Research Paper on a Tale of Two Cities

Formal Plot Summary Lucie Manette is a central character in the novel. She tends to affect the characters around her in a brightening manor. For instance she mends her father’s psyche through her unconditional love. Because of her ability to affect others in a liberating sense she attracts other characters such as Stryver, Charles Darnay, and Sydney Carton. She also is able to bring light to the life of family friend Jarvis Lorry. Another way Lucie is central is through her constant placement in â€Å"love triangles† the most obvious being Carton and Darnay. A second triangle she finds herself in is between Dr. Manette and Darnay. Sydney Carton is the protagonist of the novel. He dies by the blade of the guillotine to save Darnay. Carton is introduced in the beginning of the novel as an indifferent, drunkard of a lawyer. He seeks no true meaning to life or find pursuit in attaining any future goals. He is a complex character, because he ends up finding meaning, when he falls in love with Lucie Manette. He works early hours for Stryver while wearing sopping towels. He has thrown away much potential, yet he retains sympathy from people by fulfilling a promise to Lucie. Another dimension to Sydney Carton is that he is a social outcast. He has no place in the English class system. Yet, when Carton goes to Paris he becomes a new person. He finds fulfillment in life and in his death. Charles Darnay plays the role of romantic lead. He becomes the love interest and eventually the husband of Lucie. Darnay’s real name is revealed to Dr. Mannette in exchange for his daughter’s hand in marriage—his name is revealed to be St. Evremonde. Darnay is a symbol of sacrifice, when he gives up his home in France to pursue a life in England. He gives up his old privileges to become a tutor of the French language. Dr. Manette spent eighteen years in jail. To keep his mind in prison, he developed a skill in shoemaking. Dr. Manette suffers from spells of amnesia. Throughout the novel Dr. Manette grows as a character. He develops strength and confidence that he had lost in solitary confinement. An example of this is his ability to reason with the revolutionaries to keep Darnay alive. Five years later Charles Darnay is introduced on the stand of a court house. He is being tried for treason. Lorry and Lucie testify to save Darnay, but he saved by his Lawyer Stryver. The case that was made to save Darnay was that he could not possibly be spy because of his resemblance to Sydney Carton—an indifferent lawyer. As this is going on, Darnay, proposes to Lucie. They become engaged. Sydney Carton also reveals his love for Lucie. He understand that he cannot have her, so he promises to give his life for anyone sacred to her. While the marriage ceremony is commencing it is told to Dr. Manette that there were hidden papers found in a prison. This event sends Dr. Manette into shock for several days. Earlier in the day Darnay tells Dr. Manette his true name—Charles St. Evremonde. The French Revolution has now broken out, it is 1789. Defarge has lead an attack on the Bastille while his wife controls the revolutionary women. They burn down everything related with the St. Evremonde name. Gabelle, father of the killed child, is imprisoned. Darnay hears of this tragic event and rushes to France. While he is attempting to help Gabelle, Darnay is seized by revolutionaries as an aristocrat. Dr. Manette has much influence because of his time spent in the Bastille, he is able to visit Darnay, but no free him. Fifteen months later Darnay is brought up before the French Tribunal. As a result of Dr Manette and Gabelles’ testimonies he is set free. As Darnay is leaving, he is rearrested due to the efforts of Madame and Monsieur Defarge. Sydney Carton appears and informs Travis Lorry. Sydney Carton forces John Basard (he once testified against Darnay) to cooperate with him, or he’d reveal Basards illegal maneuvers of spying on prisoners. The following day Carton goes to visit Darnay, drugs him, and takes his clothes. Carton planned on fulfilling his promise to Lucie. Barsard rushes Darnay’s unconscious body out of jail to be with his family and flee safely. Madame Defarge goes to Manette’s apartment to kill Lucie, but meets Miss Pross. Miss Pross fights off Defarge who fires the pistol killing herself. Carton meets the guillotine. He is calm and is optimistic of his death. He dies with a face that is at peace. One major conflict in the novel is between Charles Darnay and his uncle. The conflict is external. There is a fight about Darnay selling the old establishment in France. Darnay’s uncle curses him. There is no resolution to this conflict, but Darnay’s uncle meets his demise when he is stabbed to death by Gabelle. One major internal conflict is between Carton and his inability to pursue any goals. He is revealed as a waste. He becomes the saddest story, when he is born with all the potential in the world but does nothing with it. The conflict is finally resolved when he keeps his promise to Lucie, when he takes his life for Darnay. He is able to come to terms and feel at peace. Sacrifice becomes a central theme in the novel. One example is when Darnay gives up his aristocratic lifestyle to pursue life in England. Another example is Carton when he sacrifices his life in order to save Darnay, so that Darnay can flee the country with Lucie. Another obvious them in A Tale of Two Cities is love and hate. An obvious example of love is Miss Pross protecting Lucie’s life by fighting off Madame Defarge. Miss Pross risks her own life to save another. The best example of love is Carton’s promise to Lucie. In order to promise his life to Lucie, he had to love someone more than himself. An example of hate is Madame Defarge’s attempts to kill those who had relations with Darnay. She wanted vengeance, which is a byproduct of hate. Her hate for aristocracy drives her to almost successfully getting Darnay killed by the guillotine. Another major theme which should be mentioned is death. Carton has to die in order for Darnayto live. Throughout the novel there is speak of death and violence. There were multiple descriptions in the novel of death by guillotine and scenes of the bloodshed due to revolutionary violence. One example I was able to clearly recognize was the guillotine. It symbolized death. Such as when it killed Carton. It also symbolized revolutionary violence. Evidence of this was whenever speak of revolutionary actions were shown, the guillotine was mentioned. Another example was Madame Defarge’s knitting. She would knit the names of the people she desired to kill. It was a symbol of their fate. Her knitting was a symbol of fate because every time she knitted someone’s name into her pattern, they would be marked to die. My personal reaction to the book was that it was very complicated to understand. Dickens’ word usage made simple sentences much too complicated to understand. I had to read the book with a dictionary. It took me from anywhere between twenty and thirty minutes to read eight to nine pages. Although I struggled much with the novel, I enjoyed it. My research paper will be concentrated on the complexity of Sydney Carton. He constantly changed my view of him in the novel. At one point I might dislike him, but then in another section I gained understanding for him. I feel that I will be centering my thesis on paralleling the lives and views of both Sydney Carton and Charles Dickens. Works Cited Dickens, Charles. A Tale of Two Cities. New York: Cassia Press, 1998.

Improved More Efficient And Affordable Health Care Health Care Essay

The altering life style of society, an ageing population and the high outlooks for a better quality of life call for improved, more efficient and low-cost wellness attention ( 1 ) . Use of nanotechnology in regenerative medical specialty can offer new intervention modes, when applied to major medical challenges ( 2 ) . Regenerative medical specialty is the method of making life and functional tissues to mend or replace tissue or organ map lost due to inborn defects, harm, disease, or age ( 3 ) . This field holds promise for renewing damaged tissues and variety meats in the organic structure by exciting antecedently irreparable variety meats to mend per se ( 4 ) . Regenerative medical specialty besides permits scientists to turn tissues and variety meats in the research lab and to safely engraft them when the organic structure can non mend itself ( 4 ) . Most significantly, regenerative medical specialty has the possible to work out the job of the deficit of variety meats available fo r life-saving organ organ transplant ( 5 ; 6 ) . Regenerative medical specialty has become a multidisciplinary field ( 7 ) . Application of nanotechnology in regenerative medical specialty can radically alter the manner some diseases are treated in the hereafter. In the last few decennaries, nanomedicines have started coming onto the market ( 8 ) . Regenerative medical specialty can be used to reconstruct, keep or heighten tissues and therefore organ maps. Regeneration of tissues can be achieved by the combination of life cells, which will supply biological functionality, and stuffs, which act as scaffolds to back up cell proliferation ( 8 ; 7 ; 9 ) . In vivo mammalian cells respond to the biological signals they receive from the environing environment. These signals are controlled by nanometer-scaled constituents, so it is really of import that the stuff used produces the right signal to steer cell growing and functionality suitably ( 10 ) . The application of nanotechnology to regenerative medical specialty is a broad country ( 1 1 ) . Nanotechnology is an first-class tool for bring forthing scaffolds that mimic the biological constructions. This engineering besides offers efficient drug bringing system. In this survey, we focused on three different applications of regenerative medical specialty. Our first purpose was to develop an anodization technique to bring forth surface modified nanoporous Ti that can be used as possible system for technology a typical biomaterial for bone tissue technology. Our 2nd purpose was to manufacture a halloysite-PCL ( poly--caprolactone ) scaffold and measure its ability to back up cell growing, distinction, and fucntionality. The concluding purpose was to analyze the consequence of different drug loaded halloysite-PCL scaffold as possible bactericide, antiseptic and bactericidal stuff.Nanoparticles and Nanotubes for Regenerative MedicineExtensive libraries of nanoparticles, composed of an mixture of different sizes, forms, and stuffs, and with assorted chemical and surface belongingss, have already been constructed. The field ofA nanotechnologyA is under changeless and rapid growing and new add-ons continue to supplement these libraries. Examples of nanoparticles are buckminsterfullerenes, liquid crystals, liposomes, nanoshells, quantum points and supramegnetic nanoparticles. Carbon nanotubes and halloysite nanotubes are illustration of nanotubes. Liquid Crystals Liquid crystal pharmaceuticals are composed of organic liquid crystal stuffs that mimic naturally-occuring biomolecules like proteins or lipoids. They are considered a really safe method for drug bringing and can aim specific countries of the organic structure where tissues are inflamed, or where tumours are found. Liposomes Liposomes are lipid-basedA liquid crystals, used extensively in the pharmaceutical and decorative industries because of their capacity for interrupting down indoors cells one time their bringing map has been met. Liposomes were the first engineered nanoparticles used for drug bringing but jobs such as their leaning to blend together in aqueous environments and warhead release, have led to replacement, or stabilisation utilizing newer alternate nanoparticles. Nanoshells Besides referred to as core-shells, nanoshells are spherical nucleuss of a peculiar compound surrounded by a shell or outer coating of another, which is a few nanometres in thickness. Quantum points Besides known as nanocrystals, quantum points are nanosized semiconducting materials that, depending on their size, can breathe light in all colourss of the rainbow. These nanostructures confine conductivity set negatrons, valency set holes, or excitons in all three spatial waies. Examples of quantum points are semiconductor nanocrystals and core-shell nanocrystals, where there is an interface between different semiconducting material stuffs. They have been applied in biotechnology for cell labeling and imagination, peculiarly in malignant neoplastic disease imagination surveies. Superparamagnetic nanoparticles Superparamagnetic molecules are those that are attracted to a magnetic field but do non retain residuary magnetic attraction after the field is removed. Nanoparticles of Fe oxide with diameters in the 5-100 nanometer scope, have been used for selective magnetic bioseparations. Typical techniques involve surfacing the atoms with antibodies to cell-specific antigens, for separation from the environing matrix. Used in membrane conveyance surveies, superparamagenetic Fe oxide nanoparticles ( SPION ) are applied for drug bringing and cistron transfection. Targeted bringing of drugs, bioactive molecules or Deoxyribonucleic acid vectors is dependent on the application of an external magnetic force that accelerates and directs their advancement towards the mark tissue. They are besides utile as MRI contrast agents. Dendrimers Dendrimers are extremely branched constructions deriving broad usage in nanomedicine because of the multiple molecular â€Å" maulerss † on their surfaces that can be used to attach cell-identification tickets, fluorescent dyes, enzymes and other molecules. The first dendritic molecules were produced around 1980, but involvement in them has blossomed more late as their biotechnological utilizations were discovered.Carbon nanotubesTypically 1-100 nanometer in length, nanotubes are most frequently made from semiconducting stuffs and used in nanomedicine as imagination and contrast agents. Nanotubes can be made by bring forthing little cylinders of Si, gold or inorganic phosphate, among other stuffs.Carbon nanotubesNanosized tubings of C known as C nanotubes possess optical passages in the near-infrared that can be utilized for tracking cells. The infrared spectrum between 900 and 1,300nm is an of import optical window for biomedical applications because of the lower optical wind ow for biomedical applications because of the lower optical soaking up and little auto-fluorescent background. Like QD, C nanotubes possess good photostabillity and can be imaged over long periods of clip utilizing Raman sprinkling and fluorescence microscopy. However, unlike QD, which are typically composed of heavy metals such as Cd, C nanotubes are made of C, an abundant component in nature. Carbon nanotubes possess big aspect ratios with nanometer diameters and length runing from submicron to millimetres. These tubings can incorporate a individual wall of C ( SWNT ) or multiple walls of C nanotubes ( MWNT ) . The little size of the SWNT makes it possible for 70,000 nanotubes to be ingested where they can stay stable for hebdomads indoors 3T3 fibroblasts and murine myoblast root cells. Having such a high concentration of C nanotubes within a cell distinction, even though. While such nanomaterials have yet to make clinical application, it does demo the possible for non-invasive op tical imagination.Nanomodified SurfacesAn ideal scaffold for tissue regeneration should hold similarity to native excess cellular matrices in footings of both chemical composing and physical nanostructure. Recently, nanostructured biomaterials holding physical nanofeatures such as nanocrystals, nanofibers nanosurfaces, nanocomposites, etc. gained much involvement in regenerative medical specialty. This is chiefly because of their resemblance of physical nanofeatures to natural ECM. There are many different type of scaffold: nanocrystalline bioresorbable bioceramic scaffolds and nanofibrous polymeric scaffolds for tissue regeneration. Fabrication of porous bioceramics based on HA and other Ca phosphates with interrelated pore construction can be done by the reproduction of polymer froth. The advantage of this technique is the control over porousness, pore geometry and pore size of the fancied scaffolds. Electrospinning is a versatile technique to manufacture nanofibrous polymeric mat rices for usage in regenerative medical specialty. The recent developments in electrospun scaffolds with a particular accent on FDA approved biodegradable polymers such as PCL, PLA, PLGA, collagens, etc have been extensively studied. Particular attending has been given to the mechanical belongingss and cell interaction of the electrospun fibre mats. Electrostatic cospinning of polymers with nanohydroxyapatite to manufacture intercrossed nanocomposite scaffolds as possible scaffolds miming the complex nanostructured architecture of bone has been suggested for difficult tissue regeneration. Advanced techniques for the readying of nanofibers, nucleus shell fibres, hollow fibres, and rods and tubings from natural and man-made polymers with diameters down to a few nanometres have late been established. These techniques, among them electro- and coelectrospinning and specific templet methods, let the incorporation non merely of semiconducting material or catalytic nanoparticles or chromophores but besides enzymes, proteins, micro-organism, etc. , straight during the readying procedure into these nanostructures in a really soft manner. One peculiar advantage is that biological objects such as, for case, proteins can be immobilized in a fluid environment within these polymer-based nano-objects in such a manner that they keep their native conformation and the corresponding maps. The scope of applications of such biohybrid nanosystems is highly wide, for case, in the countries of biosensors, contact action, drug bringing, or optoelectronic Nanostructures promote formation of blood vass ; bolster cardiovascular map after bosom onslaught – Injecting nanoparticles into the Black Marias of mice that suffered bosom onslaughts helped reconstruct cardiovascular map in these animate beings. The self-assembling nanoparticles – made from of course happening polyoses and molecules known as peptide amphiphiles – encouragement chemical signals to nearby cells that induce formation of new blood vass and this may be the mechanism through which they restore cardiovascular map. One month subsequently, the Black Marias of the treated mice were capable of undertaking and pumping blood about every bit good as healthy mice. In contrast, the Black Marias of untreated mice contracted about 50 per centum less than normal. In other recent surveies utilizing a similar technique, Stupp and his co-workers found nanoparticles hastened wound mending in coneies and, after islet organ transplant, cured diabetes in mice. Nanoparti cles with other chemical composings accelerate bone fix in rats and advance the growing of nerve cells in mice and rats with spinal cord hurts. The recent progresss in the readying of some nanomaterials, turning consciousness of stuff scientific discipline and tissue technology research workers sing the potency of root cells for regenerative medical specialty, and progresss in root cell biological science have contributed towards the encouragement of this research field in the last few old ages. Nanoparticles have several possible applications such as intracellular drug bearers to command root cell distinction and biosensors to supervise in existent clip the intracellular degrees of relevant biomolecules/enzymes. Cell-based therapies have produced important enthusiasm and survey and are one of the most active countries of research in regenerative medical specialty. The creative activity of multi-functional tools, which allow the improved monitoring and modifying of cell behaviour is one method of speed uping the gait of research. While cell-based a therapy in malignant neoplastic disease is a immense portion of the nanomedicine attempt for regenerative medical specialty. Bettering non-invasive monitoring methods is peculiarly desirable since current methods of measuring cell intervention typically affect destructive or invasive techniques such as tissue biopsies. Traditional non-invasive methods such as magnetic resonance imagination ( MRI ) and positron emanation imaging ( PET ) , which rely to a great extent on contrast agents, lack the specificity or resident clip to be a feasible option for cell trailing. However, in vitro and in vivo visual image of nanoscale systems can be carried out u tilizing a assortment of clinically relevant modes such as fluoresce microscopy, individual photon emanation computed imaging ( SPECT ) , PET, MRI, ultrasound, and radiotracing such as gamma scintigraphy. Nanoparticulate imaging investigations include semi-conductor quantum points ( QD ) , magnetic and magnetofluorescent nanoparticles, gold nanoparticles, and nanoshells among others, While there are presently few illustrations of nanotechnologies being applied to the apprehension of of import procedure in tissue regeneration, relevant utilizations of nanoparticles for regenerative medical specialty such as monitoring angiogensis and programmed cell death are looking.Tissue Engineering in Dental and OrthopedicPractice Implications.AIt is predicted that tissue technology will hold a considerableA consequence on dental pattern during the following 25 old ages. The greatestA effects will probably be related to the fix and replacementA of mineralized tissues, the publicity of unwritten l esion healingA and the usage of cistron transportation adjunctively. Tissue technology buildsA on the interface between stuffs scientific discipline and biocompatibility, A and integrates cells, natural or man-made scaffolds, and specificA signals to make new tissues.A This field is progressively beingA viewed as holding tremendous clinical potency. Clinical jobs associating to the loss and/or failure of tissuesA extend beyond dental medicine to all Fieldss of medical specialty, and are estimatedA to account for about one-half of all medical-relatedA jobs in the United States each twelvemonth. Currently, the replacementA of lost or lacking tissues involves prosthetic stuffs, A drug therapies, and tissue and organ organ transplant. However, A all of these have restrictions, including the inability of syntheticA prosthetic devices to replace any but the simplest structural functionsA of a tissue. An utmost deficit of variety meats and tissues for transplantationA exists. Fewer than 10,000 variety meats are available for transplantationA each twelvemonth in the United States, while more than 50,000 patientsA are registered on organ transplant waiting lists.A Such problemsA have motivated the development of tissue technology, whichA can be defined as a â€Å" combination of the rules and methodsA of the life scientific disciplines with those of technology to develop materialsA and methods to mend damaged or morbid tissues, and to createA full tissue replacings. † Many schemes have evolved to engineer new tissues and variety meats, A but virtually all combine a stuff with either bioactive moleculesA that induce weave formation or cells grown in the laboratory.A The bioactive molecules are often growing factor proteinsA that are involved in natural tissue formation and remodeling.A The basic hypothesis underlying this attack is that the localA bringing of an appropriate factor at a correct dosage for a definedA period of clip can take to the enlisting, proliferation andA distinction of a patient ‘s cells from next sites.A These cells can so take part in tissue fix and/or regenerationA at the needed anatomic venue. The 2nd general scheme uses cells grown in the laboratoryA and placed in a matrix at the site where new tissue or organA formation is desired. These transplanted cells normally are derivedA from a little tissue biopsy specimen and have been expanded inA the research lab to let a big organ or tissue mass to be engineered.A Typically, the new tissue will be formed in portion from theseA transplanted cells. With both attacks, specific stuffs deliver the moleculesA or cells to the appropriate anatomic site and supply mechanicalA support to the organizing tissue by moving as a scaffold to guideA new tissue formation.A Currently, most tissue technology effortsA usage biomaterials already approved for medical indicants byA the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA. The most widelyA used man-made stuffs are polymers of lactide and glycolideA , since these are normally used forA biodegradable suturas. Both polymers have a long path recordA for human usage and are considered biocompatible, and their physicalA belongingss ( for illustration, debasement rate, mechanical strength ) A can be readily manipulated. A natural polymer-type 1 collagen-isA frequently used because of its comparative biocompatibility and abilityA to be remodeled by cells. Other polymers familiar to dentistry, including alginate, are besides being used. Bone and gristle coevals by autogenic cell/tissue organ transplant is one of the most promising techniques in orthopaedic surgery and biomedical technology [ 1 ] . Treatment constructs based on those techniques would extinguish jobs of donor site scarceness, immune rejection and pathogen transportation [ 2 ] . Osteoblasts, chondrocytes and mesenchymal root cells obtained from the patient ‘s difficult and soft tissues can be expanded in civilization and seeded onto a scaffold that will slowly degrade and resorb as the tissue structures grow in vitro and/or vivo [ 3 ] . scaffold or 3-dimensional ( 3-D ) concept provides the necessary support for cells to proliferate and keep their di! erentiated map, and its architecture the ultimate form of the new bone and gristle. Several scaffold stuffs have been investigated for tissue technology bone and gristle including hydroxyapatite ( HA ) , poly ( a-hydroxyesters ) , and natural polymers such as collagen and chitin. Several reappraisals have been published on the general belongingss and design characteristics of biodegradable and bioresorbable polymers and scaffolds [ 4,12 ] . In the United States each twelvemonth, over half a million people undergo entire joint replacing ( 14 ) . The mean lifetime of a rehabilitative articulation implant is about 15 old ages. In all likeliness this means that each patient will hold to undergo a 2nd surgery to keep functionality ( 15 ) . There are many drawbacks with replacing surgeries such as inferior recovery compared to the initial surgery, postsurgical complications and hurting ( 16 ) . The most common account for implant failure is improper growing on the implant surface ( 17 ) . Currently V, Co, Cr and smooth Ti are used in dental and orthopaedic implants. Out of all these metals, Ti is most often used due to its tensile strength and corrosion opposition ( 13 ; 18 ; 19 ) . But the job with Ti implants is that it does non mime the natural bone construction. So there are higher opportunities of implant failure ( 20 ) . Natural bone is nanoporous at the surface. So if we modify the surface of Ti such that it becomes na noporus, this may assist in increasing the life span of the implant. So the first aim is to bring forth nanoporus Ti by the procedure of anodization.Nanotechnology for Bioactive Molecule and Drug ReleaseControlled drug bringing is one of the most promising biomedical applications of nanotechnology. The usage of nanomaterials as nanocarriers for bettering bringing methods has shown to be advantageous technically and feasible economically. Controlled release of antibiotics and antiseptic drug from halloysite PCL scaffold can be used for lesion healing. The basic unit of mending in any tissue type ( for illustration bone or tegument ) is the same. The 2nd nonsubjective, of this undertaking is to electrospin PCL-halloysite scaffold, happen the best concentration and the exact location of halloysite in the PCL-halloysite scaffold by Fluorescein isothiocyanateA ( FITC ) labeling of halloysite and look into its biocompatibility. The 3rd aim of this undertaking is to bring forth drug loaded halloysite-PCL scaffold and trial it effectiveness on bacteriums.Undertaking Aim1. To happen out the best parametric quantity of anodization to bring forth nanoporous Ti. Compare osteoblast cell proliferation and distinction on smooth versus nanoporous Ti surfaces. Nanoporous surfaces should take to better cell proliferation and distinction taking to heighten implant lastingness and osteointegration for patients with degenerative articulation jobs, as it is similar to natural bone surface. 2. To electro-spin halloysite-PCL scaffold and happen the best concentration and the exact location of halloysite in the halloysite-PCL scaffold by Fluorescein isothiocyanateA ( FITC ) labeling of the halloysite, compare osteoblast cell proliferation and distinction on PCL and halloysite-PCL scaffolds. 3. To lade halloysite nanotubes with drugs, for illustration antibiotics and antiseptic, mensurate the drug released from the halloysite and document the consequence of the drug released from the halloysite-PCL scaffold on bacteriums.

Critical thinking paper(All forms of government welfare should be Essay

Critical thinking paper(All forms of government welfare should be abolished.) - Essay Example It is a common phenomenon in America that any kind of government welfare is under abuse. Evidently, a report on the Washington post dated 26th may 2011 asserts that 67% of the people under a welfare program are not genuine. The current fortifications do not seem to curb this ill practice at all. It is a worry that women are proceeding to bear babies outside of wedlock so as to increase the quantity of revenue they obtain from the government checks. A total of $7000 annually is too much to part with especially if the income is not directed to the well-being of the baby. Furthermore, it is an avoidable situation since the likelihood of a woman having the baby clearly knowing that no welfare check will be given to her is very low. The effect of people receiving welfare checks further disorients them in searching a job. There is an internal persuasion not to do anything more provided one is able to acquire a steady income through manipulation of government welfare programs. While most of the welfare programs aim at helping for a short time especially during difficult times, they are increasingly becoming a shoulder to lean on for the many. It is clearly not helping at all in economic development since majority of the people; particularly those without a job are reluctant to find one. (Ginsberg, 1994) Out of forty people under a welfare program that provides benefits for the unemployed, 32 are unenthusiastic to find a job provided a steady flow of money continues to flow. Welfare programs for the unemployed majorly serve to reduce motivation to look for a job while also putting a burden to the people who toil hard. Tyler (1955) asserts that a program that fails to motivate people to look for alternatives such a s employment cannot stop people from relying on it. Any argument suggesting that neediness is the root cause of institution of some of this

Administrative Justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Administrative Justice - Essay Example As the discussion declares the concept of having an administrative justice system is a great way of dealing with issues as they arise in the political arena. The importance of this system mainly borders on the heightened consciousness that seeks to justify the impact that the Constitution plays in checking the main attributes within the governance of the society . Recognition of the system in the administration of any country requires a willing political climate that can express and identify the various attributes that fuel interest in the realization of a just society. Most of the systems across the world, as noted in Australia, receive appreciation for its identification of the maximum good it has in settling different goals within the system . According to the report findings administrative law allows the concerned parties to come up with new policies and institutions that will assist in safeguarding the interests of the society rather than working towards the needs of a few. The goal is to entrench these views in the realization of a society that appreciates the rule of law. The administrative law in the UK allows people to understand that their decisions will play a big role in identifying what is essential for the administration of justice . The government regulates everyday livelihood, and as such, should not operate without a limit that principally articulates the principles of administrative justice. For judicial systems that acknowledge this fact, it is very easy to deal with the issues within the criminal justice system that impede the realization of everyday goals.

Influence of McDonald's Company on the State of the US Economy Essay

Influence of McDonald's Company on the State of the US Economy - Essay Example The primary challenge currently facing McDonald’s is the worsening state of the US economy, as concerns mount about a possible recession. In late January, the company reported a $1.2 billion fourth-quarter profit but warned of weakness in the US market. Same-restaurant sales were essentially flat in Dec. 2007, sparking fears that the one-month result might portend a trend. It was the growth in international sales that allowed for the company’s overall gains. The American market is the company’s largest and most crucial, with over 14,000 locations (â€Å"McDonald’s Posts Profit†). A Feb. 8 company press release reinforced the concerns about the domestic market, with US comparable sales only up 1.9 percent, while for Europe and the Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa bloc, sales were up 8.2 and 7.8 percent, respectively (â€Å"Strong Global Results†). If the current US slowdown leaks into the global marketplace, companies like McDonald’s may no longer by able to count on foreign sales to bolster the bottom line. The economic woes in America are tightening many pocketbooks and forcing even habitual fast-food customers to cut back. After decades of economic expansion and ever-growing consumer expenditures, signs are legion that the days of easy credit are over and that belt-tightening measures are becoming more the norm than the exception across the American landscape. The unfolding housing bubble collapse has had a major impact, as have continued nationwide job contractions. Even value-oriented businesses like McDonald’s are likely to be hit by potential customers staying home rather than coming out to their restaurants (Goodman 1). In addition, food prices have been rising steadily as have oil and gasoline costs, putting a severe squeeze on the average American consumer. In February, consumer confidence fell to its lowest level since 1992, according to a closely watched national survey. All of this is causing consumers to cut back on non-essential items (Grynbaum 1). Food is not a non-essential item, but the challenge to McDonald’s management is to revive stagnant domestic sales by convincing more potential consumers that they are better served by visiting their local restaurant as opposed to making meals at home. Once a significant enough number of people become convinced of this, it would help to break same-restaurant sales in the US out of its current flat-growth pattern.

Integrating Civics Educations into Liberal Studie Essay

Integrating Civics Educations into Liberal Studie - Essay Example In this subject are elements of humanities, science and liberal arts, which serves to help learners have a broad outlook after completing their senior secondary level studies. Some of the areas of study in this subject include self and personal development, personal identity, and preparing for adulthood, role of an individual and society, conflict resolution and interpersonal relationship, economic restructuring, the rule of law and participation in society and politics, and finally the general quality of life (Chan, and Sin, 2005). Likewise, the curriculum development council has proposed that civic education be also introduced in both elementary and secondary schools. In the past, civic education has never been made a complete and independent subject in Hong Kong. However, recently, civic education has been strengthened, and is embedded in other subjects such as history and Chinese among others. The major aim for this subject is to strengthen learners positive attitudes and values, develop good civic and personal qualities and also create an individual vision in committing and contributing to one’s country, family and the world. The general concepts, points and evaluation mode are very powerful and strict. It has been argued that integrating this subject to liberal studies will facilitate the achievement of the goal of a making a balanced and well-rounded person, rather than making it an independent subject (China Daily, Jun 1 2011 8:42). The purpose of introducing liberal studies in China’s New Secondary Curriculum is to broaden the student’s knowledge base as well as enhance their social awareness through studying a wide range of issues. The module in the curriculum focuses on the themes, which are of significance to the society, students and the world in general. These are designed in such a way that students are enabled to make connections across various fields of knowledge

Sustainability and ethics course Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Sustainability and ethics course - Essay Example It has maintained a steady growth with respect to net margin and other financial indicators. Nissan requires acquiring a detailed idea about the threats and weaknesses that it might face and possess while operating efficiently in the global automotive industry. In terms of findings, it can be noted that the management team of Nissan is efficiently working towards collecting feedbacks from its stakeholders by arranging conferences, making direct dialogues and interviewing among others. It can be affirmed that by adopting and executing effective strategies, the company can overcome its weaknesses and mitigate the threats that arise during the conduct of various operations. It is projected that such strategies will contribute into enabling the company to reap several significant benefits and derive positive outcomes. Nissan is regarded as a multinational business organisation operating in the worldwide automobile industry. Its cars are sold globally under the trade name of â€Å"Nissan†. In 2013, Nissan unveiled its logo under the steel-blue frame, which differentiates itself with its brand (Nissan Motor Corporation, 2014). Nissan has left its mark by creating wide assortment of cars and trucks. It has traded these in the brand name of â€Å"Nissan†, â€Å"Datsun†, â€Å"Infiniti† and â€Å"Nismo.† Presently, it is expanding its operations by conducting an alliance with Renault; a France based automotive company with holding 43.4% share (Nissan Motor Corporation, 2014). Nissan aims to offer innovative products, services and excitement to the customers across the globe wherein it operates. Currently, the company possesses manufacturing outlets in twenty countries and provides service in excess of 160 countries throughout the globe. In offering services worldwide, Nissan has utilized the strategy of embracing diversity to meet the demands of diverse customers and also to accomplish the sustainable growth of its

Bussiness ethics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Bussiness ethics - Research Paper Example a type of moral relativism. Likewise, a further level of distance will be sought from the point of view that morality is ultimately immutable and constant; i.e. a type of moral absolutism. In this way, a type of combination approach in which some aspects of ethics and morality are unchanging and others are informed as a result of the situation and the times; i.e. a type of moral objectivism. For purposes of this response, normative morality will be considered as the ethical action and descriptive morality will be defined as the way in which morality and ethics are understood within the constraints of individual beliefs. a. Businesses can have ethical standards, but Businesses are not moral agents. Do you agree or disagree? With regards to businesses not being moral agents, this is a statement that this author patently disagrees with. A moral agent is merely an entity that through proper application of moral behavior and ethical decisions is able to project these forces onto the envir onment within which they ultimately interact or operate within. As such, a business has the strong possibility, even perhaps the requirement, of being a moral agent within the community and/or environment within which they operate. b. Is it true that the â€Å"bottom line† of business is profit and profit alone? Likewise, with respect to the statement above, it is the belief of this author, supported by the proof of many unethical businesses that have risen and fallen within the past, that the ultimate bottom line cannot entirely rest upon profitability. The fact of the matter is that the entropy of the business world means that firms must continually fight not only for profits but for market share and customers within the system. As such, seeking to focus upon a bottom line that only cares about profit will necessarily yield to a failed business due to the fact that ethics, morality, and other key human and social concerns will not be considered; thereby ultimately affecting the performance of the firm and/or the way it is viewed within the marketplace. c. In business, are there other less tangible goals that are intrinsic to and just as important as making money? The intangible goals such as providing humane and ethical conditions of employment as well as the end product or service to the customer is more important if not more than the intrinsic goal of making money. In the short term, such a plan may work to provide a level of business continuation; however, the other aspects of a business model or plan will ultimately make or break the longevity of the firm/enterprise/organization. d. Why should we be moral as individuals? Ultimately, morality as an individual comes down to seeking to maximize the good that exists in the world. Although making moral decisions can oftentimes be difficult, a moral choice is the one that best upholds the needs of the individual as well as the needs of greater society. In this way, seeking to behave in an ethically resp onsible manner as well as morally will ensure that the greater good within each and every situation is attempted to be maximized. Rather than merely seeking to further our own ends (i.e. a type of utilitarianism), the ultimate goal should be to further our ow

Age of revolt Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Age of revolt - Research Paper Example This is because institutional processes and instruments accord people with the chance to exchange a regime with one which appears by public judgment to embody better prospects for development, more effective representation of the people’s will and transparency and civil liberties and freedoms. This was the state of affairs in Britain, France and America before the English (1640-1660), French (1789-1799) and American Revolutions (1775-1778), respectively (Lebrun, 839-40). In most instances, there are bouts of political oppression in the run up to the revolution as a possible alternative. While the spates of state-perpetrated injustices may seem to hinder anti-government criticism at a casual glance and from the outset, it bolsters the envisioning of alternative possibilities, of which a revolution is one. According to Frero, there are different forces which facilitate the consideration of alternative possibilities. A powerful or liberated media is one force which may facilitate the consideration of a revolution. This is because, in the absence of government-instigated censorship, the media can air art, literature and political ideologies which are radical enough to inspire a revolution. Nevertheless, there has to be political setbacks such as misrule, corruption and undemocratic tendencies in order for the consideration of revolutionary thought to concretize in the mind of the public (Frero, 84). Another force which plays a pivotal role in the consideration of a revolution as an alternative is radical or revolutionary art, literature or political philosophy. A society wherein the masses are oppressed and socioeconomically exploited by the ruling class is bound to consider a revolution as the means by which it can bring about positive change upon interacting with radical political philosophy such as Karl Marx’s Communist Manifesto where the masses are taught that all state

IT Conversion Strategies Essay Example for Free

IT Conversion Strategies Essay IT conversion takes place when the system has error or to improve functionalities or to expand the capacity of the system considering database, facilities , modules etc. for the conversion of system five components of system should be considered namely, hardware, software, data, procedure and people. While conversion of system any of these components should not be affected or the system conversion is not successful. There are four ways to system conversion, they are: * Direct cutover method: in this method a complete new system is introduced cutting off the old system. Â  This is the riskiest method to follow for system conversion. * Pilot conversion: in this method a part of an organization uses the new system while the rest of it continues to use the old method. In this method interface problem may prevail when the system needs to share data. * Phase conversion: In this method the part of the new system is introduced while the rest of the old one remains in use. In this method as well interface problem may prevail when the system needs to share data. * Parallel conversion: In this method, the whole new system is introduced while the old one is still in use. Both systems process all activity and the results are compared. Once there is confidence that the new one operates properly, the old one is shut down. For the proposed system the Phase conversion method is suggested as the system needs to operate for 24/7 and any kind of delay to run the application is occurred huge loss is to be suffered by the business as the overall business is relied on the web application. As the phase conversion method just add the new module to the system without affecting the old system, so the system can run continuously even when the change is taking place in the system.

History And Evolution Of Sitcoms

History And Evolution Of Sitcoms In the field of entertainment, everybody could use a good laugh and this is where the comedy genre comes in. As the name states, its purpose is to bring humor and laughter to the audience. Comedies come in many formats in movies and television. In television, one of the most common genre is the situation comedy or sitcom, for short. As the name states the plot is centered on a particular situation set in a typical setting such as a home or workplace. A situation comedy features a regular cast of characters plus recurring ones who would appear in subsequent episodes as well as special guest stars. There are sitcoms that are aired performed before a live studio audience, making it similar to a theatrical play. One can tell it is live whenever a special guest star would appear as the audience would cheer enthusiastically. Another distinctive feature of the sitcom is the laugh track or what is called canned laughter which is played every time a hilarious scene unfolds. What makes sitcoms different from stand up comedy and sketch comedy is that they have a storyline and this essentially makes it a comedic drama; and as mentioned before, the setting is usually centered on family, workplace, or a group of friends as the principal characters or mainstays. Sitcoms came about when the television was introduced and this enabled audiences to return to a certain program if they like it. As a result of this (initial) trend, the performers who have key roles would become mainstays and the situations would remain the same to enable audiences to be familiar with them. Even animated shows, also adapt the sitcom format to cater to a specific audience as well, not merely children. Another feature of the sitcom is that it is often character driven and naturally, running gags often develop during a series or season. The plot of a sitcom episode is typical: It starts with the status quo where everything is normal among the characters and then, a disruption will occur, thereby affecting the usual situation and the relationships of the characters, but by the end of the episode, these issues will be settled, the situation will revert to the status quo and it is alls well that ends well until the next episode where the it will happen all over again but in a different plot. History and Evolution: Throughout its history, sitcoms over the years have evolved not only in the performers but also in the plot as well as how humor is delivered. In the early years of sitcom, the most common method of delivery is the slapstick approach of the 1950s and well into the 1960s. The slapstick is characterized by exaggerated violence where the characters appear to be hitting one another with exaggerated sound effects without getting hurt. This is common is earlier comedies such as The Three Stooges. Slapstick also features characters doing unthinkable or crazy stunts or acts or silly things in the scene to the point of making complete fools of themselves. One of the most popular sitcoms of the period was I Love Lucy starring the real-life couple of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. This sitcom is one of those that features the slapstick delivery. One example is a scene in one episode where Lucy works in a chocolate factory. The chocolates are being churned out so fast that Lucy had to eat those that could not be packaged. In another episode, Lucy was mashing grapes in a winery and wrestled with another worker in the vat, making a mess out of themselves (Oppenheimer, 4-5). As for the setting, it centers on a typical couple, Lucy and Ricky (Arnaz) Ricardo. What makes the story interesting is that Lucy is not content in being a plain housewife while her husband works as a bandmaster in a club. Lucy aspires to have a career and this is the source of the humor. Besides these madcap adventures and misadventures, there is also the relationship with their neighbors Fred and Ethel who play the straight couple to their seemingly dysfunctional one to provide balance. Essentially, women would be portrayed as scatterbrained but extremely clever, men would be indignant (like Ricky), and friends or neighbors would be unwitting pawns, accomplices or villians (such as Fred and Ethel). Besides the typical family setting, early sitcoms offer different settings but with similar plots such as Sergeant Bilko, which looks at the humorous side of the military; Car 54 Where Are You? for the police officers and McHales Navy in the US Navy set during World War II to boot. The 1960s added a fantasy touch with sitcoms like I Dream of Jeannie and Bewitched. This was made possible with advancements in the realm of special effects which enabled these magic tricks to be performed. In addition, 1960s sitcoms deviated from the earlier ones in the sense that they were not filmed before live audiences but were filmed instead where the sessions are called tapings. The 1970s and 1980s saw a change in the character makeup of the sitcoms as evidenced by such shows as The Jeffersons, Different Strokes, Barney Miller and Chico and the Man where nonwhites began to share top billing as well yet the plot remains the same. This underscored by the real-world events happening the changes America has been going through by way of racial integration and that nonwhites were not regarded as equals to whites. This is what these shows intend to convey besides providing laughter (Dalton and Linder 125-126; Hamamoto 87, 90-91). In terms of delivery, studio audiences became the norm again on shows that were not filmed in several locations and several factors have to be taken into consideration such budget (Dalton and Linder 49-50). There were also changes in the composition of the characters or how they are shown in the show. It is no longer the typical family. The show would center on the kids or teens such as Facts of Life and Charles in Charge which deals prima rily with issues teenagers usually face. Besides race, feminism got into the act with shows such as Rhoda and The Mary Tyler Moore Show as women took lead roles in sitcoms as well. The 1990s saw a continued surge of similar shows such as Murphy Brown and Just Shoot Me. There were even instances when some shows would challenge morals at the time such as MarriedWith Children which features a dysfunctional family, an introduction to the genre commonly known as transgression comedy. One other noticeable feature of sitcoms starting in the 1970s was the evolution of the delivery. Slapstick was no longer used at this point in time. Rather, the producers and the performers make use of the current situations they are in, whether they are personal, affecting only them or the social situation that affects them entirely. In other words, they poke fun at their problems without having to do crazy stunts or exaggerated violence reminiscent of The Three Stooges. The 1990s saw the emergence of sitcoms in animation followed the lead of live shows such as The Simpsons which is still enjoying a following to this day, and later South Park (Dalton and Linder 270-271). This trend would go on well into the 21st century with similar shows coming out such as The Office and 30 Rock which still follow the same trend. Furthermore, sitcoms have also broken down into categories according to age groups. Disney Channel offers sitcoms for children and teenagers such as Thats so Raven, Hannah Montana and Corey in the House. Naturally, the shows centers on the younger characters with the adults in the supporting role but the plot is nonetheless similar to the mainstream sitcoms (Dalton and Linder 44-45). Analysis: By the 21st century, the trend in the entertainment industry is leaning toward reality-TV shows which feature non-actors and single-camera recordings. The reason for this increasing popularity is that the participants are not actors and the audience can easily relate to them as the cameras capture every moment of their life and they are seen in their best and their worst and there are no cuts and takes, the camera continues rolling. It is as real as it gets and all the elements or genres are there from action, drama and even comedy without the canned laughter. It is said that these shows will replace mainstream programming which would affect soap operas and sitcoms. But this does not mean sitcoms will fade into oblivion or give up without a fight. In the latter shows, for instance, The Office, 30 Rock and even The Drew Carey Show make use of an element called the pathos. Where the shows make the viewers sympathize with the characters, and relate to them on a level unlike any other show (Graham 1). Old sitcoms never had this pathos. The problems facing the characters in the show are similar problems the audience faces on a regular basis in real life (Graham 1). In addition, this pathos need not be exaggerated like in slapstick. It is shown in a plain simple way similar to what real people go through every day. The characters, especially the main ones, are depicted as the everyman or average Joe. In the case of the three sitcoms, they reflect the joys, trials and tribulations the average (American) employee goes through in their daily routine. Nothing is exaggerated and the issues they face are real since real people experience them too. Matthew G ilbert puts it nicely At their best these single hand held sitcoms are an uplifting art form, one that has come of age in the past 20 years. They can invent a unique comic lexicon, invite us to laugh at our failings, capture the brilliance of our imaginations, and satirize our culture, they can reflect, clarify, and normalize human nature(Gilbert 1). Even animated sitcoms like The Simpsons and South Park show that as well this is why such animated series also appeal to adults, breaking the notion that they are only for children. Shows like Arrested Development and The Office are amongst some of a growing number of sitcoms that look different and are produced differently from sitcoms in the past. Eric Berlin states on the changing sitcom This new genre combines oddball characters, stress on improv acting, cinematic look, expert single-camera production work, and inventive use of flashbacks, private one on one confessions with the camera and quick cut-aways. The writing is daring, smart, and resembles the everyday awkward encounters that humans experience(Berlin 3). Shows like The Office and Arrested Development have been appropriately termed by author Brett Mills as the televisual style called comedy verite(Thompson 63). What comedy verità © is doing through its distinctive televisual style is shift the source of humor in the television comedy from the constructed joke, as seen in prior sitcoms, to the observation of a comic event (Thompson 67). Thompson states The observational component of these sitcoms, w hich includes not just what they look like but also the timing of shots and the sense that at times we observe events in real time, creates a different type of engagement with the narrative. The sitcom is thus reinvigorated by a shift from the tired realm of the staged sitcom, with its three cameras, studio audience, or one-camera, coverage shooting, to an experience of observation or witness(Thompson 67). A big part of these new comedy verite style sitcoms is how they convey the observational mode that the viewer is caught in, primarily through handheld shooting and a pacing that suggests particular segments unfold in real time as if their viewer were there (Thompson 68). However these segments and scenes are increasingly taking place in intimate settings, including shots conveying a particular characters subjectivity and vulnerability, and are less marked by characters performing for the camera, a fly on the wall type of perspective (Thompson 68). This production style that is new to the Sitcom tries to convey to the viewer that they are not watching comedy but are observing the comedic acts that unfold before the ever present handheld camera. Whether the acting is improvised or carefully scripted, it looks like it just happened and thats the whole point (Thompson 71). As a mode of production, this new developed sub genre of the sitcom is addressing comedy like never before and is effective in the use of presenting what is truly funny to viewers. Furthermore, what makes sitcoms better than reality TV is, as mentioned earlier, these shows do not only try to make the audience relate to the character as far as pathos is concerned, but being a comedy, it encourages the audience to laugh off their problems as well. Furthermore, unlike reality shows, it is the characters that are laughed at, not the people themselves. Because of this, this is what will make sitcoms last longer and keep on entertaining people.

brest cancer Essay -- essays research papers fc

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"One in every ten women in the United States will develop breast cancer sometime during her life†. (Breast Care). More than six percent of these cases are linked to hereditary. There are many measures that can be taken to detect breast cancer early in its stages. Women who believe they have a higher risk should have the breast cancer gene testing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In order for a woman to consider her case of breast cancer to be hereditary, she must contain either the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation in her genetic make up. Hundreds of mutations have been found in both genes and almost all of the mutations identified are primitive mutations found in only a single family. Most of the mutations result in a miss-formed protein product; thus the nature of these mutations is easily interpreted. Two successive acquired mutations occurring in a single cell are necessary for the development of cancer. Mutations anywhere along either gene are associated with an increased risk for breast cancer. (Transmed Network-Breast Cancer-Characteristics of Hereditary Breast Cancer, 1997). More than six hundred different mutations have been identified on the BRCA1 gene. (Gene Clinics, 2000). The number of mutations found on the BRCA1 gene is different than those found on the BRCA 2 gene. The prevalence of cancer predisposing BRCA1 mutations in the general population is estimated to be between one out of five hundred and one out of a thousand cases. BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations indicate that elevated breast cancer risks begin in the late twenties and early thirties. Doctors normally recommend that women began yearly mammograms at the age of fifty. If the gene can be detected as early as the age of twenty, women should take advantage of the extra precaution and have the test done in addition to the mammograms to prevent late diagnosis of cancer. (Gene Clinics, 2000).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Virtually all individuals with a cancer predisposing mutation in BRCA1 and BRCA2 have inherited it from a parent. (Gene Clinics, 2000). The parent may or may not have had a cancer diagnosis depending upon the penetrance of the mutation, the gender of the parent, the age of the parent with mutation and other variables. It is appropriate to offer mutation analysis to both parents of an individual with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 cancer predisposing mutation. (Gene ... ...nbsp;  Ã‚  Genetic mutation testing has become another easy way for women to detect breast cancer early. A woman will never truly know if she will definitely develop breast cancer. Test such as genetic mutation testing will definitely help in early detection and prevention against spreading. Works Cited Gene Clinics. (March 4, 2000). BRCA1 and BRCA2 Hereditary Breast/Ovarian Cancer. Retrieved November 19, 2000 from the World Wide Web: Http://www.geneclinics.org/profiles/brca1/ National Action Plan on Breast Cancer. (September 5, 1996). State of the Science on Hereditary Breast Cancer and Genetic Testing. Retrieved November 19, 2000 from the World Wide Web: http://www.napbc.org/napbc/state.htm Transmed Network. (1997). Breast Cancer-Characteristics of Hereditary Breast Cancer. Retrieved November 19, 2000 from the World Wide Web: http://www.breastdiseases.com/genebr3.htm Transmed Network. (1997). Breast Cancer-Genetic Epidemiology. Retrieved November 19, 2000 from the World Wide Web: http://www.breastdiseases.com/genebr2.htm Transmed Network. (1997). Hereditary Breast Cancer. Retrieved November 19, 2000 from the World Wide Web: http://www.breastdiseases.com/genebr1.htm

Stock Options Essay -- GCSE Business Marketing Coursework

Stock Options Since the late 1980’s more and more people have been given the opportunity to purchase stock options. As of 2001, ten million employees have chosen to purchase stock options. Another survey established that 97 of the top 100 e-commerce companies gave the choice of options this year. For these reasons, it is important to understand what stock options are, the different types of options, and their advantages and disadvantages. A stock option gives any employee the right to buy a certain number of shares in the company at a fixed price for a certain number of years. Employees who have been given the choice of stock options hope that the share price will go up and that they will be able to cash in by purchasing the stock at the lower grant price and then selling the stock at the current market price. Stock option plans can be a flexible way for companies to share ownership with employees, reward them for performance, and attract and retain a motivated staff. These plans could also encourage the employees to look in that best interest of the company and other shareholders. For growth-oriented smaller companies, options are a great way to preserve cash while giving employees a piece of future growth. They can also work for public firms whose benefit plans are well established, but who want to include employees in ownership. Options are not a mechanism for existing owners to sell shares and are usually inappropriate for companies whose future growth is uncertain. They can also be unappealing in small, closely held companies that do not want to go public or be sold because they may find it difficult to create a market for the share. There have been disagreement on whether or not options are actual ownership. Some believe they are ownership because employees do not receive them for free, they use their own money to purchase the share. Others believe that since the employees can sell their shares a short time after purchasing them they do not have the long-term ownership goal. A few simple terms with stock options are a call, a put, and a premium. A call is the right to buy the stock, a put is the right to sell the stock and its premium is the price of the option. Overall, options allow you to participate in price movements without committing the large amount of funds needed to buy stock outright. ... ...s are even hired, stock options enable companies to recruit better employees. Once the employees are hired, they work harder for the sake of the company as well as a rise in their shares, and therefore, the company is able to retain hard working elites. Another positive remark about stock options is that companies are not required by GAP to record them as an expense which, in turn, inflates their earnings. Just as before with the employee’s stock income, the company receives a tax deduction as well. When the employee exercises his stock then sells it in the market he receives an income, and this amount received by the employee is equal to the tax break granted to the company. Hence, the larger the price difference, the better it is for both the employee and employer. To conclude, stock options are increasingly being used as incentives for employees in companies around the world. Statistics state that the increased use of stock options privileges has increased the work ethic of employees, thus increasing sales. Stock options are a good non-cash compensation for increasing the moral of employees, but one should note that the underlying tax regulations could be complicated.

Growing Up, Staying Young Essay -- Personal Narrative Papers

Growing Up, Staying Young I had trouble sleeping that night. The peaceful, rhythmic breathing of my younger sister across the room could not calm me as I lay under the covers in the dark, listening for the heavy footsteps of an elderly man sneaking through the downstairs floor of my house. With one hand firmly choking Red Blankie, I reached with the other to turn the alarm clock on my bedstand toward me. The fluorescent red digits whispered 12:03 in the still, black room. Perhaps he will come soon. Delicate tingles danced up my arms, as I froze like a nervous cat, ears up, ready and alert. I rehearsed the carefully planned sequence of events in my head. A suspicious and unfamiliar sound from the living room would be my signal -- a wet snow boot hitting the carpet, a clumsy hand inadvertently knocking over a dish on the fireplace, or a rustle of papers. Carefully, I would slide out of my flowered bed without waking my sleeping sister, tiptoe gently across the bedroom floor out into the chilly hall, and down the first five stairs, avoiding the creaky spots in the floor along the way. There, peering around the corner of the wall that ended at the fifth stair, I would at last behold the mysterious man whom no one in my family -- not Mommy, not Daddy, and of course not little Ming -- had ever seen. The bearded man would be dressed in a red suit with white trim. His name was Santa Claus. Mommy and Daddy had told me that Santa and his nine reindeer wouldn't come to put presents under the Christmas tree until after I had fallen asleep, but of course, they didn't know about my brilliant plan to catch the old man in the act. Squinting under the meager moonlight that peered in through my bedroom window, I forced my... ...power to believe in other abstractions besides the white-bearded man -- entities such as "fate" or "true love" that may seem every bit as fanciful. I also have the ability to imagine a society that does not use bombs to solve disagreements and can instead trust in reason and diplomacy. The idealistic notion that one person can make a difference in the world motivates me everyday in my quest to be a doctor. As a child, I read the story of Peter Pan, an adolescent boy who refused to grow up and thus stayed in Never Never Land, a magical place where he wouldn't age and could spend his days in spectacular adventures. I hope that as I grow another year older, I can always keep a little Peter Pan in my spirit, that I can see a story in even the most simple things around me, and that I will continue, every Christmas Eve, to leave cookies and milk out for Santa Claus.

Psychology, Theology and Spirituality in Christian Counseling Essay

Introduction Traditionally, psychology and theology have stood in opposition to each other. Christian counselors felt that the relationship between the two disciplines is essentially adversarial. Those who tried to integrate psychology and theology were criticized for doing so. As time goes by, important insights about human behavior and the importance of spirituality have been highlighted. As such, the principles of psychotherapy and psychology could do well to heed the lessons offered by theology, specifically the principles of prayer, worship, the Christian centrality of redemption and forgiveness. McMinn’s book highlighted new theories, techniques, and other important information in psychotherapy and psychology. The book essentially integrates spiritual principles into the practice of psychology and psychotherapy instead of the other way around. Hence, even non-Christian counselors can make use of Christian principles in dealing with their counselees. In the course of this integration, McMinn discusses psychology, theology and spirituality and the different areas where they overlap and where meaningful integration can be achieved in helping people deal with different issues in their emotional, mental and overall well-being.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In traditional psychotherapy, religion tends to be relegated to the sidelines and not brought out into the open in discussions. Psychology instead relies on human experience, the meanings generated from these experiences and how such meanings impact the life of a person. God’s involvement, more or less is relegated to the sideways. On the other hand, theology has placed God at the center of understanding human behavior and the social processes in the world. Hence, God’s word and the way it is interpreted are used in evaluating human experiences and behaviors. Because of the mutual exclusivity of the two disciplines, practitioners of either discipline tended to ignore what the other has to offer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   McMinn, through his book however, poses that the Christian view of humans and of God’s involvement in the lives of people has an important impact in the mental and emotional help of people. Christian practices such as prayer and the reading of scripture can help a lot in determining the condition of individuals and help them initiate in the process of looking into themselves and evaluating themselves in light of God’s word.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If this were done, the counselee will be directed to areas of sin in his life. In a sense, he will not be able to understand the areas of sin unless he has a standard to use. In this case, it is the Scripture with the help of the Holy Spirit that directs the person’s attention to the areas of sin in his life. When these areas shall have been recognized, then confession can be done. Confession helps the person put a name to the nameless feelings of guilt and shame. When they have been named, then their power over the person tends to loosen. Confession, a distinct Christian practice, helps the person unload and pour out his heart. This in turn paves the way for forgiveness to come—forgiveness from oneself, from the people involved and from God.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Forgiveness then makes redemption possible. Even if the scars of the sins are still there, redemption enables a person to walk away from sin and its painful consequences and start anew. More than simply starting anew, however, redemption entails being re-integrated into the community and into the world. Response to the Book   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As a Christian, I was raised in a setting where the Bible is the authority over major issues in life. As such, I could identify with those who tend to look at Psychology with suspicious eyes. As such, with McMinn’s book came as an important eye-opener in regards to the benefits that the integration of psychology, theology and spirituality could do in the overall well-being of a person.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Confession though is a little difficult to do. Oftentimes, the church fosters a place where people do not feel safe to confess. Fellowship also tends to get broken down because of hypocrisy. People are afraid of opening up, afraid of being looked down as not being enough of a Christian. A friend of mine was struggling with depression even in the midst of doing ministry for the Sunday School of the church. He did not actively seek help for fear of being discredited in his ministry. By the time he sought help he was under the throes of his depression and needed to have professional help. As a friend, I did not have much to help him because I did not understand enough psychology in helping him. I was loaded with bible verses, which he also knew. I found out that even if I had tons of bible verses, it was not enough without a good understanding of how a person’s experiences affect his emotions and his well-being. If I simply heeded the need to consult psychology, I would have been in a better position to help my friend even if I were not a professional. During the course of my friend’s therapy, he related to me the counseling process and it was based almost solely on psychology. Even if God was being brought into discussion because of my friend’s faith, He was not central in the process. There were also techniques used by the psychotherapist that resembled some of the Christian practices that we were exposed to but were not being practiced in church. At first, I was skeptical of the process because the role of God and of faith has been minimized. As I continued my discussions with my friend, however, there was a noticeable change in my friend and he was indeed becoming better. In one of our conversations, he even talked about his realization that psychology has much to offer to Christians who want to make a difference in the lives of others in terms of counseling and helping cope with the challenges of life. Integration of Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The greatest learning for me in this book is the idea that three separate disciplines could be integrated for the promotion of the total well-being of a person. Indeed, psychology can help look at the mental aspect of person and help provide additional understanding of the significance of the experiences that people go through. More than that, there are techniques and tools that psychology offers. These can then be used by a Christian counselor in helping a person who is going through a difficult time in his life. Psychology can also help blunt the tendency of theology to focus too much on sin, guilt, and shame. These concepts however, should not be set aside totally as they are also important in helping a person come to terms with his true situation in life. The role of theology is to bring God’s standards to the settings in which humans find themselves. God’s word stands as the standards in which human behavior may be subjected to. Being Christians, the primary purpose of counseling is to align a person’s life in the standards of God. This is what I am alarmed about in the book—that in the process of integrating theology and psychology, theology might be relegated to the side and psychology takes center stage. There is indeed a place for scientific inquiry and the use of tools and techniques developed by man for the betterment and empowerment of a person. Yet, as Christians, God’s word should be the first basis of truth and standards of behavior. Psychology deals with emotions, thoughts, responses, and other insights from the lives and experiences of humans. Psychology, in itself, might even draw a person away from God and institute a new version of spirituality that may not be in conjunction with the Christian faith. Another question that I had in the course of reading the book concerns the Christian practices and principles. If for example, non-Christian psychologists do recommend the practice of these principles, such practices may simply be practiced for the sole purpose of improving the person and not for the original purpose of these principles and practices. Prayer, scripture, confession, forgiveness and redemption are concepts that are heavily Christian in essence. Can they be practiced effectively outside of the Christian context? Moreover, if a Christian counselor would use these practices, would not that be constituted as a means of proselytism? There have been challenges in the integration of psychology into theology. On the other hand, while integrating spiritual principles and practices into psychology has its benefits, there may also be drawbacks. The spirituality of the person may be seen as simply a means of improving one’s well-being and not as means of following Christ. Spirituality then might become as simply another tool for man to use instead of being used for the glory of God. Furthermore, the issue of openly promoting Christian practices in the practice of psychology might not be welcome to certain kinds of people. Although it is good to promote Christian practices, there may be issues in terms of their general acceptability, especially because religion is being seen as a highly personal matter. Nonetheless, what I like about the book was the way that McMinn used the term spirituality instead of religion. Spirituality seems to indicate a higher level of significance in the life of people. Christianity as a means to ensuring spiritual and mental health was clearly elucidated by McMinn. He showed in his discussions that Christianity is not only about church attendance every Sunday. Rather, it is a dynamic faith that can help a person deal with issues on a daily basis. McMinn also was riled against the kind of spirituality that seeks only to serve the interest of an individual, especially the type that integrates this and that from different disciplines. His presentation about the integration of psychology, theology, and spirituality was not only theoretical; he presented case studies, which illustrated that Christianity as a faith is relevant to twenty-first century life. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The divide between theology and psychology has been going on for a long time in their applicability in counseling. There are those who look at psychology as a purely human-made discipline and that it is totally incompatible with theology and the way that God’s word deals with human experiences, emotions, and mental health problems. Yet, in this age, the techniques, tools and strategies offered by psychology can no longer be denied. They also offer something which Christian counselors—professional or not—can use. Such techniques however should not be used in themselves. Rather, they should be integrated with God’s word and with theology so that true spirituality may be attained by a person.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Spirituality is more than just religion. It takes into account the overall well-being of the person, which is the intent of psychology. It also helps a person align his life with God’s word, which is the aim of theology.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When there is a balance and skillful use of psychology, theology and spirituality, counselors everywhere will be able to look at the benefit of God’s ways for humans. It will also help humans avoid pitfalls and if they fell into such, they can easily consult God’s word and get back on track.

Assessment and Development Essay

1. What is a competency? What are its characteristics? How is it different from Job Description? Competency: Competencies refer to skills or knowledge that leads to superior performance. These are formed through an individual/organization’s knowledge, skills and abilities and provide a framework for distinguishing between poor performances through to exceptional performance. Competencies can apply at organizational, individual, team, and occupational and functional levels. Competencies are individual abilities or characteristics that are key to effectiveness in work. Some examples of competencies required by the employees are: 1. Adaptability 2. Commitment 3. Creativity 4. Motivation 5. Foresight 6. Leadership 7. Independence 8. Emotional Stability 9. Analytical Reasoning and 10. Communication Skills Characteristics of Competencies ? ? ? ? ? ? Competencies are the characteristics of a manager that lead to the demonstration of skills and abilities, which result in effective performance within an organizational area. The best way to understand performance is to observe what people actually do to be successful rather than relying on assumptions pertaining to trait and intelligence. The best way to measure and predict performance is to assess whether people have key competencies. Competencies can be learnt and developed. They should be made visible/accessible. They should be linked to meaningful life outcomes that describe how people should perform in the real world 3|P a ge Common difference Competencies & Job Description. Competencies †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Underlying characteristic of a person’s inputs. Clusters of knowledge, attitudes and skills. Generic knowledge motive, trait, social role or a skill. Personal characteristics. Set of skills, related knowledge and attributes. On the other hand, Job Description †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Superior performance in a given job, role or a situation. Individual’s ability to perform. Linked to superior performance on the job. Contribute to effective managerial performance. Successfully perform a task or an activity within a specific function or job. 4|P a ge 2. What are the different types of competencies? What is their relevance? 1. Behavioral Competency: Behaviors, knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics that contribute to individual success in the organization ? ? ? Can apply to all (or most) jobs in an organization or be specific to a job family, career level or position For example:- teamwork and cooperation, communication Focus on the person 2. Technical or functional Competency: Specific knowledge and skills needed to be able to perform one’s job effectively ? ? ? Job specific and relate to success in a given job or job family For example:- knowledge of accounting principles, knowledge of human resource law and practice Focus on the job A trainer requires a different set of competencies than an accountant, and a teller requires a different set than a maintenance worker. If there are different levels within the same position, then each job level might also have its own set of vertically derived competencies 3. Core Competency: ? ? A core competency is defined as an internal capability that is critical to the success of business. These are organizational competencies that all individuals are expected to possess. These competencies define what the organization values the most in people. For example:- an organization might want each individual to possess teamwork, flexibility and communication skills. 5|P a ge 4. Threshold competency: ? ? The characteristics required by a jobholder to perform a job effectively are called threshold competencies. For the position of a typist it is necessary to have primary knowledge about typing, which is a threshold competency. 5. Differentiating competency: ? ? The characteristics, which differentiate superior performers from average performers, come under this category; such characteristics are not found in average performers. Knowledge of formatting is a competency that makes a typist to superior to others in performance, which is a differentiating competency. 6|P a ge 3. What is the difference between Assessment Centre and Development Centre? Differences between Assessment and Development centers Assessment centers usually ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Have a pass/fail criteria are geared towards filing a job vacancy address an immediate organizational need have fewer assessors and more participants involve line managers as assessors have less emphasis placed on self-assessment focus on what the candidate can do now are geared to meet the needs of the organization assign the role of judge to assessors place emphasis on selection with little or no developmental feedback and follow up give feedback at a later date involve the organization having control over the information obtained have very little pre-centre briefing tend to be used with external candidates. Development centers usually ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? do not have a pass/fail criteria are geared towards developing the individual address a longer term need have a 1:1 ratio of assessor to participant do not have line managers as assessors have a greater emphasis placed on self-assessment focus on potential are geared to meet needs of the individual as well as the organization assign the role of facilitator to assessors place emphasis on developmental feedback and follow up with little or no selection function 7|P a ge ? ? ? ? give feedback immediately involve the individual having control over the information obtained have a substantial pre-centre briefing tend to be used with internal candidates 8|P a ge 4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of Assessment Centre and Development Centre? Assessment Centers: Assessment centers consist of a number of exercises designed to assess the full range of skills and personal attributes required for the job. Advantages: ? Assessment centers map the next level challenges and simulate them in exercises. This raises the validity of the assessment tool. The old way of evaluating the person based on past performance does not work many times, as the challenges of the next level are different from the challenges in the existing position. Assessment centers not only help the organization in placing the right candidate for the right job/assignment but also help in developing the participants. When participants see others handling the same exercise differently, it gives them an insight into their own performance thereby raises the credibility of the selection procedure. It appeals to the lay person’s logic and therefore is regarded as a fair means of assessment by the participants. Assessment Centers can be customized for different kinds of jobs, competencies and organizational requirements. They are far more accurate than a standard recruitment process as they allow a broader range of selection methods to be used during the process. They enable interviewers to assess existing performance as well as predict future job performance. They give the opportunity to assess and differentiate between candidates who seem very similar – in terms of quality – on paper. They give the candidates a better insight into the role as they are tested on exercises, which are typical for the role they have applied for. They help employers build an employer brand. Candidates who attend assessment centers which genuinely reflect the job and the organization are often impressed by that company, even if they are rejected. The cost of an assessment centre is usually cheaper compared with the potential cost of many recruitment phases and the cost of recruitment errors. 9|P a ge ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? They are a fair process – they complement an organization’s diversity agenda and ensure that people are selected on the basis of merit alone. Disadvantages: ? ? ? ? ? Assessment Centers are very costly and time consuming. Assessment Centers requires highly skilled observers as the observers may bring in their own perceptions and biases while evaluating. Those who receive poor assessment might become de-motivated and might lose confidence in their abilities. New recruits with high expectations can feel disappointed if the assessment centre has encouraged them to believe the job or organization fits their values if, in fact, it does not. If you haven’t defined the key competencies prior to the event – and a way to measure these competencies – you will only be able to compare candidates on anecdotal details.

University College

David John Lodge was born on January 28, 1935, in London’s lower-middle-class East End, the only son of a musician father and a staunchly Catholic mother. The family’s straitened economic situation, his conservative Catholic upbringing, and the dangers of wartime London left their mark on young David. He began his first novel (unpublished) at eighteen while still a student at University College, London, where he received his B. A. in English (with first honors) in 1955 and an M. A. in 1959.Between times Lodge performed what was then an obligatory National Service (1955-1957). Although the two years were in a sense wasted, his stint in the army did give him time to complete his first published novel, The Picturegoers , and material for his second, Ginger, You’re Barmy , as well as the impetus to continue his studies.In 1959 he married to Mary Frances Jacob; they had three children. After a year working as an assistant at the British Council, Lodge joined the facul ty at the University of Birmingham, where he completed his Ph. D. in 1969; he eventually attained the position of full professor of modern English literature in 1976. The mid-1960’s proved an especially important period in Lodge’s personal and professional life.He became close friends with fellow critic and novelist Malcolm Bradbury (then also at Birmingham), under whose influence Lodge wrote his first comic novel, The British Museum Is Falling Down , for which the publisher, not so comically, forgot to distribute review copies; he was awarded a Harkness Commonwealth Fellowship to study and travel in the United States for a year (1964-1965); he published his first critical study, the influential The Language of Fiction (1966); and he learned that his third child, Christopher, suffered from Down syndrome (a biographical fact that manifests itself obliquely at the end of Out of the Shelter and more overtly in one of the plots of How Far Can You Go? ).Lodge’s secon d trip to the United States, this time as visiting professor of English at the University of California at Berkeley in 1969, during the height of the Free Speech Movement and political unrest, played its part in the conceiving and writing of his second comic novel, Changing Places , as did the critical essays he was then writing and would later collect in The Novelist at the Crossroads (1971) and Working with Structuralism (1981). The cash award that went along with the Whitbread Prize for his next novel, How Far Can You Go? , enabled Lodge to reduce his teaching duties to half-year and to devote himself more fully to his writing.He transformed his participation in the Modern Language Association’s 1978 conference in New York, the 1979 James Joyce Symposium in Zurich, and a three-week world tour of conferences and British Council speaking engagements into his most commercially successful book, Small World , later adapted for British television. His reputation growing and his financial situation brightening, Lodge donated all royalties from his next book, Write On: Occasional Essays, ’65-’85 (1986), to CARE (Cottage and Rural Enterprises), which maintains communities for mentally handicapped adults. In 1987 he took advantage of early retirement (part of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s austerity plan for British universities) so that he could work full time as a writer. Lodge soon published Paradise News (1991) and Therapy (1995).He also published two collections of essays, After Bakhtin: Essays on Fiction and Criticism (1990) The Art of Fiction (1992), and a comedic play, The Writing Game (1991). Especially popular for his academic novels, Lodge enjoyed an increasingly strong critical reception in the 1990’s. The Writing Game was adapted for television in 1996, and Lodge was named a Fellow of Goldsmith’s College in London in 1992. In 1996 he published The Practice of Writing , a collection of seventeen essays on the creative process. In this text he treats fiction writers who have influenced him, from James Joyce to Anthony Burgess, and comments on the contemporary novelist and the world of publishing; the main focus, however, is on adapting his own work, as well as the work of Charles Dickens and Harold Pinter, for television.Lodge remained a supporter of CARE and other organizations supporting the mentally handicapped (the subject of mental handicaps appears briefly in Therapy in a reference to the central character’s sister’s dedication to a mentally handicapped son). He retained the title of Honorary Professor of Modern English Literature at the University of Birmingham. In addition to interests in television, theater, and film, Lodge maintained an interest in tennis that is sometimes reflected in the novels. Literary Forms Mediating between theory and practice, David Lodge has proved himself one of England’s ablest and most interesting literary critics. Among his influ ential critical books are The Language of Fiction (1966) and The Novelist at the Crossroads (1971).In addition to his novels and criticism, he has written short stories, television screenplays of some of his novels, and (in collaboration with Malcolm Bradbury and Jim Duckett) several satirical revues. Achievements As a novelist Lodge has made his mark in three seemingly distinct yet, in Lodge’s case, surprisingly congruent areas: as a writer of Catholic novels, of â€Å"campus fiction,† and of works that somehow manage to be at once realist and postmodern. The publication of Changing Places in 1975 and Small World nine years later brought Lodge to the attention of a much larger (especially American) audience. Changing Places won both the Yorkshire Post and Hawthornden prizes, How Far Can You Go?received the Whitbread Award, and Nice Work was shortlisted for Great Britain’s prestigious Booker Prize. Literary Analysis In order to understand David Lodge’s no vels, it is necessary to place them in the context of postwar British literature—the â€Å"Movement† writers and â€Å"angry young men† of the 1950’s, whose attacks on the English class system had an obvious appeal to the author of The Picturegoers , the English Catholic novel and â€Å"campus novel† traditions, and finally the postmodernism to which British fiction (it is often claimed) has proved especially resistant. In addition, Lodge’s novels are significantly and doubly autobiographical. They draw not only on important events in the author’s life, but also on his work as a literary critic.In The Language of Fiction Lodge defends the aesthetic validity and continuing viabilty of realist writing on the basis of linguistic mastery rather than fidelity to life, and in The Novelist at the Crossroads he rejects Robert Scholes’s bifurcation of contemporary fiction into fabulistic and journalistic modes, positing the â€Å"probl ematic novel† in which the novelist innovatively builds his hesitation as to which mode to adopt into the novel. Lodge’s own novels are profoundly pluralistic yet manifest the author’s clear sense of aesthetic, social, and personal limitations as well as his awareness of working both within and against certain traditions and forms. The Picturegoers Set in a lower-middle-class area of London much like the one in which Lodge grew up, The Picturegoers is an interesting and even ambitious work marred by melodramatic excesses. As the plural of its title implies, The Picturegoers deals with a fairly large number of more or less main characters.Lodge’s title also is indicative of his narrative method: abrupt cinematic shifts between the different plots, use of a similarly shifting focalizing technique, and a stylizing of the narrative discourse in order to reflect features of an individual character’s verbal thought patterns. Of the seven main characters, Mark Underwood is the most important. A lapsed Catholic and aspiring writer, he arrives in London, rents a room in the home of a conservative Catholic family, the Mallorys, and falls in love with the daughter, Clare, formerly a Catholic novitiate. The affair will change them: Clare will become sexually awakened and then skeptical when Mark abandons her for the Catholicism from which she has begun to distance herself.Interestingly, his return to the Church seems selfish and insincere, an ironic sign not of his redemption but of his bad faith. Ginger, You’re Barmy Dismissed by its author as a work of â€Å"missed possibilities† and an â€Å"act of revenge† against Great Britain’s National Service, Ginger, You’re Barmy continues Lodge’s dual exploration of narrative technique and moral matters and largely succeeds on the basis of the solution Lodge found for the technical problem which the writing of the novel posed: how to write a novel about the tedium of military life without making the novel itself tedious to read. Lodge solved the problem by choosing to concentrate the action and double his narrator-protagonist Jonathan Browne’s story.Lodge focuses the story on the first few weeks of basic training, particularly Jonathan’s relationship with the altruistic and highly, though conservatively, principled Mike Brady, a poorly educated Irish Catholic, who soon runs afoul of the military authorities; on the accidental death or perhaps suicide of Percy Higgins; and on Jonathan’s last days before being mustered out two years later. Lodge then frames this already-doubled story with the tale of Jonathan’s telling, or writing, of these events three years later, with Jonathan now married (to Mike’s former girlfriend), having spent the past three years awaiting Mike’s release from prison. The novel’s frame structure suggests that Jonathan has improved morally from the self-centered agnostic he was to the selfless friend he has become, but his telling problematizes the issue of his development.Between Mike’s naive faith and Jonathan’s intellectual self-consciousness and perhaps self-serving confession there opens up an abyss of uncertainty for the reader. The British Museum Is Falling Down This moral questioning takes a very different form in Lodge’s next novel. The British Museum Is Falling Down is a parodic pastiche about a day in the highly literary and (sexually) very Catholic life of Adam Appleby, a twenty-five-year- old graduate student trying to complete his dissertation before his stipend is depleted and his growing family overwhelms his slender financial resources. Desperate but by no means in despair, Adam begins to confuse literature and life as each event in the wildly improbable series that makes up his day unfolds in its own uniquely parodied style.The parodies are fun but also have a semiserious purpose, the undermining of al l forms of authority, religious as well as literary. Parodic in form, The British Museum Is Falling Down is comic in intent in that Lodge wrote it in the expectation of change in the church’s position on birth control. The failure of this expectation would lead Lodge fifteen years later to turn the comedy inside out in his darker novel, How Far Can You Go? Out of the Shelter Published after The British Museum Is Falling Down but conceived earlier, Out of the Shelter is a more serious but also less successful novel. Modeled on a trip Lodge made to Germany when he was sixteen, Out of the Shelter attempts to combine the Bildungsroman and the Jamesian international novel.In three parts of increasing length, the novel traces the life of Timothy Young from his earliest years in the London blitz to the four weeks he spends in Heidelberg in the early 1950’s with his sister, who works for the American army of occupation. With the help of those he meets, Timothy begins the proce ss of coming out of the shelter of home, conservative Catholicism, unambitious lower-middle-class parents, provincial, impoverished England, and sexual immaturity into a world of abundance as well as ambiguity. Lodge’s Joycean stylization of Timothy’s maturing outlook proves much less successful than his portrayal of Timothy’s life as a series of transitions in which the desire for freedom is offset by a desire for shelter, the desire to participate by the desire to observe.Even in the epilogue, Timothy, now thirty, married, and in the United States on a study grant, finds himself dissatisfied (even though he has clearly done better than any of the novel’s other characters) and afraid of the future. Changing Places Lodge translates that fear into a quite different key in Changing Places. Here Lodge’s genius for combining opposites becomes fully evident as the serious Timothy Young gives way to the hapless English liberal-humanist Philip Swallow, wh o leaves the shelter of the University of Rummidge for the expansive pleasures of the State University of Euphoria in Plotinus (Berkeley). Swallow is half of Lodge’s faculty and narrative exchange program; the other is Morris Zapp, also forty, an academic Norman Mailer, arrogant and ambitious.Cartoonish as his characters—or rather caricatures—may be, Lodge makes them and their complementary as well as parallel misadventures in foreign parts humanly interesting. The real energy of Changing Places lies, however, in the intersecting plots and styles of this â€Å"duplex† novel. The first two chapters, â€Å"Flying† and â€Å"Settling,† get the novel off to a self-consciously omniscient but otherwise conventional start. â€Å"Corresponding,† however, switches to the epistolary mode, and â€Å"Reading† furthers the action (and the virtuosic display) by offering a series of newspaper items, press releases, flysheets, and the like. â €Å"Changing† reverts to conventional narration (but in a highly stylized way), and â€Å"Ending† takes the form of a filmscript.Set at a time of political activism and literary innovation, Changing Places is clearly a â€Å"problematic novel† written by a â€Å"novelist at the crossroads,† aware of the means at his disposal but unwilling to privilege any one over any or all of the others. How Far Can You Go? Lodge puts the postmodern plays of Changing Places to a more overtly serious purpose in How Far Can You Go? It is a work more insistently referential than any of Lodge’s other novels but also paradoxically more self-questioning: a fiction about the verifiably real world that nevertheless radically insists upon its own status as fiction. The novel switches back and forth between the sometimes discrete, yet always ultimately related stories of its ten main characters as freely as it does between the mimetic levels of the story and its narration. The parts make up an interconnected yet highly discontinuous whole, tracing the lives of its ten characters from 1952 (when nine are university students and members of a Catholic study group led by the tenth, Father Brierly) through the religious, sexual, and sociopolitical changes of the 1960’s and 1970’s to the deaths of two popes, the installation of the conservative John Paul II, and the writing of the novel How Far Can You Go? in 1978. The authorial narrator’s attitude toward his characters is at once distant and familiar, condescending and compassionate. Their religious doubts and moral questions strike the reader as quaintly naive, the result of a narrowly Catholic upbringing. Yet the lives of reader and characters as well as authorial narrator are also strangely parallel in that (to borrow Lodge’s own metaphor) each is involved in a game of Snakes and Ladders, moving narratively, psychologically, socially, and religiously ahead one moment, only to fall suddenly behind the next.The characters stumble into sexual maturity, marry, have children, have affairs, get divorced, declare their homosexuality, suffer illnesses, breakdowns, and crises of faith, convert to other religions, and join to form Catholics for an Open Church. All the while the authorial narrator of this most postmodern of post- Vatican II novels proceeds with self-conscious caution, possessed of his own set of doubts, as he moves toward the open novel. Exploring various lives, plots, voices, and styles, Lodge’s artfully wrought yet ultimately provisional narrative keeps circling back to the question that troubles his characters: â€Å"How far can you go? † in the search for what is vital in the living of a life and the writing (or reading) of a novel. Small WorldLodge goes still further, geographically as well as narratively speaking, in his next novel. A campus fiction for the age of the â€Å"global campus,† Small World begins at a decided ly provincial meeting in Rummidge in 1978 and ends at a mammoth Modern Language Association conference in New York one year later, with numerous international stops in between as Lodge recycles characters and invents a host of intersecting stories (or narrative flight paths). The pace is frenetic and thematically exhaustive but, for the delighted reader, never exhausting. The basic plot upon which Lodge plays his add-on variations begins when Persse McGarrigle—poet and â€Å"conference virgin†Ã¢â‚¬â€meets the elusive Angelica Pabst.As Angelica pursues literary theory at a number of international conferences, Persse pursues her, occasionally glimpsing her sister, a pornographic actress, Lily Papps, whom he mistakes for Angelica. Meanwhile, characters from earlier Lodge novels reappear to engage in affairs and rivalries, all in the international academic milieu. A parody of (among other things) the medieval quest, Lodge’s highly allusive novel proves at once ente rtaining and instructive as it combines literary modes, transforms the traditional novel’s world of characters into semiotics’ world of signs, and turns the tables on contemporary literary theory’s celebrated demystifications by demystifying it. At novel’s end, Lodge makes a guest appearance, and Persse makes an exit, in pursuit of another object of his chaste desire.The quest continues, but that narrative fact does not mean that the novel necessarily endorses the kind of extreme open-endedness or inconclusiveness that characterizes certain contemporary literary theories. Rather, the novel seems to side with the reconstructed Morris Zapp, who has lost his faith in deconstruction, claiming that although the deferral of meaning may be endless, the individual is not: â€Å"Death is the one concept you can’t deconstruct. Work back from there and you end up with the old idea of an autonomous self. † Nice Work Zapp’s reduced expectations ty pify Lodge’s eighth novel, Nice Work , set almost entirely in Rummidge but also—as in How Far Can You Go? —evidencing his interest in bringing purely literary and academic matters to bear on larger social issues.The essential doubleness of this geographically circumscribed novel manifests itself in a series of contrasts: between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, literature and life, the Industrial Midlands and Margaret Thatcher’s economically thriving (but morally bankrupt) London, male and female, and the novel’s two main characters. Vic Wilcox, age forty-six, managing director of a family-named but conglomerate-owned foundry, rather ironically embodies the male qualities his name implies. Robyn Penrose is everything Vic Wilcox is not: young, attractive, intellectual, cosmopolitan, idealistic, politically aware, sexually liberated, as androgynous as her name, and, as temporary lecturer in women’s studies and the nineteenth century nov el, ill-paid. The differences between the two are evident even in the narrative language, as Lodge takes pains to unobtrusively adjust discourse to character.The sections devoted to Vic, â€Å"a phallic sort of bloke,† are appropriately straightforward, whereas those dealing with Robyn, a character who â€Å"doesn’t believe in character,† reflect her high degree of self-awareness. In order to bring the two characters and their quite different worlds together, Lodge invents an Industry Year Shadow Scheme that involves Robyn’s following Vic around one workday per week for a semester. Both are at first reluctant participants. Displeasure slowly turns into dialogue, and dialogue eventually leads to bed, with sexual roles reversed. Along the way Lodge smuggles in a considerable amount of literary theory as Vic and Robyn enter each other’s worlds and words: the phallo and logocentric literalmindedness of the one coming up against the feminist-semiotic aw areness of the other.Each comes to understand, even appreciate, the other. Lodge does not stop there. His ending is implausible, in fact flatly unconvincing, but deliberately so—a parody of the only solutions that, as Robyn points out to her students, the Victorian novelists were able or willing to offer to â€Å"the problems of industrial capitalism: a legacy, a marriage, emigration or death. † Robyn will receive two proposals of marriage, a lucrative job offer, and an inheritance that will enable her to finance the small company Vic, recently fired, will found and direct and also enable her to stay on at Rummidge to try to make her utopian dream of an educated, classless English society a reality.The impossibly happy ending suggests just how slim her chances for success are, but the very existence of Lodge’s novel seems to undermine this irony, leaving Nice Work and its reader on the border between aspiration and limitation, belief and skepticism, the romance of how things should be and the reality, or realism, of how things are—a border area that is one of the hallmarks of Lodge’s fiction. Paradise News Paradise News centers on the quest motif and the conflicts of a postmodern English Catholic. Bernard Walsh, a â€Å"sceptical theologican,† was formerly a priest but now teaches theology at the University of Rummidge. Summoned, along with his father, to see his aunt, who left England after World War II and is now dying in Hawaii, Walsh signs up for a package tour to save money. The rumpled son and his curmudgeon father join a comic assortment of honeymooners, disgruntled families, and other eccentrics; Lodge calls an airport scene â€Å"carnivalesque.† When the father breaks his leg on the first morning, Bernard must negotiate to bring his father and his aunt together so that his aunt can finally reveal and overcome the sexual abuse she suffered in childhood. Bernard’s journey to Hawaii becomes a journe y of discovery in his sexual initiation with Yolande, who gently leads him to know himself and his body. A major theme, as the title suggests, is â€Å"paradise. † Hawaii is the false paradise—paradise lost, fallen, or packaged by the tourist industry—yet a beautiful, natural backdrop is there, however worn and sullied. Paradise emerges from within the individuals who learn to talk to one another. The â€Å"news† from paradise includes Bernard’s long letter to himself, which he secretly delivers to Yolande, and letters home from members of the tour group.As with Lodge’s other novels, prominent themes are desire and repression in English Catholic families and a naive academic’s quest for self. In a complex tangle of human vignettes, Bernard moves from innocence and repression to an awakening of both body and spirit—an existential journey that is both comic and poignant. Therapy Therapy centers on another spiritual and existentia l quest. Lawrence (Tubby) Passmore, successful writer of television comedies, is troubled by knee pains and by anxiety that leads him, after reading the works of Soren Kierkegaard, to consider himself the â€Å"unhappiest man. † Seeking psychotherapy, aromatherapy, massage therapy, and acupuncture, Tubby moves through a haze of guilt and anxiety.When his wife of thirty years asks for a divorce, he seeks solace with a series of women, with each quest ending in comic failure. Obsessed with Kierkegaard’s unrequited love, Tubby launches a quest for the sweetheart whom he feels he wronged in adolescence. Lodge’s concern with the blurring of literary forms is evident in Tubby’s preoccupation with writing in his journal, sometimes writing Browningesque monologues for other characters. Opening with an epigraph from Graham Greene asserting that writing itself is â€Å"therapy,† Lodge takes Tubby through a quest for self through writing that coincides with a literal pilgrimage when he joins his former sweetheart, Maureen, on a hiking pilgrimage in Spain.When Tubby at last finds Maureen, her recollections of their teenage romance minimize his guilt, and his troubles seem trivial in comparison with her losing a son and surviving breast cancer. At the end, Tubby is planning a trip (a pilgrimage) to Kierkegaard’s home with Maureen and her husband. Tubby’s real therapy has been self-discovery through writing in his journal; other therapies and journeys have failed. Intertwined with existential angst, Tubby’s physical and psychological journeys are both comic and sad, with an underlying sense of the power of human goodness and the need to overcome repressions. Findings and discussion Conclusion References