Thursday, December 26, 2019

The Journal Reality Bites An Investigation Of The Genre...

While reading the journal Reality Bites: An Investigation of the Genre of Reality Television and Its Relationship to Viewers’ Body Image researchers utilized a unique methodological approach, this study investigated subtypes of reality television (RTV) to study the influence of exposure to RTV on body image (body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness) as compared a more traditional weekly report of RTV viewing. Young adults (N  ¼ 472) completed online surveys measuring their exposure to Reality TV and perceptions of their own body image. Four types of RTV were uncovered. Regression analyses using these 4 factors demonstrated that exposure to competition-based RTV shows (e.g., Dancing with the Stars) predicted increased body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness. On the other hand, the weekly self-report of RTV viewing did not reveal any relationships between weekly exposure to RTV and body image. These findings underline the need for cultivation-based media studies that in clude program-based measures of genre-specific media exposure, especially when seeking to capture media effects related to RTV. In the study before researchers can understand the impact of reality programs on viewers, they must agree on how to define exposure to this genre. This would be defining the purpose of the study. The purpose of this study was to explore the conceptualization of RTV through the use of a program-centered method of determining distinct subtypes of this emerging genre. The RTVShow MoreRelatedEffects of Rap Music on Crime14002 Words   |  57 Pages(Best 1990; Tatum 1999; Tanner 2001; Sacco and Kennedy 2002; Alexander 2003). Whether rap has been reviled as much as jazz and rock ‘n’ roll once were is a moot point; rather more certain is its pre-eminent role as a problematic contemporary musical genre. Direct correspondence to Julian Tanner, Department of Social Science University of Toronto at Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, M1C 1A4. Telephone: (416) 287-7293. E-mail: Julian.Tanner@utoronto.ca.  © The University ofRead MoreContemporary Issues in Management Accounting211377 Words   |  846 Pagesand researches in the area of management accounting. Her current research interests cover innovation/knowledge management, hybridity, and the leadership of the accounting and finance function. She has published in Behavioral Research in Accounting; Journal of Management Accounting Research; Pacific Accounting Review; Australian Accounting Review; Accounting, Organizations and Society; and Management Accounting Research, as well as contributing chapters to books. In 2002, Jane received the FMAC ArticlesRead MoreWhat Are the Difficulties of Translating Humour from English Into Spanish Using the Subtitled British Comedy Sketch Show Little Britain as a Case Study?12271 Words   |  50 Pagesslapstick humour with only two British Comedy programmes that made it on screen which were ‘The Benny Hill Show’ and also ‘George and Mildred’ (Spanish Magazine,n.d). Pe dalino (2006) also confirms the amount of slapstick humour shown on Spanish television stating â€Å" unconvincing transvestites with balloons for boobs are still very much in vogue as slapstick humour†. It can be said that the Spanish audience seek more visual humour than verbal humour; however there is a vast assortment of dubbedRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 PagesIntra-Caribbean 1 Southern Cone 1 Other 2 Sources: Imre Ferenczi and Walter Willcox, eds., International Migrations, vol. 1, Statistics (New York: National Bureau of Economic Research, 1929); Adam McKeown, â€Å"Global Migration, 1846–1940,† Journal of World History 15 (2004): 155– 189; Jose C. Moya, â€Å"Immigration, Development, and Assimilation in the United States in a Global Perspective, 1850–1930,† Studia Migracyjne [Warsaw] 35, no. 3 (2009), 89–104. Vietnam, Java, and the Philippines

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Pride and Prejudice Narrative Style Essay - 1285 Words

Jane Austen the author of Pride and Prejudice a novel where irony is considered the foundation for this novel. Irony, humour and the extensive use of dialogue complement each other to create an inviting novel for potential readers to lose themselves in. Irony is used to show the difference in truth and the way things may seem. Austen uses irony to create deeper emotions and laugh and characters perceptions in the novel. Humour is also used to show relationships but to guide the reader to understand social status and the interactions between status’ and how this can cause ineptness for many characters. Jane Austen introduced a novel to the nineteenth century that was produced to change the way society reacted towards novels. Pride and†¦show more content†¦From the first chapter the reader can understand how excited Mrs Bingley is that Mr Bingley, a wealthy man has come to Netherfield Park. â€Å"What is his name?† â€Å"Bingley† â€Å"Is he married or single?† â€Å"Oh! single, my dear, to be sure! A single man of large fortune; four or five thousand a year. What a fine thing for our girls!† (1.1.1) This passage shows the delight Mrs Bennet has for trying to marry off her five daughters. The overly enthusiastic response shows the humour Austen creates around characters to show their personality, but also mock them for thinking life revolves around money and marriage. Humour in this instance is used to show the shallowness of characters as well as expressing views for many citizens of the time. Humour is commonly used to keep the novel realistic and light-hearted as well as focusing on the serious themes of love marriage and family. In the early nineteenth century when the novel was published women were seen to be an object by the male species. In the eyes of the law, women did not exist as legal beings in their own right. â€Å"Their persons were ‘merged’ or under the direction of first their fathers, and on ma rriage, their husbands.† Women were seen as the weaker species and were ruled by the law as property of their owner. Austen also creates a playful element to her novel by using irony. Irony isShow MoreRelatedJane Austen s Pride And Prejudice1450 Words   |  6 PagesShaped by its light-humored wit as well as heartfelt cast of characters, Pride and Prejudice explores the classic yet distinctive narrative of the two divergent characters Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy. Set towards the end of the eighteenth century and early nineteenth century in England, Jane Austen offers a profound insight into the social manners and behaviors expected of individuals in this time. In Elizabeth’s endeavor for independence in the face of her expectation as a female to marryRead MoreEssay on Pride and Prejudice1332 Words   |  6 PagesPride and Prejudice 1. How do the narrative techniques of ‘showing’ and ‘telling’ work at this point in the novel? 2. How does this passage relate to the themes of the novel as a whole? The first part of the passage is dialogic, in that it contains only conversation between Lydia and Mrs Bennet. Jane Austen, through the use of narrative techniques, gives the reader an in-depth understanding of the story. One of these techniques is ‘showing’, which with the use of dialogue, allows usRead More Essay on the Metamorphosis in Pride and Prejudice1235 Words   |  5 PagesMetamorphosis in Pride and Prejudice   Ã‚   As the story develops in Jane Austens novel, Pride and Prejudice, the reader is witness to a shift in attitude between the principle characters. The chapter in which Elizabeth Bennetts reactions to Mr. Darcys letter are explored provides valuable insights into this metamorphosis.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The first description of Elizabeths state upon perusing Fitzwilliam Darcys revelatory missive is characteristic of Austen when relating heavy emotion:Read MoreJane Austen’S Pride And Prejudice Is One The World’S Most1357 Words   |  6 PagesJane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is one the world’s most popular novels. It was published in 1813,  Pride and Prejudice  was Jane Austen s second novel after  Sense and Sensibility  in 1811. It portrays the situation in the late 18th and early 19th century in England. Set in the country village of Longbourn in Hertfordshire The plot focuses on Elizabeth Bennet, the protagonist and her sisters and the constant endeavors of their parents, Mr. Bennet and Mrs. Bennet to get their daughters marriedRead MorePride And Prejudice By Jane Austen1399 Words   |  6 PagesPride and Prejudice The novel Pride and Prejudice written by Jane Austen is a satirical depiction of the social life and atmosphere of eighteenth and nineteenth century England, which at the time was predominantly concerned with the courtship customs of the English gentry. The novel, through Austen’s ironic and subtle writing style, is far more than just a romantic comedy, since it skillfully addresses and combines the political, economic, philosophical and feminist themes of its periodRead MoreMaya Angelou Response Essay717 Words   |  3 Pagesin the 1930s to examine the personal growth of humans caught in the adversity of racial discrimination. Through narrative structure, selection of detail, and use of imagery, Angelou encourages young blacks to follow their ambitions with pride, despite what the â€Å"white man† thinks of them. Through her narrative structure, Angelou aspires for young black students to maintain â€Å"Negro† pride and strong ambition. Her essay is built on a foundation of intertwined objective and subjective narration whichRead More Consider the implications of the title, Persuasion Essay1012 Words   |  5 PagesSensibility’,’ Pride and Prejudice’ and in this novel; ‘Persuasion.’ The first of these titles seems to suggest a tone of appraisal and the second, a tone of condemnation. From this recognition, we can also notice that Austen’s novels deal with the concept of moral perameters. ‘Persuasion’ however, does not seem to provide a clear indication of the nature of the subject matter. Yet isn’t persuasion less of a moral concept than ‘Sense and Sensibility’ and ‘Pride and Prejudice’? It seems thereforeRead MorePride And Prejudice By Jane Austen994 Words   |  4 PagesDavid Payne Mrs. Baker AP English 4 8/24/15 Pride and Prejudice Letter Analysis In Jane Austen s dialogue heavy novel Pride and Prejudice, much of each page is consumed by in depth conversations between her characters; only infrequently does she break to a narrative to make asides about the story. With a style of writing such as this, it is quite difficult as a writer to portray the private inner thoughts of characters. In order to provide this necessary element of inner character thought, JaneRead MoreExploring the Theme of Pride and Prejudice Essay2643 Words   |  11 Pagesdoes Jane Austen explore the theme of Pride and Prejudice in the novel? The original title of Jane Austens novel, Pride and Prejudice was First impressions. From this title it is clear that Jane Austen wanted to convey to the reader the importance of first impressions and how we form them so quickly. Other themes of the novel include pride, prejudice, conceit and vanity. Most people have these feelings or opinions without even realising it. Pride is a feeling of satisfaction that youRead MoreEmily Brontes Writing Technique in Wuthering Heights991 Words   |  4 Pageswriting technique is the narrative style she uses when alternating between the two characters of Nelly Dean and Lockwood. Wuthering Heights is a story told through eye witness accounts, first through Lockwood, followed by Nelly. Lockwood s responsibility is shaping the framework of the novel wheras Nelly provides the intricate recount of the personal lives of all the characters having been present first hand. Although, each character does have a different emotion and style. Having lived through

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Ted Bundy was a brutal serial killer Essay Example For Students

Ted Bundy was a brutal serial killer Essay Works Cited A Condemned Mans Last Bequest. People 6 February, 1989 p. 44-51. Gerdes, Louise. Serial Killers. San Diego: Greenhaven Press Inc.2000. Knappaman, Edward W. Great American Trials. Detroit: New England Publishing, Associates, Inc. 1994. Ted Bundy was a brutal serial killer Essay. He was also very charming and handsome to the ladies, which made it easier to prey on them. He admitted to killing over twenty people just before his execution. Many families were relieved when he was finally executed. Ted Bundy thought of himself as very smart, because he was able to outsmart the authorities multiple times throughout the years of being a serial killer ( Gerdes 41). His victims of choice were young, college age, women ( Gerdes 128). He was in Colorado, on trial, for the brutal murder of a twenty-three year old woman. He used his intelligent mind to escape the prison. He went on and made his way to Florida for no apparent reason. He went to the Chi Omega House at Florida State University and unleashed his wrath on some of the students. He killed one student named Lisa Leavy. He also injured a couple other students severely. One and a half hours later, just after visiting the Chi Omega House, Ted killed another student just six blocks away. Later, the police were trying to pull him over for a minor traffic violation when he fled causing them to chase him. Shortly, they realized he was in a car stolen from near the Chi Omega House. Just days before he killed a twelve year old girl. They finally caught him and he was arrested. After the Chi Omega incident two students dropped out and one committed suicide Bundy acted as his own attorney, and was also very good at it (Gerdes 128). He made himself look innocent through just about anything the authorities threw at him. Bundy helped himself out by saying he had been badly represented by counsel (A Condemned 49). The authorities believed he had killed at least forty people, but it was very hard to prove it. Dentists analyzed bite marks on one of the Chi Omegas victims buttocks, and compared them to an oversized picture of Bundys teeth (Knappaman 655). It was determined that there was a considerable amount of similarities, and it was used against Ted as evidence. This was the first hard evidence the authorities had against him in the trial. He sensed danger of being convicted and tried his best to cover it up, but failed. The police also innocent found knotted panty hose like those used to strangle previous victims at the Chi Omega House. They had finally found an eyewitness who was named Nita Neary, which helped a great deal. They finally proved him guilty with this evidence. After his conviction Bundy admitted to killing about twenty people, which included Debi Kent on November 8, 1974, and Nancy Wilcox on October 7, 1974. On July 23, 1978, Ted was found guilty on multiple charges (Knappaman 655). Later on in 1979, he was sentenced to death. He received his third death sentence on February 12, 1980, following his conviction of killing Kimberly Leach. He was convicted of three separate murders and sentenced to death in Starke, Florida, so other states did not pursue any further charges. At age forty two on January 24, 1989, Ted Bundy was executed by electric chair in Starke, Florida. Bundy was a sick man. He had some sort of bad problem, and decided to take it out on innocent victims. Some students had their entire lives changed in ways they had never even thought of. When he was executed, it didnt make all the pain and suffering go away, but it helped out greatly. .

Monday, December 2, 2019

Yeoo free essay sample

Your research should be extensive, creative, | | |varied and drawn from a number of different perspectives. You must have at least 12 references to meet this | | |criterion. | |D3 |Innovation and creative thought have been applied. You will produce a creative, detailed and well designed booklet| | |to meet this criterion that captures the interest of the health and social care staff. It must be user friendly | | |and informative as part of their induction process. | Task 2 | |Power Point Presentation in pairs. | | | |Using your work placements and information gained from relevant case studies and guest speakers, you must produce a Power Point | |Presentation that will last approximately 15 minutes to the rest of your group exploring how legislation and policy safeguards | |vulnerable individuals. The strengths and weaknesses of the legislation and policies must be analysed clearly. | | |Within the presentation you must identify key professionals that help to safeguard vulnerable indi viduals and include at least four | |profiles, explaining their individual roles and responsibilities. We will write a custom essay sample on Yeoo or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page | | | |You are required to provide speakers notes and a bibliography. | | | | | | | To achieve a Pass grade learners must demonstrate the ability to: |LO2 |Assessment criteria | |2. 1 |analyse the strengths and weaknesses in current legislation and policy relating to those vulnerable to abuse | |2. 2 |explain how key professionals are involved in the protection of individuals and groups vulnerable to abuse | To achieve a Merit grade, learners must demonstrate the ability to: M1 |Show an effective approach to study by completing the Power Point on time in pairs. You must use Harvard | | |Referencing and a Bibliography must be included at the end of the Power Point Presentation. | | |Good grammar and spelling is required to meet this criterion. | |M3 |Present and communicate appropriate findings using a range of methods of presentation, including web links and | | |video clips to analyse the strengths and weaknesses of the legislation. Technical language should be used and the | | |Power Point Presentation should be presented using the proper format and style. | To achieve a Distinction grade, learners must demonstrate the ability to: |D3 |Innovation and creative thought have been applied throughout your presentation and you have shown a clear | | |understanding of legislation and the roles of the professionals using the information gained in an innovative | | |manner. |Task 3 | | | |2000 word Assignment. | | | |Within this assignment you must show an understanding of working practices and strategies that are used to minimise abuse within health | |and social care contexts. | | |Explain the strategies and practices that are in place for both children and vulnerable adults, making reference to work placements, | |case studies and information from guest speakers. Evaluate the effectiveness of the strategies and practices, discussing possible | |improvements to minimise abuse. | | | |Remember the importance of confide ntiality while completing this assignment and all settings must be kept anonymous. | | | LO3 |Assessment criteria | |3. 1 |explain existing working practices and strategies designed to minimise abuse in health and social care contexts | |3. 2 |evaluate the effectiveness of working practices and strategies used to minimise abuse in health and social care | | |contexts | |3. |discuss possible improvements to working practices and strategies to minimise abuse in health and social care | | |contexts | To achieve a Merit grade, learners must demonstrate the ability to: |M2 |Use a range of sources of information within your assignment. This could include statistics, relevant case studies | | |and information gained from guest speakers such as Women’s Aid, NSPCC and PIPS to explain working strategies and | | |practices to minimise abuse. | |You must include at least 8 references within your assignment to gain this criterion. | To achieve a Distinction grade, learners must demonstrat e the ability to: |D1 |Conclusions have been arrived at through synthesis of ideas and have been justified. You will have considered the | | |range of working strategies and practices that minimise abuse evaluating fully their effectivenesss. Strengths and| | |weaknesses of the strategies and practices must be explored and all improvements discussed showing a clear | | |understanding of research findings and evidence gained from work placement and practice. | |D2 |Autonomy and independence has been demonstrated within your assignment. Your research should be extensive, | | |creative, varied and drawn from a number of different perspectives. You must have at least 12 references to meet | | |this criterion. |

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

American English vs. Canadian English (Spelling Differences)

American English vs. Canadian English (Spelling Differences) American English vs. Canadian English (Spelling Differences) If you refer to a Canadian person as being a mix of American and English, they will rightly object (albeit politely). But if you describe Canadian English in those terms, you wouldn’t be far from the truth! What does that mean in practice, though? Let us look at some of the spelling differences. Nice flag, but it could do with more stars Spelling Conventions in Canadian English Canadian English favors a mix of British and American spelling. In Canadian English, for example, the word â€Å"favor† would be spelled â€Å"favour,† which is the same as in the UK. Some key spelling conventions are summarized below. Canadian English: Prefers -ize and -yze word endings (e.g., organize and analyze) Uses -our at the end of some words instead of -or (e.g., colour or favour) Take -re instead of -er at the end of many words (e.g., centre or fibre) Uses -ce instead of se at the end of some words (e.g., defence or offence) Distinguishes between noun and verb forms of some words (e.g., practice and practise) Doubles the final â€Å"l† in words when adding a vowel suffix (e.g., traveller or cancelled) Prefers the British English spelling for terms that contain -ae- or -oe- (e.g. anaesthetic) Uses -ogue instead of -og at the end of certain words (e.g., catalogue) We can compare some of these spelling conventions in different dialects below. Canadian English American English British English organize/analyze organize/analyze organise/analyse colour color colour centre center centre defence defense defence practice (noun) practise (verb) practice (noun and verb) practice (noun) practise (verb) traveller traveler traveller anaesthetic anesthetic anaesthetic catalogue catalog catalogue Other Spelling Issues As you can see, with most of the spellings above, Canadians follow the British example. However, there are also words where Canadian English matches the American English spelling instead. These include: Tire (spelled â€Å"tyre† in British English) Curb (spelled â€Å"kerb† in Britain) Aluminum (spelled â€Å"aluminium† in British English) Consequently, it is wise to check any term you’re unsure about when using Canadian English. Hopefully this has helped you with the basics of Canadian-style spelling. But to make completely sure your writing is suitable for our northern neighbors (or, as a Canadian would say, â€Å"neighbours†), send us your document and select Canadian English as your preferred proofreading language.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

[WATCH] How to start your own business according to CEO, Veronika Scott

[WATCH] How to start your own business according to CEO, Veronika Scott Too often we don’t pursue our dreams because we’re overwhelmed by the journey that lies before us, and nobody has had a more improbable journey than Veronica Scott.   Veronica was an art school graduate who came up with an idea – a coat designed for homeless people that turned into a sleeping bag at night.   Not only was her concept targeted for an audience that didn’t have the capacity to pay for them, but Veronica had no product development or manufacturing experience from which to build upon.Undeterred, she moved forward and now oversees a $6 million operation, The Empowerment Plan, that is changing lives for thousands of homeless people throughout the United States, by providing these special coats, as well as creating employment opportunities to manufacture them.Veronica sat down with Daily Fuel to share the best advice she can to anyone who finds themselves in the same situation she did; having a vision but not knowing how to take that first step .Source: [DailyFuel]

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Engineering Products Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Engineering Products - Essay Example The theory developed by French and Raven (1958, p. 453) distinguished five bases of social power.   These are the reward power, the coercive power, the referent power, the legitimate power, and the expert power.   EP’s power policy is the combination of three bases, namely reward, coercive, and legitimate power.     The reward power is the leader’s influence on his followers exerted through the dispensation of valued rewards in return for compliance with instruction.   When EP established the pay plan and the new criteria for promotions, opening upward mobility to compliant managers, it was wielding the proverbial â€Å"carrot† and trying to court obedience to central policy.   Coercive power, on the other hand, is based on the administration of penalties or sanctions for non-compliance with instructions.   In EP, HQ wielded the â€Å"stick† in the form of sanctions and dismissals for managers who insisted on not abiding by HQ’s standa rdization policies.   HQ also introduced punishment in not allocating orders to plants perceived to be uncooperative with central authority. Finally, the exercise of legitimate (or position) power is based on the obligation of subordinates to accept instructions given by the leadership because of its position and title.   HQ used its legitimate power by employing control mechanisms such as: centralizing the decision-making functions on itself; changing the company’s structure to favour standardization; affording rewards and imposing punishments; training of personnel; and imposition of policies and rules (Hellriegel, D. and Slocum, J., 1978, p. 365 ). In EP, however, the changes in the organizational structure may be viewed as a benevolent attempt to gradually inculcate standardization through collaboration.   The manufacturing councils, the engineers’ International College, the internal consultants, and regular meetings of international HR specialists, were all meant to smooth out the transition from localized operations to a standardized system.  

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Contemporary Business Communication and One Language Policy in Busines Essay

Contemporary Business Communication and One Language Policy in Business - Essay Example In this article, Neeley highlights the benefits of adopting a language with a global appeal like English as the official mode of communication for multinationals with cross-border operations. By using different languages depending on the country of operation, multinationals like Samsung would adopt English in the united states and the united kingdom, Spanish in Spain and the southern American and Caribbean states, French in France and its former colonies in Africa and Latin America among other languages. This leads to complication and lack of uniform operation and mode of communicating important policy issues from the head office which uses Korean as the official language (Fredriksson, Barner & Piekkari, 2006). Multilingualism may be viewed as an approach to eliminating the challenges of communication barriers facing multinationals but its application in the entire organization affects the communication process and creates confusion. This lays the ground for policy misinterpretation and lack of effective unit management and coherence with the head office. In this paper, the sentiments of Neeley (2012) will be discussed in relation to the current use of English in multinationals operating in predominantly non-English countries. According to Neeley (2012), the adoption of a common communication mode is more than just being a good idea for organizations with domestic operations in the United States with international target market or companies in France intending to tap on the domestic market. The use of different languages in an organization affects the operation of the multinationals and constitutes to the inefficient management approaches. Organizations today exist as interactive places where communication is key to the success of the approaches adopted. Managers and supervisors of  multinationals coordinate the task of employees based in different countries whose language may not be common to the supervisors. A number of factors have been attributed to the current emergence of English as a common communication language in multinationals across the globe (Bell, 2011).  

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Time of the Butterflies Essay Example for Free

Time of the Butterflies Essay Back in the present (1994), Dede considers how Fela, their longtime servant, thinks that she is possessed by the spirits of the dead Mirabal sisters. She had accidentally come across Felas shrine to the girls one Friday in the shed behind the house. She had ordered Fela to move the shrine, but Minou scolded her for being intolerant. Minou often stops at the shrine, which is now down the street. She asks Dede where Lio Morales now lives, since Minerva has asked her to deliver a message to him—just to say hello, and to state how much she thinks of him. When the interview woman presses on, asking Dede, When did all the problems start? Dede begins to speak about Lio Morales. She met him one hot and humid afternoon while she was organizing her fathers shop with Minerva. They are finishing up before they head to Tio Pepes to play volleyball with their friends. Dede knows that her cousin Jaimito, on whom she has started to have a crush (even though he once annoyed her), will be there. Mario, one of their distributors, arrives with Lio, and introduces him as his cousin. He knows Elsa Sanchez and Sinita Perozo from the university. When Dede mentions that they are committed to playing volleyball, Minerva invites Mario and Lio. Minerva gets their fathers permission, and the girls go to Tio Pepes with Mario and Lio.A few weeks later, Lio is still joining them for volleyball. Jaimito suggests that the girls come to play. As they take off their shoes and begin to assign positions, Dede notices that Minerva and Lio are missing. She is unsure if it is actually an accident, but she hits the ball into the hedges, startling the hiding couple. Once Lio emerges from the hedges, Jaimito starts a fight with him, and the game ends in awkwardness. Lio and Jaimito both begin to come to the Mirabals house more and more. When Maria Teresa accidentally reads aloud to Mama a newspaper article that reveals that Lio is a communist, a subversive, Mama becomes upset that she has been letting him spend time at their home. But Minerva continues to see him on double dates with Jaimito and Dede. Still, Minerva refuses to admit that she is in love with Lio. When Dede asks him how he wants to accomplish his revolutionary goals, Lio cannot give her the direct answer she wants. Dede becomes more and more nervous as Lios name continues to appear in the newspapers, and she and Minerva lie about spending time with him. Then Lio announces that hell be going into exile with some of his comrades. One night, after a gathering of the Dominican party in San Francisco, Jaimito asks Minerva if Lio has invited her to go into exile with him, and she says that he has not. Jaimito tells them that the police were looking for Lio at his house and that he was taken down to the station for questioning. He told them that Lio had given him girlie magazines to get them off his back. Minerva leaves, and Dede and Jaimito begin to kiss. Jaimito tells her there is something he wants her to see out back. They get into Papas car, and he slips a ring on her finger, proposing. But they are surprised by Lios cough from the backseat—he has been hiding there. Jaimito is furious that he would endanger the Mirabals, but Lio gives Dede a letter to deliver to Minerva. As Dede walks Jaimito to his car, she agrees to marry him. Alone, Dede decides not to tell Minerva that Lio is hiding in the backseat of Papas car. She goes into her bedroom and opens the letter Lio asked her to deliver to Minerva. In it, he invites her to go into exile with him. Dede decides that she will not expose her sister to that danger, so she burns the letter in the lamp. Analysis This chapter reveals the tense relationship between Dede and Minerva. Their personalities are at odds: Minerva is full of questions and mischief, while Dede is much more organized and chooses to smile and dismiss things without stirring up trouble. But it is Lio who brings out Dedes resentment toward her sister. Though she loves Jaimito, Dede is jealous of Lios interest in Minerva. She sees them as a glamorous couple doing exciting things, while she and Jaimito are merely expected to end up together. She exposes them hiding in the bushes together and even burns the letter from Lio that was intended for her sister. Dede tells herself it is to protect Minerva, but her action is clearly also out of jealousy that her sister might get involved in such a daring adventure with Lio. As the narrator, Dede uses exclamations often, characterizing herself as someone whose placid, smiling demeanor is interrupted by bursts of emotion. When she considers her task of being the grande dame of the bea utiful, terrible past by relating her familys history to the woman interviewer, she exclaims, But it is an impossible task, impossible! In talking about her husband, she wonders, But who could control Jaimito, only son of his doting mother, unquestioned boss of his five sisters!The metaphors of knotted string and captivation carry through this chapter, as Dede describes herself getting caught up in the twists and turns of life. When Lio teases her for going to play volleyball in a dress, Suddenly, Dede feels foolish, caught in her frivolity as if she were a kitten knotted in yarn. As Dede reads articles in the paper about how people are getting arrested, Dedes courage unraveled like a row of stitches not finished with a good, sturdy knot. Being sown up can be for protection or for captivation. She does not think Lio has a plan, and she becomes afraid to be involved with him. The diction that Dede uses as narrator recounting the events of the past ties Minerva to death. After Maria Teresa reads to Chea Mirabel the article calling Lio a communist, Chea calls for Minerva, and From her bedroom, the book she was reading still in hand, appeared the death of them all. Though the phrase to be the death of can be used lightly to mean someone is a handful, in this case, Minerva actually is the death of them all. When Lio announces that he is going to leave to go into exile with his comrades, Minerva was deathly quiet. It is clear that Dede in some way blames Minerva for getting the family involved in politics and thus bringing about her own death and that of her sisters. There is a hint of foreshadowing, too, at the end of the chapter, when Dede considers Jaimitos marriage proposal. She is not surprised by it because she has always seen it as inevitable that she would marry Jaimito. There was no question was there? but that they would spend the rest of their lives together. Notably, the question that interrupts her thought is both in the young Dedes mind and in the memory of the older Dede in 1994, remembering how she felt and how she might have suspected that she and Jaimito would end up getting a divorce. Even when she thinks of Jaimito fondly, as he begins to propose, Dede from the present cannot help but check the enthusiasm she felt at the time: Her spoiled, funny, fun-loving man. Oh, what a peck of trouble she was in for. What do you want, Minerva Mirabal? Summer Minerva has been living at home for a few years, and rumors are starting about her being a lesbian. She also realizes that something is amiss between Mama and Papa. She is bored and jealous of Elsa and Sinita, who are studying in the capital. Out on drives, she begins to notice her fathers Ford always parked in front of the same campesino family home. Four girls run out to the road, and she sees that they have Mirabal eyes. She realizes that Enrique Mirabal is their father and that they are her half-sisters.Since Lio went away, Minerva has been having headaches and bad asthma. One afternoon she goes into her fathers armoire and goes through the pockets of his clothes. She finds four letters addressed to her from Lio, and she reads them. He refers to his proposal that she leave the country with him, which of course Minerva knows nothing about. Furious, she drives the Jeep over to the campesino house where she knows she will find her fathers Ford. He comes out and asks her what she wants, but she just speeds away. When Papa gets home that night, he leads Minerva outside into the garden, where he slaps her. But when he says she owes him respect, she tells him he has lost it.Minerva has also found an invitation to one of Trujillos private parties in her fathers coat pocket; it specifically mentions that Minerva should attend. Mama is scared for Minervas safety, so she insists that Pedrito, Patria, Dede, and Jaimito go along, too. Before the party, Papa sends the Ford to the shop, so Minerva drives him to his medical appointments in San Francisco. One day, he means to stop by the house he has bought for his ex-mistress and his other children after the appointment, and Minerva insists she be allowed to go along to meet them. She even meets Carmen, their mother, with whom Papa says he is no longer involved. Discovery Day Dance, October 12 The family arrives at the party an hour late, having gotten lost. But Trujillo is late, too, as they learn from Manuel de Moya, his secretary of state. A table is reserved for the Mirabals, but Don Manuel tells Minerva she is going to sit with Trujillo. Finally El Jefe arrives, but he does not sit with Minerva; instead, she is entertained by Manuel de Moya. It is about to rain, but the tables are pushed back for dancing. When Don Manuel asks Minerva to dance, she says she has a headache and cannot. Patria brings her calmantes before Don Manuel returns with some for her as well. Finally, Minerva agrees to dance with him.Soon, Trujillo becomes her partner. He flirts with her, and she tells him she wants to study in the capital to be a lawyer. But when he implies that he would like to conquer her, she says she is not for conquest. He tells her the university is no place for women, mentioning the communists and agitators, implying they have been caught. By mistake, Minerva blurts out, Virgilio Morales? She must backtrack and pretend she does not know Lio, and Trujillo believes her. When he pulls her inappropriately close, thrusting at her in a vulgar way, she slaps his face.The rain begins immediately, and the party moves quickly inside. The Mirabals rush off, but Minerva forgets her purse. She and Patria cannot find it anywhere, and they assume that someone already brought it inside and that it will be mailed to them. But on the ride home, Minerva realizes that she has put the letters from Lio in the pocket of the lining. Rainy Spell The Mirabal family left the party before Trujillo did, which is against the law. Two guardias arrive at their house and say that Governor de la Maza wants to see Enrique Mirabal and Minerva immediately, but Mama says, If she goes, I go. At the governors palace, Papa is sent to the capital for questioning. He whispers to Minerva that she is to take money to the illegitimate family in San Francisco every two weeks until he is back. Minerva does so, but she cannot find the house in the rain. She sees Margarita, the oldest daughter, and asks her to lead her to her mothers house. Once there, Minerva gives Carmen the money and asks if she can enroll the daughters in school.Minerva and Chea return to the capital to petition for Papas release. They get a room at a hotel. At the Office of Missing Persons, Minerva meets a man who has named all his sons Pablo Antonio so that if one of them is captured, he can swear he is not the son they are looking for. But the mans case takes so long that there is not time to hear the Mirabals.The next morning they are woken at the hotel and taken to the National Police Headquarters for questioning, where Minerva is interrogated about Lio by General Federico Fiallo and Don Anselmo Paulino. She admits that she lied to El Jefe about not knowing Lio, but she says it was because she was afraid of displeasing him. She says she is no longer in communication with Lio. Manuel de Moya enters and suggests that a private conference with El Jefe would be the quickest, most effective way to end all this nonsense. He means, of course, that Minerva should sleep with Trujillo, but she insists that her father and mother come along to the meeting. Three weeks later, they see Trujillo. Papa has just been released, but he has gone mad due to his imprisonment. In Trujillos office, it is revealed that Tio Chiche, one of Trujillos friends, is related to Chea Mirabal. He is a gambler and Mama doesnt like him very much, but she jumps on this connection in order to appeal to Trujillo. Minerva notices a set of dice on Trujillos desk, and she realizes that they are loaded. She makes a bet with him: they will roll the dice, and if she wins, she can go to law school, but if he wins, he gets to sleep with her. Minerva knows to use the heavier set of dice, and of course she wins, to Trujillos annoyance. Minerva, Chea, and Enrique Mirabal drive home in the rain. Analysis As Minerva asks herself what she wants, she uses the conceit of that princess put to sleep in the fairy tale. It is Lio who woke her up when she met him: The givens, all Id been taught, fell away like so many covers when you sit up in bed. This conceit is ironic, since Minerva is anything but the stereotypical woman of a fairy tale, waiting for a man to come and wake her up so her life can begin. In actuality, Minerva speaks out for womens rights and takes matters into her own hands.Imagery of woven thread appears again in this chapter, as Minerva struggles with decisions about where her life should go: Back and forth my mind went, weaving a yes by night and unraveling it by day to a no. The dilemma is whether she loves Lio; she cannot decide. The decision is made for her when he decides to seek asylum. The imagery appears again when Mama clings to her connection of Tio Chiche (a friend of Trujillos) and Papa in his madness points out that Chiche cheats too much. I wont play with him . As a result, Mamas eyes are boring a hole in Papa. Our one lifeline in this stormy sea and Papa is cutting the rope shes been playing out.Violent diction appears once again in this chapter, as it has throughout the novel. As Enrique Mirabal leads Minerva down the driveway into the garden, The moon was a thin, bright machete cutting its way through patches of clouds. This metaphor is continued when Minerva describes its light as sharp, and it foreshadows the slap she is about to receive from her father.The theme of Trujillo being conflated with God comes out in the paper fans that the girls received at the party they went to, thrown by Trujillo. The fans had the Virgencita on one side and Trujillo on the other. The combination bothers Minerva: Sometimes it was El Jefes probing eyes, sometimes it was the Virgins pretty face I couldnt stand to look at.The events of the party are mirrored by the weathers progression to a rain storm. When they arrive at the party, there is a strong breeze, announcing rain. When Minerva mentions Lios name, suspicion clouds the gaze of Trujillos face, and when she refuses to dance with Manuel de Moya initially, a cloud of annoyance crosses his face. When Minerva slaps Trujillo, it is like the clap of thunder that begins the storm: and then the rain comes down hard, slapping sheets of it. In the midst of the storm, her family is the ship that steers her to safety: Dede and Patria are turning in all directions like lookouts on the mast of a ship. Completing the conceit, Minerva steals a little decorative ship as a souvenir for Maria Teresa, who was too young to attend the party. As they escape in the rain, it looks as though the ship is being steered safely through the storm. But there are two problems. Once Minerva realizes she has left the letters from Lio in the forgotten purse, all hope is lost. She feels something hard against her leg and reaches down to discover the little caravel sunk in the folds of my damp dress. And the family has committed a crime by leaving the party before Trujillo. If Trujillo is the captain of a doomed autocratic ship, protocol states that the captain is to leave last; but at this point the regime is still strong and can arbitrarily declare that the nation’s captain must be allowed to leave first. The resistance still has a long way to go. Chapter 7 Maria Teresa writes this chapter in her new journal, another gift from Minerva. Enrique Mirabal has passed away, and Maria Teresa is outraged that Carmen and her four daughters attended the funeral. Maria Teresa is struggling with her fathers death. She had a troubling dream in which she found her wedding dress inside her fathers coffin. She has the same dream again in February, but this time Manolo, Minervas husband-to-be, is in the coffin. In October, while she is a student at the university, she again has the dream, but now it is Armando Grullon, one of Minervas friends, in the coffin.She has also developed crushes on both her cousins, Raul and Berto, and she asksFela to help her determine which of the brothers she will marry. She kisses Berto on the lips on January 1 but is confronted about it by Raul on January 8. These events cause her to become fed up with both of them. Meanwhile, Tio Chiche has suggested that Mama write a letter toTrujillo affirming their loyalty to his regim e. Maria Teresa is helping her write it, just as she helped Minerva with her speech at the Salcedo Civic Hall in which she praised Trujillo (earning permission to go to law school). But Fela has helped her put a curse on the letter. Minerva has fallen in love with a man at law school named Manolo, but he is engaged to someone else. She comes to visit in January, demonstrably in a revolutionary mindset, reciting Fidel Castros words that she has heard on illegal radio stations. On Valentines Day, she visits again, this time bringing Manolo along. Maria Teresa has cooked dinner and is completely taken with Manolo. By March, however, she becomes suspicious since he met Minerva while he was engaged to someone else.Maria Teresa has arranged to live with Dede and Jaimito and their sons, Jaime Enriqueand Jaime Rafael, in San Francisco during the week, and come home to Mamas house on the weekends. Unfortunately, their ice cream business is failing, and soon they decide to move back to Mamas house and help run Papas store. On July 3, Maria Teresa graduates. Tia Flor bakes a cake for the party. Tia Flor also confronts her and says that she needs to choose between her two sons, Raul and Berto. Maria Teresa responds that she wants neither one. Meanwhile, the familys yardboy, Prieto, has betrayed them by reporting to Security everything they have done. They cannot fire him, however, since it would look suspicious.In September, Maria Teresa goes to join Minerva at the university in the capital, and they are roommates. While Minerva encourages Maria Teresa to stick with law, the younger sister eventually decides to switch to Philosophy and Letters. She meets one of Minervas and Manolos friends, Armando Grullon, who tries to kiss her.Now it is 1955, and Minerva is getting married in the rain. She moves in with Manolo, and by December 11 she is pregnant. By April 1956, Maria Teresa has started using her diary as an all-purpose supply book. She is attempting to write a speech to give as Miss University, and Minerva is advising her how much and when to mention Trujillo. Minerva has given birth to Minou and is helping her younger sister write the speech.Now it is July 1957, and Maria Teresa writes that Minerva is moving to Monte Cristi with Manolo after graduation. Trujillo, however, plays a terrible trick on Minerva by not actually granting her a license to practice law; her diploma is useless. Maria Teresa helps Minerva set up her new home in Monte Cristi, and it comes out that Manolo is cheating on Minerva with another woman. By August, though, the couple is on the mend, and Minerva credits Maria Teresa with bringing them back together.In her entry of September 28, 1957, Maria Teresa reports that she accidentally intercepted a delivery of guns from Leandro (codename Palomino) to the house. Manolo and Minerva explain about the national underground thats forming, and Maria Teresa joins them. Maria Teresa begins to fall in love with Leandro. Maria Teresa becomes a hub of a revolutionary cell, living with Sonia and storing deliveries in the munitions room. While Sonia is away in La Romana, Leandro comes over and says that he is going to stay with Maria Teresa to protect her. Maria Teresa ends up marrying Leandro on Valentines Day, 1958. Analysis Because of the diary style of Maria Teresas narration, often the reader must figure out what is being referred to because of the lack of specifics. For example, in the December 15 entry, Maria Teresa writes, I cant believe she came to the funeral mass with her girls without saying who she is. It is as if she is in such an upset state of mind that she doesnt bother to explain herself (after all, it is a diary and Maria Teresa knows who she is talking about). The reader infers that she must be referring to Carmen.In one sense, Maria Teresas story is told via Minerva, since both diaries were gifts from her older sister. Yet, in this chapter the reader learns about many important events in Minervas life through Maria Teresas diary entries. For instance, we learn in Maria Teresas report about the speech at Salcedo Civic Hall that Minerva has gained permission to attend law school. We also learn about Minervas marriage to Manolo, the birth of Minou, and Trujillos denial of her license to p ractice law upon graduation from law school. It is important to remember that we are learning about the events primarily from one point of view. The personal, family matters are related in the diary, while the political matters are often underground enough not to make it into the diary, generally because Maria Teresa does not know much of what is going on. By late 1957, however, the personal and political spheres are merging more quickly for her again.As a narrator, Maria Teresa uses the technique of rhetorical questions, but they are influenced by the brooding nature of her diary entries. On December 31, 1953, as she looks out at the stars, she asks, What does it all mean, anyway? When Leandro spends the night on December 1, 1957, she writes, Guess whose name was in my right shoe all day? referring to the love spell Fela taught her years ago.Another characteristic of Maria Teresas narrative voice is the use of exclamations. After she kisses Berto, she exclaims, Oh horror! Oh shamelessness! Oh disgust! In July, when she eats two pieces of the cake Tia Flor cooked for her graduation party, she writes, My hips, my hips! This technique characterizes her as an emotional, dramatic woman. Even in a serious situation, such as when Minerva sobs before telling Maria Teresa that Manolo is cheating on her, Maria Teresa writes, My brave Minerva!Death seems to lurk throughout the chapter. Of course, Enrique Mirabal has actually died, and Maria Teresas recurring dream revolves around a coffin. But she also uses language that calls death to mind. The chapter opens with her statement, I feel like dying myself! When she comes back to her diary on July 3, she writes, Diary, I know you have probably thought me dead all these months. Chapter 8 Patrias children, Nelson and Noris, have grown up, and they all live in Pedritos great-grandfathers house. Eighteen years after getting married, she has spent New Years Eve at Mamas new house in Conuco, and she has fallen asleep at her own house. But she is woken up by Minerva, Manolo, Leandro, and Nelson, who report that Fidel Castro and Ernesto Che Guevara have ousted Batista in Cuba. That night, Raul Ernesto, Patrias next son, is conceived.Patria is afraid for her sisters and for her son Nelson, who is always tagging along behind his Tio Manolo and his new Tio Leandro, men of the world who had gone to the university and who impressed him more than his country father. She sends him to Santo Tomas de Aquino, a seminary in the capital, with the help ofPadre de Jesus Lopez. When Nelson begins to talk about joining the liberators, Patria goes to Padre de Jesus Lopez for help, but he tells her he, too, is lost, and cannot show her the way.Minerva and Maria Teresa both have had babies, M anolito and Jacqueline, respectively. Minerva asks Patria to take care of Manolito, explaining that she is going to be on the road a lot. But she and Manolo visit from Monte Cristi every week; they meet on Patrias and Pedritos land with many other revolutionaries. But this gives Nelson the chance to get involved when he is home from school. He reports back to her that the revolutionaries are expecting an invasion by the liberators from Cuba.Though she is pregnant with Raul Ernesto, Patria decides to go on a retreat with Padre de Jesus and the Salcedo group to Constanza. They are the Christian Cultural Group, led by four priests including Padre de Jesus and Brother Daniel. Trujillo has heard rumors of the pending invasion and has declared a state of emergency, but the retreat goes to Constanza anyway. They stay in a retreat house that resembles a nunnery, and Patria feels peaceful.On June 14, while they listen to Brother Daniel speak about the Assumption, the mountainside is bombed. The first wave of the liberating invasion is the target, and as Patria watches, one of them (who is about Noriss age) is gunned down. The Christian Cultural Group comes back down the mountain, and Patrias family meets her on the road coming into town. In the newspaper, they read that 49 men and boys died in the attack. They read six days later that the second wave of the invasion force was intercepted and also defeated.At the next meeting of the Christian Cultural Group, the mood has changed considerably: Padre de Jesus speaks like a revolutionary, and they change their name to Accion Clero-Cultural, or ACC. Their mission is to organize a powerful national underground. Patria volunteers Pedrito, Nelson, Minerva, Manolo, Maria Teresa, and Leandro for the organization. However, Pedrito becomes upset that the revolutionaries are meeting in their backyard, since a new law has been passed that will allow the government to confiscate the land of anyone found to be harboring any enemies of the regime. Patria is able to sway him when she reveals that their son Nelson is involved, too.The Fourteenth of June Movement is founded then, in Patria and Pedritos home. There are about forty people, with Manolo as president. They make bombs, called nipples, and hide weapons. Patria sends Noris to Chea Mirabals house, and they use her bedroom as an ammunitions room. Analysis As narrator, Patria uses similes and personification that connect her to both heaven and earth. When Padre de Jesus tells her he cannot help her because he, too, is lost, she says, I was shaking like when a breeze blows through the sacristy and the votive candles flicker. She is in the place of the prayerful candles, being shaken by nature. When she is overwhelmed by the beauty of Constanza, she personifies the land and nature more generally as if it is tied to God: Purple Mountains reaching towards angelfeather clouds; a falcon soaring in a calm blue sky; God combing His sunshine fingers through green pastures straight out of the Psalms.Pedrito also ties Patria to the Earth. This is evident in the language she uses to express not being worried about him like she worries about her sisters: Pedrito didnt worry me. I knew he would always have one hand in the soil and the other somewhere on me.Patria uses a style of narration that involves direct address and exclamations, characterizing herself as deliberate but also at times as emotional as her younger sister Maria Teresa. For example, when Nelson sees an excited look on her face after he tells her about the invasion, she says, But you know why that look was there? Ill tell you. Similarly, when she explains why Noris does not want to go along with her to the retreat, she says, I certainly couldnt talk her into a retreat with old ladies and a bunch of bad-breath priests. (Lord forgive her!).When Noris meets her after the mountainside is bombed, Patria notices a change in her, as if her soul had at last matured and began its cycles. This metaphor comparing the soul maturing to a menstrual cycle hearkens back to Chapter 2, in which Minerva begins her complications both physically and emotionally as she realizes the country is in danger, and the po wer and evil of Trujillo. It also is reminiscent of Maria Teresa, who in her diary entries as a young girl yearned to discover her soul.Patria also struggles to reconcile her commitment to God with her desire to protect her family and defend her country. Symbolically, she and Maria Teresa make a list of the weapons theyve assembled in the pretty script wed been taught by the nuns for writing out Bible passages. Even when the retreat house is bombed, she describes it spiritually: His Kingdom was coming down upon the very roof of that retreat house. As they ride back down the mountain after the retreat, she says, I tried looking up at our Father, but I couldnt see His Face for the dark smoke hiding the tops of those mountains.This chapter also keeps the reader informed about the larger history. We learn about the role of Cuba and its revolutionaries. We also learn about the events of June 14 and the origins, filtered through the narrator, of the Movimiento 14 de Junio.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

A Comparison of Love in The Knights Tale, Wife of Baths Tale, and Fra

Love in The Knight's Tale, Wife of Bath's Tale, and Franklin's Tale    The Canterbury Tales, written by Geoffrey Chaucer around 1386, is a collection of tales told by pilgrims on a religious pilgrimage. Three of these tales; "The Knight's Tale", "The Wife of Bath's Tale", and "The Franklin's Tale", involve different kinds of love and different love relationships. Some of the loves are based on nobility, some are forced and some are   based on mutual respect for each partner. My idea of love is one that combines aspects from each of the tales told in The Canterbury Tales.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In "The Knights Tale", the love between the two knights and Emily is intensely powerful. The love that Palomon and Arcite feel towards Emily is so strong that the two knights feel that it is worth more than life. At one point Palomon says to Arcite, " Though I have no weapon here . . . either you shall die or you shall not love Emily." The love that Palomon feels for Emily is so overwhelming that he is willing to take on an armed man, in mortal combat, just for the love of a woman. Perhaps he feels that without her he will surely die, so why not die trying to win her.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The ironic fact about the relationship between the two knights and Emily is that Emily does not wish to marry either of the knights. she expresses this in a prayer to Diana, the goddess of chaste, " Well you know that I desire to be a maiden all my life; I never want to be either a beloved or a wife." This is so ironic because Arcite and Palomon are about to kill each other for her love and she doesn't want to beloved by either of them. She enjoys the thrills of maiden ho... ... Wife of Bath's Tale" the knight is forced into a love relationship, which I feel could only lead to an unfulfilling relationship. Also in " The Knight's Tale ", Arcite and Palomon are in love with a woman to whom they have never even spoken to. This is hardly the basis for a strong and lasting relationship.    Works Cited    Bowden, Muriel.   A Reader's Guide to Geoffrey Chaucer.   New York:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1964.    Howard, Edwin J. Geoffrey Chaucer.   New York: Twayne Publishers,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In., 1964.    Justman, Stewart. "Love in The Canterbury Tales."   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Modern Critical Views on Geoffrey Chaucer.   Ed. Harold   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Bloom.   New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1995.    Patterson, Lee.   Chaucer and the Subject of History.   Wisconsin:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The University of Wisconsin Press, 1991

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Conflicts Caused by Differences among Groups Essay

Conflicts Caused by Differences among Groups Throughout history differences among groups have often led to conflict. Two specific conflicts were the persecution of Christians during the Roman Empire and the Armenian massacres. These two conflicts were caused by differences among groups. The persecution of Christians during the Roman Empire was caused by differences in religion. In 1914 the conflict between the Turks and the Armenians led to the Armenian massacre which was caused by political differences. The persecution of Christians during the Roman Empire was caused by differences in religion. The Roman Empire was quite tolerant in its treatment of other religions. The imperial policy was generally one of incorporation; the local gods of a newly conquered area were simply added to the Roman pantheon and often given Roman names. Even the Jews, with their one god, were tolerated. For the Romans, religion was first and foremost a social activity that promoted unity and loyalty to the state, a religious attitude the Romans called pietas, or piety. Cicero wrote that if piety in the Roman sense were to disappear, social unity and justice would perish along with it. The Roman distaste for Christianity then, arose in large part from its sense that it was bad for society. The effect of this conflict was that it led to the persecution of Christians. Secondly, the Armenian massacre was another conflict that happened because of differences among groups. In 1914, the Turks entered World War I on the side of Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Military leaders began to argue that the Armenians were traitors. If they thought they could win independence the Armenians would be eager to fight for the enemy. As the war intensified Armenians organized volunteer battalions to help the Russian army fight against the Turks in the Caucasus region. These events and general Turkish suspicion of the Armenian people led the Turkish government to push for the removal of the Armenians from the war zones along the Eastern Front. On April 24, 1915, the Armenian genocide began. That day the Turkish government arrested and executed several hundred Armenian intellectuals. After that ordinary Armenians were turned out of their homes and sent on death marches through the Me sopotamian desert without food or water. Frequently, the marchers were stripped naked and forced to walk under the scorching sun until they dropped dead. People who stopped to rest were shot. In conclusion, differences among groups have  often led to conflicts. Two main conflicts were the persecution of Christians during the Roman Empire, which was caused by differences in religion, and the Armenian massacre, which was caused by political differences

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Casablanca †Hollywood Essay

It is certainly undeniable that â€Å"Casablanca† is one of the best known Hollywood classics of all time. But its illustrious reputation does not make it one of the best Hollywood classics in history. There are mainly two points to that claim, one is that Casablanca did not land a tasteful ending, and second is that the protagonist of the Richard â€Å"Rick† Blaine, considered as one of the greatest lovers in history, did not actually love Ilsa. The ending of Casablanca is obviously far from classic Hollywood endings, in which all the major conflicts are resolved. It is not that the ending was poorly written, as stated earlier, it is just lacking some elements of classic Hollywood endings. In the concluding part of the film, Rick and Ilsa had to part ways for second and final time. They had split up without the knowledge of what the other person truly feels. This particular aspect of the ending somehow creates a static noise in the readers because things remain unresolved, not to mention heart-wrenchingly tragic. Moreover, it is just ironic that event though Casablanca is one of the most loved love stories in film history, the protagonist of the story Richard â€Å"Rick† Blaine seems to be incapable of genuine love. There are several possible reasons why he had left Ilsa in the ending. One of which is that he had an insecurity that he cannot compete against someone like Laszlo for the affection of Ilsa. The second possible reason is much worse, he could have left Ilsa because he wanted to get back at her for leaving him in their first split up. Again, this paper does not state that Casablanca is bad film. It just does not fit the stereotypes of classic Hollywood films and love stories. Perhaps its unconventionality had made it one of the most popular films to be ever shown in the big screen. Moreover, the ending of the film and Rick’s inability to genuinely love makes the film realistic, thus less fictional.

Friday, November 8, 2019

The US Ethnic Groups the Hispanic Americans

The US Ethnic Groups the Hispanic Americans Currently, the total number of Hispanic Americans is about 41 million, which is approximately 15 percent of the total US population. There are several ethnic groups which constitute the Hispanic Americans including Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, and Cubans among others.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The US Ethnic Groups: the Hispanic Americans specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More All the Hispanic ethnic groups are linked by a common language and a unique culture. Of all the Hispanic Americans ethnic groups in the US, the Mexican is the largest, followed by Puerto Ricans, and then Cubans. Different ethnic groups of Hispanic Americans came to the US in varied ways. The Mexicans for instance, came to the US as immigrants and were the first Hispanic group to cross the US border. The American Southwest was part of the Mexico territory before the battle of 1848. After the war, the Mexicans who were living in that regio n were absorbed into the US. Puerto Rico became a territory of the US in the year 1898 following a war and the dwellers were absorbed in the US. The Cubans have come to the US as legal immigrants during the past four decades. On the other hand, Dominicans have also migrated to the in the last two decades. The population of the Hispanic Americans has increased rapidly and is now the fastest growing minority groups in the US. In addition to the increasing population, the Hispanic Americans have a high number of its population comprising of the young people. The current statistics reveal that the number of middle-aged Hispanic is approximately 27 percent compared to the 40 percent of the white population. However, despite of the growing numbers of Hispanic Americans, most of them are concentrated in only a few states. In terms of social status, the Hispanic Americans occupy the middle position. They are slightly below Euro-Americans, but above African-Americans. Lower education level, discrimination in the work place, and working in least-skilled and low paying jobs are some of the factors that have caused Hispanic Americans to have low income wages.Advertising Looking for essay on ethnicity studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, the Cubans have adapted well and are placed at a better position than any other ethnic group of the Hispanic American. Cubans are more educated and their income is relatively high. The reason for their success is because some of the Cubans who came earlier to US were skilled and well educated. The government should encourage equal distribution of resources. In terms of politics, the Hispanic Americans have not acquired strong influence in the society. With the majority of the population being under 18 years, they cannot vote and, therefore, have less say in the political arena. As such, the political power of the Hispanic Americans has not been realized. The go vernment should set aside certain posts for minority groups so that they can exercise their democratic rights. Because the Hispanic Americans are a minority group in the American society, they continue to face discrimination in the society. However, they do not receive a lot of discrimination as compared to African-Americans. Definitely, the future survival and success of Hispanic Americans will fully depend on the kind of adaptation this group will make so that they can easily be integrated in the American society. It is clear that Hispanic Americans population is growing rapidly in the US. Although this group is, it is slowly adapting into the American system and is now trying to establish itself in the social, economic, and political spheres. However, lack of education, discrimination, and issues of immigration have continued to affect this group negatively. The Americans should embrace culture diversity to comfortably live with others regardless of race or ethnicity. The governm ent should develop strategies of empowering minority groups so that they can easily be assimilated in the system. This will promote social change in America.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

How Long Should I Study for the SAT 6 Step Guide

How Long Should I Study for the SAT 6 Step Guide SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips In planning your SAT prep, you probably want to know how long you need to study. Is it weeks or months? Is it dozens of hours or hundreds? The answerto these questionsdepends on a variety of factors, including the scores you are hoping to get and how comfortable you already are with the test material from your general experiences in school and life. There’s no reason to torture yourself with endless SAT studying if your scores are already in the target range for your top choice schools. On the other hand, if you are still pretty far away from the scores you are looking for, you may have to work harder than you think. In this guide, I'll show you how to figure out how much you need to improve on the SAT, how many hours you need to spend to get there, and how you should build a study schedule before your next real test. Below are the six steps you need to follow to figure out your SAT study plan. #1: Figure Out Your SAT Target Score The easiest way to get a target score is to Google your top choice school and â€Å"average SAT scores†. You should find a 25th percentile score and a 75th percentile score for the school. The range between the two represents the scores of the middle 50 percent of admitted students.Aim for the 75th percentile score (e.g. a higher score than 75% of the school’s admitted students) as your target to make sure you have the best chance at being accepted! For more details about this, see our article on target scores.Remember, not everyone can or should have the same target score. It’s up to you to be realistic and assess your abilities while also challenging yourself. #2: Take a Practice SAT to Determine Your Starting Point It's important to know your abilities and weak spots before you begin studying. You can plan out your studying time based on how large of an improvement you need to make from your starting point to your target scores. Check out our guide to a set of official SAT practice tests available free online. You can also use your PSAT scores as a baseline for judging how much you will need to improve on the SAT if you've taken that test already. However, I would still recommend taking another practice test if you are in the latter half of your sophomore year and took the PSAT at the beginning of the year. (When I first took the PSAT in high school, I had no idea what was going on in the math section since I had just started my first geometry class. I was like "Shapes? Forget this!" and the proctor told me I had to stop disrupting the other students. Anyways, by the end of the year, everything was much less confusing.) Once you have your baseline scores, you can begin to see where you need to make improvements to reach your target. #3: Decide When You Will Take the Real Test We recommend taking the SAT for the first time during the fall of your Junior year(see the advice under "When Should I Take the SAT?"),but you may decide to take it earlier or later depending on your schedule and level of preparedness. In general, the early bird catches the worm (the metaphorical worm in this case being a higher SAT score).You will have more potential test dates available in the future and a better idea of where you stand if you start earlier. You will also run up against much less stress. You probably don’t want to be worrying about standardized tests while you're filling out college applications during the fall of your senior year. But what if you're in a scenario where you don't have your choice of test dates? Maybe you're planning a hot air balloon trip around the world that's happening at the same time as all the earlier dates. Maybe you'realready coming up on senior fall, and there's only one test date left. In this case, your test date is constrained, and you'll need to work hard to meet the suggested number of hours before your test. Whatever the case may be, you can still find a study plan that works for you. Sometimes you gotta miss the SAT to fulfill the dreams you and your beloved wife once shared. That's how life is. #4: Give It to Me Straight Doc, How Many Hours Do I Actually Have to Study? Based on your goals, you can figure out how many hours you will probably need to study. Follow this handy chart that shows the number of hours you should devote to poring over ancient tomes of SAT knowledge. Number of Points You Want to Improve By Approximate Hours You’ll Need to Study 0-30 Points 10 hours 30-70 Points 20 hours 70-130 Points 40 hours 130-200 Points 80 hours 200-330 Points 150+ hours This is a rough estimate, so itobviously isn't perfect. Each student has different levels of development in terms of study habits and test strategies. We'll go into more detail later about factors that might lead to score variations given the same amount of study time. But in our experience, this is roughly what it takes. If you want to improve by around 30 points, you'll be able to this with a light review, a single practice test, and retaking the official test. On the other hand,if you want to improve by 200 points or more, you'll need to make serious improvements in your understanding of fundamental content and skills.The SAT tests so much subject matterthat to improve by 200 points, you'll need to address deep content weaknesses. Tips and tricks aren't going to cut it. You also might not have this much time to devote to studying because of other commitments. That's why you should take these hourly estimates into consideration while still weighing everything on an individual basis to see what works for you. This brings us to... #5: Make a Study Plan Based on Your Time Constraints and Studying Style Ideally, you will still have at least six months or so before the test to formulate your study plan.As I've said, there is no one size fits all approach to this. You may not need to start studying six months in advance. Two months could be more than enough if you are already closer to your target score or prefer to study for longer chunks of time. Ask yourself how much of an improvement you want to make and then consider what is manageable in terms of time spent. Here are a couple of example scenarios: I Want to Improve by 70-130 Points, and I Have Many Other Commitments Try focused studying for an hour or two every week for however much time you have before the test.If you start at least a few months beforehand, you won’t be overwhelmed with yet another commitment. You'll gradually gain familiarity with questions and learn to avoid any silly mistakes that might cause you to lose points. If you can study for just two hours a week for two months, you should be able to boost your score by 100 points or so. I Want to Improve by Around 200 Points, and I Have the Summer to Study, but I’m not Sure Where to Start! Unstructured time is hard to manage, but this means you have your choice of when you are most comfortable and least distracted for studying times.If you schedule out a few hours each week where you will focus on studying, a couple months can be enough to improve your scores. The chart above recommends around 80 hours of studying for a 200 point improvement. If you have three months to study, that comes out to about five hours a week. Not so bad. If your parents invite their friends over for a barbecue, and they try to talk to you about your college plans in a desperate attempt to relate to you, you can use SAT studying as an excuse to avoid them. Everybody wins. I Want to Improve by 330 Points or More. Am I Crazy? No, you are (probably) perfectly sane!You should start studying earlier, but it’s doable if you are willing to put in some serious time and effort. Especially if your initial score is below average (typically less than 1000), you have a good chance of making a drastic improvement through studying. If you still have six months before the test, you should think about which day of the week you will be least stressed by other commitments and schoolwork and set that afternoon/evening aside for an SAT extravaganza. If you can block out fivehours a week for six months in advance of the test, you should start to see significant positive results. Also, if you happen to have the resources to hire a tutor, this is when you might consider doing so. Tutors have expertise and familiarity with the test material, so they can often help you see your weak spots when you might miss them. Since the SAT is very different from any test you might take in a regular class, it's hard to be a student who is new to the test and try to teach yourself question strategies that are alien to you. Learn from a wise mentor. #6: ConsiderFactors That Increase or Decrease Study Time You might have special circumstances that mean you need to customize your study plan more drastically. Some people should study for more or less time based on past experience and time management skills. You'll Need to Study Longer If: You've already studied a lot, and you haven't seen much improvement.This typically means you need to switch up your strategies in addition to studying more. Take a step back and look at how you have been approaching your study time so you can make productive changes. You're easily distracted.You might not get as much out of your blocks of study time if you are always being sidetracked by other things. Try scheduling out more time, and put your phone away while you're studying. It takes a while for you to learn from your mistakes.If you need to practice answering questions a few times before you understand your mistakes, you should consider studying for longer periods of time. You Might Improve in Less Time If: You are new to the SAT.If you are someone who has barely looked at the test before and just started studying, you are going to see larger score gains in a shorter amount of time. You are a super focused studier.What might take another person two hours to process will take you one, so consider dialing back your study time so you aren't overdoing it and getting test fatigue. You learn quickly from your mistakes.If you never make the same mistake twice, you also shouldn't overdo it with studying. You probably only have to get the wrong answer once before you can rely on yourself to get the right one in the future. Summary: How Long to Study for the SAT You can formulate your SAT study plan based on your goals and the statistics for your top choice schools.The key is starting early! Figure out your target score, take a few practice tests, and decide how much you need to improve.Then, assess your time constraints and be realistic about how much energy you can devote to studying. You’ve got this! What's Next? Check out our Complete Planfor when you should start studying for the SAT. This will give you a more comprehensive view of how to structure your time including what's tested, when you should take the test, and sample score goals for different levels of college selectivity. Also, take a look at our guide forhow to review missed questions on the SAT and ACT. If you can learn to effectively review missed questions, you will be a much more productive studier! Want to get a super high SAT score? Check out our perfect SAT score guide, written by a perfect scorer. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? Check out our best-in-class online SAT prep classes. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your SAT score by 160 points or more. Our classes are entirely online, and they're taught by SAT experts. If you liked this article, you'll love our classes. Along with expert-led classes, you'll get personalized homework with thousands of practice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step, custom program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Try it risk-free today:

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Military Tradition of Ancient People Research Paper

Military Tradition of Ancient People - Research Paper Example The Mongol people had historically transformed from hunters and gatherers to nomadic herdsmen, and adopted numerous religious faiths within the leadership and its pollution, due to the vast interaction with people from neighboring territories. There is always an argument over the success of the Mongols army torn between quantity and quality in their functions, but the fact remains that they were well equipped and skilled for any conquest, being contributed by their geographical locations and effective political leadership to coordinate the military. The military force was organized effectively to accomplish the objectives of the empire; the Mongols culture, politics, and geographical locations played a big role to shape the strategic intelligence of the military, though the religious freedom among them paved way for the expansion of the empire as well as its decline. Geographical Location Mongolia is historically known to have been situated in the northern area of China and on the Ea st of the Altai Mountains. 1The region was a high plateau, covered with grass, which was sufficient for their herds grazing and associated with the successive emergence of ancient Mongolia tribesmen, to attack their sedentary neighbors. Therefore, as a way of life, the Mongols people were used to operating in the open grassland field that stretched from central parts of Europe into Asia. From the experience of horse riding in such fields, the nomads’ lifestyle on the steppes and the struggles they faced each day for survival came to shape the Mongolian forces that consisted the people from the steppe. According to 2Barnes, unlike the other European knights who were considered professionally trained, the Mongolian warriors or Mongolian force had experienced a tough lifestyle having to fight against each other and nature, to become hardy people before contributing to their abilities as warriors. As a result of their nomadic lifestyle, they taught their children how to ride hors es on the steppes, while grazing the animals at an early age. 3Meaning the children grew up with better skills in (horsemanship) riding, managing, and gallops. This was effective in their future armies’ movement across the different terrains, since their horses were strong to withstand the different conditions in vast lands, weather, and even their feed. The advantage of the steppes and the horse riding across them, and different lands patterns in the vast geographical regions, made both the horses and the riders develop legendary endurance to accomplish the objective of the Mongols army at any invasion. According to 4Carlton, the Mongols army appeared to move twice the pace of their enemies and often victorious, even if they were at a disadvantage than their opponents to achieve success. It simply means that their bodies had adjusted to harsh conditions, and could even travel for long distances without food or having to carry lot of bulky food. It follows the theory of evolu tion to winning the battle for survival, which associates sensory experience and environmental forces to improving the knowledge. Their experience in horse riding had made them become like natural horse riders providing them a high degree of flexibility and speed into distant territories. 5Barner further mentions that the riding skills were an advantage to them, such

Friday, November 1, 2019

Introduction to Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Introduction to Economics - Essay Example This mainly depends on the type of the product or service offered. As such, this essay seeks to explain different factors that cause a monopoly market. It also seeks to discuss the benefits of a natural monopoly in the market with regards to the type of products offered. A monopoly market can be defined as a market environment where only one single supplier operates in that particular market and there is no close substitute to the products or services offered (Roos, 2008). A monopoly usually exists in electricity as well as postal services industry. In such kinds of industries, the government has power to control them to protect the interests of the consumers. A good example of a natural monopoly is Australia Post which offers different postal services as well as stationary to different customers. This industry is regulated by the government and it is responsible for setting prices for different products offered. In this case, it can be noted that the government is responsible for cr eating the monopoly in the postal industry so as to safeguard the interests of the people at large. Usually, confidential documents are conveyed to different destinations inside as well as outside the country hence there is need for this industry to be regulated by responsible authorities to avoid irregularities in handling different postal orders. In the event that some orders have been lost, it becomes easier to trace them given that there will be only a single player in the industry with clearly defined channels of delivering different postal orders. The other factor that may also contribute to the growth of the monopolist market is that this is a service industry which ought to meet the needs and interests of the people at a subsidised rate whereby the price of services offered will be determined by the responsible authorities. If there are many players in this particular industry, the competition that will arise can cause the prices to increase such that they will expensive to many people. The other aim is to maintain the quality whereby there will be few players in the industry. In most cases, it is the government which creates a monopoly market to satisfy the different needs of different consumers. There will be laws that are meant to guide the provision of certain products and services to the customers. A natural monopoly is usually regulated by the government to ensure that the industry conforms to the expected standards of operation. In some cases, a monopoly market can be caused by rising factors of production if it is a manufacturing industry. Information about some of the factors that give rise to a monopoly market can be viewed at . If the factors of production are very high, some players in the industry will be eliminated and only big organisations that are able to reap economies of scale from their operations are able to survive in that market which creates a monopoly. If other players are not able to meet the operational costs, the result is t hat they fold their business and only established organisations can continue to operate. The other factor that may cause a monopoly market is that certain products and services need to be regulated and controlled so that they conform to the expected standards by the regulatory authorities. In some cases, only one company will have great control of the supply of all the required material in

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

OSHA Legal Aspects of Safety and Health Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

OSHA Legal Aspects of Safety and Health - Essay Example The conference happens after the compliance officer has identified him/herself (OSHA, 2011). They are supposed to inform the manager of the scope of their inspection and criteria followed to select the firm. They are also supposed to specify the standards that are to apply and the general purpose. They should also offer information on how the manager can access a copy of applicable standards and then asks to be given an employer representative who will attend the inspection; an employee representative may also accompany them in case there is a safety committee in place (OSHA, 2011). In case there are some issues between the management and the employees then separate opening conferences are initiated. On the other hand the employer has the right to reduce or expand the scope but under reasonable grounds where the officer should in turn inform them on their responsibilities and obligations as the employer. References OSHA (2011). Discussions in the opening conference. Retrieved 18 Jan. 2011 from, http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDARDS&p_id=9690

Sunday, October 27, 2019

The Purchasing Function Business Essay

The Purchasing Function Business Essay The purchasing function is described by Lysons and Gillingham (2003) as a function with resource to procure supplies. It is usually argued that the purchasing function is not strategically important to enable organisations to gain competitive advantage. Carr and Pearson (2002) described nonstrategic purchasing as a function that is clerical in nature, reactive to other functions and focusing on short-term issues. Ramsay and Croom (2008) on the other hand saw purchasing as a strategic function that contributes to the overall organisational competitive advantage. But Reck and Long in Carr and Pearson (2002) argues that purchasing function of a firm can operate between strategic and nonstrategic levels within an organisation. There is now a question as to whether purchasing should still be considering the nonstrategic role of the purchasing function. This paper will be looking the role of purchasing that make makes it strategic and how purchasing function is strategically important in g aining competitive advantage for the organisation with the aid of model and tools/techniques for purchasing. Purchasing is usually defined as obtaining the right quality material, at the right time, in the right quantity, from the right source, at the right place (Lysons and Gillingham 2003; Baily et al. 1998). Van Weele (2005) also defined purchasing as the management of the companys external supply of goods, services, capabilities necessary for running, maintaining and managing the companys primary and support activities is secured at the most favourable conditions. Although, there is no agreed definition of purchasing from literature, these definitions indicate that there is need for supply requiring to determination of specifications, supply continuity by choosing a suitable supplier, efficient buying (worth the value), and relationship to ensure supply at the right time to manage inventory and monitor efficiency of suppliers thereby defining the purchasing function. Many authors in the literature have identified the developments in purchasing. Reck and Long in Lysons and Gillingham 2003 identified that purchasing passes through stages from passive (no strategic direction and supplier selection based on price and availability), independent (purchasing having functional efficiency with no regards to firms competitive strategy), supportive (supports the corporate strategy with regards to the competitive objective) to integrative (full integration of purchasing strategy into the firms corporate strategy) stages to become a competitive weapon for an organisation. Van Weele (2005) also identified that need for reduced costs, product standardisation, innovation, stock reduction, increase flexibility, and purchasing synergies can improve an organisations competitive position. In addition, changes in trade pattern, customer demands, technology, competitor activity in the have wider business context has affected the development of purchasing. An indicatio n of this is that an increase the importance of purchasing gives the organisation the capability to satisfy its customers needs by focusing on activities that ensures quality products of good values are produced in line with the organisations competitive strategy. Carr and Smeltzer (1997) were able to make a distinction between purchasing strategy and strategic purchasing. Defining purchasing strategy as the specific actions the purchasing function may take to achieve its objectives. While strategic purchasing was defined as the process of planning, evaluating, implementing, and controlling strategies the purchasing follows. It is gathered from these definitions that the actions of the strategy of the purchasing function must be in line with the overall corporate strategy of the organisation be it cost or differentiation as identified by Porter (1985) and that the strategic purchasing must be able to direct the purchasing functions to ensure that the long-term goals are achieved and the organisation remains competitive. Although, there may be nonstrategic purchasing functions due to the low status and spend of the organisation (Carr and Pearson 2002), strategic purchasing functions must be given top management consideration as it is proactivel y involved achieving the firms goals and adding value to the organisation. However, this may only happen when the purchasing function is integrated into the firms strategic planning process and is thought of as important to achieve and maintain a sustainable competitive advantage as concluded by Goh, Lau and Neo (1999). Strategic purchasing has been seen by many authors as impacting firm performance, especially in relation to supplier involvement. It was argued by Chen, Paulraj and Lado (2004) that strategic purchasing gives a competitive advantage by fostering closer working relationships with a limited number of suppliers; promote open communication among supply-chain partners; develop long-term strategic relationship orientation to achieve mutual gains. Carr and Pearson (2002) also argued importance of purchasing to new product development as regards to selecting qualified suppliers as well as the involvement for product development while McGinnis and Vallopra (1999) argued that purchasing and supplier involvement contributes to higher product quality, achievement of cost objectives, and reduce new product time-to-market. Also Brookshaw and Terziovski (1997); Krause, Pagell and Curkovic (2001) were able to argue that strategic purchasing is capable of retaining a firm competitive priorities of qu ality, cost, delivery, reliability through the relationship with suppliers In other words, strategic purchasing with regards suppliers involvement can improve an organisations performance and customer responsiveness if involved in the planning process thereby increasing the firms profits while gaining competitive advantage. Increase in organisations costs spent on purchasing activities from external sources as identified by Ramsay and Croom (2008); Baily et al. (1998) indicates the need for reduction in direct materials cost and net capital employed by organisations. Purchasing is able to achieve these reductions with the use of purchasing policies like competitive bidding and collaboration with suppliers to make decisions that ensure quality and logistics arrangement thereby saving cost and adding to the organisations bottom line. Strategically placing purchasing in organisations decision making process gives it control on purchasing costs and ability to choose a supplier base that is competitive and better than competition. The need for strategic cost management and collaborative innovation and designs, which may require working with external supplier has made organisations rethink their position in the value system and has resulted in the business decision of automating or outsourcing non-critical functions leaving more strategic purchasing tasks. Outsourcing comes from a decision of an organisation to focus on its core activities (Van Weele 2005). This decision is reached when the organisation discovered that performing a function in-house can no longer be carried out competitively, so outsourcing the function to a more proactive organisation allows the advantage to be gained (Baily et al. 1998). In addition, it is not just enough to make outsourcing decisions, the selection of suppliers that will contribute to the organisational goals is critical. Before selecting suppliers, Gadde and HÃ ¥kansson (1994) argued that the purchasing strategy must be decided, be it single, parallel, multiple sourcing. But Svahn and Westerlund (2009) emphasised that the characteristics of the purchasing strategy, efficiency (cost-driven) or effectiveness (innovation and value-adding), affects supplier selection and way purchasing manages the relationship with suppliers in line with the organisations competitive strategy. Purchasing must be able to assess the capabilities of the suppliers through a series tools like e-procurement, purchasing portfolio management, collaborative tools to identify suppliers that can enable the firm gain competitive advantage. Drake and Lee (2008), through the use of Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) were able to emphasise the importance of aligning purchasing strategy with business strategy. They argued that purchasing through AHP is able to prioritise the importance of components for manufacturing or impact on the strategic priorities and that purchasing is able to ensure the uninterrupted flow of materials through selection of suppliers in such a way to meet the corporate strategy and competitive priorities (quality, cost, speed, flexibility) of the firm. Purchasing portfolio analysis suggested by Kraljic (1983) is an important model for strategic purchasing. Kraljic was able to argue that a firms supply strategy depends on two factors: profit impact and supply risk and with that identified 4 portfolio quadrants: strategic, leverage, bottleneck and routine. This model proposes that purchasing strategies must be chosen for each supplier. Van Weele (2005) also emphasised that a companys spend can be categorised using the 20:80 rule; which says 20 percent of suppliers provide 80 percent of supplies and evaluate suppliers according to priority. From these two views, purchasing must be able to identify the suppliers of critical to non-critical products and develop strategies that ensure minimal supply risk and increase buying power. Also, Baily et. Al (2005) suggested that tiering of suppliers can help identify important suppliers and improve partnership with them. Wagner and Johnson (2004) argued that carefully configured, developed, and managed supplier portfolio can contribute to the firms value creation and competitive advantage. At this point, purchasing must have a proactive approach to making sure that it identifies supplier that contributes to the organisation the competitive advantage needed. Another importance of purchasing especially when buying capital goods is that it focuses on total cost management. Most buying processes are usually based on the price as indicated by Baily et at. (1998); Van Weele (2005). Baily et at. (1998) sees purchasing as of strategic importance as it able to focus on the total acquisition cost than price and bears in mind the total cost of ownership of capital goods like cost of maintenance, spare parts in the long term. Purchasing is able to contribute to the specifications by informing to other functions of delivery reliability, assuring timely supply of necessary inputs to ensure that the initial purchase price alone is considered but rather the total lifetime cost of equipments are considered to make sure purchasing is adding value to the organisation by reducing cost over time. Again mutual relationship with suppliers can bring about cost, price reduction and ultimately cost transparency as supported by Lamming (1993). E-procurement is another strategic tool for purchasing that can contribute to competitive advantage due to its huge cost savings. William (2003) argued that E-procurement cuts across the whole purchasing process and helps facilitate early supplier involvement as well as minimise complexities and unnecessary costs as real-time information is shared between buyer and seller, it also gives top management visibility as they are concerned with the increased operational spend. E-procurement has contributed to the success of many organisations, for instance, Volvos supplier selection (Van Weele 2010) and Gap Inc. to reduce lead-time and overall operations of its retail channels (Demery 2006). Despite the benefits of e-procurement, if top management do not strategically initiate the need for e-procurement, the benefits of it giving an organisation competitive advantage are lost. Conversely, after much consideration of the importance of strategic purchasing to gain competitive advantage, it is necessary to focus on non-strategic purchasing and why it is seen as not important to gain competitive advantage. A nonstrategic purchasing function is task-oriented, while a strategic function makes business decisions as argued by Carr and Smeltzer (2000). Carr and Pearson (2002) also argue that non-strategic purchasing has no contribution to the long-term goals of the firm, are insignificant and of low status. Indeed, if top management of an organisation does not see the importance in the purchasing role in contributing to competitive advantage, it will continue to be seen as non-value adding and just focusing of activities that are non-critical to the successful functioning of the organisation. Altogether, the development in purchasing over time has shown that there is a need by organisations to incorporate into their corporate policies purchasing strategy. Strategic involvement of purchasing for the overall aim of controlling prices, reducing costs, managing supply proactively, and improving quality to successfully deliver goods and services that will satisfy the end-customers and enable the organisation gain sustainable competitive advantage is essential. CONCLUSION At the heart of conventional wisdom lies the argument that purchasing is not strategically important for the organisation to gain competitive advantage. This argument is seen as ungrounded due to the fact that purchasing is gaining importance within the academia and the business environment. The need for reduction of costs, improvement of value-added into the business, better bottom line has led to the improved relevance of purchasing to the performance of an organisation. Purchasing has over the years developed from non-strategic, transactional stage of procuring supplies to a strategic, integrated stage that focuses proactively on the total satisfaction of both internal and external customers of an organisation. Again, the change of purchasing to strategic purchasing, incorporating purchasing strategy into the corporate strategy, for achieving competitive advantage has changed the view of organisations and has led to a rethink of the organisations operation to decide the core compe tences and non-core competences and rather focus on the core ones and sources others from external sources. However, sourcing externally requires effective supplier relationship management. Purchasing in this aspect is able to select suppliers that with collaborate in meeting the organisations competitive strategy. Purchasing is also able to use tools and techniques like e-procurement and total cost of ownership approach along with their skills to manage purchasing costs and balance power and dependence between the company and supplier as well as work out strategies to use with different suppliers. Without giving a strategic importance of purchasing, an organisations opportunities of gain competitive advantage may be missed.