Pancreatitis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Pancreatitis - Essay Example In serious cases, acute pancreatitis leads to bleeding into glands as well as tissue damage. It leads also not only to cyst formation, but also to infection. Severe pancreatitis has also the potential of harming other essential organs like the heart, kidneys and lungs. According to Digestive Disorders Health Center, â€Å"chronic pancreatitis is long-lasting inflammation of the pancreas† (Digestive Disorders Health Center 1). In most occasions it results from acute pancreatitis. Heavy consumption of alcohol has also been associated with its causation. Damage to the pancreas as a result of heavy consumption of alcohol occasionally leads to no symptoms for many years. However, the victim of heavy consumption of alcohol may develop serious pancreatic symptoms. Symptoms of acute pancreatitis include nausea and vomiting, fever, and increased heart rate. The disease also leads to upper abdominal pain that spreads to the back as well as swollen and tender abdomen. The symptoms of chronic pancreatitis include all symptoms of acute pancreatitis in addition to weight loss as a result of malabsorption and diabetes if the cells involved in producing insulin are destroyed (Buchler 108). Treatment for acute pancreatitis obliges one to spend some days in hospital in order to access intravenous (IV) fluids, medication for relieving pain, and antibiotics. During the healing process, an individual is required not to eat in order to allow the pancreas to rest. Performance of Therapeutic Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography aid in the healing of chronic pancreatitis; it enhances the admission of sphincterotomy, gallstone removal, stent placement, and balloon

The Tyger Symbol Analysis Essay Example for Free

The Tyger Symbol Analysis Essay The symbol of the Tyger is one of the two central mysteries of the poem (the other being the Tyger’s creator). It is unclear what it exactly symbolizes, the Tyger could be inspiration, the divine, artistic creation, history, the sublime (the big, mysterious, powerful and sometimes scary, or vision itself. Really, the list is almost infinite. The point is, the Tyger is important, and Blake’s poem barely limits the possibilities. Line 7: â€Å"Wings† are what the creator uses to aspire to the creation of the Tyger. Essentially, they are the power or inspiration that allows the creator to dare go about the task of creating the Tyger. Smith Tools (Hammer, chain, furnace, anvil) Stanza 4: In the poem, these tools make up an extended metaphor of the creator and his creation of the Tyger. A blacksmith uses these tools to make objects out of super-hot metal. The word forge – to create orform – is a smith term as well as another name for a smith’s furnace. The smith reference also ties into all the fire imagery associated with the Tyger, and heightens the energy and danger of the Tyger’s creation. If you don’t think forging metal is hot or dangerous, you might want to visit even a modern-day steel mill. Line 20: When you read the word lamb, always first think: symbol of Jesus Christ (the Lamb of God). As the tradition holds, animals such as lambs were sacrificed to God or gods in general until God offered his Son, Jesus Christ – his lamb – as the final sacrifice for the sins of mankind. In line 20, Blake references a version of Christianity that states that God created Jesus. Blake asks whether God, who created Jesus, also created the Tyger. Also, don’t forget that The Lamb is the title of another poem by Blake, from the Songs of Innocence. The body parts referenced in this poem – hands, eyes, shoulders, and feet – are examples of synecdoche. Synecdoche is when a part of something is used to refer to the whole thing. For example, when someone yells All hands on deck! he doesn’t actually mean that he wants a bunch of severed hands on the deck; rather, he wants the people and their hands to help with the ship. So, the phrase immortal hand references the whole being or person that the hand belongs to, while at the same time focusing on the hands as the means of creation. The eye is representative of the whole body and person, but lso focuses our attention on the faculty of sight. Also, by including only parts of the creator in the actually poem, Blake contributes to the mystery of who or what he actually is. It’s like having only a few extreme close-ups of a person: you can see the hands, shoulder, feet, and eyes, but you cant see the whole package, and that means you cant even tell who youre looking at. The fire serves multiple purposes as an extended metaphor. First, it’s often associated with the Tyger, which contributes to the Tyger’s ferocity and sublimity (the fact it’s big, powerful, and mysterious). Fire is also a source of energy, and since the Tyger seems to be filled with fire, then he must also be filled with energy. In another sense, the fire of the smith’s furnace is the fire of creation, the means by which the Tyger was formed. Setting An abstract setting; Forests of the night and distant deeps or skies The settings of â€Å"The Tyger,† or at least the worlds this poem seems to conjure up, are extremely varied. In general, though, it takes place in the abstract, without much more than Forests of the night, and distant deeps or skies, to give the reader any sense of location. However, the lack of a concrete setting is just as important as the presence. Think of watching a play in a theatre in which the whole stage is dark except for one spotlight. There is no setting in the sense of it taking place in a house or in a field – it’s abstract. The most important quality, then, is that it has no obvious setting, just like the poem. Blake has placed the spotlight on the Tyger, but where it is, or where the speaker is, are not part of the equation. Leaving the setting fluid keeps the themes fluid and abstract as well. It also highlights what setting is there, if fairly vague. The forests of the night are dark and mysterious, cloaking and hiding the fiery symbol of the Tyger. The distant deeps or skies bring to mind the notions of Hell being underground and Heaven being in the sky. Since the Tyger may have been created in either Hell (deeps) or Heaven (skies), it remains ambiguous as to whether the Tyger is good or bad. Regardless, it would seem to us that being in the forests of the night with a fearful, burning Tyger on the loose, is scary, whether abstract or not.

The Underground Railroad :: essays research papers

The Underground Railroad One of the most shameful periods in history was the institution of slavery in the nineteenth century 2. Slavery was a divided issue in the 1800’s. Most slaves brought to America were known as low class people who could bring no good, but history fails to state that many of the slaves who came were people of many trades, ambitions, as well as determinations. The Underground Railroad had its earliest beginnings with runaway slaves fleeing from the Southern United States into Canada. By confronting human bondage without direct demands or violence, the Underground Railroad played a definite role in the destruction of slavery. The Underground Railroad was a term used to describe a network of people who helped escaped slaves on their way to freedom. Supposedly, the term Underground Railroad originated when an enslaved runaway, Tice Davids, fled from Kentucky and may have taken refuge with John Rankin, a White abolitionist, in Ripley, Ohio. Determined to retrieve his property, the owner chased Davids to the Ohio River, but Davids suddenly disappeared without a trace, leaving his owner confused and wondering if the slave had "gone off on some underground road." The Railroad was begun as a result of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 2. The Fugitive Slave Act demanded that if an escaped slave was sighted, he or she must be turned in and sent back to the rightful owner 2. The Nation grew divided on the slavery question. The Fugitive Slave Law called for the return of bonded and indentured runaways, as well as freed African Americans. This threatened the protection of the freed slaves. Many North American indentured slaves were freed after they had served their time after five to seven years 6. Most runaways were males, however women and children did escape. Their numbers were smaller because they were more likely to be captured. Yet, The Underground Railroad became the most dramatic protest action against slavery in United States history 2. The Railroad helped escaped slaves make their way from the Southern states through the northern states, into freedom. The Underground Railroad was operating in America, yet it was not a railroad and was not underground. This â€Å"railroad† was for blacks escaping from slavery in the South. They were escaping to the free North, and to Canada where there was no slavery at all. The Underground Railroad lacked in formal organization, relying on individuals or various groups. The Underground Railroad :: essays research papers The Underground Railroad One of the most shameful periods in history was the institution of slavery in the nineteenth century 2. Slavery was a divided issue in the 1800’s. Most slaves brought to America were known as low class people who could bring no good, but history fails to state that many of the slaves who came were people of many trades, ambitions, as well as determinations. The Underground Railroad had its earliest beginnings with runaway slaves fleeing from the Southern United States into Canada. By confronting human bondage without direct demands or violence, the Underground Railroad played a definite role in the destruction of slavery. The Underground Railroad was a term used to describe a network of people who helped escaped slaves on their way to freedom. Supposedly, the term Underground Railroad originated when an enslaved runaway, Tice Davids, fled from Kentucky and may have taken refuge with John Rankin, a White abolitionist, in Ripley, Ohio. Determined to retrieve his property, the owner chased Davids to the Ohio River, but Davids suddenly disappeared without a trace, leaving his owner confused and wondering if the slave had "gone off on some underground road." The Railroad was begun as a result of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 2. The Fugitive Slave Act demanded that if an escaped slave was sighted, he or she must be turned in and sent back to the rightful owner 2. The Nation grew divided on the slavery question. The Fugitive Slave Law called for the return of bonded and indentured runaways, as well as freed African Americans. This threatened the protection of the freed slaves. Many North American indentured slaves were freed after they had served their time after five to seven years 6. Most runaways were males, however women and children did escape. Their numbers were smaller because they were more likely to be captured. Yet, The Underground Railroad became the most dramatic protest action against slavery in United States history 2. The Railroad helped escaped slaves make their way from the Southern states through the northern states, into freedom. The Underground Railroad was operating in America, yet it was not a railroad and was not underground. This â€Å"railroad† was for blacks escaping from slavery in the South. They were escaping to the free North, and to Canada where there was no slavery at all. The Underground Railroad lacked in formal organization, relying on individuals or various groups.

An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge Essay

Reread the story â€Å"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge.† Think carefully about the following questions. They will help guide your reading and thinking about the story. Answer the questions in a thoughtful manner using complete sentences. 1.What is Peyton Farquhar’s occupation? Farquhar is a Southern slave owner who adores and tries to help the Confederate Army. 2.Why is he not a soldier, officer, or part of the army? He is not a soldier, officer, or part of the army because of circumstances of which are unknown. 3.How much time actually elapses between the opening and closing lines of Part III? Only a few minutes pass by between the opening and closing lines of Part III. 4.Describe the setting at the opening of the story. In the beginning of the story Farquhar is standing on a railroad above water with his hands bound with rope and a noose around his neck. There are two soldiers from the Northern Army, a sergeant, and a captain surrounds him. 5.Describe Peyton Farquhar’s last thoughts. Farquhar’s last thoughts are about escaping the execution and hail of bullets and go visit his family and wife. His wife was the last thought in his mind before he died from the execution. 6.Identify and describe the sound that disturbs the thoughts going through his mind. The sound that Farquhar hears is the amplified sound of the metallic clink of his watch disturbs his thoughts. 7.In the flashback of the story’s second section, who visits Peyton Farquhar? A Northern soldier comes to visit Farquhar at his home. 8.What plan does Farquhar conceive as a result of this visit? The Northern soldier is in disguise as a Confederate and informs Farquhar that he could easily set fire to the driftwood by the bridge. Farquhar accepts this idea. 9.What does Farquhar imagine in the story’s last section? Farquhar imagines that he walks back home and admire the landscape and is eager to return home. His wife comes to meet him but then a white light and silence engulf him with his death. 10.Ironically, what is his real fate? His real fate is death, but he imagines life while death proceeds him. 11.Summarize what you think this story reveals about the psychology of a person in a life or death situation. I think that in a life or death situation a person thinks about who they love and really embrace it. They think about the good and long so bad for life. 12.How does Bierce prepare us for the final outcome of the story? Bierce prepares the audience for the end of the story by setting up the beginning to be reality and then has flashbacks through out to reveal the irony in the end. 13.Do you think the writer tries to enlist your sympathies toward either the Union or Confederate side? Or, does the story seem more focused on a more general theme about the nature of war? Cite details from the story to support your answer. I think that the writer tries to earn your sympathy for the Confederates by describing how the Union posed as a Confederate to trick Farquhar which ultimately leads to his death. Also the writer tries to make Farquhar out to be in a way innocent and patriotic for his country and his Southern Army. There are mostly negatives about the Union in this story which makes the Confederates out to be good.

Ethics of stem cell research Essay

The employment of human embryonic stem cells is a significant breakthrough in the filed of biomedical research. The capability to isolate, culture, harvest and manipulate stem cells presents a huge potential to generate new cells that will technically replace non-functional or degenerate cells in a patient’s body. Such revolutionary technology may possibly serve as a new treatment method for incurable and debilitating diseases. Amidst the excitement within the scientific world for the promises stem cell research brings, there is a growing debate on the ethics that are associated with this novel technology. The collection and manipulation of embryonic stem cells in the laboratory is dependent on the destruction of embryos. Such procurement of biological material therefore warrants the termination of an embryo which directly represents the very beginning of a human being (Robertson, 1999; Leies, 2005). Society has thus questioned whether the scientific world has ignored the absolute value of life in exchange for excellence in biomedical research. In a newspaper article from the Washington post entitled â€Å"Clash over stem cell research heats up,† Rick Weiss (2006) describes how stem cell research is perceived by two sides of the issue. Both sides have aggressively used the media in helping them air out their concerns and excitement, respectively, over the use of embryonic stem cells. The newspaper article was written and published a few days before the Senate would meet to determine the fate of embryonic stem cell research in the United States. The stem cell research bill was initially reviewed in 2001 and indicated that research efforts on embryonic stem cells in the United States will not be funded due to ethical reasons. This new bill will thus take control of the 2001 restriction and will therefore allow funding of research programs on embryonic stem cells that have been created as of August 2001. The bill aims to preserve and protect human embryos from their destruction, yet several scientific groups have claimed that this restriction has hampered their research efforts on regenerative medicine, and has also resulted in the lag of research output. More importantly, other countries that are not restricted from performing embryonic stem cell research have gained a 5-years’ worth of research advantage over the United States. The controversy regarding the ethical issues of embryonic stem cell research impacts the entire human population. Each individual in the society has a susceptibility to contract a disease that might possibly need the use of stem cells that can replace defective ones in the body. We have heard of a number of public figures that have suffered from diseases that could have been resolved through the use of embryonic stem cells. The late former President Ronal Reagan suffered from Alzheimer’s disease and the late actor Christopher Reeve experienced spinal cord injury. Both of these individuals are prime examples of people who could have benefited from the results of embryonic stem cell research. Stem cells may be cultured and manipulated to differentiate into specific types of cells such as astrocytes or brain cells for Alzheimer’s patients, and neural cells for patients with spinal cord injury (Snow, 2003). However, nothing has been done since 2001 because the federal government has put a hold on any research activities that involves stem cell manipulation and experimentation. A solution to current debate on the ethical issues associated with embryonic stem cell research is the comprehensive explanation of the definition of embryonic stem cells. It is imperative that the non-scientific public understand the principles and techniques behind the generation of embryonic stem cells. It is also important that the public know that harvesting embryonic stem cells is not much different from abortion. It is also essential to understand that the body of a human female biologically destroys or discards hundred of eggs cells through the natural course. The scientific group, in turn, should be patient enough to explain the area of embryonic stem cell research. I think that the ethical debate on the use of embryonic stem cells for research originates mainly from the miscommunication, misunderstanding and misrepresentation of the concept of embryonic stem cells. In addition, the public only relies on the information that is released by senators and stem cell research activists, who have actually distorted the concept of stem cell research. Should the scientific world be humble enough to example the basics of stem cell research, including the misnomers and benefits of the research, the ethical debate on this issue would decrease and might even vanish. The debate on the ethical issues of stem cell research is just one of several topics that have been under intense scrutiny by the public eye. Other issues of human concern include the employment of genetically modified organisms (GMO), organic foods, genetic engineering and biotechnology. It should be known that these technological innovations were basically created to improve the quality of life and not to destroy existing life forms. Everything that interacts with human beings has its benefits and disadvantages, yet these biomedical breakthroughs are the usual focus of attention of the public. However, if we weigh the benefits and risks of stem cell research, we will realize that the benefits of stem cell research far outweighs the disadvantages that may result from the use of this technology. We should always remember that decades ago, so many lives were lost from bacterial infection because antibiotics were not discovered yet. Today, antibiotics are a common treatment regime for bacterial infections, which is a huge benefit to human health, but it also has resulting in the creation of drug-resistant strains of bacteria. The same setting may also be observed in terms of stem cell research, but we should intelligently consider both sides of the technology.

Macintosh vs. IBM essays

Macintosh vs. IBM essays The IBM and Macintosh computers have been in competition with each other for years, and each of them have their strong points. They both had their own ideas about where they should go in the personal computer market. They also had many developments, which propelled themselves over the other. It all started when Thomas John Watson became president of Computing Tabulating Recording in 1914, and in 1924 he renamed it to International Business Machines Corporation. He eventually widened the company lines to include electronic computers, which was extremely new in those days. In 1975 IBM introduced their first personal computer (PC) which was called the Model 5100. It carried a price tag of about $9,000 which caused it to be out of the main stream of personal computers, even though their first computer did not get off to as big as a start they had hoped it did not stop them from continuing on. Later on IBM teamed up with Microsoft to create an operating system to run their new computers, because their software division was not able to meet a deadline. They also teamed up with Intel to supply its chips for the first IBM personal computer. When the personal computer hit the market it was a major hit and IBM became a strong power in electronic computers. Phoenix Technologies went through published documentation to figure out the internal operating system (BIOS) in the IBM. In turn, they designed a BIOS of their own which could be used with IBM computers. It stood up in courts and now with a non IBM BIOS, the clone was created. Many manufacturers jumped in and started making their own IBM Compatible computers, and IBM eventually lost a big share in the desktop While IBM was just getting started in the personal computer market, Apple was also just getting on its feet. It was founded by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in 1976. They were both college drop outs, Steve Jobs out of Reed Col...

Essay on ACL Surgery

Essay on ACL Surgery Essay on ACL Surgery Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Kathleen Vogler Armstrong Atlantic State University Professor Sergi 11/12/13 Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury is the over-stretching or tearing of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the knee. A tear may be partial or complete; if it is a complete tear, then it will not heal on its own (MedlinePlus, n.d). The ACL is one of four primary ligaments in the knee joint that provide stability. The four ligaments consist of: Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL), Lateral Collateral Ligament (LCL), Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL), and the ACL. The medial collateral ligament runs along the inside of the knee and prevents the knee from bending out. The lateral collateral ligament runs along the outside of the knee and prevents the knee from bending in. The posterior cruciate ligament prevents the shin bone from sliding backwards under the femur. The anterior cruciate ligament keeps the knee from overextending. The MCL and the LCL work jointly with the ACL and the PCL in order to keep the knee stable during activity. The MCL and the LC L are the providers of the inner and outer support of the knee. The MCL and the ACL provide support at the center of the knee. An individual’s knee needs all four ligaments in order to maintain continuous stability throughout movement of the knee during activity (MedlinePlus, n.d). Although females and males both have the exact same knee ligaments, females are more likely to have an ACL tear or injury (Prentice, 2013). More specific, female athletes have four to ten times more ACL injuries then that of males. Doctors theorize that the different rates of injury are due to the contrast of anatomy, knee alignment, ligament laxity, muscle strength, and conditioning (McAlindon). An anatomy difference is that women have a narrower notch than men have; therefore, the space for ACL movement is more limited in women than in men. A knee alignment difference is that the width of the pelvis determines the size of the Q angle. Women have a wider pelvis than men have; therefore, the Q angle is greater in women than in men (McAlindon, n.d). A ligament laxity difference is that female hormones allow for greater flexibility and looseness of muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Although this looseness prevents injury to other areas of the body, in the knee it leads to instability and actually causes ACL injury. A muscle strength difference would be the muscles surrounding the knee of women are not as strong as those of men. The stronger muscles of the men lead to more stabilization (McAlindon, n.d). A conditioning difference is that men develop muscle coordination and reflexes that can protect the knee once they reach the competitive level. These knee reflexes allow strong muscles to control the knee, thereby maintaining stability in it. Some female athletes do not participate in the same sports until a later age. Therefore, their muscle strength and coordination, as well as reflexes, may not be as fully developed when they reach the competitive level (McAlindon, n.d). An unusual characteristic is that females are more likely to have an ACL tear while they are on their menstrual cycle, but the reason why has yet to be determined. The most common sports that record the most ACL injuries would be: basketball, football, soccer, and skiing. Obviously, football records the least amount of ACL injuries because that is an all-male sport. There are three main causes of an ACL injury. One, if the individual takes in an extreme impact on the side of the knee, inside or out. This causation is most commonly found within the sports of football and soccer. Two, if the individual overextends the knee joint. This causation is also common in football and soccer, but is also found mildly in baseball or softball. And third, if the individual quickly stops their movement and suddenly changes direction while in activity consisting of

How to Create a Character Profile the Ultimate Guide (with Template)

How to Create a Character Profile the Ultimate Guide (with Template) How to Create a Character Profile: the Ultimate Guide (with Template) Ask any great novelist and they’ll likely tell you that good writing starts with good characters. But sharp character development is also one of the toughest hills to climb, especially if you’ve struggled to think through those tried-and-true questions that keep you up at night:Are my characters convincing?Do my characters have depth?How do I make sure my character has an arc?If you’re having these doubts, you might want to turn to the age-old solution: a character profile. In this post, we take you through all the steps of creating a character profile requires - and give you a character template that you can use with any story you’re writing.Why create a character profile?What’s the point of filling out a character template? I never end up using all the information in my story, anyway! That’s true. In fact, you shouldn’t try to pack every character detail into your novel. Only use what's relevant to the actual story - otherwise you risk turning off readers with the dreaded "info dump."But the author always needs to understand their characters like the back of their hands. In Creating Unforgettable Characters: A Practical Guide to Character Development, Linda Seger compares the depth of a character to an iceberg. The audience will only see a fraction (maybe 10%) of all that the writer knows about their character. But the remaining 90% is what makes characters actually feel well-drawn, flawed, and real - as though they could live outside of the book itself.Those are the kinds of characters our character questionnaire is here to help you write.PRO-TIP:  If you're still in the beginning stages of building a character and need a name, this character name generator may come in handy.So what makes a good character profile?There are a lot of character questionnaires out there - some are good. Then there's the character template that asks you, â€Å"If your character was a color, what color would they be?†On ce you start answering those kinds of questions in a character template, you might be dealing with overkill. It won’t move the needle at all when it comes to character development.A better character profile is one that actually helps you build a holistic picture of your character in the context of your story. With this in mind, we built a character profile worksheet in three parts. If you treat a person like an apple, they’re going to have three layers of depth: the â€Å"skin,† the â€Å"flesh,† and the â€Å"core.† (Otherwise known as their physical appearance, backstory, and psychology.) That’s how this character template is structured - and if you have a particular area that you’d like to hone, you can skip to it below. Otherwise, this questionnaire will start with the eagle eye’s view of your character. And if you'd like to download it nicely formatted for you already in a PDF format, feel free to do so below! Ready? Let’s begin.PART 1: The Outer Layer, or Physical Appearance PART 2: The Flesh, or Backstory PART 3: The Core, or PsychologyPart 1: The Outer LayerTo be able to identify a criminal, detectives build a painstakingly thorough file of said criminal’s physical characteristics.That’s the goal of this section, which covers the â€Å"skin† of your character: everything from their outer appearance to the way that they speak. Think of it as a kind of offender profile - one that can help you spot your character in the middle of a crowded Times Square.ðŸ“â€" THE BASICSNameAgePlace of birthCurrent locationNationalityEducationOccupationIncome👀 PHYSICAL APPEARANCEWhat's their:eye color?hair style?build?Do they have any distinguishing features (tattoos, scars, birthmarks)?What's their preferred outfit?Do they wear glasses?  Ã°Å¸â€˜â€œWhat accessories are ALWAYS associated with them (cane, pipe, necklace, etc.)?  Ã°Å¸Å'‚What's their usual level of grooming?DisheveledSmart, very put togetherUntidy but cleanOther?Do they have any distinguishing â€Å" tics† and mannerisms?What's their health like? Do they suffer from chronic illnesses?  Ã°Å¸  ¥Describe their handwriting (sloppy, neat, careful, unintelligible).  Ã¢Å" How do they walk?  Ã°Å¸â€˜ £Confident, powerful stridesLazy strollFast, walks at a clipDistracted, eyes on the groundOther?💠¬ SPEECH AND COMMUNICATIONHow do they talk (rapid, slow, measured, drawl, etc.)?What's the style of their speech (elevated, educated, peppered with slang, etc.)?Do they have an accent?Posture:Stiff, militarySlouchingCasual and relaxed‘Turtle,’ tiredOther?Do they gesture?Only when agitated or eagerDoesn’t gestureCompulsive â€Å"hand-talker†Controlled, only to make a pointOther? If so, explain:How much eye contact that they like to make (direct, shifty, etc.)?What's their preferred curse word?What's their catchphrase?Any speech impediments?What are any distinguishing speech â€Å"tics†?What's their laugh like? What do they tend to find funny?D escribe their smile?How emotive are they? Do they wear their emotions on their sleeve? How easily can others to read them?They have a resting _____ face.Bitch 😒Angel 😇Neutral 😠Other?Part 2: The FleshCharacters don’t exist in a vacuum - they’re a product of their environment.This section in the character template dives a bit deeper into your character and covers their â€Å"flesh†: the people, circumstances, and formative influences that filled them out and made them who they are today. It’s the springboard to your character’s biography.⠏ ª THE PASTWhat's the name of their hometown?  Ã°Å¸  ¡What type of childhood did they have (sheltered, neglected, etc.)?Describe their education?  Ã°Å¸  Were they involved in organizations and clubs at school?Sports âš ½Debate ðŸâ€" £Gay / Straight AllianceModel UNDrama 🎠­Other? If so, explain:At graduation, they were named Most Likely To ___________ in the yearbook.  Ã° ŸŽ“Jobs (if applicable)? What would their rà ©sumà © look like?  Ã°Å¸â€™ ¼What was their dream job as a child? Why?Who were their role models growing up? Describe them.  Ã°Å¸â€˜ ¨Ã¢â‚¬ Ã°Å¸â€˜ ¦What's their greatest regret?What were their hobbies growing up?  Ã¢â€º ³Favorite place to be as a child?What's their earliest memory?What's their saddest memory?What's their happiest memory?What's their clearest memory?What are their skeletons in the closet?  Ã°Å¸â€™â‚¬If they could change one thing from their past, what would it be? Why?  Ã¢  ³Describe the major turning points or â€Å"life beats† in childhood.What are three adjectives to describe them as a child?What advice would they give to their younger self?List their criminal record.   👠ª FAMILYFather  Ã°Å¸â€˜ ¨Age (if living)OccupationBriefly describe their relationship with your characterMother  Ã°Å¸â€˜ ©Age (if living)OccupationBriefly describe their relationship with your characterSiblings👠§How many?What are their names and ages?Briefly describe their relationship(s) with your characterChildren  Ã°Å¸â€˜ ¶(if applicable)Age (if living)OccupationBriefly describe their relationship with your characterExtended family  Ã°Å¸â€˜ ´GrandparentsUncles and auntsCousinsOtherWhat's their family's economic status?  Ã°Å¸â€™ °How often do they see their family in a year?ðŸ’Å" EXTERNAL RELATIONSHIPSWho are their closest friends? Describe them.Who are their other significant friends?  Ã°Å¸â€˜â€¹Enemies? Describe them.  Ã°Å¸Ëœ ¡How are they perceived by:strangers in the street?acquaintances at a work function?colleagues in the office?authority figures?friends in their friend circles?children?the opposite sex?extended family?What social media platfo rms are they on?TwitterTumblrFacebookRedditInstagramSnapchatOther? If so, explain.How would they use their social media platforms?How would they fill out an online dating profile for themselves?  Ã¢Å" ¨What’s their role in a group dynamic?  Ã°Å¸â€™ ¡LeaderJokerParentHype manMoochOther? If so, explain.Who do they depend on for:practical advice?mentoringa wingman?emotional support?moral support?How quickly do they respond to emails?  Ã°Å¸â€œ ¨What do they want from a relationship?Who would be their ideal partner?  Ã°Å¸â€™â€"Who is their significant other? Describe them.  Ã°Å¸â€™â€¢How many people would attend their funeral?Part 3: The CoreWe’ve come now to the â€Å"core†: who your character is deep down.This section in the character profile worksheet covers the â€Å"heart† of your character. If a backstory shapes a dynamic character, this will define them. More importantly, it will help inform the two most important points leading up to your nov el: the character’s story goal and story motivation.💠­ PSYCHOLOGYWhat do they do on rainy days?Are they:Street-smart or book-smartAn optimist or pessimistIntroverted or ExtrovertedWhat is their favorite sound?  Ã°Å¸â€Å Favorite place in the world?  Ã°Å¸Å'ŽWhat secrets do they keep? What are they most afraid of people finding out?  Ã°Å¸â€â€™What do they want the most?  Ã°Å¸â€ What's their biggest flaw?What's their biggest strength?What's their biggest fear?What is their biggest accomplishment?  Ã°Å¸â€œË†What is their idea of perfect happiness?What's their favorite quote?  Ã°Å¸â€˜Å'Do they want to be remembered? What for?  Ã¢Å'Å¡How do they approach:power?ambition?love?change?What is the one object or possession that they would rescue from their burning home?  Ã°Å¸â€ ¥What (or who) bores them?  Ã°Å¸â€™ ¤What makes them angry?  Ã°Å¸â€™ ¢What do they look for in a person?How strong is their moral compass? When, specifically, are they willing to co mpromise their morals?List the last 10 books they read.  Ã°Å¸â€œÅ¡Which fictional world would they most wish to visit?If they didn’t have to sleep, what would they do with the extra time?What are their pet peeves?  Ã¢Å¡  If they won the lottery, what would they do?Describe the character’s bucket list at the ages of 15, 20, 30, and 40.List the 10 songs that would occupy their All-Time Most Played playlist on Spotify.  Ã°Å¸Å½ µWhat is the best compliment that someone ever paid them?In an elevator, do they push the elevator button more than once?  Ã°Å¸Å¡ ªWhat would they want their tombstone to say?🔠® THE PRESENT AND FUTUREWhat is their story goal? (answer in a single paragraph)Story motivation (answer in a single paragraph)In other words: what does your character want in the story? Why do they want it? Every other answer in the character template builds up to this. This is critical information to know because it’ll make up the unshakable foundation - and raison d'à ªtre - for your story. Whenever you feel like your story is straying off course, go straight back to your character’s story goal and motivation.And if you lose physical sight of this character template, don’t sweat because we made it a portable resource for you.The Ultimate Character Profile TemplateThis downloadable character profile template will come as a fillable PDF file. Simply save it on to your computer and start typing in the text boxes to start developing your character.Additional resourcesIf you’re in an interrogatory mood and want even more questions outside of this character template, we’ve got your back. Here are some more famous tests with which to quiz your character - and a character questionnaire or two for your further perusal!The Proust QuestionnaireWhat it is: A set of questions popularized by Marcel Proust that digs into an individual’s personality.Some sample questions:What do you regard as the lowest dep th of misery?What is the trait you most deplore in others?On what occasion do you lie?Arthur Aron’s Intimacy TestWhat it is: A questionnaire of 36 questions that the New York Times in 2015 said would break down emotional barriers and accelerate intimacy between two strangers.Some sample questions:Is there something that you’ve dreamed of doing for a long time? Why haven’t you done it?Of all the people in your family, whose death would you find most disturbing? Why?If a crystal ball could tell you the truth about yourself your life, the future, or anything else, what would you want to know?The Book of QuestionsWhat it is: A series of questions by Gregory Stock that was initially published in 1987. (Note: you can find a PDF of 300+ questions here.)Some sample questions:At a meal, your friends start belittling a common acquaintance. If you felt their criticisms were unjustified, would you defend the person?Are you able to separate sex from love?When you make a big sacrifice, do you tell people about it or keep it to yourself? What would you never willingly sacrifice? Your life? Your health? Your integrity? Your dreams?Vault’s 101 Behavioral QuestionsWhat it is: A set of 101 interview questions from career site, Vault.Some sample questions:Where do you see yourself in ten years? Twenty years?Tell me about yourself in 30 seconds.Tell me about a time you had to break a promise. What was the situation and how did you handle it?If you're looking to hone your characters even further, here are seven of the best character development exercises. Keep an open mind as you work through every question and you'll be on your way to creating well-drawn, interesting characters in no time at all.Have you used a character profile or a character questionnaire to develop your characters before? Do you have any dependable character questions that our questionnaire lacks? Tell us in the comments below!

Art history- art of romanesque France Coursework

Art history- art of romanesque France - Coursework Example Latin fathers were Cyprian (bishop of Carthage), Tertullian Septimus, Ambrose the bishop of Milan, Jerome, Augustine, the bishop of Hippo and Gregory the great who was the bishop of Rome from 3rd September, 590 to death (Hughs, 2014). Their theological insights greatly shaped the course of the Christian history. These Latin fathers helped in understanding the Christian doctrine development throughout the millennia. Up to the modern era, their explorations of the scriptures have grounded biblical commentary (Lawrence, 2014). 3. Monasticism is whereby one renounces worldly pursuits to devote fully to Christian work. These included monks (male) and nuns (female). Monks and nuns accomplished many practical roles in the middle Ages. They nursed the sick, accommodated travelers, and assisted the poor. The abbots and abbesses offered advice to the secular rulers e.g. the monastery of Cluny under Abbot Odilo an abbot at the secular collegiate church of St. Martins at Tours (Hughs, 2014). Monasticism also offered the society a divine outlet and ideal with vital consequences for the medieval culture wholly. Monasteries also promoted learning, encouraged literacy as well as preserved the features of the ancient literature like the works of Virgil, Cicero, and Aristotle. Monastic composers also had a role in elevating the scope and complexity of choral music as well as creating the best environment for devotion (Lawrence, 2014). 4. The renaissance of the twelfth century had plenty of changes made at the outset of High Middle Ages including political, economic and social transformations with scientific and philosophical roots. The era is characterized by the rediscovery of ancient roman and Greek authors, a rebirth of classical learning as well as the Greek’s spirit of inquiry recovery (Lawrence, 2014). 1. As Duby wrote, in the medieval era, the pilgrimage routes were paths that were walked by kings, princes as well as ordinary peasants. As a result each town along the way

Research and statistics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Research and statistics - Essay Example This study would require a random probabilistic sample of patients. Those eligible for participation would be receiving treatment for only one form of cancer, such as breast cancer. The less homogeneity of the IV (i.e. cancer) would help control for a normal population, as well as allow for wider generalisation of the results. The first two items are on Likert scales to provide an indication of the strength of the response. The third item is categorical, and although the level of measurement is low, the data will provide control variables when items 1 and 2 are correlated. Finally, the open question will show patients that their opinions and experiences are valued, and allow them to write in an un-restricted manner. The investigator will have two RAs analyse the texts to determine key themes, and their conclusions will be analysed using inter-rater reliability. The investigator will then draw conclusion from the final themes selected. A random probabilistic sample would be used to recruit the 80 students from a given university. All undergraduates in medicine degrees would be eligible to take part, across genders, ethnicities and ages. The sample will also be stratified by activity habits, with those who regularly take part in 30 minutes or more of structured exercise a day in one group, and those who don't in another. However, to be recruited each student must meet the selection criteria: they do not experience a heart condition; they are not asthmatic; and they are physically able to navigate eight flights of stairs without assistance. Materials A heart rate arm-cuff, which will be calibrated after each participant had had his or her pulse rate recorded. An isolated stairwell

Genetic Engineering in Oryx and Crake Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Genetic Engineering in Oryx and Crake - Essay Example From this perspective, the current paper critically analyses the novel Oryx and Crake by Atwood. To achieve this objective, the paper examines the possible outcomes of present pursuit of genetic engineering illustrated in the illusionary world created by the author and makes connections to present realities. A critical analysis of the novel Oryx and Crake reveals that Atwood’s main argument relates to the detrimental effects associated with advances in science and technology, especially genetic engineering. Genetic engineering is a technology which involves manipulation of organisms and their genetic make-up. The genetic manipulation may involve inserting foreign genes into an organism to alter its biological, physical and behavioral characteristics. While genetic engineering has been used for beneficial purposes, the advancement in DNA technology has raised numerous questions about the possible impact on society. Nicholl asserts that genetic engineering is an emotive subject (4). The novel examines these consequences from ethical, scientific, economic and social perspectives. The novel begins by illustrating an unidentified event leading to the collapse of morality and civilization. Snowman, the protagonist lives with bizarre human creatures, called the Crackers. The world depicted by Atwood is characterized by atypical beasts, products of DNA technology. From the interjected scenes, it becomes clear that Snowman grew up as Jimmy, who became friends with Glenn (Crake), a talented science student. The two liked playing computer games and watching child pornography. Crake pursues career in bioengineering while Jimmy takes on humanities and literature. Crake creates the Crakes, human-like engineered creatures and befriends a prostitute, Oryx. In addition, Crake develops a contagious engineered virus in the disguise of a drug. The virus infects all human subjects apart from Jimmy who has been innocuously vaccinated against it. The world depicted in the Oryx and Crake illustrates possible outcomes of the advancement in science and technology, especially the use of DNA technology in genetic engineering. While science and technology presents enormous benefits to societies, when these technologies and processes are not controlled they poses detrimental effects. Genetic engineering is one of the most interesting technologies in the 21st century. The ability to create organisms with super-qualities outlines the beneficial outcomes related to DNA technology. However, if scientific experimentation with the genetic-make up of organisms could also result to detrimental effects. This could happen via both deliberate manipulations to create harmful organisms or due to accidental escape of experimental biological material from contained systems. The Oryx and Crake envision a fictional society, in which genetic engineering has been used to create synthetic food products and organisms that threaten the existence of the very society they are made to benefit. A critical analysis of the masterpiece reveals that the author depicts the possible consequences that could arise due to advancement in science and technology. For instance, the novel illustrates the creation of a virulent virus in the disguise of a drug. This illustration depicts the possible use of technology to create harmful

Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 25

Strategic Management - Essay Example There are various strategic decisions which Tesco has to make relating to factors such as the direction of Tesco in the long run, the scope of its activities, stakeholders’ values and expectations, responding to the ever changing business environment, building on its capability as a business entity, and acquiring a higher market share relative to its competitors. These decisions tend to be complex as they have to be made in an uncertain situation. There are also various levels of strategy for Tesco such as business level strategy, operational strategy, and corporate level strategy. Business level strategy refers to the way a business organization conducts itself in a particular market to be successful. Operational level strategy is about various levels of Tesco and their contribution with regard to accomplishment of the strategy. Corporate level strategy deals with the overall scope and purpose of Tesco and how to add value to various business units. The analysis of those factors that are not within the control of a company can be termed as an analysis of macro environmental factors. Macro environment analysis is often done by Tesco to develop a sound knowledge of the issues that are present in the current business scenario. PESTEL framework is considered to be an important tool to conduct macro environment analysis by the Tesco. There are several factors that are considered in PESTEL analysis such as political, social, economic, legal, environmental, and technological aspects of a business environment. The sole purpose of PESTEL analysis is to assist Tesco management in the creation of strategies that will leverage the external factors that are not within the control of the organization to its favour. Political factors of the PESTEL analysis deal with factors such as government stability, trade tariffs, policies of social welfare that are imposed upon companies, tax policies, international business regulation laws, etc.

Entrepreneurship&Change Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Entrepreneurship&Change Assignment - Essay Example There is need for entrepreneurship therefore to accept this change management considering that it has been a field that is significantly growing over the years. Flexibility therefore is fundamental to put up with this change. Entrepreneurs are individuals who are involved in innovation and creation of new ideas and therefore need to be in line with the current states in order to attain success in their innovation. The only way that they can be in line with the current state is by accepting to adopt change management. Flexibility will allow them to be able to leave behind the ideas that are not successful and adopt new ones that are more consistent with the present conditions and operations (Charantimath 2006). Accepting change management is an important step in achieving success in entrepreneurship. One of the reasons why change management should be accepted in entrepreneurship is because it increases the need for entrepreneurs to explore new opportunities. Entrepreneurship is a field that involves creation of new ideas and considering the changes that occur in the global world, there is need for entrepreneurs to accept change in order to be able to put up with the changing business environment. According to Charantimath (2006), change management will require the entrepreneurs to be flexible enough therefore for them to be able to analyze new opportunities that the global changes expose them to. Change management is crucial to helping the entrepreneurs to discover the opportunities that the global changes expose to them. The ability to explore new opportunities is therefore an indication of successful entrepreneurship. Another reason why accepting change leads to successful entrepreneursh ip is that change management results to success in dealing with harsh competition at the local as well as global levels. This competition can be attributed to globalisation, which results to change in the business environment exposing the business organisations harsh conditions

Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 25

Strategic Management - Essay Example There are various strategic decisions which Tesco has to make relating to factors such as the direction of Tesco in the long run, the scope of its activities, stakeholders’ values and expectations, responding to the ever changing business environment, building on its capability as a business entity, and acquiring a higher market share relative to its competitors. These decisions tend to be complex as they have to be made in an uncertain situation. There are also various levels of strategy for Tesco such as business level strategy, operational strategy, and corporate level strategy. Business level strategy refers to the way a business organization conducts itself in a particular market to be successful. Operational level strategy is about various levels of Tesco and their contribution with regard to accomplishment of the strategy. Corporate level strategy deals with the overall scope and purpose of Tesco and how to add value to various business units. The analysis of those factors that are not within the control of a company can be termed as an analysis of macro environmental factors. Macro environment analysis is often done by Tesco to develop a sound knowledge of the issues that are present in the current business scenario. PESTEL framework is considered to be an important tool to conduct macro environment analysis by the Tesco. There are several factors that are considered in PESTEL analysis such as political, social, economic, legal, environmental, and technological aspects of a business environment. The sole purpose of PESTEL analysis is to assist Tesco management in the creation of strategies that will leverage the external factors that are not within the control of the organization to its favour. Political factors of the PESTEL analysis deal with factors such as government stability, trade tariffs, policies of social welfare that are imposed upon companies, tax policies, international business regulation laws, etc.

Computer supported collaborative learning Literature review

Computer supported collaborative learning - Literature review Example The emergence of new technologies in the 21st century is forcing educational institutes to work out new patterns of learning where computers can play vital roles. In order to cope with the modern world requirements Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) systems concentrate on refining, facilitating and incorporating the learning process with the support of collaborative partners (Kobbe et al, 2007). CSCL has now become an essential component of the learning environment. CSCL could be defined as a system promising innovations and tools for restructuring teaching-learning processes to prepare students for the emerging knowledge society (Stahl et al, 2006, p409). CSCL has aim to improving the process of teaching and learning through the use of modern communication technology. CSCL is an instructional technology that encourages students to learn together and jointly solve problems. It is the opposite of the traditional concept of learning where learners are solitary receivers of knowledge. CSCL ensures that students are learning in a vigorous, stimulating and socially enriched framework (Nelson and Ketelhut, 2008). CSCL technology focuses on collaborative learning support, to enhance peer interaction and working in groups; to facilitate sharing and distributing knowledge and expertise among community members. CSCL address the issues of concept learning, problem solving and designing (Ioannidou et al., 2010). The system not only functions to communicate ideas and information but also works to impart feedback on problem solving activities. The technology is based on the belief that computer supported systems can effectively work to achieve objectives which may not be possible in face-to-face communication. CSCL concentrates on refining and incorporating the learning process of collaborative partners in a technology-based environment. It allows students to

The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde Essay Example for Free

The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde Essay Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest is about a young man who leads a double life, in whenever he wants to escape the reality, along with his obligations and real-life dealings. The story is not just about the life of the young man, Jack, also known as Ernest, but it is also about taking life in a more serious way. In order to do so, Oscar Wilde has reformed or improved the parts of life that he has satirized in the story. One aspect which Wilde has reformed in the story was in the life of Jack/Ernest. He is described as a seemingly responsible and respectable young man. He is also well-off, as he owns a country estate. But at some time in the story, it was found out that Jack was an adopted child, and that he was found in a handbag by the train station. Jack’s past and his present life is so ironic that it effectively builds up his character. It is both amusing and surprising that for a baby who was supposedly left alone in a train station would be able to survive and be successful when he grows up. Jack have almost everything that he desires, wealth, fame among those who know him, love in the person of Gwendolen; so who would ever think that a person like him was adopted as he was abandoned in the train station as a child? Oscar Wilde reformed Jack/Ernest character in order to make the story much more interesting. Despite his somewhat unlikely past, he is now a wealthy man, leading a happy life. If his character wouldn’t be reformed or improved, he wouldn’t be rich or attractive, following the fact that he was an abandoned child. The interesting part of the story though is not his rags-to-riches life; instead it was his double life that he leads, in the form of Ernest. Another one Wilde’s reform to the character he was satirizing was when the issue of marriage was introduced in the story. Jack Worthing is in love with Gwendolen Fairfax, and so is Gwendolen to Jack. But the problem is that Gwendolen fell in love with Jack because of her fixation to the name Ernest. Jack introduced himself to Gwendolen as Ernest for her to love him, but he still has to face his problem, as Gwendolen intends to marry only the man whose name is Ernest. Oscar Wilde reformed Jack’s character by actually trying to become Ernest: his alter ego that he uses as a scapegoat to preserve his morality as Jack Worthing. For Jack, the name Ernest is his way to keep an honorable image in place. By using Ernest, Jack is able to escape his real life, as he is bound by duties and obligations, as well as a reputation he must protect. Ernest actually provides Jack with an excuse he conveniently uses whenever he wants to do things that he can do when he is under his real identity. It is also his disguise, as Jack wants to remain being seen as upright and moral, and with Ernest as his mask, he is able to misbehave. His character is reformed when it was the time for him to make the choice: to be Ernest or be Jack. It was love that drove him to that deciding corner, as Gwendolen was evidently in love with him being Ernest, and he is not sure if she would still love him if he is Jack. In the end, Jack apologized to Gwendolen, which she returns with forgiveness, saying that she did so because she is sure that Jack would change to make up for his mistakes. The Importance of Being Earnest is Oscar Wilde’s way of satirizing the general tolerance for hypocrisy in the Victorian concept of morality, and this is shown by the character Jack Worthing. He wants to adhere with notions of duty, honor, and respectability, yet he lives a double life, Ernest, hypocritically flouting those notions.

Comparison of SMEs in India and the UK

Comparison of SMEs in India and the UK Chapter 1: Introduction: Background of study: Small businesses have been the soul of every economy in the world. India and UK have also been thriving on the performance of this sector. The performance of the sector is highly influenced by the government policies and the availability of finance. Purpose of Study: In this study, the author investigates the performance of the Small and Medium Enterprises in India and UK. The contribution of this sector to the society on the whole. This study focuses on the importance of the SME sector in both the countries from the point of view of its contributions to the economy. This study evaluates the importance of financing activities and the Government policies in order to support and nurture the growth of this very powerful sector. Overall Aim and Objectives of Research: The overall aim of this study is to evaluate the role of Government and financial institutions in the development of the small and medium enterprises in India (Developing country) and UK (Developed country.) Objectives: Problems faced by the SME sector in India and UK. Role of Government policies in India and UK. Role of financial institutions in providing better financing options to the sector. Background of SMEs: Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are one of the principal driving forces in economic development. This sector has been recognised as growth engine around the globe. A healthy and vibrant SME sector contributes in a high and sustainable economic growth. They encourage private ownership and entrepreneurial skills, they are flexible and can adapt quickly to changing market demand and supply situations. They provide employment opportunities to the masses, help diversify economic activity and make a significant contribution to exports thereby increasing foreign trade. Small and medium enterprises have been defined in various ways in different countries. In India, it is known as the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) which is defined in terms of investment required. The MSMEs include all the enterprises in which the total investment does not exceed more than Rs. 50 million. The European Commission defines SMEs on the basis of the work force employed, total turnover of the business and the balance sheet total. In the US, the criteria for recognition is based on the work force employed. The main factors which give a firm the status of SME are employment and investment in fixed assets. Many economies have acknowledged the need for growth and development of SMEs for industrial restructuring and have formulated national SME policies, programmes and enterprise development policies. Enterprise helps boost productivity, increased competition and innovation, thereby creating employment and prosperity, and revitalizing the communities. SMEs contribution to the foreign trade has been ever increasing. During the last decade, there has been a considerable increase in the foreign trade arising from the products of these SMEs. The open trade policy has been a great success. The policy makers in developing countries like India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and many other South Asian countries have been continuously reviewing their policies to help the functioning of these SME units. Chapter 2: Research Methodology: Research is defined as an activity which is undertaken in order to find out things in a systematic way, thereby increasing knowledge (Saunders, et al, 2003). As the definition says, it is important that the study is carried on in a systematic ways which means the study should be logical and should be carried by systematic interpretation of data. (Ghauri and Gronhaug, 2002). According to Saunders, et al, (2003) the research should highlight the following features: Data used for study should to be collected systematically. Data should be interpreted systematically. The research should be carried out with the intension to draw a conclusion. According to Williman (2001), research is not merely collection of facts or information without any purpose. The research should relate to collection of facts and information with a specific purpose. The reassembling or restructuring of facts and figures without any interpretation also is not termed as research. A proper research should be a mixture of facts and figures being interpreted and should provide an answer to the research question. The data is of two types depending on the source from where it is obtained. Primary data is the data which is obtained by the researcher for some specific questions. It includes interview of the object of study. The answers are then observed closely to draw a conclusion. Secondary data is the data which is obtained from literature review and the internet. The gathering and analysis of primary data adds value to the dependability of the results of the research, in my chosen topic of study there are not enough opportunities within the time and reach of the researcher to resort to research methods of interviews or survey through questionnaires, since the firms are widely scattered and the small and medium enterprises in India dont disclose their secrets to anyone. Hence, the data used is secondary data which is available through internet and through various government publications. There is a lot of literature on the selected topic; they can be treated as trusted source of data to carry on the research. The essential research principles while using the secondary sources are Qualitative and Quantitative approach to research, out of which this research paper uses the qualitative and descriptive approach to conclude the research question. Therefore the secondary research has been used for completing the study. Limitation of Study: I have tried my level best to produce this report to be as fruitful as it can be but there are some serious limitations that this study suffers. There is a lack of study and not many scholarly articles are available on the problems faced by the Small and Medium Enterprises in India and UK. There are many articles which describe the importance of this sector. I had to take the use of various print media and internet sources of government portal in order to draft down the problems faced by them. Also, the grants and government policies that are provided are in exhaustive; hence the study focuses on only the main grants and policies which have contributed largely to the sector. The small and medium enterprises sector is very huge and widely scattered, which comes as a constraint to collect primary data for the study. Chapter 3: Literature Review Role of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs): SME have an important role in a countrys economic development and growth and also have been achieving the same kind of progress over the last couple of years. India as an example shows the importance of SMEs towards the growth of the economy and the employment generated with the help of labor intensiveness and thus, bringing efficient distribution of resources through labor intensive production. This segment also helps in lightening poverty and sustaining growth. Equal distribution of income also comes into picture thereof. And all this happens when the scarcity of capital exists. (Das, K. (2006)) Some of the characteristics of this typeof policy include formation of multi-storied and flatted industrial estates for micro industries, liberal floor spaces index in plotted development of 1.5 to 1.75 for industrial sheds and 2.5 for multi-storied industrial units, 50% rebate on stamp duty and registration charges for micro and small enterprises in industrial estates and industrially backward areas. Globalization has made possible the fragmentationof all forms of production of goods and servicesacross countries and enterprises. Where large players go for a different form of business models which includes bringing alongtheir traditional partners, suppliers or distributors at a different level, SMEs are experiencing a new form of functioning in the value chain byevolving from a traditional manufacturer in the domestic market to that of an international partner. SMEs undergo the effects, both positive and negative, of outsourcing led restructuring of production at the international level. Because of the advantage of their flexible nature of operations, SMEs face lot many opportunities in the form of the demand for new products and services. But the things get a little nasty when theinadequate availability of managerial and financial resources, lack of working capital, innovation and personnel training come into picture. (Das, K. (2006)). The Indian Small Scale Sector- An Overview: A SSI in India is defined as a unit where investment in plant and machinery, either in the terms of ownership or lease, does not exceed Rs. 10 million. In the same way, micro enterprises or the so called tiny units does not have investment in them to be exceeding more than Rs. 2.5 million. The Small Scale Industries of India have a fortune of have been built through enterprise, dynamism and renewal. Since the end of the colonial rule, India has re-established itself and has transformed itself from 80,000 units to 3.3 million. The last decade of the 20th century showed steadiness. This sector of SSIs alone contributes 7 % of GDP in India. (Sahu, P.P. (2005)). Market liberalization and de-regulation are the two forces behind SMEschanging their business strategies for survival and growth. These changes have particularly been in the terms of acquiring quality certifications, creation of e-business modules, diversification to meet competition, etc. SMEs involvement in the foreign trade has to be supported by Globalization, Liberalization and WTO for the benefit of access to markets, technology, skills, finance infrastructure and tax-friendly environment. (Ecotec Research Consulting (2004)). Production and Investment in SMEs: There has been an extraordinary 18% growth in the production at current prices of SMEsin FY07 as compared to the previous years15.8% thereby bringing a rise to Indias GDP to 15.5% during the year. The growth in the production has been there because ofconducive policy measures, growing domestic consumption, export market, improving production methods, technology, etc. SMEs did maintain equal growth rate in respect of the industrial sector during the FY03-07 with a growth of CAGR of 17%. (Sahu, P.P. (2005)). The SME sector has also reported growth higher that the overall manufacturing sector. The sector does not only provide output in the form of final goods but also capital goods which further form the input to heavy industries. The table below is indicative of the growth of SMEs in the Indian economy. The SMEs in India: Present Scenario: As quoted by Business World, Jan. 2007, small companies seems to have been performed much better as compared to their larger equivalents as between 2001-06, net companies with net turnover of Rs. 1 Crore 50 Crores had a higher growth rate of 701 per cent as compared to 169 per cent for large companies with turnover of over Rs. 1,000 Crore. (1 Crore Rupees is equal to 10 Million USD). The all time high of Rs. 1, 89,200 Crores of total SSI production reached in 1989-90 dramatically dropped in the next 10 years and increased later only 2001-02. After that, the production growth increased at a much greater pace in terms of units, production, employment and exports. (Ecotec Research Consulting (2004)). Currently, some of the SMEs, mostly ancillaries and export-oriented, are acquiring companies abroad as part of the Globalization process, catering to the needs of global manufacturers and suppliers like in Auto Industry. Some of these units have also invested in RD globally and taking help of outsourcing, in the fields of manufacturing and services, to emerge as a global leader because of the factors such as labor-intensive manufacturing, lower transport costs, lenient labor policies of the small scale sector. The next step to this would be a government initiative providing a risk-free environment, start-up capital, technology and training updates. No matter the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Act, 2006, which has been passed by the Government with the help of 300 industrial associations, many government departments and lot many stake holders, is a legal framework for providing capital investment to this sector, but the implementation of it involves a lot many agencies to come to gether and achieve it jointly. (Government of India (2005) The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Act, 2006: The Government of India passed The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act in June 2006 after wide consultation with more than 300 industry associations, different government departments and multiple stake-holders across the country. The Act is geared towards promotion and enhancing the competitiveness of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. The Act tries to accomplish many long standing demands of multi stakeholders in the MSME sector. Another issue was the lending facilities to SMEs but as the mindset of the banks seems to change because of entry of large no. of private banks, which in turn led to increased competition and multiple financial options, the increased lending to the SMEs is actuated because of the compulsion from the market and the expansion of the companies. The lending to SMEs from the banks grew by 69% between 2000-01 and 2005-06. (Government of India (2005)). The UK SME Sector: The UKs SME sector forms the business backbone no matter it may be the restaurant or the web designer, by providing over 33% of the GDP and over 50% of employment. There are 3.6 million SMEs but 99.5% employ less than 200 people. Every year around 175,000 businesses register themselves for VAT and most of them survive by the end of the first year but, then onwards mortality rate takes hold and by the end of the third year approximately one third have failed. As per R3, the association of Business Recovery Professionals, as on one case, the worst places to start business would be Peterborough, Sunderland, Manchester, Bolton and Belfast with the highest failure rates, on the other hand, Llandrindod Wells, Truro, Southwest London, Guilford and Carlisle had the lowest failure rates. The failures occur because of the management failing to protect margins thus increasing its responsibility to 50%. Because of this Academy of Business Consultants believe that the founders of these businesses need the best assistance. (Sandesara, J.C. (1993)). The Qualitative Challenge: The World Banks `Doing Business 2007 Report places UK in the ninth position out of 175 in the world for starting a business. But when it comes to enforcing contracts, employing workers, and dealing with licenses, then it is not a rosy picture, as they are ranked as 22nd, 17th and 46th respectively. This led for a need of change in the current status of SMEs. (Kondaiah, C. (2007)). SME growth: the stylized facts: The international data available also claims that smaller and younger businesses experience wider variations in growth as compared to their larger and mature counterparts. However, only a bunch of these smaller and younger businesses account for bulk of employment, output or sales and producing spectacular growth fighting through the competitors. Keeping a sense of proportion: Apart from all this, the factors like innovation and economic activity still forms to be a disadvantage for the SMEs side. In the European Union it has recently been estimated that the mean share in activity of the largest four enterprises across a large sample of industries and countries was 20% with a maximum of 87%. These ratios appear to have been rising rather than falling in recent decades. (Kondaiah, C. (2007)). SMEs are generally backbone of the Industry. Napoleon said that British are a nation of shopkeepers. He was right much as Britain and a nation small and Medium sized enterprises.(Sandesara,J.C 1993) In the UK the Large enterprise consist of 1% and the rest 99% is small enterprises. If we consider the total working population that is 30million out of that 14.3 million is employed by SMEs. The GDP growth of U.K is 7.4% which would be impossible without the growth of the SMEs as disclosed by BERR. U.K SMEs account for 1.8 trillion pound GDP despite being half the picture of the whole industry. The UK Public sector which contributes up to 1/3rd of the total UK economy attracts strong political focus. This makes the UK SME sector to be considered as fragmented and also at times ignored. But the SME sector is of vital importance as it provides to be the stepping stone for the other large enterprises to be. According to the BERR statistics for 2007, the Small and Medium Enterprises which employ more than 100 employees but fewer than 200, employs 4.4% of the total working population but contributes 5.6% of the total UK GDP. The small enterprises are outperformed by the medium enterprise s in this context. Also, the enterprises that employ more than 50 employees but less than 100 also employ 4.4% of the workforce with an overall contribution of 5.7% to the total UK GDP. There is a lot of evidence that proves that the UK economy thrives on the performance of the SMEs and that with an improvement in the performance of this sector will benefit the improvement of the UK economy on the whole. There is a need for the Government to work closely with the sector to develop the sector and also for rapid growth of the UK economy. The SMEs, mostly ancillaries and export-oriented, are acquiring companies abroad as part of the Globalization process, catering to the needs of global manufacturers and suppliers like in Auto Industry. Some of these units have also invested in RD globally and taking help of outsourcing, in the fields of manufacturing and services, to emerge as a global leader because of the factors such as labor-intensive manufacturing, lower transport costs, lenient labor policies of the small scale sector. The next step to this would be a government initiative providing a risk-free environment, start-up capital, technology and training updates. No matter the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Act, 2006, which has been passed by the Government with the help of 300 industrial associations, many government departments and lot many stake holders, is a legal framework for providing capital investment to this sector, but the implementation of it involves a lot many agencies to come together and achieve it jointly. (Government of India (2005) Measuring innovation: Any attempt to assess innovative activity and performance must begin with the definition of suitable metrics. These usually fall into the two categories of input and output measures. Inputs usually include expenditure on RD, and measures of the staff employed in RD. Output measures include patents and measures of the incidence of product, process and logistic innovations. Distinctions can also be drawn between innovation new to the firm, (which may be diffusing from a de novo innovation activity in another firm), and more novel innovation which is new to the firm and to the industry. Each of these may lead to measures of innovation intensity in terms of innovation counts, as well as measures based on the distribution of sales by novelty of product or service innovation. Broadly speaking there are two approaches to obtaining data on innovation outputs. There is evidence to suggest that the object approach underestimates the innovative activity of smaller firms, in particular diffusion or incremental activity which the object approaches may overlook (OECD (1992)). The CBR has pioneered the subject approach in relation to UK data for SMEs and consequently its work directly complements UK Office for National Statistics data collected for CIS2, which has along with many EU countries limited coverage of the smallest firms (Cosh, Hughes ands Wood (1998)).The discussion in the rest of this paper draws on data based on the subject approach. Innovation in the EU In reporting innovation activity in the EU this paper relies on the results of the second Community Innovation Survey (CIS2), of 1997/1998, from which charts 1 to 6 are drawn (Cosh and Hughes (2001)). Twelve European States took part in the survey (all EU Member States except Denmark, Greece, Italy and Portugal, plus Norway). The survey was intended to cover allenterprises in manufacturing with 20 or More employeesand all service enterprises with 10 or more employees. These can be split into three size bands small (10 to 49 employees), medium (50 to 249 employees) and larger (250 or more employees). This allows a comparison of innovation activity by broad sector and size over the three-year period 1995-7. The results of CIS2 reveal that innovation activity rises with enterprise size in the EU as a whole which also shows that the result holds for both Manufacturing and Services. In the specific sense that the proportion of enterprises reporting one or more product or process innovations rise with size classes it seems that bigger is better. These results are at an aggregate EU level; it is instructive to disaggregate them by country, as well as size. To do this and to illustrate the relative innovative activity of the small firms in the UK the following charts 2-6 rank countries in terms of innovation performance of small firms, weaker countries are at the left and performance rises as we move to the right. Successive charts report on the proportion of product or process innovating enterprises in manufacturing, and the proportion of product innovators in manufacturing. The same measures are then shown for services, and then the final two charts report on the proportion of novel product innovators in manufacturing, and the proportion turnover due to new or improved products. Taken together these charts reveal that UK small firms are ranked in the top 4 in Europe in Manufacturing, and in the top 5 in Europe in Services. Moreover an inspection of the column pattern for medium and larger firms also reveals that UK small fir ms do better relatively than UK large firms and especially better than medium firms. In that comparative sense smaller is better. Analysis of innovation constraints and the innovation/ performance link using CBR survey results In order to probe behind these results and in particular to examine patterns of innovation constraints and the innovation/performance link we can use the results of the regular CBR biennial survey of SMEs in the UK. These cover 2500 enterprises in Manufacturing and Business Services employing between 1 and 500 employees. The latest results are based on the 4th survey of 1999. The surveys generate subject-based data on innovation inputs and outputs and over 200 company specific variables on enterprise structure and performance. (A full discussion of the dataset and the results summarized here can be found in Cosh and Hughes (1998) and Cosh and Hughes (2000a)). To conclude, we have substantial matter to prove that UK economy is supported by SME and that encouraging them and working with them will bring a positive effect on the UK economy. Chapter 4: SMEs: An Overview Contribution of SMEs: SMEs are the backbone or the key drivers of the industrial economy. They can also be described as the engines of growth of the industrial sector. Although they are individually small, collectively they play a multiplayer role in the development of an economy. They have a multiplayer impact in developed as well as developing economies. The main USP of SMEs is low cost production i.e. the ability to manufacture low volumes profitably, meet niche requirements, capitalize on local skills and resources, provide outsourcing opportunities and most importantly create jobs. The sector has been consolidating over the years. What is new is the articulation and recognition of this process and its pump priming role. Therefore national SME policies, programmes and enterprise development policies have been formulated to support smooth working of SMEs and to overcome major obstacles such as lack of legislation, promotion and infrastructure. This can be done in the form of promotion programmes, positive discrimination hand holding and advocacy. Policy initiatives seek to highlight basic SME skills in low cost production. SMEs have an impressive presence in service industry ranging from the simple and traditional organisations to the most modern and hi-tech ones. SMEs contribute not only in terms of quantitative factors such as output, employment, income, investment or exports but also in terms of qualitative factors viz the synergies they promote with large industry, their contribution towards balanced regional growth, their contribution in nurturing entrepreneurial spirit, innovation and in providing a nationwide pool of skilled and trained manpower. While the comparative advantage of SMEs are well acknowledged, SMEs also have their share of pros and cons which prevent them from realising their full potential. They have to face some problems such as lack of proper guidance in the initial stages, lack of funds in the times of crisis, lack of proper marketing strategies, stiff competition from big players, lack of access to latest technology, no proper infrastructure etc. Therefore, although new SMEs are emerging very rapidly worldwide, the number of SMEs closing down every year is also very high. Also because of the twin forces of globalization and free trade policy of WTO, there is a serious threat to the SMEs sector. It will have to reorient and reinvent itself to overcome these challenges. This can be done by restructuring the small scale organisations, and if nothing works, they have to be closed down. Closures are undesirable but sometimes they are advisable from the resource allocation point of view. Thus the high rate of entries and exits reflect the dynamic nature of this sector and also explains why it is seen as an industrial incubator. As mentioned earlier, SMEs play a very important role in the development of an economy, especially from the employment point of view. They are very effective for the generation of employment for both skilled as well as unskilled workers. Therefore labour extensive countries should opt for SMEs. Even the underdeveloped or developing countries which are capital intensive and labour extensive, SMEs can be a great help. There has been increasing growth of SMEs worldwide in the recent past. The government of the developed and developing economies have been formulating policies which promote smooth working of the SMEs. SMEs have contributed significantly in the developed as well as developing countries. In the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland there are more than 16 million enterprises; of which less than 1% comprise large companies while the rest are SMEs. Two thirds of the job opportunities are provided by SMEs in this region and the remaining one third of the job opportunities are by large companies. SMEs are considered the backbone of Asia Pacific region as they account for 90% of enterprises. They provide around 32% 48% of employment and their contribution to Gross Domestic Product is around 60% 80% in individual Asia Pacific economies. Even in the United States, SMEs contribute greatly. It contributed at around 43% of the net employment opportunities from 1990 1994.SMEs are considered the engine of economic growth in both developed and developing countries not only because of low cost production but also because of low unit cost of persons employed as compared to large scale enterprises. Thus they provide a significant share of overall employment. Also SMEs assist in local and regional development by regional dispersion of economic activities, thus helps achieving fair and equitable distribution of wealth. SMEs not only contribute towards the GDP but also towards the export revenues. Although SMEs are at a disadvantage in terms of finance, technology, human resource development and networking; SMEs involved in foreign trade are very dynamic. This may be due to its low-cost labour intensive nature of its products; and since these units generally use indigenous raw-materials; they have a positive effect on the trade balance. For example, SMEs in OECD member states produce about 26% of OECD countries exports, and about 35% of Asian exports. Also SMEs increase flexibility in the provision of services and the manufacture of a variety of consumer goods and competitiveness of the market place and thereby curb monopoly of large enterprises. All this leads to fostering of self-help and entrepreneurial culture by bringing together skills and capital through various lending and skill enhancement schemes. Thus SMEs not only enables an economy to maintain a reasonable growth rate but also imparts resilience to withstand economic upheavals. Chapter 5: Indias SME scenario: The Indian Small and Medium enterprises sector formally known as the Small Scale Industries (SSI) has had a notable importance since the period of Mahatma Gandhi. SSIs were set up in the rural parts of India with a view to inculcate the habit of self reliance amongst the people. Later on, after independence, the SSI units were an important source of income to the people of India. Indian policy makers had noticed the importance of this self reliant industry and had always been striving hard for their progress. After achieving independence in 1947, India drafted and adopted the Industrial Policy of 1948 which meant that the government would act as both an entrepreneur and also as a governing body. With the beginning of the planning of a free India in 1951, the role of SMEs has been earmarked specially. In its industrial policy, the government started announcing special schemes for the growth of the SMEs in India. It was in 1956, during the Second Five Year Plan that the government announced the Second Industrial Policy, clearly stating the importance of the SME sector. This gave an impetus to the development of SMEs in a manner that made it possible for them to achieve the objectives of: High contribution to domestic production. Significant export earnings. Low investment requirements. Operational flexibility. Low intensive imports. Capacity to develop appropriate indigenous technology. Import substitution. Technology-oriented industries. Competitiveness in domestic and export markets Today, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are the ladder of progress for a nations economy, especially in case of developing countries. They contribute handsomely to the exports, the industrial base, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and the Gross National Product (GNP) of the nation. Small and medium enterprises help provide employment and various facilities to the society. In 2006, the Government of India passed an Act known as the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Act (MSMEDA), 2006 to define SME sector of India. This Act defines micro, small and medium enterprises in India on the basis type of sector namely manufacturing and the service sector. In case of manufacturing sector, the size of the enterprise is decided on the basis of investment in plant and machinery. In case of service sector enterprise, the size is decided on the basis of investment in equipment required to set up the industry. Strategic Importance of Indian SMEs: In Indian economy, the SMEs occupy a place of strategic importance due to its contribution to the overall output, exports and employment. The total number of SMEs has been increasing rapidly. The total number of registered enterprises has been around 3million and has been increasing at an even fas

Mysticism on the Internet :: Research Papers

Mysticism on the Internet If you could look into the future, are there questions you would want to find answers to? If you could read into another person's consciousness, or better yet into that of your own, are there things you would want to know more clearly? There are probably few people who would not be interested in knowing what the future might hold in store for them, or at least to have a little sense of the forces and presence that might play into their walks of life. A driving force in human nature is the need to kn ow, to make sense of the environment around us, and to make sense of ourselves. Perhaps more provoking and significant is the desire for us to know ourselves and to discover the purpose for our existence and the workings of our own state of mind. There is a sense that although we each share a co-existence with others and things around us, each life and makeup of the world is truly unique to and dependent of each individual alone, and at any moment, we each can have the power to be in cont rol of ours elves and whatever situation we are in. For over many ages, this has allowed Mysticism to be an intimate part of human society, as a still-unexplainable part of nature, as well as the supernatural, that has allured and guided many to look as far as into the future and as close as deep into themselves. The many tools of Mysticism, like the Tarot, numerology, astrology, and dreams, are all used to provide insights into a "deeper consciousness" and a "higher plane of existence," which when properly interpreted could very well shed light into the murkiest situation. In today's societies, Mysticism continues to intrigue, appeal to, entertain and aid people across cultures. Presently, with the power and accessibility of the Internet and World Wide Web (WWW), the insights to the answers to our everyday questions in life, as well as those far-reaching, can be found through the mystics with just a few mouse clicks away. Thi s has allowed for the reach of Mysticism to be extended and promoted much further, not only to the enthusiasts but also to everyone. A web search for "mysticism" on the Internet would bring up lists of hits for hundreds of thousands of related web pages. A search for a more specific area in Mysticism, such as "tarot" or "astrology" would present hundreds of thousands more web sites.

Study the short stories of both Raymond Carver and John Cheever

It is my intention within this essay to study the short stories of both Raymond Carver and John Cheever, in doing so I propose to address the theme of masculinity which runs throughout both of the author's stories. I shall do this by considering, among other things, such subjects as Post Modernism, Dirty Realism and social climate and how these are applied to the texts Boxes and Elephant, by Carver and The Season of Divorce by Cheever. The background in which both Carver and Cheever write, is very significant to the way in which both writer's male characters are emasculated within the stories. Carver was writing in the decade of the eighties, and as such Reaganite economics had much to do with the way in which the men lost their grip on the hunter gatherer stereotype which had preceded. The traditional role of the male shifted from heavy industrial work to more emasculated work, such as secretarial/office roles, and domestic captivity therefore diminishing their agency. On top of this many men became jobless due to redundancies concerned with this shift from a blue-collar society to a white-collar society, and so this domestic captivity was enhanced. It is such men who Carver writes about in his short stories. The men who have slipped out of this â€Å"traditional male breadwinning world† Cheever again, writes men relevant to the political climate in which he both lived and set his stories in. In the post war era of the fifties, the male role had begun to become redundant, as during the war women were compelled to do work which had been traditionally thought of as male, and as such the myth that women were not equipped to cope with such jobs, was dispelled. Therefore in the post war when all of the men came back from war, there was a new air of female liberation, which they had not had to deal with previously. Given this fact men became emasculated by the new found power of the female. We can see this treatment of masculinity within Raymond Carvers short story Boxes. The narrator, who unsurprisingly is never named within the story is captive within a suburban world of women and sears catalogues, in which he seems a spectator to his own life. This can be seen through the style of the narrative, in which there seems to be a collapse of male agency. Throughout the story the narrator, seems to be completely inexpressive of his feelings: â€Å"I don't know why, but it's then I recall the affectionate name my dad used sometimes†¦ (p. 25) The use of the statement â€Å"I don't know† permeates the text, and shows the narrators lack of voice compared with the expressiveness of the women who seems to surround his life. Contrary to a narrator's role, he seems to say or think very little, and it is in fact his girlfriend, Jill who has all of the active verbs in the story: â€Å"†¦ â€Å"this is what we want†, she says. â€Å"This is more like what I had in mind. Look at this, will you† but I don't look. I don't care five cents for curtains. â€Å"what is it you see out there, honey? † Jill says. â€Å"Tell me. (p. 25) This is one of the rare occasions when the narrator expresses how he feels about the situation, but he expresses it only to the reader, and again within the story itself he has no voice. Jill's use of the word â€Å"we† expresses her dominance over the narrators character, as it shows that she makes his decisions for him and that he is not his own person but has inescapably become part of a couple, from which he can no longer be distinguished, and as it is Jill who is in the driving seat, the narrator seems to have lost his identity altogether. It should also be noted that the way in which Jill addresses the narrator seems more befitting a pet or a dog than it does someone of equal stature and respect. We can see however through this that she does not regard him as of an equal stature to herself within the relationship, or even his life as a whole. Throughout the story the narrator has no contact with anyone of the same gender at all, except those who he sees through his window. It is significant that the men, whom he watches from a distance, always stand in stark contrast to himself. I. e. he is on the inside confined by a â€Å"five roomed cottage of his very own† (Boyd), and the real men are on the outside where they are free of the constraints of domestication. Also they are always doing something masculine, whereas when he is watching them he is always doing something feminine or is feminised in some way, for example a man changes the oil in his car while he, attempts to do something masculine by finding a roach and trying to smoke it while drinking a ginger ale. This scene is highly feminised in that he tries to do something masculine but falls short, because he simply has lost the ability to be male. So where a man would smoke a roach and drink a beer, he only attempts to smoke and drinks a ginger ale instead. The theme of feminisation permeates this novel and there are many other ways in which the narrator is disempowered, which I shall not go into. The image of suburbia however, is significant to this disempowerment as the surroundings represent, among other things the bland depredation of the characters lives. It also represents a highly feminised culture. One in which the sears catalogue is the coffee table equivalent of the bible, it is second nature to be house proud and for miles around there is no refuge from the reminder of the life, in which the characters of Carver's stories live. Within another of Carver's stories Elephant, we can see masculinity and the role of the male portrayed from the point of view of a man desperately trying to hold on to the shred of power which he has, rather than succumb to powerlessness as the narrator of Boxes did. The main theme of Elephant is that of the breadwinner, however within the story this role is taken for granted, as all of his family emasculate the narrator by taking advantage of every male role that he could be classed under, as husband, father, brother, and son. Each of his family guilt trips him into giving them money except his ex wife, who doesn't need to, because it is the law that she gets his money. â€Å"That's four people, right? Not counting my brother, who wasn't a regular yet. I was going crazy with it. I worried night and day. I couldn't sleep over it. I was paying out nearly as much as I was bringing in. You don't have to be a genius, or know anything about economics to understand that this state of affairs couldn't keep on. I had to get a loan to keep up my end of things. That was another monthly payment† (p. 80) We can see from this that the narrator refuses to let his grasp of the role of breadwinner go easily, even although he does not have the ability to sustain such a role. It is the fact that the narrator is trying so hard to maintain some sort of control, that his family are taking for granted, and conversely it is this â€Å"control† which is emasculating him. The brother, plays a very important role within the story, and as such I believe that this is why Carver chose to make him stand out from the rest of his family, as more obnoxious and more amoral than the rest of the narrator's family, the reason being twofold. Of all of the narrator's family the brother is the only male to whom he is not obliged to help, and therefore the narrator grudges him more than the others. He has been emasculated by all of the women in the story, and his children, however his brother seems more than anyone to have picked up on this and be jumping on the bandwagon, and this creates a tension as the narrator feels that as a male adult he should also be a breadwinner. More importantly, however is the fact that his brother epitomises the failure of the traditional male position in life, which he fears more than anything, and as such he resents being confronted with his worst fear. Within this story, we are not given so strong a representation of suburbia, as we are within Boxes, however what we are given is a post modern minimalist image of the narrators life, in which there is very little reference to his surroundings at all. When we are given a glimpse of his surroundings however, it is a very sparse image: â€Å"I didn't bother to lock the door. I remembered what had happened to my daughter but decided I didn't have anything worth stealing anyway†¦ I had a TV but I was sick of watching TV. They'd be doing me a favour if they broke in and took it off my hands† (p. 8). The strength and impact of the story lies in the fact that there is very little to say about the narrators own life. It is empty and devoid of meaning so in order to have some use in life he feels the need to continue on his breadwinning path to destruction. The narrator lives in an emotional suburbia. Through this use of Dirty Realism to create an image of a life so futile and empty that it is barely worth living it at all. But the characters do, and it is because of this futility that many of them attach importance to minor things, such as the type of curtains they want to put up. As I have said earlier, like Carver, Cheever also portrays a portrait of the suburban American man as defeated and emasculated, and we can see this well within his short story The Season of Divorce. Within this short story traditional American masculinity, and the freedom to be a sexual predator, is displaced by the role of the husband and father and commitments to family life. The first two words in the story are â€Å"my wife† and this sets a trend for the rest of the story, in which the narrator is first and foremost part of the family unit, and secondly, if at all, a man. The main plot of the story, is about the way in which the narrator deals with another man attempting to usurp his position as husband, however the way in which Cheever has portrayed these events, creates a reversal of roles, as the man who tries to usurp his position is not put across as very predatory, and it is the narrators wife who is in the position of power. She is flattered by the attention and allows the situation to escalate. It seems that Ethel is in the male gendered role and both her husband and her suitor portray the female reaction to such occurrences: â€Å"At nine o'clock the doorbell rang†¦ e seemed distraught and exhilarated when he appeared†¦ ‘I know that you don't like me here, I respect your feelings†¦ I respect your home, I respect your marriage, I respect your children†¦ I've come here to tell you that I love your wife'†¦ ‘get out' I said. ‘you've got to listen to me'†¦ ‘I know that there are problems with custody and property and things like that to be settled'†¦ ‘get out of her, get the hell out of here' He started for the door. There was a potted geranium on the mantelpiece, and I threw this across the room at him, hitting him in the small of the back†¦ (p. 190) We can see from this passage that the reactions of both of the men, Trencher coming to talk rationally to him, and the narrator screaming and throwing a potted plant at Trencher, are both instinctively female reactions to such a situation. I believe that it is through the suburban surroundings in which they have been immersed that they have come to lose sight of what it is to be male and as such have become homogenised to the femininity of a suburban life, in which all that really exists is a home life. In conclusion, it seems that each of the central male characters within these stories, all seems to have the same fleeting moment of epiphany, in which they realise the futility of their life, but then they forget what it meant and continue on with their lives, convincing themselves that they are happy. In a typically post modern manner both authors seem to draw heavy reference from their own lives and I believe that it is because of this that both Cheever and Carver seem to be protesting against this feminisation and downfall of the traditional American male. Carver however, I believe is much more negative about the downfall of the male role, as he always ends his stories with the feeling that there is no hope: â€Å"what is there to tell?†¦ they leave the light burning. Then they remember, and it goes out. † (p. 26) Whereas Cheever in the end always reverts to a blissful ignorance on the part of the male character, and everyone lives happily ever after†¦ or do they?