Week 5 discussion Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Week 5 discussion - Assignment Example The employer is the coach who executes coaching actions to his or her employee. The results of a successful coaching process include acquisition of new skills, improvement in performance and development of profession (Kloster, Teresa and Wendy 6). Young employers suffer from inadequacy of experience hence needs to undergo a coaching period to help orient them in the line of duties by more experienced personnel. After undergoing the coaching sessions, the young employers should set up an employee relations department to start to enable them coach the employees. Coaching is essential in such a circumstance in the sense that it allows the young employer to ascertain the majors and weaknesses of their employees. Coaching effects conflict resolution mechanisms like mediation and dialogue at personal level amongst the employees. However, time factor may limit the coaching session thereby undermining the quality and efficiency of the coaching in the workplace. Coaching process should focus on an improvement plan that aims to improve workplace efficiency. The impact of this is an improvement in service delivery and competence amongst the workers (Butteriss 19). Coaching, therefore, is essential, and every organization should embrace it to realize an increase in output thereby attracting more

Time until the cubes go clear Essay Example for Free

Time until the cubes go clear Essay An investigation into the effect of diffusion on the size of a cell Introduction What I am going to do is place some agar phenolphthalein in a HCl solution and time until the cubes go clear. Theory Diffusion is the passive transport of how substances cross membranes. It is the movement of particles from of particles of a higher chemical potential to a lower one. In all diffusion the net flux of the particles transported is equal to physical property multiplied by the gradient. Diffusion happens because of the second law of thermodynamics; the entropy of closed system will always increase in time. Also substances being diffused go from a state of higher order to a state of lower order, so diffusion is a completely natural process for it requires no energy to happen. The rate of diffusion is dependant on a number of factors-   Particles will diffuse quicker when there is a high concentration gradient.   A short distance fro particles to diffuse across.   If the substance is small molecules they will diffuse quicker. Larger surface area increases rate of diffusion. For if there is larger surface area then it allows particles to diffuse faster as there is less resistance. The last one is the key one, as this one plus knowing the concentrations of the solutions allows you to work out the rate of diffusion by Ficks law. Surface area   difference in concentrations is proportional to rate of diffusion Thickness in membrane Hypothesis My hypothesis is that as you increase the surface area of the cells the rate of diffusion will increase. Preliminary Work. For my preliminary I gathered these results, I used 30ml of HCl for each cube, the results show that as you increase the surface area that the rate of diffusion deceases, this will be down to the fact that there is more indicator in the larger cubes. It also shows that my hypothesis is wrong, but I have already explained why. Surface area time to go clear (secs) rate of diffusion Apparatus 5 cubes of agar-phenolphthalein; 0. 5cm^3, 1cm^3, 2cm^3, 4cm^3, 6cm^3 250ml beaker 10cm^3 measuring cylinder mm rule. Scalpel 100 ml of 2M HCl Distilled water It is necessary to have a rule that measures in mm to ensure the cubes are measured accurately, it is the same for using the measuring cylinder as this is needed for the precision it posses in making the solution of acid. Distilled water is needed to ensure the results are reliable as tap water contains number of things that will offer resistance to diffusion. Variables The independent variable is the size of the agar cells, these will be made by cutting them up with a scalpel and measuring them to confirm, and I will have five different sizes and repeat the tests three times. The dependant variable is the time that it takes for the acid to make the phenolphthalein in the agar go clear, I will hold a piece of white paper behind the cube to ensure I am clear whether the test is over.   Control variables are the time which will be ten minutes, this will be time on a stopwatch, temperature will be kept at room temperature, the concentration of the acid will be kept the same, and it will be all made up at the same time this will ensure precision. The amount of phenolphthalein in the agar cells should be in equal proportion in all the cells as the agar jelly will come as one block. Safety This experiment is particularly dangerous but a number of precautions should be taken, goggles and gloves should be worn when handling acid as it comes at quite a high molarity. A cutting plate should also be used when cutting up the agar cubes. Disposal of the agar should be in the bin. Method Prepare agar cells using cutting plate and scalpel. Measure cubes using mm rule and trim if essential.   Measure out 30ml into a test tube   Place the cubes in the beaker and then fully submerge them in the HCl solution. Start stopwatch.   Turn the blocks frequently over the time. 2

Theodore Roosevelts domestic policy

Theodore Roosevelts domestic policy Introduction Theodore Roosevelt was born on October 27, 1858 in New York City. He entered history books as the youngest person to serve as the president of the United States of America. Roosevelt has been known by many as a champion of a strenuous life. As a young man, Theodore or Teddy as he was known was haunted by chronic asthma attacks. However, despite all these he voraciously fought his condition and devoted most of his early life to study. Theodore Roosevelt displayed authority, combined with an enigmatic personality. He revolutionized and modernized the American presidency by championing justice. His profound popularity gave him political mileage that perfectly complimented his Get action, do things, attitude in all the endeavors (The Presidents para.1). Many people had perceived Theodore Roosevelt as an unlikely candidate for what we may term as a reform president. He had been born into a wealthy family and this gave him the privilege of enjoying his youth at a level that was beyond of most of his peers. He was able to tour most parts of the world, was taught by private tutors, and spent most of his life in a mansion in New York. Roosevelt had obtained his education from Harvard. His social circle contained the upper crust. On contrary however, Roosevelts interests were vested in working class Americans rather than the affluent corporates. This was a riot against the very society that had brought him up (The Presidents para.2). The square deal It was in 1901 when Roosevelt entered the White House, he had inherited a federal government sided the big business against the working Americans. During this time, Wall Street was experiencing a financial shake-up. Being wise enough he momentarily restrained his progressivism. In early 1902, Roosevelt embarked on his square deal plan to launch an offensive against the powerful corporate trusts. Ideally, President Roosevelt was one of the most audacious Progressive luminaries of his time (The Presidents para.1). In most cases; his domestic policies capitalized on fighting corruption and injustice in major industries all this in the name of helping the common man. The Square Deal was meant to improve living standards of the American people and to exert more regulation over large corporations or trusts. In response to these actions, most businesses termed Roosevelt as a socialist and a demagogue. In his defense the president adamantly brushed off these accusations. As a matter of fact, Roosevelt had regard for big business, and was aware of the trusts contribution in increasing the standards living of the American people. The presidents dislike arose from the fact that the common American had very little control of these corporations. As a balancing act, Roosevelt feared surrendering too much power to labor (Spark notes para.2). Sherman Anti-Trust Act Roosevelts approach ran into a major huddle in 1902. This includes the 1902 Coal Strike when 140,000 miners went on strike in eastern Pennsylvania t. there was great panic in the whole nation since coal was a major source of energy in America in that era. The coal miners union demanded higher wages coupled with improved working conditions. The owners of the mine, failed to agree with the miners. Mitchell-a representative of the miners proposed to the president that an independent arbitration council would work (Spark notes para.2) However, both the miners and the company rejected arbitration. Pressure was mounting; Roosevelt therefore devised a plan to replace the miners with ten thousand army men, as an emergency plan to step in if consensus was not reached. Fortunate enough, the disaster was averted through independent arbitration. This was after the Secretary of War; Elihu Root worked with banker J.P. Morgan to convince the parties involved to accept independent arbitration. This was victory for Roosevelt in the eyes of the American people. In the year 1902, financiers on Wall Street received a screamer. This was when President Roosevelt decided to approve the governments lawsuit against Northern Securities,-a large and newly merged western railroad company, for violating the so called Sherman Anti-Trust Act. The financer of the project, J.P. Morgan, who had arranged the merger and even invested in Northern Securities, suffered the consequences (Spark notes para.2) The company together with its sympathizers cried foul and accused the president of witch hunting. On the other hand, the American people admired their presidents brevity and boldness in handling the tenacious trusts. To seal this victory, Roosevelt went ahead to nominate Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., to take the place of Justice Horace Gray on the Supreme Court. Holmes in his tenure as Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Court had been strongly against industry and railroads in similar suits. The governments victory translated into the disintegration of Northern Securities into smaller companies. It has been documented that during his tenure, President Roosevelt brought about forty-three lawsuits trusts. (Spark notes para.3) The 1902 Reclamation Act We also look at this Act as a major component of Roosevelts domestic policy. Roosevelt had great passion for the environmental conservation. His idea of conservation was revolutionary and unconventional at the time. The idea was to save the land for posterity as opposed to mere preservation. This resulted in the purchase of about 150 acres of land that was to be conserved. This Act also resulted into consortiums with very knowledgeable environmentalists of that time including the likes of Gifford Pinchot and John Muir. The byproduct of this relationship was the establishment of various wildlife preservation parks and reserves. (Spark notes para.6) In fact, the order and organization in forest reserve services was attributed to this policy. The National Forest Service was streamlined, adding to it were National Parks which were created for purposes of recreation and conservation. The enactment of these acts was not without opposition. Most of those against the Act including members of Congress had vested interests in the land that was being preserved. However, the grievances of some antagonists (white Settlers) were soothed when the 1902 Reclamation Act was enacted thus allowing dry, unlivable land to be irrigated, converting it into productive land. (Spark notes para.6) The Hepburn Bill In the year 1906, the Hepburn Bill was drafted and passed. This bill was to bring reforms in the way rate evaluations were calculated and further cut on excessive rebates that were designed to eliminate competition by firms. The bill also encouraged interstate commerce which was regulated by the Feds. The bill was a major blow to several companies that previously engaged in excessive rebate-issuing such as the railroads. (Spark notes para.3) The Meat Inspection Bill and Food and Drug Administration. In 1906, a distinguished author by the name Upton Sinclairs in his novel The Jungle explicitly painted the picture of the state of affairs of Chicago stockyards and meatpacking industry. This brought to light the dilapidated working conditions of these industries prompting Roosevelt to take action. What disgusted the head of state was the description by Sinclair about a worker who was operating the meat grinder and apparently fell into the meat grinder, was crashed and canned for sales to the public. The president immediately ordered an investigation into the matter and not only packinghouses in Chicago but also in the entire nation. The detailed report from the inquiry confirmed Sinclairs sentiments. This led to the drafting of the Meat Inspection Bill and later the formation of an organ known as creation of the Food and Drug Administration (Spark notes para.4) The 1907 financial crisis In 1907, the United States experienced financial tremors. This was initiated by the collapse the Knickerbockers Trust Company in New York. The effect also spread to many other banks. Accusing fingers were pointed at Roosevelt for the economic downturn. President Roosevelt in his defense cited plutocracy (the governing of the society by the wealthy class) as the source the troubles. At this juncture it was not really clear who to blame, but it was letter established that the problem was global. Major firms including the large brokerage of Moore and Schley were at the verge of going under. However, the federal government intervened and bailed them out of the financial stalemate. Government intervention brought about stability thus averting crashing of the stock market. Working with corporates such as Morgan, the president managed to evade the global economic depression during his era (Spark notes para.3) Conclusion President Theodore Roosevelt model of leadership is unique and noteworthy. Putting aside the challenges he faced, this frail man rose to be one of the worlds greatest leaders. His style of leadership is worth emulating. Theodore Roosevelt once said, No man who is corrupt, no man who condones corruption in others can possibly do his duty by the community (Montalvà ¡n 54). References The presidents (2003), Theodore Roosevelt. Retrieved April 06 from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/presidents/26_t_roosevelt/printable.html Spark notes (2010) ,Theodore Roosevelt,1901-1909: Domestic Policies. Retrieved April 06 from http://www.sparknotes.com/biography/troosevelt/section10.rhtml Montalvà ¡n C (2008), Military review 2009. Retrieved April 06 from http://usacac.army.mil/CAC2/MilitaryReview/Archives/English/MilitaryReview_20090228_art008.pdf

Comparing Ageing in A Crabbit Old Woman and My Grandmother Essay

Ageing in A Crabbit Old Woman and My Grandmother The two poems, 'A Crabbit Old Woman' and 'My Grandmother' portray the experience of ageing in very different ways. In 'A Crabbit Old Woman' the poem is written from the old woman's perspective when 'My Grandmother is written from the narrator's point of view. The beginning of the poem 'The Crabbit Old Woman' starts when the woman is old in a nursing home and she is expressing her annoyance at the nurses. "What do you see, nurses? When you're looking at me." The old woman then tells us about each stage and change of her life. When she does she uses brief descriptions in the short line. "A bride now at twenty My heart gives a leap" This suggests that she seems regretful that life has passed so quickly and she had wished she had stopped at the time to enjoy what she had. During, and at the end of the poem a variation of the following lines is repeated: "Is that what your thinking, Is that what you see? Then open your eyes, You're not looking at me." This draws in the attention because it is like the poet is really asking the reader the question, and gives the reader a chance to think about what has just been said. The tone changes frequently during the poem, even when she is describing the life she loved there are a few lines that almost seem to bring the fantasy back ... ...s is probably because I had though that girls would be more sympathetic and understanding to their Grandmothers. I know this is isn't fair and rather discriminating but I just got the feeling that the narrator was a boy. In conclusion, these two poems portray old age as a time in your life when your quality of life deteriorates. 'The Crabbit Old Woman' tells us about how the old women feels about herself and the people who are around her and look after her. On the other hand 'My Grandmother' tells us how the people around an old woman view her and her ways. After reading these poems I feel that I will look at old people in a different way from now on, and realise they that they were all my age once.

Of mIce and Men, how Steinbeck creates sympoahty and animosity towards Curley’s Wife Essay

In of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, Curley’s wife sparks much debate and controversy, being an extremely important character in the book as she symbolises the gender inequality and discrimination of the period. At the start of the novella, we assume she is just a plot device, but later on find out that there is much more about her and she has a very important role in the book as being the only woman. During the 1930’s women were treated unequally to men, and weren’t treated with as much respect, which is reflected later when we realise that Curley’s wife isn’t addressed with a name. The attitude to women at the time contrasts with how gender inequality is now; women have the right to vote and they are now appreciated. The novella is set in the 1930s in Soledad, near Salinas, California. The novella was set during the American depression. Soledad, meaning loneliness in Spanish is also cleverly used as the place name of where the fictional ranch is set. This merges in with the theme of loneliness that runs throughout the novel, foreshadowing what we later find out about Curley’s wife’s life on the ranch. The Great depression was triggered by the Wall Street Crash of 1929 and left millions of people unemployed. All the while people lost confidence, felt insecure and the American Dream had vanished, linking to what all the men on the ranch want, but now seems impossible to achieve. Because of the ranch being an isolated and primitive, the lifestyle was lonely. Steinbeck uses his personal experience as a ranch worker to describe how the workers felt: George says that â€Å"ranch workers are the loneliest people in the world and don’t belong nowhere†. Steinbeck also portrays loneliness through characterisation. Perhaps the loneliest character, which Steinbeck creates in the novel, is Curley’s wife. She is the only female in the ranch and although she is married, you never witness the distinct couple of Curley and his wife together. She is never really noticed, hence the sense of sexual discrimination. Section 1: Of Mice and Men is filled with tragic events which come in a crucial structure that are hinted throughout the book. In fact, even the title foreshadows the unfortunate situations that take place. â€Å"Of Mice and Men† comes from the poem by Robert Burns – To a Mouse. ‘The best-laid schemes o’ mice an’ men/ gang aft agley./ An’ lea’e us nought but grief an’ pain./ Forn  promis’d joy!’. The poem tells us that the best things always go wrong and leave you with nothing but grief and pain, this relates to the novella well because the best dream for Curley’s wife was to be in the ‘pitcures’, but because her mother took them away (she believed) her dreams was shattered and now is left in an unhappy marriage on a ranch where she doesn’t belong. The first moment that we hear about Curley’s wife is when Candy describes her in the bunkhouse, through gossip. He describes her as a sex object, sounding quite negative towards her. Steinbeck first describes her in a less judgmental way, not really showing a strong opinion of her, unlike Candy’s view which is much more frustrated and clear: ‘well i think Curley’s married†¦a tart’. When Candy describes her as a ‘tart’ and the use of an ellipsis, shows that he recoils when using such a derogatory term. The reader already pictures Curley’s wife in their head, and we immediately seem to dislike her, but also sympathise for her because she is gossiped about before the reader even meets her and can make their own decision. One of the reasons why we first hear about Curley’s wife before we meet her is because the men on the ranch all dislike Curley, and they all presume she is as mean as he is. Again, when she is introduced, an ill feeling overcomes the atmosphere indicating that Lennie will be getting into a mess with her. George states in the very beginning that he is always getting into mishaps, â€Å"You do bad things and I got to get you out,†. In the first scene, we learn that Lennie likes to stroke mice and other soft creatures, but has a tendency to kill them accidentally. This foreshadows the death of his puppy and the death of Curley’s wife. Furthermore, when George recounts that Lennie grabbed the woman’s dress in Weed and would not let go, the reader anticipates that similar trouble will arise at the ranch, especially once Curley’s flirtatious wife appears on the scene. Lennie being naà ¯ve and has limited intelligence, showing that he is somewhat childish and interprets his feelings different to how we might understand these feelings. When he describes Curley’s wife as ‘Purty’ we get the sense that he considers her on her looks alone. The vernacular language again shows that he is childlike, and makes him sound real. In society, from where the book was published up till now, the elderly are no longer useful because they aren’t as able. The shooting of Candy’s dog symbolises that there is not need for the elderly to live, representing that Lennie is the dog, because he is not as mentally  able as the other men on the ranch. Candy mirrors George- he has to suffer and has lost his partner, just like Candy lost his dog that kept Candy company, but no longer can, linking back to the idea of everyone always ending up lonely. The contrast between the first chapter and the last also shows his death because the same scene goes from the peaceful field to the violent death of the water snake at the beginning of the novella. Section 2: Throughout Of Mice and Men, we feel that a lot of the characters feel real to us. This is because of the vernacular Steinbeck uses. Curley’s wife seems to be a hard character, but might not be as strong as she would like to appear. She strives to make an impression in front of all the men, because she is the only woman on the ranch, one could interpret this like she knows that the men might be attracted to her and thinks she has an advantage. ‘She was heavily made up’ describes that she wears a lot of makeup; this makes the reader get a sense of ill feeling towards her, although whilst also feeling sensitivity for her because this could illustrate that she wears so much makeup to hide herself, and uses it as a mask. Also, she could be so made up because she still wants to imagine herself as an actress; all the stars where makeup and look magnificent. When Curley’s wife first speaks, her voice is described with having ‘a nasal, brittle quality’. The word ‘nasal’ suggests a high, whiney voice, which does not match her powerful facade and links to previous suggestions of being fake and disguising her real persona with her appearance. The fact that she feels unable to show her true self for fear of being hurt, creates sympathy in the reader. After the gossip we hear about Curley’s wife, we finally meet her. Her physical appearance of ‘full, rouged lips and wide-spaced eyes, heavily made- up’, as well as ‘fingernail painted red’ and elaborate hair, further build on our preconceptions of her. Red, the colour of her attire and the style of her hair and makeup suggest some sexuality. Additionally, she use suggestive and provocative body language, ‘she put her hands behind her back and leaned against the door frame so that her body was thrown forward’, and her flimsy excuse to be with the men in their quarters contribute to the rancher’s view of her as a ’tramp’. She both talks and acts playfully and flirtatiously in  front of the other ranch workers. She could behave in this manner because her sexuality is her only weapon to gain attention, thus Candy’s description of her seems accurate after her first appearance in the novel. Through her physical appearance and her own actions, Candy’s description of Curley’s Wife seems accurate after her first appearance in the novel. On the other hand, Curley’s Wife’s appearance could be seen as naivety and simply youthful desire to be found attractive. Red is a primary colour therefore children are attracted to it, it is a colour children want to wear because it is bright and has an element of happiness in it. Therefore Curley’s Wife wearing the colour red may symbolise a child’s attraction to bright colours portraying her as youthful or girly. Curley’s wife is such a complex character, and we see this in the letter Steinbeck wrote to Miss Luce describing her. Steinbeck heard that Miss Luce was struggling to play the role of Curley’s wife in 1938, in the letter he included her as ‘knowing utterly nothing about sex’ and Curley’s wife is an innocent woman under all the defenses she has built up against all the comments directed to her. In of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, Curley’s wife sparks much debate and controversy, being an extremely important character in the book as she symbolises the gender inequality and discrimination of the period. At the start of the novella, we assume she is just a plot device, but later on find out that there is much more about her and she has a very important role in the book as being the only woman. During the 1930’s women were treated unequally to men, and weren’t treated with as much respect, which is reflected later when we realise that Curley’s wife isn’t addressed with a name. The attitude to women at the time contrasts with how gender inequality is now; women have the right to vote and they are now appreciated. The novella is set in the 1930s in Soledad, near Salinas, California. The novella was set during the American depression. Soledad, meaning loneliness in Spanish is also cleverly used as the place name of where the fictional ranch is set. This merges in with the theme of loneliness that runs throughout the novel, foreshadowing what we later find out about Curley’s wife’s life on the ranch. The Great depression was triggered by the Wall Street Crash of 1929 and left millions of people unemployed. All the while people lost confidence, felt insecure and the American Dream had vanished, linking to what all the men on the ranch want, but now seems impossible to achieve. Because of the ranch being an isolated and primitive, the lifestyle was lonely. Steinbeck uses his personal experience as a ranch worker to describe how the workers felt: George says that â€Å"ranch workers are the loneliest people in the world and don’t belong nowhere†. Steinbeck also portrays loneliness through characterisation. Perhaps the loneliest character, which Steinbeck creates in the novel, is Curley’s wife. She is the only female in the ranch and although she is married, you never witness the distinct couple of Curley and his wife together. She is never really noticed, hence the sense of sexual discrimination. Section 1: Of Mice and Men is filled with tragic events which come in a crucial structure that are hinted throughout the book. In fact, even the title foreshadows the unfortunate situations that take place. â€Å"Of Mice and Men† comes from the poem by Robert Burns – To a Mouse. ‘The best-laid schemes o’ mice an’ men/ gang aft agley./ An’ lea’e us nought but grief an’ pain./ For  promis’d joy!’. The poem tells us that the best things always go wrong and leave you with nothing but grief and pain, this relates to the novella well because the best dream for Curley’s wife was to be in the ‘pitcures’, but because her mother took them away (she believed) her dreams was shattered and now is left in an unhappy marriage on a ranch where she doesn’t belong. The first moment that we hear about Curley’s wife is when Candy describes her in the bunkhouse, through gossip. He describes her as a sex object, sounding quite negative towards her. Steinbeck first describes her in a less judgmental way, not really showing a strong opinion of her, unlike Candy’s view which is much more frustrated and clear: ‘well i think Curley’s married†¦a tart’. When Candy describes her as a ‘tart’ and the use of an ellipsis, shows that he recoils when using such a derogatory term. The reader already pictures Curley’s wife in their head, and we immediately seem to dislike her, but also sympathise for her because she is gossiped about before the reader even meets her and can make their own decision. One of the reasons why we first hear about Curley’s wife before we meet her is because the men on the ranch all dislike Curley, and they all presume she is as mean as he is. Again, when she is introduced, an ill feeling overcomes the atmosphere indicating that Lennie will be getting into a mess with her. George states in the very beginning that he is always getting into mishaps, â€Å"You do bad things and I got to get you out,†. In the first scene, we learn that Lennie likes to stroke mice and other soft creatures, but has a tendency to kill them accidentally. This foreshadows the death of his puppy and the death of Curley’s wife. Furthermore, when George recounts that Lennie grabbed the woman’s dress in Weed and would not let go, the reader anticipates that similar trouble will arise at the ranch, especially once Curley’s flirtatious wife appears on the scene. Lennie being naà ¯ve and has limited intelligence, showing that he is somewhat childish and interprets his feelings different to how we might understand these feelings. When he describes Curley’s wife as ‘Purty’ we get the sense that he considers her on her looks alone. The vernacular language again shows that he is childlike, and makes him sound real. In society, from where the book was published up till now, the elderly are no longer useful because they aren’t as able. The shooting of Candy’s dog symbolises that there is not need for the elderly to live, representing that Lennie is the dog, because he is not as mentally able as the other men on the ranch. Candy mirrors George- he has to suffer and has lost his partner, just like Candy lost his dog that kept Candy company, but no longer can, linking back to the idea of everyone always ending up lonely. The contrast between the first chapter and the last also shows his death because the same scene goes from the peaceful field to the violent death of the water snake at the beginning of the novella. Section 2: Throughout Of Mice and Men, we feel that a lot of the characters feel real to us. This is because of the vernacular Steinbeck uses. Curley’s wife seems to be a hard character, but might not be as strong as she would like to appear. She strives to make an impression in front of all the men, because she is the only woman on the ranch, one could interpret this like she knows that the men might be attracted to her and thinks she has an advantage. ‘She was heavily made up’ describes that she wears a lot of makeup; this makes the reader get a sense of ill feeling towards her, although whilst also feeling sensitivity for her because this could illustrate that she wears so much makeup to hide herself, and uses it as a mask. Also, she could be so made up because she still wants to imagine herself as an actress; all the stars where makeup and look magnificent. When Curley’s wife first speaks, her voice is described with having ‘a nasal, brittle quality’. The word ‘nasal’ suggests a high, whiney voice, which does not match her powerful facade and links to previous suggestion In of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, Curley’s wife sparks much debate and controversy, being an extremely important character in the book as she symbolises the gender inequality and discrimination of the period. At the start of the novella, we assume she is just a plot device, but later on find out that there is much more about her and she has a very important role in the book as being the only woman. During the 1930’s women were treated unequally to men, and weren’t treated with as much respect, which is reflected later when we realise that Curley’s wife isn’t addressed with a name. The attitude to women at the time contrasts with how gender inequality is now; women have the right to vote and they are now appreciated. The novella is set in the 1930s in Soledad, near Salinas, California. The novella was set during the American depression. Soledad, meaning loneliness in Spanish is also cleverly used as the place name of where the fictional ranch is set. This merges in with the theme of loneliness that runs throughout the novel, foreshadowing what we later find out about Curley’s wife’s life on the ranch. The Great depression was triggered by the Wall Street Crash of 1929 and left millions of people unemployed. All the while people lost confidence, felt insecure and the American Dream had vanished, linking to what all the men on the ranch want, but now seems impossible to achieve. Because of the ranch being an isolated and primitive, the lifestyle was lonely. Steinbeck uses his personal experience as a ranch worker to describe how the workers felt: George says that â€Å"ranch workers are the loneliest people in the world and don’t belong nowhere†. Steinbeck also portrays loneliness through characterisation. Perhaps the loneliest character, which Steinbeck creates in the novel, is Curley’s wife. She is the only female in the ranch and although she is married, you never witness the distinct couple of Curley and his wife together. She is never really noticed, hence the sense of sexual discrimination. Section 1: Of Mice and Men is filled with tragic events which come in a crucial structure that are hinted throughout the book. In fact, even the title foreshadows the unfortunate situations that take place. â€Å"Of Mice and Men† comes from the poem by Robert Burns – To a Mouse. ‘The best-laid schemes o’ mice an’ men/ gang aft agley./ An’ lea’e us nought but grief an’ pain./ For  promis’d joy!’. The poem tells us that the best things always go wrong and leave you with nothing but grief and pain, this relates to the novella well because the best dream for Curley’s wife was to be in the ‘pitcures’, but because her mother took them away (she believed) her dreams was shattered and now is left in an unhappy marriage on a ranch where she doesn’t belong. The first moment that we hear about Curley’s wife is when Candy describes her in the bunkhouse, through gossip. He describes her as a sex object, sounding quite negative towards her. Steinbeck first describes her in a less judgmental way, not really showing a strong opinion of her, unlike Candy’s view which is much more frustrated and clear: ‘well i think Curley’s married†¦a tart’. When Candy describes her as a ‘tart’ and the use of an ellipsis, shows that he recoils when using such a derogatory term. The reader already pictures Curley’s wife in their head, and we immediately seem to dislike her, but also sympathise for her because she is gossiped about before the reader even meets her and can make their own decision. One of the reasons why we first hear about Curley’s wife before we meet her is because the men on the ranch all dislike Curley, and they all presume she is as mean as he is. Again, when she is introduced, an ill feeling overcomes the atmosphere indicating that Lennie will be getting into a mess with her. George states in the very beginning that he is always getting into mishaps, â€Å"You do bad things and I got to get you out,†. In the first scene, we learn that Lennie likes to stroke mice and other soft creatures, but has a tendency to kill them accidentally. This foreshadows the death of his puppy and the death of Curley’s wife. Furthermore, when George recounts that Lennie grabbed the woman’s dress in Weed and would not let go, the reader anticipates that similar trouble will arise at the ranch, especially once Curley’s flirtatious wife appears on the scene. Lennie being naà ¯ve and has limited intelligence, showing that he is somewhat childish and interprets his feelings different to how we might understand these feelings. When he describes Curley’s wife as ‘Purty’ we get the sense that he considers her on her looks alone. The vernacular language again shows that he is childlike, and makes him sound real. In society, from where the book was published up till now, the elderly are no longer useful because they aren’t as able. The shooting of Candy’s dog symbolises that there is not need for the elderly to live, representing that Lennie is the dog, because he is not as mentally  able as the other men on the ranch. Candy mirrors George- he has to suffer and has lost his partner, just like Candy lost his dog that kept Candy company, but no longer can, linking back to the idea of everyone always ending up lonely. The contrast between the first chapter and the last also shows his death because the same scene goes from the peaceful field to the violent death of the water snake at the beginning of the novella. Section 2: Throughout Of Mice and Men, we feel that a lot of the characters feel real to us. This is because of the vernacular Steinbeck uses. Curley’s wife seems to be a hard character, but might not be as strong as she would like to appear. She strives to make an impression in front of all the men, because she is the only woman on the ranch, one could interpret this like she knows that the men might be attracted to her and thinks she has an advantage. ‘She was heavily made up’ describes that she wears a lot of makeup; this makes the reader get a sense of ill feeling towards her, although whilst also feeling sensitivity for her because this could illustrate that she wears so much makeup to hide herself, and uses it as a mask. Also, she could be so made up because she still wants to imagine herself as an actress; all the stars where makeup and look magnificent. When Curley’s wife first speaks, her voice is described with having ‘a nasal, brittle quality’. The word ‘nasal’ suggests a high, whiney voice, which does not match her powerful facade and links to previous suggestions of being fake and disguising her real persona with her appearance. The fact that she feels unable to show her true self for fear of being hurt, creates sympathy in the reader. After the gossip we hear about Curley’s wife, we finally meet her. Her physical appearance of ‘full, rouged lips and wide-spaced eyes, heavily made- up’, as well as ‘fingernail painted red’ and elaborate hair, further build on our preconceptions of her. Red, the colour of her attire and the style of her hair and makeup suggest some sexuality. Additionally, she use suggestive and provocative body language, ‘she put her hands behind her back and leaned against the door frame so that her body was thrown forward’, and her flimsy excuse to be with the men in their quarters contribute to the rancher’s view of her as a ’tramp’. She both talks and acts playfully and flirtatiously in  front of the other ranch workers. She could behave in this manner because her sexuality is her only weapon to gain attention, thus Candy’s description of her seems accurate after her first appearance in the novel. Through her physical appearance and her own actions, Candy’s description of Curley’s Wife seems accurate after her first appearance in the novel. On the other hand, Curley’s Wife’s appearance could be seen as naivety and simply youthful desire to be found attractive. Red is a primary colour therefore children are attracted to it, it is a colour children want to wear because it is bright and has an element of happiness in it. Therefore Curley’s Wife wearing the colour red may symbolise a child’s attraction to bright colours portraying her as youthful or girly. Curley’s wife is such a complex character, and we see this in the letter Steinbeck wrote to Miss Luce describing her. Steinbeck heard that Miss Luce was struggling to play the role of Curley’s wife in 1938, in the letter he included her as ‘knowing utterly nothing about sex’ and Curley’s wife is an innocent woman under all the defenses she has built up against all the comments directed to her. s of being fake and disguising her real persona with her appearance. The fact that she feels unable to show her true self for fear of being hurt, creates sympathy in the reader. After the gossip we hear about Curley’s wife, we finally meet her. Her physical appearance of ‘full, rouged lips and wide-spaced eyes, heavily made- up’, as well as ‘fingernail painted red’ and elaborate hair, further build on our preconceptions of her. Red, the colour of her attire and the style of her hair and makeup suggest some sexuality. Additionally, she use suggestive and provocative body language, ‘she put her hands behind her back and leaned against the door frame so that her body was thrown forward’, and her flimsy excuse to be with the men in their quarters contribute to the rancher’s view of her as a ’tramp’. She both talks and acts playfully and flirtatiously in  front of the other ranch workers. She could behave in this manner because her sexuality is her only weapon to gain attention, thus Candy’s description of her seems accurate after her first appearance in the novel. Through her physical appearance and her own actions, Candy’s description of Curley’s Wife seems accurate after her first appearance in the novel. On the other hand, Curley’s Wife’s appearance could be seen as naivety and simply youthful desire to be found attractive. Red is a primary colour therefore children are attracted to it, it is a colour children want to wear because it is bright and has an element of happiness in it. Therefore Curley’s Wife wearing the colour red may symbolise a child’s attraction to bright colours portraying her as youthful or girly. Curley’s wife is such a complex character, and we see this in the letter Steinbeck wrote to Miss Luce describing her. Steinbeck heard that Miss Luce was struggling to play the role of Curley’s wife in 1938, in the letter he included her as ‘knowing utterly nothing about sex’ and Curley’s wife is an innocent woman under all the defenses she has built up against all the comments directed to her.

Hills Like White Elephants by E.Hemingway essays

Hills Like White Elephants by E.Hemingway essays Hills like White Elephants, written by Ernest Hemingway is a short story narrated from the objective point of view and is one of the brightest examples of this kind of narration. The author as if disappeared into a kind of a roving sound camera. He goes anywhere but records only what he sees or hears. Hemingway does not comment on the characters but lets the readers do it themselves, lets us infer what the characters are like, what they feel or think about the narrator is not there to explain the actions of the characters. Like it should be in the classical short story, there is an introduction that very quickly introduces us the main characters and gives a brief but quite exact information about the place where the action of the story happens. From the first lines we meet two people a man and a woman who are waiting for the express train from Barcelona, sitting at the bar at one of the junctions. By the dry dialogue between them it becomes clear that there is a certain strain in their relations because of the undesirable pregnancy of the girl. And that is actually the reason why they came to Spain where the girl could make an anonymous illegal abortion. By the words of the man this awfully simple operation, as he calls it, would make them both happy again. The character of the man, by his actions and words makes rather negative impression for his selfishness and his unwillingness to pay for the careless actions. There is no doubt, however that he likes the girl, but his feelings to her consist in the desire to enjoy the nights together and nothing more. His consuming attitude and cowardice do not evoke any respect but dislike and hostility. The statements like but I do not want you to do it if you dont really want to sound so fake he repeats it so many times that the reader understands that underneath lies the opposite mea ...