This above all, to thine own self be true: Being True to Yourself :: essays research papers

Although many works of literature are very long, the main idea can be summarized in one or two of its lines. In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the most important line is: â€Å"This above all, to thine own self be true, / And it must follow, as the night the day, / Thou canst not then be false to any man† (1.3, 78-80). Spoken by Polonius, this advice is present throughout the entire play, together with the motifs of truth and lying. The characters desire to be true to themselves; however, some of them are not true to others. The main character, Hamlet, is a character that is not true to others, nor to himself. When the Ghost of his father tells him he was murdered by Claudius, Hamlet doubts the truth. He does not trust the ghost of his father, so has to find a way to prove it. Deciding on how to prove or disprove the Ghost, Hamlet predicts: â€Å"The play’s the thing / Wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the King† (2.2, 616-17). Because he distrusts the Ghost, Hamlet is not true to his father. However, when his plan proves to him that the Ghost’s words are true, Hamlet still does not act; he still cannot avenge his father’s murder. Hamlet decides not to kill Claudius, using the fact that he is praying as an excuse. Hamlet does not want Claudius’s soul to go to heaven, therefore he decides not to kill him, explaining: â€Å"A villain kills my father, and for that, I, his sole son, do the same villain send to heaven† (3.3, 76-78). However, after trying to p ray, the King claims that his prayers were not heard: â€Å"My words fly up, my thoughts remain below. / Words without thoughts never to heaven go† (3.3, 97-8). Therefore, had Hamlet chosen to kill Claudius at that time, his soul would have gone to Hell. Hamlet uses God as an excuse for not acting. He is not true and is lying to himself, because he wants to kill Claudius, yet does not. Claudius is also a character who is neither true to himself nor to others: he is not being true to the rest of the kingdom. He does not want to give up his gains, so the people of Denmark do not know why their previous King has died and his brother taken over. While making an attempt to pray, he realizes that his sins cannot be forgiven.

Biography of Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp Essay -- Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp Wi

Biography of Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp was born on March 19, 1848 in Monmouth, Illinois. His father Nicholas was a lawyer who preferred a life of farming. From an early age, Wyatt learned from his father to stand up for what was right. When Wyatt was two years old, the family moved to Iowa. In 1861, the Civil War broke out, and Wyatt's father and three older brothers joined the Union Army. Soon after, Wyatt ran away to enlist, but his father caught him and sent him back home. In 1864, Nicholas left the army, and the family set out for the West. It took seven months to travel from Iowa to California. On the way they encountered Indians at Fort Laramie. The Earps settled in San Bernardino, where Nicholas bought a ranch. It was assumed that Wyatt would study to be a lawyer, but instead he became a stagecoach driver for the Banning Stage Line. He traveled between Los Angeles and Prescott, Arizona. In 1868, Wyatt went to work for the Union Pacific Railroad in Wyoming, where he was able to save some money. In 1870, he returned to Monmouth, where he married a girl named Urilla Sutherland on January 10, 1870. Sadly, she died a few months after their marriage from typhoid. After the death of his wife, Earp moved on to Lamar, Missouri, where he worked as the town Marshall for a year. Ellsworth was mean, and it was ugly. The stench of the its streets fell second to the odor of the unbathed saddle tramps who had just delivered 150,000 cattle from San Antonio to its freight yards. Adding to these smells were the blends of whisky, tanning leather, kerosene and carved carcasses, a revolting combination. Gunfights were spontaneous, either over a woman or a card game. When Wyatt crossed the Smoky Hill River into Ellsworth in 1873, he may have remembered the "rules of the gunman," but had no intention of employing them. The two main â€Å"rules of a gunman† were to take his time and always be armed. Although many people had warned him that it would be naive to go westward without being properly armed, Wyatt didn’t own a gun. All he hoped for was to find a peaceable job. But, only hours after hitching his horse in town he began to wonder if perhaps everyone was right. The most boisterous spot in town was Brennan’ s Saloon, off Ellsworth Square; its faro and poker tables buzzed 24 hours, bartenders tapped beer and ... ...rnia. Wyatt Earp died on January 13, 1929, and his fame as a lawman has continued to grow since his death. Wyatt Earp literally shot his way into the hearts of Western America. He is familiar to the nation’s people, young and old. From Ellsworth, Kansas to Tombstone, Arizona, he cleaned the streets of desperadoes in town after town. He shot coolly, he shot straight, and he shot deadly, but only in self-defense. Like any other person whose reputation leaned on firepower, there were those who wanted to test, to see if their draw was a split second quicker or if they could find a weak spot. Wyatt put many of their doubts to rest. When the history of the western lawmen is placed in view, Earp’s name leads the parade of Hickok, Masterson, Garrett, Tilghman and all the rest. Bibliography The Wild West. 12 Mar. 2000. 30 Apr 2001 http://www.thewildwest.org/ The O.K. Coral. 5 Jan. 2001. 30 Apr. 2001 http://www.tombstone-epitaph.com/ Tombtown. 2 May 2001. 2 May 2001 http://www.tombtown.com/bios/wyatt.htm Tefertiller, Casey. Wyatt Earp: The Life behind the Legend. Wiley, John and Sons. 1998 West, Paul. O.K. Corral, the Earps and Doc Holliday. Simon and Schuster Trade. 2000

The Baoule Tribe of West Africa

Queen Awura (Aura) Pokou governed one branch of the Akan’s mighty Ashanti kingdom, which traveled towards the southeast region of the Ivory Coast during the earlier part of the 18 century (qtd. in Laufer 42). Brought about by a conflict of leadership, wherein she turned down efforts to unite with the Ashanti confederacy in the present day Ghana, Pokou directed her tribe south towards the Komoe River banks. Once she asked the priest regarding the dangerous river crossing the tribe were about to embark on, the priest told her that if she offered a sacrifice, her group can successful cross the river.Pokou then offered her son to be sacrificed, crying out the words â€Å"Baouli—the child is dead† (qtd. in Laufer 42). From then on, Pokou’s descendants came to be known as the Baoules (Baule or Baol). The group successfully crossed the river and ended the savanna that rests on the opposite side. It was the start of a tribe which inhabited the central region situa ted between the Bandama and Komoe rivers. Ultimately, the Baoules absorbed many of the preexisting tribes of the region. As a result, they grew to be the most powerful and largest tribe of the Ivory Coast.Even if the Baoules lost a great deal of their political influence in the 19th century, they are still the largest tribe of the Ivory Coast to date (Steiner 90; Uwechue 66). The tribe moved westward from Ghana at the time the Asante assumed power some three hundred years ago. The story of how they escaped from such rule lives on in oral traditions. Pokou’s male descendant did not left the place she founded. He is regarded as the nominal king of the Baoule tribe (University of Iowa). The tribe is one of the ethnic groups of West Africa. The Baoules speak Twa (Yakan 227).Their language is a branch of the Kwa. The Kwa is a branch of the Niger-Congo family of African languages. Being an Akan group, the Baoules have tribal affiliations with several groups past the Ivory Coast, pa rticularly the Akan group of Ghana. The Senufo, Guro, Gan, Dida, Ari, Anyi, and Abbe (Abe) tribes are among the Baoules’ neighbors (Yakan 227). Fishing, animal husbandry, and agriculture serve as their principal economic activities (Yakan 227). A chief as well as a council of elders govern every village. Such rulers represent different lineages.Matrilineal lineages are observed in the Baoule culture (Lovejoy 175). A chief or king heads the Baoule tribe’s highly centralized system of government. The position of the chief of king is inherited (Colin 105). Several sub-chiefs manage the local inhabitants under the jurisdiction of the king. All of the chiefs greatly depend on their political advisors assisting them in the decision making process. As a principal mask association, the Goli group is responsible for the social order among the tribe (University of Iowa). Baoule art is presented in different mediums.Among them is figure and mask carving which is heavily influence d by the tribe’s Guro and Senufo neighbors. Other forms of media are wooden sculpture as well as brass and gold casting, resembling the tribes Asante heritage (Steiner 90). Similar to their fellow Africans, the Baoule tribe is famous for their wooden sculptures celebrating their conventional beliefs (Yakan 228). By tradition, the Baoules believe in a world of spirits. Likewise, they believe in the ancestor cult (Yakan 228). The hierarchy of nature gods and worship of their ancestors are incorporated in the religion they practice.Images of spirit spouses as well as nature spirits are normally sculpted. They regard Alouroua as their creator. However, their creator god is in no way physically represented ever since (University of Iowa). Works Cited â€Å"Baule Information. † 3 November 1998. University of Iowa. 7 March 2009 . Colin Legum. â€Å"Tribal Survival in the Modern African Political System. † The Passing of Tribal Man in Africa. Ed. Peter C. W. Gutkind. Le iden, The Netherlands: E. J. Brill, 1970, 102-112.Laufer, Guida. Women Rulers Throughout the Ages: An Illustrated Guide. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO, 1999. Lovejoy, Paul E. Transformation in slavery: A History of Slavery in Africa. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2000. Steiner, Christopher B. African Art in Transit. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1994. Uwechue, Raph. Reflections on the Nigerian Civil War: Facing the Future. British Columbia: Trafford Publishing, 2004. Yakan, Muhammad Z. Almanac of African Peoples & Nations. Edison, New Jersey: Transaction Publishers, 1999.

Non Financial Factors

TABLE OF CONTENT INTRODUCTION1 TESCO’S RATIO ANALYSIS2 SUMMARY TESCO’S RATIO13 COMPARATIVE ANALYSE – Tesco’s Vs Marks and Spencer’s________________ _______14 CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF TESCO PLC__________________________________________ 21 CONCLUSION? BIBLIOGRAPHY? APPENDIX 1 –TESCO’S PLC APPENDIX 2- MARKS AND SPENCER’S- CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS I-Introduction This report will evaluate the financial performance of Tesco’s and comparing it to Marks and Spencer’s has the purpose of evaluating the company's worthiness as investment.As a well knowing company around the world and having an important background in the retail environment Tesco’s is one of the largest supermarkets in the world. Present in 14 countries around Europe, Asia and North America. Tesco’s is always dealing in the financial world, providing also bank and insurance services. ‘Tesco was founded in 1919 by Jack Cohen from a market stall i n London’s East End. Over the years our business has grown and we now operate in 14 countries around the world, employ over 500,000 people and serve tens of millions of customers every week.We have always been committed to providing the best shopping experience. Today we continue to focus on doing the right thing for our customers, colleagues and the communities we serve. ’ (Tesco 2012). The first section of this report, which is the main body, will use financial statements from 2010, 2011 and 2012, along with standard financial ratio analysis to develop a clear picture of Tesco’s financial performance comparing to the competitor. The second section includes a comparative analysis of the competitor strategy and also a conclusion on the performance and health of Tesco PLC based on the years 2010, 2011 and 2012.The third section, presents a critical analysis containing the non-financial factors and risks impacting on the future of Tesco PLC. II-Tesco’s rati o analysis: Ratio Analysis simplifies the financial statement and helps in future planning. It also helps us to inform the entire story of changes and current performance of the company. Ratios highlight all the different factors linked with successful and unsuccessful business. It is a powerful tool of financial analysis in the company. By using Ratio analysis it is easy to evaluate and understand financial health and trend of the business and possible future forecast of the company.Currency = ? (000) The return on capital employed is an important measure of a company's profitability. If ROCE is higher than the company is sound healthy. In 2010 Tesco had 11. 52% ROCE which increase steadily in 2011 and 2012 respectively 12. 93 and 12. 64. So there is a possible reason for this change is that profit increase. It determines management's ability to generate earnings from a company's total pool of capital. Company’s gross profit margin ratio shows that there is slightly differen ce between 2010 and 2012 which shows there was no any major change in their prices.In 2011 the company recorded a gross profit margin ratio of 8. 30%. The positive trend in this margin shows that the company is on profitability trend and therefore is a good investment option. So there is a possible reason for this change the higher cost of production. Operating Margin often refer to simply as a company's profit margin, there is no major change during the period from 2010 to 2012. Activity ratio: 1. Assets Turnover: Asset Turnover= Sales revenue/Capital employed During the last three years Tesco has improved gradually returning continuously in 2011 and 2012 turnover was respectively 2. 4 and 2. 06 . For most companies, their investment in net assets represents the largest component of their total assets. There are no significant changes in asset turnover. Liquidity ratio: Liquidity is a very important ratio for money lenders, suppliers and potential investors to access. According to the Tesco annual statement the result from 2010 to 2012 shows that the current ratio was less than 1 which has a problem to meet their liability in short term. Tesco’s assets are less and its liabilities are quite high which indicates company’s weak current ratio and liquidity problem.Quick ratio is a more conservative (safer) measure of liquidity. A higher quick ratio implies greater safety. According to the acid test ratio Tesco’s acid test ratio was not good because it is below the standard. The liabilities have increased because of increased loan 2010, 2011 and 2012 respectively. In the year 2010 Receivable days was 12. 10 days but after that in 2011 and 2012 fiscal year respectively it was increased to 13. 86 days and 15. 02 days, which is showing their position is not good to collect receivable earlier.It could affect business as well because customers always prefer a long time to pay back whatever they have taken on credit. 2012 = 3598/59278*365 = 22. 15 days It takes Tesco’s approximately 19 to 22 days taken to sell its product from the time it acquire it. Inventory days increased continuously since 2010 to 2012. The possible reasons could be the company’s sales are not good. Capital Gearing: The term â€Å"capital gearing† or â€Å"leverage† normally refers to the proportion of relationship between equity share capital including reserves and surpluses to preference share capital and other fixed interest bearing funds or loans.As the higher a company's degree of leverage as the more the company is considered risky. In, Tesco’s gearing scenario gearing was decreased in 2010 and 2011 separately from 0. 51 to 0. 43, and it was standstill 0. 43 in 2012, which indicates the company improving financially. So there are possible reasons for this change, long term is decreasing in comparison with capital employed. Return on assets: . The profitability ratio here measures the relationship between net profit and assets. Return on assets= Net profit before interest and tax / Total asset*100Return on asset (ROA) indicator of how profitable a company is relation to its total asset . ROA gives us an idea of Tesco how efficient management is sat using its asset to generate earning. In 2010 return on asset was 7. 51% after that there was a decrease till 2012 to 5. 54 %. Tesco PLC has recorded in decreasing sharply value of P/E with values of 14. 12, 12. 12, and 8. 74, being recorded for 2010, 2011, and 2012 respectively (Yahoo Finance 1st Nov 2010,2011,2012). A number of factors could be possible vary due to decreasing in P/E including increased competitiveness for capital in market. Yahoo Finance 2012) 2. Earnings per share: The Earning per Share (EPS) considers the profits that could be paid to each ordinary shareholder. The increase in profit resulted in the increase in EPS. Earnings per share: Earnings o holders / No of o shares in issue 2010 = 29. 33p 2011 = 34. 43p 2012 = 36. 75p The c ompany recorded EPS increased in 2010, 2011 and2012 respectively. There could be number of reason for increasing earnings per share. Possible reason could be the increase in profit, increasing in loan. But it would not be the long term sustainability. 3.Dividend: Dividend per share (DPS) is the sum of declared dividends for every ordinary share issued. DPS is the total dividends paid out over an entire year divided by the number of outstanding ordinary shares issued. Tesco financial statements indicate that dividend yield for the company has been rising in the last five years. The company recorded dividend yields of 3. 15%, 3. 56 %p and 4. 59% for 2010, 2011 and 2012 respectively (Yahoo Finance 1st Nov 2010, 2011, 2012). This is an indication that investor willing to invest in the company have a chance of receiving better dividend in the future. Yahoo Finance 2012) In 2011 company’s debt/equity ratio was higher to1. 04, which is not very good indication for the company. Becau se it heavily depends on loan is not a good policy for any business. But it was reduced the following years in 2011 and 2012 respectively 0. 77 and 0. 77. Debt to Equity: Debt to equity = Non-current interest bearing debt: Equity It is used to determine how easily a company can pay interest expenses on outstanding debt. In 2010 company’s interest coverage was 5. 99 times which increased in 2011 to 10. 47 times but in 2012 decreased slightly to 9. 5. The company’s profit has increased to pay their interest easily. Interpretation and ratio analysis conclusion: In the year 2012 Tesco‘s activity, profitability, liquidity ratio, financial gearing, and investment ratio was comparing with the previous year ratio. In the activity ratio net assets turn increased. Liquidity ratio was quite reasonable due to the economic condition and creditor days decreased which was not good for the company. Financial gearing was not satisfactory and finally, investment ratio increased ma rgin which indicates revenue.The organization managed to increase its return on capital and assets turn over remarkably. Tesco has slightly increased its receivable and payable credit payment period currently showing its financial position. On the other side, it can also be an opportunity for the customers to attract more customers as they always prefer to hold back as much as possible. There is no major difference in the net profit and gross profit margin that means Tesco did not bring any change in its prices and there was not any external pressure from government or competitors.Liquidity of Tesco shows not a major decline over the past 3 years even though it is below 1 which is quite risky condition because current ratio below 1 means liabilities are more and assets are very less. If there will be major decline in the business, the company will not be able to pay their short term liabilities. The Interim report shows that they are reducing the gearing but we Tesco improved its sh ares value by having an increase in the dividends per share and share price. Investors will be attracted by this but this will not stay for long. Yahoo Finance, 2012) III-Comparative Analyse – Tesco’s Vs Marks and Spencer’s We can use Ratio Analysis to do a comparative analysis and seeing our performance with respect to our competitors. For this I have taken Marks and Spencer Group PLC and compared it with Tesco PLC to see the Standing of my company with another company. This helps us to know our strengths and weaknesses in all the areas of the business. Summary of Comparative Results between M & S and Tesco (2010-2012) Revenue and Operating Profits:The revenues earned by the company and the level of operating profit does tell us the size , capacity and type of player the company is in market. The Tesco’s Operating profit s increase over the years but if we see the table below M & S, they reduced the operating cost, but the revenue increased constantly as well. Chart : Tesco & M and S Revenue Comparison The Comparison of Tesco and Marks & Spencer tells us that Tesco is a much bigger company and has a much higher turnover. But through its policies we see that the level of Operating profit of Tesco is higher because of its strong Optimization policies and procedures.Ratio’s comparison between M& S and Tesco: Tesco’s and M & S ratio analysis: Ratio Analysis helps us to inform the entire story of changes and current performance of the company. = 12. 93% 2012 = 3985/ (13731+17801) *100 = 12. 64 % The return on capital employed is an important measure of a company's profitability. If ROCE is higher than it the company is sound healthy. If we see the chart we can M is in stronger condition. 2011= 9740. 30/ (2677. 40+2456. 50) =2. 46 2012= 9934. 30/ (2778. 80+2489. 10) = 2. 49 = 0. 43 2012 = (1460. 10-681. 90) /2005. 40 0. 38 Earnings per share: Earnings o holders / No of o shares in issue 2010 = 29. 33p 2011 = 34. 43p 2012 = 36. 75p M & S 2010 = 33. 50 p 2011 = 38. 80 p 2012 = 32. 50 p The increase in earnings per which is attractive point for investors. Tesco Earning per share increased on 2012 while M Earning per share decreased. 2012 = 2489. 10/2778. 80 = 0. 89% Tesco debt/equity ratio was higher to 1. 04 %, which reduced the following years in 2011 and 2012 respectively 0. 77% and 0. 77%. While M & S was 1. 40 % on 2010 & it’s got bit better on following years.IV-Critical Analysis of the non- financial factors and risks for Tesco PLC In today's worldwide competitive environment organisations have to compete with others regarding a wide range of fields like product quality, delivery, reliability, after-sales services, brand, customer care and feedbacks†¦ (Chairman, FTSE 100 Company, 2003) The financial ratio analysis done above, is very useful as it summarises all the necessary information in order to understand the health of a company, covering profit, liquidity, growth and risk of a com pany.But it is also essential to look at the non financial factors that can have a huge impact on a company’s future potential. V-Conclusion Taking into consideration the ratio analysis applied to Tesco’s between 2010 and 2012 what can be noticed is that the company had some variation. According to level of risk, Tesco’s is less risky than M&S in terms of investment considering that in 2010, 2011 and 2012 had as gearing ratios: 1. 04 %, 0. 77% and 0. 77% respectively and M & S for the same period 1. 40 %, 0. 92% and 0. 89%. As much higher is the gearing ratio more vulnerable is the company to downturns.With an improvement of its shares value by having an increase in the dividends per share and share price, Investors will be attracted by this but this will not stay for long. Moreover considering how much cash flow is available for each pound invested, which is demonstrated by the dividend yield, Tesco’s in 2010 had a variation from 3. 15% to 4. 59% in 2012 which is positive for the business. On the other hand, Tesco’s reacted negatively into the full analysis of profitability, efficiency and effectiveness, liquidity and investor ratios.As an example, the investment per share had a decrease of 5. 38 from 2010 to 2012 and also receivable days had a considerable increase which is a negative impact. Despite of having lower prices than M&S with strong position in UK and also in other continents, Tesco’s might be a good investment in the future, depends on its performance and long-term investment for the follow years. However currently it is not an investment to be considered. Bibliography London Stock Exchange (2012). Tesco PLC ORD SP. London Stock Exchange (2012). Marks and Spencer Group PLC ORD 25P.Available at:http://www. londonstockexchange. com/exchange/prices/stocks/summary/fundamentals. html? fourWayKey=GB0031274896GBGBXSET1 Mark and Spencer (2010)-Annual Report and Financial Statements. Available at http://corporate. marksandspencer. com/documents/publications/2010/annual_report_2010 http://corporate. marksandspencer. com/documents/publications/2011/annual_report_2011 http://corporate. marksandspencer. com/documents/publications/2012/annual_report_2012 (Yahoo Finance, 2012) http://www. bizmove. com/finance/m3b3. htm APPENDIX 1 APPENDIX 2 APPENDIX 1 APPENDIX 2

The Marvelous Meaning of the Scarlet Letter

Life today has changed remarkably from life in the 1800s. During the colonial period, less than 11. 1% of births occurred within the first nine months of marriage. A reported 95% of Americans today have had premarital sex. In today’s society, premarital sex is not considered a sin to most people. In the 1800s, it was a different story. In the novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hester Prynne was found guilty of adultery, branded with a scarlet A, and shunned by the town–an extreme punishment by modern standards.This A that Hester was forced to embroider onto all of her clothing symbolized not only her sin, but the A also held meaning for other characters. It represented the guilt of the man with whom Hester committed adultery: Reverend Dimmesdale. Hester never revealed his identity to the town, and Dimmesdale felt as if he could not confess his sin. Dimmesdale was consumed with penitence, marking himself with an A of his own. Pearl, Hester’s daughter , was another character who found meaning in the scarlet letter, however hers was much different from either Hester’s or Dimmesdale’s.Pearl was the product of her parents’ sin. She was the scarlet letter. For Pearl, the scarlet letter symbolizes life, and she did not understand why it caused her mother so much shame. Essentially, the symbolism of the scarlet letter changed over the course of the novel from something negative, epitomizing shame and sin, to something positive, representing absolution and vitality. The scarlet letter most obviously symbolizes Hester’s sin: adultery. She was forced to wear it as punishment, a cruel reminder of her immorality.Hester had to make the letter herself, so instead of letting it define her, she made it beautiful: â€Å"On the breast of her gown, in fine red cloth, surrounded with an elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold thread, appeared the letter A. It was so artistically done, and with so much fert ility and gorgeous luxuriance of fancy, that it had all the effect of a last and fitting decoration to the apparel which she wore†¦ but greatly beyond what was allowed by the sumptuary regulations of the colony† (37). The fact that she embroidered the letter so delicately and so beautifully completely destroyed the purpose for wearing it.In this way, the scarlet letter represents Hester’s independence and free will. Despite the fact that Hester was able to defy the town in that small way, the townspeople saw a different meaning of the scarlet letter. Instead of simply symbolizing the sin of adultery, the town allowed the letter to symbolize Hester herself. When they looked at her, they saw not a human being, not Hester Prynne, but they saw â€Å"a living sermon against sin, until the ignominious letter be engraved upon her tombstone† (44). The town used Hester and the scarlet A to strike fear into their children, to warn them against the sin of adultery.The letter cloaked Hester Prynne. However, the town’s view of Hester changed, thus altering the symbolic meaning of the scarlet letter. Hester never offered â€Å"irritation or irksomeness. She never battled with the public, but submitted uncomplainingly to its worst usage† (110). She helped those in need and was always there to offer a helping hand. Most people in the town had no choice but to â€Å"refuse to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification. † The A no longer exemplified adultery, but rather it represented â€Å"able.† The town acknowledged Hester’s strength, which was what managed to change the symbolism of the A. While Hester Prynne was embracing the A, Reverend Dimmesdale was struggling to escape his own scarlet letter. Dimmesdale was respected and admired by the town, which caused him extreme guilt. He watched as Hester was publicly humiliated, yet he felt as if he could not confess because of his occupation. He was afraid of the â€Å"light his vague confession would be viewed† (99) by the town. He would be refused as a minister, and seen as the â€Å"remorseful hypocrite that he was† (99).Dimmesdale became so consumed with his guilt and shame, that he became physically ill. The A represented his self-punishment, which was worse than if he had confessed publicly. In fact, Dimmesdale envied the ease with which Hester dealt with her scarlet letter so much that he confessed to her how much his secret burned within him: â€Å"Happy you, Hester, that wear the scarlet letter openly upon your bosom! Mine burns in secret! Thou little knowest what a relief it is, after the torment of a seven years’ cheat, to look into an eye that recognizes me for what I am† (131).Dimmesdale was forced to live with the guilt of his misdeed, whereas Hester did not have to hide what she had done. The scarlet letter represented his sin as much as it represented hers, only he could not confess his. When he was with Hester, he felt relief because Hester knew the truth about what he had done. It is when Dimmesdale finally confessed to his sin and claimed Pearl as his daughter that he was able to let go of his guilt, changing what the scarlet letter meant to him. He revealed his involvement with Hester by telling the town to â€Å"look again at Hester’s scarlet letter!He tells you that, with all its mysterious horror, it is but the shadow of what he bears on his own breast, and that even this, his own red stigma, is no more than the type of what has seared his inmost heart† (174). Dimmesdale removed his shirt to reveal an A, marked onto his own chest, whether by Dimmesdale’s own hand, or by the hand of God. For him, the confession freed him of his guilt and shame, allowing him to forgive himself. The scarlet letter that once symbolized his sin, represented his courage to confess and his ability to finally forgive himself.Dimmesdale died after that, because the rel ease of his grip on the scarlet letter that tortured him, allowed him to release his grip on a life that which was haunted by his sin. A character with a unique perspective in the novel, as well as an interesting perception of scarlet letter was the product of the sin–Pearl. The scarlet letter ultimately symbolized the life and love of Pearl. She was pure and had the ability to see the true selves of others, which she understood when she said â€Å"Come away, mother! Come away, or yonder Black Man will catch you! He hath got hold of the minister already.Come away, mother, or he will catch you! But he cannot catch little Pearl† (92). She knew that Dimmesdale had sinned, although she did not know what the sin was, and she knew that she was innocent and pure, and could not be touched by sin. Although the meaning of the scarlet letter did not change much for Pearl, exactly what it meant to her shone brightly through the words on the pages. Pearl knew that â€Å"the great letter A† (122) had given life to her. Hester thought that Pearl did not know what the letter meant, because of the fact that Pearl constantly asked her mother for the meaning of the A.Perhaps Pearl’s innocence kept her from seeing the sin that both her mother and Dimmesdale had committed, but it is clear when Hester asked Pearl if she knew what the letter meant, that Pearl indeed understood it represented sin: â€Å"It is for the same reason that the minister keeps his hand over his heart† (122). Since Pearl was able to sense the wrongdoing of others, she knew that Hester’s physical scarlet letter embroidered on her bosom and Dimmesdale’s internal scarlet letter seared into his chest were both results of sin.She could not grasp that her mother’s letter meant anything atrocious because it was so familiar to her; she had lived her entire life seeing the letter upon her mother’s chest. To Pearl, the A represented her mother and their lif e together. In the end of the novel, the scarlet letter appeared to represent perhaps the most important element of The Scarlet Letter: Family. Hester and Dimmesdale struggled throughout the book to forgive each other and forgive themselves. They were not able to join together as one unit, protecting and loving their daughter, Pearl.Both characters sought to find meaning from the scarlet letter, aside from the negative one bound to it by the town. However, as Dimmesdale built the courage to confess his sin of adultery, he was able to let go of his guilt and accept Pearl. The A indeed might have represented an A for â€Å"able. † For, even though the town had â€Å"doomed Mistress Prynne†¦for the remainder of her natural life, to wear a mark of shame upon her bosom† (43), and Dimmesdale suffered from the weight of shame, they were able to overcome the stigma of the scarlet letter and bring life to the marvelous meaning of the scarlet letter: Love.

Larsen and Toubro Case Study Essay

Organizational Development (OD) is a planned long term effort led and supported through the top management to improve an organization’s ability and to solve its own problems by continuously working together and on managing the culture using behavioural skills. Thus, there are some certain aspects worth discussing about which are- OD is a planned effort. It requires a lot of effort, patience, and faith and is time consuming. Secondly, OD usually uses outsiders. These ‘facilitators’ as they are called are process specialists and are involved in depth in this process. The pioneers of OD in India were Larsen and Toubro India (L&T). OD at L&T started by calling in 2 eminent professors- Dr Udai Pareek and Dr TV Rao to study the appraisal process at the company. The existing appraisal system had many faults and needed to be corrected. The difficult task started by the professors interviewing some bosses and subordinates from different departments (using Diagnosis or Action Research) and they got a very interesting feedback. Some of the aspects of the feedback were – juniors wanted to know how well they were doing on the job, but weren’t told; people wanted to know what the growth opportunities in the company were; the appraisal form was too lengthy; some bosses had too many subordinates to appraise, etc. After getting the feedback from the employees the professors gave a report to the top management about the actual problem. The appraisal system had to serve not just one but many purposes namely it should help people understand their strengths and weaknesses, their own progress on the job, how they can perform better, and how they could grow in the company. So the appraisal process had to address the issues of appraisal, potential, counselling, career development and training all in one! The top management after reviewing the report gave the go ahead and they did two main things which were the most important which were bifurcating the Personnel department into personnel department and HRD department. This bifurcation was the first sign of ‘structural’ change. Secondly, a team of 6 senior managers was formed which would be responsible for implementing the changes required. The story continues when the 6 task force and the professors decided that the appraisal process had to involve the line managers personally, the performance goals must be set jointly by boss and junior and the appraisals must also involve feedback and counselling to people. Thus, they prepared a Performance Appraisal Manual by involving the departmental heads and other senior managers to analyze what kind of objectives could be set and then added such guidelines in the manual. To address the issue of feedback and counselling, the team identified around 29 senior line managers and some senior staff with a flair for public speaking. These selected people were put through a workshop on how to be good ‘Givers’ and ‘Receivers’ of feedback and then later conducted the same workshop for other employees at HQ and regional offices. Thus, the first workshop was a ‘Train the trainer’ workshop which was cascaded to the other employees. After putting in so much of effort now the management at L&T wanted to know whether the process was working for them or not. So again the professors interviewed some seniors and juniors about how the appraisals were going on. This time different views came into the picture – the goal setting was seen as time consuming, appraisal was becoming a numbers game, and was tending to become ritualistic. The HRD department was asked to conduct a survey (Participant Action Research). The survey also threw new light about the new appraisal process. The bosses now did involve their juniors in the goal setting and there was ‘healthy resolution’ of difficulties and there was a ‘high degree of trust’ between the seniors and juniors which led to ‘increased joint understanding about the job’. After receiving such a feedback, they again tried to simplify the appraisal form by adding the definitions of the attributes listed in the appraisal form. In addition, they held refresher courses in feedback skills for both ‘givers’ and ‘receivers’ of feedback. The facilitators felt that the appraisal system has stabilised when 80 to 85% of the appraisal forms were returned within six weeks of the target date. Also the HRD department started analyzing all the appraisal forms. The data from the analysis was used for listing high and low performers for a certain period; for finalising departmental developmental plans and for preparing the list of department wise employees and the training courses they needed. The above mentioned process took L&T 8 years to complete and stabilise themselves. Thus, I can conclude that OD is a long term process which requires a lot of patience, support from the top management and a vision to a bright future.

A Character Analysis

One of the most significant characters within Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar is that of Brutus, a very complex individual whose actions have significant impact upon the events on the play. This paper examines the character of Brutus and assesses both the good and bad elements of his character. A critique of how these qualities present inner conflict within Brutus is offered together with an explanation of the ways in which these conflicts manifest themselves.It is the intention of this paper to prove that despite the fact that Brutus was able to murder his closest friends, he is essentially a moral man who maintained his honor to the end. One of the most significant elements of Brutus’ character is his strict ideals. He is a nobleman, â€Å"the noblest of Romans† (V. v. 75) who is strongly guided and influenced by matters of honor. He demonstrates a continual obsession with acting in a way that is right and just and speaks regularly of the need to create a republic in Rome that is ruled by the votes of the senate as opposed to a single dictator.This creates a problem in his relationship with Caesar. Despite their close friendship, Brutus is concerned that Caesar will rise to power and then commit an act of betrayal by enforcing a dictatorship on the people of Rome, â€Å"climber-upward†¦ He then unto the ladder turns his back†¦ † (II. ii. 24,26). It is clear that, for Brutus, his moral and ethical ideals are of higher importance than his friendship and love for Caesar and thus he is able to commit the inhumane act of murder.However, whilst the murder itself is wrong, the fact that Brutus himself believes so strongly in the fact that his actions are for the good of Rome, entails that he does, to an extent, maintain his honor. Brutus’ single minded obsession with morality entails that he can be easily persuaded by others to carry out their will, provided it is presented as being for the good of Rome. This reveals a furthe r, negative, element to his character; he is naive. Cassius is able to manipulate Brutus’ obsession with honor in order to persuade him to murder Caesar, an ironic turn of events that on face value is anything but honorable.Brutus fails to recognize that he is being used by Cassius and Antony and seems to accept everything on face value, failing to question facts or consider the possibility that he could be deceived. This can be seen in the way he blindly accepts the letters from Cassius as being sent from the people of Rome and thus demonstrative of their will for Cesar to be removed. His nativity entails that he allows others to play upon his ideals in order to convince him to perform the act of murder. Despite the fact this murder causes him anguish, â€Å"Our hearts you see not; they are pitiful; and pity to the general wrong of Rome†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (III, i, 185-186), he allows Cassius and Anthony to convince him that committing such acts will win the hearts of the people of Rome, â€Å"If then that friend demand why Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my answer: not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more. † (III. ii. 21-24). Brutus’ gullibility is something that he carries with him to the grave, even on his deathbed he believes that he has shared his life with true and honorable men, â€Å"My heart doth joy that yet in all my life I found no man but he was true to me† (V. v. 38-39). Such a naive and trusting nature allows the audience to perceive Brutus as honorable.He is innocent and trusting and truly believes that he is acting on behalf of the people of Rome. A further negative element of Brutus’ character is his poor judgment. He believes that he will win the support of the people of Rome because he acts in their interests. This is evident when he addresses the Roman citizens in the forum and in his general treatment of the Roman crowds. He incorrectly perceives them as intelligent individuals who will b e able to understand his reasoned approach to the murder of Caesar. However, the reality is that the crowd is not able to understand his intellect and is thus left vulnerable to the words of Antony.Here, despite Cassius’ advice to the contrary, he allows Antony to have the last word at the funeral and is thus once again betrayed as a direct result of his naivety. Antony is able to utilize Brutus’ words and actions against him and generate hatred and animosity in the crowd. The same crowd that Brutus judged to be reasonable and intellectual. A further significant component of Brutus’ character is that of his philosophical nature. He is a believer in Stoicism, a philosophy that dictates living side by side with nature and existing in a carefree and indifferent manner. Such a philosophy manifests itself in an unemotional manner.This can be observed when Brutus hears of the death of his beloved wife and simply replies, â€Å"Why farewell Portia, We must die, Messal a† (IV. iii. 218). His stoic nature can be seen as a possible explanation for the way in which he is able to restrict his focus to the political and ethical reasons for his murder of Caesar. Brutus’ stoic nature is further enhanced by the fact that he is able to put the good of the public before his own personal feelings. He does not think of Caesar as a man or a friend, but as a political entity, a future dictator, who threatens the good of Rome.This is one possible explanation for why he appears to show no grief for the acts he has committed or for his dead friend; he is too entrenched in his political objectives. The political focus of Brutus’ character proves to be a further flaw that allows others to use him to their advantage. His apparent lack of emotion is something that Cassius is able to utilize when he addresses the crowd and convinces them that Brutus is inherently bad. As readers though we have an insight into Brutus’ actions and understand th e causes for his lack of emotion.He is so intent on doing what he believes to be right that, in our eyes, he maintains an honorable image. One of Brutus’ biggest faults is his inflexible nature. His stubbornness and inability to adapt to the events that occur ultimately leads to his downfall. Despite the fact that he is so politically focused, he fails to play the game of politics himself and thus leaves himself open to manipulation. Unlike Antony and Cassius, he is unable to strategically plan the best means of achieving his intentions, instead acting upon his blind faith that what he is doing is what the people want.However, although this is a flaw, it is something that maintains his honor; he is not a cheat or a conspirator at heart. This paper has discussed a number of Brutus’ character traits, both good and bad. A number of his qualities both serve in his favor and lead to his downfall. Whilst he is trusting, true to his beliefs and resolute, his naivety, poor jud gment and single mindedness entail that he leaves himself vulnerable to the dishonest actions of those around him.However, it is such naivety that allows the readers to maintain an image of Brutus as an honorable man, who tries to act in the best interests of his people. The last word on the character of Brutus is expressed extremely well by the words of Mark Antony: â€Å"This was the noblest Roman of them all:? All the conspirators, save only he? Did that they did in envy of great Caesar,? He, only in a general honest thought? And common good to all, made one of them† (V,V, 68-72) For the characters in the play, and for the reader, Brutus maintains an element of honorability that even his most disgraceful acts cannot eradicate.