The Lost Symbol Epilogue

Robert Langdon awoke slowly. Faces gazed down at him. Where am I? A moment later, he recalled where he was. He sat up slowly beneath the Apotheosis. His back felt stiff from lying on the hard catwalk. Where's Katherine? Langdon checked his Mickey Mouse watch. It's almost time. He pulled himself to his feet, peering cautiously over the banister into the gaping space below. â€Å"Katherine?† he called out. The word echoed back in the silence of the deserted Rotunda. Retrieving his tweed jacket from the floor, he brushed it off and put it back on. He checked his pockets. The iron key the Architect had given him was gone. Making his way back around the walkway, Langdon headed for the opening the Architect had shown them . . . steep metal stairs ascending into cramped darkness. He began to climb. Higher and higher he ascended. Gradually the stairway became more narrow and more inclined. Still Langdon pushed on. Just a little farther. The steps had become almost ladderlike now, the passage frighteningly constricted. Finally, the stairs ended, and Langdon stepped up onto a small landing. Before him was a heavy metal door. The iron key was in the lock, and the door hung slightly ajar. He pushed, and the door creaked open. The air beyond felt cold. As Langdon stepped across the threshold into murky darkness, he realized he was now outside. â€Å"I was just coming to get you,† Katherine said, smiling at him. â€Å"It's almost time.† When Langdon recognized his surroundings, he drew a startled breath. He was standing on a tiny skywalk that encircled the pinnacle of the U.S. Capitol Dome. Directly above him, the bronze Statue of Freedom gazed out over the sleeping capital city. She faced the east, where the first crimson splashes of dawn had begun to paint the horizon. Katherine guided Langdon around the balcony until they were facing west, perfectly aligned with the National Mall. In the distance, the silhouette of the Washington Monument stood in the early-morning light. From this vantage point, the towering obelisk looked even more impressive than it had before. â€Å"When it was built,† Katherine whispered, â€Å"it was the tallest structure on the entire planet.† Langdon pictured the old sepia photographs of stonemasons on scaffolding, more than five hundred feet in the air, laying each block by hand, one by one. We are builders, he thought. We are creators. Since the beginning of time, man had sensed there was something special about himself . . . something more. He had longed for powers he did not possess. He had dreamed of flying, of healing, and of transforming his world in every way imaginable. And he had done just that. Today, the shrines to man's accomplishments adorned the National Mall. The Smithsonian museums burgeoned with our inventions, our art, our science, and the ideas of our great thinkers. They told the history of man as creator–from the stone tools in the Native American History Museum to the jets and rockets in the National Air and Space Museum. If our ancestors could see us today, surely they would think us gods. As Langdon peered through the predawn mist at the sprawling geometry of museums and monuments before him, his eyes returned to the Washington Monument. He pictured the lone Bible in the buried cornerstone and thought of how the Word of God was really the word of man. He thought about the great circumpunct, and how it had been embedded in the circular plaza beneath the monument at the crossroads of America. Langdon thought suddenly of the little stone box Peter had entrusted to him. The cube, he now realized, had unhinged and opened to form the same exact geometrical form–a cross with a circumpunct at its center. Langdon had to laugh. Even that little box was hinting at this crossroads. â€Å"Robert, look!† Katherine pointed to the top of the monument. Langdon lifted his gaze but saw nothing. Then, staring more intently, he glimpsed it. Across the Mall, a tiny speck of golden sunlight was glinting off the highest tip of the towering obelisk. The shining pinpoint grew quickly brighter, more radiant, gleaming on the capstone's aluminum peak. Langdon watched in wonder as the light transformed into a beacon that hovered above the shadowed city. He pictured the tiny engraving on the east-facing side of the aluminum tip and realized to his amazement that the first ray of sunlight to hit the nation's capital, every single day, did so by illuminating two words: Laus Deo. â€Å"Robert,† Katherine whispered. â€Å"Nobody ever gets to come up here at sunrise. This is what Peter wanted us to witness.† Langdon could feel his pulse quickening as the glow atop the monument intensified. â€Å"He said he believes this is why the forefathers built the monument so tall. I don't know if that's true, but I do know this–there's a very old law decreeing that nothing taller can be built in our capital city. Ever.† The light inched farther down the capstone as the sun crept over the horizon behind them. As Langdon watched, he could almost sense, all around him, the celestial spheres tracing their eternal orbits through the void of space. He thought of the Great Architect of the Universe and how Peter had said specifically that the treasure he wanted to show Langdon could be unveiled only by the Architect. Langdon had assumed this meant Warren Bellamy. Wrong Architect. As the rays of sunlight strengthened, the golden glow engulfed the entirety of the thirty-three- hundred-pound capstone. The mind of man . . . receiving enlightenment. The light then began inching down the monument, commencing the same descent it performed every morning. Heaven moving toward earth . . . God connecting to man. This process, Langdon realized, would reverse come evening. The sun would dip in the west, and the light would climb again from earth back to heaven . . . preparing for a new day. Beside him, Katherine shivered and inched closer. Langdon put his arm around her. As the two of them stood side by side in silence, Langdon thought about all he had learned tonight. He thought of Katherine's belief that everything was about to change. He thought of Peter's faith that an age of enlightenment was imminent. And he thought of the words of a great prophet who had boldly declared: Nothing is hidden that will not be made known; nothing is secret that will not come to light. As the sun rose over Washington, Langdon looked to the heavens, where the last of the nighttime stars were fading out. He thought about science, about faith, about man. He thought about how every culture, in every country, in every time, had always shared one thing. We all had the Creator. We used different names, different faces, and different prayers, but God was the universal constant for man. God was the symbol we all shared . . . the symbol of all the mysteries of life that we could not understand. The ancients had praised God as a symbol of our limitless human potential, but that ancient symbol had been lost over time. Until now. In that moment, standing atop the Capitol, with the warmth of the sun streaming down all around him, Robert Langdon felt a powerful upwelling deep within himself. It was an emotion he had never felt this profoundly in his entire life. Hope.

Tegan Hrad Write Up

Was outsourcing the APP project the right move for Texan given the other possible alternatives? Outsourcing has seemed to acquire a rise In popularity and usage In our modern times. Outsourcing involves entering into a contract in which an in-house company process, or processes, is ultimately handed over and dealt with from a third party's perspective. I would have to say that there are three primary, helpful factors to outsourcing, especially when it comes to the world of business. To start off, the cost of operations can be trimmed down through outsourcing.This, In turn, would assist a reparation or business in accumulating more illustrations. Secondly, every organization out there has the intention of delivering top-of-the-line services and goods. Outsourcing can contribute to more efficient deliveries. Specifically concerning information technology or something that would be considered to be a bit more technical, outsourcing can bolster efficiency within that particular field of a technical nature. Thus, productivity would be improved through outsourcing. Thirdly and lastly, within a set interval of time, an establishment has the ability through outsourcing to complete projects promptly.This Is due to the fact that while a third party is handling a certain progression of a certain company, that individual company can now use its human capital and employees † that may originally were going to have to deal with a peculiar development stage of a certain project which has now been outsourced – in other, more beneficial ways. More labor can be put into other areas. Yet, when concerning one's self or a company's self with such an area as information technology, outsourcing must be looked at with meticulous contemplation In order to guarantee the best possible outcome.Experts, on both ides of the aisle, the customer / purchaser and the outsourced business, must exhibit exemplary communication between the two of them. Both sides need to be participati ng constantly and engaged. Items will need to be analyzed on a constant basis. Participation and engagement will be critical again. With all of this in mind, I would have to say that the APP project being outsourced, on the part of Texan, was not a good move. They might have thought it was a good move, but it turned out not to be because the project bombed, especially In terms of the time Interval In which It was supposed to be completed.Obviously, there were failures In regards to communication. Additionally, I think Texan did not make available various pieces of crucial material that could have helped Hard. Maybe if Hard had possessed more intricate information or more information at a faster rate of speed, they could have optimized various systems and system functions by the Intended due date. SECTION 2: What are the tradeoffs involved in having the requirements analysis for a project performed by one of the firms that would ultimately bold on the project? Off The main touch, con cerning the requirements analysis tort a project, is to texture out owe a system specifically runs and how all the intricacies within that system work together. In the course of any requirements analysis process, tradeoffs must be pondered. Additionally, when an organization ultimately decides to pick that other outfit to perform whatever assignments need to be done, a thorough thought process will have to go in to that as well. A variety of tradeoffs happen based on many motives. Allow me to expand a bit. Leading off, I have to begin with cost.Cost is an essential, necessary component to undertake requirements analysis. Practically every equines out there is attempting to lower costs when taking on any pursuit while simultaneously trying to extract returns at an utmost level. Therefore, if the requirements analysis method is too pricey to do it in-house, the more fitting and suitable approach would be for that business to outsource to another agency the particular tasks and Jobs it wants done. I think ideally a firm or business group of sorts would love to use their own employees to complete tasks that the company needs to be fulfilled.Unfortunately, employees can be limited in their knowledge bases. Internally speaking, it may not be able to be done and then upper management may have to hire new people or possibly more people based on the size of the project or project duties. This ramification may not have been in the minds of senior management. Basically, can senior management hire specialized laborers or can they scoot on by without them? Cost definitely plays a role right here. What will be economical for the company? How long can companies consistently pay for specialized labor to work within their internal structures?What outsourcing options does a company have? Subsequently, constrictions and limitations regarding information technology are an integral part of the requirements analysis process. As a firm or company is mulling over the idea of outsourc ing, the individual company needs to understand how technologically advanced the other agency is. What are the boundaries and controls of that other agency? Do they actually have a proficient team of technological professionals that will be able to deliver what they promise or will they get stuck on something somewhere in the middle of the project? That would not be good.Whenever a company out there, no matter how big or small it is, indicates to go with an outsourcing partnership, it always helps to uncover and verify the chemical aptness of the agency that will be providing the commissioned package of odds and services. Thirdly, time is critical. The deliberation of time intervals and what needs to be finished within a certain time is vital when dealing with a requirements analysis. This is yet another tradeoff. Can we as a company, with everything that is already on our plate, complete projects x, y, and z on our own or do we need assistance getting such projects done in a more t imely fashion?To top off this section, if time is the key element that will make or break a project or series of activities, the companies that are researching outsourcing firms and will eventually pick one needs to find one that is efficient in accomplishing the sought after goal of time management. It is always nice for a business to have a positive rapport with an outsourcing firm. It might loosen up any stresses and that outsourcing firm may win the bid. Yet, how friendly is too friendly? Maybe a friendship could be cause for a lax / careless atmosphere.SECTION 3†² Given our Journeys through the world tot system development method discuss the choice of development methodology employed by Hard Technician. I know in class thus far and in this current case (in certain spots), I learned about some different types of development methodology. From what I gathered, I believe the range of methodologies crosses the spectrum from agile methods and waterfall- type routines over to eng ineering, iterative, and Joint access / design. One can even notice that within the Texan C. C. C. Document, the waterfall model is mentioned in the middle of page four.Furthermore, within the Hard Technician document, on its page four, it used such keywords as iteratively on the top of that page and then linty and Joint meeting in the middle of that page. I found it fascinating to go back through my notes and sort of match up some of these buzz words in the context of these two cases as I read through them. I got to see some of these methodologies referenced, shining a bit more light upon them. Concerning Hard Technician and what they employed, I would have to say the methodology that was exhibited was one of Joint Access and Joint Design.Moreover, I would say the waterfall methodology popped up too. Within the first kind of methodology Count methodology), the creators (the outsourced firm, Hard) remain in contact with the customer (Texan) concerning hoicks about what characteristi cs need to be assimilated into the layout of the current system in place. It is also helpful if the customer (Texan) has some know-how in regards to all the various pieces and cogs that should be built in and encompassed within the system. What the new system is going to be should be a clear picture within the customer's mind.That notion will aid and benefit the minds and thinking processes of the designers, also known as the outsourced firm. The outsourced organization would then develop, foster, and nurture such demented aspects and components into the system. Anything and everything that would be integrated or expanded upon into the system should adhere to strict compliance. The outsourced company cannot put something into the system that is not agreed upon or simply will not fit into the system. In continuation, once the system has been finalized, the client gets to test it.Hopefully the client does test it and does not Just start running with it immediately. The customer compan y needs to make sure they are getting the correct requirements they negotiated. Most likely testing will occur, and this is where both parties can record any inconsistencies and inefficiencies. If rectifications need to be made or functionality needs to be improved, this is where it happens. When Jointly designing usages and purposes, both sides need to cooperate. It is only through this cooperation that a successful end result can be achieved.Texan and Hard need to be on the same page. After reading both cases, it was quite obvious that there were some alignment problems. Furthermore, within this Joint methodology, it is obligatory that both sides have the same real time, working awareness and information for what the anticipated system is supposed to become this also appeared to be problematic). There cannot be delays or miscues sending and receiving data and material. If there is a break down in any of the topics previously discussed, it will cause a failure within the developmen t of the proposed, newer and better system.I do believe with the Joint designing, both companies put forth what they considered to be an adequate amount of effort but through their supposed tortes, they Jointly took a nose dive together. I truly believe each side wanted to help the other side, but they never accurately matched up with each other. It wasn't meant to be. In addition to the Joint access method, I also saw elements of the waterfall method illustrated by Hard. However, with the project climate constantly changing, the waterfall method may not have been the best choice by Hard.Probably a better choice by Hard would have been something along the lines of an iterative method. The waterfall method can be quite linear and rigid. It does not allow for flexibility and scope adjustments. I think the term scope creep ended up hitting Hard pretty hard there towards the end of both cases. With the waterfall method, it seemed to me like Hard could not really go back to a previous ph ase. It seems like the waterfall method displayed by Hard caused the project to overrun not only in regards to time but with cost too.SECTION 4: Why did Hard Technician, the firm that performed the requirements analysis, have scope and requirements problems once the project commenced? Hard Technician decided to implement a methodology that involved sharing. The sharing was intended to be mutual and on a consistent basis. Regrettably, barriers that revolved around steady interaction and dependable exchanges of information hindered a good amount of project requirements. Even though Hard Technician reformed the requirements analysis, many of the goals and ideas that were slotted to take place did not meet the standards that needed to be in place. Problems had arisen.First off, the analysis stage was not a success. Hard had enormously depended upon their former understanding of the system. This understanding and knowledge had come about when they had actually contrived the requirement d ocument. Through this, I can infer that most likely during the quality analysis phase, the project did not excel and outshine, as it was meant. It probably did not show promise and turned out to be a flop. Once again, over-confidence in relation to the system and supposed familiarity with the system contributed to the failings and deficiencies of the planning and devising committees of Hard.As an end product of all of this, there ended up being a wide-ranging shortage of awareness. The customer (Texan) and the outsourced firm (Hard) were not on the same page at all when it came down to the requests and wishes for what wanted to be done with the A / P System. Secondly, the Low Level Design Documents come to mind. There seemed to be time lost or time not properly used concerning the Olds. I do not think the company of Texan embraced a correct development methodology. Moreover, I do not believe Texan had enough adequate resources or enough expert-type employees.There are two great quot es on page three and then page four in the Hard Technician case that back up the previous sentence. The first one was: â€Å"While at the initial meeting, there had been many people close to the A / P project, it unfolded that it was only the most vocal person at the meeting who understood the system: Julia lone. † The second was: â€Å"As a short cut, Hard decided that it would be impossible for Lila Jones (the expert) to review every [single] document, so they distilled what they knew onto a set of Powering slides which they presented to Jones for her reaction. Additionally, the interruption of said time was intrinsic regarding the end date for the project. As a consequence tot all these time issues, the managing team obviously wanted to take precautions and preventative measures to try to condense the time of culmination for the project. However, in a way, this over eagerness to remedy time management difficulties headed towards some other errors that inadvertently held p the typical and customary functioning of the system. Overall, another methodology should have been used. I think the system failure was due to the methodology that got picked.There should have been another course of action where Texan did not have such a principal role. If that had been the case, maybe Hard could have improved the performance of the system. SECTION 5: The Case Writers state: â€Å"Sadly, Smith knew that â€Å"Leadership† and â€Å"Commitment†, the paucity of which was blamed for untold IT failures were not the problems here. † Critique- do you agree? What do you see as the most important IT management failures here? It is quite evident that there was a deficiency in the commitment and leadership categories from both sides, Texan and Hard.This paucity, as it is called, caused several complications throughout the execution of the A / P project. Thus, I do not agree with the quotation above. I think leadership and commitment were some of the major problems and contributed greatly to the unsuccessful nature of the project. I mean, Texan did not exactly express an overwhelming dedication to the project due to the fact that it never truly released a sufficient amount of knowledgeable staff to alp accelerate the OLD reviews. In response to all of this, Hard was pretty accommodating and compliant to the seemingly inflexible ways of Texan.The mannerisms of Texan displayed an attitude as if they did not care if the project was a success or not. Furthermore, Texan was adamant about having a fixed-price contract. This was all regardless of over-flowing costs and even the enthusiasm and cooperation of Hard to pay for some of the additional costs. This right here is sort of exemplifying in a way that Texan really did not want to go the distance with this project. I feel as if Texan Just wanted to pay someone swiftly and have the outsourced company get it done swiftly too.Moreover, another conceivable drawback that could have endangered and threatened the project was employing the exact same company that also performed the requirements analysis. Concerning one final thought and going back real quick to the fixed-price contract, the usage of this kind of contract forced a sizeable test upon Hard in tackling the new transformations of the execution of the project. The system had some very complex pieces to it that were not initially recognized. SECTION 6: Which of the options for moving forward that Texan identified would you recommend? I would have to state that the project at hand was an immediate failure.Many conditions and obligations were not met. It is also obvious that more time and more money will be necessary to guarantee that at some point the project will be officially completed. Two primary reasons for the shortcomings of this project, yet again, included the sluggish rotational speed in regards to the L Ads and now tats they could send them back and forth to one another accompanied with appropriate feed back ND secondly, the consciousness that suddenly came about in regards to the fact that other and new elements needed to be incorporated into the system of which had not been delineated within the requirements analysis.Out of the four possible choices on page five of the Texan document, I would go with a mix of one and three. Texan should â€Å"stick with Hard†, and they should also continue to â€Å"devote resources to ideally fix, or at least patch the existing system. † The fundamental recommendation, as I see it, would be to expand the timeline rather than to considerably shrink the project's nationality. I think Hard is starting to see the complexities, they Just need more time.An entirely new outsourced firm, I think, would be bad. A new firm might not even see what Hard is recognizing right now for an even longer period of time, which could possibly produce what would seem like an eternal drag of resources and money. I think this recommendation would be the bes t. I think it would be advantageous to Texan and Hard logically speaking because eventually the deliverables would be met, they would specifically be met by Hard, and maybe some sort of relationship restoration could be had.

International Accounting Harmonization and Assess

For decades, entities across the world have been using a range of different accounting standards derived from various accounting models. Weber (1992) states that there have historically been four accounting standards models from different areas of the globe: the United Kingdom, Continental Europe, the United States and Latin America. These variations in standards create a number of issues for users of accounts, including those preparing, consolidating, auditing and interpreting. For example, an investor needs to be able to understand and compare financial statements in order to gain confidence to buy shares in a business. It is believed that harmonization of accounting standards can eliminate these issues by â€Å"increasing the compatibility of accounting practices by setting bounds to their degree of variation† (Nobes and Parker, 2008, p75). Organisations such as the International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC) have formed with this objective in mind, but their success has been limited. It is claimed by a number of sources that international accounting harmonization will bring a number of benefits to stakeholders. Roberts, Weetman and Gordon (2008) claim that harmonization would eliminate dual reporting costs for multi-national companies. Regulators of a foreign stock exchange may require statements to be adjusted in order to match the local standards or at least produce a reconciliation statement highlighting the variations in standards. Harmonization would remove this problem and ensure all statements are valid worldwide. However, less developed countries will predictably have less influence on the standards that are put into place. The principles may not be appropriate for these nations, especially if they have a developing economy or no capital market transactions (Larson and Kenney, 1995). The lack of worldwide accounting harmonization can also hamper investors. Miles and Nobes (1998) state that whilst standards are varied, professional fund managers find it difficult to understand statements prepared in certain countries. Investors often avoid trading in these companies, potentially leading to them missing a profit making opportunity. Harmonization of standards would reduce the chances of misunderstanding, thus reducing the likelihood of poor decisions being made (Roberts et al, 2008). Although comparability may be improved, other features of a business may be hidden, such as the differences in business activity. The original changeover to the new standards may also cause confusion for newly adopting nations, especially if the standards are viewed to be decreasing the accuracy of the company accounts (Barth, Clinch and Shibano, 1999). In each country of the world, accounting standards need to be set either under law or by an independent body. This means that various costs are generated in order to implement and monitor standards. If certain countries are implementing practices that are similar or even the same as another country, it makes little sense for both nations to be incurring these costs (Roberts et al, 2008). Although global standards would minimise these implementing related costs, they are not relevant for companies only operating in one country. There is also a danger that, if one body monopolises standards, the quality of practices will reduce because of a lack of competition from other accounting bodies (Sunder, 2002). It is claimed that international accounting harmonization would enhance the global economy by providing a â€Å"level playing field† (Weber, 1992, p1). Those regulating and auditing accounts will all gain access to the same information, enabling a smoother evaluation process. Without free trade, international standards would allow trade restraint systems to be exact, reducing the risks for those involved in trade (Weber, 1992). However, Goaltz (1991) argues that such benefits may not be achieved. A strong global market already exists and has developed without harmonized international standards. Elimination of capital controls and improved communications have increased the money available to businesses and the worldwide market is likely to continue to grow in size. Another group that would benefit from harmonization would be the tax authorities. Profit measurement often varies between countries, making it very difficult for tax professionals to measure income and calculate tax. However, the tax authorities have themselves have reduced harmonization by allowing last in first out (LIFO) for the purposes of tax in the US, which is not allowed in other countries such as the UK. Deferred tax has also been allowed in Continental Europe, which is not the case in other nations (Nobes and Parker, 2008). The IASC was formed in 1973 by accountancy bodies from all over the world. The committee’s objective is to â€Å"work generally for the improvement and harmonization of regulations, accounting standards, and procedures relating to the presentation of financial statements† (Murphy, 2000, p 472). The body has since restructured and became the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) in 2000. The standards set by the board have gone some way to achieving the desired objective, but there have been a number of barriers that have prevented true harmonization (Street and Shaughnessy, 1998). Accounting standards need to match the environment they are employed in and this is difficult when each country is unique in areas such as education, law and economy. With these variables as they are, it is hard to see how perfect harmony can be achieved. Between 1973 and 1988, the IASC implemented a total of 26 generic standards. These standards were flexible and prescribed little in the way of disclosures. Garrido, Leon and Zorio (2002) report that in 1988 the IASC became concerned about the low level of comparability the standards had produced. This resulted in a large proportion of options for treatment being removed, and standards also highlighted the preferred treatment in order to increase uniformity. In 1995, the IASC made an agreement with the International Organization of Securities Commission (IOSCO) to produce a core set of standards by 1999 in exchange for endorsement. This resulted in more options for treatment being removed and an increase in the level of disclosure. Garrido et al (2002) state that the standards produced in 1999 has achieved a good harmonization level due to the increased comparability of financial statements and the reduction of alternative treatments. Murphy (2000) conducted research into whether adopting of international accounting standards (IASs) had increased harmony between Swiss companies and companies from the UK, USA and Japan. The assessed practices were depreciation, inventory, financial statement cost basis and consolidation. The study showed that harmony had increased between countries between 1988 and 1995. Companies from Switzerland, the US and the UK adopting IASs all used straight-line depreciation, whilst the Japanese mostly used the mixed or accelerated method. The IAS for inventory practices was still flexible allowing for many methods and it was therefore difficult to attribute the adoption of IASs to any harmony that had occurred. This was also the case with financial statement cost basis where historical costing or price level costing could still be used. However, harmonization increased for consolidation, with the majority of companies from all four countries consolidating all of their companies after adopting IASs. It is true that company comparability increased during this period but results do not clearly show that the changes were due to the adoption of IASs. Das, Shil and Pramanik (2009) suggest that one of the biggest reasons for only limited adoption of IASs is the fact that the US has shown reluctance in applying the standards. The US has the biggest market and was an important figure in forming the G4 nations. It therefore sets an example to other members and may influence their decisions in whether to adopt IASs. It is also very difficult to get every single country to buy into the standards of the IASB as they operate under various legal, economic, social and cultural systems, often harbouring different accounting philosophies. Certain countries may not recognise the reasons to change the objectives of their accounting standards to comply with those of the IASB. Larson and Street (2004) also state that there are translation issues for some nations. Despite the standards being made available in the majority of languages, these are not always up to date. It is difficult for nations not receiving up to date translations as they have little chance to develop experience using the standards. In 2004, Hungary was using practices developed in 1994. Another body concerned with international accounting harmonization is the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), which is a group of accounting bodies from various countries representing professional accountants (Saudagaran, 2009). The body has released a code of conduct for the practices of professional accountants. However, despite Clements, Neill and Stovall (2010) suggesting that the code has been a success, almost 50% of member organisations have not employed the code. This is mainly due to cultural differences such as the level of individualism present within a nation. Nations such as the USA or Canada concentrate on the impact of adopting practices on themselves directly and not on the world as a whole. As a result these countries are likely to be more reluctant in adopting the code (Clements et al, 2010). It is clear that international accounting harmonization would bring about a number of benefits for stakeholders. It would reduce costs for companies, especially those who have invested in a foreign subsidiary. It would also allow for investors to make easier decisions and save national governments money. However, there are some drawbacks for developing countries where standards may not be appropriate. Investors and staff may be confused by the change in practices and the overall quality of standards may reduce. It is therefore debateable whether the IASBs continued efforts to harmonize standards are worth it. They and other bodies involved with harmonization have undoubtedly made successful strides since 1973, but some barriers to complete standardization look potentially immovable. It is very difficult to alter a country’s culture, especially in developing nations where the drawbacks to harmonization may outweigh the benefits.

The Effect of Motivators on the Performance of Real Estate Agents Essay

The Effect of Motivators on the Performance of Real Estate Agents - Essay Example Given the above stated observations, one may surmise that real estate agencies in France have attractive profit-making potentials, insofar as they operate in a market which attracts both domestic and international buyers and investors. While that may be the case, the fact remains that the potential of any real estate agency can only be realised through the efforts of its sales force and its agents. As Davis (2002) explains, the performance of individual real estate agencies is inextricably dependant upon the characteristics, activities and qualities of its sales force with it, therefore, being incumbent upon real estate agency managers to deploy such motivation techniques and strategies as would incite performance (Davis, 2002). As may be deduced from the above, the dissertation proposes to undertake an analysis of the French real estate market and the performance of a select number of real estate agencies therein, with specific focus on the extent to which the deployment of motivation techniques may positively impact agency performance. The importance f the study derives from the fact that it will examine the efficacy of implementing motivation theory as a means of inciting higher sales figures and improving the performance of sales teams. ... Furthermore, while the study shall specifically focus on the mentioned in relation to the French real estate market, the theoretical models that shall be discussed and the recommendation that will be proposed, are applicable to the international real estate market and to those business firms whose performance is inextricably linked to the activities of its sales force. In other words, even though the study is of immediate importance to the French real estate agencies, its value extends beyond that to embrace real estate agency performance per se, irrespective of geographic location, and sales-based organisations and firms. Literature Review Numerous management researchers and scholars have emphasised the importance of motivation strategies as a tool for the maximisation of employee output and productivity (Igalens and Roussel, 1999; .Reinharth and Wahba, 1975; Kim, 1984). Few, if any, have disputed the fact that management's adoption of employee-targeted motivation strategies, especially as pertains to sales personnel, improves both individual employee output and overall firm performance but scholars, have, nevertheless, debated the most effective motivation strategies (Kallenberg, 2000; Wallace, 1995). Silvester et al. (2003) maintain that empirical evidence suggests that the adoption of any of the existent motivation theories and the integration of their incentive guidelines into an organisation's management paradigm positively contributes to organisational performance and maximises employee output. To fortify their argument, the researchers undertake a comparative study of the effect of the implementation of an array of motivation strategies and theories on employee output and performance, maintaining that the study

Racial and Ethnic Groups Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Racial and Ethnic Groups - Assignment Example Under the Jim Crow laws, blacks and whites were not allowed to intermarry; it was considered a criminal offense. Canada has a large proportion of indigenous people as compared to other countries worldwide. The need to preserve cultural traditions shapes the strategies established to promote economic development. The number of immigrants in the country increases early. These immigrants maintain the same cultural pattern adopted in attaining economic development. It has been suggested that Brazil is a racial paradise. That is not the case, as the country continues to deal with significant disparity among people of color. Mexico maintains a mosaic of native indigenous people and mestizos to create a diversified society (Schaefer, 2001). Segments of the population that feel ignored and disadvantaged are encouraged to participate in public and civic activities. The apartheid era in South Africa indicates how race can be used to suppress millions of people. The post-apartheid era is denoted by the continuous reconciliation of the different ethnic and racial groups. Reconciliation is fundamental for these groups, which are facing issues involving education, land, health and public safety. Slave trade in both Brazil and the United States began in the 17th and 18th centuries. Slavery was central to the colonial economy. Slave trade was brought about by the need for laborers to assist in building economic foundations. In Brazil, slaves were required to work in the mining and sugar cane sectors. In the United States, slaves worked in the cotton fields (Schaefer, 2001). Captives from Africa were transported through the Atlantic Ocean to the United States and Brazil. The main point of departure of the slave trade in these two countries is the slave death rate. In Brazil, the slave death rate was higher than that in the United States. Colonialists in Brazil could not sustain the slave population without importing more captives from Africa.

Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 9

Law - Essay Example In this paper, I briefly review some of the prohibited practices during job interviews as well as review some of the questions that are generally regarded as unacceptable. Title VII is a section of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that protects employees or prospective employees from discrimination on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin (EEOC, 2014). It is applicable to governmental and nongovernmental employees in equal measure. Dissimilar to labor laws that do not cover managerial employees or wage and hour laws that exclude certain cadres of employees, Title VII applies to all levels and types of employees. Further on, the act covers United States citizens employed by American employers without the borders of U.S. As pertains to non-U.S. citizens, they remain protected by the act as long as they are within the borders of the United States and not outside. Several employment practices are prohibited by Title VII and employers, unless they are careful, might find themselves unintentionally violating some of the provisions. Recruitment of new employees always elicit varied emotions among the applicant as well as the interviewing bench that may trigger acts of discrimination deliberately aimed at eliminating a certain cadre of candidates. Understandably, employers who are seeking a certain type of employees would go to any level to restructure and classify the questions in the interview with a deliberate intention of eliminating some candidates. For example, when conducting job interviews, the law prohibits setting up tests that are based on the races, national origin, or gender of the applicant. Pregnancy or someone disability should not be the reason as to why a person should be intentional denied an employment opportunity. Also, since U.S. states is a cosmopolitan society comprising of person from different nations and of different ra ces, the law prohibits the

How the fashion process has changed in contemporary society Essay

How the fashion process has changed in contemporary society - Essay Example On the other hand, fashion was introduced in the eleventh century to Middle East from Asia and Far East. Europe experienced changes in fashion in the fourteenth century. Fashions vary according to social class, age, generation, geography, occupation, personality and time. In addiction, fashion covers nearly every aspect in lives of people including the clothes and jewelry, household items and vehicles. A person who is fashion conscious and follows it lavishly is referred to as fashionista or a fashion victim. Fashion can be promising and enthralling. It can make some people addicted to some specific designs as well as emulate appearance and lifestyle of celebrity idols. This is because most people are influenced by suggestive messages and images of what happiness and success looks projected by magazine models. Fashion has changed over time since the time of our ancestors. According to Jones (4), German Professors and historians believe that clothes were first worn forty thousand (40,000) years ago; the evidence is based on the lice that existed in the time that could survive only on fabric. The ancestors of humankind (cave dwellers) wore animal hides to protect themselves from cold and wore loin clothes during the warmer seasons in their time. Chinese created silk from the silkworms’ moth cocoons thousand of years ago while Eli Whitney invented cotton in 1972. Both cotton and silk are used to make fashionable styles of clothes. Europe witnessed a great time of change in thought and social change normally refereed to as Age of Enlightenment in the 1700s. The manufacturing machines made people to leave their long time farming activity to work in factories to produce clothing. The breakthroughs in 1700s and 1800s created room for mass production of clothes and changes in the fashion i ndustry. Some of the break through that brought changes in the fashion industry include the invention of flying shuttle by

Sibelius symphony no.7 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Sibelius symphony no.7 - Research Paper Example Additionally other works inspired by the Finnish culture include over 100 songs for piano and Voice. Some of the works include the opera music, Masonic ritual music, piano music and chamber music (Rahkonen, 2011). Sibelius composed up to the middle of 1920s, but since his production of the Seventh symphony in the year 1924, in the year 1926 when he produced "tone poem Tapiola" and "music to The Tempest" and he went quite since then. Sibelius has not produced other significant works. He is reputed to have stopped producing, but there have been some efforts to compose the eighth symphony. During the last periods of his life, he edited and wrote music for the Masonic. Although the man had an interest in developing new music, he was not much enthusiastic about modern music (Rahkonen, 2011). The Finnish nation mark a flag day on the 8 December to celebrate the composers birthday, and his image featured in the 100-mark bill until the year 2002 when it went out of circulation. Sibelius was born in Finland in the Russian Grand Duchy. He was the son of a Swedish doctor Gustaf Sibelius and Maria Sibelius. His real Swedish and Finnish name was "Janne" but he is known universally by the name Jean a French version that he adopted during his schooling years after being inspired by name in a business card of his uncle. His first language was Swedish, but he got a chance to go to Finnish speaking school from 1876 to 1885. From the age of 15, Jean has set out to be a Violin player; and he did accomplish his passion by performing the two last movements in Helsinki. After graduating from high school education, Jean Sibelius proceeded to study law at the prestigious imperial Alexander University of Finland. However, he eventually left his studies to concentrate in performing music (Costabile-Heming, 2004). From the year 1885 to 1889, Jean studied music in the Sibelius academy (formerly known as the Helsiki School of music). He

Comparison of note from underground, conclusion and aurora leigh Essay

Comparison of note from underground, conclusion and aurora leigh - Essay Example He can envisage of love only as the total control of a person over another. In order to feel that he has contributed to life in some way; he often initiates arguments with others and subjects himself to profound humiliation. This gives the Underground Man a sense of satisfaction and power, as he was the cause of the shame himself. He barely cares if the outcome is negative or positive as long as he can exercise his power. When we encounter the Underground Man, he is a complete nihilist: he has no desire to interact with anyone and has total contempt for the society at large. As a young man, he is misanthropic, proud, self-effacing and bitter although he clings to certain ideas. He craves for human attention and wants others to respect and admire him for his intellect and zeal. His inability to interact with people causes his attempts to form relationships and contribute to life ends in tragedy and drives him further underground (David, & David, 2009). When he meets Liza, he has absorbed the fictitious epitome of the converted prostitute and has shed himself as the superman who will set free Liza. Later, however, her character becomes more intricate. At first, she matches the typecast of a young prostitute: bored, cynical, and somewhat naà ¯ve. He gives her a speech that moves her and she decides to visit him where she is turned away by cold words. Liza, even though a prostitute, still idealizes romantic love and longs for respect and affection. She treasures the one affirmation of love she has received, a note from a medical student who has no idea she is a prostitute. The Underground Man is touched by the fact that Liza so clearly treasures this letter, but his attitude toward her emotion is somewhat flippant. She is disappointed at how the Underground Man treats her after she had come to him with help and love. In Elizabeth Barett Browning’s Aurora Leigh, there is the theme of love and people who are willing to love.

Academic Models in Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Academic Models in Strategic Management - Essay Example There are numerous techniques and approaches that support strategic decision making, like PEST, SWOT, portfolio matrixes, life cycles, value chain concepts and many others. The most important aspect of these academic tools is to â€Å"what extent [these tools] enhance or inhibit creative competitive strategy making in organizations† (Clark, 1997, p. 417). Some authors argue (Eilon, 1980, cited by Clark, 1997, p. 418) that there is an absence of strong focus on academic tools because they play a secondary role being â€Å"the means to an end, not an end in [itself]†. Still, the usage of academic business models should not be underrated, because these promote the development of â€Å"strategic thinking in organizations† (Clark, 1997, p. 418). Strategic management tools perform basically a â€Å"support role† (Clark, 1997, p. 418) in the strategic management process. This is so, because academic instruments offer useful insights into the benefits of different strategies and suggest a more systematic approach towards strategy implementation. These tools provide information generation, framework for analysis, also coordination and control mechanisms (Clark, 1997, p. 418). Further on, schemes and visualized models have the benefit of presenting ideas, model relationships and help management identify opportunities and co nvict others about the usefulness of suggested strategies. 2. The use of tools during the different strategic management stages Academic models are visible throughout the strategic management process, from planning and defining of mission and purpose to crafting different strategies and strategy execution and evaluation (Thompson et al, 1996, p. 3). Situation analysis Analysis of the business environment is regarded "as a fundamental part of the strategic management planning process" (Pickton, 1998, p. 102), because academic strategists have realized that environmental changes are constant and unavoidable. A research undertaken by Clark (1997) points out that for many companies environmental analysis includes evaluation of remote environment, meaning PEST analysis; and evaluation of the companies' operating environment, meaning competitors, customers, markets, suppliers and stakeholders. PEST and Porter's five forces model are basically similar tools for environmental audit and are ranked in the top set of tasks in UK (Clark, 1997, p. 423). In an increasingly diverse competition, industries are no longer viewed as isolated independent markets. This makes the application of the Porter's model insufficient, because it "tends to be focused on the single industry or strategic business unit", which means that it's much narrower in its scope. Another largely used academic tool is SWOT analysis, which is regarded as the simplest "easy-to-use technique for getting a quick overview of a firm's strategic situation" (Thompson et al, 1996, p. 92). SWOT is praised for its simplicity and practicality and is widely adopted uncritically (Pickton et al, 1998, p. 101); it underscores the basic principle that strategy must be a good fit between a company's internal capabilities and its external situation. Authors like Farjourn (2002) observe that SWOT is only suitable to a stable and predictable world. Too simplistic adoption of SWOT is reflected by the fact that most academic papers review it as a static strategic framework (Pickton et al, 1998, pp. 102-103); academicians simplify it to a list of factors and fail to conduct further analysis, which limits the usability of the model. Another tool, the value chain concept is a "primary analytical tool of strategic cost analysis"; it identifies costs and value drivers for primary and

ICE immigration reform Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

ICE immigration reform - Essay Example The purpose of this essay is to discuss the effective progress that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have done to ensure tight security within the nation. ICE has fruitfully implemented various major reforms and agendas that have ensured improvement of public security. Primarily, ICE works under two operational bodies: Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) and the Homeland Security Investigation (HIS). The main function of the ERO is to enforce U.S. immigration rules and regulations in a prioritized, fair, and effective approach (Camayd-Freixas, 2013). This agency arrests and detains aliens who have illegally migrated into U.S. under ICE guidance (Hayes, 2012). On the other hand, HIS’s main role is to carry out investigations concerning homeland and abroad criminal cases arising from the illicit migration of people and goods within and across U.S. borders. Since 2009, ICE has centered its resources on the detention, app rehension, and deportation of aliens who fall within its enforcement priorities. Because of this focus, ICE has prioritized deportation of immigrants who pose a national security danger or public safety risk, for example, terrorists. It also deports aliens who are against immigration laws, and illegal entrants. Through these efforts, ICE has witnessed effective success in enforcing immigration rules and regulations, and has ensured public security in U.S. For instance, in the year 2012, the Enforcement and Removal Operations removed 409,849 aliens. Out of these, 55% had criminal cases. Moreover, the ICE agency continues with its progress in removing illegal aliens from the country (Higley Nieuwenhuysen & Neerup, 2011). Prioritizing current boundary Crossers ICE’s current immigration enforcement progress is because of significant and smart priorities enforcement. For the purpose of ensuring security at the country’s boundaries, and at the same time managing inadequate r esources, ICE ensure removal and identification of current aliens and carries out focused enforcement acts with the Customs and Border Protection (CBP). This partnership with CBP is vital to DHS’s enforcement progress. Out of FY 2012 (240,363) removals, half of them were border immigrants. Additionally, the number of immigrants referred to ICE by CBP recent represents 44% the number of aliens in ICE detention on daily basis (Higley Nieuwenhuysen & Neerup, 2011). Detention and Removal ICE Detention- After aliens enters the ICE detention; the immigrants get admission, photographed, fingerprinted, and within half a day, each individual gets first health screening. This follows a comprehensive health evaluation, such as completion of documented medical history and physical assessment. ERO assists in carrying out this assessment through an immigration court order and organizes their journey from the country with aid of travel documents. DHS and Department of Justice unions, togeth er with the ICE cautiously controls the custody population in the southern border ensuring that it can deal with the substantial amendments in operational requirements that can take place in the county. Effectively, ICE has strengthened its efforts to significantly, respond to these substantial changes ensuring that it has the correct infrastructure, and

The law of equity Essay Example for Free

The law of equity Essay By the end of the 13th century, the central authority had established its precedence at least partly through the establishment of the common law. The Courts of Exchequer was a court originally dealing with disputes involving revenue, taxation and revenue laws. The Court of Common Pleas was where pleas between subject and subject were brought. And the Kings Bench heard actions to which the King was a party. The common law however, had a number of defects. The inflexibility of the writ system appeared to lead to injustice because matters that were not within the scope of writes recognized by the common law were dismissed. Furthermore, the common law did not recognize rights in the property other than those of strict legal ownership. Nor did it recognize security for loans (mortgages) or the right of third parties in general. The common law courts had no power of enforcement. Also, it did not allow any form of oral evidence. The only remedy provided by the common law were damages, which were inappropriate in certain cases. This led to injustice and the need to remedy the perceived weaknesses in the common law system. The more general a rule, the less likely it is to do justice in all the particular cases to which it applies. Moreover, an attempt to construct in advance the qualifications to the rule necessary to do justice in all cases would lead to a system of rules too complex, even if all the problems could be foreseen. The Court of Chancery emerged as a solution to the common problems faced by the common law system by administering the law of equity. Proceedings before the Chancellor were simple, and were in other respects advantageous when compared with the proceedings of the common law courts. Plaintiffs unable to obtain access to the three common law courts would turn for help to the Chancellor. Moreover, the Chancellor developed several remedies which were not available in other courts, most notably injunction, specific performance, recessions and rectifications. Other improvements made by equity are the imploration of additional obligations on an individual while recognizing his or her rights at common law. By accepting that a trustee is the legal owner of property while requiring the individual to hold it benefit of another. Equity is concerned with individual justice. Therefore, it is only available at the discretion of the court. Also, this means that anyone who seeks equitable remedies must not themselves be guilty of misconduct in the case. The division between the common law courts and the Courts of Equity were eventually combined under the Judicature Acts 1873-1875. Matters of both law and equity is now determined in the course of one set of proceedings: if there is any conflict between rules or law and rules of equity, the latter are to prevail. Injunction is as an order that prevents a person from performing or continuing to perform a particular act. In the case of Kennaway Vs. Thompson, the plaintiff sought an injunction to restrain a motor boat racing club from committing nuisance by excessive noise. The Court of Appeal granted the injunction, holding that the rights of the plaintiff shouldnt be overridden by the interest of the club or the general public. In considering whether to grant an injunction or damages in lieu under Lord Chairns Act, the public interest does not prevail over private rights. In this case, damages wouldnt have satisfied the plaintiffs private rights. Specific performance is an order that requires a person to perform or continue to perform a particular act. In the case of Jones Vs. Lipman, the defendant entered into a binding contract to sell some land to the plaintiff. After the date of the contract, the defendant changed his mind, and sought to avoid specific performance by selling the land to a company acquired by him solely for this purpose and controlled by him. While specific performance would not normally have ordered against a vendor who no longer owned the property, here the defendant was still in a position to complete the contract, because the company was a sham in an attempt to avoid recognition by equity. Thus, specific performance was decreed against the vendor and the company. Recession is an order that returns parties to contractual agreement to the position they were in before the agreement was entered into. Cooper  Vs.Phibbs, Phibbs was the legal owner and trustee of land which, unknown to either party, belonged in equity to Cooper. Phibbs improved the land and agreed to let it to Cooper. On discovering the facts, Cooper sought to rescind the letting agreement. The House of Lords held that, subject to a lien for Phibbss expenditure, it should be set aside. If parties contract under a mutual mistake and misapprehension as to their relative and respective rights, the result is that agreement is liable to be set aside as having proceeded upon a common mistake. Rectification is an order that relates to the alteration, under extremely limited circumstances, of contractual documents. In A.Roberts and Co. Ltd. vs. Leicestershire County Council, the plaintiffs had undertaken to build a school for the defendants. The agreement provided that the school should be completed within the period of 18 months, but the officers of the Council altered the period to 30 months in the draft contract without making it clear to the company. The company signed the contract without noticing the change, and one of the defendants officials was aware of the mistake. Rectification was ordered. In conclusion, equity has greatly ameliorated the common law system. Various forms of remedies other than damages have been made available under specific circumstances such as, injunction, recessions, rectifications and specific performance. However, in most instances there are differences between the operation of law and equity rather than conflict. For example, different remedies may be available in respect of what both systems acknowledge to be wrong. In respect of a nuisance, damages and injunction come into conflict. Bibliography Gary Slapper David Kelly, The English Legal System 6th Edition. M.L Barron R.J.A Fletcher, Fundamentals of Business Law 4th Edition. Helena Wray. Smith, Bailey Gunn, Modern English Legal System, 4th Edition, London Sweet Maxwell. Brenda Barrett, Principles of Business Law, Helena Wray. Paul Latimer, Business Law, 1988 Edition, CCIT Editorial Staff. Clive Turner, Australian Commercial Law, 22nd Edition, LBC Information Services 1999. www.lectlaw.com/files/lws65.htm Jill E. Martin, Hanbury Martin Modern Equity 14th Ed, London Sweet Maxwell Ltd. 1993. Jill E. Martin, Hanbury Martin Modern Equity 13th Ed, London Sweet Maxwell Ltd. 1993.

Lifes Ups And Downs

Lifes Ups And Downs Making Sense Of Lifes ‘Ups And ‘Downs (4) What To Do When You Run Out Of Answers There are some very deep questions we often wrestle with. Like, when cheese gets its picture taken, what does it say? You must have wrestled with that problem from time to time. Or, how can you tell when sour cream goes bad? That could keep you awake at night! And then theres the question: what hair colour do they put on the drivers licenses of bald men? Difficult isnt it? And one other Im sure you must have struggled with for years is this: if buttered bread always lands on the butter-side down and a cat always lands on its feet, what happens if you strap buttered bread to a cats back? Now, of course these kind of questions are not worth answering. Its just a bit of fun. However, there are sincere questions we certainly wrestle with. We long to make sense of lifes ‘ups and ‘downs. GNB You are listening to Word Alive. Thanks for joining us today. My name is Brenda Critchley and Dr Derek Stringer is our Bible Teacher. The current series on Word Alive is based on Job. Derek has been looking at three key truths from this book which can help us in our struggles and problems. DS And today we look at the fourth. Because Job, kept asking God, â€Å"Lord, why am I suffering?† GNB We have are making this series of 4 messages available on CD. Its fast becoming our most popular series. Ill give you details at the end of the programme. Todays message is based on Job 40 to 42 and Derek gives this the title, ‘What To Do When You Run Out Of Answers. Ill chip in with a scripture here and there. But, heres Derek. DS Thanks again Brenda. Now, for most of the book God was silent. Jobs wife wasnt silent. â€Å"Why dont you just give up on God. He hasnt helped you any. Just curse him and die.† Once Jobs three friends got round to talking they really couldnt stomach that Job wouldnt accept that they were right and that he was wrong. He must have done something really bad to be suffering as he was. A young man listening to the debate is Elihu. He tries hard to say something wise about Jobs trauma. All this time a storm has been brewing and the people take cover and leave Job all alone. And then in chapter 38, God breaks into the story and speaks to Job out of the storm. He didnt give Job the answers he was seeking. Actually he gives him 187 questions. None of which can he answer. Then in chapter 40, God began Round 2 of questions. Its like a TV Contestant. The Quiz Master says: â€Å"Our categories are: earth, stars, light; and two new categories: Behemoth and Leviathan. Job scored zero in Round 1, lets see how he does in this next round.† GNB Chapter 40 verse 6, â€Å"Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm: ‘Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. Would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me to justify yourself? Do you have an arm like Gods, and can your voice thunder like His?† DS At this point, God described two monstrous animals, the Behemoth and Leviathan. They are fascinating and mysterious. Skip ahead to Job 42. God has finished speaking and Job responded to Gods questioning. GNB â€Å"Then job replied to the Lord: ‘I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted. You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures My counsel without knowledge? Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me. My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.† DS Everything comes to a climax. God finished questioning Job and waited for his reply. If Job had argued with God and said, â€Å"This isnt fair. I deserve a better explanation.† Then there would have been no book of Job. Instead Job finally gets it and responds to God in the proper way. If you are suffering and hurting this is the way you need to react. Notice what Job said and did when he ran out of answers. FIRST: HE ACKNOWLEDGE GODS UNLIMITED POWER. God had convinced Job that his power was unlimited. Gods point was driven home by the Behemoth and Leviathan. The New International Version footnote says that the Behemoth is a Hippopotamus and Leviathan is a Crocodile. This are poor guesses. What was Behemoth? I believe it was a Dinosaur we call the Brachiosaurus. The Hebrew word ‘Behemoth simply means â€Å"enormous creature.† Notice the way God described Behemoth in Job 40:15, GNB â€Å"Look at the Behemoth, which I made along with you and which feeds on grass like an Ox. What strength he has in his loins, what power in the muscles of his belly! His tail sways like a cedar† DS That rules out a hippo or an elephant! GNB â€Å"The sinews of his thighs are close-knit. His bones are tubes of bronze, his limbs like rods of iron. He ranks first among the works of God† DS That could mean it was the largest land animal ever created. GNB â€Å"Yet his maker can approach him with his sword.† DS That may be a reference to the fact that Brachiosaurus is now extinct. A Brachiosaurus was one of the largest land animals to walk on earth. Three times the size of the Giraffe. 80 feet long weighing around 88 tons. The largest African Elephant on record is 10 tons. What was Leviathan? I believe it is the sea creature we know as the Kronosaurus. Look at chapter 41 and verse 1, GNB â€Å"Can you pull in the leviathan with a fishhook or tie down his tongue with a rope?† DS Drop down to verse 7 GNB â€Å"Can you fill his hide with harpoons or his head with fishing spears? If you lay a hand on him, you will remember the struggle and never do it again! Any hope of subduing him is false; the mere sight of him is overpowering. No one is fierce enough to rouse him. Who then is able to stand against me? Who has a claim against me that I must pay? Everything under heaven belongs to me. I will not fail to speak of his limbs, his strength and his graceful form. Who can strip off his outer coat? Who would approach him with a bridle? Who dares open the doors of his mouth, ringed about with his fearsome teeth? His back has rows of shields tightly sealed together; each is so close to the next that no air can pass between.† DS And verse 31 gives concluding description of Leviathan, GNB â€Å"He makes the depths churn like a boiling caldron and stirs up the sea like a pot of ointment. Behind him he leaves a glistening wake; one would think the deep had white hair. Nothing on earth is his equal—a creature without fear.† DS Leviathan is mentioned in Isaiah 27:1 and Psalm 104 as being a mighty sea creature. Kronosaurus was a sea creature. Head 9 long and razor-sharp teeth 10† long. Sometimes people ask, â€Å"What about the dinosaurs? Why no mention of them in the Bible?† As if this invalidates Scripture. It doesnt. The word â€Å"Dinosaur† was first coined in 1841 by Dr. Richard Owens. So, of course its not mentioned in the Bible. The point of all this about these strange powerful creatures is that its not about Jurassic Park but Jehovahs power. God brought up Behemoth and Leviathan to illustrate His unlimited power to make or do whatever He wants. GNB Verse 11, â€Å"Who then is able to stand against me? Everything under heaven belongs to me.† DS Job got the point because he said, â€Å"I know you can do all things.† Have you come to that point in your life? You may think your situation is impossible but God specialises in the humanly impossible. In the midst of your impossible circumstances remember 5 words: ‘Nothing is impossible with God! The second thing to do when you run out of answers is to ADMIT INABILITY UNDERSTANDING GOD. As Job reviewed all his words he confessed in 42:3, â€Å"I spoke things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.† Sometimes we want people to think weve got it all together and nothing gets us down. Thats living in unreality and a good reason for never knowing God because He only moves in unreality. Starting moving in unreality and we will miss the real God. Theres a Peanuts Cartoon where Lucy is dispensing her psychiatric advice. â€Å"Life is like a deck chair on a ship. Some people sit looking forward and some people sit looking back.† Charlie says, â€Å"Its all I can do to get mine unfolded!† Job was finally admitting to God that he didnt have everything figured out. He had made the critical error of presuming and he was dead wrong. TV Evangelists may tell you about health and wealth if youll just confess your faith, everything should work out fine for you. You know the kind of thing, â€Å"God loves you and has a wonderful Porsche for your life.† Their theology doesnt allow any room for righteous suffering. Those who have walked with God realise that there are things we will never understand. Heres a third thing to do when you havent got the answers. SEEK GODS FACE NOT ANSWERS. Job had run out of answers but has discovered something better. He found God. Verse 5. GNB â€Å"My ears had heard of You, but now my eyes have seen you.† DS An advert said: â€Å"Youve got questions, weve got answers.† Job said, â€Å"God, youve got questions, but I dont have any answers.† People are still seeking to find answers to the tough questions. Job discovered it is better to seek Gods face than to find answers. In a TV sit-com a son-in-law asks: â€Å"If there is a God, why is this world messed up?† The father-in-law doesnt know how to reply but wont acknowledge that. So he says, â€Å"Why do I always have to give the answers?† Turning to his wife he says, â€Å"You tell him. â€Å"She says, â€Å"To make us appreciate heaven better when we get there.† Right on! Life is full of pain and sorrow so well enjoy heaven so much! Are you still seeking answers, or are you seeking Gods face? Back in chapter 1 Job offered sacrifices on behalf of his children. He wasnt sure what they were getting up to when they had parties. So, he did some religious things. It may well have been an empty ritual. Now everything is different. And let me tell you a very important thing to do when you are looking for answers and they wont come. HUMBLE YOURSELF AND REPENT. GNB In chapter 42 and verse 6 Job says, â€Å"I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.† DS Before seeking Gods face be willing to humble yourself and repent. Job wasnt degrading himself when he said, â€Å"I despise myself.† He was simply stating his condition as he stood before a perfect God. Humility is not thinking lowly of yourself. Its not thinking of yourself at all. When Job saw God, he fell to his face to repent of his sins. What sin had he committed? It wasnt brazen but subtle. Job never cursed God but he was guilty of trying to justify himself. He was guilty of bitterness. The best thing is to do when going through the mill is repent! You may say, â€Å"But I dont know anything that Ive done that I need to repent.† Just get on your knees before God and ask Him and see what happens. The question about why good people suffer has been with us for generations. Imagine a first century news item: â€Å"Good evening Im Josephus Jeremias and this is the Fox News sp0onsored by King Herod. We have some breaking news. Governor Pontius Pilate ordered a detachment of Roman soldiers into the Temple today to break up the protests of the Galilean rebels. The rebels refused to leave so swords were drawn, and we have reports that several of the rebels were killed by the sword. Not only were they killed, but their blood was splattered near the altar of sacrifice. More details at eleven. In another unrelated story, eighteen Jewish construction workers were killed when the stone tower they were building at Siloam collapsed. The names of the deceased are being withheld pending notification of family members.† And now to comment on these two breaking stories is Rabbi Ben Ezra. Rabbi, whats your take on these two tragedies? One a man-made tragedy, and the other an unfortunate accident?† â€Å"Shalom Josephus. These were not accidents. The truth is simple: The Galilean rebels got what was coming to them. They were sinners and God was punishing them. The same can be said for the construction workers at the tower. Obviously, they were rotten sinners, too. Thats why God caused the tower to fall and kill them.† And now to be fair and balanced, we have a remote hook-up with the roving Galilean teacher, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus, are you there? Josephus Jeremias here with Fox News, what do you have to say about these two terrible tragedies? â€Å"Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them-do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.† Jesus stressed that it is futile to try to figure out WHY bad things happen to people. He moved the issue beyond why and focused on WHAT every one of us must do: Repent! The word â€Å"repent† means â€Å"a change of mind that leads to a change of behaviour.† In order to become a Christian you must repent of your sins; instead of thinking your sins are just minor flaws that everybody does, you must change your mind about them. You must repent and realise every sin is like spitting in the face of God; every sin is like pounding the nails into the flesh of Jesus. Thats what it means to repent-change your mind, then change your conduct. Even after you become a Christian, you must keep on repenting. Whenever you find your thinking and Gods thinking dont match, its time to change your mind again. What did Job repent of? He repented of the way he had been thinking about God. He had made the mistake of thinking God was mean, vicious, and cruel. He wanted to argue his case before God. But once Job heard Gods voice, and saw His face, Job realised his thinking was all wrong. He changed his mind about himself and about God. So if you are suffering and struggling, do what Job did. Humble yourself and repent-even if you dont think at this point there is anything in your life that needs repenting. GNB Job didnt get the answers he was looking. He got something much more valuable. DS Yes, he came to know God on a personal level. And so can we. WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU RUN OUT OF ANSWERS? You ADMIT there are questions in this life that will never get answered. You can discover something much better than answers. I love the words of this song: â€Å"You have faced mountains of desperation. You have climbed, you have fought, you have won. But this valley that lies coldly before you, Casts a shadow you cannot overcome. Just when you thought you had it all together. You knew every verse to get you through. But this time all the sorrow broke more than just your heart. And reciting all those verses just wont do. When answers arent enough, there is Jesus. He is more than just an answer to your prayer. And your heart will find a safe and peaceful refuge. THEN NEXT, JOB DISCOVERED INTERCESSION. God instructed his friends to go to him for prayer. This was Jobs final test. Would Job vent his hostility and resentment? â€Å"Pray for you after what youve said? No way!† GNB But his three friend did ask home to pray for them. DS Yes, and Job prayed and the Lord accepted his prayer. GNB â€Å"After job had prayed for his friends, the Lord made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before.† DS To me, the most important word is that one, â€Å"After.† When Job prayed for his friends, he was still in agony. It was only after he prayed that God released him from his suffering. You are enslaved until you can pray for those who have hurt you. The moment I start hating a man, I become his slave. I cant even do my work anymore because he even controls my thoughts. The man I hate hounds me. I cannot escape his tyrannical grasp on my mind. The person I resent may be miles from my bedroom, but more cruel than any slave driver, he whips my thoughts into such a frenzy that even my inner spring mattress becomes a rack of torture. Someone has hurt you. Are you harbouring resentment? Are you let it make you bitter? Are you looking for revenge? Do yourself a favour: start praying for them. You will find it so releasing. Youll also find one more great discovery. JOB DISCOVERS RESTORATION. God gave Job back more than he ever had before. GNB Verse 11: â€Å"All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the Lord had brought upon him, and each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring. The Lord blessed the later part of Jobs life more than the first. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. And he also had seven sons and three daughters. The first daughter he named Jemimah, DS (her name means â€Å"dove.†) GNB The second keziah, DS (which means â€Å"cinnamon†) GNB and the third keren-happuch DS (which means â€Å"dark-eyes†) GNB nowhere in all the land were found women as beautiful as jobs daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers. After this, job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. And so he died, old and full of years.† DS God doubled Jobs wealth. He had exactly twice what he had before. Jobs brothers and sisters helped him with venture capital. And God doubled Jobs ‘children. He had 7 son and 3 daughters before his troubles and another 7 sons and 3 daughters after. But he hadnt lost the first ten. They were safely home in heaven. A man who buried a child said: â€Å"I have two teenagers on earth and one child in heaven. Frankly, I worry sometimes about the two kids on earth, but I never worry about the one in heaven.† God added ‘life to Jobs years. People are looking for special diets, exercise, and medicine to extend their lives. Far better than adding years to your life is to add life to your years. Getting older we understand the great gift is relationships. You want to know how rich you are? Look at what friends you have. God always saves the best for last! The last word about Job is in the letter of James. GNB â€Å"You have heard of Jobs perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about.† DS The best thing about Job is hes become a patient man. That quality can really help you to live with depth not just in length. Do you know the first public miracle of Jesus? Its when He turned water into wine at a wedding. A young couple were in trouble and he helped them out by bringing the best on last. Thats the difference between Christianity and other philosophies of life. For us the best is always yet to be. Job is an object lesson for God bringing the best on last. Are you living with some unanswered questions? Would you like to make some great discoveries? Did you notice that what Job did triggered his discoveries? When he repented, God vindicated him. When he prayed for his tormentors God rewarded him. Is there something you need to repent of today? Are there people you need to pray for and forgive? God is waiting to prove himself strong on your behalf. Wouldnt it have been sad if the book of Job ended with chapter 41? A man unable to answer the questions. Still in trauma, still battling with his pain. Job didnt quit he persevered. And in chapter 42 he was rewarded for his faithfulness. Right now, you may be in Job 41. Dont quit! Dont give up on God! He always saves the best for last! GNB Derek Stringer has been teaching from the Book of Job. This is a series of 4 messages. You can have then on CD, just ask is for details. We will send free transcript to an email address. Word Alive is produced by Good News Broadcasting Association. You can email us through the web site on www.gnba.net Thats gnba.net Theres a FREE PHONE number here in the UK. We really do love to hear from you, its such an encouragement. Just pick up the phone and leave us a message if you are calling outside office hours. That FREE PHONE number is 08,000 92 78 92. Thats 08,000 92 78 92. This is Word Alive produced by the Good News Broadcasting Association. Im Brenda Critchley with our Bible Teacher Dr Derek Stringer. DS Were back with a brand new series next time. I hope that you will plan to join us then. Meanwhile do contact us. GNB 08,000 92 78 92 or email us through the web on www.gnba.net DS Good-bye for now and God bless and keep you.

Strengths and Weaknesses of the Treaty of Versailles

Strengths and Weaknesses of the Treaty of Versailles On the 28th June 1919, Germany resentfully signed the most famous treaty ever, Versailles. Although years of readjusting the treaty followed, this essay will focus mainly on the strengths and weaknesses of the 440 articles in 1919. The Treaty followed a massive war, with huge human sacrifice. It was supposed to be the Treaty to end all wars and give security to the countries involved. The overwhelming task that laid ahead for Woodrow Wilson (America), Lloyd George (Great Britain), Clemenceau (France) and Orlando (Italy) was on a bigger scale than any previous delegates had had to deal with. One of the biggest interpreted weaknesses was the economics and reparations. Firstly, it highlighted the weaknesses of the delegates forming the Treaty, as they had to listen to public demand which had been exaggerated due to the scale and length of the war. An example was Lloyd George who was pressured from conservatives for harsh reparations, Geddes, a conservative politician hailed the words we shall squeeze the German lemon until the pips squeak.  [1]  Packer declared Lloyd George did not believe in harsh reparations  [2]  , but George added extras to the original reparations such as war pensions to please the conservatives because the original amount based on war damage gave Britain a very little. Kitchen showed and I agree that there was little Lloyd George could do about the situation as no politician would have survived if he had suggested that Germany should be forgiven.  [3]  However, Lentin disagreed, thinking that public opinion created pressure but had no imp act on the Treaty. He later contradicted himself by proclaiming that the one of the causes of the delay in announcing reparations because the delegates believed that the public would never be satisfied with the guaranteed amount.  [4]  Therefore, public opinion had to be acknowledged and satisfied to a certain extent. This meant the Treaty did not always accomplish what was needed such as lower reparations. The biggest weakness with the reparations was the total amount ( £600 million) Germany had to pay. Keynes, who scathingly criticised the Treaty of Versailles, heavily condemned the reparations as Britain depended on the revival of trade, especially with Germany,  [5]  but Germany needed to increase their exports and decrease their imports. This would decrease trade with Britain and lose Britain money. Feldman, although I disagree, supported Keynes believing that the economic and financial settlements were horrendous failures.  [6]  This was an extreme view and seemed to ignore the circumstances the delegates were dealing with. There were poor decisions but Feldman over-exaggerated. Nicolson argued that it was not excessively harsh economically to Germany.  [7]  However, although it was not excessively harsh, I believe it was too harsh for Germany to even begin to comprehend, especially when territory and economics are combined. Germany lost 13.5% of their territory incl uding 8% of German coal production. Germany lost 10% of her population as well as 1.7 million people in the war. Population creates manpower for industry. This might not seem a lot however, when you add  £600 million in reparations, the loss can seem great and perhaps the Treaty harsh. This shows another weakness of the Versailles Treaty, as no suitable amount for Germany to pay was reached discrediting the treaty. However it could be deemed an unavoidable weakness as the reparations were decreased in the 1920s but the Germans still felt it was unfair. Another weakness of the Treaty of Versailles was the disarmament hypocrisy. The League of Nations articles asserted that any discrepancies would be sorted through the League and not by war. Therefore there was no need for any country to have large armies; however Germany was forced to disarm to a 200,000 volunteer army, showing how the points were used selectively. During the revisionist period Germany complained about the unjust nature of disarmament. Therefore disarmament can be viewed as a weakness as it highlights the unjust part of the Treaty but it shows that Germany was always going to come back with revenge. Germany was unified in its pride in its military. Carr argued that Germanys rise in 1920s was inevitable as it was unreasonable to impose a position of permanent inferiority on a great power.  [8]  This was true, but unavoidable; France wanted to know that Germany could not attack them. However, if the hypocrisy previously mentioned did not exist, and everyone had dis armed, then the situation could have been different. Isolating Germany in disarmament and the League of Nations was a bad idea, as they used it as an excuse to break the Treaty later, which was one of the causes of the Second World War. The Treaty had the aim of prolonged peace, and the isolation through disarmament was one of the reasons it did not fulfil its aim. The failure of the League of Nations was a huge weakness; it failed because America, Russia and Germany were omitted. The League could not make decisions about the world without three of the most influential countries. The League was bypassed when Italy seized Corfu, causing embarrassment for the League as it showed a lack of power. The League might not have been certain to succeed, but if the League had put its countries beliefs behind, and the worldwide affairs first, it would not be deemed such a weakness. The League of Nations had strengths too, it was the first time the idea have been put into practise trying some ideologically and practically new to keep the peace worldwide. The League introduced medical measures that had not been in states before 1914. This was a very credible strength from the Treaty of Versailles. It really was evidence of the Versailles Treaty trying to keep prolonged peace. The compromises in the Treaty created strengths and weaknesses. These compromises had left historians to debate as to whether the Treaty would have been stronger if it had been harsher or softer. Marks perfectly described the Treaty as too soft to restrain Germanyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ yet too severe to be acceptable toGermans.  [9]  It was viewed too harsh in terms of reparations, disarmament and territory. The consequence of this was Germany convincing others it was too harsh bringing the revisionism viewpoint of the 1920s which had been adopted by Britain. Revisionism allowed the Germans to undo some of the Treatys main clauses such as self-determination, reparations and disarmament. Revisionism has been linked to the rise of Nazism and also the Second World War. The Versailles Treaty aimed to keep prolonged peace, the weakness of the compromise shows a failure of the Treaty. A soft treaty would have been impossible, the after war feeling was to enforce a vindictive peace to help res tore some of the hurt caused during the war that Germany was blamed for starting. However , it seemed that no matter how soft the Treaty would have been Germany would have wanted to change it. I agree with Kitchen that ultimately no amount of revision would have satisfied the Germans.  [10]   The strength of the Versailles Treaty compromises was that most of the clauses were very just, especially considering the circumstances. An example of this would be the Rhineland, France wanted to occupy it, however the other delegates knew that it would only cause outrage in Germany, and would strike revenge, therefore they created a compromise where the Rhineland would remain unoccupied and demilitarized. Another way to view the compromises as strength is looking at Germanys Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, an obviously overly harsh Treaty imposed on Russia after they withdrew from the war. This strength does not disregard mistakes in the compromises and in the Treaty; however it highlights that within the circumstances it was a commendable agreement. However, the strengths and weaknesses could be argued to be unavoidable. The Treaty regardless of its content was never going to last. Mattrl pointed out the undeniable point that before the ink had dried on the Treaty of Versailles, the move ment to destroy ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦had begun.  [11]  Therefore the weaknesses mentioned would not have been weaknesses had German accepted losing the war and the terms. The Treaty would not have been so heavily criticised and littered with failures if it had been enforced. The Treaty could have been successful but once the Treaty had been signed; the alliance had crumbled, worsened by different ideas on how to enforce the Treaty. France wanted to make sure the clauses were imposed on Germany as harsh as possible; however Britain began to revise the Treaty. Germany complained about the Treaty, believing it was unjust, when in reality it was mainly fair. For example, if disarmament had been enforced, Germany would not have been able to annex Czechoslovakia, which was a cause of the Second World War. Germany was also left to decide about whether they could afford the reparations, and obviously, as they did not want to have this article imposed on them, they often escaped doing it, to a standard that could easily create weaknesses in the Versailles Treaty. Marks correctly explained that the delegates erroneously believed that Germany would abide by thei r decisions,  [12]  this highlighted one of the many reasons why enforcement of the Treaty failed. Another reason for the lack of enforcement was that the allies were not loyal to each other; they just won the same war that they fought for different reasons. Therefore, the Treaty could be argued to have exposed weaknesses due to the lack of enforcement as opposed to the original articles. It can be argued that there are less strengths than weaknesses in the Treaty of Versailles but it is often forgotten that the biggest strength is far more significant than most of the weaknesses. The momentous task that lied ahead of the delegates was incomprehensible; 10 million people lost their lives alongside the new style of warfare. The war came to an abrupt end and there were complex issues alongside contradicting viewpoints. The short amount of time they had, and the amount they had to handle creates the strength as they were able to form a Treaty which although has been criticised with many weaknesses, also has commendable articles and decisions. It must never be forgotten that the Treaty was produced attempting long-term peace whilst punishing the losers of the war, as most Treaties do. If the Treaty had been accepted by the Germans, it could have been an established peace settlement. In conclusion, there are many strengths and weaknesses of the Treaty of Versailles, from the ideological revolution in the League of Nations, to the lack of considered economics in the reparations and loss of territories. However, the Treaty should be commended as one of its own time, that regardless of its contents would have been changed and adjusted as no Treaty had ever involved so many world and European powers. Marks convincingly summed up the Treaty by rightly claiming that the Treaty was a product of its time representing the feelings of the time; therefore its duration was limited seeing as the reality of the feelings of 1919 was limited.  [13]  

Themes in Fitzgeralds Great Gatsby Essay -- essays research papers

In the novel, The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald, there are several themes. Some include The death of the American Dream, hope, and uselessness of women. These all are the three most important themes and expressed a lot throughout the story. Even though this whole story might seem like a romantic tale, one of the important theme’s is actually the death of the American Dream. F.Scott Fitzgerald shows this by showing us the people’s greed for money and decay of the moral values. One example that shows people’s greed is the way Gatsby acquired his money mostly from Dan Cody (pg 107) so he didn’t really have to work too hard for this fortune and thus, got in the habit of getting everything easily, and thus, started a chain of drug stores that were not necessarily legal, but he had done all that just because he though t it was the only way to achieve his American Dream. He had distorted the reality and actually thought Daisy would be his after he becomes rich. In the end, when his dreams were shattered, all that he could do was die, and even did. Daisy is another example, she is also responsible for the death of the American Dream. She was a materialistic person, all she ever wanted was luxury and comfort. â€Å"..with Daisy’s suggestion that we hire five bathrooms and take cold baths,..†(pg 133). She said this after they had all reached â€Å"the town† and after she had rejected Jordan’s offer to go and watch a movie because she felt hot. All she cares about is her own luxury. She had also lost all her moral values which is also why she was also why she had a big part in the death of the American D... ...he important themes of this novel. Lastly, another important theme in this novel is the uselessness of wome. Tom and Gatsby were both independent men. They did not need anyone else to survive even though they both fight over Daisy. Daisy on the other hand is dependent, mostly on Tom though. Infact, on one of the first meeting with Daisy, she had told Nick that she had a daughter and that, â€Å"..It’s a girl.And I hope she’ll be a fool-that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.† (pg 21) She, herself, admits that girls are fool. She feels that there is no point of them in the world. That is why she was so upset when she found out that she had a daughter, she knew that her daughter would have to go through the same misery that she had to go through because they are not self made and that is why this was also one of the themes of the novel.

Comparing Social Classes in Toni Morrisons Recitatif and Guy de Maupas

Comparing Social Classes in Toni Morrison's Recitatif and Guy de Maupassant's The Necklace  Ã‚   Toni Morrison's "Recitatif" and Guy de Maupassant's "The Necklace" portray social classes according to the influence of the narrator. Therefore, the overview of the presented classes is biased. Although "Recitatif" and "The Necklace" provide images of several different classes, the class level of the narrator conveys generalizations about each of the respective class levels relative to the story. While the society level of the narrator of "The Necklace" is fairly obvious through careful reading, the social status of Twyla, the narrator of "Recitatif" is directly stated. Twyla's husband, Josh, is a firefighter. Therefore, he is a member of the working, middle class society. Their extended household lives in an average neighborhood and the family members lead common lives. Although the main character of "The Necklace" is also a member of the middle class, the narrator belongs to a wealthier society. This is evident through the narrator's description of Mathilde. For example, the very first sentence of "The Necklace," "She was one of those pretty and charming girls who are sometimes, as if by a mistake of destiny, born in a family of clerks" (67), indicates that Mme. Loisel is shallow and self-centered. Although the narrators of "Recitatif" and "The Necklace" are from different classes, each employs similar methods to create sympathy for their respective society and malevolence toward the class of the story's antagonist. Although Twyla and Roberta both display several character flaws in "Recitatif," Roberta is the ultimate wrongdoer. Twyla and Roberta begin having problems with their friendship followin... ... of fiction. Though frequently overlooked, this factor often affects a story's plot with as much of an impact, if not more, as the setting and point of view. Generalizations regarding the different levels of society are subtly intertwined with other important facts. The society of a short story's narrator, whether the narrator is an active character or outside the story, is an influential factor concerning the presentation of the different classes in the story, therefore directly affecting the plot. Works Cited de Maupassant, Guy. "The Necklace." Understanding Fiction. 3rd ed. Eds. Cleanth Brooks and Robert Penn Warren. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1979. 67-74 Morrison, Toni. "Recitatif." New Worlds of Literature: Writings from America's Many Cultures. 2nd ed. Eds. Jerome Beaty and J. Paul Hunter. New York: Norton, 1994. 210-225