SAT Mathematics Level 2 Subject Test Information

The SAT Mathematics Level 2 Subject Test challenges you in the same areas as the Math Level 1 Subject Test with the addition of more difficult trigonometry and precalculus. If youre a rock star when it comes to all things math, then this is the test for you. Its designed to put you in your best light for those admissions counselors to see. The SAT Math Level 2 Test is one of many SAT Subject Tests offered by the College Board. These puppies are not the same thing as the good old  SAT. SAT Mathematics Level 2 Subject Test Basics After you register for this bad boy, youre going to need to know what youre up against. Here are the basics: 60 minutes50 multiple-choice questions200 to 800 points possibleYou may use a graphing or scientific calculator on the exam, and just like with the Mathematics Level 1 Subject Test, youre not required to clear the memory before it begins in case you want to add formulas. Cell phone, tablet, or computer calculators are not allowed. SAT Mathematics Level 2 Subject Test Content Numbers and Operations Operations, ratio, and proportion, complex numbers, counting, elementary number theory, matrices, sequences, series, vectors: Approximately 5 to 7 questions Algebra and Functions Expressions, equations, inequalities, representation and modeling, properties of functions (linear, polynomial, rational, exponential, logarithmic, trigonometric, inverse trigonometric, periodic, piecewise, recursive, parametric): Approximately 19 to 21 questions Geometry and Measurement Coordinate (lines, parabolas, circles, ellipses, hyperbolas, symmetry, transformations, polar coordinates): Approximately 5 to 7 questionsThree-dimensional (solids, surface area and volume of cylinders, cones, pyramids, spheres, and prisms along with coordinates in three dimensions): Approximately 2 to 3 questionsTrigonometry: (right triangles, identities, radian measure, the law of cosines, law of sines, equations, double angle formulas): Approximately 6 to 8 questions Data Analysis, Stats, and Probability Mean, median, mode, range, interquartile range, standard deviation, graphs and plots, least squares regression (linear, quadratic, exponential), probability: Approximately 4 to 6 questions Why take the SAT Mathematics Level 2 Subject Test? This test is for those of you shining stars out there who find math pretty easy. Its also for those of you headed into math-related fields like economics, finance, business, engineering, computer science, etc. and typically those two types of people are one and the same. If your future career relies on mathematics and numbers, then youre going to want to showcase your talents, especially if youre trying to get into a competitive school. In some cases, youll be required to take this test if youre headed into a mathematics field, so be prepared! How to Prepare for the SAT Mathematics Level 2 Subject Test The College Board recommends more than three years of college-preparatory mathematics, including two years of algebra, one year of geometry, and elementary functions (precalculus) or trigonometry or both. In other words, they recommend that you major in math in high school. The test is definitely difficult but is really the tip of the iceberg if youre headed into one of those fields. To get yourself prepared, make sure youve taken and scored at the top of your class in the courses above. Sample SAT Mathematics Level 2 Question Speaking of the College Board, this question, and others like it, are available for free. They also provide a detailed explanation of each answer. By the way, the questions are ranked in order of difficulty in their question pamphlet from 1 to 5, where 1 is the least difficult and 5 is the most. The question below is marked as a difficulty level of 4. For some real number t, the first three terms of an arithmetic sequence are 2t, 5t - 1, and 6t 2. What is the numerical value of the fourth term? (A) 4(B) 8(C) 10(D) 16(E) 19 Answer: Choice (E) is correct. To determine the numerical value of the fourth term, first determine the value of t and then apply the common difference. Since 2t, 5t − 1, and 6t 2 are the first three terms of an arithmetic sequence, it must be true that (6t 2) − (5t − 1) (5t − 1) − 2t, that is, t 3 3t − 1. Solving t 3 3t − 1 for t gives t 2. Substituting 2 for t in the expressions of the three first terms of the sequence, one sees that they are 4, 9 and 14, respectively. The common difference between consecutive terms for this arithmetic sequence is 5 14 − 9 9 − 4, and therefore, the fourth term is 14 5 19.

Animal Testing Is Wrong Essay - 1603 Words

Animal testing has been around since the third and fourth centuries BC, when it was performed by Greek philosopher-physicians. However, it is unknown when people began to question this process. In today’s society, the idea of testing products on animals has become more and more controversial with numerous groups being created and becoming even more vocal. While people will decide for themselves where they stand in this argument, I would hope that most would agree that animal abuse is wrong. So, if animal abuse is wrong and animal testing can be, and usually is, much more painful and severe than animal abuse; why can’t people agree on the subject of animal testing? However, the argument for animal testing is also legitimate. Animal testing†¦show more content†¦Animal testing reached a high point in the early 1970s, and has been on the decline since due to increased public pressure to reduce the numbers of animals used in testing and the development of available alternatives. While many people believe that animals are inferior to humans and very different from them, those in favor of animal testing argue that experiments on animals are necessary to advance medical and biological knowledge. Claude Bernard, regarded as the father of physiology, said that â€Å"experiments on animals are entirely conclusive for the toxicology and hygiene of man. The effects of these substances are the same on man as on animals, save for differences in degree†. Bernard established animal experimentation as part of the standard scientific method. Animals and humans are very similar; we have the same organ systems performing the same tasks in more or less the same way. Animals suffer from similar diseases to humans including cancers, TB, flu and asthma. Many veterinary medicines are the same as those used for human patients: examples include antibiotics, pain killers and tranquilizers. We share 95% of our genes with a mouse, making them an effective model for the human b ody. Humans and animals share hundreds of illnesses, and consequently animals can act as models for the study of human illness. For example, rabbitsShow MoreRelatedAnimal Testing Is Wrong?1288 Words   |  6 Pages ANIMAL TESTING IS WRONG The words animal testing mean to perform procedures on living animals for the research of basic human biology and diseases, finding out the effectiveness of new medical products, and testing the human health and environmental safety of consumer and industry products like cosmetics, household cleaners, food additives, pharmaceuticals and industrial/agro-chemicals and means using other living organisms except humans for testing. All procedures, even those classifiedRead MoreIs Animal Testing Wrong?923 Words   |  4 PagesIs Animal Testing Wrong? It s on the internet, it s in magazines, it s even on the news. Animal testing is a major debate among both academics and everyday people. The most common animals used in testing ae mice, rats, and apes. Some people think that animal testing is obsolete in this day and age but it isn t obsolete because animal testing helps determine what chemicals are potentially harmful to humans, it helps determine what medicines are potentially safe for human use, and it helps advanceRead MoreAnimal Testing Is Wrong1495 Words   |  6 PagesHarmful Testing on Animals is Wrong In American society, many groups and organizations are debating whether or not animal testing should be banned. Some people believe that there are reasons why animal testing should be done. Others believe that animal testing is morally wrong. Some experts believe that there are other options available. I believe that animal testing is wrong based on three observations: animal testing is unethical, pointless, and abusive. Numerous years ago, animal testing was startedRead MoreAnimal Testing Is Wrong?975 Words   |  4 PagesI believe that animal testing is wrong because, the animals are treated inhumanely. Humans have no right to use animals like they are objects that can just be thrown away like they do not matter. These experiments result in extreme and torturous pain. Animals are brought into laboratories and tested on against their will. An estimate of almost twenty-six million animals is used every year in the United States for scientific and commercial testing. Animals are used to check the safety of product,Read MoreAnimal Testing Is Wrong And Cruel Animals1195 Words   |  5 Pageshas made me realize that animal testing is wrong and cruel to animals. I will be going over some of the history of animal testing, giving examples of some of the tests that are being performed, and mentioning some of the laws and acts created. While reading through this think is this test necessary when the animals will be put through cruel procedures. This is why I think that animal testing should be reevaluated to see if it is really worthwhile. What is animal testing some people ask, and whyRead MoreAnimal Testing Is Morally Wrong? Essay1373 Words   |  6 PagesHumans are animals, and as such it is morally wrong to use them to test pharmaceuticals intended for use by humans. Those who support animal experimentation believe it is a necessary evil, in part due to the false information put out by the media. The so-called benefits of animal testing have not helped humans for years, yet in many countries the law still requires researchers use animals to test their medications. In fact, although alternatives have been found, few steps have been taken to put anRead MoreAnimal Testing Is Morally Wrong? Essay1305 Words   |  6 PagesSeeing as humans are animals it is morally wrong to use animals to test human products. Due to the false information put out by the media, those who support animal believe what the media states about it being a necessary evil. The so-called benefits from animal testing have not helped humans for yea rs, but is now legally required in many countries. Although alternatives have been found, few steps have been taken to put an end to animal experimentation. The way activists present their argument isRead MoreAnimal Testing Is Wrong Essay1418 Words   |  6 PagesMany people have animals around the world, whether it be dogs, cats, reptiles, birds, even horses and llamas, and they all love them very much. A lot of people will do anything to ensure the comfort and safety of their companion and friend. Many people may be shocked and horrified to find that over 100 Million animals die each year due to animal testing. This essay will go into more detail about some reasons why people might find animal testing wrong, and some reasons why a lot of people see it asRead MoreAnimal Testing Is Morally Wrong?878 Words   |  4 Pageslot of different types of animals suffer through painful and unnecessary tests. An animal being used for scientific experiments is wrong because it is inhumane, expensive, and unpredictable. Animals in laboratories live lives of loss, pain, loneliness, and torture. Various studies have shown that animal experimentation often does not even help humans. Some even lead to harmful human reactions to the drugs being tested on animals. Yet we continue to use animal testing while other courses of actionRead MoreAnimal Testing is Wrong! Essay923 Words   |  4 PagesPicture yourself in a testing laboratory; needles, drugs, and knives pointed in your direction with you having no idea what’s going on around you, this is how animals everyday are treated, we have to stop this now! Millions of animals are killed in laboratories everyday with no chance to object to what the testers are about to do to them. Animals feel as much pain as humans do so why does it make it okay to test on them when they are so alike to humans? Every day people test makeup, shampoos, and

Service Marketing and Relationship Marketing-Samples for Students

Question: Discuss about the Service Marketing and Relationship Marketing. Answer: For a services organization, it is very important to establish proper and effective interaction among its employees. It is very necessary for managing the activities and operations in effective and professional way. The organization makes efforts to maintain effective communication between its front stage and back stage divisions. For offering quality services to the customers, management of organization has to categorize these two divisions. In this reflective essay, there is a discussion about the front office and back office flow charts of National Health Services. It will analyze the importance of service counter at health service organization. At the end, it will evaluate the managerial implications of designed flow charts and effectiveness of service encounter to achieve the goals of organization. Flow Charts Currently, I am working in well-established health services organization in Australia, i.e. National Health Services (NHS). I am working here as a care taker from 2016. NHS is the biggest health care organization in Australia that is funded by public. It is providing all types of health care services to the patients. It is also giving them support for maintaining their health and life style. At NHS, the senior management has established two departments, i.e. back stage and front stage for evaluating, creating and offering the services to the patients (Armstrong et al, 2014). Each and every product based or service based organization create flow charts for planning, organizing and supervising the operations according to the set quality and standards. For NHS, designing of the flowcharts is necessary for attaining the preset standards and managing the organizational culture of providing the services. An effective balance between back and front stage flow charts will have huge impact on the process used for attaining the objectives of business (Christopher et al, 2013). Front Stage Flow Charts At NHS, there are some specific operations and services, which are assigned to the front stage staff, like; managing the quality and standards, coordination and collection of admitting and discharging patients (Goetsch and Davis, 2014). Front office staff of organization follows a flow chart that is created by the top level management. As I observed at NHS, front office flow chart of the organization includes different activities like; communication with the patients and other visitors, providing data and information about appointment of health care services and required information about the modifications in the health care provision to ignore the chances of conflicts. Back Stage Flow Chart From the flow chart, I have noticed that the changes in scheduling and decision making process are developed as per the information that is provided by front office department (Fisher, 2015). Additionally, by looking at the front office flow chart, back stage department creates its plan to assign the tasks and responsibilities to the health care employees. This approach of front stage staff is assisting the National Health Service organization to meet the requirements of patients in an effective and planned way. Back Stage Flow Charts At NHS, back office operations have a major impact on the process of planning and implementation of plan to offer the quality services and give effective health care services to patients (Kapoor. 2011). As I observed at NHS, the flow chart of NHS back office incudes the activities like; receiving the call of patients, attending the suppliers and staff of NHS, which is necessary for gathering the information and creating changes in the schedule. In addition, the back office flow chart includes the procedure of filling the documents about the employees, evaluation of financial statements and endorsement of funds by taking the permission of senior management positions (Edwards, 2010). Back Stage Flow Chart Furthermore, back stage flow chart of NHS evaluates other activities, like; cleaning the waiting area, making comfort and entertain the patients. With this, they also ensure the quality and standards of services and effective allocation and usage of resources. I realized that back office chart of NHS is effective and assisting health care organization to fulfill its objectives. Significance of Service Encounter For a service industry organization, service encounter plays an important role in understanding the process designing and delivering the services, which include both management and customers to meet the goals. According to my observation at NHS, the service counter involves the satisfaction of patients and efficiency on the basis of perceived behavior between health care professional and customers. For instance, the patients, who visit the health care organization, like; NHS interact with health care executives for getting the data and information about appointment and scheduling of patients with seniors care provider (Zeithaml, 2013). Along with this, it will get the information about the procedure of using the products and services and offer payments options, which assist them in understanding the value of services. Additionally, I realized that NHS always believes to offer standard services to their patient in the form of treatment. It also maintains the interaction and communication by looking at the needs and demands of patients. In this situation, the company is following the direct form of service encounter because this is comparatively good for health care organizations to requirements and understanding the condition of patients. It is considering direct service encounter for effectively managing the resources to offer better services and treatment and interact with the family of patients. By looking at the services encounter at NHS, I can say that services encounter is very important for a service organization. It assists to fix the quality standards of service and needs of patients that assist in managing the business operations. Furthermore, in a successful service encounter, services and people come together to get predetermined goals by behaving nicely and following the rules for maintaining the security and safety of patients and their information (Kapoor. 2011). As I analyzed, it can be said that an effective and successful service encounter with the patients and clients have optimistic impact on the brad reputation and services quality, which is offered to the patients at National Health Service Organization in Australia. Managerial Implications Managerial implications can be defined by proper evaluation and implementation of changes, which have huge effect on the quality and standards of services at NHS (Zeithaml, 2013). As per my observation, service delivery process at NHS includes the stages like communication and collaboration with the clients, providing data about appointments and scheduling of services. According to me, for managerial viewpoint listening to patients, understanding their disease and requirements and providing some additional support have positive impact on the management of service industry organization, i.e. NHS. Lack of service encounter can affect the brand image of the organization (Mok et al, 2013). So, management needs to make efforts to fill the gaps between estimated and actual performance of organization (Samaha et al, 2014). I experienced that management can do this by understanding the needs and expectations of customers. At NHS, the employees, i.e. care workers need to be very helpful to pa tients. I believe that this type of management approach will help the organization in meeting the needs of customers and its organizational objectives. From the above reflective essay, it can be considered that flow charts of a services organization for front and back office assists in managing the products and services, which it offers to its clients. It is found that data about the operations and activities, which are involved in the flow charts of NHS to manage the standards and effectiveness of services. At the end, the essay has described about the importance of the interaction and communication process, which can support the organization in achieving its objectives. References Armstrong, G., Adam, S., Denize, S. and Kotler, P. (2014).Principles of marketing. Pearson Australia. Christopher, M., Payne, A., Ballantyne, D. (2013).Relationship marketing. Taylor Francis. Edwards, M. (2010). Communication skills for nurses. A practical guide on how to achieve successful consultations. London: Quay Books. Fisher, A. (2015).Health and social care. Oxford: Heinemann. Goetsch, D.L. and Davis, S.B. (2014).Quality management for organizational excellence. Upper Saddle River, NJ: pearson. Kapoor. (2011). Service Marketing: Concepts Practices. Tata McGraw-Hill Education. Mok, C., Sparks, B., Kadampully, J, (2013). Service quality management in hospitality, tourism, and leisure. Routledge. Samaha, S. A., Beck, J. T., Palmatier, R. W. (2014). The role of culture in international relationship marketing.Journal of Marketing,78(5), 78-98. Zeithaml. (2013). Services Marketing: Integrating Customer Focus Across the Firm. Tata McGraw-Hill Education

Willy Russells Blood Brothers Essay Example

Willy Russells Blood Brothers Paper On October 15th 2003, our GCSE drama class visited the Bristol Hippodrome to watch Willy Russells Blood Brothers. From what I had heard and read, Blood Brothers set out to be a fantastic contemporary show exploring a wide variety of emotions. I expected a sad yet funny dramatic piece; this I know would be classified as a fundamental paradox but from my knowledge of the show, this is what I was expecting. I expected the show to be about brothers who got involved in something that ended in death. I was nearly correct. The story is of twin brothers born to the poor and already mother of many, Mrs Johnstone. On hearing that she was expecting twins, Mrs Johnstone, who worked for the rich and infertile Mrs Lyons, was persuaded to give one of the children to her. After they had sworn an agreement on the bible, Mrs Lyons told Mrs Johnstone that if the twins were ever to meet and find out that they were twins, they would both die together; this was meant to disturb the already superstitious Mrs Johnstone. After giving one of the twins away, Mrs Johnstone lives with no contact with Edward (the twin that was given away) and brings the other, Mickey, up on a council estate in Liverpool for seven years, until one day Mickey befriends Edward and they swear to be blood brothers. Despite Mrs Johnstone and Mrs Lyons attempts to end the friendship, they continued to see each other going on until Edward is moved away by the paranoid Mrs Lyons. Mickey was hurt by this, but carried on life as best he could until he too was moved to the country by the council. One day by chance the brothers meet again, and continued the friendship where it left off. We will write a custom essay sample on Willy Russells Blood Brothers specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Willy Russells Blood Brothers specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Willy Russells Blood Brothers specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer However, as Mickey grows up and was meet lifes real problems, he soon found Edward to be childish and spoilt in his ways. He tells Edward that he didnt want to see him again and they both go their seperate ways. Mickey was to meet more trouble after he was wrongly imprisoned for shooting a man that his brother Eddie in-fact shot. This was to be the end of Mickey as we knew him, and he spirals out of control on a cocktail of drugs for his depression. When released from prison, Mickey is told by the now insane Mrs Lyons, that Edward and his wife Linda are having an affair. Mickey confronts Edward about this with a gun in hand. The police are called and they stand aiming at Mickey ready to shoot. When Mrs Johnstone finally reveals to them that they are twins, Mickey shouts, Why didnt you give me away? I could have been him, I COULD HAVE BEEN HIM! On saying this he waves the gun at Edward. The police thought he was going to shoot and so they shoot Mickey, as Mickey fell he pulled the trigger thus killing Edward. They both lie dead as Tell me its not true is sung by the grieving Mrs Johnstone. On entering the auditorium I noticed the stage used was a proscenium arch stage. When waiting for the show to begin, my expectations began to rise on seeing the set. This was due to the detail and exactness of the set design, it made me think I was actually in a street. Suspended in front of the set was a gauze, a net like drop that allowed partial view of the set behind. The gauze was dimly lit with a light that projected a broken image called a gobo. Allowing the audience to see the set behind but through distorted vision, helped us to feel the morbid and tragic atmosphere slightly. The atmosphere within the auditorium was excited to say the least; the audience was of mixed ages from eleven to seventy years of age. The show began with the orchestra playing the overture, and the set from behind the gauze being lit and revealed. The beginning of the show was re-enacted at the beginning. Two men walked on and lay down on a stretcher prop, other members of the cast walked on and covered the bodies with a blanket and were walked off. The gauze made this scene seem very dream like by distorting the image and view slightly. The stage was designed so either side of the stage was a few houses, this represented in parts, the two brothers houses, and sometimes one neighbourhood. The set was used very effectively and was realistic. As the show went on, parts were added or taken away from the set to show the time lapse of the show. Such as the back drop with twinkling lights for the city skyline, added more and more lights each scene. Also props such as telephones or different coloured doors were added. At the back of the stage, such things as a graphitized wall and a crumbling wall were flown in. For the interior of the Lyons residence, a fly down reveal was used and a settee was wheeled in on tracks that were put on the stage. The use of fly in and reveals allowed the show to keep its pace. For another more simplistic scenes such as the bus scene, the actors simply sat on chairs and bounced slightly to give the impression of a moving bus. For school scenes, desks were simply rushed in and the teacher mimed the writing on a blackboard. It was a simple yet effect use of a cyclorama backdrop. Lighting was also used very effectively, such as when the narrator sang songs such as Shoes on the table, the light turned very cold using blues and whites, but also there was an undercurrent of red which seemed to me as though it was signifying the devil or hell. It was used when the idea of superstition was brought up. Also when the madwoman chant was played out to Mrs Lyons, she fell to the floor and the stage was red washed, I think this also signified her spiralling into her personal hell. Sound wise, the gunshots were probably the most memorable sound effects used in the show, they were extremely loud and cause the audience to jump. One of the most memorable scenes where lighting was concerned, had to be the Madwoman chant, were Mrs Lyons stumbled into centre stage and fell to the floor, the stage was red washed and signified her own personal hell. It was the abrupt change in lighting that impressed me also. Song played a major part in the show, it helped us to feel the mood of the scene, such as the Shoes on the Table song was very powerful yet haunting. When the show was supposed to be tragic, songs like Tell me its not true created a successful ethos. Dance didnt play as major of a role in the show as song did, but certain scenes were choreographed effectively such as the Kids Game scene, in this scene the actors had to be acting out a game of cowboys and Indians and they were shooting at each other, falling over and using the other actors to help them support them or balance on them etc. The show featured many humorous parts, it was mostly used in the kids scenes. Humour was created by seeing grown actors play pre-pubescent characters, the contrast of the actors heights and builds allowed the audience to find humour in the actions or things they said. Humour was also used to break up the sadness of the preceding scene. My favourite scene had to be the mad woman scene. This (as described before) was after Mrs Lyons tried to attack Mrs Johnstone with a knife and was called crazy by Mrs Johnstone. Mrs Lyons slowly stumbled to centre stage and looked helpless. The stage was red washed and childrens voices were heard taunting Mrs Lyons with almost a skipping rope chant or game; it began, High upon the hill, the mad woman lives, never eat the sweets she gives, just throw them away and give them to your dad, high upon the hill theres a woman gone mad Mrs Lyons fell to her knees screaming and trying to block out the sound. The lighting used was to try and create a hellish image, representing Mrs Lyons personal spiral into a madness created by her own superstition that her son would die if he found out the truth. A weak scene for me was Shoes upon the table scene, I think this was chiefly due to the narrators almost strangulated accent as he sang. It distorted his voice thus making the words that were being sung very hard to understand. My favourite actor or character in the show was Mickey played by Sean Jones. His portrayal of a child in the early scenes was extremely successful and realistic. However, I think he played to the audience a lot in the comedy sections making us think that he might not be comfortable playing such broadly comic roles. One particularly strong scene for Mickey was when he was out of prison and hooked on the anti-depressants, when his wife wouldnt give him his tablets he almost broke down and brought the show to a dramatic high point. One of my least favourite characters was the narrator played by Keith Burns. Burnss strangled Liverpool accent was hard to comprehend in parts and distorted the words that seemed to be very important in telling the story due to his part the narrator. The narrator was dressed in a dark and smart suit with a dark red shirt underneath. This, I think, helped for him to be conveyed as the devil. All in all, the show was a huge success. The portrayal of children in scenes contrasted with the adult actors physique. Blood Brothers, is an extremely well written show of the real life issues that people deal with today and the realism of situations such as the redundancy issues were extremely realistic. However, the comedy and music helped bring a clean edge to a smoothly written modern classic musical Blood Brothers.

Blue Beach and Like Water for Chocolate essays

Blue Beach and Like Water for Chocolate essays In both the play, Blue Beach by Victor Hugo Rascn Banda and the novel Like Water for Chocolate, by Laura Esquirel symbolism plays a vital role throughout the central ideas. In both of these pieces of literature the symbolic objects are a hotel with everything in it and the use of cooking respectively. These objects reflect the families. In the play Blue Beach, the hotel portrays the breaking down of the Garza family, while in the novel Like Water for Chocolate, the use of cooking by Tita gives the reader the idea that the Tita is being held against living her own life, and instead living the life which her mother wishes to put upon her. Throughout the play Blue Beach, the reader gets the idea that the family is very broken down and is being held by a very thin string. The members of the family seem very bitter towards each other and very resentful toward each other. Within the play the author gives numerous examples of how the family is bitter and not caring. The Garza family is anything but normal. It seems that the son, Sergio and the mother, are the most unemotional out of the whole family. One example that shows how bitter Sergio can be is when he asks Matias to bring him a coconut. Matias gives Sergio the coconut drink and instead of Sergio being satisfied with it he says, Crazy Bastard. Whats this? (65). He spits out his drink because he believes it to be sour, but when he asks the others to drink it to prove himself right they see nothing wrong with it. I believe that this is showing that no matter what Sergio touches it seems foul and disgusting. This is due to what he went through when he was you nger. The author takes it upon himself to direct many of the symbolic objects within the play toward the mother. This includes when the mother asks Matias to bring her flowers, and when he does this she is anything but satisfied. Matias asks her how the flowers are, and she says that they...

10 Easy Ways for Students to Save Money

10 Easy Ways for Students to Save Money While you are in school, and maybe even right after you graduate, you are going to be on a tight budget. Looking for little ways that you can save money will prove to be very important during your school years and beyond. Lets explore 10 easy ways for students to save money. Stop Buying on Impulse Impulse shopping can be very tempting while out and about. The problem with this is that you end up blowing money on stuff you dont really need, and sometimes on stuff you dont really want. Before making a purchase, make sure it is truly necessary.   Dont Use Credit Cards Credit card companies love giving cards to young people. Many students give into the temptation to buy now and pay later. Unfortunately, these spending habits can come back to bite you. If you find that you cant use credit cards responsibly, hide the plastic until you learn a little restraint. Give Up Your Worst Habit Everyone has at least one bad habit. Maybe you smoke, drink Cosmos like no tomorrow, or buy expensive coffee before class. Whatever it is, cut it out. Youll be surprised at how much money you save. Dont Try to Keep Up With People Who Are Richer Than You Just because your roommate or your pals down the hall have a seemingly endless allowance, it doesnt mean you do too. Try to avoid keeping up with the people you hang out with and stay true to your budget.   Bargain Hunt Every Time You Shop When shopping, look for clearance items or two-for-one bargains, buy used books instead of new, and order the special instead of something off the menu. If you can find a bargain every time you have to buy something, the savings will add up.  Ã‚   Buy Machine Washable Clothes Youre in college. You dont need a dry cleaning bill! Buy clothes that you can wash yourself.  If you must buy dry clean only clothes, try to limit how often you wear them and find ways to cut dry cleaning costs.   Take Hand-Me-Downs Whether it is a used book or previously worn clothes, there is no shame in taking hand-me-downs. If somebody offers you something and you can use it, take it gratefully. When youre making more money, you may be able to someday do the same thing for someone else who will be just as grateful. Stay Home While it can be nice to get out of the dorm every now and then, staying at home is much cheaper. Instead of going out for the night, invite a few friends over for movies, games, gossip, or snacks. You might also want to give staycations a try.   See a Matinee Movie watching is a big part of American culture, but going to the movies with a few friends can be an expensive outing. Instead of going at night, try catching a matinee. Daytime shows are usually half the price of their nighttime counterparts and can be just as much fun.   Use the Library Most libraries offer you the chance to check out DVDs, CDs, and other forms of entertainment free of charge. Taking advantage of this resource, you can eliminate the money you spend on buying CDs and renting movies. Here are 12 ways to save money at the library.

Analyse the ways in which sociologist point to the social nature of Essay

Analyse the ways in which sociologist point to the social nature of living with cancer as a teenager - Essay Example This is the moment that human beings use to plan for their future lives and school life. It is also the most vibrant stage in the human lifecycle because teenagers experience major changes in their bodies and they discover who they are i.e. their personality traits, likes and dislikes. Teenagers are also highly active and interactive thereby developing a large social network. However, this is not always the case with teenagers suffering from cancer. The diagnosis, treatment and management of cancer greatly interfere with the activities of this critical growth stage (Wawsczczyk 2005). According to sociologists this is the stage in life where teenagers learn to be independent from their parents and family members thereby focusing more on their future. However, this is not possible for teenagers suffering from cancer because they need utmost support, attention and care from their parents and family members for emotional, psychological and social support. Therefore, such teenagers are taken a step back from discovering their independence, potential, strengths and weaknesses (Kleinman1988). Also the school life, social life and employment are put on hold for an unknown period of time, which is in contrast to what should be happening in their lives. This is because they become isolated from their peers, adults and school; which is an important social setting for a child’s growth. Cancer treatment is too severe for them to concentrate in school work or find lenient jobs that are conducive to their state of health. It is also quite common for insurance companies to cancel insurance policies for such teenagers because they are not in school. Insurance companies demand that all children still living under the care of their parents should be attending school to enjoy the benefits of the life insurance policies taken by their parents (Wawsczczyk 2005). Various surveys and research conducted by sociologists

International Marketing ..Rococo Chocolates Research Paper - 3

International Marketing ..Rococo Chocolates - Research Paper Example The primary objective of this study is to find out the value of the concept of expanding the business of Rococo Chocolates in France. The other objectives are to find out the market potential of the Rococo Chocolates in France and the way of promoting the product to achieve a sustainable position in the French market. The integrated marketing communications and branding strategies are discussed to find out the optimum path of success in the new market. The international marketing aspects have become a great opportunity for many companies. The Rococo Chocolates which is originated from London is now looking for great business opportunities in France. It is always very much challenging for any business entity to go global or to setup new business in other country. However, in this case the market is very much challenging as the growth level of the chocolate sales is not too high in the projected market, but with the help of out of the box thinking process the hidden path of the success can be achieved. To have a sustainable position in the French chocolate market, Rococo has to go through many changes accordingly. The strength and weakness from the inside and the opportunity and threat from the market must be analyzed properly to put step into the new market. Rococo Chocolates was founded in March 1983 by its owner Chantal Coady (Rococo Chocolates). For the last two decades the company has grown steadily. It has the great product line of different flavors of chocolates, and it also has different accessories related to chocolates. However, after catering the London with the flagship store in Motcomb St, in the center of Belgravia in London and with other two in London the Rococo has gain a great reputation within the London for selling rich and high quality chocolates. The founder and owner Coady is also the head of the chocolate society in London (Coe & Coe, 2007). With the vast experience of

Managing a police service Area Essay Example for Free

Managing a police service Area Essay Commanders managing a police service area faced with a number of challenges. Some of these include corruption, racial profiling, and poor cooperation and relationship between the police force and the local community. All this problems have been attributed among other reasons to insufficient training of law enforcement, discriminative administration, and lack of employee engagement. Therefore, managing a police service area challenges can be mitigated by ensuring a highly motivated and trained police force as well as engaging the community to enhance their appreciation of the police. Corruption has been cited as a major problem compromising the effectiveness of the police force. According to available statistical evidence, the problem of drug dealings is increasing becoming an issue of national concern in the American nation. This is despite the fact that the law enforcement has the potential to identify, mitigate or prosecute the offenders. However, the problem of corruption has been closely attributed to poor motivation to police officers as well as lack of an effective channel for getting public feedback on the conduct of police officers. Another problem facing commanders managing a police service area is poor communication and cooperation of police officers and the community. The community is evidently identified as a crucial tool for aiding in the identification and mitigation in the community. Therefore, poor relationships between local law enforcement and the community serve only to escalate crime in the community, a negation to the sole duty of the police service area commander. Indeed, such poor relationships are a major threaten to the life of officers as they are perceived by the community as enemies rather than just and fair law enforcer. The third challenge affecting commanders managing a police service area is racial profiling. Racial discrimination in the law enforcement agencies has been a major critic from the general public. The sole duty of all police officers is to ensure sustainable peace and security in the community. This means that police officers should function to investigate on suspected crime offenders based on substantial evidence rather than based on their race, nationality, and ethnicity. It is this practices which remains a major challenge for commanders to oversee the fair and just enforcement of the rule of the law. As a police manager, there are a number of actions I would take to mitigate these problems. First, I would ensure implementation policies as a way of mitigating the problem of police corruption. Such practices would include increment of payment and service allowances for the police. Other could be engaging officers in retirement benefit schemes as well as providing job security. This is because I believe that most officers engage in corruption as a way of accumulating extra earnings for their present and future needs. On the problem of poor relationship between police and community as well as racial profiling, I would ensure the introduction of a comprehensive police training scheme. Skilled and reliable police officers should high sufficient skills on public relations. Such training will also equip the officers with the necessary skills of dealing with a diverse population, a factor that could compromise racial profiling. The biggest problem causing poor relationship between the police and the community is poor communication. To eliminate this problem, I would encourage interactive sections between the police and the community members as a way of breaking the current relational gap.

birth order Essay -- essays research papers

Birth Order   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One long controversy among behavioral scientist is the existence of a sibling position effect. Birth order research and theories can be criticized because of differences between parents, sibling positions of the parents, size of families, socioeconomic status, and culture. The conclusions drawn from research studies on sibling position are also often contradictory. However for some reason children with certain birth order roles grow into adolescents and adults with similar qualities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In order to understand the sibling positions in a certain family the family system must be understood, since elements of structure in family systems form the context in which sibling positions develop. The family environment includes membership units, interaction patterns, boundaries, rules, roles, and alliances.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The desires, hopes, and dreams of the parents are carried by the first child. Everything the child does is being done by the first time in the eyes of the new parents. The landmarks of the first smile, tooth, steps, word, first day of school, graduation are all met with overjoyed responses from parents, grandparents, and other relatives. In most families, the responses from this large family audience are more exaggerated than they will be for any subsequent child. The first children are assigned functional roles as they enter the family system, which include: the job assignment, interpersonal responsibilities, and social interactions. (Hoopes & Harper, 1987). Parents believe that the extended family and their environment watch what the first child does to determine what they are like as a family. Therefore, the main message that first children receive is that they are on display and that the family focus is outward. Leading children to believe that they are the ce ntral focus and their actions have consequences beyond them. First children have a sense that their behavior and words are weighed by others and then adopt external validation to evaluate themselves. Despite the family’s high expectations for all of their children, the performance of the first child is emphasized more than any other child will be. For interacting this way first-born children learn that their job assignment is to produce outcomes that meet with the family’s approval. First children may wo... ...y exhibit marked independence or extreme independence. Since the child has been reared alone in an adult world, the only child is very often extremely anxious to please others, especially parents and other adults. The only child has a youth period, which is free of the puzzling problem of sibling rivalry. This makes the only child extremely confident with is comes to completing task well and receiving the approval of others as well as very critical of themselves. (Falbo, 1984). Placement in the family has a lot to do with a person’s way of thinking and relating. While many other factors help shape a child’s personality first-borns do things faster then other siblings and approach like more seriously. Second-born children tend to be more laid back in achievement since the parents are less available. Third-born children have many privileges and gains considerable social skills because of interactions with older siblings. While only children, in their own category, are self-confident and have a great sense of responsibility. Birth order, like every other factor in the development of the child, can and will differ from the norm for individual children. Each child is absolutely unique.

Kildress

We have developed food waste profiles for 25 of our most frequently purchased food products. These profiles highlight the percentage of total food production wasted at every stage of the value chain. Below is a selection of these profiles and a summary of how we are tackling the food waste hotshots.Potatoes To reduce losses in the field and processing we are: Reviewing waste alongside customer preferences when selecting different potato varieties using satellite and aerial mapping technology to identify specific trends In lied losses ‘Introducing new technology to remove stones earlier In processing to reduce damage To help customers reduce food waste in the home we are reviewing opportunities for modified atmosphere packaging which could help the potatoes to last longer.Field losses 9%, Processing losses 6%, Retail waste 1%, Consumer waste 39% Illustration of potatoes Cheese To help reduce the amount of cheese our customers waste at home we have: Introduced re-sellable packagi ng on all British cheddar standardized the on-pack shelf life Information so that customers know, for example, that all soft and blue cheeses should be used within three days of opening Added recipes on our Real Food website to provide ways for customers to use up any leftover cheese Field losses 1%, Processing losses under 1%, Retail waste under 1%, Consumer waste Illustration of a cheese board Lamb transporting lamb to improve product quality and freshness. To increase shelf life for customers we are rolling out specialized packaging. This genealogy has been successfully introduced for beef, giving customers up to an extra five days to consume the product, and we hope it will have a similar impact for lamb. Field losses 7%, Processing losses 13%, Retail waste 1%, Consumer waste 5% Illustration of lamb Within the scope of KEMP Alp's limited assurance opinion see page 42 for more details. * Since we published our first five food waste profiles in October 2013, WRAP has published rev ised household food waste data which has been incorporated into our 25 food waste profiles.

Neoclassical Economics and Grameen Bank

NEOCLASSICAL ECONOMICS Neoclassical is the most widely taught form of economics in the present world, making it to be the primary take on modern day economics. In a nutshell, neoclassical economics makes an approach to economics that relates supply and demand to an individual’s rationality and his or her ability to maximize utility or profit. Neoclassical economic has also increased the use of mathematical equations in the study of various aspects of the economy. While Economic theory tries to explain how scarce resources are allocated to given and alternative ends with an approach that considers these elements as extra-economic ones.The more conceptual framework of the main schools of economic theory is the Neoclassical economics, Austrian economics, Evolutionary economics and others are based on an insufficient understanding of anthropology and this fact limits their explanatory capacity. In the understanding of neoclassical economic theory, the basic tools are elaborated un der the following assumptions: (1) The neoclassical individual (consumer and producer) is defined as a given option structure. (2) All the â€Å"means and ends† considered have an equivalent monetary expression. 3) The only channel of communication between individuals is prices. 4) All the social relations and social ambits are considered as market exchange transaction. Concept of Microcredit and Grameen Bank Poverty is one of the vital problems of the third world countries, and to elevate poverty microcredit has become the most popular approach to address this undesirable phenomenon. According to Jonathan Murdoch, Chairman of UN Expert Group on Poverty Statistics, â€Å"Microcredit stands as one of the most promising and cost-effective tools in the fight against global poverty. Based on three C (character, capacity and capital ) this model, perceived more than a quarter century ago in Bangladesh, is now being pursued around the globe. In spite of this popularity, there is s kepticism about the model’s ability to make â€Å"major dent in the two poverty situation†. These criticisms, however, seem just as weak as the arguments supporting the model. One apparent reason is that both the claims and criticism are founded on the same theoretical perspective of neoclassical economics.The word â€Å"microcredit† did not exist before the seventies. In today’s world microcredit refers to the agricultural credit, or rural credit, or cooperative credit, or consumer credit, credit from the savings and loan associations, or from credit unions, or from money lenders. Microcredit data are compiled and published by different organizations. They are the Number of poor borrowers, and their gender composition, loan disbursed, loan outstanding, balance of savings, etc. under each of these categories, country wise, region wise, and globally.These sets of information will tell us which category of microcredit is serving how many poor borrowers, the ir gender break-up, their growth during a year or a period, loans disbursed, loans outstanding, savings, etc. simultaneously, Grameen credit is based on the premise that the poor have skills which remain unutilized or under-utilized. It is definitely not the lack of skills which make poor people poor. Grameen believes that the poverty is not created by the poor; it is created by the institutions and policies which surround them.In order to eliminate poverty all we need to do is to make appropriate changes in the institutions and policies, and/or create new ones. Grameen believes that charity is not an answer to poverty. It only helps poverty to continue. It creates dependency and takes away individual's initiative to break through the wall of poverty. Unleashing of energy and creativity in each human being is the answer to poverty. Grameen Bank brought credit to the poor, women, the illiterate, and the people who pleaded that they did not know how to invest money and earn an income. Grameen created a methodology and an institution around the financial needs of the poor, and created access to credit on reasonable term enabling the poor to build on their existing skill to earn a better income in each cycle of loans. The process of breaking up the vicious cycle of poverty through microcredit is elaborated below: At first a small group of five people is made where only two are granted with a loan. Depending on their performance in repayment the next two borrowers can then apply and, subsequently, the fifth number as well.The assumption is that if individual borrowers are given access to credit, they will be able to identify and engage in viable income-generating activities – simple processing such as paddy husking, lime-making, manufacturing such as pottery, weaving, and garment sewing, storage and marketing and transport services. Women were initially given equal access to the schemes, and proved not only reliable borrowers but astute entrepreneurs. As a re sult, they have raised their status, lessened their dependency on their husbands and improved their homes and the nutritional standards of their children.Today over 90 percent of borrowers are women. The percent of women members throughout 2002 to 2003 was within close proximity of the 95% mark, from 2004 to 2005 is 96%, in 2006 is 97% and in 2007 it remain same i. e. , 97%. Graph: Percent of Women Members in Grameen Bank. â€Å"If we can come up with a system which allows everybody access to credit while ensuring excellent repayment – I can give you a guarantee that poverty will not last long. † -Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus. Founder of the Grameen Bank- Dr.Yunus has set up a ground breaking world record and today has become known throughout the world. Grameen bank’s microcredit program has been replicated in nearly every country. Since October 2006, when Professor Yunus and Grameen Bank jointly received the Nobel Peace Prize, this in interest has gr own manifold. Muhammad Yunus’s vision is the total eradication of poverty from the world. ‘Grameen', he claims, ‘is a message of hope, a program for putting homelessness and destitution in a museum so that one day our children will visit it and ask how we could have allowed such a terrible thing to go on for so long'.This work is a fundamental rethink on the economic relationship between the rich and the poor, their rights and their obligations. The World Bank recently acknowledged that ‘this business approach to the alleviation of poverty has allowed millions of individuals to work their way out of poverty with dignity. Up to 2003, the number of members was 3. 13 million. In 2007, this figure stood at 7. 41 million. It represents an increase of 137. 25% from 2003 to 2007 and an average annual growth of 27. 45% during the year period. Graph: Growth of Membership Credit is the last hope left to those faced with absolute poverty.That is why Muhammad Yunus beli eves that the right to credit should be recognized as a fundamental human right. It is this struggle and the unique and extraordinary methods he invented to combat human despair that Muhammad Yunus recounts here with humility and conviction. It is also the view of a man familiar with both Eastern and Western cultures on the failures and potential for good of industrial countries. It is an appeal for action: we must concentrate on promoting the will to survive and the courage to build in the first and most essential element of the economic cycle – man.Initially starting on Bangladesh, microcredit system develops its helping flow to almost 43 countries, included U. S. Naming as Grameen America, the bank's entry into the US, its first in a developed market, comes as mainstream banks' credibility has been hit by the mortgage meltdown and many people are turning to fringe financial institutions offering loans at exorbitant interest rates. â€Å"It’s actually supposed to he lp those below a certain poverty line who are looking for self-employment as a route out of poverty. says Raj Desai of the Brookings Institution, U. S. ’s one of the top public policy making organizations. CRITICISM OF MICROCREDIT AND GRAMEEN BANK The microcredit system is really a blessing for the developing country. It deals directly with the poor population of the country. But the microcredit movement does have critics, who say that, some lending programs charge excessive interest rates. Also, there is concern that funding for microcredit programs will be diverted from other needed programs such as health, water projects and education.Credit programs may enable poor people to improve their situation, but they do not eliminate the need for other basic social and infrastructure services. Some other problems that have been reported with microcredit: * Turning a profit on the loan * Inability to reach the poorest of the poor * Microcredit dependency * Durability of poverty red uction Turning a profit on the loan One of the most fundamental problems with microcredit programs is the difficulty involved in actually turning a profit on the loans.In the first place, borrowers must bear not only the cost of the loan but also interest payments. Since, the interest rate is too high, they have to payback more amount than they had borrowed. Moreover, investments may not turn a profit. In this event the money to repay the loan must come from reduced consumption or borrowing from some other source, usually on worse terms. Inability to reach the poorest of the poor A second important drawback to microcredit programs is that they don’t reach the poorest members of the society.To quote, â€Å"the poorest have a number of constraints (fewer income sources, worse health and education, etc) which prevent them from investing the loan in high-return activity† The same report also writes that â€Å"there appears to be a growing consensus that moderate-poor micr o-credit borrowers benefit more than extremely poor borrowers. † The reasons for this are clear. The poorest need tiny loans which are not cost effective even for microcredit programs. The poorest also place the greatest demands on microcredit a training program, which makes the cost of lending even higher.As microcredit programs are pressured to become more self-sufficient, the incentive to lend to such desperately poor borrowers evaporates. (Mayoux, 1997)   Ã‚  Ã‚   This is a major problem for microcredit programs. Although they are raising some people out of poverty and keeping some people from further poverty, they do not appear to be reaching the people who need assistance the most. In fact, such programs may even be increasing the chasm between the poorest and the rest of society. This is clearly a failure for programs whose avowed purpose is to narrow the gap between rich and poor, and rise up the poorest members of society.Micro credit dependency Another possible fai lure of microcredit programs lies behind seemingly benign statistics. Some researchers have proposed the idea that the high repayment rates, repeated borrowing, and low drop-out rates indicate a dependency on microcredit programs rather than an attraction to successful microcredit programs on the part of poor borrowers. Many borrowers have no alternative to borrowing from microcredit programs, and consequently cannot afford to default. Neither can they afford to stop borrowing or drop-out of the programs. There is nowhere else for them to go.In order to stay in good standing with the microcredit program, borrowers may even be forced to resort to pawnbrokers or other alternate sources of funding. Furthermore, unless borrowers can increase their incomes they may become permanently dependent on microcredit lending . This a very real possibility as was noted above. Again this is a significant failure, as many microcredit programs tout themselves as more progressive alternatives to the e xisting systems of informal credit which have caused so many problems in poverty stricken areas (systems such as share cropping, debt bondage, and so on).The chances of microcredit programs’ becoming just another form of debt-based oppression is real and must be addressed before microcredit programs can progress much further. And yet it has hardly been discussed up to this point. Durability of Poverty Reduction A related problem is the durability of poverty reduction. Infusions of cash in almost any amount are bound to have some effect on the poverty stricken borrowers. But this does not necessarily mean that the effect will be permanent. The poverty reductions may be rolled back in two ways.First of all, borrowers may use loans for consumption purposes which result in a momentary increase in living standards, but which must be paid for by cuts in future consumption. Secondly, borrowers must make a net profit on their investments. Otherwise, as noted above, they may become de pendent on the creditor programs. Even if they do not become dependent on microcredit lenders, they will still have failed to improve their economic position. Again, this would be a failure of microcredit lenders to achieve their goals. Diverted from Other NeedsThere is concern that funding for microcredit programs will be diverted from other needed programs such as health, water projects and education. Credit programs may enable poor people to improve their situation, but they do not eliminate the need for other basic social and infrastructure services. CRITICISM OF GRAMEEN BANK Negative sides Many people do not appreciate Grameen Bank’s policies. They it’s a money making policy of Dr. Muhammad Yunus. Some critics strongly criticized Grameen bank’s excessive interest rates. It charges simple interest rate of 20% a year, compared with compound interest of 13-16% at Bangladesh’s commercial banks.Sudhirendar Sharma of New Delhi writes that the effect of the Grameen strategy has not been to reduce poverty but only to create a debt trap for borrowers, who are being charged very high rates of interest relative to conventional banks. Jeffrey Tucker says, â€Å"Microcredit basically bunkum and it won’t work at all without the help of massive grants, I believe Yunus has most probably been swindling money! † Even, it has attracted criticism from the present prime minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, who commented, â€Å"There is no difference between usurers [Yunus] and corrupt people. Hasina touches upon one criticism of Grameen Bank: the high rate of interest that the bank demands from those seeking credit. Similar to all microfinance institutes, the interest charged by Grameen Bank is higher compared to that of traditional banks, as Grameen's interest (reducing balance basis) on its main credit product is about 20%. Another source of criticism is that of the Grameen's Sixteen Decisions. Critics say that the bank's Sixteen Decisions force families and borrowers to abide by the rules and regulations set forth by the bank. The bank is very strict about their loan recovery.There are even allegations that they do not consider natural calamities like floods that may prevent repayment of loans quickly. Particular examples include the large number of loan defaults following the flood in 1998. Furthermore, many critics doubt the continued sustainability of the venture, citing the need for large government investment in the program. Positive sides There is no denial that Grameen Bank has changed the rural life of Bangladesh dramatically. Those people who were unable to borrow money from the Agricultural Bank, now easily get money from Grameen bank.On the other hand we can say, it has helped to improve the agriculture of Bangladesh. The poor people are taking the benefit of the small loans. It brings a vital change in the life of the Bangladeshi rural women. In Bangladesh the women were treated badly. But now, Grameen bank has changed their life significantly. Study shows that total number of borrowers’ is 4. 76 million and 96% of those are women. Grameen bank offers some exciting loans at 0% interest rates. Such as: * Higher Education Loan: Interest is 0% i. e. no interest is charged while students are studying.A 5% is charged as service charge after graduation. This scheme allows children of our members to obtain higher education in various fields like healthcare, engineering enabling them to finish their honours and masters degrees. * Struggling Member Program: This special program is designated for beggars, charging 0% interest. As of December 2006, about 90,000 beggars have received loans under this program. * Village Centre Construction Loan: Members take this loan for constructing local village centers. No interest is charged i. e. , interest rate is zero.Having some problems, although, Grameen bank is helping to improve the economic condition of Bangladesh. It’s imp ossible to eradicate poverty overnight, but so far the process of micro credit is handling the economic condition very well. CONCLUSION Thus, the question that must be raised with respect to eradicating poverty from the Third World is whether microcredit can contribute toward removing the constraints that limit individuals' liberty. In the current development discourse, this issue is discussed under the category of â€Å"good governance†.It seems obvious that microcredit promoters can hardly challenge the vested interests, which are responsible for producing poverty in the Third World. The second Microcredit Summit (a campaign led by Dr. Yunus himself) to be held next year should seriously take into consideration this point. For the exaggeration of microcredit's role and success in poverty reduction is apparently driving away society and policy makers' attention from the real factors causing pervasive poverty in the Third World. Do the activities of the Grameen Bank and other micro-lenders romanticize individual struggles to escape poverty?Yes. Do these programs help some women â€Å"pull themselves up by the bootstraps†? Yes. Will micro-enterprises in the informal sector contribute to ending world poverty? Not a chance. Bibliography 1. Hossain, Mahabub (1988): â€Å"Credit for the Alleviation of Rural Poverty: The Grameen Bank in Bangladesh. † Washington, D. C. : IFPRI, Research Report No. 65. 2. Morduch, Jonathan and Barbara Haley (2001): â€Å"Analysis of the Effects of Microfinance on Poverty Reduction. † NYU working paper. http://www. nyu. edu/wagner/public_html/cgi-bin/workingPapers/wp1014. pdf 3. â€Å"Past Five Years of Grameen Bank. 2008. Grameen Bank. 5 Aug 2009 . 4. Yunus, Muhammad. Creating a World Without Poverty. 1st. New York: Public Affairs, 2007. 5. Brue, Stanley L. The Evolution of Economic Thought. 6th. New York: Harcourt College Publisher, 2000. 6. McConnell, Campbell, Stanley Brue, and Tom Barbiero. Microeconom ics. 11th Canadian Edition. McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 2007. 7. Olivier Jean Blanchard (1987). Neoclassical Synthesis, â€Å"The New Palgrave: A Dictionary of Economics†, v. 3, pp. 634-36. . â€Å"Grameen Bank. † Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 5 Aug 2009, 20:45 UTC. 5 Aug 2009 . 9. â€Å"Neoclassical economics. † Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 31 Jul 2009, 21:21 UTC. 31 Jul 2009 10. Bouman, F. A. J. â€Å"The design of microfinance policies and programmes. † The WWW Virtual Library Microcredit and Microfinance. 1989. Web. 5 Aug 2009. .

Free Essays on The England Invasion Of 1066

The England Invasion of 1066 and the Significance In the year 1066 AD a dispute over the succession to the English throne occurred, because of a very unique situation. Edward the Confessor the King of England (1042-1066) died without any children to claim his throne. Moreover, because of this unique incident three people made claim to the English throne. This would cause a historical event, in 1066AD, the Norman Invasion and conquest of England. Earl Harold Godwinson made a claim to the throne. One reason was Harold and Edward became brothers-in-law when the king married Harold's sister. Harold's powerful position, as an earl and his relationship to Edward and his support among his peers made him an understandable successor to the throne. His claim was also, strengthened when the dying Edward supposedly expressed that he had chosen Edward as the next King. In addition; the Witan a council of royal advisors, unanimously selected Harold as King. His coronation took place the same day as Edward was buried. It is said part of the reason why the Witan quickness in choosing Harold was because of a fear that another invasion from Norway would occur. Which lead to the second rival of a second possible claim. Harold Hardrada, King of Norway ruled Norway jointly with his nephew Magnus until 1047 when Magnus died. In 1042 AD, Magnus had made a deal with Harthacut the Danish ruler of England. Since neither ruler had a male heir, both promised their kingdom to the other if either died without a child. Harthacut died but Magnus was never able to pursue his claim to the English throne because he was too busy battling for the rule of Denmark. Edward became the Anglo-Saxon King of England. After his death and since Magnus was already dead Hardrada alleging that he, as Magnus’s successor, was the rightful ruler of England. Hardrada immediately prepared to invade England and destroy the illegitimacy of Harold, when he heard of the coronation o... Free Essays on The England Invasion Of 1066 Free Essays on The England Invasion Of 1066 The England Invasion of 1066 and the Significance In the year 1066 AD a dispute over the succession to the English throne occurred, because of a very unique situation. Edward the Confessor the King of England (1042-1066) died without any children to claim his throne. Moreover, because of this unique incident three people made claim to the English throne. This would cause a historical event, in 1066AD, the Norman Invasion and conquest of England. Earl Harold Godwinson made a claim to the throne. One reason was Harold and Edward became brothers-in-law when the king married Harold's sister. Harold's powerful position, as an earl and his relationship to Edward and his support among his peers made him an understandable successor to the throne. His claim was also, strengthened when the dying Edward supposedly expressed that he had chosen Edward as the next King. In addition; the Witan a council of royal advisors, unanimously selected Harold as King. His coronation took place the same day as Edward was buried. It is said part of the reason why the Witan quickness in choosing Harold was because of a fear that another invasion from Norway would occur. Which lead to the second rival of a second possible claim. Harold Hardrada, King of Norway ruled Norway jointly with his nephew Magnus until 1047 when Magnus died. In 1042 AD, Magnus had made a deal with Harthacut the Danish ruler of England. Since neither ruler had a male heir, both promised their kingdom to the other if either died without a child. Harthacut died but Magnus was never able to pursue his claim to the English throne because he was too busy battling for the rule of Denmark. Edward became the Anglo-Saxon King of England. After his death and since Magnus was already dead Hardrada alleging that he, as Magnus’s successor, was the rightful ruler of England. Hardrada immediately prepared to invade England and destroy the illegitimacy of Harold, when he heard of the coronation o...

How sleep deprivation affects your productivity

How sleep deprivation affects your productivity Did you know sleeping can boost your powers of productivity along with refreshing your brain? Yup, a good night’s sleep can make a huge difference in your ability to be productive at work. From generating new ideas to thinking of ingenious solutions to problems, sleeping well can bring enormous changes to your life. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine emphasizes the importance of seven to eight hours of sleep for an average adult for optimum utilization of their cognitive functions and overall performance. Some of the major problems that emerge out of sleep deprivation are a decline in cognitive performance, impaired memory, lack of spatial awareness, poor decision-making and slowed reaction time. These are some of the short-term problems that emerge out of sleep deprivation. However, studies show that prolonged sleep deprivation can have adverse long-term effects like reduction in immunity and lifespan, negative impact on learning and memory and symptoms of ADHD.Hereâ€⠄¢s how a lack of sleep can affect your performance at work†¦Impaired decision makingWhen you lack sleep, you are deprived of a sound mind which fuels the abilities to evaluate scenarios and pass judgment based on those assessments. These abilities are crucial to the execution of any task that requires logical reasoning from complex cognition. Without an adequate grasp of a sound mind, you may be more prone to making mistakes at work due to an increased tendency to make impulsive and poorly thought-out decisions or merely slowing down work progress in the more difficult attempt to prevent the former.Limited learning and memory capacitiesThe process of learning, retaining and improving skills and abilities heavily rely on your working memory capacity, one which determines the performance of your cognitive online (real-time) processing. Research suggests that while you are asleep, your memory systems are still active and sleeping significantly strengthens existing memories.   D uring Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, your brain also cuts off unnecessary neuron connections while maintaining others; meaning sleep improves your memory by selectively both strengthening and eliminating formed neural connections. In a state of sleep deprivation, your capacity for efficient memory retention is substantially disrupted, hindering productive growth.Toxicity towards physical and emotional healthHealth implications of insomnia, while never usually the priority, should never be trivialized. Sleep plays an essential role in your physical health by both reinforcing your immune system against infections via boosting protective cytokine production and lowering your risk of diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular diseases. Insufficient sleep will positively contribute to a decline in your physiological state, negatively impacting your work performance. It has been found that sleep deprivation can compromise your cognitive processing and amplify the smallest amount of emotional turmoil, making you more irritable and erratic. This impedes your executive functions, rendering you less productive.Not getting enough sleep or poor quality of sleep affects your ability to deliver in almost all facets of life. Be it work or home, insomnia or not sleeping well can make things really difficult for you. But getting a proper sleep can undoubtedly solve all your issues and can improve your ability to be productive. An abnormal sleep cycle is associated with mild depression and anxiety disorder, especially in people who are facing emotional battles. Snoring can also be a reason for abnormal sleep, different snoring solutions can ultimately save you from this serious disorder.We’ve covered what can happen with a poor night’s sleep, but all of these functions can improve with a solid 7-8 hours. Here’s how a good night’s sleep can help you become more productive†¦It makes you energeticThis seems obvious but it’s a known fact that get ting a good night’s sleep can give you lots of energy and a mood boost. It relaxes your body and mind and prepares you for the next day. From improving your job performance to helping you stay productive at home, sleeping well can also optimize your health.Boosts memoryRemember when we talked about what happens during REM sleep? The brain removes unnecessary neural connections and strengthens the cognitive bonds building your memories while you snooze. Go too many nights without REM sleep and your memories become hazy. With a consistent night’s sleep, you actually have a chance of remembering that report you’re supposed to submit at 9 AM.It makes you a faster learnerLearning new things comes naturally to a fresh mind. Your brain becomes stronger and works faster. So whether you’re at work or in class, never compromise your quality of sleep. With a strong body and sound mind, you’ll open the doors of opportunity.While we constantly focus on how we c an intensify our workload to pump up production, we often jeopardize our health to get it all done. Remember that sufficient sleep is paramount to a successful life.Sleep tight, everyone!About the Author: Katherine Dilworth is a wife, mother, and blogger on caseydilworth.com,  a blog that focuses on providing snoring solutions for everyone.

Naturalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Naturalism - Essay Example From the report it is clear the major theme in the literature of naturalism is that people are destined to any kind of life that the environment, inheritance and social circumstances have prepared for them. Another element that was recurring was the power of emotions which are primitive so as to negate human being’s reasoning. Naturalism takes the world the way it is, for good or sickness. As the study declares a novel for literature is often distinguished by the characteristics and life experiences of the people in the novel. Ironweed is a novel discussing the life of people who were homeless in the city of Albany, discussing about their lives under poverty and depression. The novel basically discusses one major protagonist who is known as Francis. He lived a troubled life full of violence but he longed for the day he will understand himself and change his life. The novel Ironweed is a literature novel which was written by William Kennedy. The setting of the book was during the era of the great depression. The novel talks of a man by the name Francis Phelan who was a drug addict and ended up killing his own son, though it was accidental. He also killed other people who had wronged him since he was filled with anger and could act with violence when a person does something wrong to him. Francis is the main character since the novel talks about his life as an alcohol add ict and the consequences that followed him.

Competing Apple Computers Inc management of innovation Assignment

Competing Apple Computers Inc management of innovation - Assignment Example The ability of a leader to identify strategies that can disrupt rivals’ innovative strategies is critical in organizations operating in highly competitive industries. For organizations trying to compete Apple, the challenges that need to be faced are many: Apple is popular for its emphasis on innovation, a fact that limits the chances for gaps in its strategic choices. Still, the literature published in this field shows that the promotion of innovation in businesses of different characteristics can be achieved in a range of ways, not necessarily related to rivals’ strategies. The business model and the strategies proposed below aim to show that even firms that are highly successful, such as Apple, may have gaps in their strategic framework; the identification of these gaps by rivals can increase competition in the industry reducing Apple’s hegemony in the global market. Apple has highly emphasized on research and development for the identification of unique products (Apple, Organizational website 2012). In fact, the firm’s strategy in regard to innovation seems to be based on the following three issues: a) the market for Apple’s i-products has still many prospects (Zeiler 2012), b) the firm highly emphasizes on advertising (Zeiler 2012) and c) new technologies, such as the i-TV, are continuously developed for enhancing the capabilities of the firm’s products. ... cation’ (Zeiler 2012), a technology that ‘transforms the i-Phone into a digital wallet’ (Zeiler 2012), is one of Apple’s latest strategies for securing its strategic position in the global market. 2.2 Gaps in Apple’s business model and product/ service strategy The current performance of Apple, as a key competitor in the global industry is significant, if taking into consideration Graph 1 (Appendix). Still, gaps can be identified in Apple’s strategies in regard to innovation: a) the products of the firm are rather expensive, if taking into consideration the financial status of the majority of people in the global market, b) the customer services schemes provided to customers are similar to those provided by other firms operating in the same industry, with no particular schemes for securing innovation in this business sector. 3. Competing Apple’s strategies and business model 3.1 Opportunities for disrupting innovation as promoted by App le In order to understand whether there are opportunities for disrupting Apple’s innovative strategies and business model, it would be necessary to explain primarily the key context of innovation, as related to business activities. According to Schermerhorn (2009) there are three modes of innovation: a) process innovation, which refers to the identification of effective techniques for developing business operations, in all their aspects, b) product innovation is related to the identification of unique products/ services and c) business model innovation focuses on the identification of ‘new ways to achieve profits’ (Schermerhorn 2009, p.188). This means that if a firm is interested in competing one or more of its rivals in regard to innovation, it has to focus on one, at least, of the above modes of innovation.

Food Retailing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Food Retailing - Research Paper Example Cereal forms an important part of the food industry. Kellogg contains cereal like fiber and whole grain. Cereals are the world’s most important sources of food industry. US is the largest production of cereals, the average production per 1000 metric tons in the US is 334,554 in the year 2001. The output of cereal globally is expected to be 2219 million tons in the year 2009, 2008 experienced a decreased by 3% (UN News, â€Å"UN News Centre†). Agricultural production Food marketing Value added components The value added components of the product Kellogg’s consists of some important cereals which are essential is day to day of life for all age group. Kellogg consists of cereals like whole grains, fiber, minerals and vitamins. Main ingredients and define The main ingredients in Kellogg’s contain fiber, whole grain, vitamins and minerals. Fiber is considered to be healthy for hearts. A diet which is high in fiber ensures all around wellness of the family. Acco rding to the Institute of Medicine, recommendation on fiber is mainly based on age and gender. But it seems like people fall short to achieve the goals as most of the people are losing out the benefits of fiber such as promoting good digestive and keeping the heart healthy. Therefore in order to help the people to overcome such issues, Kellogg have introduced delicious cereals such as All-Bran, Corn pops, Raisin Bran and other such products which aims to provide good and excellent sources of fiber (Kellogg’s, â€Å"Nutrition†). Whole grain has been defined by American Association of Cereal Chemists also known as A.A.C.C., whole grain consists of ground, intact, flaked or cracked whose main components i.e. anatomical components includes the germ, bran and starchy endosperm which are present in the same proportion as in intact caryopsis (Marquart & McIntosh, p.138) . Supply Chain Manufacturing/ processing The Supply chain encompasses all the activities which are associat ed with the transformation and flow of the goods from raw materials to the end users. In the global supply chain management the manufacturing and distribution facilities are scattered all around the world. Figure 1: Supply Chain of Cereals (Source: Radrigue, â€Å"The Geography of Transport Systems†) Storage/ Delivery The above figure explains the supply chain process that takes place in case of cereals. The cereals are processed and manufactured and then they are stored and distributed on to the stores. The cereals are packaged properly with proper label and then they are transported to the retailers. Supply chain of the company Kellogg’s is a well known brand and delivers all the essential requirements for the day to day activities of life through its product. The business primarily focuses on creation of profit but also keeping the environmental and social impact to a high importance. Kellogg’s believes that by acting responsible through supply chain through which the company aims to reduce energy as well as emission in the manufacturing and also distribution and improving the packaging of the product. Kellogg’s supply chain consists of three sectors which are the primary, secondary and the tertiary sector. The process includes a range of agencies which includes the quality, research, sales, purchasing, distribution and transport. As an essential part of the

Marian Halcombe Between Genders And Gender Roles

Marian Halcombe Between Genders And Gender Roles According to Lyn Pykett most of Collinss novels explored the way in which gender roles were constructed, and, at the same time, explored various pressures for and anxieties about changes in gender roles in the mid-nineteenth century (2005: 128) and offered a critique of the class and gender hierarchies of Victorian society (2005: 223). The Woman in White is one of those novels to which Pykett referred to and Collins uses his unconventional heroine Marian Halcombe to serve his purposes. In this chapter I want to show that Marians unconventionality resides in the way she looks and behaves and that this allows Collins to challenge gender roles and that she is used to blur gender boundaries. The novel begins with Walter Hartrights words This is the story of what a Womans patience can endure, and what a Mans resolution can achieve. (Collins 1) After a first reading of the novel these words will prove he is an unreliable narrator at least, if not a man who consciously wants to mislead the readers into thinking that a woman is only passive and must endure and that only a man is strong and capable of great deeds, when this is not always the case, especially in this novel. I say this because throughout the novel there are male characters that must have patience and endure and female characters that are resolute and active. For instance, Sir Percival must have patience if he wants to get in possession of his wifes money and Count Fosco constantly reminds him of that patience, Percival -patience. Youre always talking of patience' (Collins 285). Marian Halcombe, although a woman, has resolution Miss Halcombe cut the knot of the little embarrassment forthwith, in her resolute, d ownright way (Collins 42) and throughout the novel her resolution will recommend her as a powerful woman as I will show later on in this chapter. His words can be interpreted as reflecting the Victorian ideology of the separate gender roles for women and men. However, I argue that these words are not fully illustrative for the content of the novel and for its characters because of Marian Halcombe and what she represents in the economy of the novel. What she does shows that a woman is not always patient and enduring but can be also resolute. Marian Halcome whose far more interesting character represents the only significant variation on business-as-usual in the novels gynaeceum (Miller 176) is portrayed from the beginning of the novel as being between the genders in the sense that her physical description shows she is both masculine and feminine (Pykett 2005:126). From her description it can be seen that at this point in the narrative that her femininity resides in the beauty of her body and her masculinity in the traits of her face. Walter Hartright describes her and his contradictory reactions thus Her figure was tall, yet not too tall; comely and well-developed, yet not fat; her head set on her shoulders with an easy, pliant firmness; her waist, perfection in the eyes of a man (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) The ladys complexion was almost swarthy, and the dark down on her upper lip was almost a moustache She had a large, firm, masculine mouth and jaw; prominent, piercing, resolute brown eyes; and thick, coal-black hair, growing unusually low down on her forehead (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦)To see such a face as this set on shoulders that a sculptor would have longed to modelto be charmed by the modest graces of action through which the symmetrical limbs betrayed their beauty when they moved, and then to be almost repelled by the masculine form and masculine look of the features in which the perfectly shaped figure endedwas to feel a sensation oddly akin to the helpless discomfort familiar to us all in sleep, when we recognise yet cannot reconcile the anomalies and contradictions of a dream. (Collins 24-25) As Sophia Andres well remarks Walters conventional expectation of femininity is unsettled by the disjunction of femininity with masculinity (371) when he first sees Marian and his reaction could have been the reaction of any other Victorian that had fixed conceptions about the way a woman had to look like but I argue that Collins mocked in a way the gendered expectations of Victorians when he created Marian and showed that women are not all the same and that masculinity can characterize a woman too and not only a man. Her sister Laura makes an indirect remark about her masculine face when she returns from her honeymoon and exclaims that she missed her own dear, dark, clever, gipsy-face (Collins 188). Talking about Marians description Valerie Pedlar notes that Walter finds himself face to face with a lady who is not at all easy to categorize and who falls outside conventional literary or social models (76) My opinion is that it is precisely because she cannot be categorized by the con ventional society of the age that she can be seen as expressing Collinss contempt for the Victorian gender norms and gender definitions. Apart from her masculine face she has other masculine physical traits of which she is aware My hands always were, and always will be, as awkward as a mans (Collins 204) because they are big. Another remark that she makes about herself and that implies she is aware of her masculinity is that made when she tries to stop herself from crying because she says My tears do not flow so easily as they ought they come almost like mens tears, with sobs that seem to tear me in pieces, and that frighten every one about me (Collins 144). When she makes choices about her personal items she intentionally highlights her masculine side because from Laura we learn that she has a horrid heavy mans umbrella with which she always would walk out with when it rained (Collins 188).Her personal choices like that of having a mans umbrella instead of a smaller womans umbrella show that she disregard the etiquette of the time and this furthermore implies that her wishes are more important for her than what other s think is right for a woman to do. One would think that a discussion about the fact that she has a heavy mans umbrella is not very illustrative for the subject of this chapter but the fact that it is heavy shows that Marian has physical strength and since women in that period were considered fragile mentally, morally and physically and she is a woman, again points to one conclusion: Victorian gender expectations are flouted. According to Carolyn Oulton her masculinity is initially signaled in the references to physical traits such as facial hair (84) but throughout the novel instances when she is seen as masculine and treated like if she were a man and when she behaves in a masculine way occur. Masculinity is associated with physical and mental strength and Marian possesses these qualities that lastly make those who know her realize she is unique. One of these persons is Eliza Michelson who said to Laura when she realized that Marian had disappeared from Blackwater Park despite the fact she was ill Remember, my lady, what surprising energy there is in Miss Halcombeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ She might well make an effort which other ladies in her situation would be unfit for (Collins 344). She is an extraordinary woman and without doubt people notice that. Count Fosco is surely the one person who most sees how different she is from other women and admires her despite all her masculine traits. He says to Percival when they talk about how to get in possession of Lauras money She is sharp enough to suspect something, and bold enough to come downstairs and listen, if she can get the chance. (Collins 285) Can you look at Miss Halcombe and not see that she has the foresight and the resolution of a man? With that woman for my friend I would snap these fingers of mine at the world. With that woman for my enemy, I, with all my brains and experienceI, Fosco, cunning as the devil himself, as you have told me a hundred timesI walk, in your English phrase, upon egg-shells! And this grand creatureI drink her health in my sugar-and-waterthis grand creature, who stands in the strength of her love and her courage, firm as a rock, between us two and that poor, flimsy, pretty blonde wife of yoursthis magnificent woman, whom I admire with all my soul, though I oppose her in your interests and in mine, you drive to extremities as if she was no sharper and no bolder than the rest of her sex. (Collins 291) He acknowledges her as a powerful enemy because she is resolute, courageous and intelligent as a man but he is also capable of seeing her as a feminine woman and this furthermore makes him admire her. After reading her diary he states Admirable woman! I allude to Miss Halcombe. Stupendous effort! I refer to the Diary. Yes! These pages are amazing. The tact which I find here, the discretion, the rare courage, the wonderful power of memory, the accurate observation of character, the easy grace of style, the charming outbursts of womanly feeling, have all inexpressibly increased my admiration of this sublime creature, of this magnificent Marian (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) Under happier circumstances how worthy I should have been of Miss Halcombehow worthy Miss Halcombe would have been of ME. The sentiments which animate my heart assure me that the lines I have just written express a Profound Truth. (Collins 302-303) He not only praises her for all that she is and does but he also seems to declare his love for her. He considers himself powerful, courageous as I am by nature (Collins 545) and intelligent and she being an unparalleled woman as he himself observed, could have been the perfect match for him precisely because of her strong nature. They are very much alike. She is the first and last weakness of Foscos life (Collins 556). What Collins seems to suggest through Count Foscos voice who does not blame Marian for not being as feminine as women have to be but on the contrary is that such atypical Victorian women as her should be acknowledged in their society although they undermine mens domination. Not only Count Fosco realizes that she has things in common with men and admires her. Walter Hartright says about her She caught me by both handsshe pressed them with the strong, steady grasp of a man à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ She stopped, drew me nearer to herthe fearless, noble creature (Collins 107). The same Count Fosco who talked about Marian in such admiring terms had talked previously in terms that express the mentality of the time about ways in which men can rule women and about resolution that is characteristic of men and that women cannot possess. After reading what he later on says about Marian and after all the instances when she uses her resolution it is clear that Marian does not fail in resolution and that again conventional ideas of the time do not fully apply in her case. Human ingenuity, my friend, has hitherto only discovered two ways in which a man can manage a woman. One way is to knock her downa method largely adopted by the brutal lower orders of the people, but utterly abhorrent to the refined and educated classes above them. The other way (much longer, much more difficult, but in the end not less certain) is never to accept a provocation at a womans hands. It holds with animals, it holds with children, and it holds with women, who are nothing but children grown up. Quiet resolution is the one quality the animals, the children, and the women all fail in. If they can once shake this superior quality in their master, they get the better of HIM. If they can never succeed in disturbing it, he gets the better of THEM (Collins 291) Although Marian has manly impulses like that of hitting Sir Percival I started to my feet as suddenly as if he had struck me. If I had been a man, I would have knocked him down on the threshold of his own door, and have left his house, never on any earthly consideration to enter it again. But I was only a womanand I loved his wife so dearly! (Collins 218) and Count Fosco, My hands tingled to strike him, as if I had been a man! (Collins 495) she refrains herself because she knows that a violent act would do her no good as she is in neither cases in the position of gaining anything from hitting them. Often, her transgressions of gender roles are made with the purpose of protecting her sister and in the first case if she strikes Sir Percival she risks being thrown out from his house leaving her sister unprotected from his villainies and in the second case the situation is the same, she risks leaving her sister unprotected and alone as Walter is not in the city to stay with her. With all her transgressions her options as a woman are limited and being a man would have certainly opened up more possibilities for her. When she arrives at Blackwater Park she waits impatiently for her sisters arrival from her honeymoon and she affirms If I only had the privileges of a man, I would order out Sir Percivals best horse instantly, and tear away on a night-gallop, eastward, to meet the rising sun () Being, however, nothing but a woman, condemned to patience, propriety, and petticoats for life, I must respect the house- keepers opinions, and try to compose myself in some feeble and feminine way. (Collins 174) The last sentence describes the condition of middle-class women in Victorian England, condemned to a domestic existence but these are not necessarily her own words expressing her beliefs and opinions because she says that she must respect the housekeepers opinions and the fact that she mentions this thing makes me interpret what she says as being the ironical rendering of the housekeepers words. Marian is glad when some people around her, for example Count Fosco, see her masculine side and treat her differently than they would treat a conventional Victorian woman He flatters my vanity by talking to me as seriously and sensibly as if I was a man (Collins 197). Not all who meet her treat her like Count Fosco and there is an amusing moment with a school teacher that thinks she is as traditional Victorian woman, therefore weak and who tries to protect her from a shock. Instead of being grateful she is ironical and the answer to his attitude shows that she is not satisfied when people treat her as a weak woman I beg your pardon, Miss Halcombe, interposed the school-master a little uneasilybut I think you had better not question the boy. The obstinate folly of his story is beyond all belief; and you might lead him into ignorantly- Ignorantly what? inquired Miss Halcombe sharply. Ignorantly shocking your feelings, said Mr. Dempster, looking very much discomposed. Upon my word, Mr. Dempster, you pay my feelings a great compliment in thinking them weak enough to be shocked by such an urchin as that! She turned with an air of satirical defiance to little Jacob, and began to question him directly. (Collins 72- 73) On the other hand, although she is not satisfied when people think she is a weak person she herself has moments of weakness. Those moments attest she is feminine too. After the discussion with Laura, during which Laura said she was going to marry Sir Percival after all, she starts to cry The tearsmiserable, weak, womens tears of vexation and rage started to my eyes. She smiled sadly, and put her handkerchief over my face to hide for me the betrayal of my own weaknessthe weakness of all others which she knew that I most despised (Collins 159). She despises weak people and tries to hide her own weakness. She tends to believe that it is the fact that she is only a woman (Collins 529) and has a womans body that makes her weak and that this weakness is not representative for who she really is inside. Her femininity is not as accentuated as her masculinity but without a doubt it is a part of who she is too and she learns to accept it. After she moves with Laura and Walter she has to take c are of the household and she says to Walter What a womans hands ARE fit for, she said, early and late, these hands of mine shall do. They trembled as she held them out (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) the unquenchable spirit of the woman burnt bright in her even yet. I saw the big tears rise thick in her eyes, and fall slowly over her cheeks as she looked at me. She dashed them away with a touch of her old energy, and smiled with a faint reflection of her old good spirits. Dont doubt my courage, Walter, she pleaded, its my weakness that cries, not ME. The house-work shall conquer it if I cant. (Collins 390) Although moments like the one mentioned in the last paragraph that show her femininity are not as many as those that show her masculinity they exist in the novel. For example, in the beginning of the novel Walter is shocked to see she has masculine qualities and he expects her to have an inexpressive facial expression like that of a man and to have the voice of a man too but he is pleased to see that her dark face lighting up with a smile, and softening and growing womanly the moment she began to speak (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) These odd words of welcome were spoken in a clear, ringing, pleasant voice (Collins 25). Also, she dresses in a feminine way. Walter notices when he looks at her, Mrs. Vesey and Laura that she is richly clad with delicate primrose-yellow colour which matches so well with a dark complexion and black hair (Collins 44). When she prepares to spy on Count Fosco and Sir Percival she says that A complete change in my dress was imperatively necessary for many reasons () In my ordinary evening costume I took up the room of three men at least (Collins 287). When Walter asks her if she would write to him after he leaves Limmeridge House her dark eyes glitteredher brown complexion flushed deepthe force and energy of her face glowed and grew beautiful with the pure inner light of her generosity and her pity (Collins 107) showing that despite her masculine face she is capable of having womanly feelings. Another moment when her femininity is revealed is when she talks with Walter about telling Laura that her husband died and Walter notices that An unaccustomed tenderness trembled in her dark eyes and softened her firm lips, as she glanced aside at the empty chair in which the dear companion of all our joys and sorrows had been sitting (Collins 499). She has a robust physicality (Oulton 85) but her body has its limits and because of that she has to give up doing things despite herself like the moment when she wants to go and look for Laura after talking with Count Fosco who told her she does not have to sign Sir Percivals act my head was giddy and my knees trembled under me. There was no choice but to give it up again and return to the sofa, sorely against my will (Collins 244). The limitations of her body show again her femininity. From the beginning of the novel she makes mean and sarcastic remarks about women herself included. For example, she says to the puzzled Walter Hartright that How can you expect four women to dine together alone every day, and not quarrel? We are such fools, we cant entertain each other at table. You see I dont think much of my own sex, Mr. Hartright (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) no woman does think much of her own sex, although few of them confess it as freely as I do (Collins 25-26). Her words can be interpreted as showing her disappointment for the way women behave. I opinion that at the same they show she tends to have misogynistic views on women. Normally misogyny is associated with men and in this case her words furthermore show that she is masculine too. She observes his bewilderment and continues I will give you some tea to compose your spirits, and do all a woman can (which is very little, by-the-bye) to hold my tongue (Collins26) The irony is that she does not hold her tongue but on the contrary so her remark is somehow sarcastic attacking the ideology of separate gender roles. After she says this Walter remark that she was laughing gaily (Collins 26) so this sustains what I have just said. Other examples of remarks about women coming from her are Women cant draw-their minds are too flighty, and their eyes are too inattentive (Collins 27), Women, as everybody knows, constantly act on impulses which they cannot explain even to themselves (Collins 227) and Women can resist a mans love, a mans fame, a mans personal appearance, and a mans money, but they cannot resist a mans tongue when he knows how to talk to them ( Collins 228). According to Lyn Pykett she does not think much of either sex (Collins 126) and her affirmation is confirmed by Marians words about men No man under heaven deserves these sacrifices from us women (Collins 159). The same Lyn Pykett sustains that Collins uses Marians proto-feminist pronouncements and her active involvement in rescuing Laura and helping Walter to restore her half-sisters identity as a way of questioning and challenging current gender roles (Collins 126). In the light of the matters discussed in this chapter it is clear that these instances named by Pykett are not the only ones when Collins challenges gender roles. Another instance when gender roles are clearly challenged is when Marian disregards all the rules of proper womanly behaviour and spies on Count Fosco and Sir Percival staying on the roof of a verandah. Throughout the novel she is active and helps Walter not only by doing different activities that are not typical for a woman in the Victorian period but also by giving him advices that are helpful and that determine him to trust her. In an age when few middle-class women had the power to act against the gender norms and defy the hierarchy of gender roles of their society she is one such example of woman who behaves differently than expected and when for example she fails to express her opinion as she usually does people around her are astonished. Such a situation is when asked by Mr. Gilmore to say whether they should trust Sir Percival when he said that Anne Catherick was taken by him to the asylum with the permission of her mother she says nothing and his reaction is resolute, clear-minded Miss Halcombe was the very last person in the world whom I should have expected to find shrinking from the expression of an opinion of her own (Collins 117). According to Lilian Craton the dark and ugly qualities of Marians physical appearance defy the feminine ideal but enable her strong sense of individuality as do the masculine personality traits (133). I agree with her but I would also add that her feminine qualities should not be disregarded. Marian is not defined exclusively by the masculine but by the masculine and the feminine at the same time and the fact that she is a combination of these two is what make her unique. By presenting her as being between genders Collins subverts traditional Victorian gender definitions. She fails to comply with contemporary gender roles and as a consequence she affirms her individuality.