Merchant Of Venice Answers

Granting says it is time for them to laugh again and that Antonio should not SE his depressed state of mind to show people he is full of wisdom. He says it is better to behave like a fool than to be serious and pretend to be wise. 5. He compares the world with a Stage where everyone has a purpose or part to play. 6. He is trying to win the lady Portrait's heart by being on an equal standing with her other suitors. He's lifestyle is expensive and he tries to impress everyone with his wealth. 7. From Antonio. 8. He assures him that his money and all he has is available to Bastion.He will help him any way he can – as long as the cause is honest. 9. He wants to end more money from Antonio so that he can win the Lady Portrait's heart (and money) to pay off his debts. 10. He needs the money to compete with Portrait's other suitors and to travel to Belmont, Portrait's home. He thus needs it to buy presents for Portia to impress her. 1 1 . And she is also beautiful and good 12. By bor rowing money, he pretends to be rich, and we know he is not, in fact he is in great debt. He pretends to be interested in Portia – but we can assume he is after her money. 3. No, he is still depressed. He makes true on his promises. He does not pretend to be happy – and he does not hide his linings towards Shylock. 14. From Shylock, a Jewish moneylender who lends money with interest. 5 February The Merchant Of Venice: Act 1, Scene 2 1. Inertias. 2. Inertias says that if you have a lot of money, it makes you quicker than when you have just enough to live on. Portia has never worked and thus not know what it is like to suffer. 3. Portia believes it is good to follow proper advice for the heart is sometimes ruled by emotions. 4.Portrait's father said in his will that the man who wants to marry her must choose one of three caskets. The right one shall have a picture of Portia in it. 5. She refused them cause of her father's will and the fact that she did not like them. 6. Yes, she does. 7. The caskets that is made out of lead, because her father wants a husband for her who doesn't want her for her money, but who really loves her for who she is. 9 February The Merchant Of Venice: Act 1, Scene 3 1 . Shylock means that Antonio is a good man because he is wealthy and it is safe risk to take to give him the money.He always pays his debts. 2. It is shown in Schlock's declaration that he will not eat or dine with them because they might give him pork to eat. 3. Antonio lends money to people without interest, which shows he is a giving, generous, caring and honest man. 4. Own answer -? must be well motivated. (Remember, during the Elizabethan times, it was acceptable. ) 5. Shylock hates Antonio because, 6. He is a Christian, 7. Antonio has openly criticized Schlock's usury because Antonio does not ask it, 8. He has spit on Shylock and treated him like a mongrel's dog. 9.He repeats the terms and conditions of the loan several times. He pretends to have no mon ey (he would borrow it from Tuba) and he greets him too politely. 10. Appearance vs.. Reality, Money lending vs.. Friendship, Mercy vs.. Justice. Love vs.. Friendship, Comedy vs.. Tragedy, Materialism vs.. Spiritualism. 11. He will lend three thousand ducats to Antonio for three months, and if he cannot repay it, Shylock will take a piece of flesh from Notation's body any. Veer he wants to. 12. Bastion does not like the terms at all. It reveals that he truthfully cares more about his friend than the money. 13.Antonio is sure his merchant ships will be in Venice a full month before the end of the contract and it will be worth 9 times the value of the loan. 14. No, he feels a fair bargain from a sly person is worse than an unfair deal from an honest person. He feels Shylock is a villain and not able to be â€Å"fair†. May The Merchant Of Venice: Act 2, Scene 1 1 . They are living under the same sun thus they are both used to a life of luxury. 2. She cannot say that she likes or dislikes it – she is not influenced by her eyes prejudice. 3. She tells us that she places the Prince of Morocco on an equal footing with her other suitors.From the previous act, we know she does not think very highly of them either. This supports the theme of Prejudice. 4. It could make him a man blessed (with a beautiful wife and money) or ill fated. Thus, he dislikes the idea of having fate decide his future. 5. He makes him swear never to marry. May The Merchant Of Venice: Act 2, Scene 2 1. He compares him to the devil himself. 2. Bastion is a kind master and a Christian but Shylock ill-treats him. Bassoon's servants wear beautiful uniforms. 3. Old Gobo treats his son with respect and dignity (â€Å"young master') but Shylock mistreats him.Gobo wants to help his son to a better work, and he forgives his son for playing tricks on him. 4. Lancelot says that Bastion is full of mercy and kindness -? unlike Shylock. Bastion is not there for the money. 5. No, it is very unlik e him. We can forgive him for his rude behavior because that is what makes him unique and his friends do not mind his faults. 3 May The Merchant Of Venice: Act 2, Scene 3 1 . Lancelot was the comic relief to her miserable life. 2. With Lorenz. 3. It is surprising because Lorenz is a Christian and Jessica is a Jew – usually these two religions do not agree.Lorenz is a friend of Notation's and Shylock will thus never approve of their love. It was totally unheard of. 4. She loves him – he is her father – but she does not like his behavior or methods. 3 May The Merchant Of Venice: Act 2, Scene 4 1. She will disguise herself as a boy. 2. She will bring some money – in this case, some of her fathers gold and eels. 3 May The Merchant Of Venice: Act 2, Scene 5 1 . He thinks they want to flatter him because of his wealthy and to thank him for the three thousand ducats. 2. He wants to use the opportunity to secretly scorn and mock the Christians' manners.He wants t o watch in hatred as Bastion wastes the money. 3. We know now that he is only interested in himself, that his daughter is nothing more than a commodity and he is fine with treating his servants badly. He is stingy, materialistic, mean, dull, too serious and filled with hate. 4. Shakespeare wants to show that, if both parties agree, Christians and Jews can get long quite nicely. He tried to bridge the racial prejudice by making a Jew and a Christian fall in love – love can overcome hatred and religious differences. 3 May The Merchant Of Venice: Act 2, Scene 6 1 .He loves her too much and she is wise, fair and trustworthy. 2. Bastion and is on his way to Belmont with a ship and the wind is now favorable for him to set sail immediately. 3. He wants to see Inertias, his love interest. 4. His first concern is the money – he might be infatuated with Portia, but it is not clear yet. 3 May The Merchant Of Venice: Act 2, Scene 7 1. 1)†Who choosiest me, shall gain what man y men desire†. )†Who choosiest me, shall get as much as he deserves†. 3) â€Å"Who choosiest me, must give and hazard all he hath†. 2. A picture of Portia. . 1) He does not want to take a risk with lead – it is worthless and it will be foolish. He does not want to risk everything without gaining something in the process. 2) It says the one who chooses it, will get what he deserves – and he knows he deserves Portrait's hand in marriage because he has a beautiful complexion, good manners and he is a good lover. He does not choose it, because he feels its worth will not be enough include Portia. 3) He feels hat he deserve more than just a casket – wants the casket that is worthy of Portia herself.Gold is more worthy than silver and Portia is worth more than any other woman. 4. He did not choose the right one and he was leaving immediately. 22 July The Merchant Of Venice: Act 2, Scene 8 2. 3. 4. He is angry because she went with a Christian and she took some of his jewels and money. He is also upset because he has lost a daughter. Own answer – it is difficult to say, maybe it was a double blow to him? Shylock might change the terms of their agreement – and if Antonio cannot repay the money, Shylock might not show him any mercy. He might just now claim â€Å"the pound of flesh† immediately.

Hr Case Crisis Study

Human Resource Management Critical Incident Case on Trackon Couriers Pvt. Ltd Course Details Co Prepared By: Case on Trackon Couriers Pvt. Ltd Abstract: – The case discusses about the requirement for different management styles at different phase of an organisation and highlights a situation how once effective Managers can become a problem for the organisation if they are not trained and updated with changing environment and organisational goals. Also, the case discusses about the requirement for performance parameters in all aspects of business. New Delhi – December 31st 2005 – Just returning after his regular badminton game Mr. P. K. Anand Managing Director and CEO of Trackon Couriers Pvt. Ltd was sweating in spite of five degree Celsius temperature outside. He had a very tuff decision to make – either to compromise on the company’s existence or to go against the interest of his once blue eyed boys. Obviously as an entrepreneur he wanted to save the company. Having taken the decision he wanted to decide on the strategy to be adopted, he had invited his colleagues for the New Year eve party which is also going to be an important meeting to decide in the company’s future. Company Back Ground: – Trackon Couriers Pvt. Ltd founded by Mr. Anand in December 2004 amidst of crisis in management of On-Dot Couriers Pvt. Ltd, headed by him. Mr. Anand erstwhile agent of DTDC Courier started On- Dot Couriers along with his business partner Mr. Dinesh Rautela in April’ 1993. Though it was though time to hold on to Business Mr. Anand sustained and made it a Limited Company in 1999 adding three more directors to the board Mr. Y. K. Dabas, Mr. P. K. Singh and Mr. Lokesh Anand younger brother of Mr. P. K. Anand. Shares of the Company were distributed as follows: – Mr. P. K. Anand 32 % Mr. Lokesh†¦

Political Participation and Representation of Women in Indian Politics Essay

Women’s participation in mainstream political activity has important implications for the broader arena of governance in any country. Governance relates to a set of rules, institutions, and values that are involved in the management of state and society. Governance institutions and processes include political parties, parliaments, government and their interactions with society. Although governance is a generic term which could mean good government or management, the governance values, types of government, the nature of political processes, the political parties and organizations, which/whose interests are represented and protected, and the extent of power that the masses have to challenge the state or in suggesting alternatives in methods of governance etc. may vary in different political systems. Liberal democracy is founded on reason, law, and freedom of choice but the position of different social groups in the social and political space where power is located is not always equal in practice. This is particularly so in the case of women. The nature of society or state has a decisive impact on the extent and effectiveness of women’s political presence and participation. Notions of democracy, governance and the state are often not gender neutral constructs but result from both historical factors and experiences. The state and its organizational entities reflect the same social forces as other social organizations. It is thus necessary to examine the gender balance in women’s participation in the political process, decision making and policy formulation. The limited nature of female participation and representation in national decision making institutions has important consequences for women and for the legitimacy of the institutions. Where women constitute half the population in a political system which supports equality and where both women and men are legally eligible for political office, women’s participation should be equal to that of men. If this is not the case, it signifies deep flaws within the political system. Representation is not only a means of ensuring individual participation. It is also the responsibility of the representatives to act on behalf of the constituents, including women, who elected them and reflect their ideas and aspirations. Women’s disproportionate absence from the political process would mean that the concerns of half the population cannot be sufficiently attended to or acted ? Rtd Principal, Daulat Ram College for Women, University of Delhi, Delhi University of Delhi BA Programme II Foundation Course 2 Human Rights, Gender & Environment pon as it denies their viewpoints sufficient opportunity to be integrated in the political system. While the Indian democratic state is committed to the protection of individual rights within the context of citizenship, a closer look at how it operates for the women reveals that these rights are not accessible in the public and private spheres in their full potential to all the women in India. There are historical, social and cultural factors that have limited women’s capacity and chances to exercise their freedom to participate in the political processes. The evolution of Indian democracy through the 14 general elections so far has reflected a low representation of women in Parliament, State legislatures, in political parties and other decision-making bodies. The under representation of women in the political sphere is inextricably linked with the low and inferior status of women in society in India especially in the context of the declining sex ratio (Table 1), increasing violence and crimes against women and their marginalized status in employment, education and health sectors. (Human Development in South Asia:2000). The comparative position of gender-related development index (GDI) reveals that among 177 countries, India ranks 113th, indicating its very low gender-equity status as evident from the Table below: Table : Comparative Position of Gender-related Development Index of Selected Countries Adult literacy rate (%age 15 & above) 2004 g enrolment ratio for primary, secondary & tertiary. Although the gap between male and female literacy rates has been narrowing, there is still very large disparity in this regard. While male literacy rate in India is 75. 3 per cent, female literacy rate is only 53. 7 per cent. It is even worse among Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST). Among, the SC 50 per cent males are literate, while only 24 per cent females can read and write and among ST, 41 per cent males and only 18 per cent females are literate. An average Indian woman has little control over her own fertility and reproductive health. More women are illiterates compared to men and more women drop out of school. There are fewer women in the paid workforce than men. Women’s work is undervalued and unrecognized. Women work longer hours than men and carry the major share of household and community work which is unpaid and invisible. Women and men earn unequal wages. Women are legally discriminated against in land and property rights. Women face violence inside and outside the family throughout their lives. Most women in India have very little say in decisions affecting their own lives. The cumulative effect of all this is that women tend to lack the self-confidence and skills needed to function effectively in the public sphere. (Sen, Kalyani Menon &. Shiva Kumar A. K: 2001). The under representation of women and absence of women from positions of power and decision-making reinforces their exploitation and deprivation. It is in this context that women’s greater political representation becomes all the more necessary. Political Participation and Representation of women in India Women in India raised the issue of representation in politics first in 1917. At that time it was basically a demand for universal adult franchise and political participation. By 1930 women had gained the Right to vote, which initially benefited women from elite families. Women’s involvement in struggles for political and civil rights in India were however sought to be linked to nationalist movements in alliance with males against the common foreign enemy. In any case women’s involvement in nationalist struggles changed their lives in that even though they were denied equal opportunities to shape the new state, they gained constitutional and legal rights. But even after the right to vote became a reality for all women, their representation in the parliament, political parties and other decision making bodies remained low even after independence, and after the Indian Constitution came into force in 1950. (Susheela Kaushik:1993:1996,Veena Mazumdar:1993). A few women no doubt attained University of Delhi BA Programme II Foundation Course 4 Human Rights, Gender & Environment positions as members of parliament and state legislatures and as leaders of opposition, etc. mostly through family dynasties or through male political patronage. However, the percentage of women in legislatures and decision making positions always remained low. Women do not share the power of decision- making and are not involved in policy making in Indian democracy in proportion to their numerical strength. Thus there is a gap between the formal idea of women’s participation and their meaningful use of power. (Susheela Kaushik:1993). The quest for greater political representation of women is, therefore, still relevant. (Asha Kapur Mehta et al:2001) Women in India have lesser opportunities of public influence or for entering politics. Women also lack opportunities to move within the hierarchies without patronage of male leaders or mentors. The women’s wings of political parties may have given visibility to women in the form of a platform for participation rather than integrating them into central power structures. Women do not have necessary resources to enter and compete in contemporary political arena. Thus improved social indicators in development graphs may not automatically ease women’s access to political power or improve political participation and representation. They do not necessarily translate into collective gains nor sustained political power. Of course the scope for women’s public activism varies across class, caste and region in India. The effectiveness of women’s participation also depends on the local configuration of power and cultural environment apart from problems of poverty, illiteracy, lack of economic resources, negative social and legal environments, family and household pressures, male dominated bureaucracy and politicians that the women face. The case for women’s wider participation and representation Women in India constitute nearly half the population of the country (Table 1), but they are poorly represented in the various governance and decision making bodies. The position depicted through the 14 general elections so far reflects a low representation of women in Parliament, State legislatures, in political parties and other decision-making bodies. Less than 8% of Parliamentary seats, less than 6% Cabinet positions, less than 4% of seats in High Courts and the Supreme Court, have been occupied by women. Less than 3% of the administrators and managers are women. The average percentage of women’s representation in the Parliament, Assemblies and Council of Ministers taken together has been around 10%. UNIFEM:2000). The Indian Constitution guarantees to all women the fundamental right to equality (Article 14) and equal voting rights and political participation to both men and women. As reflected in the Preamble, the Indian Constitution is firmly grounded in the principles of liberty, fraternity, equality and justice and contains a number of provisions for the empowerment of women. Women’s right to equality and nondiscrimination are defined as justiciable fundamental rights (Article 15) and there University of Delhi BA Programme II Foundation Course 5 Human Rights, Gender & Environment is enough room for affirmative action programmes for women. Equality of opportunity in matters relating to employment or appointment to any office under the State is a fundamental right (Article 16). The Directive Principles of State Policy stress on the right to an adequate means of livelihood for both men and women equally (Article 39a), equal pay for equal work for both men and women (Article 39d), provision for just and humane conditions of work and for maternity relief (Article 39e). Directives for promoting harmony and renouncing practices derogatory to the dignity of women are also provided for in the Indian Constitution. The political rights of women are recognized without any discrimination, or distinction and they have the right to participate in decision making at all levels equally with men. The right to constitutional equality has been supplemented by legal equality by the passage of a number of Acts through which the traditional inequalities in respect of marriage, divorce and property rights are sought to be eliminated. However, in spite of these constitutional and legal provisions, the ground reality is that women have not obtained adequate and proportionate representation in the legislative and other decision-making bodies. There is certainly a need for women’s more effective role in decision-making processes for the democratic and constitutional assurances of equal citizenship and rights in the Indian Constitution to become a reality at the operational level. Citizenship is linked to political participation and representation. Lack of ability and opportunity to participate in the political system implies a lack of full membership in the system. For true equality to become a reality for women, the sharing of power on equal terms with men is essential. But the reality is that women continue to be marginally represented even in areas where the various policies have a direct impact on them. There is still a great gap between constitutional guarantees and the actual representation of women in the political system in India Political Mobilization and Participation Historically many women have been active in the informal political sphere in terms of political mobilization and they have participated in large numbers in political demonstrations and mass agitations as well as in the activities of nationalist and political bodies and organizations. The political mobilization and participation of women has been impressive in the Indian National Movement, in revolutionary Left movements, anti-price rise stirs, on legislation on rape, against the practice of widow immolation, in the anti-liquor movements and movements against deforestation etc. During the National Movement against colonialism women were mobilized actively particularly under Gandhi’s leadership and women’s organizations within the political parties participated actively in the cause against colonialism for instance in the Civil Disobedience Movements and Salt Satyagraha etc. But once freedom was won, the women’s wings were more or less marginalized and assigned areas that primarily dealt with women and children or other ‘welfare’ activities and women’s organizations ended up playing University of Delhi BA Programme II Foundation Course 6 Human Rights, Gender & Environment a secondary and supportive role to the male leadership in power. The leaders of such organizations were seldom women with independent political careers unless they were from political families with the backing of male political activists. It is worth noting that the political mobilization of women and their participation in elections has steadily increased since the first General Elections of 1952. (Table 2, 3, 4 & 5). Between 1952 –1980 for instance, women’s participation increased by 12% against the turnout of men which increased by only 6%. In the general elections of 2004, the all India percentage of women voter turnout was 48%. As regards women voters’ turnout, from 37. 1 per cent in the first general elections in 1952 it increased gradually over the years to 55. 6 by 1999. Notably, the gap between female and male voters was 15. 9 per cent in 1952, but it decreased slowly over successive elections and came down to 8. 4 per cent in 1996 (Table 3). It has remained at 8. 3 per cent in 2004 general elections. (Deshpande: 2004) This percentage increase in the turnout of women in elections has however not ranslated into a larger number of women being represented in the legislative bodies. Competitive elections and democracy has not necessarily led to better political representation of women in Indian politics. The candidates fielded by the various political parties are still predominantly male and women account for only five to ten percent of all candidates across parties and regions. As reflected in Table 6, the percentage of representation of women in the Lok Sabha varies from 4. 4 in 1952 to 8. 1 in 1984, declining to 5. 2 in 1989, rising to 7. 9 in 1998 and 9. 2 in 1999 and again declining to 8. 1 in 2004. In Rajya Sabha, proportion of female members started with 7. 3 per cent in 1952 and rose to 15. 5 per cent in 1991, but again declined to 6 per cent in 1998 and rose to 10. 3 per cent in 2005, again slightly declining to 9. 9 per cent in 2006. (Table 7). On the whole the representation of women in Parliament (Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha) and the State Assemblies remains low. (Tables 8, 9 & 10). Thus despite the increase in electoral participation of women, their representation in the formal political structures has not changed much. Table 11) Though voting is an important indicator of political participation and mobilization, it is not necessarily indicative of representation. Voting is a tool of political equality and it mobilizes women but voting by itself d oes not result in the desired end of equality. Almost all parties vie with each other in appealing to women’s votes at the time of elections but very few women get to contest in the elections. Almost all parties hesitate to field women candidates. Hence the number of women candidates fielded by various political parties has always been very low as compared to their numbers in the population. Table 12) Though a large number of women participate in voting, their low numbers in decision making bodies including those of political parties in India is notable. (Table 14) Among women who manage to rise in the political echelons, in spite of their ability in administration and the art of political articulation, very few women reach the level of cabinet ministers. Mostly they remain deputy ministers or ministers of state. When women reach the few ministerial positions, they are generally assigned University of Delhi BA Programme II Foundation Course Human Rights, Gender & Environment portfolios in the social service sectors of Health, Education, Social Welfare, Women and Child Development etc. (Human Development in South Asia:2000) Representation By the 1980s, issues raised by the women’s movements in India led to political part ies realizing the importance of female voters and women’s wings became active. Mainstream political parties became conscious of women as a constituency and this was reflected in their election manifestoes and their considering women as candidates with potential votes. By the ninth Lok Sabha elections in 1989, one could find a conscious focus on women’s issues in the manifestoes of political parties. However, this did not translate into more seats for women in the political bodies and most parties resorted to tokenism and symbolism when it came to representation of women. Women issues were not taken up by parties in a serious manner nor translated into programmes, policies and legislation nor were they mandated specifically to address issues of women. Almost all political parties set up a women’s cell or wing but they worked as ancillary bodies. Very few women were able to capture seats of power. The number of women in the legislatures remained very small. Very few women reached the position of party president or leader of legislative party. (Ranjana Kumari:1994). More recently major political parties have indeed made a conscious effort to induct more women into the various levels of the party organization. The CPM has made an effort to induct more women into its district committees and state level bodies. The membership of women in the party however remains below 10%. But the membership of women in mass organizations as the Kisan Sabha and the CITU has shown an improvement. The CPM changed its stance on gender-based reservation only after 1988. The BJP had the highest percentage of women in decision-making bodies from the Parliamentary Board and the Election Committee down to the ward level. (Rita Manchanda:1998). Traditionally, the Congress Party has fielded the largest number of women candidates and has had the largest number of women members in Parliament though the Congress working Committee has a rather low level of representation of women. In spite of the efforts of political parties to induct more women, the extent of representation of women has not changed much. The number of women candidates in the 1998 parliamentary elections was not even half the number of women in the 1996 elections. In 1998 there were only 274 women candidates as against 599 in the 1996 elections. In the general elections in 1999, the same proportion of women were put up for elections by both the parties favoring the 84th Amendment Bill on the reservation for women in Parliament and the parties which were opposed to it. (Rita Manchanda:1998). The Congress Party led by a woman had only 10% of women among the candidates. The BJP and the CPM had 7% of women among the candidates. Jayati Ghosh:1999). The idea of 33% reservation for women in parliament was actively endorsed by most of the major University of Delhi BA Programme II Foundation Course 8 Human Rights, Gender & Environment political parties and this had raised expectation that many more women would be nominated to contest the elections. The election manifestoes and the public pronouncements of parties as well as th e print and electronic media highlighted the idea of women’s representation by reservation or by nomination of more women for elections signifying a more conscious political stand on women’s representation. However, these stances did not translate actually into more nomination of women candidates during elections. Many parties ended up allotting some seats to women candidates only as a token and to symbolize their pro women egalitarian policy. (Table 12) In the inner party structures in the decision-making levels and the posts within the party, women are even less represented in most political parties. Women have a very low representation if at all in the actual decision-making bodies and rarely influence the more significant party policies (Table 14). Most often they are relegated to the ‘women’s wing’ of the party where they are required to deal with what are considered to be â€Å"women’s issues’ such as dowry and rape cases and sometimes on more general concerns like price rise which are considered to affect ‘housewives’. Issues like child and family welfare are largely seen as women issues, and falling in a realm which is not political. By and large a masculine view of political priorities is in operation. Most of the women’s wings of political parties have very little power and have hardly any say in the decision making and important policy matters. Political parties assert that it is difficult to get sufficiently qualified women candidates. Other arguments have also been advanced. It has been held that women are not independent voters; a majority of them are illiterate; a majority of them make their choice on the basis of suggestions from male members of their families-husbands or sons; women lack information and political awareness or that women are not politically conscious. On the other hand, in reality women have been active and vocal both in times of peace and crisis. They have been active in movements of peace, women and child welfare, trade unionism, food adulteration, price rise and deforestation and many other issues. Power rather than Representation The real reason for the low political representation of women in the formal political structures and decision making levels, seems to lie in the compulsions of competitive elections and the quest for power by the political parties in a multiparty democracy. Increasingly the compulsions of the political parties due to narrow majorities, precarious coalitions and hung parliaments have made the question of power rather than that of representation the determining factor. Women’s issues and women’s participation and representation are encouraged only within the parameters of power and are constrained by the basic objectives and interest of the parties either to capture power or survival, if in power. While women are mobilized to vote by all the parties, at the stage of distributing tickets University of Delhi BA Programme II Foundation Course 9 Human Rights, Gender & Environment for standing for elections, the number of women drops dramatically. At this stage, political parties are driven more by power considerations with an eye on the ‘winnability’ of the candidates from the angle of the prospect of government formation. Women lose out at this stage as the imperative of ‘winnability’ seems to compel political parties to deny tickets to women unless they are sure to win. Women are considered to have less chances of winning, which is not necessarily true. In the 1996 elections, Uttar Pradesh had the largest number of women candidates contesting the elections: 55 for 85 seats. In Rajasthan 17 women contested in 25 constituencies. Orissa had 10 for 21 constituences and in West Bengal, 21 women contested in 42 constituencies. However Kerala with better social indicators including female literacy had only 4 women contesting. A total of 599 women contested the elections. With all this women constituted only 3. 4% of the total number of contestants. In 1998 there were only 274 women candidates out of a total of 4750 candidates contesting the elections. In 1999, out of 284 women who contested, 49 won, the success rate being 17. 3% and for men it was 11. 3 %. Women therefore had a better percentage of winning. In the General Elections of 2004, out of 355 women who contested from the main Political Parties, 44 won, the success rate being 12. 4 % whereas men’s success rate was 9. 8 %. (Table 5). It is interesting to note that though the number of women representatives in Parliament has not been very impressive their success rate in terms of percentage of contestants getting elected had always been igher than that of the male contestants. Women of Power and Women in power in Indian Politics In spite of the low political representation of women in Indian politics, it must be noted that some women leaders have an important place in Indian politics today. Jayalalithaa as leader of AIADMK, Mamata Bannerji as leader of Trinamul Congress and Mayawati as leader of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) are instances in point. Some of them head impor tant and strong regional political parties which have been in alliance with major national political parties both outside and in national government. Even though the rise of some of these women leaders might be linked to their proximity to male leaders, they now hold a position of leadership within the party in their own right who can influence the decisions of their own party as well as the course of national politics. In addition, the example of Indira Gandhi who rose to be Prime Minister of India, and later of Sonia Gandhi, leader of the Congress Party, both of whom had the dynastic advantage underpinning their leadership and position of power and decision-making in the Congress Party and the government can hardly be ignored. But the positions of authority of these women leaders did not include any specific mandate to address only women issues. In this sense as leaders of political parties, they were as power driven as their male peers. Political leadership by women is not University of Delhi BA Programme II Foundation Course 10 Human Rights, Gender & Environment dramatically different from that of men. Women leaders are no better or worse than men. Nor have women leaders been typically anxious to give greater representation to other women within their own organizations or in the political process generally. Representation of women has not necessarily increased greatly under the leadership of women. In fact interestingly the 73rd Constitutional amendment and the policy and implementation of 33% reservation for women in Panchayats received strong support and impetus due to Rajiv Gandhi’s interest and advocacy in the matter. Thus the Indian political system cannot be said to be non-receptive to the emergence and dominance of women leaders even though the political representation of women has not particularly registered a significant increase over the last 14 general elections. While on the one hand most women politicians have found it difficult to rise within male dominated party hierarchies, on the other hand some women have managed to become leaders when they have set up parties of their own. Once they have established themselves as leaders, there has been an unquestioning acceptance of their leadership and decisions by the party rank and file, even if it is largely male. Women in parliament or legislatures do not necessarily confine themselves to women issues only. In the absence of a specific mandate for representing women issues, most of them feel that they represent both men and women of their constituencies. Like men they are drawn into the game of power with all its ruthlessness even though women’s approach to politics may not be identical to that of men. In fact even the women’s wings or organizations of parties are not necessarily marked by kind of feminist perspective or sensitivity. Also, the patriarchal articulations whether by male politicians and leaders or internalized by women candidates in presenting themselves as ‘bahus’ and ‘betis’ relying on traditional patriarchal notions of femininity are not absent in Indian politics. Many times women public figures do adapt to and adopt male priorities predominating in public life in order to be acceptable. Many women internalize the norms and roles of patriarchal political structures and merely replicate them instead of questioning them, resulting in reinforcing existing hierarchies of power. Questions have been raised as to whether an increase in numerical strength of women in the political process and decision making bodies automatically leads to a qualitative shift in power and whether women on balance pay greater attention to the concerns of women more than male politicians. Problems of tokenism, visibility, marginality etc. are often discussed in referring to women as a ‘minority’ operating in a male domain. Women’s rights and responsibilities to participate equally in political life should not however be treated as a ‘minority’ issue. The political space must belong to all citizens – women and men. There is no doubt that fewer the women in public life the lesser the likelihood of distinctively female values, priorities and characteristics finding expression. Hence women’s involvement in political University of Delhi BA Programme II Foundation Course 11 Human Rights, Gender & Environment process and decision-making in greater numbers can make a significant difference. Does that mean that only people similar to a group can represent its interests? This may not necessarily be true. In this context it is important to examine what interests women in the public/political sphere are furthering. It could be argued that issues important to women could be reasonably represented as well by male Members of Parliament. But many strongly feel that without a sufficient female presence in the national and other decision making bodies, it seems unlikely that issues which women as a group are more prone to be faced with – concerning reproduction or challenging other inequalities within the social and economic sphere – would be adequately addressed. While it is considered important to bring women to positions of power, it is equally necessary to sensitize those in power whether men or women about gender. Along with this the importance of women’s economic independence, education and awareness and their improvement in the socio economic sphere can hardly be stressed. The restructuring of gender relations within both the family and society is an equally important step towards freedom, equality and justice. Representation through Reservation Various strategies have been proposed to further the political representation of women in India. From a reservation of 33% seats at various levels including the Parliament, it has also been suggested that political parties reserve 33% of their seats for women in the elections. The Bharatiya Janata Party recently announced such a reservation in its organization. However, it has been questioned whether women constitute an undifferentiated category and whether collective identification and mobilization of women as a ‘disadvantaged’ group in general on the basis of gender is a viable proposition in the politically accepted sense of the term particularly in view of caste and class differences among them. Mere presence of women in Parliament even if greater in numbers will not mean much unless they are truly representative of women’s concerns covering all categories. In the ongoing debate about reservation of seats for women in the Parliament it has been pointed out that an undifferentiated reservation for women will reinforce the existing inequalities in women’s access to positions of power. It is the elite and politicized families from which there is a smooth entry for women in politics. Women playing supportive roles to males in the family and emerging from their shadows have also found easy entry. Another trend has been the entry of widows of prominent political figures into politics and positions of power. On the whole the important factors for women’s active presence in politics in India as trends show are in general: family background, political influence, family financial position, existing involvement in politics, literacy, local conditions, campaign strategy, influence within the party and personality traits etc. rather than only competence, capability and merit. The combined result of all these factors is that very few women manage to get or are given party tickets. If the factors of University of Delhi BA Programme II Foundation Course 12 Human Rights, Gender & Environment economic dependence, prohibitive election costs, threats of violence and character assassination are added, even fewer can get seats in the legislature. In any case, it is argued by those in favour of reservation, there is no doubt that democracy and representation will be strengthened with compulsorily more presence of women through reservation. This is evident from the impact of the implementation of 33% reservation of seats for women in the local bodies (panchayats) in India by the 73rd Constitutional Amendment as a result of which the representation of women in the formal structures of governance at the local level has recorded a steady increase. (Table 13). Women’s presence at the decision making levels will not only enhance the status of women but will also strengthen democratic traditions and make democracy more meaningful in fighting injustice and oppression while at the same time help to bring a different, explicitly female perspective to the political arena. Unless women are brought into the decision-making levels directly, important women issues will never be tackled with the seriousness they require. In addition, democracy demands the regard for not only the interests of those who support in elections but also the aspirations of those who expect to be represented. The recognition of the right of every citizen to participate in public decisions is a basic element of democracy, which, to be effective, requires that the needs and interests of all members of the society are respected and represented. Even if others might claim to represent them, there is no guarantee of justice and equity if one half of the population is consistently excluded from taking part fully in decision making as is the case with women in Indian politics and governance. There is therefore need for more inclusive processes of achieving representation. The value of inclusion of women in governance and decision-making institutions lies in the diversity of experiences women will bring to governance whether there are ‘female’ concerns or not. Comprehensive representation would be obtained if women constituting half the population find a proportionate number of seats in government. Conclusion It is important to stress that like the equal right to vote, participation and representation in legislative bodies may not in itself be enough for women’s political empowerment or to remedy the problems of discrimination faced by women in Indian society. Equality with equity is a goal which may not easily be achieved only by high representation of women in legislatures and other public bodies but has to be buttressed by other supportive measures. Even so, the demand for reservation of seats for women in political bodies to rectify the imbalance has gained strength in India in the light of persisting gender gaps in the various spheres of development. In the absence of any serious political selfcorrection so far, the demand for reservation of seats in legislatures and party structures has been stressed in India aiming at such an equitable representation. University of Delhi BA Programme II Foundation Course 13 Human Rights, Gender & Environment While the steady increase in the electoral participation and mobilization of women in India has increased the visibility of women in the legislative politics this has not happened in the exercise of executive and judicial power due to their lack of presence in the decision making structures. From this perspective, the important question is what are the benefits of democracy for women.. Electoral participation and quotas through affirmative action alone are not enough to result in gender equity.

Disneyland Resort Paris Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Disneyland Resort Paris - Case Study Example From this discussion, it is clear that the target markets of Disney resorts and parks comprise of consumers of all ages since it is an attraction designed to entertain and enchant guests of all ages. However, in order to focus on customers of different age and gender, there are designs of an outpost of creativity, discovery, and entertainment. Nevertheless, Disney resorts focus mainly on children below the age of fourteen, through the main campaign’s direct marketing towards children. Therefore, despite attempts to stir the interests of the adult celebrity portraits series, adult demographics are broadcasted on television and other advertisements. In addition, there are the campaign’s commercials, the slick publicity images that are aimed at children demographics, thus leaving incentives for children below six years to visit the parks. Disneyland in Paris was established in 2006, whereby it consisted of three parks, which include Disney village, Disney land Paris and Di sney Studio Park. In fact, the Village had stores and restraints, while the Disneyland Paris had the main theme park and the Studio Park was focused on movie making a theme. Nevertheless, this was a mistake, since there were numerous factors posing challenges to the establishment of Disneyland in Paris. At the beginning of the project, there were concerns, whereby it was subjected to criticism. In fact, when the announcement was made concerning the building of the park in France, some of the citizens were not supporting the idea. The project was being referred to as the "Cultural Chernobyl† due to the claims that it would affect the French cultural values.

Technology discuss about ( IGES) & (X3D) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Technology discuss about ( IGES) & (X3D) - Essay Example The researcher compared the results between IGES and Web-Based 3D XML format after carrying the observations. This study collected secondary data was collected prior to the study to analyze and compare with findings of research already conducted in this field. 3D XML is a lightweight XML-based standard. It uses NURBS to represent graphic objects such as freeform surfaces and tessellating polygons. XML schema also includes product geometry, structure, and graphical display properties (3D XML 2008). Enables authors and designers to convey 3D information from various systems using a simpler and more direct syntax than straight VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language (An Approach to Accessing Product Data across System and Software Revisions, 2007) The IGES format is a neutral data format used to transfer the design to a dissimilar system. IGES is a commonly used for data interchange of 2D and 3D CAD model. It is also used to illustrate simple figures of CAD or "drawing" applications. IGES files include parameters of the IGES object such as; its version number, model size, and encoded elements. In March 1994, The IGES Project committee approved the registration of the format as a MIME data type. The above discussion highlights the existence of more advantages than disadvantages when comparing 3D XML to other formats. It also highlights the more advantages than disadvantages of IGES’s. This is mainly because of its comprehensive coverage and user friendly features such as its simple control strategies. It is concluded that advantages of IGES outweighs its

Why High School Athletics are Important Research Paper

Why High School Athletics are Important - Research Paper Example Unfortunately, some high schools institutions have opted out of sports, with the reason of spending more resources on academics. It is of no doubt that academics is the primary reason for education and should be given the primary priority; but sports is important to the lives of students as well as far as their human development is concerned. There are ways athletics as sports can benefit the lives of the involved students in ways that the educators, parents and students cannot even realize. When some students engage in such sporting activities for the recognition, love for the games and other reasons, there are many other benefits accruing from these sporting activities that can turn out to be of great importance to the community at large. People become motivated in so many and different forms. Athletics serves as a very powerful tool to extrinsically motivate students. Some students underperform in classes due to lack of extrinsic motivators that the educators can apply to boost their academic morale (Stein p52). Some students perceive academics as of secondary course in school, but embraces sports. In this case, some high schools have resorted to raising grades and specific performance, for example, 60% and above to consider students as qualified to participate in sports. These students would, therefore, strive to attain the performance level set by the educators in order to have a slot in extracurricular activities. Consequently, they will perform better that they would have otherwise without athletics (Ekeler p75). Athletics has also played a greater role in ensuring that the students stay out of trouble. Athletics serve, as motivators of enabling students remain disciplined through schooling. When students misbehave, they are suspended from participating in sports; or expelled, and this motivates them to maintain their best behavior. The prospect of participating in athletics is an effective tool for deterring students from making wrong

Operations management Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Operations management - Term Paper Example Tactical issues are inclusive of structure and layout of the plant, methods of project management, selection of equipment, and their replacement. Operational issues, on the other hand, include control and scheduling of production, management of inventory, control and inspection of quality, handling of materials and traffic, and policies for the maintenance of equipment. This paper aims to discuss the theoretical approaches of operation management and then provides an analysis of the manner in which a restaurant, Tasty Delights, can ensure that their suppliers meet their need for raw materials and also provides an analysis of the operation techniques to be employed in both quality and supply. Introduction Operation management carefully focuses on process management in production and distribution of services (Brown et al, 2008:98). Overall activities are inclusive of creation of products, development, and management of products and services. Activities related to this include quality c ontrol, storage, process evaluation, and logistics. The greatest focus is on process effectiveness and efficiency. Operations management is inclusive of substantial analysis and measurement of internal processes. The nature of operations management is dependent on the services or products that the organization deals with. Operations management is made up of various parts that enable the organization to run smoothly and achieve its set goals (Waters, 2009:198). These include: Procurement practices which deal with the guidelines for the purchase of various products and materials form vendors and suppliers including insurance, legal services, computers and others. Management control and coordinating function which includes a wide range of operations aimed at ensuring that the goals set by the organization are being met consistently in an efficient and effective fashion (Waters, 2009:198). Product and service management which focuses on the entire organization’s operations rather than the management of a service or a product seen in service and product management for food service industries (Waters, 2009:198). Quality management which is vital in the operations management effectiveness with emphasis on continuous improvement. Quality advances including total quality management and benchmarking have resulted in the operations management advances as well (Waters, 2009:199). Distribution channels which deal with distribution means and depends on the nature of the service or product (Waters, 2009:199). Enterprise resource planning which refers to utilization of software applications in the integration of external and internal functions of the organization. Via the facilitation of information flow between HR, inventory control, and accounting, decision making, and planning are made easier (Waters, 2009:199). Facilities management since the effectiveness of operations management is dependent on the effective management of buildings, signage, computer systems, lig hting and others (Waters, 2009:200). Supply chain management which is the combination of science and art for the improvement of an organization’s raw components that it needs for the making of service and products and delivery to the customers (Waters, 2009:200). It has five basic components which are; planning, sourcing of supplies, making or manufacturing, delivery, and return of defective products. This paper will aim to discuss these

Effects of Globalization on Regional Security Essay

Effects of Globalization on Regional Security - Essay Example Communication and transportation have acted as a catalyst for globalization. Communication has enabled increased connectivity among the global communities. Transportation has facilitated physical movement of people and merchandise. This has resulted in a globe connected in a dynamic manner (McGrew ND). Therefore, an event that occurs in one part of the globe will have repercussion on other countries. A terrorist attack will lead to global panic since it may lead to closure of many airports internationally. Similarly, the plummeting of the value of stocks in one of the key security market may culminate in similar occurrences in other markets. This write up will evaluate the impact of globalization on the regional security across the globe (Bardhan 2005, p. 50). Southern Sudan conflict Globalization has numerous consequences, which include an increase in international trade, weapons proliferation and cultural exchange. Some of these impacts of this phenomenon have affected regional sec urity in some regions globally (McGrew ND). This write up will highlight some of those examples across the globe. The discovery of crude oil in Southern Sudan brought excitement to that nation. Consequently, leading nations across the globe wanted to partake in the exploitation of this resource. However, the Southern Sudanese community felt short-changed in the sharing of the resultant funds. This resulted in a 21-year conflict in the southern part of Sudan. The conflict required constant supply of weapons to sustain the conflict. Globalization has culminated in the proliferation of weaponry globally. Consequently, there are unscrupulous individuals who trade in this kind of arsenal. Rebels do not buy weaponry legally consequently; they seek black-market traders. These traders denote proliferation of weapons since they work under no regulations hence; they sell to any client that pays the right price for such artillery. Therefore, the proliferation of weapons was a factor, which fue lled the Southern Sudan conflict, which lasted over two decades with massive human casualty. The proliferation of weapon resulted directly from globalization. Consequently, this conflict was a directly related to globalization. This conflict had a massive impact on regional peace in East Africa and resulted in instability in other parts of the region such as northern Uganda. Weapon acquired from the black market were vital since they ensured that the rebels could sustain the conflict (Stiglitz 2002, p. 90). Niger delta conflict Nigeria has massive oil reserve in the Niger delta, which is a mangrove. The oil generates massive foreign currency, which has contributed massively to that nation’s wealth. Foreign companies are involved in the exploitation of oil in that nation which resulted in rebels attacks in the areas. The rebels claim that the central government is not apportioning the resultant resources appropriately. Globalization has allowed international companies to inves t in various nations across the globe. This kind of investment denotes the impacts of globalization on the economic front. However, this has culminated in the rise of a conflict. The rebels claim that the companies, which exploit oil, fail to invest the massive returns in the delta region. Globalization has resulted in the elite global companies being the chief beneficiary of the

Understanding the career and role of health insurance professionals is Essay

Understanding the career and role of health insurance professionals is essential - Essay Example So this suggests that an accounting oriented job profile will suit me well. Having identified this possible career direction, I am yet open to explore other interesting options. I believe that sales and customer services are challenging options requiring dynamism and enterprise on part of the aspirant. As of now I only have limited exposure to health insurance. I’ve visited the websites of industry organization such as AAPC and AHIMA and carried out some preliminary research. I discovered to my pleasant surprise that the AAPC site is rich in learning resources. These include industry publications, peer-reviewed journals, relevant events and news, practical and learning tools, etc. I hope to consolidate my knowledge through a mix of practical experience and theoretical understanding through the duration of the course. I would ideally need a mix of I discovered that a career in health insurance offers opportunities for continuing education. Over the years the industry has embraced information technology for its processes. So keeping up-breast with latest advances in IT is a good idea. Keeping with this view, AAPC and AHIMA offer several diploma courses and supplementary training. I realize that no amount of training and theoretical learning is a substitute for real work experience. So even as I approach the course with enthusiasm, I am gearing up for lifelong learning in the actual business environment. Finally, health insurance professionals are not as well paid on average as doctors or engineers. However, the industrious professional can reach great heights. Those professionals who approach their job responsibilities with sincerity and honesty are most likely to

Proposing a solution to overcome the challenges of implementing Dissertation

Proposing a solution to overcome the challenges of implementing unified E- healthcare information system standards at Armed Forc - Dissertation Example The healthcare sector lacks the infrastructure to address the nation’s problems. Long-term planning is affected due to lack of reliable data on health facilities available in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The motivation for the study has arisen to evaluate how the situation can be improved in the armed forces sector, as this sector operates independent of the MOH. If the armed forces hospitals are able to effectively adopt and implement IT in the healthcare sector, the government too could be keen to emulate. Thus, with the aim to propose technological solutions to overcome the challenges in implementing the best healthcare system at the armed forces hospital in KSA, three objectives were set. Through extensive literature review and through a quality study based purely on secondary data, the study objectives have been achieved. Lack of funds, lack of a national regulatory body, shortage of national medical experts, lack of IT infrastructure, lack of standards across vendors, la ck of national data exchange plan are some of the barriers to adoption of healthcare standards in Saudi Arabia. Efforts have been made to identify the best healthcare systems in the world. Sweden appears to have the best e-healthcare strategy in the world. It even surpasses the healthcare system of the United States if the measure of quality is based on the life index of a country. Autonomy and medical data exchange are some of the other salient features in these two countries. Developing an efficient archetype, clinical process mapping and resource templates are some of the tools which have emerged as best practices in Sweden. Sweden now practices e-prescription and patient empowerment, both of which has reduced the patient healing time, reduced costs and enhanced efficiency. To implement such as strategy, training and support is essential to promote user engagement and user involvement during the system design stage. Shared vision is essential before any strategy can be implemente d. Transformational leadership is essential to challenge the existing assumptions. The study concludes that the situation in Saudi Arabia, though grim, is not insurmountable. Recommendations for an effective HIT strategy based on the findings of the study have been made. Table of Contents Chapter 1. Introduction page 1.1 Chapter Overview 1 1.2 Background 1 1.3 Rationale for Research 3 1.4 Research Aims & Objectives 4 1.5 Scope of the Study 5 1.6 Structure of the Study 5 Chapter 2. Background and Literature Review 2.1 Health-care background in Saudi Arabia 7 2.2 Health Information Technology 9 2.3 Barriers and Challenges in health-care standards 11 2.4 Background of health-care providers 15 2.5 Barriers to implementation of ICT in healthcare 18 2.6 Factors that influence healthcare technologies 20 2.7 Organizational Issues in adoption and implementation of IT innovation 21 2.8 Chapter Summary 23 Chapter 3. Methodology 3.1 Research Philosophy 24 3.2 Research Phenomenon 24 3.3 Research Design 25 3.4 Research Approach 27 3.5 Case Study Method – justification 27 3.6 Data Collection – justification for secondary research 29 3.7 Data Sources 29 3.8 Data Analysis 26 3.9 Reliability & Validity 30 3.10 Ethical Concerns 31 Chapter 4. Findings & Discussion 4.1 E-Health strategy and model from Sweden 32 4.2 Healthcare system in the United States 38 4.3 Data Analysis 43 4.4 Health-care success factors 44 4.5

Measuring Customer Satisfaction in the Hotel Industry Essay

Measuring Customer Satisfaction in the Hotel Industry - Essay Example This savaging effect of global economic crisis has proven to be a real challenge to the UK hotel industry. With a decline in demand due to decrease in the number of travellers, UK hotels are pushed to intensify their marketing strategies to tap the available market. One factor then that hotel owners should look at is how to drive the demand up basing on the quality of their products and services. A careful investigation of this aspect of hotel business is of paramount interest both to the government and to the private sectors as well. It is also essential information to the UK Hotel customers, both local and foreign. It is an interest to the government so that they will have information as to where to help in improving the customer relations of UK Hotels. While for the private sectors, this study will give valuable information as to how customer satisfaction can be improves, both in the hotel and in the non-hotel industry. This study specifically touches on the aspect of customer satisfaction from the UK Hotel Industry, particularly to know if hotels are aware of the level of their customers' satisfaction and to know what particular methods they use to ascertain this. It also aims to look whether customer satisfaction varies with the type of hotels as to local or international, and as to big, medium or small hotel Specifically, we wish to answer the following questions: a) Is customer satisfaction important in the UK hotel industry b) How important is customer satisfaction to UK hotels c) What is the level of implementation of customer related process within the hotel industry d) What is the level of awareness of the UK Hotels to TQM e) What methods of ensuring total quality are employed within the hotel f) What is the difference between local and international hotels in terms of customer satisfaction Small, medium and big THEORETICAL BASIS Business Dictionary defines customer satisfaction as "Degree of satisfaction provided by the goods or services of a firm as measured by the number of repeat customers" (BusinessDictionary.com). BNET Business Dictionary defines it as "the degree to which customer expectations of a product or service are met or exceeded" (CBS Interactive Inc.). The increase in competition is forcing more businesses to give much attention to satisfying the customers (Authenticity Consulting, LLC). Customer satisfaction in the UK was found to be a key weapon for competitive differentiation and customer retention (Horsnell 1998). Because of this, guest satisfaction is found to be a common practice as managers found out that excellent customer service is essential for their organization's health (Horsnell 1998). Customer satisfaction is the paramount criterion used to determine the quality that is actually given to customers through products/services and other accompanying services (Vavra 1997). More and more studies have revealed the importance of customer satisfaction. It is of great importance to business firms as it fuels repeat purchases and word-of-mouth recemmendation (H.W Berkman 1986). "Satisfaction reinforces positive attitudes toward the brand, leading to greater likelihood that the

Hamlet is known to be the most popular play written by Shakespeare Essay Example for Free

Hamlet is known to be the most popular play written by Shakespeare Essay Hamlet is known to be the most popular play written by Shakespeare. It is also, by a significant margin, the longest of Shakespeares plays. It has been translated to many languages and has become the subject of excited and critical debate more than any other work of literature. The play was written around 1602 or 1603 at a period of time when Elizabethan London was a melting pot of unique intellectual and artistic ferment. For Shakespeare at the turn of the century, when he addressed himself to the Hamlet story, contradiction and the uncertainty of attitude towards revenge would have been part of the air he breathed. He must also have been familiar with a considerable body of literature in which revenge was a central concern. Hamlet must have been written shortly after Julius Caesar (1599), another revenge play. At two moments in Hamlet the killing of Caesar is remembered. Julius Caesar had contained a vengeful ghost. Hamlet complicates the story by directing attention to three linked father-and-son pairs: old Hamlet and the prince who has inherited his name but not his kingdom, old Fortinbras and a son whose situation is similar to that of Hamlet but whose character is very different, Polonius and Laertes. All three fathers die by violence. All three sons feel responsible to take revenge, but the response of each to his task is completely different. There is also the absorbing debate about sexuality and sexual morality. As society continues to change the nature of that debate shifts but the basic issues dealt with in Hamlet remain fundamental to man and this is perhaps the reason why a four hundred year old text in Elizabethan English continues to excite people from so many different cultures and ideologies. Act 3 Scene 4 takes place in Gertrudes closet. Here a series of fast paced events takes place. Hamlet speaking daggers to his mother, Polonius murdered accidentally, Hamlets second and final meeting with the ghost, the re-joining of the mother-son bond all fall under this scene. Shakespeare makes this scene very important through the use of language, style, setting etc. This scene follows the play within a play performed by the players in Act 3 Scene 3. Hamlet had used the play to catch the conscience of the King. Hamlet aims to get both the King and Queens conscience through the play. He gets her by questioning Madam, how do you like this play? showing how he wants to make her feel guilty. Act 3 Scene 4 is somewhat a continuation of his quest to free his mother from her incestuous sin. It also follows Claudius plotting with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to kill Hamlet in England and Polonius plan to spy on Hamlet when he approaches his mother in the closet. The scene begins as a kind of dramatic parallel to Act 3 Scene 1: Polonius eavesdropping, Gertrude speaking to her son. As before with Ophelia Hamlet comes face to face with somebody to whom he was once close to but from whom he has been deliberately separated. The murder of King Hamlet and the marriage of Queen Gertrude all are the cause of this break-up. The discussion between mother and son, the only extended one in the play, concentrates upon how her sexual lust has led her to leave her wholesome brother for a mildewed ear. This is the only scene where mother and son are alone (excluding Polonius). Hence Shakespeare is able to bring out Hamlets feelings and opinions about his mothers incestuous crime. His opening lines itself show his mockery of the rhythm and the words of her reprimand. Hamlet turns the finger of accusation to her; he turns the tables on her through his language. Queen: Hamlet, thou hast thy father much offended. Hamlet: Mother, you have my father much offended. Queen: Come, come, you answer with an idle tongue. Hamlet: Go, go, you question with a wicked tongue. Hamlet also makes his purpose clear: You go not till I set you up on a glass where you may see the innermost part of you.

Mission And Vision Statements Commerce Essay

Mission And Vision Statements Commerce Essay We hear the words vision and mission every day, but what do this words really mean and how are they different from each other. To understand this question we have to look at the larger purpose of defining these words and how to apply their meaning to ensure that everybody who comes into contact with the company knows the organizations overall purpose and its primary objectives. The prime function of the mission and vision internally is to define the key measure or measures of the organizations success and its prime audience is the leadership team and stockholders. If we look at the Mission and Vision of a company in more detail we see that the mission is what an organization does, its action and we should think of the MISSION as managing with greatness and strength and improving everything on a daily basis. The VISION however is leading with inspiration and courage, being obsessed with future possibilities and to be positive about change. It creates that momentum of growing anticipation about the future, where change is seen as a step closer to that ideal picture of whats coming next. In opposite where a mission is a companys action the vision is what an organization would like to see happen as a result of the action taken as specified in its mission and looks forward (5 10 Years from now). The need for a Vision and Mission Statement Companys starts as nothing but an idea in someones mind and then turn into a physical reality. In order to get others actively working towards creating that physical reality, they must be able to see the vision; therefore, you must be able to see your own vision and know how to convey it. It is a desired future and can help to guide all stakeholders in the company who accept and understand it. As a shared vision it can be a great tool for building a sense of belonging and community in the company. However, if it is not shared it could result in employees who dont believe in the company and wont give their best effort.. Vision Statements also define the organizations purpose in terms of how they belief things should be done.) It communicates both the purpose and values of the organization and gives direction to emplyees about how they are expected to behave and inspires them to give their best. Shared with customers, it shapes customers understanding of why they should work with the organization. The vision should describe the desired future of the company as clearly as possible in terms of things such as: Demographics Shape, size and boundaries Markets, industries and clients Key partnerships and relationships Products and services People and work Competitive advantage Values Ates a picture of what leaders want the organisation to be in time and assist to align people and create a shared understanding for decision making.   This promotes awareness and understanding and will enhance the ability of people to make decisions appropriate to the achievement of the vision.   The goal should be to spread this understanding as widely as possible to create a shared understanding. Building out the vision creates a clearer strategic framework and give guidance for strategic development decisions.   Leaders should constantly be translating the vision into strategic initiatives, tactical actions and operational priorities that make it easy for all the people in the organisation to perform their work in such a way that it drives the entire organisation to the point where the vision becomes reality.   Strategic priorities may then be identified and decisions may be made.  Ã‚   Tactical decisions can also be made according to the strategic framework, underpinned by the strategic priorities.   Operational priorities may then be aligned with the tactical decisions at the appropriate time.   At the same time, leaders doing strategic, tactical and operational work must be able to keep their eyes on the guiding star of the vision. Not only does this approach align and focus leaders, it allows leaders at all levels to align and focus their people in pursuit of a consistent goal, with a clear understanding of why certain things are happening, what, when, where and how they are happening and what their own particular roles are.   This promotes focus, integration and co-ordination and creates an environment in which people can be empowered to take true ownership of their work. Next we take a look at the mission of a company. A Mission Statement defines the organizations purpose and primary objectives. Its prime function is internal to define the key measure or measures of the organizations success and its prime audience is the leadership team and stockholders. It should be well defined, so it can guide your business planned actions. It is important for any organization to spend time figuring out what their vision and mission are so that all parties involve understand what is expected of them. This insures that everyone is moving in the same direction. Taking the necessary time to assess these is critical because a company should be a body with many - parts, but only one mind. In a way, a mission is also a motivational aspect of a vision: it defines why the vision matter? and implies a set of governing values or principles. Much of what motivates and inspires people to make meaning and take action is contained in this why aspect. It also defines why it all matters to employees, contractors, partners, and management the internal customers. As a mission reflects human motivation, hopefully it helps people feel good, maybe even to feel inspired, about it. It must be kept current and alive. Strategic planning process: Steps involved Strategic planning is the core function in any company. Without a strategic framework the company will never know where it is going or why they are going there. However, there are many different models and steps available for the strategic planning process of a company and depend on how the specific company wants to implement it. One approach is summarized below. Agree on a strategic planning process. In this step all key role players should be present and should involved the following: An understanding of what strategic planning is and how it is done; Discuss its potential value to the company, in terms of providing a common vision and mission; Consider the costs of doing strategic planning, and what might need to be given up in order to develop a plan; Consider whether it will be a long-range plan or whether it may best focus on a short-term plan; Agree upon a process and establish responsibilities for the various steps in the process Set up a strategic planning committee and choose Carry out an environmental scan. This helps provide an understanding of how the organization relates to its external environment. The scan usually includes an external component identifying and assessing opportunities and threats in the external environment and an internal component assessing organizational strengths and weaknesses. This process is often referred to as SWOT: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Identify key issues, questions, and choices to be addressed as part of the strategic planning effort. This may mean specifying strategic issues or questions that the organization should address, and setting priorities in terms of time or importance. Define or review the organizations values, community vision, and mission. Be sure there is consensus on why the organization exists, what goals or outcomes it seeks to achieve what it stands for, and whom it serves. 5. Develop a shared vision for the organization. In some strategic planning efforts, a vision for the organization is developed after a vision for the community has been. 6. Develop a series of goals or organizational status statements which describe the organization in a specified number of years assuming it is successful in addressing its mission. It is usually a short step from the vision to goals sometimes the statements describing the vision are essentially goal statements. It is extremely valuable to transform the vision into a series of key goals for the organization, preferably in the form of status statements describing the organization. 7. Agree upon key strategies to reach the goals and address key issues identified through the environmental scan. The major emphasis should be on broad strategies, including current and new program, advocacy, collaborative, or other approaches. These strategies should be related to specific goals or address several goals. 8. Develop an action plan that addresses goals and specifies objectives and work plans on an annual basis. Once the longer-term elements of a strategic plan have been developed, it is time to ensure a specific work plan to begin implementation. 9. Finalize a written strategic plan that summarizes the results and decisions of the strategic planning process. There is no set format, but be sure to include the outputs of each major step. 10. Build in procedures for monitoring, and for modifying strategies based on changes in the external environment or the organization. Be sure progress towards goals and objectives and use of strategies is monitored regularly, with strategies revised and annual objectives developed yearly, based on the progress made, obstacles encountered, and the changing environment. Resources Grant Freedman (2009) Leveraging the organisations vision to align leaders and unlock the organisations potential [Online] Available from: [Accesed 26 January 2010] Elizabeth W. Gordon Vision Mission Purpose What Does It All Mean [Online] Available from: [Accesed 26 January 2010] Carol Humphries (2005) Vision and Mission: Seven Suggestions Why You Need Both [Online] Available from: [Accesed 26 January 2010] The Business Improvement Package What should the vision address [Online] Available from: [Accesed 26 January 2010] Daniel Robin Vision, Mission and Values:Management Tools for Building a Better Workplace [Online] Available from: [Accesed 26 January 2010] Carol Humphries Vision and Mission: Seven Suggestions Why You Need Both [Online] Available from: [Accesed 26 January 2010] Emily Gantz McKay. Based on materials originally prepared for use with SHATIL, the technical assistance project of the New Israel Fund. Modified for the National Council of La Raza, and further modified for MOSAICA, May 1994 and July 2001. Strategic planning: a Ten-Step Guide [Online] Available from: [Accesed 26 January 2010] Janet Shapiro Strategic Planning Toolkit [Online] Available from: [Accesed 26 January 2010]

what Does it Mean to be a Good Person?

what Does it Mean to be a Good Person? Everyday across the world we are being told to be a good person, but what does that really mean? Is a good person in America the same as a good person in communist North Korea? I say yes; a good person is unlike the good citizen whose virtue is relevant to the regime in which they live; the good person is a good person no matter the regime while the good citizen is only representative of that which the state deems best. The good man can be good anywhere because he follows virtue, and finds happiness in that virtue. To illustrate this point I will first define the good man then the bad regime, and finally how a good man fits into the bad regime. The Good Man Socrates, while under trial, explained his definition of a good person in refutation of the charge that he was ashamed of pursuing a dangerous occupation that had the possibility of death. He responded You are wrong, sir, if you think that a man who is any good at all should take into account the risk of life or death; he should look to this only in his actions, whether what he does is right or wrong, whether he is acting like a good or a bad man  [1]  Here we have a very cut and dry explanation of the good man, he who does not concern himself with petty personal wants but only whether his actions are good and just. Aristotle sets out a clear boundary between what he considers a good man and a good citizen. For Aristotle the good man is the man that acts and lives virtuously and derives happiness from that virtue. And the good citizen acts to the best virtue of the state and each of these things are quite separate, The good citizen need not of necessity possess the virtue which makes a good man  [2]  The separation is clearly evident, the fact that what makes a good citizen does not qualify someone to be a good person. So being a good person does not mean you have to by association be a good citizen they are two distinctly different states, it is only in the best of regimes that the good person is also the good citizen. The nature of political rule is that rule of those similar in stock and free  [3]  As Aristotle argues if the virtue of a citizen is the capacity to rule and be ruled in turn, then the virtue of the good man is also to have this capacity in the best of regimes. The good in any animal or plant is the same as it is for humans: that to be and act in harmony with the virtue of that species. In a way this is a human participating in that which is most human, to act in harmony with rationality and virtue. The good in acting with the virtue of a human is the perfection of that which can only be described rationally such things as love and justice. To act unto these things is to act with virtue but there also stands limits to everything. To act with too great or too little emphasis in any act is to disrupt balance and pulls the good man from his path of virtue, too much love is obsession, too little disdain either extreme is undesirable to the good man. The good man lives by the Golden Mean that which is not too in excess in either direction. To bring together the definition of a good man, Socrates says he is a man who always considers his actions and acts in a good and just manner. Aristotle says a good man acts unto virtue and derives his happiness and pleasure from that virtue. So we have a man who is prudent, virtuous, and just. This man must now fit into a corrupt regime, a regime that does not follow all those things which make him a good man. The Bad Regime There were six different categories in which all regimes were placed as defined by both Socrates and Aristotle, those of tyranny, monarchy, oligarchy, aristocracy, democracy and polity. Of these regimes tyranny, oligarchy and democracy were all negative and corrupt regimes because the governing body whether it be a single person, small group or the many respectively only were ruling in their own interests and not to the benefit of all. In the good regimes it is those same forms of governing bodies yet they govern in the interest of the state as a whole. Of the bad regimes Aristotle had declared that tyranny was the most undesirable state as the citizens were reduced to nothing more than slaves. In a tyrannical government the governed are not looked after but only used to further the goals of the leader. The next two are defined in a similar manner men ruling by reason of their wealth, whether they be few or many,  [4]  for an oligarchy and defining a democracy as where the poor rule.  [5]  To Aristotle an oligarchy was a twisted degradation of the good regime aristocracy, in the oligarchy it is not that few men govern it is that it is the wealthy class that rules creating a state in which all power resides in the upper class. .

The Theme Of Inherit The Wind :: essays research papers

In the play Inherit the Wind by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee, the theme is that every person has the right to think. One example of the theme of this play is Rachel's progression towards independent thinking. In the beginning Rachel fears her father greatly. She says, "I remember feeling this way when I was a little girl. . . .But I was always more frightened of him that I was of falling. It's the same way now" (48-49). However, by the end of the book she has grown away from her father, and now has her own opinions and thoughts. Her new growth and acceptance is shown in her statement: "This is your book, Bert. I've read it. All the way through. I don't want to think that men come from apes and monkeys. But I think that's besides the point" (111). A second example of the theme of Inherit the Wind is shown by the way Drummond acts and how frustrated he becomes when he talks to Brady. In the courtroom, Brady says, "A man is on trial!" (64). Drumm ond is extremely agitated and replies by saying, "A thinking man! And he is threatened with fine and imprisonment because he chooses to speak what he thinks" (64). After their disagreement Drummond states his opinion, by saying, "I am trying to establish, Your Honor, that Howard-or Colonel Brady-or Charles Darwin-or anyone in this courtroom-or you sir-has the right to think!" (64). The theme becomes more apparent throughout the play by the way Cates stands up for and defends himself. At first, Bert Cates is very unsure of himself and is not sure if what he did was correct. Cates questions Drummond as to whether he should stay with the case or give in.

Genetically Modified Foods: To Label or Not To Label? Essay -- Genetic

Plants or animals that are created through gene slicing techniques of genetic engineering are called genetically modified organisms or, GMOs. This technique for creating plants and animals was first done in the 1970s. According to Non-GMO Project, â€Å"This experimental technology merges DNA from different species, creating unstable combinations of plant, animal, bacterial and viral genes that cannot occur in nature or in traditional crossbreeding.† (Non-GMO Project). This type of genetic modification has started to worry people. Companies are currently not required to label their products to inform customers that their product contains GMOs, and only a few of the many companies voluntarily label their products as GMO-free. Many such as, Journalist for the Santa Fe New Mexican, Jessica Emerson, feel like it is our right to know what companies are putting in the foods we are buying. There are others that disagree such as, physician and molecular biologist Henry Miller; he argues that it is unnecessary and unconstitutional for companies to be required to label their products. This has made quite a controversy. Products sold in Oregon that contain GMOs should be required to be clearly labeled so consumers can make healthy and informed choice on the foods they decide to purchase. The use of GMOs in foods has drastically risen in the United States. The Non-GMO project, a non-profit organization supports this by saying, â€Å"In the U.S., GMOs are in as much as 80% of conventional processed food†(Non-GMO Project). I decided to go shopping to try and find as many products as I could that were labeled GMO-free, I only found one product labeled GMO-free. Many people that purchase vegetables or fruits at the store are unaware that the foods they ar... ...ael. "Why GMO Labeling Won’t Increase Food Prices." Grist.org. Grist, 13 Oct. 2013. Web. 01 Dec. 2013. Miller, Henry I., and Gregory Conko. â€Å"Labeling of Genetically Modified Foods Is Unnecessary and Unconstitutional.† Genetic Engineering. Ed. Noà «l Merino. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2013. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. "Labeling Food and Ingredients Developed from GM Seed." Monsanto.com. Monsanto, Mar. 2013. Web. 02 Dec. 2013. â€Å"MRSA.† CDC. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 16 Sept. 2013. Web. 30 Nov. 2013. Weise, Elizabeth. â€Å"Washington State Voters Reject Labeling of GMO Foods.† USA Today. Gannett, 6 Nov. 2013. Web. 29 Nov. 2013. Tady, Megan. â€Å"Genetically Modified Foods Should Be Labeled.† Genetic Engineering. Ed. David M. Haugen and Susan Musser. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2009. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 20 Nov. 2013.

Review of Brazil the Movie Essays -- essays research papers

Upon watching the movie Brazil for the first time, the first thought which comes to mind is ‘WHAT’. However, once past the exterior of the movie, one is able to divine its true meanings. Written by Terry Gilliam, Charlie McKeown and Tom Stoppard, Brazil was a groundbreaking movie which brought to light many issues within society which were valid in 1985 and remain so today. This text is valued because of the issues it raises, such as technology, an unwieldy government and consumerism, which are timeless issues. Brazil is based around a futuristic bureaucracy, where everything and everyone is property, there is little or no communication, and with the right forms, you can legally do whatever you want. This movie shows the flaws of such a system, that whilst aiming for perfection, is merely digging itself deeper into confusion and destroying the very society it seeks to control. Brazil is a dark comedy which shows us the consequences of handing over our lives to a faceless bureaucracy. Sam Lowry’s world is made up of millions upon millions of machines, upon which everyone relies to survive. Machines perform basically every task that there is, from the most mundane task such as creating food, to the most complex and important tasks such as deciding the fate of every living person within the system. When we first meet Sam his alarm clock is not working, the phone is large and hard to work, and the food that his machines make is completely inedible. This does not bode well for the people, for if the machines cannot even handle the most basic of tasks, how could they possibly handle the complex ones? We are taken further into the world of faults and failings within the system later on, when Sam has major problems with his heating ... ...reedom, and that the mind is the only truly safe place. Brazil is a film which rolls up all of the problems which society was experiencing at the time that it was made into one darkly humorous movie. Commercialism, terrorism, technology, bureaucracy and government control, cosmetic surgery and the lack of freedom and individual expression. This movie was not mainstream because of the way that it delivered its message, and also perhaps simply because the government suppressed it somewhat. However, this film provided great insight into these problems, and continues to do so today, as many of these problems continue to exist. Brazil aims to highlight these problems and make the viewer think about what they have seen. This movie was not intended to change the world, but simply to try to prevent it from spiralling down into a dystopian Brazil-like chaos.

Frostbite Chapter 8

Eight Christian was kissing her, and wow, was it a kiss. He wasn't messing around. It was the kind of kiss that small children shouldn't be allowed to see. Hell, it was the kind of kiss no one should be allowed to see- let alone experience through a psychic link. As I've noted before, strong emotion from Lissa could make this phenomenon happen- the one where I got pulled inside her head. But always, always, it was because of some negative emotion. She'd get upset or angry or depressed, and that would reach out to me. But this time? She wasn't upset. She was happy. Very, very happy. Oh man. I needed to get out of here. They were up in the attic of the school's chapel or, as I liked to call it, their love nest. The place had been a regular hangout for them, back when each of them was feeling antisocial and wanted to escape. Eventually, they'd decided to be antisocial together, and one thing had led to another. Since they started publicly dating, I hadn't known they spent much time here anymore. Maybe they were back for old time's sake. And indeed, a celebration did seem to be going on. Little scented candles were set up around the dusty old place, candles that filled the air with the scent of lilacs. I would have been a little nervous about setting all those candles in a confined space filled with flammable boxes and books, but Christian probably figured he could control any accidental infernos. They finally broke that insanely long kiss and pulled back to look at each other. They lay on their sides on the floor. Several blankets had been spread under them. Christian's face was open and tender as he regarded Lissa, his pale blue eyes aglow with some inner emotion. It was different from the way Mason regarded me. There was certainly adoration with him, but Mason's was a lot like when you walk into a church and fall to your knees in awe and fear of something you worship but don't really understand. Christian clearly worshipped Lissa in his way, but there was a knowing glint to his eyes, a sense that the two of them shared an understanding of each other so perfect and powerful that they didn't even need words to convey it. â€Å"Don't you think we're going to go to hell for this?† asked Lissa. He reached out and touched her face, trailing his fingers along her cheek and neck and down to the top of her silky shirt. She breathed heavily at that touch, at the way it could be so gentle and small, yet evoke such a strong passion within her. â€Å"For this?† He played with the shirt's edge, letting his finger just barely brush inside of it. â€Å"No,† she laughed. â€Å"For this.† She gestured around the attic. â€Å"This is a church. We shouldn't be doing this kind of, um, thing up here.† â€Å"Not true,† he argued. Gently, he pushed her onto her back and leaned over her. â€Å"The church is downstairs. This is just storage. God won't mind.† â€Å"You don't believe in God,† she chastised. Her hands made their way down his chest. Her movements were as light and deliberate as his, yet they clearly triggered the same powerful response in him. He sighed happily as her hands slid under his shirt and up his stomach. â€Å"I'm humoring you.† â€Å"You'd say anything right now,† she accused. Her fingers caught the edge of his shirt and pushed it up. He shifted so she could push it all the way off him and then leaned back over her, bare-chested. â€Å"You're right,† he agreed. He carefully undid one button on her blouse. Just one. Then he again leaned down and gave her one of those hard, deep kisses. When he came up for air, he continued on as though nothing had happened. â€Å"Tell me what you need to hear, and I'll say it.† He unfastened another button. â€Å"There's nothing I need to hear,† she laughed. Another button popped free. â€Å"You can tell me whatever you want- it'd just be nice if it were true.† â€Å"The truth, huh? No one wants to hear the truth. The truth is never sexy. But you †¦Ã¢â‚¬  The last button came undone, and he spread her shirt away. â€Å"You are too goddamned sexy to be real.† His words held his trademark snarky tone, but his eyes conveyed a different message entirely. I was witnessing this scene through Lissa's eyes, but I could imagine what he saw. Her smooth, white skin. Slender waist and hips. A lacy white bra. Through her, I could feel that the lace was itchy, but she didn't care. Feelings both fond and hungry spread over his features. From within Lissa, I could feel her heart race and breathing quicken. Emotions similar to Christian's clouded all other coherent thoughts. Shifting down, he lay on top of her, pressing their bodies together. His mouth sought hers out again, and as their lips and tongues made contact, I knew I had to get out of there. Because I understood it now. I understood why Lissa had dressed up and why the love nest had been decked out like a Yankee Candles showroom. This was it. The moment. After a month of dating, they were going to have sex. Lissa, I knew, had done it before with a past boyfriend. I didn't know Christian's past, but I sincerely doubted many girls had fallen prey to his abrasive charm. But in feeling what Lissa felt, I could tell that none of that mattered. Not in that moment. In that moment, there were only the two of them and the way they felt about each other right now. And in a life filled with more worries than someone her age should have had, Lissa felt absolutely certain about what she was doing now. It was what she wanted. What she'd wanted for a very long time with him. And I had no right to be witnessing it. Who was I kidding? I didn't want to witness it. I took no pleasure in watching other people get it on, and I sure as hell didn't want to experience sex with Christian. It'd be like losing my virginity virtually. But Jesus Christ, Lissa wasn't making it easy to get out of her head. She had no desire to detach from her feelings and emotions, and the stronger they grew, the stronger they held me. Trying to distance myself from her, I focused my energies on coming back to myself, concentrating as hard as I could. More clothes disappeared †¦ Come on, come on, I told myself sternly. The condom came out†¦ yikes. You're your own person, Rose. Get back in your head. Their limbs intertwined, their bodies moving together †¦ Son of a- I ripped out of her and back to myself. Once again, I was back in my room, but I no longer had any interest in packing my backpack. My whole world was askew. I felt strange and violated- almost unsure if I was Rose or if I was Lissa. I also felt that resentment toward Christian again. I certainly didn't want to have sex with Lissa, but there was that same pang inside of me, that frustrated feeling that I was no longer the center of her world. Leaving the backpack untouched, I went right to bed, wrapping my arms around myself and curling into a ball to try to squelch the ache within my chest. I fell asleep pretty quickly and woke up early as a result. Usually, I had to be dragged out of bed to go meet Dimitri, but today I showed up early enough that I actually beat him to the gym. As I waited, I saw Mason cutting across to one of the buildings that held classrooms. â€Å"Whoa,† I called. â€Å"Since when are you up this early?† â€Å"Since I had to retake a math test,† he said, walking over to me. He gave me his mischievous smile. â€Å"Might be worth skipping, though, to hang out with you.† I laughed, remembering my conversation with Lissa. Yes, there were definitely worse things I could do than flirt and start something with Mason. â€Å"Nah. You might get in trouble, then I'd have no real challenge on the slopes.† He rolled his eyes, still smiling. â€Å"I'm the one with no real challenge, remember?† â€Å"You ready to bet on something yet? Or are you still too afraid?† â€Å"Watch it,† he warned, â€Å"or I might take back your Christmas present.† â€Å"You got me a present?† I hadn't expected that. â€Å"Yup. But if you keep back-talking, I might give it to someone else.† â€Å"Like Meredith?† I teased. â€Å"She isn't even in your league, and you know it.† â€Å"Even with a black eye?† I asked with a grimace. â€Å"Even with two black eyes.† The look he gave me just then wasn't teasing or even really suggestive. It was just nice. Nice, friendly, and interested. Like he really cared. After all the stress lately, I decided I liked being cared about. And with the neglect I was starting to feel from Lissa, I realized I also kind of liked having someone who wanted to pay so much attention to me. â€Å"What are you doing on Christmas?† I asked. He shrugged. â€Å"Nothing. My mom almost came down but had to cancel at the last minute †¦ you know, with everything that happened.† Mason's mother wasn't a guardian. She was a dhampir who'd chosen to just be domestic and have kids. As a result, I knew he saw her quite a bit. It was ironic, I thought, that my mom actually was here, but for all intents and purposes, she might as well have been somewhere else. â€Å"Come hang with me,† I said on impulse. â€Å"I'll be with Lissa and Christian and his aunt. It'll be fun.† â€Å"Really?† â€Å"Very fun.† â€Å"That's not what I was asking about.† I grinned. â€Å"I know. Just be there, okay?† He swept me one of the gallant bows he liked to make. â€Å"Absolutely.† Mason wandered off just as Dimitri showed up for our practice. Talking to Mason had made me feel giddy and happy; I hadn't thought about my face at all with him. But with Dimitri, I suddenly became self-conscious. I didn't want to be anything less than perfect with him, and as we walked inside, I went out of my way to avert my face so he couldn't look at me full-on. Worrying about that brought my mood down, and as it plummeted, all the other things that had been upsetting me came tumbling back. We returned to the training room with the dummies, and he told me he simply wanted me to practice the maneuvers from two days ago. Happy he wasn't going to bring up the fight, I set to my task with a burning zeal, showing the dummies just what would happen if they messed with Rose Hathaway. I knew my fighting fury was fired up by more than just a simple desire to do well. My feelings were out of control this morning, raw and intense after both the fight with my mother and what I'd witnessed with Lissa and Christian last night. Dimitri sat back and watched me, occasionally critiquing my technique and offering suggestions for new tactics. â€Å"Your hair's in the way,† he said at one point. â€Å"Not only are you blocking your peripheral vision, you're running the risk of letting your enemy get a handhold.† â€Å"If I'm actually in a fight, I'll wear it up.† I grunted as I shoved the stake neatly up between the dummy's â€Å"ribs.† I didn't know what these artificial bones were made of, but they were a bitch to work around. I thought about my mom again and added a little extra force to the jab. â€Å"I'm just wearing it down today, that's all.† â€Å"Rose,† he said warningly. Ignoring him, I plunged again. His voice came more sharply the next time he spoke. â€Å"Rose. Stop.† I backed away from the dummy, surprised to find my breathing labored. I hadn't realized I was working that hard. My back hit the wall. With nowhere to go, I looked away from him, directing my eyes toward the ground. â€Å"Look at me,† he ordered. â€Å"Dimitri- â€Å" â€Å"Look at me.† No matter our close history, he was still my instructor. I couldn't refuse a direct order. Slowly, reluctantly, I turned toward him, still tilting my head slightly down so the hair hung over the sides of my face. Rising from his chair, he walked over and stood before me. I avoided his eyes but saw his hand move forward to brush back my hair. Then it stopped. As did my breathing. Our short-lived attraction had been filled with questions and reservations, but one thing I'd known for sure: Dimitri had loved my hair. Maybe he still loved it. It was great hair, I'll admit. Long and silky and dark. He used to find excuses to touch it, and he'd counseled me against cutting it as so many female guardians did. His hand hovered there, and the world stood still as I waited to see what he would do. After what seemed like an eternity, he let his hand gradually fall back to his side. Burning disappointment washed over me, yet at the same time, I'd learned something. He'd hesitated. He'd been afraid to touch me, which maybe- just maybe- meant he still wanted to. He'd had to hold himself back. I slowly tipped my head back so that we made eye contact. Most of my hair fell back from my face- but not all. His hand trembled again, and I hoped again he'd reach forward. The hand steadied. My excitement dimmed. â€Å"Does it hurt?† he asked. The scent of that aftershave, mingled with his sweat, washed over me. God, I wished he had touched me. â€Å"No,† I lied. â€Å"It doesn't look so bad,† he told me. â€Å"It'll heal.† â€Å"I hate her,† I said, astonished at just how much venom those three words held. Even while suddenly turned on and wanting Dimitri, I still couldn't drop the grudge I held against my mother. â€Å"No, you don't,† he said gently. â€Å"I do.† â€Å"You don't have time to hate anyone,† he advised, his voice still kind. â€Å"Not in our profession. You should make peace with her.† Lissa had said exactly the same thing. Outrage joined my other emotions. That darkness within me started to unfurl. â€Å"Make peace with her? After she gave me a black eye on purpose! Why am I the only one who sees how crazy that is?† â€Å"She absolutely did not do it on purpose,† he said, voice hard. â€Å"No matter how much you resent her, you have to believe that. She wouldn't do that, and anyway, I saw her later that day. She was worried about you.† â€Å"Probably more worried someone will bring her up on child abuse charges,† I grumbled. â€Å"Don't you think this is the time of year for forgiveness?† I sighed loudly. â€Å"This isn't a Christmas special! This is my life. In the real world, miracles and goodness just don't happen.† He was still eyeing my calmly. â€Å"In the real world, you can make your own miracles.† My frustration suddenly hit a breaking point, and I gave up trying to maintain my control. I was so tired of being told reasonable, practical things whenever something went wrong in my life. Somewhere in me, I knew Dimitri only wanted to help, but I just wasn't up for the well-meant words. I wanted comfort for my problems. I didn't want to think about what would make me a better person. I wished he'd just hold me and tell me not to worry. â€Å"Okay, can you just stop this for once?† I demanded, hands on my hips. â€Å"Stop what?† â€Å"The whole profound Zen crap thing. You don't talk to me like a real person. Everything you say is just some wise, life-lesson nonsense. You really do sound like a Christmas special.† I knew it wasn't entirely fair to take my anger out on him, but I found myself practically shouting. â€Å"I swear, sometimes it's just like you want to hear yourself talk! And I know you're not always this way. You were perfectly normal when you talked to Tasha. But with me? You're just going through the motions. You don't care about me. You're just stuck in your stupid mentor role.† He stared at me, uncharacteristically surprised. â€Å"I don't care about you?† â€Å"No.† I was being petty- very, very petty. And I knew the truth- that he did care and was more than just a mentor. I couldn't help myself, though. It just kept coming and coming. I jabbed his chest with my finger. â€Å"I'm another student to you. You just go on and on with your stupid life lessons so that- â€Å" The hand I'd hoped would touch my hair suddenly reached out and grabbed my pointing hand. He pinned it to the wall, and I was surprised to see a flare of emotion in his eyes. It wasn't exactly anger†¦but it was frustration of another kind. â€Å"Don't tell me what I'm feeling,† he growled. I saw then that half of what I'd said was true. He was almost always calm, always in control- even when fighting. But he'd also told me how he'd once snapped and beaten up his Moroi father. He'd actually been like me once- always on the verge of acting without thinking, doing things he knew he shouldn't. â€Å"That's it, isn't it?† I asked. â€Å"What?† â€Å"You're always fighting for control. You're the same as me.† â€Å"No,† he said, still obviously worked up. â€Å"I've learned my control.† Something about this new realization emboldened me. â€Å"No,† I informed him. â€Å"You haven't. You put on a good face, and most of the time you do stay in control. But sometimes you can't. And sometimes †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I leaned forward, lowering my voice. â€Å"Sometimes you don't want to.† â€Å"Rose†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I could see his labored breathing and knew his heart was beating as quickly as mine. And he wasn't pulling away. I knew this was wrong- knew all the logical reasons for us staying apart. But right then, I didn't care. I didn't want to control myself. I didn't want to be good. Before he realized what was happening, I kissed him. Our lips met, and when I felt him kiss me back, I knew I was right. He pressed himself closer, trapping me between him and the wall. He kept holding my hand, but his other one snaked behind my head, sliding into my hair. The kiss was filled with so much intensity; it held anger, passion, release†¦. He was the one who broke it. He jerked away from me and took several steps back, looking shaken. â€Å"Do not do that again,† he said stiffly. â€Å"Don't kiss me back then,† I retorted. He stared at me for what seemed like forever. â€Å"I don't give ‘Zen lessons' to hear myself talk. I don't give them because you're another student. I'm doing this to teach you control.† â€Å"You're doing a great job,† I said bitterly. He closed his eyes for half a second, exhaled, and muttered something in Russian. Without another glance at me, he turned and left the room.