Human resources free essay sample

Sales and profits Human resources can improve sales and profit within the business. This is because the HR department itself are in control in terms of Hiring (including recruiting candidates, the interview process, negotiations, and signing contracts. ) So technically speaking if the HR department hired a sales man that was not up to satisfaction and was lacking sales. Then this may have been down to HR department not being thorough enough at the interview or their person specification. I believe the business should overlook the HR department and see what may need tweaking. I believe doing this would potentially help the measurement of sales and profit within the business. Because hiring a well-earned applicant for the job would be there will be more sales/profit. There are many technical resources that may help aid sales and profits to increase within a business. One technical resource that could potentially increase sales and profits is the use of software for a development of a website. We will write a custom essay sample on Human resources or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Nowadays the majority of the population has some type of computer. Having a website for your business can be very effective, businesses may use a website to either sell their products/items or they might just use it for promotion and advertisement purposes. One may be effective more the other depending on the type of business. Although at the end of the day both ways in which you use a website for your business is effective. As it will promote it to a wide range of audiences that have access to the web, this then would result in sales and profits potentially increasing. Physical resources may be necessary if the business may need publicity for it to operate. For example, having a branch. More customers are more likely to join a ‘firm’ if you have a branch and by this time the finance could potentially increase gradually, therefore improving sales profits. Financial resources can help monitor the finance within the business. A business needs to insure that they have enough money so that they are able to order stock/products e. c. t. They also have to insure that they are monitoring the money effectively so that they have money for bills, wages and other expenses. I believe using financial resources can help aid a business’s profit and sales just by monitoring effectively. Customer base The HR department are in control of the Promotions and raises within the business. If for example a group of customers come on a regular basis to buy various products for a specific price. Then if one day HR decides to raise the cost of product doing this could potentially damage the customer base. This is why it is important for the HR department to ensure that they have regular promotions within the business they should also only raise the product items if it is completely necessary, otherwise it could affect suppliers or other customers that are In businesses ‘customer base. ’ Carrying this entire out could defiantly aid the customer base. Having technical resources available means that the business is able to keep a customer base. This can be done by customers be able to use a website for latest information or they can get updated emails e. c. t. I believe ensuring a business has an email system and website is important as it can maintain a customer base for people that are interested. A business should use physical resources to set up a customer base. There are many physical ways in which you can set up a customer base or help get one together. As a business you should always be on the hunt for new customers and seeking methods to bring them to your door. If you are not consistently looking for opportunities-s to build your customer base, your business could fall off of the growth track. One really popular way to start up a new customer base is it to use Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or LinkedIn. It all depends on whom you are targeting for business. Managing financial resources is about getting the most from the resources you have available. It involves implementing resource management procedures and it also controls and can include managing costs and maximising opportunities. A customer base can be managed and improved by using a bank loan or some type of finance resource. Using this investment business should use it to promote/advertisement their company, doing this could potentially help create or increase a customer base. Employee satisfaction and staff turnover HR department could potentially help aid the employee satisfaction within a business. This is because HR are in control off the employee, HR have the power to dismiss an employee they also have the power to promote an employee. The HR should ensure that all the employees are comfortable in their job they should do this by using questionnaires at the end of the month for employees to fill in, I believe doing this could potentially increase the employee satisfaction that they have on the business. HR should include special days once a month and include a paid meal for all employees; this could potentially raise employee satisfaction. Staff turnover is controlled by the HR department and Therefore they are in control in terms of employing new employee’s e. c. t. Although HR should be well aware and only employ employees that meet the full requirements for the job. Technical resources can make the work place more appealing and may satisfy employees. For example having computers in an office for employees to work on will satisfy them. Although if for example the work place did not have computers, employees may feel unsatisfied and they may feel uncomfortable this then may result in employees quitting their job. That is why it important for every work place to ensure that they have technical resources within the work place if necessary. Ensuring that the work place has computers and other technical resources may positively affect the staff turnover within the business. It may result in receiving a good reputation in terms of having good equipment and resources within the work place. Employee Job Satisfaction surveys allows an organization to understand their employees. Employees often act on the basis of their environment, the behaviour of their colleagues, and management policies. Employee satisfaction and retention surveys can give management the knowledge and tools that directly impact the bottom line and business outcomes and doing this could potentially build positive employee relations and a positive work environment. This could later down the line increase staff turnover as employees by feel comfortable and like their job more this therefore will potentially increase staff turnover. Finance within a business can increase employee satisfaction. For example if the work place is poor businesses should use financial resources to sort it out, if left poor employees may feel ‘unsatisfied. ’ This also could result in staff turnover to decline. Customer satisfaction The HR department are responsible for hiring employees with respect. The HR department should ensure that before hiring an applicant that they show good customer communication and they should also have a good experience with customers. Also ensuring that the applicants have these qualities is important especially as a sales man. Having attitudes towards customers would defiantly affect the businesses customer satisfaction in a whole. Tasks in hand cannot be completed without these vital technical Resources. For instance; if computers or any other technical resource is damaged or not working for a particular reason then, this may effect customer satisfaction. With physical resources there would be no customer satisfaction. Physical resources are known to be the resources made by man through his abilities and skill. The technology, buildings, and many more products. Therefore if the building layout is poor this could result in customers not being satisfied. Finance resources can be used to aid customer satisfaction. A small group of member can be funded by finance resources to carry out customer surveys this can be used to help manage customer satisfaction within the business. Customer satisfaction is down to the service and the quality of the service. This can be managed and potentially increased by using financial resources to improve the quality and the service. Levels of efficiency Human resources departments play a critical role in contributing to the Overall productivity and efficiency of an organization. As HR helps to build a stronger workforce through better recruiting, training and retention, the Workforce helps drive the efficiency of the business as a whole. Levels of efficiency can be improve and measured. This can be measured by using technical resources. For example using a piece of software such as ‘excel’, this type of technical resource can help businesses record figures e. c. t. Also using this piece of software could potentially improve the levels of efficiency within the business. Levels of efficiency can be measured using technology (physical resources. ) Businesses can measure the efficiency using computers. Measuring the levels of efficiency is important as business are able to see an overall view of the businesses performance/efficiency Finance resources can help increase the levels of efficiency. There are a number of ways in which this can be increased. The business should see where which area is falling and they should invest money into this to resolve the problem. 2 June 2013 From: UkAdvisers Subject: Measures of performance and resources Introduction Definitions: Performance measurements: A sale is something that is sold for generally money. Although profit on the other hand, is money that is made through services it also excluding all expenses. A customer base is group of customers that come on regular basis and is serve by the business or service. Employee satisfaction is important is any business without it a business will lack employees working. What is does it mean? Employee satisfaction is how an employee feels in terms of their workplace/job role. Staff turnover is the amount of staff joining and leaving the business. Customer satisfaction is similar too previous performance measurement, although customer satisfaction in a whole is how a customer feels about the business overall. The definition behind the levels of efficiency within a business is in other word the overall performance of the business, for example efficiency within a workplace is the time it takes to do something. Efficient employees and managers complete tasks in the least amount of time possible with the least amount of resources possible by utilizing certain time saving strategies/methods. Resources: Physical resources are known to be the resources that are made by man through his skill. The technology, buildings, and many other products that are made by man are just some examples of physical resources. Financial resources concern the ability of the business to finance its chosen strategy. An example of this is a strategy that requires investment in is things such as new products; distribution channels and working capital these will all place great strain on the business finances. Human resources (HR) is a department within the company that is responsible with finding, screening, recruiting and training job applicants, as well as employee programs. Technological resources are such things as software, designs, music or text. Findings: I believe for ‘sales and profit’ the important resource for this is technical resources, the reason I have chosen this as the most important resource for this performance measurement is because within this resource businesses will fail to get the business on-line they will also will be unable to measure the sales and profit within the business this potentially could then damage the business. I have chosen finance resource as the least important resource for sales and profit, the reason I done this is because although finance could potentially help a business it can also damage a business in terms of paying back interest, businesses may out take various loans or other types of finance and then struggle paying it back due to the large amount of interest (%) attached. A customer base is important in a business and in my personal opinion I believe that again ‘technical resources’ are the most vital compared to the others. This is because nowadays a large percentage of the population have internet and visit social websites such as; Twitter and Facebook. If a business had the right technical resources available then depending on the business having Facebook for example and starting up a Facebook fan page or customer page could potentially increase a customer base or it could maintain a longer existing customer base. The least important resource that would slightly affect a customer base is using finance resources. I believe that using finance wouldn’t maintain a customer base or increase a customer base unless used for promotion etc. Employee satisfaction is important if businesses want employees to stay working. This is why I believe physical resources are the most important resource. The reason I believe this is because handing out questionnaires to employees for feedback and improvement’s will reassure customers and make them feel more comfortable it will also give an opportunity to employees to get their point across about something they may not like within the business. The least effective resource for this is technical resources, having few technical resources may not mean that employees will be unsatisfied, also the business may not necessarily need technical resources for its purpose. Human resources (HR) in my opinion is the most important resource for satisfying customers, this is because HR are responsible for hiring well-respective and well suited people for the job. Without this customers may feel unsatisfied with their service or their talk with an employee. I also believe that ‘finance resources’ are the least important; this is because you can’t realistically fund customer satisfaction. Levels of efficiency again HR are responsible for who is hired and therefore if HR are not thorough enough with their recruitment process it may result in the company receiving an employee that is not suited enough for the job role this then would mean that the levels of efficiency within the business may decline. Conclusion: In conclusion, In my opinion I believe that human resources is the most important resource within a business and the most effective this is because HR are in charge of employee and their motivation and it also improves organizational productivity, if employees are well remunerated, with good salaries, wages, bonuses, and other fringed benefits such as housing allowance and medical allowances. This type of attitude motivation drives an employee to work as if it where his company, and thus in the long run the business will start too increase productivity. I believe that having a good motivation for something helps a person succeed. Evaluate the adequacy of accounting ratios as a means of monitoring the state of the business. (UNIT 2 D2) This is an informal report and the structure of the main section is as follows: (a) Introduce the accounting ratios. Which main areas do they measure? (Profitability, efficiency, liquidity). Why are these important? (b) How are these used to monitor the state of the business? (compare to last year, to plan, to similar businesses, to industry average) What problems might there be in using the ratios in these circumstances? (c) What cant be measured with ratios that would be considered as relevant to measuring the state of the business? (e. g. environmentally friendly, staff motivation). Explain some examples. How important are these things when measuring the state of the business? Conclusion Given all of the above, how useful are accounting ratios to help you measure the state of a business?

Post-Wwii Discontent Essays

Post-Wwii Discontent Essays Post-Wwii Discontent Essay Post-Wwii Discontent Essay In this essay I will be analyzing how and why postwar prosperity led to discontent in western European societies during the 1960s. The decade following WWII was surprisingly prosperous, with many nations in a state of political and economic recovery. Material wealth seemed to be growing for the middle classes of both continents. During the 1960s a new generation of baby boomers were approaching the forefront of revolution. These college students were inspired by a combination of Marxist radicalism and anti-Authoritarianism, which led them to resist the old social structure created by their parents. There was a sudden surge of student-led protests starting in 1968, composed of young people who were morally opposed to the rigid social hierarchy of postwar Europe. They sought immediate political liberalization, and were in total defiance of the bourgeois values that had sacrificed social equality in exchange for postwar prosperity. Student disaffection and radical idealism were major catalysts for the revolutions in 1968, most evident in the restless German, French, and Italian youth. Supporters of this activism argued that the working class was corrupted by materialism and prosperity. Therefore they couldn’t rely on the middle class to engage in a class struggle, which is why younger people took it upon themselves to begin a movement. The generation of 1968 â€Å"was fired up by a potent blend of Marxist radicalism, anti-Americanism, antiestablishment rhetoric, alienation from the values of their parents, and a yearning to challenge what they viewed as a static, consumer-centered postwar society† (Hitchcock 247). In France, the need for educational reform was what caused the first demonstrations. Students in the University of Nanterre (Paris) saw their university as simply a product of bourgeois authoritarian society. There was a general sense that people were emerging without any real culture, being trained to fit into the economic system of a highly industrialized society. Although many countries experienced a â€Å"miracle† of postwar economic recovery under their parents, the younger generation was still morally opposed to the values that allowed it to happen. Postwar prosperity led to a clash between the â€Å"New† and the â€Å"Old†, making generational conflict a major cause for discontent in every western European society. Students all blamed professors, parents, government officials, and party leaders for â€Å"the creation and perpetuation of a social system based on crass worship of wealth, on the rigid segregation of society along class and gender lines, and on a refusal to debate the profound philosophical questions about how society should be organized to bring about fairness and justice for [everyone]† (Hitchcock 248). This proves that the atmosphere of youthful rebellion emerged from a need to break down the foundations of a postwar state built through social inequality. The German and Italian movements were significantly violent, and student protests had convinced many workers to start putting pressure on industrial elites. However, some hardcore extremists from the left began using terrorism to carry out a violent crusade against the state. The governments had to balance their postwar commitment to civil liberties and democracy with the use of extreme measures to contain the terrorism. Hitchcock accurately claims that, â€Å"These years of rebellion and terror in Italy, and in Western Europe as a whole, serve as a reminder that the postwar European miracle was never universally accepted by some segments of society† (Hitchcock 261). This supports my idea that European postwar prosperity actually caused many people to re-evaluate the inner workings of their own government. With a direct focus on government, student protests emerged to shed a spotlight on the inequalities of their own social structure. Generational differences between values of parents and their children was a major cause of discontent and revolution throughout Western Europe. The next decade was an ugly period of time, but in the end â€Å"European democracy had survived, bloodied but intact, and perhaps the better for the struggle† (Hitchcock 262).

Religious Life of the Planet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Religious Life of the Planet - Essay Example Humans appear to be psychologically pre-disposed to accumulate a certain system of beliefs and practices that can be called religion. From psychological point of view religion is a means of assuaging anxiety. From cognitive perspective religion provides explanation of phenomena encountered in daily life and abstract concepts. From sociological point of view religion is a means of creating order and establishing group identity (Tremlin, 2010). Religion appears to manifest itself in the way it functions, and that is in its ability to serve psychological, intellectual, and social human needs (Tremlin, 2010). Being a system of rituals, beliefs, and considerations religious practices are institutionalized and help to connect humans with the world beyond. They provide people with the sense of fulfillment, leading adherents to another level of consciousness. (Super, Turley, 2006). Religion can be regarded as fundamental element of society, as it shares concepts with collective consciousness. It is a type of human activity that manifests itself as a specific behavior accepted by the members of the group sharing a certain system of beliefs. The nature of beliefs cannot be validated by direct observation (Super, Turley, 2006). However, elements of religious behavior can be singled out: gathering in groups, communal eating, theoretical discourse about the existence (Dow, 2007). Strictly speaking, religion can be defined as a collec tion of behavior patterns and observable behavior complexes. The latter include: prayer, music, physiological exercise, exhortation, reciting the code, simulation, mana, taboo, feasts, sacrifice, congregation, inspiration (Dow, 2007). Criteria to be employed in the attempts to determine whether human beings are religious may include the following: 1) theory or system of beliefs concerning unobservable agents or powers, which is shared by the members of the group; 2) meetings, processions and feasts; 3)

Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Management - Case Study Example Resources within an organization includes finances, labor and time, which all are limited, yet important factors of production. In the 21st century, organizations have experienced intensive pressure to shift towards more production-oriented strategies to remain relevant and to overcome the numerous forces that are strenuous to business operations. For a smooth business run, organizational managers have to remain innovative and flexible to adapt to the dynamic market trends in their role of business coordination. Employees form part of the most vital resource that managers have to manipulate to tap their skills and knowledge and to direct them towards production. To optimize, it is important to align the employees to the organizational goals and to get them on board in the process of project implementation. Today, this has become the role that organizational managers have to shoulder if they have to succeed in their management duties. In the recent past, there has been an increase in work-related issues within many organizations due to conflicts as management face new market forces that require a transition into effective management strategies demanded by the dynamic market. ... Analysis of the Situation at Ground Matters on Ground In this case study, the university management experienced a conflict between the human resource manager and the chief Staff manager over the hiring of an employee in a matter of urgency in the organization. After the chief manager completed a selection process of an employee, the Human resource manager required that the employee produce a criminal investigation certificate as was provided by the organizational polices after which the employee would be served with a letter of acceptance. While the chief staff manager feels that in a matter of urgency the organizational policies can be overruled, the human resource manager feels that this would be a threat to these policies and insists on implementing them to the letter. Meeting between the two managers to discuss the issue ended up unsuccessful and as a matter of fact heightened the tension between the two officers. Resultantly, the chief staff officer had to resort to higher manag ement, the director, to resolve the issue at hand. Apart from heightening the tension between the two officers, the conflict between the two managers, had a consequence on the employees directly under them who also divided and supported their respective boss. The hired employee, Senior Academic Program specialist (SAPS) also felt that he was a victim a long and strenuous procedure and this had an impact of their work attitude. In summary, this conflict was extended to the entire organization and consequently had an impact on employee productivity in this organization. Scenario analysis In this case, the human resource manager and the chief staff manager had a conflict that seems to originate from differences in organizational strategy. While the human

Consider Pip from Great Expectations and Ralph from Lord of the Flies Essay Example for Free

Consider Pip from Great Expectations and Ralph from Lord of the Flies Essay Which character do you think gives the most realistic portrayal of childhood? Both of these novels contain depictions of childhood. An important fact to keep aware of is that in Dickens portrayal of childhood, there are adults present to mould Pip through his encounters with them, whereas Golding leaves his characters free from any guiding adult hand. Pips sister being on the rampage when she felt Joe or Pip had done the slightest thing wrong, is different to Ralphs experience of childhood on the island as the closest thing he has to an adult guide is Piggy, who whilst undoubtedly more intelligent than the other boys, lacks the respect and authority an adult commands. Pip and Ralph are alike however in their longing for a lack of adults, but then the delight of a realized ambition overcame him. In the middle of the scar he stood on his head and grinned at the reversed fat boy. No grown ups! Is what Golding tells us of Ralph, and similarly Dickenss Pip calls them all toadies and humbugs. Although these views both seem to concur that a lack of adults is definitely a good thing, they do differ somewhat, I do not believe Ralph would go so far as to call all adults toadies and humbugs and this is certainly to do with their different backgrounds. Ralph is a Home Counties lad with a father high up in the navy who knows that the queen has a drawer full of maps, whereas Pip is the adopted son of a blacksmith and although Ralphs lifestyle may not necessarily have been glamorous, it was much more homely and welcoming than the one Pip enjoys. The two novels are also set over a greatly differing time span. Lord of the Flies lasts perhaps several weeks at the most, whereas Pips childhood lasts several years in Great Expectations. Obviously this will play a part in how realistic their childhoods seem as we see no more than the blinking of an eye of Ralphs, but have a much more in depth viewing of Pips. Adults mould Pip throughout his childhood, and the most important adults involved in this are Pumblechook, Mr Wopsle and Pips sister. All of these have a tendency to look down on Pip, and it is for that reason that Joe is not included in the list, as he and Pip treat each other like equals. Ralph on the other hand has no guiding force behind him throughout all the time the reader knows him. Whereas Ralph is a very expressive child, he stands on his head and laughs and looks golden, Pip is not, in the early stages of the book, free from the tyranny of his sister. So there is a crucial difference between the two novels in that Ralph and his companions are free to be children without adult ideals being laid upon them, whereas Pip is expected to be a child the way society expects him to be, be grateful boy to them which bought you up by hand being a good example of this. A key aspect of childhood is Fear, fear of the dark, fear of the unknown and fear of adults to name but a few. Both authors work this aspect of childhood into their novels somehow. Dickens does this with Magwitchs young man a boy may lock his door, may be warm in bed, may tuck himself up, may draw the clothes over his head, may think himself comfortable and safe, but that young man will softly creep and creep his way to him and tear him open. All this to scare Pip into getting him some wittles and it works, from the language in that quote, it is obviously apparent that Dickens had a very good idea of childhood and its workings, on of the few things universal to children is that they do think bed to be the ultimate haven. Pip is scared by Magwitch into stealing from his sister, who he is already afraid of, and this is significant in that it shows Dickens had a very good grasp of what childhood was about, and is thus likely to have a very good portrait of childhood in his novel. Possibly even more significant than this is that Pip steals a file from Joe his trusted friend, and this also shows more understanding on Dickens part about children, they do not discriminate between close friends and others to the extent older people do. And so we see the counter part to this in Lord of the Flies, when alone and with no adults on the desert island the children feel the need for a fire and steal Piggys glasses to light it. Piggy is Ralphs main ally on the island, and certainly Ralph is Piggys only friend, so the situation is much akin to the one in Great Expectations but we do not see the same level of remorse from Ralph. Instead of Pips fearful I held tight to the leg of the table under the cloth, with both hands, and awaited my fate in anticipation of any retribution that may be dealt out, all that Golding says of the boys remorse at leaving Piggy blind and helpless is for Ralph to hand them back when done with them, and it is here that it seems as though Golding has a better understanding of children, he appreciates that their consciences are not yet fully developed as they are unable to grasp the implications of what they have done. The fear that grows apparent on the island however is not the same kind of fear as Pip experiences. One of the little-uns complains of a beastie, nonsense is the response he gets from Ralph, and yet The vivid horror of this, so possible and nakedly terrifying held them all silent. And it is here where the crux of the argument begins to form for Dickens having the better portrayal of childhood. The Beastie is in fact symbolic of the horror humans will create on the island, and the rest of Goldings novel is also mostly symbolic, whereas Great Expectations isnt. The natural reaction for Ralph and company to have is to try and ward of the beastie somehow, and thus the fire begins to become more than simply a rescue beacon. The relationships between characters is also a major part in the views we are offered of childhood. Golding uses the views of others to reveal aspects of the main characters, and so influence how we feel about them, Piggys view of Ralph and the others Like a crowd of kids - is supposed to make the reader feel that Piggy is far more mature, and that in turn Ralph is excessively immature, and childlike. Dickens however uses Pips perspective throughout the novel, and the language he uses differs greatly at the start as compared to the finish for the purposes of showing the transition between child and adult. For example I religiously entertained that they had been born on their backs with their hands in their trouser pockets is clearly not the impression an adult would get from having dead brothers or sisters, and most likely not the way they would describe them. However at the end of the book the language use has progressed to statements such as Oh, Joe, you break my heart! Look angry at me, Joe! Strike me, Joe! Tell me of my ingratitude. Dont be so good to me. This is a statement the younger Pip would have been incapable of making, ti shows the complex differences in language that Dickens appreciates children use as compared to adults. In Great Expectations Pip is not treated as an adult, he is treated as a particularly worthless child, and as such he forms negative opinions of the adult world he will have to grow into, that ass Pumblechook being just one example of the way Pip views this world, however Dickens also understands that childrens attitudes change very quickly, as does Golding, and so when Pip obtains Great Expectations and Pumblechook starts acting up to him, then he decides that maybe Pumblechook was a practical, sensible, good hearted fellow. This is also shown in Lord of the Flies because although by the end Ralph and Jack are literally at each others throats, when making the fire at the start Ralph finds a log that looks too heavy, but gets the reply of Not for the two of us! And so Golding shows the reader a glimmer of hope that the two may get along well, but they dont, and this demonstrates the inconsistency of children. Ralph has responsibility for the other boys on the island, and this causes him in many aspects to grow up. Instead of being completely child like and swimming, diving and running about, he gets worked up because the shelters havent been made and the other are incapable of concentrating And they keep running off. You remember the meeting? How everyone was going to work hard until the shelters were finished? This is not a very childlike statement, children get frustrated because they dont get their own way, Ralph is not saying Im the leader and they dont obey me but instead worrying that the community is beginning to tear apart, a concern more voiced on tabloid letter pages than childrens conversations. Pip however has no such responsibility, admittedly while he does some chores set him by his sister, or his lessons under Mr Wopsles great aunt that preposterous female, he is nowhere near as empowered as Ralph who has been voted to care for a few dozen boys. And so this also affects the childhood of the two we see, while Ralph had the easiest growing up previous to the novel (with his parents) as opposed to Pips dead parents and harsh sister, he is given a far more demanding role to play. And the way he deals with it is not very childlike; in fact it comes to eventually represent the way a tired adult may feel, worn down, beginning to despair and wondering why on earth hes taken the responsibility at all. And this is another key point to consider, Goldings children are literary metaphors for mankind, whereas Pip, although he teaches the reader about aspects of the human character, is not supposed to be representative of the whole human race, and so more likely to represent childhood better. Yet another fact to remember is that Golding and Dickens were writing in very different times. Dickens was writing in what was the height of Victorian England and was teaching about society in those days. Whereas Golding was writing after the World Wars and so was trying to tell a more global message. So his Ralph is, although a child, not necessarily entirely representative of one. Pip however is forced to be a child by the constraining presence of his sister, Pumblechook and eventually the bond apprenticing him to Joe, all things that represent Victorian society, and yet things that still apply today even if in a different form, such as parental control and discipline and mandatory education. Childhood on Goldings island is also not really something enjoyed particularly by Ralph and his peers, instead it is the littleuns who are the children, Ralph and the other bigger boys find themselves in the positions of adults simply because they are the biggest ones on the island. Perhaps because they are not completely mature at the time this does not help them deal with the events that happen on the island. There is possibly a case for saying that Pip too, is no ordinary child and has to grow up very fast in his attempts to impress Estella and grows up even more rapidly once he has his expectations laid upon him. However this is most likely a part of his childhood akin to the beginning of school and as this has been a part of life for every child in the last hundred years and more, this is not something that can be argued as not being a part of childhood. And most certainly at the start of the novel Pip is a child plain and simple, with no more worries than his sisters rampages. Another aspect of childhood to consider is trust and loyalty. Children are usually trusting unless something happens to make them otherwise. In Lord of the Flies, loyalty is shown by the twins and Piggys dedication to Ralph and their faith in him to get them through. Ralph however displays a special kind of loyalty, a loyalty to the good side of human nature and a deep trust in fair play. Pips trust however is in Joe and his own learning, but the trust is very temporary with Joe, it is more of a mutual agreement to be equals. And Pip is more than happy to trade his oldest friend for some money and a life in London. Here again we see that Dickens understands children are rarely consistent, whereas Golding is trying to use children as a metaphor for something much bigger. To conclude I believe that Pip is by far the better portrayal of childhood. Childhood does not generally involve the lack of adult presence to so huge an extent as it does in Lord of the Flies, however the battles of child against adult and adult society such as are seen in Great Expectations do occur almost universally. I think that some qualities the reader sees in Ralph, such as the headstands, do display the kind of innocent glee a child might express, but other than that Ralph and is peers are all examples of the human race and so representative of those who rule the world, adults, and not of children who merely inhabit it. Goldings book is a political message of its time, whereas Dickens was writing a novel, but his was free from the idealism that contaminates Goldings work. Dickens novel still had a point, but this point was made about the way in which his society worked and in particular his belief that money is a great corrupter. Therefore I believe that Dickens Pip is the most realistic portrayal of childhood as he behaves like a child, his expressions and attitudes are all those common to children. Dickens also displays a deep understanding of how children work, and this comes across in Pips actions. Goldings children however are only just recognisable as children, they could easily be replaced with full grown adults and still the story would work just as well.

Under The Spell :: Creative Writing Short Stories Traveling Essays

Under The Spell "The great advantage of having an ancestry like that of a mongrel dog is I have so many ancestral homes to go home to." We caught the ferry from Le Havre, France to Ireland, land of my ancestors. Every since I was a wee lad, my mind has been used as a canvas by every Irishman who has been displaced from the Emerald Isle. A picture of quaintness bordering upon myth. Cute I thought it would be, but never as much as the tourist hype I had read. I donned my suit of armor constructed of cynicism, forged by age. Protected thus from the hype, I the ancestral child would see Ireland as it really is. Mind you, no tourist hype for me. The ship pulled in to Rosslare Harbor near Wexford and lowered its gangplank. I made it most of the way down before I was sucked clean out of my armor into, head over heels, and under the spell of the Emerald Isle. We had arranged for a rental car, to be picked upon arrival at the harbor. I thought perhaps we would be shown how to operate it. Instead the attendant said in his sweet Irish brogue, "It's the wee red one over there," and handed me the keys. Still dazed by the sudden entrance in to "The Spell" we sped off in our wee red Ford Fiesta. Every so many hundred yards along the road signs reminded us to "Drive to the left." On the open road it was no problem, however moments later in the congestion of Wexford I was near panic, yelling at Travis to help remind me what side of the street I was on. It didn't help that he often mixes left and right up in his mind, some sort of hereditary functional disorder. I almost broke out in sweat when I had to make my first right turn feeling as though I was going head on into the oncoming traffic. By the time we got through Wexford I was in desperate need to stop for a wee pee. I saw a small side road and took that hoping to find a secluded spot to relieve myself. I discovered that when you leave the main roads in Ireland you are almost immediately secluded. We stopped in front of an old abandoned barn made of stone with an unusual door shaped like a horseshoe. The earth smelled wet and fresh and was a bit boggy, more so when I departed. It was only a few hundred yards before we learned our first rule of driving in Ireland. Under The Spell :: Creative Writing Short Stories Traveling Essays Under The Spell "The great advantage of having an ancestry like that of a mongrel dog is I have so many ancestral homes to go home to." We caught the ferry from Le Havre, France to Ireland, land of my ancestors. Every since I was a wee lad, my mind has been used as a canvas by every Irishman who has been displaced from the Emerald Isle. A picture of quaintness bordering upon myth. Cute I thought it would be, but never as much as the tourist hype I had read. I donned my suit of armor constructed of cynicism, forged by age. Protected thus from the hype, I the ancestral child would see Ireland as it really is. Mind you, no tourist hype for me. The ship pulled in to Rosslare Harbor near Wexford and lowered its gangplank. I made it most of the way down before I was sucked clean out of my armor into, head over heels, and under the spell of the Emerald Isle. We had arranged for a rental car, to be picked upon arrival at the harbor. I thought perhaps we would be shown how to operate it. Instead the attendant said in his sweet Irish brogue, "It's the wee red one over there," and handed me the keys. Still dazed by the sudden entrance in to "The Spell" we sped off in our wee red Ford Fiesta. Every so many hundred yards along the road signs reminded us to "Drive to the left." On the open road it was no problem, however moments later in the congestion of Wexford I was near panic, yelling at Travis to help remind me what side of the street I was on. It didn't help that he often mixes left and right up in his mind, some sort of hereditary functional disorder. I almost broke out in sweat when I had to make my first right turn feeling as though I was going head on into the oncoming traffic. By the time we got through Wexford I was in desperate need to stop for a wee pee. I saw a small side road and took that hoping to find a secluded spot to relieve myself. I discovered that when you leave the main roads in Ireland you are almost immediately secluded. We stopped in front of an old abandoned barn made of stone with an unusual door shaped like a horseshoe. The earth smelled wet and fresh and was a bit boggy, more so when I departed. It was only a few hundred yards before we learned our first rule of driving in Ireland.

Mel Gibson vs. Kenneth Branaugh as Hamlet Essay

The recent â€Å"box office rebirth† of England’s favorite bard has left Hollywood with much to do about interpreting Shakespeare’s classic dramas. The characters of Ophelia, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, the gravedigger, and of course Hamlet himself take new life, as the greatest actors of our time assume these timeless roles. Produced in 1990, Mel Gibson’s â€Å"Hamlet† is a more straightforward, highly edited version of the original text in comparison to Kenneth Brannagh’s lavish rendition of the same tale. At only 135 minutes, Gibson’s â€Å"Hamlet† might be considered â€Å"Shakespeare Light,† the cinematic equivalent of Cliff’s Notes. However, although Brannagh should be commended for sticking to the text, be forewarned about this â€Å"Hamlet†-by including every line of the original play, this movie clocks in at exactly 242 minutes. The setting chosen for Brannagh’s and Gibson’s â€Å"Elsinore Castle† are as different as day and night, quite literally. And these bright and dark castle settings symbolically reinforce the specific â€Å"mood† or themes each director emphasizes. For instance, the lugubrious Gibson feels perfectly at home in his dark and dank mansion, an ideal place for a grieving soul to maintain its ruefull descent. Conversely, the introspective Brannagh is continuously catching glimpses of himself and others (and into their true souls) in the mirror-lined ballrooms of his glistening castle. Since Hamlet is, in its essence, truly a ghost story (so apropos for Halloween week!), each director has handled these â€Å"special effects† quite differently. Gibson gives a more stage-like handling of the ghost of  Hamlet’s father, using only lighting to cast an eerie glow or flickering shadows on its actors. Brannagh, on the other hand, seeks to use every filmmaker’s device possible, including the light blue glowing eyes of Hamlet’s father and the â€Å"dry ice forest,† (both of which stretched the limits of viewers’ imagination). One special effect that worked very effectively was the use of â€Å"flashbacks† in a character’s memory, specifically in scenes which show Hamlet and Ophelia’s romantic (yet clandestine) relationship developing. The greatest aspect of watching the Gibson and Brannagh films together is noticing the subtle differences between each actor’s expression of the same character. Both versions address, or evade, some of the most controversial issues in interpreting this play: Hamlet’s possible madness, his seemingly Oedipal relationship with his mother, and Ophelia’s suicidal demise. Mel Gibson portrays a brooding, sullen-browed young Hamlet–moody, miserable yet clever and cunning, and always lurking in the dark corners of this ever-somber castle. By contrast, Brannagh commands the screen with a Hamlet more brash and emboldened than Gibson’s, a determined young man whose bright and opulent surroundings reflect a very intellectual, socially and politically astute strategist (not to mention pretentious snob!). Both tiptoe the line between sanity and madness, without ever fully crossing over into a psychological abyss. With Glenn Close playing Gertrude, Hamlet’s mother, Gibson intensifies the Oedipal overtones between the queen mother and her son. Beautiful, elegant, and intensely emotional, Gertrude exudes an exuberant yet refined sensuality throughout the early scenes of the film. Does she linger a little too long on the lips of Hamlet, or is this merely a joyous display of affection for her only son? The famous, and perhaps infamous, bedroom scene eventually shows the glamorous duo of Close and Gibson struggling against one another, and the final fencing scene also emphasizes this pair, their constant awareness of the other’s situation. By casting the ethereal Close alongside the handsome Hamlet, Gibson focuses  on the mother-son relationship versus the Ophelia-Hamlet romance, as Helena Bonham-Carter presents an overly passive, almost prepubescent and one-dimensional performance of Ophelia. Too young, too much manipulated by her father, Ophelia in her insanity scene merely shows a weak young woman overcome by her own pitiful plight. Because her relationship with Hamlet is never developed in Gibson’s â€Å"Hamlet,† Ophelia’s suicide is a merely an action that furthers the plot of Hamlet’s fate–it is not given consideration as the fate of Ophelia herself, a complex, passionate, and â€Å"three-dimensional† character in the play. Brannagh’s casting of â€Å"Shakespeare’s women† gives an entirely different interpretation. To begin with, Julie Christie (as Gertrude) is downright homely in comparison to Glenn Close (check out the differences between the early â€Å"consoling scene† of each film in which Gertrude tells Hamlet that death is â€Å"common†). Thus, Christie is perfect for Brannagh’s interpretation–Hamlet seeks to avenge his father’s death not because of his Oedipal attraction to his mother (which would be too emotional and adolescent for this prince), but rather for some higher sense of truth and justice (perfect for the philosophical Brannagh). Christie is not the amiable, all-loving (or sensual) mother that we saw Close to be, and thus Gertrude’s â€Å"motivation† to marry the brother of her dead husband seems more about politics and power than pure passion. Her role in the movie and the sympathy she evokes in the viewers diminis hes greatly as we view her (and her second husband) with suspicion and even aversion. Yet Kate Winslet (also starring in â€Å"Sense and Sensibility,† â€Å"Heavenly Creatures†), cast as Ophelia, is simply breathtaking. Her presence on the screen commands the full attention of viewers, and Brannagh uses her charisma to create perhaps the most fully developed representation of Ophelia to be brought to any film. She is shown as a strong-willed, intelligent and independent young woman who is passionately in love (and lust!) with her eccentric prince. If you have seen and heard her grief expressed in â€Å"Heavenly Creatures,† then you will know that her â€Å"insanity scene† is the most harrowing display of a heart’s devastation that you might ever see. Her ethereal voice, her song of sadness, will be hard for viewers to forget. With a cast of characters including Billy Crystal, Charlton Heston, Robin Williams and Jack Lemmon, Kenneth Brannagh’s â€Å"Hamlet† is a sure-hit among devoted â€Å"Shakespeare-philes.† Yet, the dynamic performances of the characters in Gibson’s â€Å"Hamlet† guarantee that both movies are even better appreciated when viewed, and compared, together. One of the greatest aspects about Shakespeare’s plays is the never-ending interpretations and expressions that can be made–not only by film makers with their elaborate scenery and all-star casts, but also by each of us as viewers and, hopefully, as readers too.