As I Lay Dying Essays (621 words) - Modernist Literature

As I Lay Dying William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying is a novel about howthe conflicting agendas within a family tear it apart. Every member of the family is to a degree responsible for what goes wrong, but none more than Anse. Anse's laziness and selfishness are the underlying factors to every disaster in the book. As the critic Andre Bleikasten agrees, "there is scarcely a character in Faulkner so loaded with faults and vices" (84). At twenty-two Anse becomes sick from working in the sun after which he refuses to work claiming he will die if he ever breaks a sweat again. Anse becomes lazy, and turns Addie into a baby factory in order to have children to do all the work. Addie is inbittered by this, and is never the same. Anse is begrudging of everything. Even the cost of a doctor for his dying wife seems money better spent on false teeth to him. "I never sent for you" Anse says "I take you to witness I never sent for you" (37) he repeats trying to avoid a doctor's fee. Before she dies Addie requests to be buried in Jefferson. When she does, Anse appears obsessed with burying her there. Even after Addie had been dead over a week, and all of the bridges to Jefferson are washed out, he is still determined to get to Jefferson. Is Anse sincere in wanting to fulfill his promise to Addie, or is he driven by another motive? Anse plays "to perfection the role of the grief-stricken widower" (Bleikasten 84) while secretly thinking only of getting another wife and false teeth in Jefferson. When it becomes necessary to drive the wagon across the river, he proves himself to be undeniably lazy as he makes Cash, Jewel, and Darl drive the wagon across while he walks over the bridge, a spectator. Anse is also stubborn; he could have borrowed a team of mules from Mr. Armstid, but he insists that Addie would not have wanted it that way. In truth though Anse uses this to justify trading Jewel's horse for the mules to spare himself the expense. Numerous times in the book he justifies his actions by an interpretation of Addie's will. Anse not only trades Jewel's horse without asking, but he also steals Cash's money. Later on he lies to his family saying that he spent his savings and Cash's money in the trade. "I thought him and Anse never traded," Armstid said. "Sho," they did "All they liked was the horse" Eustace a farmhand of Mr. Snopes said. Anse steels Cash's money and towards the end of the book he also takes ten dollars from Dewey Dell. The ending of the book is best explained by the words of Irving Howe. "When they reach town, the putrescent corpse is buried, the daughter fails in her effort to get an abortion, one son is badly injured, another has gone mad, and at the very end, in a stroke of harsh comedy, the father suddenly remarries" (138). With money he has begrudged, stolen, and talked his way out of paying, he finally buys some new teeth and a new wife for the price of a graphophone. What defies explanation is why Anse is so cold-hearted and indifferent to his children? What has changed him from the hard working twenty-two year old man he once was. In conclusion, by thinking only of himself Anse destroys his family. He is selfish whenever his need's conflict with those of his family. His motives for cheating and lying range from the greed of money to self pity. Instead of what can I do for them Anse will always be the one thinking what can they do for me. Works Cited Bleikasten, Andre. Faulkner's As I Lay Dying. Bloomington/London: Indiana University Press, 1973. Howe, Irving. William Faulkner: A Critical Study. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1975. William, Faulkner. As I Lay Dying. New York: Random House, 1985.

How does Hardy present characters and the setting in this particular chapter Essay Example

How does Hardy present characters and the setting in this particular chapter Essay Example How does Hardy present characters and the setting in this particular chapter Essay How does Hardy present characters and the setting in this particular chapter Essay Essay Topic: Literature The Namesake The central character in this chapter is Tess, and Hardy reveals to the readers how Tesss guilt leads her to Alec, who has a lot more on his mind then just helping Tesss family. Tess is very beautiful and men are always pursuing her, either for purely sexual reasons or because she represents an excitingly unformed life waiting to be molded. The landscape and Tess are often described similarly, and the seasons and the weather reflect her emotional and physical state. The naturalistic imagery that Hardy uses is an important component of his style, which is characterized both by beautiful descriptive passages and by more philosophical or abstract asides detailing the ironies of his characters lives and fates. The countryside is almost a character in Tess. Much of the time the settings reflect whats happening to Tess and the characters that influence her life. Each station or place where Tess stops is a testing place for her soul. Nature also reflects the characters emotions and fortunes. For example, when Tess is happy, the sky is blue and birds sing. When events turn out badly the earth appears harsh and coldly indifferent to her agony. Nature is also depicted in the many journeys that take place in Tess. Both traveling and the rhythms of nature are seen as causing fatigue in the novel. Hardy focuses very heavily on Tesss reactions to the events around her and shows us the world more or less through her eyes. In this chapter Tess, convinced she has murdered Prince, feels responsible for her familys subsequent lack of livelihood and therefore complies with Joans wish that she go in search of their rich relations Tess seems older than her years in her willingness to accept adult responsibilities, but shes also very naive and inexperienced. The beginning of Chapter 5 opens up with the situation where Hardy stresses that there is something bad foreshadowing Tess due to the loss of a family horse. This is the first hint in this chapter where the reader realizes that sorrow and pain may follow Tess in the near future. The haggling business, which had mainly depended on the horse, became disorganized forthwith. Distress, if not penury, loomed in the distance This distress looms in the distance because of the death of the horse. Joan Durbeyfield tells Tess about Mrs. dUrberville living on the outskirts of The Chase, and tells Tess that she must go and claim kinship and ask for help. Tess is deferential, but she cannot understand why her mother should find such satisfaction in contemplating this venture. Tess suggests getting work instead, but finally agrees to go. Tess mother seems to be a strong guiding force within Tess, although Tess father seems laid back. Hardy presents Tesss mother as vain, not very bright, and a poor manager of the household. Indeed, Tess does much of the work of looking after the many younger Durbeyfield children. Joan Durbeyfield schemes to get Tess to go to Trantridge in the hope that the girl might make a grand marriage with the rich Alec dUrberville, but she is otherwise shiftless and a fairly inactive mother. The reader gets the impression that if Tess father had been more assertive, than maybe he could have told her not too go. Instead, her mother is very manipulating with the situation Tess is faced with. He is a laborer, unintelligent like Tesss mother, and he drinks too much and works too little. When he hears that he has noble ancestors, he immediately becomes proud of the fact, and considers himself too good to work very much more. Because he is such a poor provider, the Durbeyfield family is doomed to poverty. Every day seemed to throw upon her young shoulders more of the family burdens, and that Tess should be the representative of the Durbeyfields at the dUrberville mansion came as a thing of course. In this instance it must be admitted that the Durbeyfields were putting their fairest side outward Durbeyfield, you can settle it, said his wife, turning to where he sat in the background. If you say she ought to go, she will go. I dont like my children going and making themselves beholden to strange kin, murmured he. Im the head of the noblest branch o the family, and I ought to live up to it. Tess is, perhaps, a striking example of someone forced to grow up too quickly which chapter 5 is a good example of. The death of the Durbeyfields horse is the event that motivates Tess to visit the dUrbervilles and beg them for financial assistance, Tess is in fact sent to find a husband; behind her mothers request is the assumption that Tess will marry a gentleman who will provide for the Durbeyfields. Mr. and Mrs. Durbyfield cling to their obsolete idea of the family in total ignorance of the reality, and Tess may suffer as a result. The Durbeyfield parents started the cycle of tragedy in Tess life by thinking of themselves first. Her parents weakness is that her father is lazy and her mother is simple. The Durbeyfields need of a new horse, and the mothers greed for her daughter to claim kin against her will with a noble family member of the dUrbervilles, starts Tess on her journey to her destruction. Tess parents could have supported themselves if they had not been so proud about being descendants of the prestigious dUrbervilles. Tess, being simplistic, is unaware of dangers a man such as Alec dUrberville posed, and it is not fair that she is being made to suffer for succumbing to an unknown danger. This is noted when she protests to her mother: Tess innocence is at risk her because she is not informed of the dangers of life by her parents; her mother does not even stop her from leaving with Alec, even though she has a feeling that Alec may take advantage of Tess. The greed for her daughters marriage into a noble family has put the wool over her eyes. Hardys writing style is simple but wordy here. The sentance structures are not long or very complicated, but the complexity in his work comes from the way he uses several sentences. For example, he uses a lot of imagery and describes the scenery in great detail. While each individual sentence may not be difficult to understand, it is the way the various sentences fit together to form a whole picture. The Vale of Blackmoor was to her the world, and its inhabitants the races thereof. From the gates and stiles of Marlott she had looked down its length in the wondering days of infancy, and what had been mystery to her then was not much less than mystery to her now. She had hardly ever visited the place, only a small tract even of the Vale and its environs being known to her by close inspection. Much less had she been far outside the valley. Tess leaves for The Chase, where she finds the home of the Stoke-dUrbervilles, as they are now called. When Tess arrives at the manor house, her first reaction is that its strange that such an ancient family has a new and modern home. The farmlands appear to be kept more for show than for income. The new industrial world seems to be creeping into the countryside. In contrast to this newness is the mysterious primeval forest known as The Chase, which encompasses the dUrberville estate like an unshakeable shroud. The Chase is so old that it puts Tess venerable ancestry to shame. It seems that for Hardy, nothing is as old or as essential as nature. It was of recent erectionindeed almost newand of the same rich red colour that formed such a contrast with the evergreens of the lodge. Far behind the corner of the house-which rose like a geranium bloom against the subdued colours aroundstretched the soft azure landscape of The Chasea truly venerable tract of forest land, one of the few remaining woodlands in England of undoubted primaeval date, wherein Druidical mistletoe was still found on aged oaks, and where enormous yew-trees, not planted by the hand of man grew as they had grown when they were pollarded for bows. All this sylvan antiquity, however, though visible from The Slopes, was outside the immediate boundaries of the estate. Tess notices how inappropriate this modern estate seems for people with such a supposedly ancient background. Youll notice throughout the novel that often Tess intuitively divines things that she cant explain or logically act upon. The representation of the cheapening and decay of ancient traditions is one of the many roles of Alec dUrberville. He is of course not a dUrberville at all, and Hardy depicts his house in a way, which highlights its modernity, and its disharmony with the natural and ancient surroundings. It is this aspect of the visit to the dUrbervilles that disturbs Tess most, highlighting her particular sexual innocence. Hardy introduces the theme of sexuality and innocence; at this point in the novel, Tess represents a particular sexual innocence. She is unaware of her own sexuality and thus cannot perceive the danger that Alec dUrberville presents to her. Tess is very wary, and she has no idea what to expect. The situation is an embarrassing one, but Tess guilt has driven her their, so now she feels it her obligation for the family. Her guilt and naivity could cause Tess problems as Hardy indicates. I thought we were an old family; but this is all new! she said, in her artlessness. She wished that she had not fallen in so readily with her mothers plans for claiming kin, and had endeavoured to gain assistance nearer home. A young man with an almost swarthy complexion answers the door, and claims to be Alec dUrberville. He does not allow Tess to see his mother, for she is an invalid, but she tells him that she is a poor relation. Alec shows her the estate, and he promises that his mother will find a berth for her. He tells her not to bother with the Durbeyfield name, but she says she wishes for no better. Alec prepares to kiss her, but lets her go. Tess perceives nothing, but if she had, she might have asked why she was doomed to be seen and coveted that day by the wrong man. From Alecs introduction in the novel, Alec dUrberville represents a sexuality that contrasts with Tess Durbeyfields innocence. However, as important as his sexuality is the danger inherent in his sensuality. His early attempt to seduce Tess only serves to foreshadow later, more serious attempts to infringe on his cousins innocence. Hardy even explicitly notes the danger that Alec dUrberville poses to Tess. Alec is presented a typical Victorian rake, and indeed seems somewhat stereotyped at times, with his curled moustache and melodramatic phrases to seduce Tess. He is deceptive and often cruel to Tess, though he can be kind to her as well; he seems to follow whatever plan seems most likely to succeed, for he has a genuine lust for her. He is rich and morally corrupt. His moral hollowness is underscored by the fact that his claim to the dUrberville name is completely spurious and false, like everything else about him. Of course Tess is ignorant of the fact that these dUrbervilles are frauds and consequently have no familial responsibility to her. When she meets Alec Stoke-dUrberville she assumes that hes her cousin and therefore treats him with a certain informality that he takes advantage of. Although Alec promises to make cousin Tess presence known to his mother, he does nothing of the kind. The historical background that Hardy presents us with shows irony that the rich relations that Tess had come to see only acquired their name, they are not at all family. Conning for an hour in the British Museum the pages of works devoted to extinct, half-extinct, obscured, and ruined families appertaining to the quarter of England in which he proposed to settle, he considered that dUrberville looked and sounded as well as any of them: and dUrberville accordingly was annexed to his own name for himself and his heirs eternally Of this work of imagination poor Tess and her parents were naturally in ignorancemuch to their discomfiture; indeed, the very possibility of such annexations was unknown to them; who supposed that, though to be well-favoured might be the gift of fortune, a family name came nature. After Tess doubts from her first thoughts of the house her relations live in, Tess is very unsure weather to approach the house or not. Hardy shows Tess innocence and how Tess is often led by her head, instead of not following her gut feelings. Her reluctance is outweighed by her sense of a duty to make reparation for the loss of the horse a virtuous motive and the obstinate insistence of her mother. Tess is trapped; her freedom of choice is curtailed by a combination of the fates, (the death of the horse and the discovery of family connections), and filial duty. Tess still stood hesitating like a bather about to make his plunge, hardly knowing whether to retreat or to persevere, when a figure came forth from the dark He had an almost swarthy complexion, with full lips, badly moulded, though red and smooth, above which was a well-groomed black moustache with curled points, though his age could not be more than three-or four-and-twenty. Despite the touches of barbarism in his contours, there was a singular force in the gentlemans face, and in his bold rolling eye. Hardy presents Alec as been smarmy, very overpowering and insistent. Tess picture of expectations of Alec that Tess had built up in her mind prior to the visit is very different to what Tess is presented with in reality. This embodiment of a dUrberville and a namesake differed even more from what Tess had expected than the house and grounds had differed. She had dreamed of an aged and dignified face, the sublimation of all the dUrberville lineaments, furrowed with incarnate memories representing in hieroglyphic the centuries of her familys and Englands history. But she screwed herself up to the work in hand, since she could not get out of it, and answered Tess is a very pretty, young and attractive but is unaware of this. Alec, already on their first meeting acts as if Tess is something he owns. Well, my Beauty, what can I do for you? Keeping Tess presence secret, he fills her mouth with strawberries and her basket with roses. She obeyed like one in a dream. Why does the shy Tess submit, though somewhat reluctantly, to such intimacies? Although Hardy never tells us explicitly, he suggests many reasons. First Tess believes that Alec is her cousin and that kin are more likely to protect than harm her. Hardy also shows us how completely awed Tess is by the unfamiliar richness of her new surroundings. She seems assaulted by sensations, not the least of which are Alecs passionate advances. Tess is probably caught in such a whirlwind of impressions that she follows where shes led. Tess wished to abridge her visit as much as possible; but the young man was pressing, and she consented to accompany him. He conducted her about the lawns, and flower-beds, and conservatories; and thence to the fruit-garden and greenhouses, where he asked her if she liked strawberries. Alec becomes very pressing and imposing toward Tess, and Hardy uses the walk of Alec showing Tess around the gardens as an opportunity to hint to the readers maybe of Alecs intentions. He wants to spend time with her and chat her up and he does this by flattering her and showering her with gifts of nature. They are already here. DUrberville began gathering specimens of the fruit for her, handing them back to her as he stooped; and, presently, selecting a specially fine product of the British Queen variety, he stood up and held it by the stem to her mouth. Nono! she said quickly, putting her fingers between his hand and her lips. I would rather take it in my own hand. Nonsense! he insisted; and in a slight distress she parted her lips and took it in. Hardy does this to again show how Tess is easily led and very easily pleased by the simplest of things. Tess is maybe not used to so much attention and gifts, so she is captured by the moment. Tess feels very powerless and guilty. Tess is also not aware of men and how they can manipulate and take advantage of women. Hardy maybe having another dig at Tesss parents, and how she has been told very little about life. She obeyed like one in a dream, and when she could affix no more he himself tucked a bud or two into her hat, and heaped her basket with others in the prodigality of his bounty Hardy uses the symbols of the strawberry and roses as a sexual indication to the readers. This creates a very awkward situation for Tess. This part of the chapter is presented as been very suggestive and a very passionate part of the chapter. Alec is almost acting like something from a fairytale, like little red riding hood as he fills her little basket towards Tess and she is certainly trapped by the big, bad wolf character that Alec comes across as. one who stood fair to be the blood-red ray in the spectrum of her young life. She had an attribute which amounted to a disadvantage just now; and it was this that caused Alec dUrbervilles eyes to rivet themselves upon her. It was a luxuriance of aspect, a fulness of growth, which made her appear more of a woman than she really was There is a strong sense given to the reader that Tess is more developed in physical appearance than mentally. I think Hardy gives a link between the strawberries and roses and likens them to Tess in the way that the strawberries and roses are artificially moved on in the green house, like Tess been forced by her parent to grow up to soon, almost ripe before their time. Although Tess appears mature, she is nai ve and not able to defend her self against Alec, who is devious and has more experience with life. The blood statement used in this part of the chapter the blood-red ray in the spectrum of her young life, is I think Hardy hinting to the reader of something bad to come, and that death is not long of Tess and maybe Alec would be a part of ruining Tesss innocence. For a momentonly for a momentwhen they were in the turning of the drive, between the tall rhododendrons and conifers, before the lodge became visible, he inclined his face towards her as ifbut, no: he thought better of it, and let her go. Alec has already decided on a plan in which to get Tess. Hardy has already suggested a number of times in the way Alec looks and admires Tess that he feels attracted to her young, nai ve, striking look Tess has about her. Alec knows he has to be careful in the way he goes about this, and I think he decides to kiss her, but doesnt think the timing is quite right, after all he doesnt want to scare her off. There is also a strong sense of entrapment that Hardy conveys, as if to let the reader know that Tess has made a very wrong move in visiting Alec, but is now trapped in the situation. Had she perceived this meetings import she might have asked why she was doomed to be seen and coveted that day by the wrong man, and not by some other man, the right and desired one in all respects Hardy uses time as an arch instrument of Fate, but it operates within the bounds of credibility and as a powerful aid to distinction in Tess. I think Hardy, in this chapter is showing how woman is Fates most important instrument for opposing mans happiness. Hardy shows that Tess is helpless in the hands of Fate and carries out Fates work.

Woodlice Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Woodlice - Lab Report Example They have a shell like exoskeleton which progressively shed as they grow. The shedding occurs in two stages were the back half sheds first followed by the front part later usually after two to three days later as opposed to the way moulting process occurs to other antropoda where the cuticle are shed in a single process. Metabolic rate is temperature dependent in woodlice which is in contrast to mammals and bird where their rate of respiration depends directly to the external environmental temperatures (Jordan 100). Woodlice are claimed to have unpleasant taste like that of a urine despite been a crustacean which is different from the taste of other crustacean like lobsters or crabs. Woodlice breathe through their plepodal lungs and live in terrestrial environment usually damp or dark places to reduce the rapid rate at which they lose water through their cuticle and excretion (Sutton, Stephen, Paul, and David 67). Although woodlice are preyed by a wide range of insectivores itâ€℠¢s the spiders that prey on them exclusively. This experiment was conducted to determine the relationship between the variation of traits and the natural selection and the hypothesis of this experiment was that the predator preying on the woodlice determine the speed of woodlice to be found in an environment (Smith, SiaÌ‚n 98). The length and dorsal plate in all woodlice was measured using a microscope and recorded. The speed of three woodlice was obtained by taking two rulers to measure the distance and then assorted utensils for simulating predation and to mimic a predator was simulated and the timer was set from the time all the three woodlice started moving until they all reach the end of the two rulers and then recorded in seconds. Woodlice where placed in large specimen dishes and the predator for this experiment which was a spider was simulated RESULTS The woodlice traits were varying as like were the highest standard deviation error was obtained from the speed and the lowest standard deviation error was obtained from the length while the standard deviation error was zero as illustrated in table(1) below Trait Dorsal plate number Speed (seconds/10 cm) Length (cm) Color (values using soil color chart) Mean 7 21.20833333 0.991666667 5.083333333 Standard Deviation 0 +10.29131828 +0.21450989 +1.248187091 Standard Deviation Error 0 +2.100706547 +0.043786648 +0.254785123 Table (1) showing traits, mean, standard deviation and standard deviation error of woodlice In the frequency distribution below blue represents the total number of woodlice while the red represent the number of woodlice that survived after the predator was unleashed. From the graph the number of survived population is higher than the total populati on between the speeds of 1-20 and the same is exhibited between the speeds of 21-40 and between the speeds of 61-80 but between the speeds of 41-60 no woodlice survived. Frequency distribution of woodlice characterized by speed DISCUSSION From the table and the frequency distribution above it is clearly that there is a relationship between the population of woodlice that survived the experiment and their speed. Woodlice that were much fast and those that are somehow slower survived more compared to those that were of average speed as none of them survived and also the predator

Chartered Portfolio Manager- Week 9 Discussion Post and Student Assignment - 1

Chartered Portfolio Manager- Week 9 Discussion Post and Student Responses - Assignment Example Following the Second World War, it was clear that oil was a coveted industrial commodity. The most celebrated and visible event in history took place when the United States president, Franklin Roosevelt met the founding monarch of Saudi Arabia. The meeting between the two world leaders linked American national security and Middle East oil. It also gave birth to one of the most significant strategic relationship that was forged in the 20th century with Saudis meant to supply cheap oil to the world markets with an aim of acquiring American protection. Over the course of the 20th century, preserving the security of Saudi Arabia as well as that of other countries such as Iraq were among the main political and economic concerns of countries such as the united states of America (Bouillon, 2013). The presence of oil in the Middle East countries and the struggle to control the commodity was fraught with peril and always proved costly in terms of treasure and blood. Oil has continued to flow into the global markets even though with a lot of difficulties emanating both internally and externally. Since the end of the 1970s, most of the countries in the Middle East including Iraq have experienced permanent war and revolution as a result of the commodity. In Iraq for example under the regime of Saddam Hussein, was rocked by domestic war that resulted to loss of lives. Even though security is measured by absence of war, most of the countries in the Middle East have encountered threats of domestic and international war as a result of supply of oil. The United States led inversion of Iraq in the year 2003 and the conflicts experienced in most of the countries in the region have represented both the international and domestic politics affecting the region. The American military invasion of the country represented only a stage of the US militarism in the Middle East. While more considerable

The eye scanned the whole area of California Essay

The eye scanned the whole area of California - Essay Example Taking a closer look, the observer began to notice something. It was odd yet very real. Both places if examined at a certain perspective become uncannily similar. To start with, both have labels thrown at them. The enclave for the upper class people is called gated community while the ordinary is called non-gated community. At the start both communities were already type-casted into something that may or may not be true. There is already a sense of expectation for both communities to perform or behave in a certain way. And the outcomes are weighed using only pure presumptions. The first thing that the observer noticed was that residents in both places seldom interacted with each other. Two neighbors in the gated community went out to pick up the newspapers and did not bother to say good morning or hello. Compare that to two neighbors this time in a non-gated community who also came out to do their assigned task of picking up the morning paper, and guess what happened Although the distance between the two houses in this lower middle class neighborhood are much closer to each other, both men were too absorbed in what they are doing that they di d not bother to look up. Everybody is doing their own thing; it does not matter if the guys are wearing Rolexes or cheap Japanese watches, the interaction between humans are at a very intensity. Few words are spoken, people are quiet, except for the Moms who from a distance are the ones whose mouths are always in use. Looking down on the physical surroundings, the observer noticed that in both locations dirt are piling up in the usual places. The rooftops for those much older houses begin to accumulate rotting leaves and the dust coming from the nearby dessert had also been collected in the gutters. The cat in the front lawn of the upper-class neighborhood is as bored as his whiskered cousin down the road five miles away. Also, the harried mom in the rich enclaves looks as distraught as the mother in a typical suburb who could not make her child eat breakfast while frantically trying to prepare her for school. For time is ticking in both places and it moves at the same speed. The rich and poor all have the same twenty four hours, everyone now is gearing up for the morning rush and nobody can make time stand still. In the afternoon both communities seemed no man's land as many of the folks had already left for work. The observer recorded that the toddlers left behind by their parents are being take n cared of by people not related to them judging by their facial features and other characteristics. It (observer) would later take note that money is given to them at the end of the day when Mom and Dad comes back from the office. And finally with regards to the baby sitter - which both working parents from both communities badly needed - when these hired help enter each respective house, immediately they went for the remote and watch TV. This phenomenon is again the same in both communities. As dusk begins to fall, the same golden sun can be seen dipping closer to the western side of both communities. And of course the moon is in its usual place and the stars too, the night sky can be enjoyed irregardless of the address. The moths are having a good time in both communities and they were attracted to the burning lamp-posts and did not care if the one is more expensive than the other. At night

Business Essays Entrepreneurs Business Knowledge

Business Essays Entrepreneurs Business Knowledge Entrepreneurs Business Knowledge Literature Review Several studies have shown that entrepreneurial ventures are one of the main contributors of new firms (Storey 1994). An increasing number of people in the UK are starting or are considering starting up their own business. These individuals are commonly known as ‘entrepreneurs’. The word entrepreneur was of French origin which evolved into meanings such as people who take risks, and founders of businesses (Hennessy 1980). They have evolved from simple merchants to more sophisticated corporate men. Entrepreneurs can also be defined as ‘people who organise and manage a business undertaking, assuming the risk for the sake of profit’ (yourdictionary.com 2008), however there is much more to entrepreneurship than a simple definition. There are different types of entrepreneurs who possess certain traits that make them successful in business. Research carried out by Kortschak (2008) discusses five traits that successful entrepreneur’s small and medium-sized companies share: Making strategic decisions based on limited data – good entrepreneurs tend to make decisions based on 80% of the data they have to hand, as they understand that waiting to learn more could mean a missed opportunity. Learning from mistakes – this trait is often seen in serial entrepreneurs who have experienced one or more business failures, which they often learn more from that mistake than the success. Understanding their own weaknesses – the best entrepreneurs understand their area of expertise, strengths, and weaknesses. Even though they have a general understanding of other disciplines they realise they lack knowledge in other areas for example, technical. In this case the successful entrepreneur would hire experts who can complement their skills. Spot patterns and key data – Kortschak (2008) identifies that the common environment in which an entrepreneur enters is dynamic where the structure of the industry, the nature of the customer base, or they overall way of doing business has not yet been determined. Successful entrepreneurs who run their companies are generally confident in building structure where none is in place; in addition to identifying patterns they are able to separate relevant information from irrelevant data. Partnering successfully with others – success in business is mainly about partnership. It is important for an entrepreneur to communicate well with others to work with fellow partners in agreeing business decisions and to communicate well with their team in accomplishing business objectives. Poor communication and being unable to work with others results in an unsuccessful business. It has been said many times that there is an entrepreneur behind every successful business. This can be due to a number of reasons but the one that many tend to overlook is personalities. One of the reasons for most successes is that the entrepreneur with the right personality and attitude was right for that particular business, for example, Bill Gates was seen as ‘The Visionary’ for his innovative ideas, and Anita Roddick, founder of Body Shop was seen as ‘The Improver’ as she wanted to improve the environment using natural ingredients in her products and ridding harsh chemicals and animal testing of cosmetics. Zahorsky (2008) identifies that there are nine personality types of entrepreneurs: The Improver – with this personality type the entrepreneur is more focused on using their company as a means to improve the world / environment. They have an ability to run their business with high integrity and ethics. Example of an entrepreneur, Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop. The Advisor – this business personality types provides a high level of assistance and advice to customers. The motto with this personality type is the customer is right and everything must be done to please them. This personality types build their companies to become customer focused. Example of an entrepreneur, John Nordstrom, Founder of Nordstrom. The Superstar – with this personality type the business is normally centred around the charisma and high energy of the superstar CEO and more than often the business is built around the entrepreneurs own personal brand. Example of an entrepreneur, Donald Trump, CEO of Trump Hotels and Casino Resorts. The Artist – with this personality type the entrepreneur will tend to build their business around the unique talents and creativities they posses for other businesses demanding creativity such as web design. Example of entrepreneur, Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert. The Visionary – an entrepreneur with the visionary personality type will most likely be based on the future vision and thoughts of the founder. This personality type will have a high degree of curiosity to understand the world around you and set up plans to avoid the problems. Example of entrepreneur, Bill Gates, Founder of Microsoft Inc. The Analyst – this personality type is often the basis for science, engineering, or computing firms that are well known for problem solving. The entrepreneur possessing this personality type will run their business as an analyst and always focus on fixing problems in a logical way. Example of entrepreneur, Gordon Moore, Intel Founder. The Fireball – the entrepreneur with this personality type will be full of life, energy, and optimism. Their company would make customers feel the firm has a ‘get it done’ attitude in a fun way. Example of entrepreneur, Malcolm Forbes, Publisher, Forbes Magazine. The Hero – the business run by the hero personality type would have an incredible will and ability to lead their company through any challenge and can assemble great companies. Example of entrepreneur, Jack Welch, CEO GE. The Healer – the healer personality provides nurturing and harmony to their business and an ability to survive with an inner calm. Example of entrepreneur, Ben Cohen, Co-Founder of Ben Jerry’s Ice Cream. An entrepreneur’s business personality types and traits are some of the key success factors that blend with the needs of the business. With this combination businesses excel further. The media gives a great deal of attention to those who start their businesses with nothing and turning it into large successful organisation. An increasing number of entrepreneurs are young individuals with fresh ideas and an energetic attitude. However an entrepreneur’s age, educational background, and previous business-related experience is not as nearly as important as his or her desire to learn and willingness to bounce back from the obstacles associated with creating a new business endeavour (a trait that successful entrepreneurs share). A typical entrepreneur starts their business by using their savings, re-mortgaging their house, or borrowing from friends or family at a low or interest free rate which can be beneficial when starting out. Eventually the business starts to grow or the finance sources start to dry up, either way the business is in need of financing, which is defined as ‘money to implement a project; it is usually used to mean money lent, or equity provided’ (mos.gov 2008). When small businesses have actually become successful and have a track record then venture capital firms and banks will consider funding the business. Venture capitalists are defined as ‘professionally managed organisational investors’ (Harrison and Mason 1992). Even though banks are a popular and major source of finance for new and growing businesses, they have become less willing to lend money to new ventures (Mason and Harrison 1995, business angel book). Research from Oates (1992) suggests that major retail banks are apprehensive to financing new ventures after the losses in the early 1900s. Prior to this banks had been willing provide high levels of funds to finance start-up and expanding businesses, this was during the macro-economic boom of the mid 1980s (Murray 1994 business angel book). However the recession following this growth led to a considerable increase in the number of small businesses failing. The bank of England’s quarterly bulletin in February 1994 reported that throughout the recession (1992 – 1993) business failures had risen to 55,000 a year. This compared to a more normal rate in the 1980s had more than doubled, and the vast majority of these failures were in the small business sector. Thus the effect of this was a substantial increase in bad debts suffered by banks. The strain of these bad debts and their negative impacts on profits led to banks being reluctant to finance businesses that have just started out. Smith (1994 business angel book) suggests that many banks prefer to use short-term overdraft finance rather than long-term, fixed-rate financial packages. This is because shorter-term packages are not as damaging when the business experiences financial difficulties, however banks will cater for new businesses that have an extremely strong and promising proposal. This has led banks to avoid financing small / medium sized firms, thus leaving a gap in the market for financing smaller businesses. The venture capital industry in the UK is very well developed but does not adequately cater for young businesses. Murray (1994, business angel book) views the venture capital industry as not being a major source of finance for entrepreneurial ventures. One of the reasons why most venture capitalists avoid small business investments is because they are not pleased with administrative tasks that come with these investments, especially when the likely return is not substantial and does not compensate the amount of work required for young entrepreneurial ventures. According to Smith (1994 business angel book) venture capital firms focus more a great deal on management buyouts and the development of established existing businesses, rather than new ventures. Due to this stance of venture capitalists it has led them away from the small / medium sized firms, which also has resulted in a gap for new entrepreneurial ventures. The table ? below highlights some of the main differences between business angels and venture capitalists. Table ? – Business Angels vc Venture Capitalists Source: www.1000ventures.com As it can be seen from table there are many differences between business angels and venture capitalists. The table highlights an imperative point discussed earlier of business angels investing at the start-up / early stage of a small business whereas venture capitalists invest at a later stage of medium to large organisations. The table also shows that business angels are more active and hands on in their investments (active angels) whereas the venture capitalists are more strategic. The gap between family/friends and banks is often referred to as an ‘equity gap’. Financial Times interviewed Peter Jones (an extremely successful entrepreneur and investor) who quotes that there is a funding gap out there for entrepreneurs starting out and that finance is available for them but very hard to find and at this stage for an entrepreneur it is probably the single most biggest hurdle (Moules, Financial Times, 2006). The challenge of overcoming this equity gap is amongst one of the topmost reasons for small businesses not achieving their full potential. According to an article in The Guardian most entrepreneurs overcome this obstacle by obtaining finance from ‘Business Angel’s’ (Kollewe 2007, Guardian). Business Angels are successful entrepreneurs running successful businesses, they invest in budding entrepreneurs in return for a percentage of the business and tend to invest in businesses that have the potential to return a healthy profit. The term angel was originated by Broadway insiders in the early 1900s to describe wealthy theatre-goers who made high risk investments in theatrical productions (Mason 2005). The term business angel was given to those individuals who perform essentially the same function in a business context (Benjamin and Margulis 2000). However, this type of business financing has only become significant since the 1950s and 1960s. Business angels are now defined as private, wealthy individuals who invest their own money as well as their time in small, young, unquoted companies with whom they have no family connections (Deakins and Freel 2003). BNET.com (2007) defines business angels as an affluent individual who provides capital for a business, typically an equity investment. It is well known that angels rarely loan money without any strings attached (i.e. investing in return for a percentage of the business equity); they most often support entrepreneurs and new businesses. Landstrom (1993) states that most business angels have the same characteristics overall. He profiles them as heterogeneous group of people, as almost all business angels are or have been entrepreneurs from different backgrounds. However research carried out by Coveney and Moore (1998) suggests that there is more to a business angel than just wanting to make money. Coveney and Moore (1998) discuss that there are six different types of business angels. (See table 1 – table of different angels in book page 11). Entrepreneur Angels – these are the most active angels and experienced investors. They tend to have been successful entrepreneurs and now looking for ways to diversify their portfolio or expand their current business. They are well known for making frequent and large scale investments, not just for financial gain but for satisfaction of making investments and interacting with the founders/managers. They are also considerable wealthier than other individual business angels. Corporate Angels – these are companies that make angel type investments. These types of angels have been found to invest larger funds than other business angels and have corporate resources at their disposal (Coveney and Moore 1998). They tend to invest mainly for financial gain. Income Seeking Angels – are active business angels who make few and small investments for financial gain and to generate income/job for themselves. Wealth Maximising Angels – are a group of active business angels who have made several investments in new and growing ventures, they make their investments primarily for financial gain. They are generally wealthy but not as wealthy as entrepreneur angels. Latent Angels – these angels are inactive angels who have made one or two investments in the past but not in the last three years. Latent angels are self made private individuals who are very wealthy and have vast amounts of funds to invest. When looking to invest latent angels will be concerned with location of the venture as they would prefer to invest in opportunities close to home, as shown in table (ba v svc)?. Virgin Angels are angels who have not made an investment as of yet but are looking to finance new and growing businesses to create an income for themselves and to increase the return on their investment as much as they can. Virgin angels have fewer funds to invest than active angels. According to Mason and Harrison (1995)(business angels book) there are more virgin angels than active angels and that if half of the virgin angels became active then the total informal venture capital market would grow to ten times the size of formal venture capital market. Most of the time angels prefer to be ‘active angels’ as they like to invest in ventures and monitor their investments to ensure success. Similarly they prefer to invest in new young companies that are at their start-up stage and within close proximity to their home or work place (Harrison et al 2003). However research shows that although angels prefer to be active angels there are more virgin angels than active. (please see chart below). Chart ? – Business Angel market could become 10 times larger Source: www.1000ventures.com Chart (above) shows that in 2000 there were more virgin angels recorded than active angels, this suggests that there are reasons for business angels not being active in investing in entrepreneurial ventures. If the virgin angels could find the right venture to invest in then the business angel market could potentially increase significantly. Could this be solved by angels den? Mason and Harrison (1995)(business angel book) state that most small / medium sized businesses are successful because of the right angel that has backed the business. This could also suggest that the wrong angel could mean failure of the business which is not the case as business angels have experience in all areas of running an organisation but are experts in certain areas, thus this does not mean the business would be unsuccessful. As mentioned earlier Business Angels fulfil an increasingly important funding niche, as banks only loan capital at interest, and venture capitalists invest relatively large sums generally when businesses wish to expand (see appendix I), which leaves the angels to support numerous new businesses each year. The critical issue for young vibrant businesses is finding sufficient funding for start-up and growth (Southon, Financial Times, 2008). Most entrepreneurs first look to banks, and venture capitalists for funding, these sources however can fund only a small percentage of businesses. It is now common for young businesses to find funding from business angels as they cater for this funding niche. The involvement of banks investing in entrepreneurs is lower than the venture capitalist investments (Fiet and Fraser 1994). Some of the benefits of banks entering venture capital finance are discussed by Fiet and Fraser (1994). One of these benefits suggests that the participation of banks would contribute to the elimination of the widely reported capital gap that may exist for funding new ventures. However due to the low involvement of banks investing in new and young entrepreneurs this has increased the involvement of business angels. There have been surprisingly few attempts to compare business angels with non-investors (banks). This is largely due to the fact that their exact population is unknown, however as mentioned earlier a number of studies show that there has been a significant increase in recent years. It is evident from Fiet and Fraser’s (1994) research that business angels provide much more funds for new businesses than venture capital firms and banks, yet their existence is not as well known as banks. Mason and Harrison (1995)(business angel book) state that the reason for business angels not being well know as other investments is because many of the investments made by business angels goes unrecorded by the government due to the scale of investments. Research undertaken by Macht (2007) discusses the post-investment period of business angels and their involvement and impact upon their investments. This study focuses solely on business angels where a survey was administrated online and electronically to business angels to explore their involvement and impact on their investments after the investment had been made, hence post-involvement. This was a useful analysis of why business angels invest and what motivates them. However the research does not consider the entrepreneurs or any other investment when the analysis was carried out. The study by Macht (2007) could add value to this research when assessing what factors business angels contribute in their investment and what sets them apart from banks. There are many banks offering loans to entrepreneurs to either start up their business or support the expansion of the business. Banks requires a thorough business plan submitted for them to evaluate whether the individual is credit worthy, whether they will be able to pay their loan, and within what timescale. According to Small Business Administration (SBA) the most common way entrepreneurs finance their growing or expanding business is through banks (SBA 2008). Banks provide the finance needed if the individual can demonstrate the ability to keep in business, and their ability to repay the loan and meet the firms other obligations. SBA (2008) state that a more difficult route of obtaining finance is from business angels and venture capitalists as these individuals and firms assist companies to grown in exchange for equity or partial ownership. (refer to appendix – show a graph of a business life cycle, i.e. start-up, expansion, maturity etc). SBA (2008) claim that there is no such thing as one hundred percent financing and that it would be required from the entrepreneur to invest some funds into the business before a lender will provide financing, especially banks. However research has shown that business angels have financed entrepreneurial ventures one hundred percent based on the entrepreneurs idea / invention. Dragons Den has become a popular show on television where a group of angels form a network to invest in budding entrepreneurs who pitch their business ideas to the business angels. It has become apparent from this program that business angels have provided one hundred percent finance in entrepreneurial ventures. When applying for finance to business angels they generally would want to know details of the entrepreneur’s current financial situation and background, however with banks it is much more complex than this. There are several questions a bank would need answers to before they would consider any application for a business loan such as, the specific purpose of the loan, the amount you are requesting, when and how long you would need the funds, how the loan will be repaid, what collateral will be used, and whether the business owners will provide a personal guaranty of some sort. A typical loan request involves the following components: Statement of purpose – outlining your purpose of the loan, what it will be needed for, and for how long etc. Business plan – outlining what the business does and it’s short and long term goals. Financial statements this will outline the financial capacity and performance of the business which is important as it will give the lender an insight to how you have generated revenue in the past and how you will continue to do so in the future. A thorough complete loan application alone would not suffice when borrowing funds from a bank. Further evaluation would need to be done on an individual’s financial background to see if they are credit worthy, this is different to the evaluation of the business financials. According to Barclays Plc bank, there are three aspects of credit in making loans decisions which are outlined below. Character – a check on your financial status and personal credit history. Capacity – having sufficient cash flow to pay off the loan. Collateral – providing assurance to the lenders as a last resort should the business not prove profitable. Collateral is a key aspect when applying for finance to a bank. Banks would want to lower the risk of lending as much as possible so that they would feel more confident the loan would be paid on time and in full, which is why they require security on assets, i.e. house, car. Majority of banks offer various loan packages for those wishing to start up or expand their business. This is with the intention to suit the loan to the needs of the particular business. For example, a common loan that banks offer are the small business start up loan package, which are only available on a guaranty basis. The small business loans are not fully guaranteed by the Government where normally if a payment default occurs; the Government will reimburse the lender for its loss up to a certain percentage. To be eligible for a small business loan the firm must not exceed one hundred employees in a wholesale business, or generate more than $21 million in annual revenue (HSBC 2008). This varies for a manufacturing firm (please refer to appendix ? – SBA slides 15). In addition to this, assistance cannot be proved to non-profit organisations, firms involved in illegal activities, or a monopoly situation or businesses engaged in pyramid sales. The small business loan can be used for many purposes such as, purchase of land and buildings, long or short term working capital needs, or purchasing an existing business. Other loans offered by banks are special purpose loans, and basic micro-loans. The special purpose loans serve specific markets such as export markets. The special purpose loan is designed to be short lived that is only required at times of market needs. The basic micro-loans are small loans for small businesses who struggle to obtain conventional financing but have good prospects for repaying the loan back. The micro-loans are under $35,000 but on average the loan size is $13,000, according to Halifax bank plc. These loans help finance the equity gap however are subject to the entrepreneurs’ potential in repaying the loan. (need to find accurate referencing for these banks mentioned, also change $ to  £. P.s. click on slide link for info). As mentioned earlier, if approaching a business angel for finance then the business angel would need to know financial and background specifics of the entrepreneur and the venture. For an entrepreneur, preparing a business plan is vital whether it be for banks, venture capitalists, or business angels. The hardest part to obtaining finance from a business angel is to actually finding business angels, as business angels are not as publicly known as banks nor are they known for financing as many investments as banks do. Similarly it has been hard for business angels to finance investments due to a lack of access to a range of investments. Hughes (1996) found that business angels would invest more frequently if they had access to a better range of investments; however he also stated that many potential ventures which meet the minimum criteria of business angels still goes unfunded. This shows that the right type of business angel cannot gain access to the right type of venture. Recent research shows that in order to overcome the hurdle of the angel meeting the right investment, vice versus, business angels have come together to form networks (FT Moules 2007). This allows a group of angels to combine their funds together to offer larger investments for entrepreneurs needing larger finance. Thus the entrepreneur also benefits from having more than one business angel on board to provide the business with their expertise and knowledge. As mentioned earlier, Dragons Den is a group of business angels who invest in entrepreneurial ventures that are brought forward to them. There have been several cases where more than one angel has invested in the same venture. There has been further development of the traditional angel networks of meeting entrepreneurs face to face. Angels Den has been one of many to launch an online networking website that specifically aims to connect entrepreneurs with business angels (FT Moules 2007). How this works is that the users of this service would pay a small fee of around  £100 to pitch an idea to the websites private investors. If the idea is liked then entrepreneur must pay a larger fee of around  £400 to pitch a full business plan. From this point if the investor is interested in the pitch then a face to face meeting is arranged. The fees that are charged for these websites are to be said a ‘fraction of the cost of traditional marketing’, according to Financial Times 2007, Moules. Angels Den does not take equity stakes in funded businesses or a percentage cut from completed deals, and the service is free to business angels (angelsden.co.uk). The website encourages business angels to join which is free for them to do so; this is beneficial for entrepreneurs as it does not discourage business angels from joining hence increasing their chances of finding the right angel. This method is gradually becoming well known to the public thus increasing the exposure of business angels. It would therefore become much easier for entrepreneurs to find business angels and not feel banks and venture capitalists are the only accessible alternatives for finance, especially for those that have poor credit and no security to offer banks. It would also be easier for the government to measure the investment activity on annual basis and realise that business angels do make more investments than currently recorded that fill the equity gap (FT Mason, 2007). There had been attempts in the past to achieve similar objectives to the online networking sites as discussed above, these were referred to as business introduction services. They had tried to act as communicators between entrepreneurs seeking capital and interested potential investors; however this service did not exist online. According to Hughes (1996) these organisations had not been very successful in overcoming the problem of filling the equity gap, which still exists to this day. An article by the businesszone.co.uk states that one of the most common mistakes that individuals’ starting out in business make is assuming that they can reach their full potential by themselves. Whereas Dragons Den angels Theo Paphitis, and Peter Jones claim that the biggest mistake entrepreneurs make is over-estimating the value of their company and not having enough cash to sustain the business. As Theo Paphitis quotes â€Å"cash is king†. Even though business angels seem to be more beneficial as investors than banks Drury (2008)(nzherald.co.nz) states that the vast majority of business angel deals do not proceed well. This can be because companies can often take much more time than the angel had thought and also more cash than forecasted. This could also be because the angel that has made the investment is a first time angel investor and thus lack experience. Drury (2008) also states that some angel investors may not know they are an angel yet as anyone moderately wealthy could potentially be an angel if they find a venture to invest in. There are many ways to define beneficial, prenhall.co.uk defines beneficial as ‘producing or promoting a favourable result’. In terms of investing in entrepreneurs and which investment would be beneficial for entrepreneurial ventures this can be measured by reviewing what factors are advantageous for the entrepreneur and their business. Some of the factors can include the following: Finance provided Interest rate Expertise Knowledge Using business angel contacts Involvement from the investor to improve things No involvement from the investor, therefore less interference in the business Studies have shown that business angels can provide added value beyond financial capital (Ehrlich et al 1994). Having a business angel invest in the venture can help sustain competitive advantage, which is beneficial for the entrepreneurs’, as the angels bring more than capital to the business; they can bring their experience, contacts, and expertise to progress the business further. The resource-based perspective argues that sustained competitive advantage is generated by the unique bundle of resources at t

HBM: A Dietary Supplement for Building Muscle :: Health Nutrition Papers

HBM: A Dietary Supplement for Building Muscle Three major companies (Twinlab, MetRx, and EAS) currently market the nutritional supplement HMB, or beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate (http://www.sports-nutrition.org/mesomorphosis/3022645.html). HMB has been highly acclaimed since it’s recent market debut by EAS (http://www.eas.com/research/hmb/mindex.html). Many critics have compared it to the wonder-product Creatine Monohydrate. Such a comparison undoubtedly harbors both positive and negative aspects. But nevertheless, HMB products continue to thrive in nutritional stores worldwide. I. What is HMB? "HMB (hydroxy-methylbutraye) is a metabolite of the amino acid Leucine and is produced naturally by the human body. HMB is produced from a metabolite of leucine, called ketoisocaproate (KIC), by the enzyme KIC-dioxygenase. And, at least in the pig, HMB is produced exclusively from leucine"(Nissen p.2095). II. How does HMB work? Steven Nissen and his colleagues have performed the only study to date of HMB on humans. The researchers agree that the mechanism by which HMB impacts muscle proteolysis and function is not currently known. Nevertheless there are a number of postulations. "The high substrate concentration required by the dioxygenase enzyme compared with the liver concentration of KIC suggests that HMB production in the body may be a first-order reaction controlled by enzyme and KIC concentrations. It has been calculated that, under normal conditions, about 5% of leucine oxidation proceeds via this pathway. Therefore, if humans are assumed to have enzyme actions similar to those seen in pigs, a 70-kg human would produce from .2 to .4 g HMB/day depending on the level of dietary leucine. At leucine intakes of 20-50 g/day (which are used therapeutically), the concentrations of leucine and KIC in the liver increase and could result in HMB production reaching gram quantities per day"(Nissen p.2095). Some s tudies involving HMB supplementation to the diet of steers and pigs have been shown to improve caracass quality. Based on these findings, it has been hypothesized that supplementing the diet with HMB may inhibit protein degradation during periods of increased proteolysis such as resistance training. III. What are the Claims? The three companies that currently market the product recommend 1.5-3.0 grams of HMB/day as a dietary supplement. Although the science behind the product’s effectiveness is rather unclear, all three companies show few distinctions between dosages and manufacturing. Most people who have noticed the product often see HMB advertised as a protein breakdown suppressor. Researchers claim that such an advantage actually enhances the gains in muscle strength and lean mass associated with resistance training.

Comparing and Contrasting the Indus River Valley Essay

The Indus River Valley and Tigris and Euphrates River Valley civilizations are important to history, and they have some notable similarities and differences in their â€Å"institutions† of religion and politics that helped shape the development of them. One major institution that helped shape the Indus River Valley Civilization is the Aryans. The Aryans might have destroyed and taken over the Indus River Valley Civilization but they did shape that area. They introduced the Caste System in the area, which is still in use in India today. The Aryans had a polytheistic religion which eventually formed into Hinduism. So, the Aryans not only shaped the Indus River Valley area but also India. The Tigris and Euphrates River Valley Civilizations also had a social system but it didn’t influence anything as much as the Aryan Caste System did. The Tigris and Euphrates River Valley Civilizations had a different â€Å"Institution†. They had a monotheistic religion known as Zoroastrianism. Founded in 600 B.C/B.C.E by Zoroaster, it states that there is a supreme deity called Ahura Mazda, and two other gods, the spirit of good named Spenta Mainyu and the spirit of evil named Angra Mainyu are in a cosmic struggle. In conclusion, the Indus River Valley Civilization and the Tigris and Euphrates River Valley Civilizations had some similarities and differences. Both had a social system, both only the Indus River Valley Civilization had the Aryans,whose polytheistic religion formed into Hinduism. However, the Tigris and Euphrates River Valley Civilizations had Zoroastrianism, a monotheistic religion.

The Infamy of Amaru essays

The Infamy of Amaru essays The Inca of yesterday is the same modern Peru of today. Both the old and the new Inca/Peru hold the same two people dear to their hearts. TÃ ºpac Amaru, whose untimely death at the age of 28 left the accent Inca in silence, was an Incan revolutionary leader of the sixteenth century (Werlich, 41). Amaru is remembered by his Incan and Peruvian peoples alike as being the one who changed the political atmosphere and the morale of their people. Amarus name has survived throughout five centuries as a symbol against injustice. Amaru was born during the year of 1571, into a lineage that stemmed from a long line of royalty. Amaru was a direct descendent of Huayna Capac, who was the Eleventh emperor of the Inca empire. Amaru was also the fourth Vilcabamba emperor to rule. Vilcabamba was a region in the Inca Empire made up of mountains and jungle wilderness located north of Cuzco (Werlich, 47). TÃ ºpac was the legitimate son of Inca Yupanqui and being a legitimate son has great significance according to Incan Belief. The Incas believed only the legitimate children or the children of whose mother was loved more could rule. One text has his initial name as Amaru TÃ ºpac Inca. Not much is written about the history of TÃ ºpac Amaru but what was kept record of mainly focuses on his birth and the details during his revolutionary responsibilities. What is clearly understood from that time of his rule is the immense wealth of love that was bestowed upon him by his Incan peoples. When TÃ ºpac Amaru was killed, the Conquistadors had his decapitated head mounted on a pole. The head of TÃ ºpac Amaru was supposed to strike fear in those Incans who plotted rebellious deeds. Quite to the contrary, the Incas did not fear the Spaniards nor saw Amarus severe head as a sign of defeat. Rather the Incan people came out in masses to celebrate their leader (Stirling, 138). This made it known that the Incas would not be subdued quietly. TÃ ºpac Amaru l...

to james heriot essays

to james heriot essays Most people working in the medical field treat human patients, but one common medical field is Complaining about his first experience in the country, James Herriot starts out his book saying, "They didn't say anything about this in the books, I thought, as the snow blew in through the gaping doorway and settled on my back. No there wasn't a word in the books about searching for your ropes and instruments in the shadows; about trying to keep clean in a half bucket of tepid water; about the cobbles digging into your chest. Nor about the slow numbing of the arms, the creeping paralysis of the muscles as the fingers tried to work against the cows powerful explosive efforts." He clearly doesn't show any signs of enjoying his job, yet. Later on, on his way to Mr. Farnon, he remembers some of the horror stories told to him from experienced veterans, which had visited his college. One vet said," Never a night off or a half a day. He made me wash the car, dig the garden, mow the lawn, do the family shopping. But when he told me to sweep the chimney I left." And anothe r remembers, " First job I had to do was pass the stomach tube on a horse. Got it into the trachea instead of the esophagus. Couple of quick pumps and down went the horse with a hell of a crash-dead as a hammer. That's when I started these gray hairs." By that time James was doubting whether or not being a vet was the best profession he could have chosen. Deciding to stay a vet in the same city he quickly realized the problem of having to adapt to his new environment. One of the first he encountered was the ability to communicate properly with his customers. James, on the first day of work, while Mr. Farnon was out, had to deal with a customer on his own. Harriot had trouble understanding him due to the use of terms, to describe animal body parts, sickness, and dise ...

Legislative Acts (Evolution of Management Class) Essay

Legislative Acts (Evolution of Management Class) - Essay Example ERISA ensures that employees get their due benefits within the given time in a reasonable and just manner. Employees get surety and contentment that at their retirement age, they will get income security and welfare plans. As ERISA is related to employees working in any organization, therefore, the act is quite influential in business sector. The employees get satisfaction related to their retirement and there is a sense of hopefulness that they will not be left unattended at their retirement age. Due to this act and its implementation, the employees are encouraged to work in any business sector with job and income security. They do not face problems regarding their retirement as according to the act, they have their due rights such as income security and welfare plans associated with retirement. The United States department of Labor ensures that employers or other authorities, who are responsible for violating the act, are taken under check considering civil action. Criminal penalties are also imposed on the violators of the act due to which, the employers are restricted to take care of their employees (United States Department of Labor, 2009). Due to ERISA, the business is influenced to a great extent as the employers as well as employees, everyone is aware of his rights and the reaction of violating the act. The employees get a sense of security while the employers get a sense of responsibility towards his employees. ERISA is quite a significant act as it ensures that employees get their due rights even at their retirement. The act fulfils the tenets of humanistic era as the employees get reward for their work and get a sense of contentment related to their jobs with businesses. Employees are able to recognize their hardships and works related to their jobs and are also able to gain knowledge about their rights according to their jobs. ERISA makes sure that employees get what they are to get because of their jobs. The employer

My Philosophy of Education (Early Childhood Education) Essay - 1

My Philosophy of Education (Early Childhood Education) - Essay Example A sense of security encourages risk-taking by children, both emotionally and intellectually. The teacher should strive to nurture each child and the group in a manner which is consistent with developmentally appropriate practice. To this end, strict lessons should be minimized and supplemented liberally by child-directed activities and play-oriented roles. Stress can be minimized and children can be explorers of knowledge. With respect to the students, they should learn to teach themselves. They should be allowed to define problems and the means by which such problems are solved. They should be allowed to test new ideas and observe the consequences of different actions. Finally, a strict curriculum should be de-emphasized and students allowed to help choose what and how they will learn. Within limits, curriculum and assessment should be collaborative. I believe this will make students more engaged. The first value that we should teach children, and one not stated explicitly enough in my view, is that every child is capable of learning. Research on meta-cognition, in effect learning how to learn, suggests that students who keep a record of their learning tend to perform well. This can be reinforced in the early childhood context by having students keep a picture diary or journal. They can draw what they have learned and reflect on how much they have learned every week or every month. Another important value is the value of diversity; more particularly, the sincere recognition that other people, whatever their gender, race, or personality, have something important to offer the larger group. This is important because students must learn to succeed in other social settings in the future. This can be taught using play-oriented activities in which a successful resolution depends on the contribution of each member of the group rather than the acts of, say, a single individual. Children should also be taught the value of reflection; more specifically, they should be taught that patience and learning can co-exist. This can be taught by requiring a thinking time before accepting answers or comments. The value of persistence is also of great value. Children should be taught that learning is a cumulative process. This can be taught by having periodic reviews where students demonstrate what they have learned in a child-initiated environment. The teacher participates rather than directs. Students can ask and answer the questions. Finally, students should be taught the value that learning is useful. Too often students are left to wonder why they are doing what they are doing. What is the purpose The teacher should design activities which allow the children to apply what they have learned. The activity may be clever or purely humorous, but the link between concept or theory and use or application should be instilled in the children. My Philosophy of Education As a teacher, I feel that it is my primary obligation to create the safest and most learning-conducive environment possible. Although I do value the mastery of specific learning outcomes, this is not my ultimate goal; rather, I hope to create learning values that the student can apply to develop emotionally, socially and intellectually. I also hope to convey a relevant curriculum for the learner, so that students begin to see the usefulness of