distal radius are soft since they are steal young and relatively weak, therefore they can easily undergo breakage.   At times, this particular type of fracture is compared to green stick fractures, or rather a buckle fracture since they get often witnessed in the skin and forearm radius, among many others (Schranz & Fagg, 1992). Fortunately, this type of fracture takes a shorter time to heal since they only requ ire casting and immobilization though it doesn’t demand necessitation for reduction. The victims of this fracture may put cast or splints for between three to four weeks and further taken to X-rays (Mancini, De Maio & Ippolito, 2005). The main purpose of the x-ray is to check whether the bone has healed to the level of expectation before the removal of any immobilizing devices. The treatment duration for The Fracture is usually shorter than that of a greenstick fracture, which demands a casting for six weeks and requires an earlier reduction.

Government and the public Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Government and the public - Essay Example This is an attempt to find out how effectively the US constitutional doctrine of keeping the public sphere and state apparatus out of the influence of a particular (often dominant) religion has succeeded. It is argued that the public sphere, state and judiciary in the US have only partially succeeded in keeping dominant religion at an arm’s length. This paper is specifically about the institutional biases that exist in the society in favor of dominant religion even as constitutionally, equality and separation of religion from the state is guaranteed. The separation of church and state has been a subject of interest for many social observers and authors. Wald and Calhoun-Brown (2014) have given a nearly comprehensive account of this conflict in their book titled, Religion and Politics in the United States. The book in its first chapter itself, has articulated that â€Å"religion remains an important political factor in the United States† (Wald and Calhoun-Brown, 2014, p.1). Wald and Calhoun-Brown (2014) further in chapter 4 of their book have given a nuanced account of how tricky the business of dealing with religion can be for state. The different ways of defining the possible conflict areas between church and state, namely, the â€Å"†boundary† problem†, â€Å"†the wall of separation† between church and state† and â€Å"the â€Å"free exercise† controversy† (Wald and Calhoun-Brown, 2014) point towards the grey areas that exist. By citing examples and history of the Unit ed States of America as coming of age as an organized state, Wald and Calhoun-Brown (2014) in this chapter have revealed how the growing democratic and equality based principles of state molded the secular nature of the same. They (Wald and Calhoun-Brown, 2014) also have demonstrated how state as a political entity needed to distance itself from religion so that a coherent nation could come to being. What Wald and Calhoun-Brown (2014) have concluded in this chapter is that

Education vs Economic Crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 11750 words

Education vs Economic Crisis - Essay Example The research utilizes resources readily available as it seeks to shed light on the gap between the economic crisis and the education. The economic crisis pushes schools to adopt the best marketing and educational exercises that minimize expenditure to create profits for the business. The research attempts to provide information necessary for the management of Eurognosi to adopt optimal operations to acquire profits. Given the nature of the education system, the research utilized the availability of parents during the school’s enrollment day. Parents and guardians alike gathered at the institution to bring their children as they commenced the first day of the academic year. The research involved supplying questionnaires and administering interviews to all the stakeholders present at the school. The results acquired were gathered, tabulated, evaluated, and analyzed to extract the best practice techniques to ensure the survival of the institution in the near future. The research provides the linking information between the economic recession characteristic of the last decade and its effect on the standards of education delivered to students. The purpose of the project is to find and deeply analyze the main needs of today’s users as it comes to education in private institutes. To achieve such an analysis, a new market research will be implemented. For the purpose of this project, the institute to be used would be â€Å"Eurognosi† and more specifically the branch in Aglantzia. A SWOT analysis will be implemented to develop critical thinking to improve strategic plans and objectives of the branch. The main advantage of the project lies in its uniqueness and is the forebear of more studies to come.

The UK government is right to listen to claims that large banks should Essay

The UK government is right to listen to claims that large banks should be broken up - Essay Example The impediment is that every niche of this argument is based on a myth. The first misleading notion is that the materialization of huge, universal banks- uniting investment banking with commercial banking- was an unnatural or artificial development. This disjointed market means that banks could not accomplish the economies of scale or simply supply clients on a global or national level. The market needs stimulated the consolidation and gave birth to an evolution towards greater competency in the banking sector.3 A second erroneous belief is that these universal, large institutions were primarily to give guilt for financial crisis. As most grave observers recognize, an amalgamation of risk management and bad lending by poor regulation, bank management and poor-advised consumer performance all played a role. A third misleading notion is that huge financial institutions have become too intricate to supervise. A firm of any size needs strong management and control to supervise complication. In reality, big global institutions have frequently proved more elastic than others because their expansion in business model makes sure that loss in one department of enterprise can be stifled by revenues in other departments of the organization. In some instances, intricacy can be a remedy to risk, instead of a reason of it. 4 The opponents of huge banks that are seldom aired similar to they don’t qualify for examination. Critics point to the excessive influence huge banks mostly has on the political procedures. They panic that those regulators are intimidated by a big bank’s power and position. These opponents appear to consider that regulators are not capable of coming up with independent verdicts. In the practical world, this instance is not true. That supposed, it is genuinely right and mandatory for politicians and regulators to employ with industry and experts practitioners to be trained about these issues. These

Urban Planning and Sustainable Development Essay

Urban Planning and Sustainable Development - Essay Example Urban Planning and Sustainable Development Venice is also known as queen of Adriatic and is the capital of Veneto. Later many people like Huns, Lombards had their fair share of occupancy of the region. This led to new development of ports and shift of political administration to these places. During this time seat of governor was located in Malamocco. Later seat of Olivolo was created. Some time later the high seat of Malamocco was shifted to Rialto Island., This marked a historic change in the political administration of the Venice as the Rialto Island paved its way to form what we call the modern day location of Venice. This was subsequently bolstered by the fact that construction of monastery of St Zachary and basilica of St Mark. This formed the major defining moment of the futuristic idea of sustainable development of the city. In the year 828 the patriarchal seat was also moved to rialto and at the same time city of Venice started to grow in autonomous mode due to decline of Byzantine power. These events formed the development of city of Venice and from here started the great revolution of medieval world. After the decline of Byzantine power till 12th century Venice transformed from its dependency region into a city state. It shared its status along with Genoa, Pisa and Amalfi. No sooner than its transformation took place .everyone soon realized the importance of the location of place where Venice stood. Venice being at the mouth of Adriatic Sea made it a strategically important place .It soon became a naval and commercial power and became one of the most prominent chain links between the European or the western world to the other parts of the world. Soon the power of Venice was confirmed with the construction of Venetian arsenal. Venetian Arsenal was one of the most important areas of the city of Venice .Lying in the castello sestiere; it was a shipyard and naval depot. It was started around 1104 and was believed to play active role in the control affairs of the city by 12th century. The Arsenal became an important centre for rope manufacture.The people and the staff present in the shipyard also developed new firearms, during the later part of fourteenth century and numerous small arms against the Genoese a few years later.Later administaration extended its location scope till Adda river and lake garda. Similarly to develop its already advantegous location into a potential martime super power of the medieval world it started to aquire neighboring areas like aegean areas of crete. The city later was governed by Great Council .It appoints public offcials and elects a senate. The senate in turn chose a ten member team who looked after the administration of the city . and head of this team group was called as duke.. Now if we look at this whole picture of the government structure ,we can sense some similarity between the structure of the government present in venice and that present in rome in its ancient era.. The reason we have explained about its history and the government present in the city region is that we have to understand these events which were laid out in the timelines of history and the people who have governed this great city have also changed the way the city looks through its administrative planning and practices and thus the concept of urban planning and

The UK government is right to listen to claims that large banks should Essay

The UK government is right to listen to claims that large banks should be broken up - Essay Example The impediment is that every niche of this argument is based on a myth. The first misleading notion is that the materialization of huge, universal banks- uniting investment banking with commercial banking- was an unnatural or artificial development. This disjointed market means that banks could not accomplish the economies of scale or simply supply clients on a global or national level. The market needs stimulated the consolidation and gave birth to an evolution towards greater competency in the banking sector.3 A second erroneous belief is that these universal, large institutions were primarily to give guilt for financial crisis. As most grave observers recognize, an amalgamation of risk management and bad lending by poor regulation, bank management and poor-advised consumer performance all played a role. A third misleading notion is that huge financial institutions have become too intricate to supervise. A firm of any size needs strong management and control to supervise complication. In reality, big global institutions have frequently proved more elastic than others because their expansion in business model makes sure that loss in one department of enterprise can be stifled by revenues in other departments of the organization. In some instances, intricacy can be a remedy to risk, instead of a reason of it. 4 The opponents of huge banks that are seldom aired similar to they don’t qualify for examination. Critics point to the excessive influence huge banks mostly has on the political procedures. They panic that those regulators are intimidated by a big bank’s power and position. These opponents appear to consider that regulators are not capable of coming up with independent verdicts. In the practical world, this instance is not true. That supposed, it is genuinely right and mandatory for politicians and regulators to employ with industry and experts practitioners to be trained about these issues. These

The Writers of the Beat Generation and their Role in Rebellion and Research Paper

The Writers of the Beat Generation and their Role in Rebellion and Reflection - Research Paper Example This research paper describes the Beat Generation, that was a period in American history where writers broke through the barriers of censorship, and were able to present views that explored the taboos of the time and helped to spur on a revolution. The purpose of this essay is to look at the revolutionary nature of the Beat Generation, particularly the writers from this period in American history, and consider the way in which these writers presented views that were controversial. In addition, the researcher of this paper considers the ways that the writers spurred on rebellion within their environment, which had previously been subject to high levels of censorship. The approach of the researcher to examining this topic consists of multiple aspects presented. This capstone essay also considers the ways in which the Beat Generation succeeded, and where it failed. The first aspect will be to examine literature and research that has been done on this time period to consider the way in w hich the writing and behavior of the Beat Generation would have been understood within its context. The second component is examining the literature itself, and also responses to this literature within peer-reviewed papers. All information gathered will be directly related to the thesis in an attempt to provide strong support for the argument. One approach that may be taken is to consider a few specific authors from this period and to consider the way that their work contributed the rebellion and revolution in this period. Thesis Statement: The Beat Generation was a period in American history where writers broke through the barriers of censorship, and were able to present views that explored the taboos of the time and helped to spur on a revolution. Preliminary Annotated Bibliography Arthur, Jason. Allen Ginsberg’s Biographical Gestures. Texas Studies in Literature and Language. (2010). 52.2, 227-446. Print. This journal article is an interesting examination of the biography published by Allen Ginsberg in 2006, who is one of the most well-known Beat Generation. The author discusses in detail the approaches that Ginsberg takes in crafting his biography, and what is interesting about these approaches. This article provides a useful examination into the way a prominent Beat Generation writer is perceived both by himself and by an outside observer a significant time after his generation has passed. Huddleston, Diane M. The Beat Generation: They Were Hipsters Not Beatnicks. Department of History semi nar paper. Western Oregon University, 2012. Web. This capstone paper considers the ways in which the Beat Generation succeeded, and where it failed. The author considers the motives of this generation and how their intent was misunderstood by the society around them. One important aspect about this piece of literature is it considers the way that the Beat Generation and its impacts progressed through San Francisco, providing detailed information about critical events during this time. Lagaron, Elizabeth M. â€Å"Blessed are the Pure of Heart† Variations on Magical Realism in the Beat Generation: Pathways to Critique and Resistance. Dissertation. University of Kansas, 2009. Web. This dissertation provides an in-depth examination of various aspects of the Beat Generation, including literary works, and considers how magical realism was applied through their work. The author focuses on three key writers from the Beat Generation, Diane di Prima, Elise Cowen and Jack Kerouac. The a uthor also considers the influence of this on the social realities that the authors faced, something that is highly relevant to this paper. Peters, Nancy J. The Beat Generation and San Francisco’s Culture of Dissent. In, Reclaiming San Francisco: History, Politics, Culture. James Brook, Chris Carlsson, Nancy J. Peters eds. 1998. San Francisco, CA: City Lights Books. Print. This article considers the impact that the Beat Generation had on a specific area of the United States. Peters examines the way in which San Francisco’s culture led to the prevalence of such dissent, and likewise considers the way that the Beat Culture shaped San Francisco. The article also discusses specific pieces of literature that appeared within the period, and chronicles some of the important events. Pokharel,

Load Shedding Essay Example for Free

Load Shedding Essay As far as people are concerned, everyone in Karachi and outside Karachi is just fed up of the catastrophic conditions of load shedding. It leaves a very drastic impact over the minds of the people suffering from load shedding but on contrary this load shedding, very quietly and nicely played its role in bringing people closer and increasing the socialization, without the use of any telecommunication medium. Load shedding has much more benefits which cannot be presented on the fore and can not be considered as a benefit because on whole the load shedding is considered to be the worst process people had to pass through. Some other benefits of load shedding includes the rest in this hustling bustling world .people living in such world do not have time for themselves they live their life only for the sake of money. They just work like a machine, early rising 9 to 5 job then part time business, dinner with family, early to bed to rise up again early. In such routine life men forget him and lost him somewhere in this life .He had no time for himself, load shedding provides that leisure time to him to think for himself. A 19 years old teenager rise up at 7 o clock after breakfast leaves for the high school then after the routine timing he goes to tuition or any sort of part time job to earn his living or to get for his semester fees. Then he came back to his home by almost 9p.m just eat the dinner and get ready for chatting but as soon as he reaches the pc the light went off and he eventually decided to visit any of his friend near his house .then that one hour or more than an hour is the only time which aware him of the happening near to him. Although he was aware of what is happening in America or in Islamabad court but unaware of his neighbor conditions .hence the load shedding provides a Muslim the time to perform his duties for his neighbor as prescribed by Islam.

English Essays Pride and Prejudice

English Essays Pride and Prejudice Introduction Jane Austens much loved novel Pride and Prejudice was first published in 1813 at a time when family relationships in Britain were governed by rather rigid societal rules. Male and female roles were very clearly defined, and in the more wealthy families in particular, great effort was spent on maintaining moral respectability and financial security. This essay examines the various ways that Jane Austen depicts the related topics of love and marriage in the novel. It explores both the pressures upon different characters to behave in certain traditional ways, and the choices which are open to them, and explains how the author cleverly steers the reader towards an understanding of love and marriage which challenges some of the prejudices of her time. The traditional marriage of convenience The novel opens with a comic scene in which the mature married couple Mr and Mrs Bennet discuss the arrival of a new neighbour, Mr Bingley. It is clear from the start that the society in which the novel takes place is rather refined, since the house in question is called Netherfield Park and Mr Bingley is described as a young man of large fortune from the north of England (Austen, 1918, p. 1). The conversation is dominated by Mrs Bennet, who holds forth on the exciting prospect that this new neighbour might fall in love with one of their five daughters, while Mr Bennet exhibits a long-suffering tolerance of his wifes domestic chatter. The narrator maintains an ironic distance from the two speakers, illustrating Mr Bennets lack of comprehension for the social niceties of formal visits, and Mrs Bennets lack of comprehension of her husbands character: She was a woman of mean understanding, little information, and uncertain temper (Austen, 1918, p. 4) whose main focus in life was to find a husband for her five daughters. This introductory chapter serves as a vignette of traditional marriage in upper class British society at the start of the nineteenth century since the Bennets belong to the ruling class by virtue of income, residence and manners (Downie, 2006), even though some critics such as Tuite (2002) persist in classifying Austens characters as bourgeois. According to Zimmerman (1968, p. 66) these two characters embody the salient qualities implied by the title of the novel: Mr. Bennet exhibits the detachment of pride and Mrs. Bennet the total involvement of prejudice. Greenfield (2002, p. 149) has more understanding for Mrs. Bennets obsessions, describing her as being plagued by realistic concerns about womens economic disadvantages. This means, in effect, that they are in many ways opposites, since the husband is clever, urbane and often silent, while the wife is rather foolish, provincial and prone to engage in gossip at very available opportunity. The pair appear to have found an accommodation with each other, but they are clearly not at all well matched in terms of their character, interests or intelligence. The family is clearly of modest means, and it is the dilemma of finding a suitable husband for all five girls which sets up the starting point for the rest of the novel. After setting the scene through this entertaining dialogue in the Bennet sitting room, the author then proceeds to introduce a series of characters and trace their different approaches to the resolution of this fundamental problem. One potential suitor presents himself in the form of the clergyman Mr Collins. He is first mentioned by Mr Bennet as a gentleman and a stranger (Austen, 1918, p. 62), whom he has invited to dine with the family. Significantly this news is greeted first with excitement, since these qualities might make him a suitable match for one of the daughters, and then horror, since it turns out that he is due to acquire through the legal process of entailment, the family home upon the death of Mr Bennet, thus giving him power over the fate of the rest of the family (Macpherson, 2003). The somewhat pompous Mr Collins comes with the express intention of marrying one of the five sisters. He is interested in Jane, the eldest and most beautiful sister, and a deal is struck between himself and Mrs Bennet that he should concentrate on the second daughter, Elizabeth, since the eldest daughter is already spoken for. The narrator indicates the business nature of this transaction with an ironic reference to the speed with which he agrees to change his mind and the indifference which he and Mrs. Bennet have for the feelings of the young women in question: Mr. Collins had only to change from Jane to Elizabeth and it was soon done done while Mrs. Bennet was stirring the fire (Austen, 1918, p. 72). Love plays no part in this transaction, and so the proposed marriage between Mr. Collins and Elizabeth is set to mirror the traditional fate of her parents. The two individuals would have little in common when they start out married life, and it would be their task to make their marriage of convenience work. In the event, however, this plan is thwarted by Elizabeths spirited refusal of the proposal from Mr. Collins, an act which her mother calls her own perverseness (Austen, 1918, p. 145). It is Elizabeths older friend, Charlotte Lucas, who steps into the role of suitable wife for the faintly ridiculous Mr. Collins. Perhaps because she sees her own chances of marriage fading, Charlotte herself is convinced of the primary importance of finding a good match, regardless of how one might feel about the person. She is convinced of the value of obtaining a respectable and at least moderately wealthy husband, since she discusses the blossoming relationship between Mr. Bingley and Jane Bennet somewhat wistfully with the words Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance (Austen, 1918, p. 21). One critic astutely highlights the bitter compromise that Charlotte Lucass marriage to Mr. Collins represents: the pathos of Charlottes marriage is that, because of her intelligence, her ignorance must be a pretense (Weinsheimer, 1972, p. 408). This is the price that many women had to pay in order to obtain material security and social respectability in early nineteenth century Britain. Marriage for love A very different type of marital relationship is modelled in the novel by the eldest Bennet sister Jane and her suitor Mr. Bingley. From the very beginning it is clear that they love and admire each other. Jane, as the eldest of the Bennet sisters, is assumed to be the first to marry, and her extraordinary beauty and even temperament make her an obvious choice for the wealthy Mr. Bingley. He is attracted to her for reasons that might appear to be rather superficial in the first instance. She does not have much money, but she has other advantages. Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley are both impressed by her appearance, since Darcy refers to her as the only handsome girl in the room and Mr. Bingley replies that she is the most beautiful creature I ever beheld (Austen, 1918, p. 10). Young women who are in possession of great beauty are, in the world of Jane Austen, usually well placed in the marriage stakes. It also helps that Jane is submissive and calm, unlike her more assertive sister Elizabeth, who does not attract nearly so many admiring glances from the men. Assured of her comfortable marriage based on mutual love, Jane firmly believes in the importance of affection in marriage, and advises Elizabeth to consider this matter very carefully before committing to marry Mr. Darcy: Oh, Lizzy! Do anything rather than marry without affection. Are you quite sure that you what you ought to do? (Austen, 1918, p. 385). The relationship between Jane and Charles Bingley is presented as something easy and natural, as they attend various social functions and gradually get to know each other. By happy coincidence Mr. Bingley has a suitably large fortune, and the Bennet parents are happy to see their eldest daughter marry such a gentle and even-tempered man. Marriage for love is thus presented as something idyllic, but rather rare, and only achievable when circumstances happen to arrange themselves in propitious ways. It is only imaginable as an outcome for Jane, for example, since all of the other Bennet sisters have characteristics which make them less than suitable for such a marriage: Mary is too plain, Lizzy and Lydia are too headstrong, and Kitty is too young to attract the attention of the highly suitable but ultimately rather dull Mr. Bingley. This marriage proves the point that in early nineteenth century Britain, happiness in marriage is a matter of chance, although it can sometimes make both parties very happy. Illicit love True love is evident also in the relationship between sixteen year old Lydia and the dashing officer Mr. Wickham. In this case, however, there is consternation within the family when it is discovered that the two have disappeared together, without first completing the mandatory social formalities of courtship, parental approval, engagement and marriage. There are two dimensions to the problem posed by Lydia and Wickhams love: the first is moral, and the second is social. The moral issue derives from the Christian value of obligatory chastity before marriage. The self-righteous Mr. Collins writes an odious letter to Mr. Bennet, condemning Lydias character and advising the poor man to throw off your unworthy child from your affection for ever, and leave her to reap the fruits of her own heinous offence (Austen, 1918, p. 304). He even goes so far as to say the death of your daughter would have been a blessing in comparison of this (Austen, 1918, p. 304). Writing a century later one critic endorses at least some of the moral outrage that is expressed in the novel, but suggests also that there might be a more charitable motivation for Lydias behaviour: There is something absolute in her selfish recklessness, her reckless pursuit of her own pleasure without the least regard not only to others but even to herself he contributes to her comfort and enables her to realize her quite childish ideal of worldly importance as a married woman (Howells, 1918, p. xv). It seems that in her rush to achieve the status of a married women, Lydia forgets her duty to her parents and sisters and most seriously of all, puts her own future at risk by breaking all the rules designed to preserve her own value as a respectable woman. If Mr. Darcy had not stepped in to ensure that the roguish Mr. Wickham then things would have ended very badly indeed. While Elizabeth Bennet has some sympathy for her sisters folly, Mary Bennet spells out the awful consequences: Unhappy as the event must be for Lydia, we may draw from it this useful lesson: that loss of virtue in a female is irretrievable that one false step involves her in endless ruin that her reputation is no less brittle than it is beautiful (Austen, 1918, p. 295). These sentiments reflect the harsh moral code of the times, the expectations of the community (Deresiewicz, 1997) and incidentally also the double standard that allows men all sorts of indiscretions but judges women by a single instance of immoral conduct. The second problem that Lydias elopement causes is a social one. The scandal caused by one sister will automatically have a detrimental effect on the reputation of the whole family, including the other sisters. It is no coincidence that this disaster is averted by the actions of a wealthy and powerful male: Mr. Darcy. In this period women did not have the right to decide upon their own fate, and they were dependent upon the actions of fathers, brothers, husbands, or in this case, husbands-to-be. By stepping in to aid the family, Mr. Darcy presents himself in the role of dashing hero. Elizabeth Bennet, who herself would no doubt be too proud to accept acts of charity on her own behalf, is bound to be mightily impressed by her suitors gallant behaviour. In this period women did not have the freedom to engage in communications that would increase their wealth or power, since meetings with the opposite sex were strictly chaperoned, and there was even an unwritten rule which forbade correspondence between marriageable persons not engaged to be married (Le Faye, 2002, p. 114). The author uses this critical incident to turn the readers attention towards the increasing likelihood of a match between Elizabeth Bennet and the dark and difficult Mr. Darcy. The ideal marriage The relationship which takes central place in the novel is that between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. A great deal of suspense is created through the initial animosity that is expressed between the two, and the growing attraction that they experience towards each other. Several of the minor characters, including the haughty Lady Catherine de Bourgh, seem to think that Elizabeth is not a suitable match for Mr. Darcy because of her relative poverty, her lower social status, and her rather unfeminine tendency to make witty and sometimes highly critical remarks. Elizabeth does not fit the profile of the ideal gentlewoman of this time. In similar ways, Mr. Darcy defies the definition of a gentleman, at least in the eyes of the young women he encounters in polite English society. He possesses some of the attributes of a romantic hero, such as good looks and great wealth, but his manners leave something to be desired, and he does not go along with all of the social niceties of dancing and visiting which most ladies expect of him. The story of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcys gradual acquaintance is a motif that is often used by Austen and represents the common novelists fantasy of a poor girl who meets, and after a series of vicissitudes marries, the rich young man (Butler, 2001, p. 139). The twists and turns of love and hate which Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy experience are the necessary preamble to an ultimately happy ending. In Austens skilled and often ironic narrative, the reader is pushed and pulled into viewing different facets of both characters, appreciating their faults as well as their virtues, and developing a growing awareness of their mutual attraction. It is made clear by both characters that in fact they are romantically attracted to each other. Darcy declares his position in the middle of the novel when he boldly tells Elizabeth You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you (Austen, 1918, p. 195) while Elizabeth at the end of the novel assures her father about her feelings for Mr. Darcy: I do, I do like him, she replied, with tears in her eyes; I love him. (Austen, 1918, p. 389). In the end, when the marriage is finally agreed, and the two are set to launch into a lifetime of happiness together, a final word is left to Mr. Bennet, who writes to Mr. Collins, firing off a comic opposite to the earlier letter received from Mr. Collins, with the words: I must trouble you once more for congratulations. Elizabeth will soon be the wife of Mr. Darcy. Console Lady Catherine as well as you can. But, if I were you, I would stand by the nephew. He has more to give (Austen, 1919, p. 395). According to Newman (1983), this letter is an attempt by the Jane Austen to distance herself from the cliched ending of the romantic novel and to insert a little comedic irony. Mr. Bennet is poking fun at the miscalculations of Mr Collins, including his earlier condemnation of the Bennet family and his affectation in cultivating a connection with Lady Catherine. The affiliation of the Bennet family with Mr. Darcy removes the familys financial and reputational difficulties in one fell swoop. As it happens, Lydia and Mr. Wickham also escape the dire fate predicted by Mr. Collins, which all goes to prove that the merciless rules and restrictions of polite Christian society do not always end in the outcomes predicted by their most fanatical supporters. Courtship is a seductive, often illusory process with uncertain results (Hinnant, 2006). Spinsters, bachelors, widows and widowers Although Pride and Prejudice revolves mainly around the progress of various love and marriage relationships there are a number of other characters who are presented in isolation, and without an obvious partner. Two of the younger Bennet sisters, Mary and Kitty, fall into this category but the author presents their prospects very differently, Mary is described in terms of qualities which more usually would be used to refer to a man since she is fond of books, and of strict moralising. Distant cousins, uncles, and widows are presented as outsiders, apart from the interesting mainstream of society where the machinations over love and marriage preoccupy all of the women and most of the men. Jane Austen criticises some of the silliness that goes on in the centre of upper class society but she does not go so far as to recommend these isolated positions for any of her main characters. Only the stern and awkward sister Mary seems destined for this fate, and her role in the novel seems to be to act as a foil for Elizabeth. Without Elizabeths charm and wit, Mary will be left in the dreaded role of spinster, always looking on while others enjoy the benefits of marriage, and if they are lucky, also of romantic love. Conclusion This brief essay has shown that Jane Austen presents a witty and varied range of opinions on love and marriage in the early nineteenth century. The men have by far the greater range of choices, while younger women must remain constrained in mostly female company, awaiting rare opportunities to encounter eligible young men. The fact that the women are so easily interchangeable in the eyes of men, and so often resigned to their fate, highlights their role as little more than items of property in this patriarchal society. Each of the types of marriage outlined above are presented as viable choices for the Bennet sisters. The novels focus on Elizabeth, however, and the more interesting and nuanced path toward marriage that she travels, suggests that this alliance of two highly intelligent and moderately rebellious characters may well represent the ideal marriage from a nineteenth century upper class perspective. The novel plays with stereotypes in the minor characters, and stretches the limits of acceptable masculinity and femininity in the two main characters. Thus the novel challenges some, but not all, of the prejudices of the time and leaves the reader with a detailed and nuanced overview of love and marriage in this period. References Austen, J. (1918) [1813] Pride and Prejudice. New York: Scribner. Butler, M. (2001) The Juvenilia and Northanger Abbey. In S. Regan (Ed.), The Nineteenth-Century Novel: A Critical Reader. London: Routledge, pp. 136-143. Deresiewicz, W. (1997) Community and Cognition in Pride and Prejudice. ELH 64 (2), pp. 503-535. Downie, J. A. (2006) Who Says Shes a Bourgeois Writer? Reconsidering the Social and Political Contexts of Jane Austens Novels. Eighteenth Century Studies 40 (1), pp. 69-84. Greenfield, S. C. (2002) Mothering Daughters: Novels and the Politics of Family Romance, Frances Burney to Jane Austen. Detroit, MI: Wayne State University Press. Hinnant, C. H. (2006) Jane Austens Wild Imagination: Romance and the Courtship Plot in the Six Canonical Novels. Narrative 14 (3), pp. 294-310. Howells, W. D. (1918) Introduction to Pride And Prejudice. New York: Scribner. Le Faye, D. (2002) Jane Austen: The World of Her Novels. London: Frances Lincoln. Macpherson, S. (2003) Rent to Own: or, Whats Entailed in Pride and Prejudice. Representations 82 (1), pp. 1-23. Tuite, C. (2002) Romantic Austen: Sexual Politics and the Literary Canon. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Weinsheimer, J. (1972) Chance and the hierarchy of marriages in Pride and Prejudice. ELH 39 (3), pp. 404-419. Zimmerman, E. (1968) Pride and Prejudice in Pride and Prejudice. Nineteenth-Century Fiction 23 (1), pp. 64-73.