Metamorphosis

This tale depicts the struggles of Franz Kava's life. Kafka Is essentially Gregory because Kava's father considered him a failure for wanting to become a writer rather than a businessman. The temperament of Kava's father is very similar to that of Cargoes father. Gregory is presented as an exaggeration of Kava's life. Kafka seems to have felt like a creature trapped in a room and could not leave in order to escape further abuse. The Metamorphosis is no more than a hyperbole for the emotional and physical abuse that Kava's family put him through.Early on in Burnoose's translation, the sorrows and hardships that Gregory eels are reflected upon: â€Å"Good Lord,† he thought, â€Å"what an exhausting profession Vie chosen. Day in and day out on the road. Work like this is far more unsettling than business conducted at home, and then I have the agony of traveling itself to contend with: worrying about train connections, the irregular, and unpalatable meals, and human intercourse t hat is constantly changing, never developing the least constancy or warmth.Devil take it all! † (Breakfronts) Gregory is clearly unhappy with his profession as Kafka was unhappy In the field of business and wanted to become the write that he longed to be. Gorge's transformation or metamorphosis can be perceived as a hypothetical situation. Gregory morphing into an insect could be what Kafka sees happening when telling his family that he wants to be a writer. Gregory feels that he has failed his family and they are ashamed of him, even at points not even sure that the insect is still Gregory.This represents his family's theoretical disobedient of him if he were to quit the path of business for a writing career. This scene Is reinforced In Peter Supper's graphic representation of Kava's The Metamorphosis. This Idea Is graphically represented from pages 9-17 In Supers adaptation. In Burnoose's translation, this idea took up about half a page, which is vastly different form the gr aphic novel. Super clearly spent a lot of time on this scene and decided to make the salesman in the comic to look much like Franz Kafka.The graphics show Gregory constantly being belittled and unhappy. Gregory is shown to be a ticking time bomb. On page 17 in Supper's version, Gorge's father is seen for the first time In a very Intimidating and demanding tone while he bangs on Gorge's door, yelling â€Å"GREGORY, Greatcoat's going on? † (Super 1 7) It is interesting that Super makes the human version of Gregory to look like Kafka and for the father to be a very frightening character.Later on in part two, short after Gregory startles his mother causing her to faint, a violent interaction occurs between Gregory and his father: â€Å"All at once something flew to the rug beside him, casually flung, and rolled horror, Gregory stopped in his tracks; there was no point continuing to run now that his father had decided to bombard him†¦. The petite red apples rolled around the floor as id electrified, knocking into each other. One lightly lobbed apple grazed Gorge's back and slid off again harmlessly. But it was immediately followed by another that embedded itself in his back. (Burnooses 84) This is relatable to the life of Franz Kafka. Kava's father was so obsessed with the idea of Franz become a businessman like he was that he beat him when he found out that he wanted to be a writer instead. The â€Å"insect† that Gregory could be seen as the failure of a businessman that Kava's father saw in him. Also it is interesting that Kava's weapon of choice was an apple. The apple, biblically, is a weapon of evil as seen in the story of Adam and Eve. This scene happens relatively fast in Supper's graphic novel from pages 47-50.Super made the father look very angry, towering, and mean, while making Gregory look defenseless and confused about what is being done to him. This could be depicted as Kafka being beaten for not being what he was expected to be by his father. Kafka does not understand why he is beaten abused as Gregory seems to feel judging by the images in the graphic novel along with the many â€Å"? s† in thought bubbles. Super seems to have glossed over many scenes included in Burnoose's translation of The Metamorphosis. Super seems to focus more on Gorge's interactions with his family and briefly time within the head of Gregory.It is understood that Super uses a different translation than that of Burnoose's. Super tends to make scenes more intense and dark as compared to Burnooses and that could very well be a result of the use of a different translation. English translations of Kava's novel cannot be exactly translated over to English. These translations have a lot of open room to input personal perceptions of scenes by the authors. Super clearly uses artistic styles in his graphic representation. Super explicitly makes retain scenes all over the place if it is meant to be that way.In. Some cases he gives many f lashes such as the scene where Gregory dies (Super 69), but on the next two pages Super spreads the scene throughout two pages. He makes the scene dark, but has light and clarity shining through, which is something Gregory experiences less as the story unfolds and he deteriorates (Super If Super wants the reader to understand that the scene is significant, he made it large and with less going on, using pages 70-71 and pages 78-79 as examples. Gregory Same is comparable to Franz Kafka in so many ways.This is seen throughout both translations of The Metamorphosis as discussed. Gregory is a failure to his family as Kafka was a failure in the eyes of his father. Gorge's metamorphosis is Kafka becoming a writer and his family cannot accept him for who he really is, which ultimately leads to his deterioration and death. Burnooses chose to make this novel more focused on the thoughts of Gregory and the solitude of his room while Super includes mostly family/ human interactions in a very da rk and intense manner. The Metamorphosis is an allegory that depicts the twisted life of Franz Kafka. Metamorphosis This tale depicts the struggles of Franz Kava's life. Kafka Is essentially Gregory because Kava's father considered him a failure for wanting to become a writer rather than a businessman. The temperament of Kava's father is very similar to that of Cargoes father. Gregory is presented as an exaggeration of Kava's life. Kafka seems to have felt like a creature trapped in a room and could not leave in order to escape further abuse. The Metamorphosis is no more than a hyperbole for the emotional and physical abuse that Kava's family put him through.Early on in Burnoose's translation, the sorrows and hardships that Gregory eels are reflected upon: â€Å"Good Lord,† he thought, â€Å"what an exhausting profession Vie chosen. Day in and day out on the road. Work like this is far more unsettling than business conducted at home, and then I have the agony of traveling itself to contend with: worrying about train connections, the irregular, and unpalatable meals, and human intercourse t hat is constantly changing, never developing the least constancy or warmth.Devil take it all! † (Breakfronts) Gregory is clearly unhappy with his profession as Kafka was unhappy In the field of business and wanted to become the write that he longed to be. Gorge's transformation or metamorphosis can be perceived as a hypothetical situation. Gregory morphing into an insect could be what Kafka sees happening when telling his family that he wants to be a writer. Gregory feels that he has failed his family and they are ashamed of him, even at points not even sure that the insect is still Gregory.This represents his family's theoretical disobedient of him if he were to quit the path of business for a writing career. This scene Is reinforced In Peter Supper's graphic representation of Kava's The Metamorphosis. This Idea Is graphically represented from pages 9-17 In Supers adaptation. In Burnoose's translation, this idea took up about half a page, which is vastly different form the gr aphic novel. Super clearly spent a lot of time on this scene and decided to make the salesman in the comic to look much like Franz Kafka.The graphics show Gregory constantly being belittled and unhappy. Gregory is shown to be a ticking time bomb. On page 17 in Supper's version, Gorge's father is seen for the first time In a very Intimidating and demanding tone while he bangs on Gorge's door, yelling â€Å"GREGORY, Greatcoat's going on? † (Super 1 7) It is interesting that Super makes the human version of Gregory to look like Kafka and for the father to be a very frightening character.Later on in part two, short after Gregory startles his mother causing her to faint, a violent interaction occurs between Gregory and his father: â€Å"All at once something flew to the rug beside him, casually flung, and rolled horror, Gregory stopped in his tracks; there was no point continuing to run now that his father had decided to bombard him†¦. The petite red apples rolled around the floor as id electrified, knocking into each other. One lightly lobbed apple grazed Gorge's back and slid off again harmlessly. But it was immediately followed by another that embedded itself in his back. (Burnooses 84) This is relatable to the life of Franz Kafka. Kava's father was so obsessed with the idea of Franz become a businessman like he was that he beat him when he found out that he wanted to be a writer instead. The â€Å"insect† that Gregory could be seen as the failure of a businessman that Kava's father saw in him. Also it is interesting that Kava's weapon of choice was an apple. The apple, biblically, is a weapon of evil as seen in the story of Adam and Eve. This scene happens relatively fast in Supper's graphic novel from pages 47-50.Super made the father look very angry, towering, and mean, while making Gregory look defenseless and confused about what is being done to him. This could be depicted as Kafka being beaten for not being what he was expected to be by his father. Kafka does not understand why he is beaten abused as Gregory seems to feel judging by the images in the graphic novel along with the many â€Å"? s† in thought bubbles. Super seems to have glossed over many scenes included in Burnoose's translation of The Metamorphosis. Super seems to focus more on Gorge's interactions with his family and briefly time within the head of Gregory.It is understood that Super uses a different translation than that of Burnoose's. Super tends to make scenes more intense and dark as compared to Burnooses and that could very well be a result of the use of a different translation. English translations of Kava's novel cannot be exactly translated over to English. These translations have a lot of open room to input personal perceptions of scenes by the authors. Super clearly uses artistic styles in his graphic representation. Super explicitly makes retain scenes all over the place if it is meant to be that way.In. Some cases he gives many f lashes such as the scene where Gregory dies (Super 69), but on the next two pages Super spreads the scene throughout two pages. He makes the scene dark, but has light and clarity shining through, which is something Gregory experiences less as the story unfolds and he deteriorates (Super If Super wants the reader to understand that the scene is significant, he made it large and with less going on, using pages 70-71 and pages 78-79 as examples. Gregory Same is comparable to Franz Kafka in so many ways.This is seen throughout both translations of The Metamorphosis as discussed. Gregory is a failure to his family as Kafka was a failure in the eyes of his father. Gorge's metamorphosis is Kafka becoming a writer and his family cannot accept him for who he really is, which ultimately leads to his deterioration and death. Burnooses chose to make this novel more focused on the thoughts of Gregory and the solitude of his room while Super includes mostly family/ human interactions in a very da rk and intense manner. The Metamorphosis is an allegory that depicts the twisted life of Franz Kafka.

American Psycho: Obsession comes from the inability

To be successful and functional members of society, we must always be evolving with its changes. But once we grow negligent towards other aspects of our lives, and focus on one only, negative effects inevitably follow. Obsession renders us dysfunctional citizens due to our inability to maintain balance in our lives, and to accept understand ourselves as we are. In the novel, American Psycho, by Bret Gaston Ellis, Patrick Bateman, a Manhattan socialite, Is a caricature by which the horrors of obsession are demonstrated.These fixations demonstrate that obsession comes from the inability to accept oneself. In the following paragraphs, we support our argument by considering the fixations of Bateman with physical beauty, success and Jealousy, and murder and gore. Batsman's fixation with physical beauty are clearly seen when he Is engaged in bragging and putting his wealth on display for the audience and later, for emphasis, cleansing with expensive products. Bateman spends his days In Ind ulgence of wealth; he snorts cocaine, goes to clubs, and feeds his addiction to expensive labels. Take the ice-pack mask off and use a deep-pore cleanser lotion, then an herb-mint facial masque†¦ I use the Bright tooth polisher and next the Interplay tooth polisher†¦ In the shower I use first a water-activated gel cleanser, then a honey- almond body scrub†¦ L always use an aftershave lotion with little or alcohol, because alcohol dries your face out, and makes you look older. † (26-27) He is motivated by his need for physical beauty to spend hours of every day fulfilling extensive cosmetic and exercise rituals.He is very specific about his products, settling for no less than â€Å"a deep-pore cleanser lotion,† and â€Å"an herb-mint facial masque. † HIS routines are detailed carefully so as to avoid any damage to his beauty, such as using alcohol, which â€Å"dries your face out, and makes you look older. † This obsession Is born from his In security about his physical attractiveness. Throughout the book, Bateman is portrayed as being anxious about his looks, asking, â€Å"WOWS my hair? † (232) on numerous occasions. When he is uncomfortable in a social situation tit an ex-girlfriend, Pee immediately becomes self-conscious, â€Å"What? I panic, immediately touching my hair. â€Å"Too much mousse? † (236). Later in the book, he expresses his concerns about becoming addicted to exercise. When confronted, he states, â€Å"You can always be thinner, look better. (372)† This obsession with his physical appearance clearly derived from his inability to accept himself physically. Batsman's dissatisfaction with his career is apparent when he expresses his frustration about being a useless member of the Pierce & Pierce firm which his father rustically owns.This dissatisfaction cultivates into an obsessive Jealousy of Paul â€Å"Hello, Owen,† I say, admiring the way he's styled and slicked back his hai r, with a part so even and sharp it†¦ Devastates me and I make a mental note to ask him where he purchases his hair-care products, which kind of mousse he uses, my final guess after mulling over the possibilities being Ten -X. â€Å"(1 1 1) From the introduction of Paul Owen in the novel until his murder, Bateman remains fixated on Omen's success and handling of a prestigious account.There are numerous occasions in which he asks or thinks about this such as, â€Å"Owen is standing near the bar†¦ I'm about to walk over and mention something about that damned Fischer account†¦ † (185). Batsman's obsession with Omen's successful career comes from the dissatisfaction with his own. This is apparent when asked about work Patrick expresses frustration saying, â€Å"l Just don't want to talk about†¦ Work†¦ I hate it. â€Å"(237). As Batsman's fixation with Paul Owen and his success grows, he is less and less able to accept himself, and his failing career u ntil he is able to murder Owen ND rid himself of his obsession.Such actions clearly imply that Batsman's obsession was born from his inability to accept himself. Batsman's inability to accept and understand himself cultivates in an obsession with murder and gore. This is demonstrated throughout the novel when he murders, rapes, and tortures several people for little to no reason. He is incapable of accepting and coping with his pain and thus becomes fixated on inflicting it upon others. â€Å"My pain is constant and sharp and I do not hope for a better world for anyone, in act I want my pain to be inflicted on others.I want no one to escape, but even after admitting, I gain no deeper knowledge of myself†¦ † (201) Bateman expresses sorrow over not being able to understand himself, or to cope with and accept the pain of psychopaths. This lack of connection with himself results in his dissatisfaction with his life, because of which he does not hope for â€Å"a better world for anyone† and inflicts his pain unto others. His inability to accept and understand his own pain is the origin of his uncontrollable obsession with murder and gore.Patrick Batsman's insecurities and the obsessions derived from them are reflective of the issues modern society is confronted with. The obsession with physical beauty as a product of low self-esteem, the obsession with others' success as a product of one's inability to achieve their own, and the obsession with bringing pain upon others as a product of pain within oneself are the struggles that Patrick Bateman represents that will perhaps resonate forever with mankind; all of which support the argument that obsession originates from the lack of acceptance and understanding of oneself.

Employment Relationship

Literature Review: Employment Relationship Introduction Literature review is the method of having some intensive secondary information related with some specific issues and problems. In the context of this fact, the literature review presented within the paper, has aimed to reveal some different dimensions of employee and employer relationship in different cultures. There is a significant impact of surrounding environment and culture over any practice undertaken by a business organization.In this context, the literature review presents some crucial views of different authors and scholars regarding different nature and issues related with employee-employer relationship in different cultures. Employment relationship in the context of different cultures In different cultures, the presentation of the employment relationship can be done in different manner. There are different important issues and aspects of this relationship which can be explained in different manner in the context of di fferent cultural problems.Explaining this fact further, Singh (2010) has presented the employment relationship at the work place in the Indian context. In the views of the author, in line to the Indian culture, the employment relationship in the Indian is also quite ethical and concerned towards the betterment of the society as a whole. Works ethics and honesty is considered as the prime aspects of the commitment of the employee towards his organization. In response to this, the organizational values are also quite humanistic and in the favor of the employees developments.The author has highlighted the concept of emotional intelligence for the purpose of describing Employment relationship in the context of Indian organizations. As per the authors, managements of business organizations operating with the Indian culture, put emphasis over developing emotional and personal competencies in the employee as it leads enhance the perceived efficiency of the employee at the work place. In th e support of this, Ratnam (1998) has also asserted the diversity of workforce is the major characteristic of the Indian organizational culture.As Indian is a vast country which conceives diversity at a vast level, it becomes quite necessary for the employer to maintain a positive relationship with culturally diversified employees so that intra-organizational issues can be minimized in the most effective manner. In regard to this, issues related with intra-organization conflicts are quite natural in the context of Indian business organizations. Along with this, Sparrow (2006) has raised one more employment related issues in the context of Indian business organizations.As per the author, lack of motivation provided to employees, large availability of work force, and bureaucratic organizational structure commonly preferred by Indian organization are some of the highlighting factors of Indian business environment. In Indian organizational culture, a strict hierarchy and flow of order is followed, which sometimes leads to weaken the employment relationship at the work place. These are some of the critical factors and aspects related with employment relationship in Indian context which is quite different with that in the Anglo-American context.Different employment issues have also been highlighted by Drory and Vigoda-Gadot (2010) in the context of Israeli business organizations. As per the research conducted by the author, Israeli business organizations follow Islamic philosophy for commencing their business operations. As per such philosophy, there must be some specific rules and regulations confined by Islamic laws for the purpose of regulating different inter-organizational process. All the employees are strictly bound to follow such rules and regulation.In the views of the author, proper implication of Islamic law and regulation brings uniformity in the business operations of different related business organizations operating within the same market. Along with t his, high degree of discipline, and acceptance of work ethics are some crucial points of employment relationship within Islamic business organization. In the special reference of Israeli organizational culture, the author has demonstrated the implication of employment relationship in terms of organizational politics.In this context, the author has indicated towards the decreasing socialist ideology of the society that directly affects organizational policies and culture. The author has reflected has that in recent period of time, a declining trend of collectivism in Israeli business environment has been sighted, which cast a negative impact over perception of workers and employees regarding trade union. Employees have started to prefer individualism while resolving any issue with management.Obeidat, Shannak, Masa'deh, Al-Jarrah (2012) have demonstrated the Arabian Culture and work ethics followed within this culture quite prominently. As per the author, Arabian culture is quite cons ervative from the perspective of work ethics. All the ethics related with duty of employees, and moral and professional responsibilities of an employer are confined with the help of laws and rules of Islam. As per the findings of the author, Islamic philosophy followed within the culture of Arabian business organization considers honesty and fair treatment as the most desirable work ethic.In addition to this, the culture also implies that it is a moral responsibility of the employer to fulfill all the essential and basic needs of its employee. In support of Islamic perspective regarding employment relationship, Ahmad and Yekta (2010) have also elaborated the phenomena of employment relationship. The authors have elaborated their findings in the context of Iranian Cement Industry. The authors have found out that as per Iranian culture, support provided to employee to gain skills and competencies should be the major organizational philosophy of the organization.The cement industry of the country usually follows the phenomena of collective leadership as their core organizational philosophy. In addition to this, work ethics are considered at high priority in Iranian organizational culture. The authors have stated that prime shortcoming of this culture of the organization is that there is a gap between individual worker or employee and management, which directly leads to create an intra-organizational issues within organizational culture. Searle et al (2011) has reflected the perspective of employment relationship in the context of European business organization.The author has depicted in his literature that procedure and ideology of European business organization is quite different with that of the rest of the world. For this purpose the author has conducted an intensive online survey with different participants from different countries of the Europe such as Netherlands, Belgium, France, and Switzerland. As per the findings of survey, high employee involvement and engagement has been emerged as one of the major key aspects of employment relationship considered by business organizations in the European region.As per this ideology, employees are considered as the integral part and asset of the organization. The organizational performance is directly linked up with performance of employees. In this context, employee involvement becomes quite essential for the long term success of the organization. Owing to this reason, the definition of employment relationship becomes quite close in the context of European culture. In relation to this, Bassanini, Breda, Caroli and Reberioux (2010) have presented their findings in the context of business environment of France.As per the findings of authors, organizational culture of France is quite different with other European country as French organizations prefer the family business concept. Unlike other developed county, in France, the overall emphasis over collective leadership within the organization is qu ite less. In the country, the approach of people regarding family business is quite positive. Owing to this, the disposition of employer-employee within the country is quite informal. However, still the work ethics are prominently considered by both, employer and employee while accomplishing any organizational process.In addition to this, concern regarding employee benefits and welfare is also quite high within French business organization. In direction to this, it can be considered that like Anglo-American approach, French and other European country’s organizational culture is also quite positive for employment relationship. In addition to this, Ribeiro-Soriano and Urbano (2010) have explored the significance of employee-organization relationship (EOR) in the context of small scale business organizations.As per the authors, in existing business environment in which, direction of leadership has been shifted from individual leadership to corporate entrepreneurship (CE), it has been quite necessary for the management of the business organization to maintain a positive and close relationship with the employee. In the views of the authors, due to the advent of corporate entrepreneurship (CE) in existing business environment, there is communication gap between employer and employee has been created which hampers the positive relationship between both such entities.For the long term sustainability and success of the organization it is quite essential for its management to maintain a close and positive communication and keep it policies quite aligned with employee welfare. Conclusion On the basis of the review of entire literature review, it can be concluded that employment relationship can be considered as relationship between employers and employees. There are different aspects of employment relationship such as work ethics, employer responsibilities towards employees, employee’s commitment, communication level and so on.In this context, the paper has investigated employment relationship in the context of different regions, i. e. , India, countries from Islamic countries, and European countries such as France. Different literatures have reflected that the span and disposition of the employment relationship is quite different in different regions. In different countries, due to different culture and business environment, the ideology of employment relationship differs from each other. Reference: Ahmad, Z. A. and Yekta, Z. A. 2010.Relationship between perceived organizational support, leadership behavior, and job satisfaction: An empirical study in Iran. Intangible Capital 6(2), pp. 162-184 Bassanini, A. , Breda, T. , Caroli, E. , and Reberioux, A. 2010. Working in family firms: less paid but more secure? Evidence from French matched employer-employee data. Drory, A. and Vigoda-Gadot, V. 2010. Organizational politics and human resource management: A typology and the Israeli experience. Human Resource Management Review 20, pp. 194à ¢â‚¬â€œ202. Obeidat, B. Y. Shannak, R. O. , Masa'deh, R. , Al-Jarrah, I. M. 2012. Toward Better Understanding for Arabian Culture: Implications Based on Hofstede's Cultural Model. European Journal of Social Sciences 28 (4), pp 512-522 Ratnam, V. C. S. 1998. Multinational companies in India. International Journal of Human Resource Management 9(4), pp 567-589. Ribeiro-Soriano, D, and Urbano, D. 2010. Employee-organization relationship in collective entrepreneurship: an overview. Journal of Organizational Change 23(4), pp 349-359. Searle, R. et al 2011.Trust in the Employer: the Role of High Involvement Work Practices and Procedural Justice In European Organization. International Journal of Human Resource Management 22(5), pp. 2-18. Singh, K. 2010. Developing human capital by linking emotional intelligence with personal competencies in Indian business organizations. International Journal of Business Science and Applied Management 5(2), pp 30-42. Sparrow, P. R. 2006. International manag ement: some key challenges for industrial and organizational psychology. International Review of Industrial and Organizational Psychology 21, pp. 189-266.

Over-education in the graduate labour market Literature review

Over-education in the graduate labour market - Literature review Example The UK economy has increased the number of graduates in the labour force in the past two decades. In the UK, six in every ten individuals is a graduate. More people have refused to settle for the school exams such as GCSEs or A-levels by going a step further to get graduate level education. Among the European Union countries, the UK has the highest number of adults who have graduate-level qualifications (Zhang, 2007). Despite the financial crisis, investment in higher education in the UK is still high. The share of graduates has grown by 10 per cent, but the prevalence of overeducated graduates has remained stable at 30 percent (McGuiness, 2006). More women and the youth from minority groups have pursued higher education in recent years. These two groups have seen a better presentation in the graduate group than the workforce. Studies also show that graduates expect to get graduate level jobs three years or later after graduation and has settled for the idea to build a foundation for their careers (Zhang, 2007, p.46). In other studies, it is right to say that higher education may not be recognising the potential of non-traditional students. Only traditional students have higher degree classifications, higher satisfaction ratings in terms of experience and better outcome in the workforce. Graduates stand greater chances of attaining employment than non-graduates. They also stand a better position to hold management level jobs than the latter. Research also shows non-graduates between the ages of 21 and 30 have the highest rate of unemployment (Walter & Zhu, 2007). With time, graduate’s wages increase annually unlike that of non-graduates. Nonetheless, there are some jobs that are non-graduate, which require graduate skills from a degree. Most employers are focusing on skills and quality than knowledge. It is common practice, therefore, for graduates to take up a non-graduate job or voluntary work to add to their CV. According to research, approximately

Strategic Management in Burberry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Strategic Management in Burberry - Essay Example This paper illustrates that Burberry is focusing on cost-effective measures and maintenance of quality. Burberry promotes efficient sourcing of goods and competitive prices. The strategic team of Burberry group has a clear plan for creating brand awareness and sustained brand aura. The apparel company is investing in a diversification of product lines. Burberry is using technological innovation to cope with the changing consumer needs. The management personnel is developing software has made it easy to monitor progress and superior designs besides marketing the products. Unlike in the last many decades, it is harder to earn consumer loyalty in the modern times. This means that the company needs to work extra hard to maintain the high standards of the brand. This shall entail changing the products lines and options. This shall make the consumers feel accommodated. The constant evaluation of the product lines makes the organization to adjust to the evolving needs of the customers. The company needs to expand the product portfolio. This entails removing outdated parts of the product line. Burberry must constantly research on their products in order to update the product lines. Burberry has had a strong brand over the years. This can cause the company to win awards and consumer loyalty. However, the competition from emerging companies and rivals has caused the company to reinvent its marketing and operational strategies. The company is using celebrities, promotions, and advisement to appeal to customer besides establishing its brand through durable and competitive products. The company has enormous opportunities for expanding the product lines and targeting all classes in the society in increasing its revenues. Burberry is globally renowned for influencing the luxury sector. The organization plays a principal role in designing and marketing the market-wear by women and men. The company also specializes in the children wear categories. The company had a robust distr ibution network that entails diversified retail stores. The company has invested in wholesale and other licensing channels globally. The organization operates it businesses by channels, regions, and products. The Burberry group has strong distribution systems in Spain, Asia, Europe and Americas through selective distributive channels. Burberry has licensed third parties for the process of production and distribution of products that carry its trademark. The head-quarter of the company is in London, United Kingdom. The purpose of this essay is to review the strategic management of Burberry group.

Management information and communications systems - MICS Essay

Management information and communications systems - MICS - Essay Example The rapidly advancing MICS has presented the organizations with immense benefits in terms of efficient data collection, processing of data to support managerial decision making, problem solving processes and enabling a highly collaborative work environment. Transformations in business processes and managerial strategies have been guided by the developments in MICS for enhanced productivity, performance and competitive advantage. However, the challenges exposed by such systems cannot be ignored since it requires in-depth understanding and effective policies to control the ill-effects of MICS. Organizations make use of various techniques like data mining and warehousing to analyse online user behaviour and accommodate strategic practices to achieve higher traffic to their websites. Personal information and vital data related to financial transactions are exposed to threats of misuse by fraudsters. Thus, privacy and data protection issues are some of the vital challenges to which indivi duals are exposed today and this is one of the primary factors guiding online user behaviour. Issues like online frauds, identity theft, information leakage, and hacking have become the buzzwords for Internet users. How vulnerable are we to such frauds and invasions on our personal spaces and what measures can we take to protect ourselves from such incidents? These are some of the vital questions that are faced by the Internet users. Organizations and institutions are grappling with the challenges of protecting customer data and ensuring ethical practices while dealing with sensitive personal information provided by users. The paper provides an in-depth assessment and analysis of these issues by highlighting key aspects of MICS and the ways in which information is handled in today’s world. The report identifies common practices adopted by online websites and organizations to tap into individual information easily available on the Internet and use it to promote its business go als and objectives. The ethical concerns raised by such practices has become the focal point of quite a lot of research studies and efforts are on to control the negative impacts of MICS through efficient practices and policies that guide online behaviour. MICS and privacy – an overview of current and traditional theories The global economy is deeply influenced by innovations and technology breakthroughs that have opened new opportunities and new models of operating in an increasingly complex environment. The complexities arising from globalization of economies and opening of markets to foreign trade and capital have created new possibilities for organizations, despite the fact that this has also presented new challenges and difficulties for managers in devising effective strategies for promoting business goals. Technology in such instances has proved itself a boon in assisting managers to pursue international marketing goals and objectives. Businesses are driven by profits a nd goals that constantly seek new markets and opportunities for growth. However, this is not an easy task given the wide diversities existing in global regions and markets. One of the popular means of exploring new markets and business growth potentials is the Internet that has provided the global managers with an innovative tool to assimilate vital data and statistics that aid in faster decision making and accurate problem solving mechanism. Organizations thus rely on information transfer and knowledge processing

Your Worst Job Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Your Worst Job - Essay Example However, when I started working, I came to realize that the job required one to work for 24 hours in a week. I wanted  to get enough money to meet my needs such as school fees and other miscellaneous expenses; thus  I decided to search for another job. I was also luck to get another one, which I worked for 9 hours a day in every weekend. However, the work was hectic, and it was far away from my hometown, the distance about three hours driving. The doctor could never understand the  need for  demanding extra hours especially in the weekend. This is because every time I could request him that I want to travel home earlier, but he could ask me in case I have another significant work at home. I felt nervous the first time the doctor started questioning me because I had already signed a lease on one of the doctor’s apartments, which was near to the place of work. This is because I was called at times by the doctor in order to help him in the office when there were many clients. So the doctor could question me in order to know the reasons, which  could make me to leave in a hurry every weekend to home but I always gave him excuses. Although the work was quite well at the beginning of the first week in both places of my work, the second week things started becoming different. The work in the doctor’s office was too much, and this made me work for long hours at times during the week days. The doctor could call me to write reports, arrange the files for patients and even make pay rolls for other employees. On the other hand, the rules in the other job were strict, and the office was quite different from that of the doctor’s office. This is because there were no cell phones in the office and the company never allowed any food in the work place. There were no incentives for working in the organization such as a free lunch or any other special gifts like Christmas or birthday gifts. However, my

Personal essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Personal - Essay Example I also know the wonderful feeling of having a great smile given to you through excellent dental care. At the age of fifteen, when my orthodontist removed my braces, I finally had my new smile, and my orthodontist took great pride of his work. I can never thank enough to my orthodontist for his great work, and I ended up choosing this career since then. My decision to pursue in dentistry field was based on series of important events over the years. I want to help people who want to get treatment but do not have enough money. My attraction to dentistry began about twelve years ago when I started visiting my dentist, and seeing an inner working of the field and that is when everything started to fall into place. During my high school years, I took pride of winning star and honor club awards for mathematics and excellent attendance with good GPA. I took pride in winning awards, team and community involvement which gave me great confidence in my ability. To make sure my choice was right; I spent number of days with my uncle in India, who is general dentist, when I was thirteen. I was fascinated that patients who were in lots of pain left office with great smiles on their faces. I grew confident about my decision to attend dental school after consulting with people in the field. Through professionals such as my orthodontists, my great uncle and other dental personnel I came to know that this was the industry for me. As I started my first year of college, I began with working in pharmacy and volunteer organization. Working in the pharmacy allowed me to help patients by preparing their medications, helping with insurance claim forms, and maintaining their profiles. As pharmacy technician, I developed really good customer service skills by interacting with customers and playing large role in their personal health care plans. Coupled with my dedication to dental work is my belief in building understanding, caring relationships with each

Tsutomu Miyazaki, The inside out Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Tsutomu Miyazaki, The inside out - Essay Example when the real killer was apprehended in 1989, the killers true gender was male, he was a well mannered photo shop employee, and his name was Tsutomu Miyazaki. Upon his arrest, police and investigators confiscated thousand video cassettes that contain horror films and animation, one of which was a footage of one of his murders. His many pornographic comic books about young girls and pedophilia were likewise discovered (Whiteperil.com, 2006). But even the most hardened and sensationalized criminal must have had their own humble beginnings, and this goes true for Tsutomu Miyazaki. My stand on this issue is that Tsutomu Miyazaki was delusional and a paranoid Schizophrenia. Before going any further about the state of his mental health, a brief outline of his life and personality must be appraised objectively. Born in August 21, 1962, Miyazaki was premature at birth. His inborn deformity consists of gnarled hands that are permanently fused to his wrists. In order to rotate or use his hands, he needs to move his entire forearm. During his elementary and high school days, Tsutomu Miyazaki was considered an outcast and he often keeps to himself. In the beginning, he was a star student but probably because of his disfiguration, was constantly ridiculed and mostly keeps to himself. Hence, he not only lost the ability to properly socialize but likewise lost self-esteem in the process and his grades plummeted as well. Unfortunately , due to the low grades, he was not admitted at his desired university where he planned to study English and become a teacher. As an alternative, he went to a local college where he took up studies in order to become a photo-technician. In the exploration of his mental health a number of written articles and studies were brought forth to analyze how one human being could actually commit murder without though or conscience. According to an article by Leo Lewis (2008) of the Jiji Press in Tokyo, Miyazaki was a ravenous sexual marauder who

Assingment 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Assingment 2 - Essay Example These organisations are different in terms of their culture, design, structure and human performance (Lichtenstein and Alexander, 2004). This paper will provide insight into how two different cultures, structures and their designs will impact on individuals, groups and structures within the organisation and ultimately towards improving organisation’s effectiveness. A work team can bring differences in organisation through coordination. Team combined effort always results in greater effort compared to individual work. Teams can do complex tasks together. Through teams organisations can increase their work performance with less cost. This combined effort will always results in outstanding performance and goal achievement. They can provide new product ideas, provide customer services, make contracts, coordinate projects, offer valuable deals, and make decisions (Lichtenstein and Alexander, 2004). Teams within organisations have more independent approach and positive attitude towards changing environment than are traditional types of working conditions or other forms of permanent groupings. Teams are more beneficial if multiple skills are needed to perform a job. Teams can be made on urgent basis have ability to be disband on quick basis as well (Chan, 2002). Case 1 Biogenia plc have a cross-functional teams while Case 2 Sleepeasy Hotels have problem –solving teams. In Case 1 company has created teams made up of employees from four different functional areas Research and Development, Manufacturing, Sales and marketing and, finally, Support (covering financial services, human resources and legal services) to work on different projects. They are using cross-functional teams. Employees within teams are gathered from the same hierarchical level, but they belong to different departments to work together on company’s assigned project (Parker, 2003). Employees are from diverse backgrounds

FIN501 - Strategic Corporate Finance Mod 3 SLP Essay

FIN501 - Strategic Corporate Finance Mod 3 SLP - Essay Example But we might wonder what determines the rate of return that a shareholder would want on a particular stock? It would depend for one thing on the price of the stock (highs, lows and average) and the historical trend of dividend payouts that has been made in recent years. Though every stockholder would have his personal thoughts and opinions on this, we can be sure that it would be higher than the risk free rate- the rate on US Government bonds maturing in one year and guaranteed by the Government. It would also depend on the Beta coefficient for that particular stock. In fact a good estimate of the rate of return expected by a stockholder in relation to a particular stock would be given by the Capital Asset Pricing Model formula which goes as follows: Rj - RF = ÃŽ ²j [RM - RF]. By using this model, we can estimate the cost of equity or the rate of return that our companys shareholders require. Every financial manager must be aware of this because it will help to determine whether a particular course of action by the company will or will not add value to the shareholders. This is the minimum rate of return and may be regarded as the cost of equity. Given that the average cost of capital for a firm in the S&P 500 is 10.2 percent, I would have expected the Coca Cola Company to have a lower cost of capital than the average firm. This is because the Coca Cola Company is a good stock with consistency in performance and price. The price fluctuation for Coca Cola stock has not been too much, with a current price of $67.46, a low of $61.29 and a high of $71.77 in the last 12 months (Yahoo Finance, 2012). Now I will compare the Beta and compute the Required Rate of Return using the CAPM for Dr. Pepper and the Pepsi Corporation, two competing firms of the Coca Cola Corporation and in the same industry sector. For Dr. Pepper the Beta is 0.74 and for Pepsi Corporation, the Beta is 0.42 (Yahoo Finance, 2012). The required rates

The Black Newsletter Essay Example for Free

The Black Newsletter Essay Through the years, black women have endured the pressures and struggles in living with the American society. They exist in the middle of two strongholds: race and gender. These issues are somewhat weight on their backs and dealing with these burdens is definitely not easy. But living it through entails survival to meet the demands of the society. Further, one of those demands that must be accomplished is the aspect on education. Hence, how well do these black women perform in academics compared to whites and other race is a significant query and might as well be given a particular focus on this discussion. Evidently, there is no direct source that straightly compares the SAT scores of black women in contrast with that of the whites and all others. Instead, the race and gender of SAT takers in general were compared. According to JBHE Weekly Bulletin, â€Å"the racial scoring gap on the latest SAT college entrance examination is the widest in 20 years, as it shows that for white high school seniors, the average combined score on the reading and math sections was 1065 while the blacks’ average score was 856 and so the racial gap now is 209 points, which is 10 points higher than a year ago† (http://www. jbhe. com/latest/index090408_p. htm). The Black Newsletter also listed the result of the SAT, which included other races: â€Å"Black (430 Verbal, 427 Math), Asian (501 Verbal, 569 Math), White (527 Verbal, 533 Math) and Puerto Rican (455 Verbal, 451 Math)† (www. blackexcel. org/nov-2003. html). Noticeably, the black rated the lowest on that result listing. On the other hand, the Princeton Review held that â€Å"there was a variation by gender on the SAT result based on the College Board’s report, which revealed that women scored 42 points lower than men, representing a gap that has grown each of the past three years† (www. advancingwomen. com/college_satbias. html). Consequently, the abovementioned statistics greatly revealed that the black women are situated amidst two forces. Indeed, â€Å"black women have known they are the heirs of a dual inheritance: racism and sexism† says Veronica Chambers Doubleday, author of the book â€Å"Having It All: Black Women and Success† (www. highbeam. com/doc/1G1-99375215. html).

The Town And Country Planning Environmental Sciences Essay

The Town And Country Planning Environmental Sciences Essay This paper is based on secondary research in to the justifications provided by the coalition government to support the introduction of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). This research involved an analysis of the impact that the NPPF could have on major areas of debate such as: sustainable development, economic and social costs of the current system, business activity, and housing, benefits of Brownfield development, approval rates and non-planning consents. The old planning system was extremely complex and cumbersome, the system has become overloaded with central policy and guidance, with vast amounts of paperwork making it too cumbersome and unclear for councils, developers and local people to use effectively. The proposed new National Planning Policy Framework will consolidate over 1,000 pages of planning policy statements spread across some 40 documents into a single document of 50-60 pages around 5 per cent of the current volume of policy. To support the new Framework, there will also be a fundamental review of all the supporting documentation (which comprise a further 6,000 pages across a further 160 documents). The literature review looks at secondary sources and focuses on several topics that I felt would affect most people, namely: Sustainable development, is or was planning a barrier to growth, business activity, Impact of planning on housing and the economy, benefits and costs of Brownfield development and approval rates. The research findings demonstrated that the old system was in need of reform and that the National Planning Policy Framework theoretically will help the economy to grow out of recession by removing obstacles that ultimately cost money both for developers and local councils. The research also shows that the old planning system was a barrier to growth and resulted in unnecessary costs due to delays and uncertainty. Introduction Background Planning systems set rules and guidelines that influence the level, location and pattern of activity. The ultimate goal is planning to promote a balance of environmental, social and economic welfare that meets the needs of current and future generations. Doing so inevitably involves trade-offs, so any planning system has both benefits and costs. An important issue for policymakers and the public is whether the current system imposes costs which reforms could avoid. The new Government has made supporting sustainable growth and enterprise, balanced across all regions and industries, one of its top priorities. This means creating the right conditions for private enterprise and business investment. A well-functioning planning and wider consents regime is an essential component of the overall attractiveness of the business environment in the UK and the Government proposes to reform the planning system, creating a presumption in favour of sustainable development and providing more opportunities for local communities to determine the shape of the places in which they live. Reform of the planning system and of specific elements within it has been underway for some time, with the aim both of making it more efficient and effective and of ensuring that it is not acting as a barrier to investment and sustainable development Penfold Review of Non-Planning Consents 2010. The old System: The Town and Country Planning Act 1947 established a comprehensive and universal system of land-use control. The system served the key function of balancing public and private interests and was based upon a fundamental principle which still applies today, notably that private interests would need to be sacrificed for the public good as far as land-use issues were concerned. The old system that existed was a plan-led system where English local authorities determined land use plans in consultation with stakeholders with the resulting plans becoming the basis for determining planning applications. Development required permission, and development applications were considered with reference to the plan unless material considerations (determined by law) indicate otherwise. The old framework of local plans and binding national targets evolved over more than sixty years, and was subjected to considerable scrutiny and legislative change over the last two decades (The history of the English planning system in this paragraph was provided by the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE)). National government dictated the overall structure and direction of the system by enacting legislation that outlined just exactly what needed consent and how local policy shall be produced as well as producing national policy guidance to set out more detail on acceptable forms of development. Thus, the national government enjoyed a detailed level of intervention to setting the system up which ultimately allowed the government to influence its outcomes. The Town and Country Planning Act 1968 introduced a significant reform to the system of plan preparation, with the introduction of structure plans and local plans. These documents set out both strategic and longer-term planning objectives, such as major housing allocations or green belt identification and short term allocations for development on individual sites. This system was further consolidated in the Town and Country Planning Act 1971, in the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and in the Planning and Compensation Act 1991. The only other significant statutory reforms introduced between 1971 and 2000 dealt with the delivery of the planning function in the reform of the local government restructure the evolution of the old system can be seen in table 1. Unnecessary detail has resulted in a system which often contradicts itself and where important national policy is obscured by duplication. This has acted as a brake on growth, hindering rather than helping local communities to shape development in their neighbourhoods. This impact on the processing of planning applications causing confusion and delay within the system, and in some cases may discourage submission of planning applications (as a result of the direct costs of complexity that must be borne by developers and the indirect cost i.e. uncertainty associated with planning delay). Contradictions in policy often occur between policy documents and guidance. For example, Planning Policy Statement 5 (Planning Policy Statement 5: Planning for the Historic Environment) asks local councils to not validate planning applications where the impact of the proposed development on any heritage asset cannot adequately be understood from the information supporting the application. However, the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) guidance on validation advises that inadequate supporting information is not grounds for invalidating applications (See Planning Policy Statement 5 paragraph HE6.3 and Guidance on information requirements and validation, paragraph 34). Duplication results in the same policy being unnecessarily repeated in a number of separate documents. One example of this comes from four different national policy documents (Planning Policy Statement 1: Planning for Sustainable Development, Planning Policy Statement 3: Housing, Planning Policy Statement 4: Planning for Sustainable Economic Growth and Planning Policy Guidance Note 13: Transport) which all contain similar policies which ask local councils to identify land which is accessible and well connected to a means of transport including walking, cycling, public transport and by car. This mass of guidance forms part of a system of top-down targets, which has grown up in recent years. Enforcement of these imposed rules or targets can be costly and/or ineffective. For example, the system of housing targets had to be policed by the Planning Inspectorate at a cost of approximately  £1m per year. The Planning Inspectorate had the power to impose housing numbers on local councils, who can face lengthy and costly appeals if their plans were judged to be inconsistent with national policy. The complexity and prescriptive nature of national policy has also led to local people becoming disengaged from the system. According to Ipsos MORI, only 15 per cent of people consider themselves to be involved in decision-making at a local level. Of those 15 per cent, the majority (9 per cent) consider themselves unable to influence decisions (Ipsos MORI (2010). Do the public really want to join the government of Britain?). Other research has shown that national targets decrease the attention decision-makers give to community groups (Murdoch, J. and Abram, S.). Studies also show that they were often presented with limited options, giving the impression that decisions have already been taken, or were consulted on abstract strategies (such as Regional Spatial Strategies) rather than plans for their local area (Baker, M., Hincks, S. and Sherriff, G.) Table 1: The English planning system since 1991: main reports, inquiries and legislation Report or Act Contribution Planning and Compensation Act 1991 Embedded the plan led system by making the plan the primary consideration in development control Driving Productivity Growth in the UK, McKinsey (1988) report Argued that the planning system was an important constraint on UK productivity Housing White Paper (1995) Introduced a 50 percent target for the proportion of new homes built on Brownfield land Planning Policy Guidance 6 (1996) Introduced the town centre first policy Urban White paper (2000) Focussed on urban renaissance and provided stronger foundations for Brownfield first approach to housing Planning Green Paper (2001) Argued that the planning system was too complex, slow and disempowering for participants; proposed simplifying the hierarchy of plans, shortening local plans and closer public engagement in plan making House of Commons ODPM Select Committee report on planning competiveness and productivity (2003) Concluded that planning was not a significant determinant of productivity and that outcome could be improved through further resourcing and better implementation of the current rules Barker Review of Housing Supply (2004) Recommendations include transferring benefits of development from landowners to affected communities and using market signals as a trigger for the release of additional land allocated for housing Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 Introduced statutory Regional Spatial Strategies and a sustainable development purpose to planning Barker review of Land Use Planning (2006) Numerous wide-ranging recommendations to improve the responsiveness and efficiency of the planning system and the efficiency of the planning system and the efficiency of land use Planning Act 2008 Created the Infrastructure Planning Commission Localism Act 2011 Abolished the Infrastructure Planning Commission and Regional Spatial Strategies; introduced Neighbourhood Plans and a new duty for local authorities to cooperate The government is seeking to reform Englands planning rules which currently involve: A hierarchy of planning policies national planning policy statements, until recently regional strategies and local development frameworks. Development control as the main mechanism for regulating local development. Section 106 (S106) as the main means of local value capture, complemented in 2010 by the Community Infrastructure Levy. Some national restrictions (e.g. Town centre first, Green belts, Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs)). Figure 1: From Urban Planning Real Estate Development 3rd Edition by John Ratcliffe et Al The new system The National Planning Policy Framework was published with the main aim of replacing the previous system that had in some form or another been in place since the introduction of the Town and Country Planning Act 1947 whilst streamlining the actual planning process. This has been achieved through a number of methods such as: the removal of duplication from policy, the simplification of over 1,000 pages of planning policy statements spread across 40 documents in to a single document of 50-60 pages, the removal of unnecessary information that led to system that at times contradicted itself. The planning reforms brought about through the Localism Act and changes in national planning policy will reduce the level of central control, simplify the level of guidance and hand back more power to local communities. As an example, in the Localism Act, the Government has taken powers to scrap Regional Spatial Strategies and their housing targets and introduced a bottom up approach that enables local communities to decide the level of housing that is required in their area and share in the benefits of development. This is a fundamentally different approach based on councils being best placed to make local decisions, holding the knowledge and expertise of their area. Supporting and building on these changes, the Framework removes a large amount of central prescription, being clear about what is Government policy and giving councils greater discretion in those areas which national policy no longer covers. This will enable them to find innovative solutions and respond to the needs of their different communities. At the same time, local people will be encouraged to reengage in the planning process through improvements in collaborative democracy and new policy vehicles such as neighbourhood plans (NPPF Impact Assessment DCLG). The main elements of the Governments National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and associated reforms are: Significantly simplified national planning guidance (National planning policy is currently set out in over 1,000 pages of policy guidance and statements, with more than 6,000 pages of supporting documentation, contained within a total of more than 200 documents.) Devolved decision making, with local authorities drawing up local plans via community consultation, subject to the NPPF and fiscal incentives to encourage development. A presumption in favour of Sustainable Development, where this accords with local plans. If no up-to-date plans exist, then the default answer to sustainable development should be yes. Maintain all existing protected status that is Green Belt, SSSIs, AONBs and also retail town centre first restriction for retail development. In parallel with the NPPF, the government is also introducing: A reformed Community Infrastructure Levy as the main means of value capture, while limiting use of S106. Financial incentives for new housing through the New Homes Bonus, and for commercial development via the Business Increase Bonus. A Localism Bill and wider proposals for reforming the local Government finance. Aim This research seeks to analyse the validity of the justifications provided by the Coalition Government to support the introduction of the National Planning Policy Framework. Furthermore, this research seeks to investigate whether the claims made by the government that the old system was a barrier to growth and whether the National Planning Policy Framework will help the economy to grow and if so how. Objectives To carry out an extensive review of available literature sources with a view to critically assessing the articles. To investigate the claims made by the Coalition Government that Planning is a barrier to Growth. To arrive at a conclusion, as to whether the claims and the introduction of the National Planning Policy Framework were justified. To provide recommendations for further research that may be carried out that will provide a better assessment of how the National Planning Policy Framework has impacted the country and whether or not it can be deemed successful. Dissertation Structure The dissertation is structured in the following manner; Chapter 2- Research Methodology This chapter outlines and explores the methods utilised to conduct the research required to complete this dissertation. It explains the rationale behind the methodology of the research in detail. Chapter 3 Literature Review This chapter explores the claims made by the government and where possible puts forward evidence that contradicts and supports the views expressed by the government. Chapter 4 Summary and Conclusion This chapter provides a summary of the findings produced by this dissertation and also draws conclusions from the literature review, meeting the aims and objectives of the study as previously outlined. Additionally, the limitations of the research and data are explored. Chapter 5 Recommendation for further work This chapter outlines further research that could be carried out in order to further understand how the National Planning Policy Framework has impacted the economy, and whether it has been successful in achieving the coalitions targets. Research Methodology Research Strategy Academic literature has prescribed research a vast number of definitions, descriptions and concepts (Punch, 2000). However, throughout these definitions there is a general theme and academic consensus, that research is a process of enquiry and investigation, which through a systematic and methodical approach increases knowledge (Amaratunga et al., 2002). Furthermore, Hair Jr et al (2007), suggests that the definition of research can be further summarised as the discerning pursuit of the truth. In regards to the above, pursuit of the truth, the research methodology usually entails a three stage process to provide a robust and accurate analysis. Stage one, involves an initial in-depth literature review of the publications, (e.g. Estates Gazette and Property Week) published journals and academic text books, to interrogate and integrate ideas, whilst linking together concepts to provide an enhanced and informed base in which to comprehensively approach the aim of the dissertation (Naoum, 2007). The remaining stages of the research used a combination of both quantitative and qualitative approaches, with the aim of providing conclusions based on numerical findings which are based upon a natural and realistic environment. (Amaratunga et al. 2002). Yin (1994), states that a research strategy should be chosen as a function of the research situation. As such the research objectives had a material bearing that strongly influenced the methodology used. Adopting a predominantly quantitative approach to the methodology, provides a platform of scientific respectability, due to the way in which findings can be presented (Denscombe. 2000) and thus interpreted (Saunders et al, 2003). Quantitative research is objective in nature and can be defined as an inquiry in to a social or human problem, based on testing a hypothesis or a theory composed of variables, measured with numbers, and analysed with statistical procedures in order to determine whether the hypothesis or theory hold true (Creswell, 1994). Quantitative data is therefore not abstract, it is hard and reliable; it is the measurement of tangible, countable and sensate features of the world (Bouma and Atkinson, 1995). To this end it must be noted that a purely quantitative approch to data collection would be used when: you want to find facts about a concept, question or an attribute OR when you want to collect factual evidence and study the relationship between these facts in order to test a particular theory or hypothesis. In quantitative studies, the hypotheses, research questions and aims should be presented within a theoretical framework. A theory can be introduced as: A seried of hypotheses/sub-hypothesis in the form of ifthen logic statements OR a hunch (Naoum 2007). It is argued that to a certain degree quantitative research, fails to understand the deeper underlying factors of the subject matters and inadequately transposes its findings by way of explanation, despite its level of accuracy and validity (Denscombe, 2000). Qualitative research on the other hand is subjective in nature. It emphasises meanings, experiences that are often verbally described through structured or unstructured interviews and so on. The information gathered in qualitative research can be classified under two categories of research, namely exploratory and attitudinal. Exploratory research is usually employed when you have a limited amount of knowledge about your research topic. The techniques utilised for the process of data collection are usually either structured or non-structured interviews. The purpose of exploratory is usually threefold: firstly, to diagnose a situation; secondly, to screen for alternatives and thirdly, to discover new ideas (Zikmund, 1997, cited in Naoum 2007). Creswell (1994) writes: one typically finds research questions (not hypotheses) written in exploratory research. These research questions assume two levels (1) one or two grand tour questions followed by (2) no more than five to seven sun-questions. Attitudinal research on the other hand is used subjectively to evaluate the opinion, view or the perception of a person towards a particular object (either an attribute, variable, factor or question). Through obtaining the attitudes of individuals towards an object of choice, a process of interpretation can begin, enabling the findings to become data (Denscombe, M, 2000). As mentioned previously qualitative research doesnt tend to have clear rules on the use or placement of theory. Any hypotheses or theories that may emerge during the data collection and analysis phase of the research tend to be placed at the end of the study which require more quantitative testing. It should be noted that the research methodology is not without limitations. Data collection is split into two fields, primary and secondary, the latter of which involves the analysis of information that has already been collected within another study and is often referred to as desk study, it is aptly named secondary because it is concerned with analysing data for the second time (Sarantakos, 2005). Unlike secondary which is predetermined and dated, primary data compilation, also known as Fieldwork entails the collection of current up-to-date information directly from the source, first hand, which can be of a very specific nature. Research design Although various assessments of the planning system (both the NPPF and the old system) have been undertaken previously, there is limited research into the validity of the arguments presented by the Coalition government that demonstrates that the benefits of the NPPF will outweigh the costs of introducing a new system. To this end, the methodologies used within the previous studies were considered as appropriate templates, however, two research design methods were considered from which one was chosen: The first method considered was the analysis of data from local planning authorites, this method was deemed to be impractical as it was anticipated that obtaining actual data pertaining to major developments that could be used for case studies to assess the impact of the NPPF from local planning authorites first hand would be extremely difficult. Additionally in order to carry out the assessment thoroughly, the development would have to be assessed using both planning systems, only then would the benfits of the new system (if any) become apparent. The second method that was considered was the analysis of secondary data sources, in meeting the research objectives, the analysis of secondary data sources was deemed to be the most appropriate method of conducting the research required for this dissertation. The methodology ensured that the main points raised by the governemnt that supported the NPPF were discussed and critically analysed and also allowed any information that opposed or contradicted the governments views to be presented. Literature Review Sustainable Development National planning policy issued by central government sets out guidance to councils, applicants for planning permission and other users of the planning system, about the delivery of sustainable development through the planning system. Planning should help to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development, securing net gains against the economic, environmental and social elements of sustainable development. The NPPF must set a clear framework for what development plans should contain and to this end the Localism Bill should be amended to ensure that sustainable development is at the heart of the planning system. Given the importance of the definition of sustainable development, we believe that the way in which it is expressed should be the subject of Parliamentary scrutiny, which would give the resulting definition greater weight than a policy requirement. We attach a draft amendment to the Localism Bill that would achieve this. (NPPF Impact Assessment) If this type of definition is not in statute then the NPPF will have to provide a clear focus for those involved in planning, drawing a distinction between how the term sustainable should be interpreted and evidenced in the development plan process and how it should apply when making determinations on applications. This is necessary due to the fact that development involves significant fixed costs that must be paid upfront and therefore it would extremely beneficial if the planning system could help to reduce or limit this level of uncertainty. Furthermore, planning decisions can generate large sums of money for those gaining planning permission to build. For both these reasons it is imperative that decision making is transparent and governed by a clear and concise set of rules. The previous system was so complex that it did not meet these criteria. The NPPF achieves this by vastly simplifying the rules and by introducing a presumption in favour of sustainable development. Local bureaucrats and politicians will no longer get to say yes or no to development on a case-by-case basis. Instead the presumption means that they have to say yes to things that are consistent with their local plan, however, it must be noted that the presumption does not apply where the adverse impacts of development would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits. Many other countries successfully run systems that are (at least) this permissive, but it is less clear that this principle can be brought in immediately, given that many local ar eas do not have up-to-date local plans. The NPPF will need to make the balancing exercise clear because there will be some cases where there is an unavoidable trade-off between local and national interests, for example, the government wishes to increase housing supply in England and improve the strategic infrastructure within the UK, these are both national priorities that affect specific local communities. Another reason why the NPPF will need to make the balancing exercise clear is because all too often, the limb of sustainable development that relates to the meeting of basic human needs (and in some case human rights) is sacrificed because of environmental concerns. By setting out a presumption in favour of sustainable development as a central feature in the NPPF, it places more requirements on the council to be proactive in identifying and addressing the need for sustainable development. Of course there will be costs associated with reform, however, the precise impacts of the policies will vary by location and are dependent on how local communities respond to the changes outlined in the NPPF. Further, given the inherent uncertainty in the housing market, capital markets and wider economy, it is difficult to isolate the impact of the changes proposed here from those wider macro-economic factors. Some of the benefits that will come from this presumption are reduced delays and uncertainty because where applications accord with the framework, there is likely to be some kind of impact on the speed with which decisions are made. As a result with more up to date plans adopted, the speed of obtaining planning permission (and therefore completing sustainable development) should be reduced. Even where up-to-date plans have not been adopted, the Framework provides a clear policy framework for investors and development control decisions, so that the benefits of reducing delays and uncertainty may to some extent be realised even before up-to-date, compliant plans are adopted by local authorities. However, even modest improvements in scheme delivery times as a result of the certainty provided by up-to-date plans could produce significant effects in terms of the efficiency by which those plans are delivered and substantial benefits to society as a result of development taking place sooner. There are other benefits associated with reduced holding costs land and other assets through the development management process; and land banks required by the uncertainty of development control and for sites that were rejected. For example, Ball (2010) notes that there are substantial holding costs associated with land banks required by the uncertainty of development control and for sites that were rejected. This could push financing costs from  £1bn to over  £2bn. Social impacts of Old System This section will aim to present a framework for thinking about the costs and benefits of the land use planning system. It will seek to outline how planning affects the wellbeing whilst summarising the evidence on the existence and relative importance. To some extent, the planning system exists primarily to improve the wellbeing of humans and is achieved through the development and implementation of policies that influence land use. As with many markets, the existence of market failures departures from ideal market conditions which include perfect competition and fully informed participants), and concerns over the distributional effects of unregulated land markets, provide the rationale for the planning system, or to put the argument another way, create the opportunity for government or collective action to improve outcomes in terms of wellbeing. The main policy instrument used by the English planning system to achieve this goal is regulation of the supply of land available for different uses. Broadly speaking, this regulation gives the planning system the ability to control where development can occur, how much of it there can be and what kinds of development there are although the powers of the system are asymmetric in the sense that planning can prevent but NOT ensure development. Another way in which planning can impact upon wellbeing is through economical means. Economists tend to think of wellbeing as depending on the consumption of goods, where the definition of goods extends well beyond things which can be purchased from retailers. A good is anything that contributes, positively or negatively, to human wellbeing, ranging from simple goods like an apple to the feeling of pleasure derived from knowing about the existence of a national park one may never visit. Planning can influence the availability and price of many types of goods, including through reducing the amount of some things which lower wellbeing. (Inexpensive Progress) Goods can be classified to their characteristics: externalities which can be positive (a pleasan

Communication In Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Palliative Care Nursing Essay

Communication In Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Palliative Care Nursing Essay The following is an evaluation of enhanced communication techniques in palliative care for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with reference to a case study. COPD is a debilitating terminal condition that is distinguished by a progressive airflow obstruction, primarily caused by smoking. It is usually not fully irreversible (NICE, 2010). For an airflow obstruction to qualify, post bronchiodilation FEV1/FVC is less than 0.7 ( FEV: forced expiratory volume in one second, FVC: forced vital capacity). The course of COPD is highlighted as being an illness characterised by a long inexplorable disease, punctuated with protracted periods of disabling breathlessness, reducing exercise tolerance, causing recurrent hospital admissions and premature death (Buckley, 2008). Diagnosis of COPD is not entirely dependent on severity of breathlessness but also history, physical examination and also spirometry confirmation of airway obstruction (Buckley, 2008; NICE, 2010). Because of the difficulty with the prognosis of COPD, it presents a challenge for physicians and healthcare practitioners to provide adequate care to patients (Curtis, 2006; NICE, 2010). Due to the nature of symptoms associated COPD (such as dyspnoea), patients more often die with COPD or related than from it (NICE, 2010) with mortality rate for men steadily reduced from 1970 while womens has seen a small but steady rise, although COPD mortality is on the general rise. Buckley (2008) reported that there was a relatively higher proportion, (72%) of COPD who die in hospital care, compared with 12% at home and none in hospices. Palliative Care Palliative care has several definitions but has similar concepts according to Campbell (2009). NICE (2010) guidelines define palliative care as active holistic care of patients with advanced progressive illness. Curtis (2006) defines palliative care as the goal being to prevent and relieve suffering and support the best possible loyalty of life for patients and their families and their families, regardless of the state of disease or the need for other therapies. The general aim of palliative care is to improve the quality of care through alleviation of symptoms and promoting comfort over treatment as some treatment involve mechanical aids which patients might find taxing (Curtis, 2006). This has brought about the suggestion for the need of specialised centres (Curtis, 2006) considering how little attention palliative care quality has received. Curtis (2006) then went on to report that there was a very low number of patients who talked about end of life care with their physicians, which can be made even more difficult with loss of emotional control or fear of having little training (Wittenberg-Lyles et al., 2008). There is also a need for patients to show more confidence in their carers (Curtis, 2006). The Gold Standards Framework GSF (2006) Prognostic Indicator Guidance (PIG) lists the criteria that would assist in making a prognosis for requirement of palliative care as: Severity of disease, such as FEV1 being less than 30% predicted Recurrent hospital admissions Long term oxygen therapy Shortness of breath with 4/5 grade on the Medical Research Council (MRC) Dyspnoea scale Signs and symptoms of right heart failure Other factor such as non invasive ventilation (NIV) The GSF (2006) PIG summarises which three steps are key to determine which patient needs palliative care. They are Identifying patient based on criteria Assessing needs Planning administration The above steps are dependent on patients satisfying chronic condition criteria listed earlier. Communication Communication is the process of enhancing thoughts or information between individuals through different media: spoken or written and through body language gestures (Payne et al., 2004). Buckley (2008) states that good communication is the key to the delivery of effective supportive palliative care services as it has an interpersonal perspective that is about health professionals and patients engaging emotionally (Wittenberg-Lyles et al., 2008). Delivering bad news is not an easy or comfortable feat. The United States EPEC (Education for Physicians on End of life) is a training program based on SPIKES model (Setting, Perception, Invitation, Knowledge, Empathy, and Strategy/Summary), that has listed steps to follow that in the delivery of bad news, summarised below: Preparing to meet i.e. location setting Assess what patient knows about condition Determine amount of information to give patient Delivery of news Respond to any questions from patient and/ or family Make follow up plan Case Study: Patient profile The subject used in the case study was an eighty year old man in a nursing home who presented as generally quiet, with long standing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Consent was obtained from him to participate in the study with the potential benefits explained to him. The subject had history of chain smoking and was diagnosed with heart murmurs in 1986. Long term smoking causes the damage to the lung tissues and repeated chest infections (NICE, 2010) and is a major contributor to COPD. The subject was prescribed bronchodilator salbutamol 2.5mg/2.5ml nebuliser liquid unit dose vial, administered by mask one or two ampoules four times a day. It was used as and when it was required although he did not usually exceed three doses daily. The subject had shortness of breath with basic living tasks and dependent on staff. The subject had several GP visits for COPD associated chest infections in the last twelve months and had to be supported by pillows in an almost upright position to sleep to reduce the discomfort caused by the dyspnoea. The subject was chosen as he satisfied most of the criteria from the GSF (2006) in terms of shortness of breath, reliance on the bronchiodilator, several GP visits for chest infections and long history of smoking. The do not resuscitate (DNR) forms were filled in passed on to the multidisciplinary team that include the Ambulance service with the family aware. Communication in Palliative care with COPD Different communication techniques were employed when it came to dealing with the subject to reassure him and the family skills i.e. maintaining appropriate eye contact, low tone of voice is the key to the delivery of effective supportive palliative care service (Buckley, 2008). A SPIKES model approach was employed with the current case study. Discussion It is essential for nurses to establish a therapeutic relationship with patients as they interact more with the patient, employing strategies such as empathy, spending more time listening and being more initiative (Edwards, et al 2006). Communication sometimes can also been limited by workplace policies or insufficient training (Edwards, et al 2006), which raises the need for proper training to better these relationships (Davidson et al., 2002). The current case study was able to overcome the difficulties of communicating with the patient and family as they had been there already offering support, and hence during the meeting to discuss the end of life they stated that they were satisfied with the progress as part of the continued care. The subject did not seem to be happy with the nebulisation therapy at first and he expressed fear and anxieties because it was a new therapy, which was not unusual (Stevens et al., 2009). Curtis (2006) study argues that health care for patients with COPD was often initiated proactively based on a previously developed plan for managing their disease. The subject was given a choice if he wanted a member of his family to be present and if the time was appropriate to which he had no objection, being emotionally functional and able to make his decisions (Lemmens et al. 2008). It was also noted that the subject became more relaxed when the nebulisation therapy was explained to him that it would reduce the dyspnoea, rattly chest, symptoms that he acknowledged made his breathing difficult and other symptoms such as wheezing and sleep disturbance. It is important to have a suitable location where there would be few disturbances when breaking bad news (Stevens et al, 2009; Wittenberg- Lyle, 2006). In the case study, the subjects family was contacted in order to arrange a meeting to discuss his diagnosis, the way forward regarding his treatment and control of his symptoms and also make them aware of any changes that would need to be made in terms of his care. This afforded the subject and family to be to be reassured that the patient would be made as comfortable as possible to alleviate the symptoms of his condition through to end of life and bereavement. Conclusion Palliative care for COPD has not received much attention until recently. Communication is a very important aspect for high standards of care particularly in end of life care. Nurse to patient relationships are even more important as they play a major role; liaising with the family and multidisciplinary team to make the end of life as comfortable as possible. There is still much to be done in terms of communication training for nurses and also getting more physicians involved. The role of a multidisciplinary team is highly valued as it helps streamline the planning and administration of palliative care. The current case study found that the patient was happy with the way that the way that his care was planned.

Fools Rush In and My Big Fat Greek Wedding Essay -- Movies Movie Film

Fools Rush In and My Big Fat Greek Wedding Every movie that is written has a certain attitude to it. Some of these are intended to be laughed at and others are meant to be heartfelt. Though each movie is written with its own voice, so to speak, many have similar plots or themes. The two movies Fools Rush In and My Big Fat Greek Wedding are two of these movies that have similarities in the themes, but not necessarily in the plots. Both of these romantic comedies have strong religious backgrounds on the woman’s side of the family and differences in culture. The main theme between these two movies is the quest for happiness and all the troubles that must be overcome to achieve it. In the movie Fools Rush In Salma Hayek and Matthew Perry meet at a night club and have a one night stand. As a result of their fling Isabel (Salma Hayek) becomes pregnant. Isabel was raised in a very Catholic home and if you are pregnant it is disrespectful to God not to be married. Alex (Matthew Perry) decides that it is fate that has brought them together and so he decides they need to rush off and get married. Their families are not informed of their spur-of-the-moment decision and when they find out Isabel’s father becomes irate. Alex decides not to inform his family of the decision because in his family you marry into the same culture and the difference would be shocking to his parents. After realizing they have married for all the wrong reasons they decide to split up and go their separate ways. Isabel goes to live in Mexico and Alex goes to New York. After many signs they both decide they cannot live life without one another. In the end both of them are happy w ith their decisions and live a happy life with their family’s approv... ...y Big Fat Greek Wedding Ian was given the ultimatum convert or leave. In the end he converts and realizes it is the best decision ever because it allowed Toula to give herself to him completely and with the approval of her family. These two movies deal with many similar themes, even though the plots differ some. The difference in religions and culture make the movies more realistic and home-based. The main theme of searching for a real love is what makes the movies so romantic, even though they are both classified as romantic comedies. Whether these two movies make one laugh of cry they are two very similar movies. If one of these movies seems to grab one’s attention, more than likely the other will too. So, if it is crying or laughing one can not go wrong with these two movies; they both give a little bit of laughter and they can both cause a few tears.

Philosophy in the South Asian Subcontinent: A Unity in Maladjustment :: Philosophical Globalization Essays

Philosophy in the South Asian Subcontinent: A Unity in Maladjustment ABSTRACT: Philosophy in the south Asian subcontinent differs from Western philosophy in the following three ways: (1) it is based upon religion; (2) love of tradition becomes an obstacle for philosophical development; and (3) authority is accepted as a source of knowledge. I argue that future philosophical development demands that the above three differences be removed. Furthermore, philosophers from the subcontinent must concentrate on contemporary issues. If I ask myself about the extent of the philosophical heritage, which I may claim to have inherited from the past, I shall find myself in a difficulty in finding a precise answer. If I look back for my heritage, beyond fifty years towards the past, I shall find that the past heritage to which I belong, incidentally coincides with that of the South Asian subcontinent. In the context of philosophy, that heritage is what we find mainly in the traditions of the Vedic philosophical schools (specially the Vedanta school), Buddhism and Jainism. These philosophical traditions are also considered as oriental philosophies. An orientalistic outlook in the context of these philosophical traditions may find it difficult to draw a line of demarcation between the past and the present status of these traditions. It is my intention to draw attention to the fact that, in the context of philosophy, our past heritage is in a sense an obstacle to our future progress; and to this extent, our heritage and our future are in a unity in maladjustment. I shall draw attention to some historical situations, and some claims of heritage based on these situations. It is claimed that, it is possible 'to trace the rise of philosophy to a period earlier than the Greeks...'. (1) This claim may lead to wonder whether Thales is the father of philosophy. In this context it is further claimed that: 'The first Greek thinker whom we can appropriately describe as a philosopher was Thales', and that 'When, however, we look at India of the sixth century B.C., we see a completely different picture. ... It was not a case of the dawn of philosophy as in Greece but what may be described as the full glow of philosophical day'. (2) What implications are meant to follow from such claims? Can we say that W. T. Stace is wrong in claiming that Thales is the father of philosophy? (3) Should one rather say that Thales is in fact the father of western philosophy only? Philosophy in the South Asian Subcontinent: A Unity in Maladjustment :: Philosophical Globalization Essays Philosophy in the South Asian Subcontinent: A Unity in Maladjustment ABSTRACT: Philosophy in the south Asian subcontinent differs from Western philosophy in the following three ways: (1) it is based upon religion; (2) love of tradition becomes an obstacle for philosophical development; and (3) authority is accepted as a source of knowledge. I argue that future philosophical development demands that the above three differences be removed. Furthermore, philosophers from the subcontinent must concentrate on contemporary issues. If I ask myself about the extent of the philosophical heritage, which I may claim to have inherited from the past, I shall find myself in a difficulty in finding a precise answer. If I look back for my heritage, beyond fifty years towards the past, I shall find that the past heritage to which I belong, incidentally coincides with that of the South Asian subcontinent. In the context of philosophy, that heritage is what we find mainly in the traditions of the Vedic philosophical schools (specially the Vedanta school), Buddhism and Jainism. These philosophical traditions are also considered as oriental philosophies. An orientalistic outlook in the context of these philosophical traditions may find it difficult to draw a line of demarcation between the past and the present status of these traditions. It is my intention to draw attention to the fact that, in the context of philosophy, our past heritage is in a sense an obstacle to our future progress; and to this extent, our heritage and our future are in a unity in maladjustment. I shall draw attention to some historical situations, and some claims of heritage based on these situations. It is claimed that, it is possible 'to trace the rise of philosophy to a period earlier than the Greeks...'. (1) This claim may lead to wonder whether Thales is the father of philosophy. In this context it is further claimed that: 'The first Greek thinker whom we can appropriately describe as a philosopher was Thales', and that 'When, however, we look at India of the sixth century B.C., we see a completely different picture. ... It was not a case of the dawn of philosophy as in Greece but what may be described as the full glow of philosophical day'. (2) What implications are meant to follow from such claims? Can we say that W. T. Stace is wrong in claiming that Thales is the father of philosophy? (3) Should one rather say that Thales is in fact the father of western philosophy only?

Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher”

Edgar Allen Poe is a name that conjures up images of haunting dark rooms and dreary landscapes. His poems and short stories explore the inner workings of the human imagination, the parallelism of life and death, the fine line between sanity and madness, the delicate balance of beauty and terror, and the hesitation between a natural and a supernatural explanation of unusual events. â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher† examines these themes in a collision and intermingling of manifold, complex circumstances. Poe uses duality and mirror images, symbolism, and a Gothic tone to convey the terror and fear that overwhelms and finally destroys the House of Usher. Studying the characters and the connections established between them, the symbolism and duality throughout the story, and most importantly the way in which the story is told, provides insight into the deeper meanings and true significance of the story. A part of the terror of this story is its vagueness. Rather than directly exploring the internal causes of the Ushers' illnesses, it presents these characters to the narrator and the reader as an impenetrable mystery. While many have tried to decipher the twin motif, this paper serves to explore how the events effect the narrator, and in turn, effect the reader. As the reader tries to interpret the story and make sense of the strange events that unfold, the reader finds himself experiencing feelings that mirror the narrator's. This is an often overlooked meaning and purpose to â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher. † A study of the opening paragraph is a crucial element to understanding the significance of the story. The opening paragraph not only introduces the conflict between the natural and supernatural, but gives insight into the narrator's reason for telling this story. First, it sets up an opposition between the narrator's experience of a force that may be supernatural and his insistent interpretation of this experience as explainable according to obscure psychological laws or else illusory, the mere product of nerves. After struggling to rationalize his immediate â€Å"sense of insufferable gloom† upon merely glancing at the House of Usher, he acknowledges that worldly things can sometimes give shape to the mind. He tries to change his perspective to shake his gloomy feeling, but looking into the tarn and seeing the reflection of the house provides no relief and instead deepens his terror. This experience contradicts his beliefs. The conflict between the reports of his senses and his interpretations of these reports persists when he reasons that being conscious that one is giving way to superstition accelerates the speed at which one gives way. This is â€Å"the paradoxical law of all sentiments having terror as a basis. Parallel to the narrator's conflict is a subtle opposition that becomes increasingly stronger and important as the story progresses. Unlike many of Poe's other works, the opening provides no statement of the narrator's purpose in telling this story. Even though the narrator is never explicit about why he tells this story, he reveals his reasons indirectly from the very beginning. This narrator imagines a listener as conveyed by his conversational tone. The narrator mildly re sists his own story, trying rhetorically to dissociate himself from it. The frequency of his assertions of the present tense increases at crucial points in his narrative: when he recounts his perception of the atmosphere, when he discusses Usher's artistic productions, and especially, when he reports Usher's belief in the sentience of all things. This resistance suggests that he is telling this story to convince himself, or rather have the reader confirm that he is not mad. The purpose for the narrator's visit to the Usher House is to alleviate Rodrick from his suffering by means of his cheerful disposition. Upon discovering the physical similarities between Rodrick and the house, suggesting that both are essentially living corpses, alleviation seems futile. When Usher acknowledges these resemblances by asserting that the â€Å"physique† of the house affects the â€Å"morale† of his existence, he indicates that at the center of his malady is a growing dominance of the material world over his spirit, a world that includes both his house and his body. Rodrick's house and body have become his prison. Madeline's presence later in the conversation triggers yet another unaccountable oppression and after finding Usher with his face buried in his hands, he feels helpless. Mid story consists of a succession of of images of Usher's imprisonment in his world and of the narrator's attempts to resist the oppressive feelings that attack him. Rather than attempting to change Rodrick's point of view, the narrator only persists resistance to becoming â€Å"ushered. † The narratology shifts focus to the image of Rodrick. He proclaims his fear of going mad. In his mind, the house is causing him, body and soul, to mirror itself. The narrator, attempting to rationalize once again, concludes that Rodrick's condition is the condition of his world. It cause is in the nature of things. Rodrick hesitantly admits â€Å"a more natural and far more palpable origin,† hence why he send for the narrator as a aversion. As the days go on, Rodrick entertains the narrator with art and poems, all of which the narrator observes reflect the polarities of Rodrick's mental state. As the narrator tells of his and Rodrick's activities and of Rodrick's behavior, his tone becomes increasingly desperate and his efforts to remind the reader of his presence, rather than just reporting the events, increase exponentially. He describes their artistic pursuits: â€Å"his long, improvised dirges will ring forever in my ears,† â€Å"I hold painfully in my mind,† â€Å"(vivid as their images now are before me). † The narrator's very efforts to escape into the present of the narration betray him, for what he wishes to escape in the past awaits him in the future. Towards the end of the story, the narrator starts to mirror Rodrick. He appears to be telling his story to deny the significance upon which his story insists. As he resists his story, so his story resists him, refusing to take the shape he desires for it. His story mirrors the House of Usher. The narrator thus reveals his obsession. Could he convince his listener that what he has experienced is illusion, he might perhaps convince himself and so exorcise the story. He is compelled to tell his tale, but compelled by inner necessity to be free of the tale, to save himself. After Madeline's death, he claims he has been infected by Usher. After the account of Madeline's burial, the narrator's efforts at identifying with his listener are less frequent and less desperate. The death of Madeline is followed by the disappearance of all light from Usher's eyes and by rhetorical hopelessness in the narrator. Usher roams without object from chamber to chamber and gazes â€Å"upon vacancy for long hours,† as if listening (95). Soon the narrator is doing the same. When Rodrick enters the narrator's room his â€Å"mad hilarity† appalls the narrator, but the narrator welcomes his presence rather than being alone. Usher has come to show him something, the peculiar storm outside, which the narrator at first thinks sublimely beautiful. Upon further observation, he concludes that Usher must not look at it. He reaches this conclusion when he notices that the seemingly living whirlwind appears imprisoned within â€Å"the unnatural light of a faintly luminous and distinctly visible gaseous exhalation which hung about and enshrouded the mansion† (96). For the first time, the narrator reports direct resistance to Rodrick's perception and a direct attempt to explain it away as â€Å"merely electrical phenomena not uncommon† or as the result of the miasma of the tarn. As a diversion, he suggests reading. As the narrator attempts to entertain Rodrick with a hopeful sounding story he is not diverted. As Usher's arrival in the narrator's room mocks the narrator's earlier arrival at Usher, and as the revelation of the storm emphatically affirms Usher's world view, so Madeline's escape from the tomb mocks â€Å"The Mad Trist,† and her appearance turns the screw of the horror of Usher's world view. The Mad Trist,† while it may, as the narrator asserts, lack imagination, speaks rather directly to Rodrick's despair. The story, in the portion the narrator tells, is of the reconquest of a palace of gold, which had been reduced by a dragon into a hermit's hut, a hut with most of the characteristics of the haunted palace of U sher's poem. Ethelred's progress, then, suggests the possibility that King might retake his lost kingdom and don again the purple for which he was born. However, in the background is the opposite horror, the echoing series of events leading up to the destruction of the metaphorical king, Rodrick, and his palace. Madeline's escape from her tomb is a mockery of the recovery of reason. Soon the narrators surrounded by dualities: the twins, the reelings, the usherings, the collapses, the doublings of storm and house. He flees, but as the his rhetoric has already revealed, he cannot escape. He is infected. The House of Usher utters him with its last breath, and he is expelled into a space identical in meaning with those he has left. Were the narrator speaking rather than being spoken, he might seize his last opportunity to assert that with the destruction of the house and the appearance of the natural light of the moon, Usher's disease disappears from the earth. But it is clear from the manner of his telling as well as from his vision of the moon that the narrator has not yet accomplished this exorcism. The moon insists upon being unnatural, â€Å"a wild light †¦ a gleam so unusual †¦ the full, setting, and blood-red moon,† which bursts upon his sight. Usher is dead and yet, in the narrator, Usher lives on. Turn where he might, he sees only Usher. In the effort to throw off this burden, he tells his story, asking his implied listener to confirm his fruitless assertions that his experience was illusory, but in the very act of telling, he is again caught up in the compelling vision of Madeline's return and the doubled collapse of the house. Implicit in his attempts at persuasion has been the promise that the tale would come to an end and that his unaccountable experiences would be explained. The final image of the tarn's waters closing over the fragments of the house violates probability, and the narrator offers no explanation for it. If the opposition between the narrator's rational explanations and his unaccountable experiences is to be resolved, the reader must do so without the help of the narrator, and the immediately available alternatives are not satisfactory. The reader's natural response is to re read or relieve the text, trying to rationalize what has just been presented, thus mirroring the role of the narrator. As he has failed in his pursuit to alleviate Usher from his madness, the reader in turn fails to make sense of the narrators experience.