Issues Involved When You Try to Take a Strategic Approach...

This essay is going to define strategic human resource management and development (SHRM/D) and briefly mention why this concept is important for organizations, I will then briefly mention other underlying concepts about strategic people management, and then go to the core of the essay and discuss the issues that are involved when we try to take a strategic approach to human resource management and development(HRM/D).Lastly I shall conclude by giving the extent to which my organization’s experience agrees to the issues discussed. PostBank Uganda (PBU) which I work for is a government owned bank and all my illustrations will be drawn from therein. SHRM as defined by Armstrong (2008:33-35) is an approach that defines how the†¦show more content†¦This means that the HR has to be unique in all aspects. For example in PBU we have been training staff in customer care skills in order for them to serve customers right, however every other bank does so and we therefore decided to incorporate an element of positive attitude change in that training giving us an advantage over other people who are only training customer care. Strategic fit: This concept emphasizes that there should be congruence between HR strategies and the organizations environment. It can be perceived in terms of vertical and horizontal integration of HR strategies and corporate strategies. This is in agreement with Wright and McMahan (1992) cited by Armstrong (2008:38) Strategic Flexibility: This concept emphasizes the fact that in order to get the best out of people the organization should be sensitive to its competitive environment and it shouldShow MoreRelated1 Strategic Planning, Learning Theory, and Training Needs Analysis1314 Words   |  6 PagesAssignment 1 Strategic Planning, Learning Theory, and Training Needs Analysis Assignment 1: Strategic Planning, Learning Theory, and Training Needs Analysis KorVina Hunter Professor Robert High BUS 407 December 9, 2011 The analysis phase defines what needs to be trained. Next, an instructional design is crafted to meet this need. Only after the design is complete are the instructional materials developed. During development, individualRead MoreTop Management For Crm And Practicing Crm Essay1683 Words   |  7 PagesAccording to Vazifehdust and Shahnavazi, (2012) there are nine CSFs. The CSFs determined are: Top management: Top management involvement in CRM and practicing CRM as their organisational vision and mission. The role of top managers is eliminating constraints (such as rigid regulation, hierarchical bureaucracy, lack of funding to CRM programs, close culture and etc) faced by organization when implementing CRM process. Chief executive officer: Leadership is responsible for creating the customer visionRead MoreStrategic Human Resource Management72324 Words   |  290 PagesBusiness Management Study Manuals Advanced Diploma in Business Management STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT The Association of Business Executives 5th Floor, CI Tower ï‚ · St Georges Square ï‚ · High Street ï‚ · New Malden Surrey KT3 4TE ï‚ · United Kingdom Tel: + 44(0)20 8329 2930 ï‚ · Fax: + 44(0)20 8329 2945 E-mail: info@abeuk.com ï‚ · www.abeuk.com  © Copyright, 2008 The Association of Business Executives (ABE) and RRC Business Training All rights reserved No part of this publication may beRead MoreThe Role Of Proactive Administration Of Human Asset Issues Essay1650 Words   |  7 Pagesdirectors’ disregard human asset issues, which are occasionally considered until significant issues emerge. 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Trim Department of Management, Birkbeck College, University of London, London, UK Keywords Management development, Mentoring, Strategic management, Simulation Abstract In order to meet the challenges of the marketplace, senior management needs to ensure that an organisationRead MoreHuman Resource Management8564 Words   |  35 PagesStrategic Management of Human Resources Section A: (Take around 15 minutes to answer each question, 1 or max 1.5 pages for each question) 1. What do we mean by the terms ‘Best fit’ and ‘Best practice’ to describe SHRM (Strategic Human Resource Management). Which is better? Use any short case examples to illustrate your discussion? Answer: By Definition ‘Strategic Human resource management is an approach that refers how the aims of the organization will be acquired through people by meansRead MoreReport On Resource Management Issues And Quality Concepts2443 Words   |  10 PagesMANAGING RESOURCES Report on Resource Management Issues and quality concepts in the context of Housing Organisation (Twin Valley Homes). Title: An analysis of Resource Management issues within the Housing sector and effective use of resouces. Objectives: To find out effective use of resources within the organisation. To find out relevant resource management issues. To discuss quality concepts in the context of housing organisation. To discuss the performance of organisational objectivesRead MoreHrm Tesco16710 Words   |  67 Pagesis readily available in the libraries, internet, Tescos head office, blogs and journals. The second reason for the selection of topic was the access to the management of Tesco’s. The access becomes barrier in most of the selection and the topic. Therefore the rationale decision was taken to consider the topic which for the information resources could be available in the sufficient quantity. * The deeper study of theoretical aspects can provide the inner insight, enlightened through the theoreticalRead MoreHr - Strategic Business Partner10974 Words   |  44 PagesHR as strategic Partner is gaining momentum as being one of the best way yet in making human resources as the most important asset in an organization. Being a strategic partner is understood as a long-term relationship to achieve defined objectives common to all partners. In the context of  strategic human resource management,  the HR function and activities are intended to ensure the organization s financial success. As partners your HR people and employees in the various areas of the organizationRead MoreHow to Become an Effective Human Resources Management Officer4801 Words   |  20 Pages Question: Write a 2,500 word paper on how you can become an effective Human Resource manager. INTRODUCTION For many people, being in a position with power can be very exciting as well as very intimidating without the rightful skills and knowledge, hence a Human Resource Manager may become frustrated and overwhelmed without the proper skills. To become an effective Human resource manager, you need to understand what is needed to do the job with style and tact. This is a very critical role of

Welfare in the United States - 1758 Words

Welfare in the United States Everyone has their own opinion about the welfare system in the United States. Some feel it is well-designed and other find it to be valueless. Some say it is an excuse for â€Å"the lazy† to not have to contribute to society, and use it as a source of income. Some even say the program isn’t utilized in the manner in which it was meant when established. Regardless of opinions, the welfare system was established to help those in a time of need. The United States, â€Å"The land of opportunity†, is simply trying to help give those less fortunate the opportunity to succeed. In the following paragraphs we will discuss the history of the welfare system; why it was created; and how the conflict theory impacts it.†¦show more content†¦Some exceptions may apply to citizenship rules. When an individual applies for welfare, his or her citizenship status is reviewed, along with the status of each household member, before assistance is granted. Each state has i ts own residency requirements as well. For example, to be eligible in Pennsylvania, an individual must be living within the state and have the intention of remaining there (Defty, 2007). A social security number is required for receiving welfare benefits. This is required not just of adults, but also of children in an applying household. If someone in an applying household doesn’t have a social security number, the person must apply for one, provide proof of applying for a number, and give the number to his or her caseworker once it is issued. The caseworker may also require a copy of the person’s social security card. Often, adults must meet certain work requirements in order to be eligible for welfare. The requirements may vary depending on the program and the state in which the individual is seeking aid. Generally, recipients are expected to seek employment and/or training. Some states provide work training and employment search programs geared specifically toward s welfare recipients (Defty, 2007). In certain circumstances, a recipient may be exempt from work requirements. For example, an individual in a single-parent household, with a childShow MoreRelatedWelfare Of The United States998 Words   |  4 PagesWelfare is a subject of debate in the United States because everyone has a different point of view when it comes to the Social Security Act. On one side the rich may feel that the government takes from the rich, and gives to the poor. The poor on the other hand may believe that they are being forgotten and not helped enough by the government. Are the government financial assistance programs really working and helping people climb out of poverty or are they creating lazy people who depend on governmentRead MoreWelfare Of The United States1351 Words   |  6 PagesWelfare Research paper Since the dawn of the United States, our nation’s government has committed to helping its people to advance society and its general welfare. As early as 1785, America’s federal government reserved lands in the Articles of Confederation that would be set aside for the placement of schools and other establishments for the public domain. In 1789 the federal government acquired the responsibility of providing pensions to disabled veterans of the Revolutionary War. Later thatRead MoreWelfare Of The United States Essay869 Words   |  4 PagesWelfare in the United States began in the 1800’s when the colonies imported British Poor Laws. Before the Great Depression began in America, the government was already supporting certain programs such as the Civil War Pension Program was that passed in 1862 that gave aid to Civil War Veterans and their families. Once the Great Depression hit, unemployment rose and President Franklin D. Roosevelt, enacted the Social Security A ct in 1935. The act formed a number of programs that provided aid to a widerRead MoreThe Effects Of Welfare On The United States1455 Words   |  6 PagesWhen the United States of America first began, there were small villages with men and women of varying degrees of wealth. Like any society, there were people who had little money and poor living conditions while others were wealthy. In the colonies of the new world, the church and the neighbors of those in poverty helped provide food and clothing, while also finding ways to improve their daily lives. 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Federal government funded welfare in the United States started in the 1930s during the Great Depression. Because of the vast numbers of people out of work and with insufficient funds to buy food for their families, President Franklin D. Roosevelt approved a program to giveRead MoreSocial Welfare : The United States978 Words   |  4 PagesSocial welfare programs are when society organizes efforts to meet some human needs. In the United States social welfare philosophies have changed throughout the years, and support for social welfare has gone both ways. English Poor Laws During 1601, England was experiencing a severe economic depression, with large scale unemployment and widespread famine. Queen Elizabeth created a set of laws designed to maintain order of the kingdom: the English Poor Laws. †¯These laws remained in force forRead MoreThe Welfare System Of The United States3167 Words   |  13 PagesIn The United States there is the aid that we refer to as the Welfare system. There is usually a very bad stigma behind the name welfare system but during the 1930 s The Great Depression affected roughly sixty percent of families who were barely living and it was not because of bad choices. (Jensen, C., 2014). During The Great Depression the welfare system was a useful tool the many modifications to the structure over the years has not changed the focus of the systems main focal points. The WelfareRead MoreHealth And Welfare Of The United States Essay1855 Words   |  8 PagesOverview The burden of diabetes in the United States has become a persistent threat to the health and welfare of the people and the nation. Diabetes is ranked the seventh cause of death. Diabetes is a disease characterized by high levels of blood glucose caused by problems in insulin production, working of the produced insulin, or even both, which results in serious complications and ultimately death (National Diabetes Education Program, 2007). 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A Capital Asset Pricing Model with Time-Varying Covariances

Question: Describe about A Capital Asset Pricing Model with Time-Varying Covariances? Answer: A business corporation can raise finance by two methods. The first method is by equity financing and the second is by debt financing. Either of these methods has their own set of advantage and disadvantage. Equity is like selling a part of the corporation to the investors while the second method involves taking a debt from creditors and paying back some interest over a period of time. The credit holders enjoys higher status in the companies as the corporation is liable to pay interests to them, in case of equity a dividend payment is considered to be a discretionary expense. If a company has taken up debt financing then they are said to be leveraged. In business financial leverage is referred as an amount which is taken up to finance various kinds of operations in the company. The credit holders enjoys higher status in the companies as the corporation is liable to pay interests to them, in case of equity a dividend payment is considered to be a discretionary expense. Companies should decompose there ROE (Return on Equity) to see what is the actual status of the company. This analysis is referred as DuPont Analysis and it is used to measure operating, asset efficiency and the financial leverage. ROE = Profit Margin (Profit/Sales) * Total Asset Turnover (Sales/Assets) * Equity Multiplier (Assets/Equity) This analysis can give a fair idea of how leverage is generating returns for the company and good be used for goo decision making in the business. Financial leverage is something which most of the business put good time discussing. It is a very good thing for the company when market conditions are in favour, business is growing, surplus cash is rolling but can be dangerous if not managed well and during the times when the business is down. Excess leveraging and falling asset pricing where the prime reason for Subprime crisis in 2008. This kind of analysis can help the company in the long run to build strong reputation, understand the dynamics on which the business is working and also get a clear breakup of ROE. The credit holders enjoys higher status in the companies as the corporation is liable to pay interests to them, in case of equity a dividend payment is considered to b e a discretionary expense. The financial leverage will provide estimates of leverage, operating efficiency can be measured with asset use efficiency while operating performance can be measured by the profit generation vis-vis sale. One preference of obligation is that intrigue paid to banks is duty deductible simply like whatever other cost. This is on the grounds that hobby is viewed as an expense of working together. Not at all like interest, profits paid to stockholders are not assess deductible so paying profits is more extravagant than paying hobby. Nonetheless, paying profits sends signs to the business sector about the organization's benefit. Financial leverage is something which most of the business put good time discussing. It is a very good thing for the company when market conditions are in favour, business is growing, surplus cash is rolling but can be dangerous if not managed well and during the times when the business is down. 2 The target of the firm ought to be coordinated towards the augmentation of the estimation of the firm the capital structure, or normal, choice ought to be analyzed from the perspective of its effect on the estimation of the firm. On the off chance that the estimation of the firm can be influenced by capital structure or financing choice a firm might want to have a capital structure which augments the business sector estimation of the firm. The capital structure choice can influence the estimation of the firm either by changing the normal profit or the expense of capital or both. On the off chance that normal influences the expense of capital and the estimation of the firm, an ideal capital structure would be gotten at that blend of obligation and value that amplifies the aggregate estimation of the firm (estimation of shares in addition to estimation of obligation) or minimizes the weighted normal expense of capital. For a superior comprehension of the relationship between budgetary normal and the estimation of the firm, presumptions, highlights and ramifications of the capital structure speculations are given beneath. The presence of an ideal capital structure is not acknowledged by all. There exist two compelling perspectives and a center position. David Durand distinguished the two compelling perspectives the Net pay and net working methodologies. a) Net wage Approach (Nl): Under the net wage (Nl) approach, the expense of obligation and expense of value are thought to be free of the capital structure. The weighted normal expense of capital decreases and the aggregate estimation of the firm ascent with expanded utilization of normal. b) Net Operating pay Approach (NOI): Under the net working pay (NOI) approach, the expense of value is accepted to increment straightly with normal. Accordingly, the weighted normal expense of capital stays steady and the aggregate of the firm likewise stays consistent as normal changed. In this manner, if the Nl methodology is substantial, normal is a huge variable and financing choices have a vital impact on the estimation of the firm, then again, if the NOI methodology is right, then the financing choice ought not be of more noteworthy concern to the budgetary director, as it doesn't make a difference in the valuation of the firm. Conventional perspective: The conventional perspective is a tradeoff between the net pay methodology and the net working methodology. As per this view, the estimation of the firm can be expanded or the expense, of capital can be diminished by the prudent blend of obligation and value capital. This methodology obviously suggests that the expense of capital declines inside the sensible furthest reaches of obligation and afterward increments with normal. Hence an ideal capital structure exists and happens when the expense of capital is least or the estimation of the firm is most extreme. The expense of capital decays with influence on the grounds that obligation capital is jaunty than value capital inside sensible, or adequate, utmost of obligation. The weighted normal expense of capital will diminish with the utilization of obligation. 3 Obligation financing for the most part takes the type of bank advances, rotating lines of credit and even utilization of Mastercards. Notwithstanding the lender, premium charges on the sum acquired is the way banks win benefits. Conversely, cash raised through value financing isn't reimbursed. Rather, speculators will contribute cash or property in return for an offer of proprietorship in your business - which implies they will partake in benefits the business produces. Regardless of needing to reimburse the cash raised through obligation financing, the guideline point of interest of this kind of financing game plan is that you don't surrender any control over the business - importance you won't need to counsel with financial specialists before deciding. Another profit of obligation financing is that the reimbursement terms are unsurprising, which considers more exact planning and arranging, and also maintenance of a bigger rate of benefits. Case in point, on the off chance that you get cash from a bank that obliges a regularly scheduled installment of $1,000 more than three years, you can be certain that if benefits surge amid the reimbursement period, the bank won't come requesting a bigger regularly scheduled installment. This isn't the situation with value financing. Speculators by and large need a bit of the upside in return for the danger they take. Consequently, they may oblige an altered rate of the benefits every year, the measure of which, is unusual. Since the interest that accumulates on obligation can be duty deductible, the genuine expense of the acquiring is not exactly the expressed rate of hobby. To deduct enthusiasm on obligation financing as a customary cost of doing business, the fundamental advance cash must be utilized for business purposes. Moreover, you must be lawfully subject for reimbursing the obligation, a real lender borrower relationship must exist between you, or the business, and the moneylender. The leaser must have a genuine desire of being reimbursed. Exercises that oblige enthusiasm to be promoted, or deducted in a later expense year, incorporate the generation of genuine property, unmistakable individual property that has a devaluation class life of 20 years or more, substantial individual property that takes over two years to create and substantial individual property that takes over one year to deliver and has an expected creation expense of more than $1 million. For instance, in case you're in the development business and acquire $1.2 million to buy arrive on which you will manufacture a home for resale, all intrigue that collects up until the house is sold must be promoted. As it were, you'll regard the gathered enthusiasm as an expense of building the home, which expands your assessment premise in it. In the year the house is sold, the higher premise lessens the assessable increase - which viably has the same duty sparing impact as an interest reasoning. References: Bollerslev, T., Engle, R. F., Wooldridge, J. M. (1988). A capital asset pricing model with time-varying covariances.The Journal of Political Economy, 116-131 Campbell, J. Y., Lo, A. W. C., MacKinlay, A. C. (1997).The econometrics of financial markets(Vol. 2). Princeton, NJ: princeton University press Connor, G. (1984). A unified beta pricing theory.Journal of Economic Theory,34(1), 13-31 Fama, E. F., French, K. R. (1993). Common risk factors in the returns on stocks and bonds.Journal of financial economics,33(1), 3-56 Fama, E. F., French, K. R. (2004). The capital asset pricing model: Theory and evidence.Journal of Economic Perspectives,18, 25-46 Huberman, G. (1982). A simple approach to arbitrage pricing theory.Journal of Economic Theory,28(1), 183-191 Litzenberger, R. H., Ramaswamy, K. (1979). The effect of personal taxes and dividends on capital asset prices: Theory and empirical evidence.Journal of financial economics,7(2), 163-195 Reinganum, M. R. (1981). Misspecification of capital asset pricing: Empirical anomalies based on earnings' yields and market values.Journal of financial Economics,9(1), 19-46 Roll, R. (1977). A critique of the asset pricing theory's tests Part I: On past and potential testability of the theory.Journal of financial economics,4(2), 129-176 Ross, S. A. (1976). The arbitrage theory of capital asset pricing.Journal of economic theory,13(3), 341-360 Shefrin, H., Statman, M. (1994). Behavioral capital asset pricing theory.Journal of financial and Quantitative Analysis,29(03), 323-349

Successful PR Tactics

SUCCESSFUL PR TACTICS PR campaigns can be the difference between successful and unsuccessful ventures – and they’re the lifeblood for getting your company’s stories into the public eye. We’ve previously posted a blog about how to write a press release, but where do you go from there? There are a couple of different strategies out there for cultivating a PR buzz both in print and online: 1. Distributing a press release Releasing a press release is pretty easy now. There are a number of searchable databases available, such as PRWeb, PRLeap, and ClickPress, where you can upload your press release for a fee. Journalists and media members with access to these sites  will be able to search databases for relevant information or story ideas. In some cases, these sites will also distribute your press release to journalists or send your release to industry-related sites or news hubs. It’s a good idea to upload your press releases to these sites so that your news is archived and available to the online community. 2. Targeting the Media A really successful PR campaign will include directly contacting media sources. And the more respect and courtesy you show them, the more receptive theyll be to the ideas youre sending. Good old fashioned etiquette and research go a long way in this business. Try the following: Identify the correct local or regional media contacts and pay close attention to their style of reporting. Find out their preferred methods for pitching a story – maybe they only want emails, or maybe they want to be pitched on the phone, afternoons only. After identifying local and regional media contacts, broaden your range to include national, international, blog, and online contacts. Review, update, and double-check your lists regularly – the easiest way to the trash bin is to send your press release to the wrong person or a deleted email address. For more best-practice media relations tips, check out the Media Relations blog with suggestions straight from the horse’s mouth: journalists themselves.

Juvenile Referral Resources Essay Example

Juvenile Referral Resources Essay Example Juvenile Referral Resources Essay Juvenile Referral Resources Essay In the current society there are authorized governmental and non-governmental agencies formed with a motive of correcting and providing proper guidance to such children regarding their age group. The current strategy is different from the one in the past where rebellious children were treated as outcasts. Therefore, this paper focuses on such agencies available in Ocean County New Jersey, their goals, purpose, and methods of intervention applied by each one of them about our case study. Observable and based on research, the Ocean County New Jersey; the Department of Local Justice juvenile services has availed many resources of significance to the residents who are essential in the provision of necessary intervention practices as far as discipline and respect to the rule of law is concerned. Some of the available agency centers are as follows in addition to the Central Department of Juvenile services, the New Jersey department of correction and department of human services. These agencies provide several different and standard services concerning the age of the victim. Some of the available resources and facilities are childrens homes, community service facilities and land as a resource to be used for various practices. The choice of the agency to be selected purely depends on the nature of the services required, (Hess, 2012). Fundamentally, for a child to be selected and join the Department of Juvenile Service in Ocean County adjacent to Sunset Avenue, legal process must be followed. The parent should first report the case and assessment done by the concerned officers. It is then followed by the agreement between the parent and the agency based on the terms and conditions of the service after which the child is to be admitted and start engaging in the services. This office offers school mentorship program and also provides shelter where children are detained. The strategy is essential to a fourteen-year-old child as the two services are essential in behavior change especially when defects arise from the environment and peer influence. ; ; The second relevant agency is the New Jersey department of human services, which is the state-owned police department. Within this broad agency, there is a small section concerned with family issues and which is capable of correcting behavior by involving children in the provision of community services and providing other educational programs. Such services remain the core of their operation as it streamlines the effort of the rebellious children towards engaging in activities that are very helpful to the society at large. The highlighted premises are linked to the mission and purpose of the agency, which is linked to solving family case works upon request. Third agency is the Department of Correction, which focuses on safeguarding prisons and at the same time controls three youth institutions within the county. It is their goal to ensure safety to those in custody, the staff and other concerned parties that are in need of their services. This agency provides services for education, recreation, library and many others, which are involving. The critical step in intervention practice is changing the attitudes of the child, which can be through identifying their potential areas which maybe through their talents and other programs. Parental access is mainly through request and agreements from the office based on the given reports by parents and other relevant observers, (Bonnie, 2013). In conclusion, the New Jersey area has many justice service agencies responsible for reinforcing the implemented laws and ensuring that they are obeyed by every citizen. Additionally, there are other provisions given to family issues especially in line with the rebellious children proving to be troublesome and of bad influence to the society. Therefore, such children have special programs provided by the national and county government, which can be of significance to them and society. In conclusion, the New Jersey area has many justice service agencies responsible for reinforcing the implemented laws and ensuring that they are obeyed by every citizen. In addition to this, there are other provisions given to family issues especially in line with the rebellious children proving to be troublesome and of bad influence to the society. Such children have special programs provided by the national and county government, which can be of significance to them and society. References Hess, K. M., ; Wright, J. P. (2012). Juvenile justice. Belmont, Calif: Wadsworth. In Bonnie, R. J., National Research Council (U.S.)., National Research Council (U.S.)., ; National Research Council (U.S.). (2013). Reforming juvenile justice: A developmental approach.

Tips for Expressing Sympathy

Tips for Expressing Sympathy Unfortunately, bad things happen. When we hear about these events happening to people we care about, expressing our sympathy can go a long way. Doing so is often difficult as we want to communicate  our concern but dont want to be intrusive or offensive. With these tips and your sincere sentiments, your words of comfort are likely to be meaningful to the person in your life who is having a tough time. Structuring Common Phrases of Sympathy in English Here are some common phrases to help you express sympathy. Im sorry to hear about Noun/Gerund   Im sorry to hear about your difficulties with the boss. I know he can be really difficult at times.Ellen just told me the news. Im sorry to hear about your not getting into Harvard! Please accept my condolences.   This phrase is used to express sympathy when someone has died. Please accept my condolences. Your father was a great man.Im sorry to hear of your loss. Please accept my condolences. Thats so sad. Thats so sad that you lost your job.Thats so sad that he doesnt love you anymore.  I hope things get better soon. This phrase is used when people have been having difficulty over a long period  of time. I know your life has been difficult lately. I hope things get better soon.I cant believe how much bad luck youve had. I hope things get better soon. I hope you feel better soon. This phrase is used when someone is experiencing health problems. Im so sorry you broke your leg. I hope you feel better soon.ï » ¿Stay home for the week. I hope you feel better soon.   Example Dialogue Expressing sympathy is used in a number of situations. For example, you might express sympathy for someone whose family member has passed away. Generally,  we express sympathy to someone who has difficulties of some sort.  Here are some example dialogues to help you learn when to express sympathy in English. Person 1:  Ive been rather sick lately.Person 2:  I hope you feel better soon. Another Example Person 1:  Tim has been having a lot of troubles lately. I think he might be getting a divorce.Person 2:  Im sorry to hear about Tims problems. I hope things get better for him soon. Writing Sympathy Notes Its also common to express sympathy in writing. Here are some common phrases you can use when writing a sympathy note to someone. Notice that it is common to use the plural we and our when expressing written sympathy as a way to express that a family. Finally, its important to keep a sympathy note short. My heartfelt condolences on your loss.Our thoughts are with you.She/he was a lot of things to many people and will be missed tremendously.I am thinking of you in your time of loss.We are very saddened to hear of your loss. With deepest sympathies.You have my sincere sympathy.You have our deepest sympathy. Example Sympathy Note Dear John, I heard recently that your mother passed away. She was such a wonderful woman. Please accept my heartfelt condolences on your loss. You have our deepest sympathy. Warm regards, Ken

Multicultural organization Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Multicultural organization - Research Paper Example This research paper studies the various characteristics of the multicultural organizations that practice diversity principles and how they contribute to the competitive advantage of the organizations. Which characteristics comprise a multicultural organization? Globalization has brought together people from different countries in a single platform especially through the use of the internet. The concepts and the dimensions of Multicultural organizations have been reflected in the works of Milton Gordon. There are mainly various dimensions from which the facets of multicultural organizations should undergo analysis (Gordon, 1964). The aim for any organization should be contributing to the integration of the society by and large. Every multicultural organization by the process of acculturation would bring in the dominant culture of the organization in tune with the other cultures which may not be so prominent. Due to the presence of different types of people in the organization cultural conflicts is to some extent inevitable. An ideal multicultural organization would aim at integration of the cultural norms of both the minority and the majority at the same level so that the employees maintain a uniform code of conduct. At the same time all the cultural groups should be able to maintain their own identities. In other words there would be coexistence of all the cultural practices. Along with this the organizations should also aim for a structural integration in which people from different cultural backgrounds can work under the same roof in a healthy atmosphere. There should be uniform and equal growth and promotion policies for all the employees irrespective of their nationality, race, religion or gender. This diversity and equal opportunity measures should exist not only in the top hierarchy but also across the different lower or middle levels of the organization pyramid. Not only during the course of the daily work but also outside the predefined work hours shoul d this integration be a practice. This informal process of integration would make it possible for the employees to develop the social and business relationships beyond the premises of the office. If the people from one background participate in the social events of people of another culture, it would make them behave in a bounder less fashion and new ideas would be generated. Thus the unofficial channels of communication between the employees should also be developed and nurtured in multicultural organizations (Cox, 2001). A multicultural organization should not have any bias towards a particular culture. Any kind of discrimination should be banned and if any employee is found to be exhibiting such behavior legal measures should be taken against that entity. Cultural prejudices should also not be encouraged. Conflicts may arise due to such prejudices which would hamper the equilibrium of the organization which in turn would have an adverse effect on the productivity of the employees . This conflict may take the form of interpersonal conflict or intergroup conflict. In case of intergroup conflict the problem is accentuated and it gives rise to an atmosphere of intolerance and hatred. This kind of attitude should not persist in any organization that has much higher goals to achieve. Thus the human resources department especially has to take a

First-borns V Later-borns Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

First-borns V Later-borns - Term Paper Example But it is only in the recent century that scientific evidence is brought to bear on the subject. Today, based upon numerous surveys and scholarly studies conducted on the subject, it is fairly clear that birth order impacts aspects of personality. But there is disagreement among scholars as to the exact correlations between personality traits and birth order. The rest of this essay will peruse source work and Internet sources to arrive at current understanding on the relationship between birth order and personality. The CBS News article titled Birth Order Affects Smarts, Personality (2010) forwards the view that the eldest among siblings tend to have superior intelligence while the younger ones â€Å"get better grades and are more outgoing†. Using robust methodology, a team of researchers from Lawrence High School in Cedarhurst, N.Y., surveyed 90 pairs of siblings in high school. After crosschecking for facts, the team found that the â€Å"first-borns had higher test scores i n math and verbal ability, while the later born children had better grade point average in English and math.†. (CBS News, 2010) In a similar experiment conducted on a separate set of students, the research team further found that younger siblings are more â€Å"extroverted, sentimental and forgiving† their seniors (who are also more likely to be perfectionists). They also observed that older siblings act as mentors to the younger ones and are generally less competitive – this perhaps explains their lesser grades. Those low in birth order also express an adventurous streak in them, which reflects a greater sense of security that they possess. Thus far, the findings are in line with logic and conventional wisdom has hinted in history, mythology and literature. But these findings are by no means comprehensive and are not backed up by universal consensus from the community of psychologists and sociologists. The journalist teams of Geoffrey Cowley and Karen Springen h ave reviewed the subject of birth order and have assembled interesting points in their Newsweek article titled First Born Later Born which appeared in July 2011. Drawing key insights from Frank Sulloway’s book Born to Rebel, Cowley and Springen place forward the view that â€Å"firstborns, whatever their age, sex, class or nationality, specialize in defending the status quo while later-borns specialize in toppling it† (Cowley & Springen, 2011). This implies that those with same birth-rank share more things in common compared to what they share with their own siblings. Many of Sulloway’s educated surmises would be proven by his findings. Some of it is as follows. Sulloway believed that firstborns grow up with the understanding that they are â€Å"bigger, stronger and smarter than their younger siblings† (Cowley & Springen, 2011) This leads them to develop a dominant and assertive personality. Given that their younger siblings intrude on their existing rela tionship with their parents, there is bound to be jealousy and status-consciousness in the elder sibling’s mental makeup. In the same vein of argument, Sulloway proposed and proved that the elder sibling is more conscientious and more conservative than the later-borns. This explains why people such as Rush Limbaugh, George Wallace and Newt Gingrich are first-borns and very politically conservative. Conversely, by virtue of being only loosely connected to the existing family hierarchy, later-borns are more socially agreeable and more open to new experience. This correlates to the personalities of such charismatic leaders as Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. (both are later-borns). Typifying the group of personality traits associated with first-borns are Oprah Winfrey, Saddam Hussein, Clint Eastwood, Hillary

Induction in health and social care Essay Example for Free

Induction in health and social care Essay Explain why induction is important for practitioners, individual and settings. Induction process is very valuable and of great importance for any early year practitioner, individual or organization. In my opinion this is an ongoing process starting from the advertisement. a) For practitioners: The process of Induction is important for the Early birds in the nest so as to help them integrate into their roles in the organization quickly and effectively. They should be familiarized with the campus first. Like cafeteria, restrooms, classrooms, emergency exits etc. After that introduction with her new colleagues, rules and regulations, benefits and facilities that she will enjoy working here will follow next. Necessary trainings in safety and all her questions/ needs should be addressed. Induction is also very important for the new employees to let them know the organizational structure of the work place. The mission vision of the workplace is introduced and they are informed as to what quality drive is expected from them. They are given an opportunity to know where they stand in the crowd. The timetable of the CPDs and school extracurricular activities are handed out to them. They are given documents related to class they are going to start teaching. b) For individuals: Induction should not be limited to the new comer only rather it should be executed for the old employees as well. I would like to organize induction process at least twice a year. One before the new session starts in September, because they might need a lot of motivation and enthusiasm after spending 6-8 weeks holidays away from school. This can also be extended to 4-5 days. In this process we can review policies and procedure to refresh their minds and remind them of the goals they have to achieve throughout the year, in case of some policies being altered it’s a good time to share with them and get their opinion. Some new incentives can also be shared to boost up their energy and loyalty with the organization. This is a good time to introduce a new staff if there is any or if any staff member is promoted then he/she can be given induction about the new responsibilities attached  with the new position. c) For organizations: If the employees are properly inducted then they will work more efficiently and happily for the workplace. The progress of each child will be consistent and improved, as a result parents are happy and a reputation is built and demand of that work place will increase more in market. 1.3 Explain the link between induction process, qualifications and progression routes in the sector. Every workplace wants to ensure that they recruit new teachers that are most suitably skilled and qualified for their jobi This they do by a rigorous recruitment process. Then through a structured induction process the workplace prepares them for a new role and motivates them so that they give their best. This also helps the newbie to develop upon the knowledge and skills they already have. An effective induction helps the new staff to meet the core standards of the work place and provide a foundation for CPDs towards becoming a more effective teacher. The leader is responsible for selecting mentors for the induction process from the staff depending upon the requirements of the induction process. The mentors should have the skills, expertise and knowledge to coordinate the induction effectively. The  observations and notes taken from the induction process states where the new staff is standing and now what skills and abilities should be focused for further development. Thus the progression should continue to give the new staff a chance to enhance their qualifications and skill where they lack. 1.4 Analyze the role of the induction process in supporting others to understand the values, principles and agreed ways of working within a work setting The induction is a planned process which involves various members. The process of induction depends upon how clear and effective your induction policy is. The policy clearly states the role of each member involved in the induction process; and there is a checklist present for each phase. In this way let a newbie join at the beginning of the session or in the mid of the session every newbie is going to enjoy the induction process so that she understands all her duties and responsibilities adhered to the job. This newbie will learn all the tricks of the trade going on in the organization pretty well including the mission vision and what quality work is expected from her to derive learning and motivation from the students. It is not a one day process it depends the new recruit. If he/she is already an experience teacher then induction for a few weeks are enough but if it’s newly qualified teacher then induction can go as long as 1 term or may be more than that. However if the new teacher is not being monitored as it should be by the mentor or instead of mentoring the mentor has started dictating than induction process loses its effectiveness. It merely becomes a chit chat session If the induction is done effectively with the old staff members as well. One of the advantages of the process is that you get to know where your staff stands. The members of your staff are hard working but lacking in some skills or the other, there you can hold different workshops and training sessions by calling the expertise. Also during the session the mission vision, policies new or updated can be explained/refreshed so your team  members avoid mistakes and know what you expect from them during their tenure. In this way you can ensure quality education for your students by providing competent staff members. However this can turn the table over if the policy does not fully cover all areas of induction and that there is no checklist to keep track of the induction progress. 1.5 Analyze the role of induction in safeguarding individuals and others with a work setting One of the aims of the induction process is safeguarding individuals from any harm coming to them. If I were to head the process of induction in my setting then first and foremost I would make sure that I have all the policies updated and required for safeguarding, e.g. fire safety, health and safety, child protection policies etc. I would make sure that each member of my staff undergoes basic child protection and first aid training, to raise awareness that equips them to recognize and respond to child welfare concerns. This training would start soon after a staff is appointed. They would also be induced on how to deal with emergency situations such as fire. I would hold a fake fire alarm schedule so that the staff and the children know how to react in emergency situations. However, this might not be effective if a large number of staff is present as time can become an issue. But yes if the process is scheduled in batches then this can be overcome. Once it happened in a classroom a child who was usually active was feeling low and wanted to lie down from time to time. Had not my colleague taken child safety training she would have let him sleep but she quickly responded and dashed to the clinic by the time the child had collapsed in her arms. The Dr. called the parents and the child was taken in an emergency to a nearby hospital. The Doctors praised the teacher for timely help otherwise the child’s condition could have worsened. The parents later on admitted that the child had fever and that they gave him medicine which had a  sedative effect. In the end I would like to conclude that to make induction effective w.r.t. time, money and resources there should be an effective carefully planned induction policy and checklist. This policy should be revised from time to time and should also involve feedback from the staff in order to update and make the policy more effective. The team chosen should be carefully chosen according to their abilities. However If there is no check list or policies and procedures up to date or not in place or the mentor is not qualified and knowledgeable enough then the induction process will lose its spirit and it can go totally wrong leaving behind a mere chit chat session.

Pearl Harbor Essay -- essays papers

Pearl Harbor After Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States joined the Allies and became a crucial element to an Allied victory. Though strategy was initially aimed at crushing Hitler and the Nazis, Allied forces persevered for years on different continents, with different leaders, and with varied objectives. Eventually, anything was being said, done, or invented in order to lessen the strength of the opposing forces - not just Germany. Many of the Allies’ attacks, particularly those led and carried out by the Americans, became turning points which helped to determine victory. First and foremost, the Allies were intent on destroying the German war machine. Beginning in 1942, during some of America and Britain’s first collaborations, German cities and Nazi centers were bombed by Allied planes. This succesfully hampered war production and tangled communications for the Germans. Consequently, American General Dwight Eisenhower found it easier to invade Nazi-controlled French North Africa. From Africa, while the air attacks on Germany continued, the Allies invaded Sicily. Eventually, the Allies were able to push through to the Italian mainland and force Mussolini’s successor to surrender, only then having to clear the country of Germans through months of rigorous fighting. These events, because of American involvement and leadership, rapidly propelled the great war forward and helped to ultimately weaken the enemy. Having thus overwhelmed Germany...

The Elevator Response to Lit

Response to Literature: â€Å"The Elevator† Par ·a ·noi ·a- noun. A mental disorder characterized by systematized delusions and the projection of personal conflicts. In the short story â€Å"The Elevator,† William Sleator uses fear and paranoia to drive his main character to a compelling resolution. The main character’s (Martin’s) fear of elevators created an imaginary obese monstrous woman who intimidates him every time he rides the tiny exhausted elevator. In the beginning of â€Å"The Elevator,† the setting is set up at a decrepit building with eighteen floors.The elevator is the root of fear for the weak, thin Martin. Sleator implies this by writing, â€Å"Of course he always felt uncomfortable in elevators, afraid that they would fall, but this one was especially unpleasant. † By stating this, it proves that Martin already had a mild phobia of elevators and the fact of this matter is that this particular elevator appeared to be ver y worn out and only big enough to hold 2 people. When he first encounters a gargantuan woman on the elevator, at first he is disturbed and then mentally disturbed for the rest of the day until he encounters her again after school ends.After every confrontation, Martin’s anxiety grows. In the rising action of this horror story, immediately after Martin spots the plump lady already on the elevator again, he bolts down the stairs. In the process, he snaps his leg while sealing his unfortunate fate. Sleator expressed, â€Å"Martin had broken his leg and needed to walk on crutches. He could not use the stairs now. Was that why the fat lady had smiled? Did she know what would happen? † He broke his leg, which means that he is obligated to use the elevator.Now he will have more confrontations with his worst nightmare. His fear of this woman is what caused him to run away from her in the elevator and break his leg. Finally, in the climax, Martin is abandoned by his father and left alone in the elevator. Before long, the whale-like woman gets on the elevator and corners Martin. The end is sealed with, â€Å"The door closed and the elevator began to move. ‘Hello, Martin,’ she said, and laughed, and pushed the Stop button. † This quote was important because this is the first time we see the fat lady speak and actually do something.Her increased actions have instilled an overbearing fear within Martin and have now made him insane. Have you ever had a bad experience with an elevator? Well, in this case, Martin has and his broken leg proves it. His fear evolved every time he rode the elevator. Martin’s fear was shaped into a living nightmare because his phobia was so immense. It drove him to the point of insanity and that is why the story ends at a cliffhanger. If William Sleator didn’t use fear as the focal point, then story wouldn’t be interesting as a horror-based narrative should be.

Water Refilling Station Business Guide Essay

One of the fast expanding business in Manila, and in most Metro cities nationwide, is the water refilling station. It’s mushrooming on every street corner, because a lot of people in urban areas prefer to get their drinking water from these water stations, it’s simply clean and safe to drink. Over the years, as the demand for cleaner water becomes higher, the price of household water purifiers and bottled water has become prohibitive. Water refilling stations managed by private entrepreneurs offer a cheaper and more convenient solution to the public’s drinking water needs than bottled water or the use of household filters. Water Refilling Station THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE Introduction Purified water is water from any source that is physically processed to remove its impurities. Distilled water and de-ionized water has been the most common forms of purified water. Water can also be purified by other processes like reverse osmosis, carbon filtration, microfiltration, ultra filtration, ultraviolet oxidation, electro dialysis and/or etc. Mineral water is water containing minerals or other dissolved substances that alter its taste or give it therapeutic value, generally obtained from a naturally occurring mineral spring or source. Dissolved substances in the water may include various salts and sulfur compounds. The more minerals in drinking water, the harder it is said to be; water with few minerals is described as being soft. Distilled water is water that has many of its impurities removed through distillation. Distillation involves boiling the water and then condensing the steam into a clean container. A few years ago, there were only a few water refilling plants her e in Cagayan De Oro City. Those are of which are still famous to the public like Nature Spring and Wilkins. Wilkins was one of those who didn’t do a good job on capitalizing on their market superiority. Unlike Nature Spring who seems like un-formidable in the market today holding big investments in large companies. The Cagay-anons realized  the need for this necessity, entrepreneurs invested on it seeking to get a modest share of the market and looking for different kinds of cracks and niches in the market. This was the start of a very competitive and very aggressive marketing and business war, which one could relate to it as a never ending dog battle. As more people entered the market, the more competitive it has begun. Currently, according to the only jug supplier here in Cagayan De Oro, there are already more than 100 water refilling companies here in Cagayan De Oro alone. One of the early people who ventures in this great†¦ Basic Feasibility Study A. Capital Investment 1. Water Refilling Machine – P 250,000.00 2. Renovation or new store at least 20sqm size – 75,000.00 3. Delivery vehicle (motorcycle with carrier or multi-cab) – 75,000.00 4. Business permit & other legal docs (DTI, Mayor’s permit, Water testing, etc.) – 10,000.00 5. Initial Supplies /miscellaneous – 31,750.00 a) 150 Bottles slim – 18,750.00 b) 50 Bottles round – 7,500.00 c) heat gun- 2,500.00 d) Stickers – 3,000.00 6. Others – 8,250.00 Total = P 450,000.00 Note: Actual investment may increased or decreased depends on your actual resources, example: a.) less amount for the delivery vehicle if you already have existing or you can buy 2nd unit. b.) less amount for the store building if you have existing. c.) increase or decrease amount on refilling equipment, depends on what type of water product you wants to sell ( e.g. Mineral is only P150,000.00 etc.) B. Sales Income Check market price per 5 gal. container. Price may vary depends on the area what type of water product you want to sell: Mineral Water – P20 ~ P25 per container Purified Water – P30 ~ P35 per container Alkaline Water – P45 ~ P50 per container PI Water – P200 ~ P250 per container B1. Monthly Sales – P39,000.00 1ST 2 Months: Target is at least 50 containers /day (50 containers x P30.00 selling price x 26days) B2. Monthly Expenses – P15,600.00 1. Manpower/salaries – P 500/ day or P 9,100.00 /mo. 1 driver – P200 /day 1 re-filler – P150 /day 2. Electric bill – P3,500.00 3. Phone bill – 500.00 4. Transportation / gas allowance – 1,500.00 5. Consumables and others – 1,000.00 B3. Net Profit- P23,400.00 (Gross Sales – Gross expenses = Net Profit) Note: You cannot compute your monthly sales based from your machine capacity (GPD Gallon Per Day) like other vendor’s computation, simply because you cannot sold 200 bottles a day in the first 2 months operation of your business unless you’re already operating for a year and you already established your customers in your area. Executive Summary This study covers the proposed system of Best Blue Water Refilling Station. Since the company started, the proponents noticed that the company is using manual based operation towards their inventory and point of sale. Mainly pertaining to the untimely processing of their data and information reliability which is a concern when it comes to the processing of their existing system. POS and Inventory system of Best Blue Water Refilling Station was designed by the proponents to solve some issues of day to transaction by using the old  way or the manual system. Like to avoid redundancy, damage of saved documents when some liquid spills on it, and some other problems brought by human error. It would be easy for the personnel to keep and retrieve data in times of adding some detail to the customer’s account or when needed. Manual searching and scanning of documents will no longer necessary for it will only cause delay in transaction and delay in coming in of sales every day sales. The proponents have provided tables, figures and diagram for formal understanding and proper explanation about the proposed system. It will guide the owner and the other readers about the flow of the said system. It also shows how big profit the owner would get. Chapter I INTRODUCTION 1.1 Project Contex The Best Blue water refilling station will experience a new way of recording their sales, easy to use and accurate. They will just encode their sales, in this way the company will improve and it will not make them spend more time in searching and recording files. The information is retrievable anytime and the owner and employees will benefit from it. 1.2 Purpose & Description The proposed system focuses on how to lessen the computing time, removethe manual process and avoid computational mistakes. Search the customer’s record by encoding the complete name (last name, first name).

technology in the classroom Essay Example

technology in the classroom Essay Example technology in the classroom Essay technology in the classroom Essay Technology in the Classroom Name: Course: Lecturer: Date: Technology in the Classroom The inception of new technology has played a vital role in development. The education sector has not been left behind where many of the learning institutions have adopted the use of technology to facilitate learning. Before the inception of these technologies, students who needed to research on a given subject would only use books and lessons learnt in class. Students who further performed mathematical calculations would only use their mental capacities and at times the abacus. Interpersonal communication was also limited to one’s skills in letter writing and the ability to pay for phone calls. However, the inception of the calculator, computers and the internet has all facilitated the rendering of the above activities both efficient and effective. One form of technology that has been successfully integrated is the use of the internet (National School Board Association, 2007). Intensive planning and research was conducted in facilitating the smooth integration of this technology into the classroom. This effort was essential in ensuring the technology adopted was beneficial to both the students and teachers. Poorly planned projects only attract losses and are not feasible in the long run. To avoid this, the level of planning has to be highly insightful. Technology has played a vital role in addressing the five instructional activities. These being: information, application, motivation, evaluation, and orientation. Students using technology in learning and while undertaking school projects, that call upon them to utilize their own knowledge, their motivation increases and in the process, they are able to achieve. The use of computers and the internet has highly facilitated the instructional activity of information in terms of its acquisition and undertaking research. The internet is a wealth of information where students can easily search and find the information required. In addition, this has highly improved on student motivation as they are able to accomplish projects and conduct research with minimal assistance from the teachers. Technology integration has highly facilitated student evaluation in the school. Students can now use external benchmarks for self-evaluation, as opposed to the norm where students gauge themselves using their classmates (Moersch, 1999). Personally, I find the use of the internet particularly appealing for student learning. The platform has become a hub for up to date information in all fields including academics. The information contained in the internet is unbiased. The medium is therefore a significant source of insight for students seeking to research on different topics. Teachers are bound to be biased for or against certain theories or techniques; as opposed to the internet the information is extensively provided. Additionally, the presence of a variety of websites pertaining to a given subject enables one to choose that which best suits him or her. The best way to appreciate and optimally utilize a given technology is by having knowledge of both its function and how it functions. This means that before using a given technology, one should have a clear insight of what the technology is meant to perform and how it works. Therefore, the plan for becoming conversant with technology in class will involve first researching on the purpose of the given technology and then learning how to use the given technology. Without, these, one is bound to fail in realizing the significance of the given technology and consequently miss out on the benefits of the given technology (Groff, Mouza, 2008). References Groff, J., Mouza, C. (2008). A framework for addressing challenges to classroom technology use. Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE) Journal, 16(1), 21-46. Moersch, C. (1999). Levels of technology implementation: An inventory for measuring classroom technology use. Learning and Leading with Technology. 26(8), 59-63. National School Board Association (2007). Creating connecting: Research and guidelines on online social and educational networking. Alexandria, VA.

Messerschmitt Me 262 Used by the Luftwaffe

Messerschmitt Me 262 Used by the Luftwaffe Specifications (Me 262 A-1a) General Length: 34 ft. 9 in.Wingspan: 41 ft.Height: 11 ft. 6 in.Wing Area: 234 sq. ft.Empty Weight: 8,400 lbs.Loaded Weight: 15,720 lbs.Crew: 1 Performance Power Plant: 2 x Junkers Jumo 004B-1 turbojets, 8.8 kN (1,980 lbf) eachRange: 652 milesMax Speed: 541 mphCeiling: 37,565 ft. Armament Guns: 4 x 30 mm MK 108 cannonsBombs/Rockets: 2 x 550 lb. bombs (A-2a only), 24 x 2.2 in. R4M rockets Origins Though best remembered as a late-war weapon, the design of the Messerschmitt Me 262 began prior to World War II in April 1939. Spurred by the success of the Heinkel He 178, the worlds first true jet which flew in August 1939, the German leadership pressed for the new technology to be put to military use. Known as Projekt P.1065, work moved forward in response to a request from the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM - Ministry of Aviation) for a jet fighter capable of at least 530 mph with a flight endurance of one hour. Design of the new aircraft was directed by Dr. Waldemar Voigt with oversight from Messerschmitts chief of development, Robert Lusser. In 1939 and 1940, Messerschmitt completed the initial design of the aircraft and began building prototypes to test the airframe. Design Development While the first designs called for the Me 262s engines to be mounted in the wing roots, issues with the power plants development saw them moved to pods on the wings.  Due to this change and the increased weight of the engines, the aircrafts wings were swept back to accommodate the new center of gravity. Overall development was slowed due to continued issues with the jet engines and administrative interference.  The former issue often was a result of the necessary high-temperature resistant alloys being unavailable while the latter saw notable figures such as Reichsmarschall Hermann Gà ¶ring, Major General Adolf Galland, and Willy Messerschmitt all oppose the aircraft at different times for political and economic reasons. Additionally, the aircraft that would become the worlds first operational jet fighter received mixed support as many influential Luftwaffe officers who felt that the approaching conflict could be won by piston-engine aircraft, such as the Messerschmitt Bf 109, a lone. Originally possessing a conventional landing gear design, this was changed to a tricycle arrangement to improve control on the ground. On April 18, 1941, the prototype Me 262 V1 flew for the first time powered by a nose-mounted Junkers Jumo 210 engine turning a propeller. This use of a piston engine was the result of ongoing delays with the aircrafts intended twin BMW 003 turbojets. The Jumo 210 was retained on the prototype as a safety feature following the arrival of the BMW 003s. This proved fortuitous as both turbojets failed during their initial flight, forcing the pilot to land using the piston engine. Testing in this manner continued for over a year and it was not until July 18, 1942, that the Me 262 (Prototype V3) flew as pure jet. Streaking above Leipheim, Messerschmitt test pilot Fritz Wendels Me 262 beat the first Allied jet fighter, the Gloster Meteor, into the skies by about nine months. Though Messerschmitt had succeeded in out-pacing the Allies, its competitors at Heinkel had first flown their own prototype jet fighter, the He 280 the previous year.  Not backed by the Luftwaffe, the He 280 program would be terminated in 1943. As the Me 262 was refined, the BMW 003 engines were abandoned due to poor performance and replaced by the Junkers Jumo 004. Though an improvement, the early jet engines possessed incredibly short operational lives, typically lasting only 12-25 hours. Due to this issue, the early decision to move the engines from the wing roots into pods proved fortuitous. Faster than any Allied fighter, production of the Me 262 became a priority for the Luftwaffe. As a result of Allied bombing, production was distributed to small factories in German territory, with around 1,400 ultimately being bu ilt. Variants Entering service in April 1944, the Me 262 was used in two primary roles. The Me 262 A-1a Schwalbe (Swallow) was developed as a defensive interceptor while the Me 262 A-2a Sturmvogel (Stormbird) was created as a fighter-bomber. The Stormbird variant was designed at Hitlers insistence. While over a thousand Me 262s were produced, only around 200-250 ever made it to frontline squadrons due to shortages in fuel, pilots, and parts. The first unit to deploy the Me 262 was Erprobungskommando 262 in April 1944. Taken over by Major Walter Nowotny in July, it was renamed, Kommando Nowotny. Operational History Developing tactics for the new aircraft, Nowotnys men trained through the summer of 1944 and first saw action in August. His squadron was joined by others, however, only a few of the aircraft were available at any given time. On August 28, the first Me 262 was lost to enemy action when Major Joseph Myers and Second Lieutenant Manford Croy of the 78th Fighter Group shot one down while flying P-47 Thunderbolts. After limited use during the fall, the Luftwaffe created several new Me 262 formations in the early months of 1945. Among those becoming operational was Jagdverband 44 led by the famed Galland. A unit of select Luftwaffe pilots, JV 44 began flying in February 1945. With the activation of additional squadrons, the Luftwaffe was finally able to mount large Me 262 assaults on Allied bomber formations. One effort on March 18 saw 37 Me 262s strike a formation of 1,221 Allied bombers. In the fight, the Me 262s downed twelve bombers in exchange for four jets. While attacks such as this frequently proved successful, the relatively small number of available Me 262s limited their overall effect and the losses they inflicted generally represented a tiny percentage of the attacking force. Me 262 pilots developed several tactics for striking Allied bombers. Among methods preferred by pilots were diving and attacking with the Me 262s four 30mm cannons and approaching from a bombers side and firing R4M rockets at long range. In most cases, the Me 262s high speed made it nearly invulnerable to a bombers guns. To cope with the new German threat, the Allies developed a variety of anti-jet tactics. P-51 Mustang pilots quickly learned that the Me 262 was not as maneuverable as their own planes and found that they could attack the jet as it turned. As a practice, escorting fighters began flying high over the bombers so that they could quickly dive on German jets. Also, as the Me-262 required concrete runways, Allied leaders singled out jet bases for heavy bombing with the goal of destroying the aircraft on the ground and eliminating its infrastructure. The most proven method for dealing with the Me 262 was to attack it as it was taking off or landing. This was largely due to the jets poor performance at low speeds. To counter this, the Luftwaffe constructed large flak batteries along the approaches to their Me 262 bases. By wars end, the Me 262 had accounted for 509 claimed Allied kills against approximately 100 losses. It is also believed that a Me 262 flown by Oberleutnant Fritz Stehle scored the final aerial victory of the war for the Luftwaffe. Postwar With the end of hostilities in May 1945, the Allied powers scrambled to claim the remaining Me 262s. Studying the revolutionary aircraft, elements were subsequently incorporated into future fighters such as the F-86 Sabre and MiG-15. In the years after the war, Me 262s were used in high-speed testing. Though German production of the Me 262 ended with the conclusion of the war, the Czechoslovak government continued building the aircraft as the Avia S-92 and CS-92. These remained in service until 1951. Selected Sources Stormbirds: Me 262Me 262

Parent Preparedness When Discussing Child's Sexual Education Essay

Parent Preparedness When Discussing Child's Sexual Education - Essay Example Right when parents begin to assume their responsibility in educating the child, the children seek an escape and thus, generate a communication gap that lead to lack of knowledge transmitted form parent to child. Another argument that sex education supporters raise is that the success rate of abstinence only program are low. One cannot observe any significant difference between individuals who enroll and who do not in this program. In order to frame a sex education program for school counseling, it is a recommendation that one starts with the most basic knowledge and then progresses to higher level of complexities. A very important perspective that needs attention here is the preparedness of parents in terms of educating their children. Experts believe that parents can play a crucial role in teaching children about sex. Introduction The paper aims to address the importance of sex education in adolescence. With the growing number of cases of sexual abuse and rapes, the matter is a pres sing concern for schools and parents all over the world as it is their responsibility to educate the child beforehand. ... Studies by World Health Organization reveal the contribution of healthy sexual development to overall well being of an individual. According to the U.S. Surgeon General, David Satcher, â€Å"sexual health is inextricably bound to both physical and mental health,† (Moore & Rosenthal, 2006). In terms of definition, sexual education refers to "education about human sexual anatomy, sexual reproduction, sexual intercourse, reproductive health, emotional relations, reproductive rights and responsibilities, abstinence, contraception, and other aspects of human sexual behavior" (Klein, pp. 9, 1992). Although people all around the world accept the importance of sexual health, very few actually agree to the idea of education system to promote it. Main arguments regarding sex education programs involve role of government in family life; limitations to parent’s role in defining a sexual pattern for their children, subjectivity of values associated to sex for instance, gender and po wer etc and above all how does one define a mature sexual behavior for adolescent (Bruess & Greenberg, 2008). In addition, there are also questions as to how can one effectively communicate these ideas to adolescents, the content of such courses and mainly who is better suited to provide this guidance. Sex education has never been this critical an issue. Researches (Reintsma, 2007) reveal that there are 850,000 pregnancies and 9.1 million STIs (sexually transmitted infections) (Moore & Rosenthal, 2006). In addition, 70% females and 62% males have already experienced vaginal sex by the age of 18 in US. It has been a grave problem with little attention given. Moreover, as per U.S Department of Justice, every 2 minutes, a woman is raped. Only in the year 1995, 354,670 females encountered rape or

Automotive Production Levels - Toyota Motors Research Paper

Automotive Production Levels - Toyota Motors - Research Paper Example In the first quarter of financial year 2013, Toyota’s unit sales had jumped to 2,268,563 units amounting to sales revenue of 5,233,688 million yen. Consolidated sales increased by 85.7% in fiscal year 2013 compared to fiscal year 2012 and net revenues increased by 59.9%. These changes are indicative of a change in either Toyota’s price structure or the demand and supply forces in the market. Among other things, these changes can also be attributed to changes in the value of the yen and cost reduction measures taken by Toyota to stay afloat and efficient. Market price also plays a role here and can be calculated using a simple relationship between sales revenue and units sold. (Market price = Sales Revenue/Units Sold. According to the data presented, the price for Toyota’s products in the market in fiscal year 2012 based on the unit sales and sales revenue figures for that year can be calculated to be 2.59 million yen. For fiscal year 2013, this amounted to 2.31 m illion yen. The demand curve for a firm shows how much of a product the market is willing and able to pay for at the given price. The supply curve of a firm shows how much of a product the firm is willing and able to produce at the given. ... product is increased, demand tends to decrease and when the product price is decreased, demand tends to increase, hence establishing an inverse relationship between demand and price levels. Similarly, it can be seen from this analysis, that the aggregate market price for Toyota’s products was decreased in fiscal year 2013 which resulted in an increase in sales which depicts an increase in the demand for Toyota in the market. In the same vein, when the supply of a product is increased, its price decreases and if the supply levels in the market are decreased, the product’s price in the market increases. The equilibrium point thus keeps shifting with changes in demand and supply due to different market factors. Also relevant is the concept of spatial equilibrium (Nagurney, 2002) which speaks about how supply and demand prices result in trade flows. The figure below illustrates the aggregate demand and supply schedule for FY 2012 and 2013. Price (million Yen) 2.59(2012) 2.3 1(2013) 1,221,374 2,268,563 Quantity (units) Demand FY 2012 Supply FY 2012 Demand FY 2013 Supply FY 2013 The world economy has been going through rough times and its basic structure has been forever changed since the financial crisis of 2007-2008. Market trends have also significantly changed since then even though the market has recently picked up for the better. Toyota’s performance, measured by its sales, production, revenue and cost figures etc declined steadily in the fiscal years 2011 and 2012, however it increased its performance dramatically in fiscal year 2013 and picked up fast pace to increase its sales, production and profit levels and overall revenue levels. It also managed to decrease its production cost and reduce market price to boost its demand in the market. These maneuvers paid

Gay Scouts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Gay Scouts - Essay Example ive perspective maintaining that its legalization stands for an unholy motive since it goes against religious teachings, the proponents maintained that people should not be prejudiced on the base of sexual orientation or preference. This is mostly because gay people had been denied many opportunities because of their sexual preference. Although the issue is highly controversial, legalizing gay scouts is the best option since older ways of prejudice are outdated and a better way of perception ought to be developed since times are changing. One of the reasons why gay-ism ought to be accepted is that even the gays are people who require the support of the society. Gay activists who have been relentless in ensuring that gay people can interact with other people openly through passage of laws that govern their rights for a long time. This is in spite of the idea that this issue had been ignored for decades. The activists also intended to ensure that organizations that mostly sponsor scouts acknowledge them in the society although a significant number of them were against the move to lift the century ban on gay scouts. Although Americans had been divided on this issue, there have been improvements on perception as the gay individuals are becoming more and more accepted in the contemporary society. This has been the main reason why the lift on the ban was possible. The legalization was justified because it has become widely accepted and even banning them does not solve the problem. Acceptance has been identified even in some of the religious institutions that include the United Methodist Church, which is one of the largest religious sponsors with a sponsor capacity of approximately 363,000 scouts (Richter, 2013). This religious institution had a significant influence on the outcome of the ban lift vote because it has many followers who would follow its views making it easy to lift the ban. The lift was also necessary so as to eliminate discrimination of such

Light Vehicle Driveline System Faults

Light Vehicle Driveline System Faults The contents of a driveline system are clutch, transmission, shaft and wheel. It is an important part of a vehicle. Identifying and confirming the work requirement: the nature and objectives of the analysis and evaluation requirements are determined by the work instructions and reports used. Correct functioning of light vehicle driveline is accessed and interpreted. Throughout the work, equipments and social isolation requirements and personal protection needs are observed. Safety impacts of the work are responded according to the obligations and practices. There are also faults related to clutch, gear axle, wheel and it also has the remedies for it. Light Vehicle driveline system faults: Introduction: The contents of a driveline system are clutch, transmission, shaft, axle and wheel. It is an important part of a vehicle. It can be said as the controllable parts of the vehicle. The gear or the transmission is the system which boosts torque and power. The clutch is the system which controls the transmission if it runs out of control. The wheel is why the front tire rotates to the wish we want. If faults are found in these any parts, it must be inspected well and remedies must be taken immediately in order to prevent it from damages. Special remedies are mentioned below in some faults which can be rectified by a person if a little try is given. In several vehicles, problems may arise with the two system such as drive staffs and transmission system. The drivers are mostly concerned when transmission and driveline troubles arise. . However, it is very important to check out the causes before the replacement as it may be very expensive. The proper and systematic analysis and the evaluation of the right problem should be detected and then the actions for the repair must be undertaken. Main body Components of driveline system: Driveshaft: it is a component mechanically builds in order to transmit torque. It is generally used to connect components of a drive train which cannot be connected directly. It is so because of the distance. Clutch: This is a device which provides for the transmission of power from one module to another. The other module of the clutch is the brake. Clutch is used when the power of the transmission is to be controlled. It is employed with two rotating shafts. One shaft is attached to a power unit and the other provides output power. Gearbox: it is responsible in order to provide torque or speed to a device under gear ratio from arotating power source. In vehicles a gearbox is connected to the crankshaft of the engine. The output of the gearbox is transferred through driveshaft which in order rotates the wheel. Driving wheel: A turbine or a locomotiveà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s pistons drive the driving wheel. It is made of side rods coupling rods. Generally one rod straightly driven by the main rod and it is connected at the end of the piston rod. It is via the side rods, power is transmitted to the others. Axle: It is a main shaft for a gear. The axle is fixed to the wheels which rotates with them or fixed to the surrounding. Before bearing and bushings are provided at the mounting points where the axle is provided and today it resides under the hole of the wheel. The shaft rotates with the wheel. Identifying and confirming the work requirement: the nature and objectives of the analysis and evaluation requirements are determined by the work instructions and reports used. Correct functioning of light vehicle driveline is accessed and interpreted. Throughout the work, equipments and social isolation requirements and personal protection needs are observed. Safety impacts of the work are responded according to the obligations and practices. Dianne Christensen-Herman, Transmission and driveline troubleshoot, January 2011 Prepare for analysis and examination: examination procedure is made to meet the motive of the work. Analyzed information on board diagnostic systems is used to identify system performance achievement. To select from the available quantity of choice, diagnostic process, sequence. Tests and testing equipments are made. Important tools and materials are found out in order to support the diagnostic process and are also prepared to use. The components required for the driveline system are prepared which include park-up, isolation and cleaning. Implementing the methodology: the diagnostic course is to be followed with authorized methods and directions. Testing equipments are applied according to the requirements. Various findings found are analyzed and verified by using various processes. The results of the findings are fully examined according to the criteria. Valid and meaningful conclusions are made out of the available findings. Selecting response measure: materials which can be used again are collected and stored for further use. The testing equipments are preserved and taken care of for further use and the waste materials which are not required are put aside or removed from the place of work. According to the workplace procedure, the area and the equipments are cleaned and also inspected. Failure analysis and evaluation criteria are determined in order to rectify the faults and to effect variation in system characteristic. Light vehicles include both two wheelers and four wheelers. Driveline system consists of components like clutch, torque converter, manual transmission, automatic transmission drive shaft and final shaft. Module parts replacement and parts replacement is covered by the diagnostic. Driveline system faults includes abnormal gear wear, abnormal clutch operation, contamination, hard shifting, loose mounting etc. Testing equipments: testing equipments consists of systems like compound level, pressure gauge, millimeters, tachometers, and computerized diagnostic system. Tests are needed to conduct. Various tests included are lubricant inspection, pressure, road testing, sensor integrity and function, solenoid operation, wiring and power control ECU integrity. Information and procedure: Procedures of the work place are to be regulated in order to use the tooling and equipment. Procedures are to be followed for reporting and communication. Component specifications are to be analyzed for testing equipment and material. The design rules ro be followed must be the Australian design. The regulation of the vehicle industry is to be evaluated and regulated. When a constant nature of excitation is transmitted from the engine, the torsion response at various points is to be remained the same under various trails. A variation from the baseline response data is observed due to various minor cracks developed along the driveline. Clutch fault finding: When the clutch cable is broken. When the adjustment in the clutch cable is found incorrect, it is a symptom of clutch faults. Another symptom is that of releasing bearing of a broken clutch Faults also contains such as wrong adjustment of the clutch cable. Excessive clutch silk lining, contaminated clutch disc lining, faulty pressure plate are some other faults Diagnose and Rectify Motor Vehicle And Transmission and Driveline System Faults Gear faults: Liquid leakage: in automotive transmission the color of the liquid is usually deep red. These fluids should not be confused with the main fuel which can easily be transferred to the transmission area via air. Removing the built up dirt is firstly necessary from the transmission area using steam cleaning. Burned smell: it occurs when the engine is turned on at neutral transmission and also when the vehicle moves in neutral format. Driving wheels fault: There can be loose steering gear adjustments. It is than required to be adjusted to its specifications. It can also happen due to steering gear mounting loosen and the remedy for it is tightening of steering gear bolts The steering may sometimes be felt hard to be rotated especially it is observed in power steering and the reason behind is may be due to low tire pressure. Sometimes the wheel bearing may also be loose which must be replaced with the new ones. Drive shaft faults: Worn u-joints slip joint wear, or a faulty center support bearing are mostly the reasons for the noise found in drive shaft. Also grinding from the driveshaft may be caused by worn universal joints. The joint ends up being dry, causing the rollers to wear. Axle fault: It includes improper pinion bearing It also includes excessive gear tooth backlash variation Another fault is the pitch lineout run out And also cocked pinion bearing is a major fault. Homer Rahnejat, Steve Rothberg, multi-body dynamics-monitoring and stimulation techniques. Conclusion: In this projects highlight is made on the different light vehicle driveline system. It projects on how faults may occur and also what are those faults. For some of the unknown faults remedies are suggested. But still instead of trying hard and getting the matter more complicated, a thorough examination or inspection of the vehicleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s driveline system may help to sort out the problems more easily. A vehicle driveline system faults comprises of the drive shaft and transmission system. Several vehicle problems may take up due these systems and the early detection is very important to avoid heavy expenses. Check the transmission fluid with the help of dipstick. If the insufficient fluid in the transmission is observed, there is a probability of the leak. Determination of the cause is important before making the repair. If the vehicle is making noise while driving, this will indicate that the vehicle is running on low fuel level or dirty transmission fluid or may be clogged. The transmission filter should be changed.

Claudio and Heros Relationship in Shakespeares Much Ado About Nothing

Claudio and Hero are the idealised Elizabethan couple in the book because of the patriarchal society that the story is based on. This is because Hero is shown as a weak and powerless young woman while Claudio is described as a powerful and honourable man. In the wedding Claudio decides to shame her and says ‘There, Leonato, take her back again Give not this rotten orange to your friend’. Even when Hero is being insulted and accused of being a prostitute she does not defend herself and says ‘Is my lord well, that he doth speak so wide?’ Instead of defending herself she asks if Claudio is alright which displays a sign of weakness in her. Claudio and Hero’s relationship started off at love at first sight therefore they did not know each other when they fell in love which was bad because if only Claudio knew Hero better than he would not have to worry about the lies that entered his ear. When Claudio is tricked into believing Hero was going out with someone else he says ‘If I see any thing tonight why I should not marry her tomorrow in the congregation, where I should wed, there will...

Dissecting of a Pig

Purpose: How are the external features and internal organ systems of a fetal pig organized? Introduction: Sus scrofa, or the domestic pig is a member of the class Mammalia and the order Artiodactyla. Since we as humans are also a member of class Mammalia, we have a good deal in common biologically with pigs, although we might not like to think so. Since we have a good deal in common, it is very helpful for us to study these animals both anatomically and physiologically. We do this when we test medicines on pigs, perfect surgical procedures on pigs, and even when we used to use pig valves for replacements in human hearts. Thus the pig is a first-rate example of a mammal and the purpose of this lab is to recognize the specific similarities between the pig and ourselves as humans. As the pig is a mammal, many aspects of its structural and functional organization are identical with those of other humans. Shared traits of those of a pig and human are their mammary glands, common hair, live birth, metabolic systems, similar organ systems, and basic body form. Swine are widely used in research and testing. They share anatomic and physiologic characteristics with humans that make them unique and viable model for any research. Their gastrointestinal anatomy has some significant differences from that of humans; however, the physiology of their digestive processes has made them a valuable model for digestive diseases. The urinary system of swine is similar to humans in many ways, especially in the anatomy and function of the kidneys. The anatomy and physiology of organs such as the liver, pancreas, kidney and heart have also made this species the primary species of interest for doctors to gain a better understanding on how the human body generates. Hypothesis As the pig is a mammal, many aspects of its structural and functional organization are identical with those of other mammals, including humans. Thus, the study of the fetal pig is in a very real sense; a study of humans. When we cut into the fetal pig I suspect for the digestive system that I will see the diaphragm Materials: †¢Fetal pig, preserved †¢Dissecting tray †¢Cord/twine †¢Dissecting kit †¢Paper towel †¢Plastic bags (2) †¢Gloves †¢Ruler/meter stick Procedure: †¢External Anatomy †¢Digestive System †¢Respiratory System †¢Circulatory System External Anatomy As I analyzed our fetal pig I established that the ears and eyes are lateral to its head , the tail is posterior to the nose. On my fetal pig he had 4 digits

Compare the Ways in which John Steinbeck and Thomas Hardy Explore the Theme of Loneliness Essay

The two books have one clear element in common. The two authors, Steinbeck and Hardy, give us a great outlook on loneliness in its many forms. They communicate their ideas and thoughts to us in a very similar manner, despite being from very different times and walks of life. Of Mice and Men, is set and was written during the Great Depression of the United States of America in the early 1930’s, in the Salinas Valley of California, tells us the story of George Milton and Lennie Small. The two migrant workers, bound together by an unusual and sure friendship, are in pursuit together of the â€Å"Great† American Dream – their dream. They will have their own land, be their own masters and no longer have to answer to anyone, and finally live in peace. On the other hand we have The Withered Arm, set in the early 19th Century as one of Hardy’s Wessex Tales, where he lived all his life. Hardy tells us the tale of a young woman, Gertrude Lodge, as she begins her new life. However, things are not what they should have been as Gertrude is afflicted with an unknown blight, her happiness both threatened and later destroyed. She is not completely alone – her plight is intertwined with that of Rhoda Brook, who carries a great pain in her heart and a great power, or perhaps a curse, that not even she realises. The two texts are each set in the same rural environment as that of their authors, both bringing us the tale of so many people struggling through their lives as best they can. In Of Mice and Men we see that every man, and woman, has their own dreams, their own obsessions to pine away for, to imagine and envisage when they are so often so lonely – each has their own thoughts, their method, of escapism from the reality they live in. The Withered Arm, again, in a different manner shows characters angry, obsessed, with lives they could have had and the possibilities that they have lost or had taken away from them. Each are victims of circumstance, each yearn for lives that are no longer theirs, each for a chance now gone. In each difficulty we can see a parallel, and in both books we can see characters sharing the same basic challenges to overcome, and obstacles in their path. Both show us some of the many facets and characteristics of loneliness and trouble in this world – no matter how little they look for difficulty and dilemmas, people will always manage to find them, no matter how hard they strive against it. â€Å"The best laid schemes o’ mice and men Gang aft agley [Often go wrong] And leave us nought but pain For promised joy† Robert Burns As Of Mice and Men begins, we are shown the two migrant farm workers, George and Lennie, on their way to a new job, a new start, â€Å"bucking† barley at a Californian ranch; fleeing much undue upset in their last town, mostly thanks, despite his original intentions, to Lennie. It is late evening and they both spend the night by the Salinas River before continuing on to their new place of work the next morning. It is here that we first discover some of the main personality differences, and conflicts, between the two characters, and learn of their aspirations and their future. We immediately see much of their natures and that of their friendship as Lennie â€Å"flung himself down and drank from the surface of the green pool†¦snorting into the water like a horse.† Lennie dives headlong, dunking his head into the murky waters of the Salinas like an animal, all for a drink of water; George restrains him, attempting to keep him in line and to keep him safe. George and Lennie have struggled their way through life together, as an inseparable pair, not like all the other hopefuls out there, â€Å"Because I got you an’ you got me† – together they might just get somewhere. The way this particular phrase is repeated so much tells us a lot about their friendship and how they both so desperately need it to survive. â€Å"The first man was small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp, strong features†¦every part of him was defined.† We see George as the sharp and able leader who gives Lennie his direction, blunt and bitter when it comes to his frustrations. All too often feeling taunted by the world, his life, and the problems they each throw at him – no matter how hard he tries and how much he accounts for it. Despite his quick temper and scathing reprisals, he holds a great care and affection for his travel-partner and the companionship he brings him – much more than is at first apparent. George feels responsible for Lennie, he has been Lennie’s guardian ever since the passing-away of his Aunt Clara, and no matter how hard he tries he always, and always will, feel that Lennie’s troubles, Lennie’s mistakes and faults are his own and that which he must resolve and reconcile – however much they may cause him yet more problems of his own. George feels a great loneliness inside, believing in his heart himself to be as worthless as every other like him, and as a result of this he gains his purpose – to become somebody, and he knows that is something he and Lennie must do and can only do together. Without Lennie he would be nothing, no more than every other man like him – alone and without hope. â€Å"Behind him walked his opposite, a huge man, shapeless of face, with large, pale eyes, with wide, sloping shoulders†¦he walked heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws†¦his arms did not swing but hung loosely at his sides.† Lennie, we can already see if very different to George, a slow simpleton, likened to an animal on two counts now, expressing his simple personality and impulsive nature. It is thanks to the pair’s great bond and need that we see Lennie as such a vital character in the book, for George is not the only man to whom Lennie brings a purpose, it is around him that so much of the story unfolds and revolves about. Despite the simplicity in his manner and unsure path throughout the story, Lennie brings certainty to all those around him. They are drawn to the raw and basic companionship that his presence brings – he is both consort and confidant for all their thoughts and feelings. He neither understands nor takes in much of what they say but, rather than wasting their breath, it seems even more a boon unto them. Lennie is like a wandering sheep and it is George that gives him his direction and his purpose, and as he takes his lead from George, Lennie in turn gains his own shape and dream. Lennie’s simple, cumbersome shape walks always in George’s shadow, always behind him wherever he may go, no matter what. For Lennie life is as simple as he is – it is that which seems to create so many problems for them both, in turn presenting the answers to so many others, and it is this which gives Lennie such a lasting effect on all those around him. The two are together in the pursuit of their own dreams, each finding both a purpose and the means in the other. George dreams of his own land, his own life, and it is much the same for Lennie, on his own basic level. Lennie wishes to care for his own creatures, his rabbits. He loves to hear every word of them that he can get, and George loves to tell them to him – so obsessed and incensed are they with merely the thought of what lies ahead for them with the success of their great plan. This form of â€Å"dreaming† and hoping that many of the characters of this story holds shows how everyone of them wishes to escape from the present world that they live in, where society demands everything of them when they have nothing to hold as their own, and nothing to give. Together these two continue their journey, their unique bond always apparent as they cross upon the lives of many others, all showing the properties of loneliness and all for different reasons, giving us an outlook on how so many in this world are alone and isolated, and how what George and Lennie have is so valuable. â€Å"Ain’t many guys travel together†¦maybe everyone in the whole damn world is scared of each other.† The pressure of the â€Å"American Dream† and the demands of that society’s doctrines and social structure to achieve are imposed upon everyone and anyone and this is why it becomes such a great feature and driving force behind so much of the loneliness of this book. Every common man goes to America to succeed and achieve something, but society inflicts quite the opposite upon them – projecting, forcing upon them, an image of how people should think and most certainly be resulting in loneliness and isolation, a dissatisfaction of themselves and those around them and the ongoing fear of amounting to absolutely nothing. It is ironic that this very society which sets out to have everyone achieve and succeed does quite the opposite, causing so many problems along the way. The nature of the â€Å"American Dream† that so many in this story hold in their minds is that very thing which isolates every one of them from each other, and dooms them to failure. Upon arriving at the ranch, they are met by an old man named Candy and his now old and scrawny dog. It is Candy who explains to them the ways of the ranch, first showing them around and then, as the story progresses, introducing the personalities of the other ranch hands to them. We learn much about Candy himself and who he is, seeing in the second chapter Candy caught listening in on George and Lennie’s words together, as George attempts to keep Lennie in check and keep him safe. Candy was listening simply to feel as a part of their conversation, to feel involved in something, for Candy craves conversation in any form, so alone does he feel. It can be seen that now for so much of his life Candy has been separated from the other men, isolated from all others. Since Candy lost his hand in an accident upon the farm he has been unable to work with the others, condemned to the menial tasks and solitary life during the day, and now thanks to his advancing years he is even more isolated. His only companion throughout all this time has been his pet dog, a source of consternation for the other men as it nears the end of its days, its presence being an eyesore to them all and odour a cause of much dismay. The animal had been his companion since its birth, and now old and suffering from rheumatism, the men convince Candy to allow them to put it out of its misery for him. As Candy grudgingly agrees, against a great sadness, he loses his oldest and closest friend, and again he feels truly alone. Having no one, he attaches himself to Lennie and George and to the dream they both share and makes himself a part of it, willing to offer all he has, his life’s work and savings, for it to be so. However, as that dream is again jeopardised, perhaps fatally, he still wishes to carry on and fulfil the dream – for it is all he has left. It this desperation of Candy’s to make his new dream, their dream, become so, that yet another man becomes tied up in the illusion and the hope that it brings. Crooks is a fellow worker upon the ranch, a stable buck, working to repair saddles, tools and to look after the horses, unable to do other work since he was crippled, kicked in the back by one of the horses he was working with. We have never heard much of Crooks, only chance phrases from the other men, snatches of comments in the middle of a conversation; he is not often talked about, and never talked to – Crooks is a Negro. We do not see him for the majority of the book for he is never with the other men, always separated from everyone, simply because of the discrimination, the ignorance and the prejudices of that time. As the only Negro in the area, he is completely alone, without anyone but himself for so much of his life, but it was not always so. Crooks used to have someone – he used to live with his family, they owned a farm, he was with his brothers, his parents – his family, and he was counted as someone; now he isn’t even counted. The â€Å"American Dream† tells us of equality, of everyone having a chance to attain their dreams, to have something to hold, be proud of and call their own – in America everyone and anyone can have just this and be somebody unless, of course, if they are black. â€Å"This is just a nigger talkin’†¦so it don’t mean nothing, see?† This contradiction and hypocrisy intermittent throughout the dream is that which causes Crooks to be just who he is – alone and isolated, helpless and unable to anything about it. When Lennie wanders into Crooks’ living area simply looking for company as the other men are all away in the town, Crooks shows outrage and indignation that a white man would presume it his right to simply walk into his room without leave. However, Lennie’s innocence wins through, despite Crooks’ irritation, â€Å"Crooks scowled, but Lennie’s disarming smile defeated him.† As Crooks begins to talk to Lennie, and discover the nature of his relationship with George, we see his jealousy that another man could have someone so easy to talk to, such a simple and easy friendship. Such is his bitterness and jealousy over the pair’s companionship that Crooks goes on to taunt and tease Lennie with the possibility that George is injured and is no longer going to be there. He tells Lennie that he too is alone and must look after himself and continue life knowing he had someone, had something, and lost it as Crooks did. Crooks wants Lennie to feel what his pain is every day, every hour, and make someone else feel how he does – and, in doing so, make himself feel less alone. â€Å"A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody†¦a guy gets lonely and he gets sick†. As Lennie’s anger flares up, we see that perhaps Crooks isn’t so malicious after all, for he placates Lennie – he wants him to stay, despite him being a white man, one who took his life away from him, an enemy. So alone is he that any company will do, black or white – it doesn’t matter any more; and so â€Å"It was difficult for Crooks to conceal his pleasure with anger,† as Candy joins Lennie. He only has himself and what little company that he can find; he has been separated from others, alone for so long, simply because of the colour of his skin, so isolated thanks to an ignorant and naive prejudice, so much for a dream – when Crooks came to America he found an ongoing nightmare. There should be equality, and this is what America shouted aloud to the world – everyone in America has a dream to live out, and everyone who comes to America has a chance. However, this is not the case for Crooks – despite what people claimed, despite what the â€Å"American Dream† told them, he has nothing but material possessions, and to him they re nothing. Reading books is his only source of company, but â€Å"Books ain’t no good. A guy needs somebody – to be near him.† When Crooks first learns of their dream, not quite as they intended for it was their dream and nobody else’s’, he scoffs for has heard this kind of a story all before – he has seen hundreds of other hopefuls come through the ranch and continue on into nothing. He tells them this mockingly, and also to end their hopes for they too are going nowhere. However, as Candy justifies their hopes in defence, he subsides for he sees the possibilities himself, gets caught up in the trio’s aspirations and dreams, as Candy did, and pleads to be taken along, to join them – simply to be somewhere with others who might accept him for who he is and not for what. Crooks begins to open up, he finally believes himself to be an equal and to be counted, and he has been given back both his hope and a real chance. However, things are not to be as they hoped as the wife of Curley, the boss’ son, enters. As always the men are wary and bid her leave and in response her bitter temper rises. Crooks stands up to her, thinking outside his place in his newfound happiness, and she drills into him, makes him again realise just who he is, how little all he says and thinks is valued and how much power she holds over him. For a moment Crooks had become a man again and believed in his own freedom, but Curley’s wife put an end to that, to his open thought and his belief in all his hopes of being his own man again. â€Å"Crooks stared hopelessly at her, sat down†¦and drew into himself†¦Crooks had reduced himself to nothing, no personality, no ego†¦Everything that might be hurt drawn in†¦into the indomitable pride of the Negro.† Crooks the Negro presumed to think himself on the same level as Curley’s wife, to cap all the isolation and rejection from every other person on the ranch. So enraged is she that we see the malicious and bitter side of her nature born out of the oppression, the distress and torment of countless similar situations where no one ever listens, where she is always alone. She gives him no quarter as her scathing, bitter anger lashes into him. This conflict amongst and between the oppressed and repressed – first between Candy and Crooks, Crooks believing their dream to be as hopeless as all the rest, so demoralised has he become thanks to the life that American society has put him through, and then between Crooks and Curley’s wife, simply leads them in a circle, and right back to square one. Both are without freedom and hold little control over their own rights, and still they are brought into conflict by the ways in which society portrays the world and treats each of them, one putting the other’s hopes and liberty again into doubt, painting a wholly despondent and bleak future -all the more separated from each other, all the more isolated and alone. Curley’s wife always appears as a woman up to no good, spoken of hurriedly in whispered conversations. She is always out looking for trouble with the other men, always holding apparent bad intentions as she flaunts herself in a vain attempt to attract them to her, willing to do anything for companionship, and as a result getting quite the opposite. George had always recognised her danger, but Lennie is blind to every bit of it. However, we begin to see that she isn’t up to such wickedness as we are first led to believe, and her bitter tongue is simply born of a life of loneliness. The men always shy away from her fearing blackmail from a work mate or Curley’s wrath if they were to dare the stigma and go against the rules of society, and become friendly with another man’s wife. This fear of the bosses’ authority and their abuse of it is yet another barrier that stands between ever establishing some true ideals of equality. She has been alone and isolated by everyone for so long, not even her husband listens to her, simply telling her what he wants to say and never waiting for a response. Lennie, never vigilant nor wary for he has no reason to be, is the first person that hasn’t looked at her with fear in his eyes, for he is different; she has tried everything and seems doomed to failure – everyone is repulsed, everyone resists her, everyone bar Lennie, and she latches onto him because of this. One day she catches him on his own and without George always looking over his shoulder. He is like an open book to her, and instantly accepts her for exactly what she is. She delights in finally finding someone who is such a perfect companion, who no longer draws back away from her in fear, but talks to her as he would anyone else. Despite what is first apparent, she simply wants to be with someone who listens. We learn that she once had a life, once had a chance and could have been somebody, been somewhere and just perhaps have got somewhere in life, but had it taken away from her through no fault of her own, but the unjust and unreasonable actions of another – her own mother. To escape that, to escape a dead end and lonely life where one that should be so close to her takes her chances and dreams away from her, she married Curley and inadvertently runs into something much worse. She had a dream, found a chance and lost it thanks to a situation entirely out of her control, and things only go down hill from there. She is alone unable to do anything to escape the life that she now leads, no one is willing to talk to her, she is confined to the ranch and no longer has any chance of happiness, or simply of finding a friend. Yet again, a pursuer of the â€Å"American Dream† finds quite the opposite. She revels in Lennie’s companionship, temporarily feeling as if she were no longer alone in the world as Crooks did, and so tells him things that she has told no other, opening herself to him and finding that he accepts all that she says without doubt or uncertainty. However, as she learns of Lennie’s love for the touch and feel of soft things, she lets him closer without restraint or forethought, lets him touch and hold her hair. As she draws away in worry that her hair (and subsequently her looks) are being dishevelled, the one thing she believes herself to truly hold is mishandled, and so she pulls away, expressing her distress. Lennie panics and does the only thing that his simple mind can think of – resist, and so he grips hold of her tighter, unwilling to let go, he is confused and frightened and understands nought of what is happening. He fears that if George were to find out that he had made someone unhappy and done wrong by them he would abandon and discard him, fearing disapproval if his actions were ever discovered; and so he clamps his hand over her mouth, hoping that none would hear the noise. He grips even tighter as she struggles all the more desperately in the pain that his awesome strength is causing her, and he jerks and shakes her body in response, in an attempt to silence her. In this he succeeds, but to an extent that he never intended – he unwittingly breaks her neck. Yet again Lennie has caused great harm without ever realising it possible, and this time the outcome is greatly worse. She was always alone, always without somebody, even those closest to her appear to have wished against her happiness; John Steinbeck signifies this to us by never naming Curley’s wife – she was never important to the person, and the people, that she should have been. As soon as she finds someone that was conceivably different, perhaps wasn’t like all the others, she takes it all too far too soon, without thinking of the consequences. As a result she loses everything. The story ends in the pursuit of Lennie, George goes after him with the other men for he cannot let them get to him first and it is here that we are reminded of Candy’s words upon his own companion, his pet dog, â€Å"I ought to of shot that dog myself, George. I shouldn’t have let no stranger shoot my dog.† George finally catches up with Lennie at their meeting point where they stayed that first night before making their way onto the ranch. Lennie has been plagued by images and hallucinations from his past and his imagination, so distraught has he become over doing something so wrong and upsetting George in such a huge way, without ever intending to he managed to take away every hope the two had of achieving their dream all thanks to the pressure put upon him to do right by everyone, make no mistakes and allow none to hear of the rest, which leads to him causing more problems than ever before. George has Lennie imagine their dream once more, for that was always how Lennie was happiest – imagining his future, escaping from the present. It is in this moment that George puts the gun to the back of Lennie’s head, and, fighting off his shaking hand, pulls down upon the trigger. He never wanted to, but he had to – this was the only possible choice George could have made for the ultimately innocent Lennie, nothing he could do would have been easier, or better, for Lennie. George in doing so loses his one and only companion, every hope he ever had of being somebody and every hope of those around him that became a part of their dream – all in that instant every hope was lost. Such is the despair that Candy finds it difficult to let go, he wants to continue the dream and to finish it, despite all which has happened, but he knows that is never possible now. Lennie was the one that held everything, everyone, together and gave them all hope and a chance, and now he was gone. The Withered Arm tells us a story of the ordeal of Rhoda Brook, her son, Farmer Lodge and his newly married wife, Gertrude, as Thomas Hardy chooses to constantly switch your attention, not concentrating on single character’s loneliness and hardships, but that of four. We first meet Rhoda Brook working in the cow sheds, a milkmaid, and we instantly recognise how emotionally isolated and detached from others she is. As the other characters about her chat among themselves she chooses to remain apart, and uninvolved, from them all. We see how alone and different from the other simple farm hands she is, â€Å"He hasn’t spoken to her for years,† whilst they talk about her and the notorious love affair she had with the Farmer Lodge – and his recent marriage to a young lady not from nearby, but the city. She is one apart from the rest, not like them, and no longer does she care or worry over their words and thoughts of her. She remains impassive throughout the conversation and the others comments about her, â€Å"She knew she had slyly been called a witch.† Her physical loneliness and separation, probably much out of choice, is also elaborated upon as â€Å"She milked slightly apart from the rest,† as well as through the description of where she has chosen to live, â€Å"their course lay apart from the rest†. The truth about Rhoda and Farmer Lodge’s affair, now many years in the past, is widely known in the area. Long ago they were together and for unexplained reasons she was abandoned – perhaps upon the realisation of Rhoda’s pregnancy. The very thing meant to bring a couple closer together and bring with it happiness and companionship may have brought completely the opposite for Rhoda. However, Farmer Lodge has developed very materialistic views, adhering and conforming to those of the society he lives in. Rhoda was below his class, below him, and he could never have been seen in a permanent relationship with her because of that – society would never have accepted him. Another possible reason is that of Rhoda’s advancing years and waning beauty – her age is closer to that of Lodge’s and so his materialism again pushes him away from her as he chooses to marry a young and still beautiful girl not long out of her teen.This is what he feels he must have – the best. With the arrival of Gertrude Lodge the final brick is laid in the wall standing between Rhoda and her happiness, between her and Lodge and both of them and their son. We recognise instantly that Gertrude is neither country-born nor country-bred, and knows little of her new life and what lies ahead. From the beginning she is almost completely alone – she is a young lady, highborn, and not long out of her teens, lady-like and beautiful, and there are none like her that she can communicate with. Gertrude worries much over others’ opinions of her, as she desires so much to be readily accepted into her new community. However, things are not to be all she could hope for, as she soon realises how alone she is to be as society separates her from the majority of those around her, thanks to the strict taboos on cross-class relationships and of a lady socialising with those of the lower class. When Rhoda learns of Gertrude’s arrival she has her son discover ever detail and feature of the girl, sizing her up and comparing herself to Gertrude in her jealousy, for she believes that it should be she, not Gertrude, that Farmer Lodge should have married and is bitterly angry that he refuses to acknowledge their son and even what they both had between each other as anything but insignificant and irrelevant. The son that Rhoda and Lodge both had together is yet another great example of the loneliness that this story portrays as his mother’s loneliness and emotional feelings merely add to that of his own. Hardy chooses to give him no name, as did Steinbeck with Curley’s wife, emphasising how unimportant and worthless he is in the eyes of those that he should mean so much to. His father rejects him outright – barely ever acknowledging his presence, â€Å"He took no outward notice of the boy whatsoever,† and when he does it is only as an inferior and one of no consequence as the boy is described as â€Å"Just one of the neighbourhood.† Even his own mother, with whom he has lived for all his years, is unconcerned with him, so obsessed and incensed with her own dilemma that she simply uses him as ammunition, and justification, of her right over others to Lodge. He is used as a spy upon Gertrude and Lodge by his mother, if not that then he is always at work upon one household duty or another, and despite all that he does none of it seems to satisfy his mother. He is barely ever given any affection at all, seemingly only useful for errands and chores that Rhoda cannot bring herself to do. Despite her anger over Farmer Lodge’s total lack of acceptance of their son, she too does much the same, and never realises the frustrations that he hides underneath as a result of this all, â€Å"His mother not observing that he was cutting a notch with his pocket knife into the beech-backed chair.† The son has no father figure to follow, but certainly not a good example, and his mother tries to set him one no better – she doesn’t even make the effort. Rhoda develops an obsession with Gertrude whom she has neither met nor even seen. Such is her fixation that one night she is visited in a troubled dream by an image, the distorted and repulsive impression of Gertrude that Rhoda has built up in her mind through her bitter jealousy. â€Å"The figure thrust forward its left hand mockingly, so as to make the wedding ring it wore glitter in Rhoda’s eyes.† This thing that Rhoda believes Gertrude to be taunts her, thrusting the proof of her marriage to Farmer Lodge before her very eyes – the thing that Rhoda herself so covets and desires for herself. As the creature draws closer, Rhoda grips its arm in fright and hurls it to the floor. One day Gertrude visits Rhoda in her small house upon the hill, and Rhoda sees her for what she really is. Gertrude, in her loneliness in Lodge’s great manor house, comes to Rhoda for companionship, and in her she finds a friend. At first Rhoda is unresponsive, but slowly she begins to come round, to see through all the lies she has told herself all too often in her resentment at being alone. However, all is not to be so perfectly resolved, as we learn of Gertrude’s arm – the strange marks, like as that of fingers’, upon the flesh and over time they gradually worsen and deteriorate. â€Å"It looks almost like finger marks†¦as if some witch, or the devil himself, had taken a hold of me there, and blasted the flesh.† Gertrude’s other sorrow becomes apparent as she too has realised the faith that the farmer puts into face value and beauty – for she believes that he will begin to love her less if the arm does not heal as it should. As a result, over time, Gertrude begins to preoccupy herself and obsess about her arm as Rhoda did over Farmer Lodge and it continues to worsen. No one understands its nature, no one knows of a cure and Gertrude, stricken with worry and concern, turns again to Rhoda, following perhaps a maid’s, or a worker’s, advice, and the irony in this is how many would believe Rhoda to be the guilty party, the witch, cursing upon Gertrude and that she of all people would know her adversary best. Rhoda meanwhile says nothing upon the matter of the arm, merely inquiring upon it, hoping that it might recover. For Rhoda neither understands what effect she has had upon Gertrude, nor knows how she caused it – much of the time she vainly tells herself that it is nothing but a coincidence. All the same, Rhoda apprehensively leads Gertrude across the hills and fields one day to Conjuror Trendle, a man renowned for powers that other people believe in more than he. â€Å"He affected not to believe largely in his own powers and when warts that had been shown him for the cure miraculously disappear†¦he would say lightly, ‘Oh I only drink a glass of grog upon ’em†¦perhaps its all chance’, and immediately turn the subject.† Trendle lives many miles apart from other men, separated by their views and taboos of that society upon witchcraft and anything related. He has been cast away by their prejudices all because he has a talent that they neither possess nor understand, and they fear him for this. He merely uses what he has to help people as best he can, getting nothing but fear and aversion in return, and this he does for Gertrude too. Despite the rumours and whispers that people speak behind his back, he does what he knows to be best all the same – rejecting the constraints of society for his own freedom, and in turn having much of it taken away. He shows to Gertrude the image of an enemy, the only one capable of causing such a blight, and Rhoda’s fears are to be realised as, despite Gertrude never telling her who the image she saw was, she never spoke to Rhoda again, never mentioned the arm and never called around her house, simply looking for a companion, again – for now her unsee n assailant had a face, that of Rhoda. Over a very short period their friendship began to break down very quickly, almost instantly as realisation had dawned upon Gertrude, and so she never saw anything of Rhoda, or her son, again for many years and eventually the two both slipped out of the community and were never seen again – they were forced out by the fears of others, by Rhoda’s desires of things that were no longer hers to covet and by the entire community, for none really cared. Gertrude was now truly alone and without a single companion- her husband no longer even looked at her, such was his revulsion of the withering of her arm and displeasure at the fact that she had not even managed to produce him an heir in all their time together. Gertrude’s beauty was waning as the full anguish of the arm and being so alone in the world assailed her. She became obsessed with the arm and the search for cures, attempting every crackpot remedy that she could find in her maddened struggle – but none ever worked or had any effect. Driven into desperation by her husband’s and society’s demands for young ladies to be beautiful and perfect always, for Gertrude fears the rejection of her husband as Rhoda was rejected many years ago. In many ways this despair and incensed search for a cure drove even larger a void between Gertrude and her husband, for in the end it was both she and the arm driving him away, so obsessed did she become – much thanks to the pressures and expectations of the world around her. Again she goes to visit Trendle in the vain hope that perhaps he will be able to cure her at last, however, this time she makes the journey alone – showing just how much more lonely and separated from others she has become. Upon arriving she sees Trendle, now an old man and barely able to even leave his house – he has lost even that little bit of freedom that life had allowed him and has absolutely no one but himself to rely on, and no one to be there when he dies. In his last days, Trendle tells her simply what had to be done – he was too old to help now, she would have to cope alone with this task as always, but he could point her in the right direction. She agrees to all that he tells her, whatever it may be, such is her desire to again be beautiful for her husband again and to allow her to again conform to the views of those around her – much the opposite choice to that of Conjuror Trendle. Gertrude must touch the body of an executed man just cut down from a hanging – not dead for more than an instant so as to turn the blood of Gertrude and cure the withering of the arm. Finally, after many weeks wait the chance arrives and Gertrude’s prayers, driven to wishing upon the death of a fellow man, are answered and she strikes up a deal with the old, isolated hangman, separated from others by the nature of his trade, who was not wholly unused to requests of her sort. The condemned that is to become Gertrude’s saviour is a young man, charged of arson – the burning down of an old warehouse. The young man was apparently simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, but an example had to be made to satisfy the people. On the allotted night, Gertrude goes to the hangman as planned, and he then leads her to the open casket and she pulls back the covering and touches the figure beneath. To her horror she sees it to be Rhoda’s own son – the son of Farmer Lodge. Gertrude backs off in dismay and turns to discover both Rhoda and Lodge standing behind her. Rhoda shouts in anger and pushes Gertrude away from them both, for even now she still stands between the Farmer Lodge and their son once again – as always Gertrude comes between Rhoda and Lodge, always in the way of Rhoda’s hopes, desires and always keeping her completely alone. Gertrude screams in fear and falls to the floor, for the shock and extreme stress, together with the draining nature of the arm finally get the best of her, for she has died. Her blood had been turned, but all too far. Here the story concludes, as Rhoda moves farther away and separates herself from the local community entirely yet again, totally alone thanks to her own bitterness. Even after her son is lost still nobody goes to pay their respects or offer their company – she becomes even more alone than ever, all thanks to her own negligence. Farmer Lodge is also alone now, perhaps as he deserved, for his uncaring and selfish ways led to the grief of many and his dishonesty to the death of his wife for he broke his marriage vows that he made before God – â€Å"In sickness and in health.† His wife is dead and his son is lost forever and with him any chance of ever having an heir to all his estate. In his despair Lodge sells all his farm and land and moves away – only now do we realise how truly alone he has become, and all thanks to him, his materialism and conforming to what society dictates as to how he should live his life. He offers Rhoda an annual income, as an attempt at a final reconciliation but she never accepts it and none see her again. He loses everything and is doomed to die alone, leaving us later to discover that he has left all that is his to a reformatory for boys, showing how he did have thoughts and feelings regarding his son, but never had the strength to show them which is perhaps his greatest sin. Both Lodge and Rhoda isolated themselves from others and both are now even lonelier as a result of this. Gertrude’s vanity may have played a part in her own undoing, represented by the extremes to which she was willing to go as she even wished for the death of a fellow man, guilty or innocent alike, but it was Lodge, and those around her, that drove her to such desperation and in the end she dies alone, above all emotionally, as her husband stands apart from her with Rhoda. The young son meanwhile, brought to his end by Gertrude’s desperate wishing is always portrayed in Hardy’s novel as the innocent throughout, trapped between his two parents never being truly loved or cared for – always alone and always innocent. Towards the end we assume that perhaps he has got involved in a youth gang. This leads to his later arrest at the crime scene showing that no father figure and role model at all would have perhaps been better than that of a bad and unloving one who rejects him outright, he may have been innocent but he never had anyone who would stand up for him. This rejection by his father and ignorant negligence on his mother’s part leads to his tragic death, similar to that of Candy’s wife – who also remains unnamed as they are never important to those that they should be, leaving both of them completely alone and hopeless. The unfortunate tragedy that we see at the end of each novel is but one of the many similarities between these two novels. As we begin, each story features two central characters, George and Lennie, Rhoda and Gertrude, around which the story unfolds. As they live their lives we are introduced to many others, each with their own individual problems and dilemmas besetting them. These unlikely friendships between our central characters ultimately end in a tragedy, first with one unknowingly causing great problems for the other and finally one must put the other out of their misery, and at the same time condemn themselves to loneliness and hopelessness yet again. In Of Mice and Men we see at the root of everyones’ problems the desperation to achieve and become somebody – to find the American Dream. The society in which they have lived tells them that they are nothing without achievement, and they all agree for much of their sadness originates from this feeling of worthlessness. In George and Lennie’s case it drives them onwards, in search of their dream, but the others do not have the friendship that they each possess and have no hope of getting anywhere. Candy is old, crippled, with no hope of being able to work for something anymore and no hope of ever actually finding a companion as everyone deserts him each day. Crooks has nobody, he lost everything thanks to American society and the fact that the dream doesn’t work if you are black, he is hopeless for all time. Curley’s wife, a seemingly dangerous character of this story is isolated for just that. She has nobody bar her husband, who neither loves her nor listens, separated from others by both him and other peoples’ fear of the stigma that would ensure should they become her friend. She had her one chance at achieving something taken away from her many years ago. For Lennie the necessity to conform and do right by people is too much for him – he can never understand and in the end this leads to his death. His fear of disapproval forces him to take a life without ever intending to. It is upon George’s shoulders to end the story, for there is only one possibility – he must end all his hopes, condemn himself to being alone with his guilt, every chance that they had together and those around them found upon their arrival for he must take Lennie’s life to save him from misery. This pressure from American society and the unbending rules on what people should and shouldn’t be causes so much dissatisfaction and unrest, leaving everyone feeling hopeless and alone, that they have been brought up to believe. They thought they had a chance, and they found nothing. The Withered Arm, on the other hand, is set in a world of tradition, of British society and its harsh social structure. In everyone’s mind there is desperation to conform to the rules and agree that unless you are upper class, or in the case of the women – married, you are no one. Rhoda isolates herself from all others in her desperation to become someone, Farmer Lodge’s wife, and be counted and in doing so sentences herself to a life of loneliness, and starts much more for many others. For Gertrude there is a desperation to be what the materialistic views of those around her tell her to be, and in her search for this she ends up isolating her self even more than before. The young son, who nobody ever really looks to care for, there is isolation of a different kind and through no fault of his own. His parents never truly acknowledge him as their son and this ultimately ends in his tragic death. For Farmer Lodge, it is his materialistic conformism that causes many problems, and he isolates himself from all others in this story until the end, where it is he and Rhoda left and doomed to each be utterly alone for their sins.