Wednesday, October 2, 2019
The Theme of the Epic Poem, Beowulf Essay -- Epic of Beowulf Essay
The Theme of Beowulf      Interpretations of Beowulf vary. In this essay I hope to state clearly some of the popularly mentioned themes running through the poem.  â€Å"Many critics feel that the speech of Hrothgar between lines 1700 and 1784 encapsulates the moral of the poem†¦.’He does not know the worse – till inside him great arrogance grows and spreads’†(Shippey 38). Hrothgar’s ominous words do come back to haunt the hero more than once. Beowulf is a braggart; he is proud, and nothing seems able to change his basic proud outlook derived from his all-powerful physical strength. Even shortly before his own defeat against the fire-dragon, our hero is recalling his killing of the great hero of the Hugas with his bare hands:  ever since the time,                              in front of the hosts, I slew Daeghrefn,                                 the champion of the Hugas, with my bare hands.                             He never brought back his breast-ornament                             to the Frisian king: the standard-bearer                             fell in combat a prince, in valor;                                 no edge killed him my hand-grip crushed                          his beating heart, his life’s bone-house (2501-09).  Yes, Beowulf was full of pride and self-confidence; this made him impetuous in his actions. Regarding the dragon, â€Å"its strength and fire seemed nothing at all to the strong old king†(2348-49); before facing the dragon, he was reminiscing about his valour in combat against the Hetware and how he alone had escaped:  Lines 2354-68:                                    Nor was it the least hand-to-hand comba... ...some of the viewpoints on this topic.  BIBLIOGRAPHY  Chickering, Howell D.. Beowulf A dual-Language Edition. New York: Anchor Books, 1977.  Kaske, R.E.. â€Å"The Governing Theme of Beowulf.†In Beowulf: The Donaldson Translation, edited by Joseph F. Tuso. New York, W.W.Norton and Co.: 1975  Leyerle, John. â€Å"The Conflicting Demands of Heroic Strength and Kingly Wisdom.†In Readings on Beowulf, edited by Stephen P. Thompson. San Diego: Greenhaven Press,1998.  Shippey, T.A.. â€Å"The World of the Poem.†In Beowulf – Modern Critical Interpretations, edited by Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987.  Tolkien, J.R.R.. â€Å"Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics.†In Beowulf – Modern Critical Interpretations, edited by Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987.    Â
Persecuting The Innocent :: essays research papers
Schools tend to have cliques, small groups of narrow-minded people who criticize others. These teens in cliques parallel adults in today’s society. They prey on those who believe in different things, come from different backgrounds, and have different morals and values. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, three characters, Boo Radley, Tom Robinson, and Atticus Finch, all resemble mockingbirds, in that people persecute them for no reason.      The people of Maycomb County victimize the innocent Boo Radley. His mysterious life interests the Finch children, Jem and Scout, and their friend Dill. They imagine Boo as a drooling, savage, six-and-a-half foot beast with a long jagged scar on his face, yellow teeth, and bulging eyes. They suspect that he peers into people’s windows at night to stalk them and he may try to kill them. The real Boo, however, possesses a kind soul and a gentle heart. He manages to find ways to communicate in a positive and playful way with Jem, Scout, and Dill, but everyone suspects Boo of enigmatic crimes when â€Å"once the town was terrorized and†¦people still looked to the Radley Place, unwilling to discard their initial suspicions†(9). The townspeople do not give Boo a chance; they rather make rash conclusions. His seclusion from the town instantly opens him up to ridicule and gossip. Scout learns to judge him and others by their actions, not by the town gos sip.      Tom Robinson, a Negro, represents another mockingbird. He lives a life of simplicity beyond the town dump, and attends the same church as the Finch family cook, Calpurnia. Tom regularly assists people in need, especially Mayella Ewell, but he finds himself punished for it. Mayella, a white woman, accuses Tom of rape and abuse, and her father Bob takes this matter to court and uses subterfuge in his testimony. During the trial Link Deas, Tom’s former employer, announces, â€Å"That boy worked for me eight years an’ I aint had a speck o’ trouble outta him†(195). Link tries to stand up for Tom because he instinctively knows Tom would never rape anyone, especially a white woman. Because of Link’s experience with Tom, he steadfastly believes in Tom’s innocence. However the prejudice that exists in Maycomb influences the jury to convict Tom of rape, leaving him and his attorney Atticus Finch disappointed but not surprised.      Atticus, a very respected lawyer, defends Tom and subsequently takes criticism for it.
Tuesday, October 1, 2019
The Last Rajah Ratan Tata Case Study
Among Asia's business titans, Ratan N. Tata stands out for his modesty. The chairman of the Tata Group  India's biggest conglomerate, with businesses ranging from software, cars, and steel to phone service, tea bags, and wristwatches  usually drives himself to the office in his$12,500 Tata Indigo Marina wagon. He prefers to spend weekends in solitude with his two dog sat a beachfront home he designed himself. And disdainful of pretense, he travels alone even on long business trips, eschewing the retinues of aides who typically coddle corporate chieftains.But the 69-year-old Tata also has a daredevil streak. An avid aviator, he often flies a corporate Falcon 2000 jet around India. And in February he caused a sensation at the Aero India 2007 airshow by co-piloting Lockheed (LMT) F-16 and Boeing (BA) F-18 fighter jets. Tata's business dealings reflect the bolder side of his personality. In the past four years he has embarked on an investment binge that is building his gr oup from a once-stodgy regional player into a global heavyweight. Since 2003, Tata has bought the truck unit of South Korea's DaewooMotors, a stake in one of Indonesia's biggest coal mines, and steel mills in Singapore, Thailand,and Vietnam.It has taken over a slew of tony hotels including New York's Pierre, the Ritz-Carlton in Boston, and San Francisco's Camden Place. The 2004 purchase of Tyco International's(TYC) undersea telecom cables for $130 million, a price that in hindsight looks like a steal,turned Tata into the world's biggest carrier of international phone calls. With its $91 million buyout of British engineering firm Incat International, Tata Technologies now is a major supplier of outsourced industrial design for American auto and aerospace companies, with 3,300 engineers in India, the U.S., and Europe.The crowning deal to date has been Tata Steel's $13 billion takeover in April of Dutch-British steel giant Corus Group, a target that would have been unthinkable just a f ew years ago. In one swoop, the move greatly expands Tata Steel's range of finished products, secures access to automakers across the U.S. and Europe, and boosts its capacity five fold, with mills added in Pennsylvania and Ohio. Now, a new gambit may catapult Tata into the big leagues of global auto manufacturing: The company is said to be weighing a bid for Jaguar Cars and Land Rover, which Ford Motor Co. (F)wants to sell. On top of all this, the group plans $28 billion in capital investments at home over the next five years in steel, autos, telecom, power, chemicals, and more.â€Å"We rescaled our thinking in terms of growth,†Tata says over tea at Bombay House, the group's headquarters since 1926, a tranquil oasis with well-worn marble floors, a vast collection of modern Indian art,and staffers who circulate with bowls of vanilla ice cream every day at 3 p.m. â€Å"We just forced and cajoled our businesses to make this happen.The forcing and cajoling has worked brillia ntly.The market value of the 18 listed Tata companies has swelled to $62 billion, from $12 billion,since 2003. Group sales and profits have doubled, to $29 billion and $2.8 billion, respectively.
Monday, September 30, 2019
Duty vs. Desire
The road to self-actualization is one filled with forks. One must constantly make decisions that affect character and one’s ultimate destination in life. Some travel this road very consciously, making informed and well thought out decisions that they hope will lead them in the right direction. Others live haphazardly, not taking into account the possible consequences of poor decisions. Often times one of the most major forks is a decision between moral obligation and private passion.Pressing matters of family or work may call one to put personal aspirations on hold for the sake of the whole. But does one necessitate abandonment of the other? Which way will lead to a happier life? Tom Wingfield, the disillusioned narrator of Tennessee Williams’ Depression-era play, â€Å"The Glass Menagerie,†must battle through this specific plight. He struggles to find the answer to the question of when desire overrides duty. All humans are blessed with a plethora of gifts, but all have one in common: life.This being said, there is one common humanistic duty: the obligation to live that life in the most satisfying manner in the hopes of reaching fulfillment. However, the individual decides which manner is most pleasing to himself or herself, and one person’s idea of a life well lived is wholly different from another’s. This fact should not be disdained, but embraced. Diversity is what allows for unique and inspirational perspectives that can create new ideas and changes in society and culture.Nevertheless, there are those that do not share this view, which leads to an all-too-common clash of wishes – between parents and children, subordinates and superiors, students and elders, etc. Tom Wingfield conflicts with his mother, Amanda, in this way. Her only wish is that her children, Tom and Laura, fulfill the classic American Dream of hard work and success. However, Tom has dreams of being a writer, and Laura is too painfully shy to even l eave the house. Clearly there will be at least one person displeased at the end of the day.The Wingfields live lives of short fuses hidden under good intentions – Tom and Laura do not wish to disregard their mother entirely, but they have their own wishes that she does not respect. There are daily battles over who has the right to decide the lives of the family. Tom rightfully uncovers the truth that in order to achieve true happiness in self-actualization, one must choose the paths one takes alone. As stated above, some people truly put thought into their decisions, while others do not.This done not imply that the thought-out choice is the superior one. One can reflect upon an important decision for weeks, months, or years, and still make the wrong choice. If this is true, how is one supposed to make the proper choice? How does one settle on the fork leading to the happier life? The answer is blunt and cruel. Sometimes there is no â€Å"happier life. †Many situations present themselves with no clear better choice. Tom debates his ever-growing desire to desert Amanda and Laura and live the life he feels he would enjoy infinitely more.He convinces himself that this would be his happier life, and does leave in the end, but not without some unwanted baggage. Wherever he goes, he is haunted by guilt of leaving Laura behind. It is evident that even when one does all the right things, when one takes into account outcome and consequences, and still makes the decision alone, it is very possible that there is no silver lining. One must simply do one’s best to make the decisions one feels good about and live with them.
Sunday, September 29, 2019
Wives as Deputy Husbands
â€Å"Wives as Deputy Husbands†by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich Article Review â€Å"Wives as Deputy Husbands†by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich was written to give the author’s opinion on the roles of women in the 17th and 18th century. Some historians thought women were merely there to do housework and take care of the children. They thought they were helpless. On the contrary other’s thought they were very involved in various affairs such as: blacksmiths, silversmiths, tinworkers, shoeworkers, tanners, etc. They thought they may have been very independent.However, this article is used to understand how households were run and how women fit into both female and male roles. The author’s thesis of this article is to inform the reader that women had more roles in colonial times than people rarely consider. Ulrich’s contention is that â€Å"the husband was in control of the external affairs and of the family, a husband’s decision would incorporate hi s wife’s opinion, and should fate or circumstance prevent the husband from fulfilling his role the wife could stand in his place†(Paragraph 4. ).Women didn’t only depend on their husband. She was not helpless. Her commitment to her husband did allow him to be able to trust her with difficult tasks that a servant couldn’t be trusted with. A wife specialized in housekeeping skills but it also included the responsibilities of being a deputy husband. Ulrich says â€Å"Economic opportunities were limited for women; however, female responsibility was a very broad topic†(Paragraph 8. ). A woman could do any task as long as it furthered the good of her family and her husband deemed it acceptable.Wives could double as their husbands and became respected companions and shared the spouse’s authority. There was no sharp division between home and work in the colonial time period. Many people worked on a farm which also doubled as their home. This was al so true for male and females, their spaces overlapped. While the husband was around her responsibility was limited. When he was absent her responsibility was more weighted. If a woman became a widow, and she had no sons, and chose not to remarry she could inherit the deceased spouse’s estate.Many of the male’s responsibilities were less desirable to a woman than doing housework was. This work may prepare her to function competently in a male’s world, though. This article is specific to female roles. The textbook and class discussions/lectures mainly taught about the people of colonial America as a whole. We learned a lot more about men’s roles and female responsibility wasn’t mentioned very often. The article taught me that women were very important to not only the household but the entire family.In her husband’s absence she would take on his responsibilities as well as the household one’s and not only be able to survive but thrive. I think it was important to read this article because both women and men were present in this time period. Without women there would be no men (literally), so why would we study the important of one? To understand he time period I think all genders and races need to be studied to a certain extent. The strengths of this article were that Ulrich added many examples to help understand how not all women were shrew and servile but rather very independent.A weakness was that she also presented arguments from the opposing sides which in some cases were slightly confusing. Yes, it does fit into the prevailing interpretation because men weren’t present in every situation and when they weren’t women were to maintain the household and affairs. This information is indeed different that what I previously learned about gender roles; women stayed at home to cook, clean, and take care of children while men worked. Overall, this article was very informative and helped me understand how families worked together to be successful in the colonial time period.
Saturday, September 28, 2019
Applications of Information Technology
Driving force in educational reform Students have many opportunities to learn the basic computer skills to facilitate their learning. Multimedia learning centre (MMLC) in secondary school Classroom with a projector 1. 1 Applications of Information Technology in Our Daily Life ? IT at Home ? Smart home technology ?Allows people to control household and other domestic appliances over the Internet ? Personal computer ?Has become a necessity for many households 1. 1 Applications of Information Technology in Our Daily Life ? IT at Home ? Personal computer Uses of personal computer 1. 1 Applications of Information Technology in Our Daily Life ? IT at Home ? Home office ?Refers to a small computerized office setup at home ?Self-employed persons can work at home and communicate with others through the Internet. Clients Self-employed person Colleagues 1. 1 Applications of Information Technology in Our Daily Life ? IT in Public Places ? Information kiosk ?Provides information on nearby facilities in public places ? Electronic Money ?Can be used for petty cash payments ?Example: Octopus Octopus Kiosks 1. 1 Applications of Information Technology in Our Daily Life ? IT in Public Places Internet access service ?It is provided in various public places. ?The public can obtain information from the Internet more conveniently. Internet access service in public area 1. 1 Applications of Information Technology in Our Daily Life ? IT in Business ? Office automation ?Office automation helps office workers improve working efficiency productivity, data security and communications with others An automated office 1. 1 Applications of Information Technology in Our Daily Life ? IT in Business ? Intranet ?A private and small-scale Internet of an organization ?Helps improve workflow and enables efficient collaboration and communication. Applications of Information Technology in Our Daily Life ? IT in Business ? E-commerce ?Refers to commercial activities carried out in an electronic network ?The Internet is now the most popular way to conduct e-commerce. e-bay, a popular online auction site 1. 1 Applications of Information Technology in Our Daily Life ? IT in Business ? E-commerce We can also purchase groceries online (http://www. wellcome. com. hk) We can book tickets online (http://www. cityline. com. hk) Applications of Information Technology in Our Daily Life ? IT in Government ? Information technology has become an important means of providing government services. ? Under the ‘2004 Digital 21 Strategy’, the Hong Kong SAR government has committed to developing e-government. 1. 1 Applications of Information Technology in Our Daily Life ? IT in Government ? Electronic Service Delivery ?A web site that provides a wide range of government information and services ?The services include, application for government job vacancies payment of government bills purchasing books making appointments for The use of public services 1. 1 Applications of Information Technology in Our Daily Life ? IT in Government ? Employers concerned about exposing of company confidentials More difficult for employers to monitor work progress 1. 2 Information Technology and the Information Age ? Digital Divide ? Describes the growing gap between those people who can access and make effective use of IT and those who cannot ? Separate people into two groups ?Internet users ?Non-Internet users.
Friday, September 27, 2019
Economics & Global Bus. Apps Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Economics & Global Bus. Apps - Essay Example China on the other hand has a very hierarchical and formal social structure which stretches to family, business and institutional life. For instance, respect for elders it is expected of children and the eldest family member bids the highest respect (Dipak 59). Collectivism vs. Individualism In china, individuals consider ideas in a collective sense in that before making a decision, they frequently consider the effects of their actions on their friends, colleagues and neighbors. Usually, decisions are not made for individual gain but for the greater good. In America, it is normal to make personal motives and goals a priority over the collective ones. This attribute is frequently encouraged so as to induce drive and aspiration to attain personal and business success (Robert, Philip and Sarah 35). Business Relations Business relations are a reflection of the individual and collective nature of the two societies. The term 'guan xi' is commonly used in China and refers to emphasis being placed on the significance of building social networks so as to carry out business (Dipak 71). This is mirrored in the significance of socializing with counterparts and getting to know them before signing a deal. As a result, ensuring a business deal in china is frequently a long procedure. In the US on the other hand, business is a more cut throat procedure that emphasizes more on efficiency and speed rather than on building relationships. Morals and Values In America, individuals are comfortable about praising, playing up and talking about success openly with humility being considered a weakness by some. In the Chinese culture, respect and humility are very important. When talking about successes, it is expected of people to be modest and treat each other well, or not to talk about them at all (Robert, Philip and Sarah 39). Additionally, in America, there are grayer areas and the issue of morality is not set in stone but a matter of discussion. In china however there is a firm sen se of right and wrong. Freedom of Expression The people of china are bound sternly by protocol and believe it is better to honor and respect the opinion of others even if you don’t agree with them than to demand for other people to concur with your ideals. In American culture individuals are urged to argue on contentious issues regardless of whether they may lead to confrontation all (Robert, Philip and Sarah 42). U.S. business practices in China vs. USA The 4 P’s of marketing have both similarities and differences in China and USA. The Price of a product has a higher elasticity of demand in China than in USA. While moving to China, it is important to ensure that a company establishes competitive and stable prices if a product is to compete with the existing products. Price changes have a higher effect on sales in China than in USA due to lower purchasing power of the Chinese in comparison with Americans. Chinese buyers feel more exploited by western companies than by local ones thus making price elasticity for foreign companies in China higher than that of local companies. While considering the product, it is also important to build a strong brand in order to penetrate the Chinese market which is characterised by many popular brands. Use of Chinese name for a brand would be a plus rather than maintain the name the product uses in USA. Product quality is not as important as it is in USA.
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