Analytical Reading “The Luncheon” by Somerset Maugham Essay

The text under analysis belongs to the pen of William Somerset Maugham, the one of the best known English writers of the 20th century. He was not only a novelist, but also one of the most successful dramatist and short-story writers. He was born in Paris in 1874. His parents died when he was very young. The boy was taken away from the French school, and went for his lessons daily to the apartment of the English clergyman at the church, then he was sent to England to attend school. In 1890 he went abroad and studied at the University of Heidelberg from which he returned to England in 1892 and became a medical student at St. Thomas’s hospital in London. After that Somerset decided to devote his life to literature. â€Å"I didn’t want to be a doctor. I didn’t want to be anything but a writer†. The technique of the short story had always interested Maugham. Somerset Maugham has written 24 plays, 19 novels and a large number of short stories. At the beginning of the text the narrator, who is the author’s mouthpiece here recognizes a woman with whom he had a lunch several years ago. Then he starts remembering that unforgettable evening: He was a young man, living in Paris and could barely keep body and soul together. She had read his book and wrote a letter to him, expressing her wish to have with him a little luncheon at Foyot’s – a very expensive restaurant. He couldn’t say no to a woman and invited her for lunch. He had only eighty francs to last him the rest of the month. To his horror she ordered one expensive dish after another. He paid the bill and was left with no money at all. However, at the end of the story, the narrator feels that he has finally had his revenge when he sees that the lady has put on a lot of weight. Compositionally the story falls into 3 parts. The story begins with the exposition, which extends over the first several paragraphs. At the beginning of the text the narra tor sees a woman at the theatre in many years since they first met and can hardly recognize her. Then the author presents a flashback to the past which goes to the last paragraph with a help of the sentence â€Å"Did I remember?† which allows us to know what had happened many years ago. Here we learn about the place of action and its time. The reader gets information  about the events, preceding the meeting of the main characters and also understands that the narrator was a very poor man. Then come complications, opened with the sentence: † She was not so young as I expected and in appearance imposing rather than attractive.† The action takes place in the restaurant. Here the reader learns more about the characters. The author describes how this lady enjoys the meal, ordering the most expensive dishes and he is wondering about the bill. The bill was finally paid and the narrator found himself with not a penny left in his pocket for the whole month. After it the author comes back to the present time and here comes the climax. Now, after 20 years had passed by, the narrator has had his revenge at last because â€Å"Today she weighs twenty-one stone†. This story is a first-person narrative. The dialogues are predominant in the complications – the biggest part of the text. The general atmosphere of the text is emotional and ironical (even the title â€Å"The Luncheon† is ironical, because the word â€Å"luncheon† means a â€Å"light snack†, but in fact it turned to be an abundant and very expensive meal), but also strained (â€Å"I watched the abandoned woman thrust them down her throat in large voluptuous mouthfuls, and in my polite way I discoursed on the condition of the drama in the Balkans.†; † Panic seized me. It was not a question now of how much money I should have left over for the rest of the month, but whether I had enough to pay the bill.†). The tone of this story is ironical. The author uses direct (â€Å"But I was flattered, and I was too young to have learned to say no to a woman†; â€Å"I watched the abandoned woman thrust them down her throat†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ) and indirect methods of characterization. The characters are presented through their actions, descriptions of the outward appearance and things that surround the characters. The waiter might be called a minor character. To my mind the woman is smart, gluttonous, selfish, cold, indiscreet. She is a villain who serves a foil to the protagonist. By constantly repeating her ironic expression † I never eat more than one thing † she emphasized the conflict between what she says and what she does. The author – the protagonist, is a poor, kind, honest and sincere man. The author’s style is vivid, clear and emotional. The author uses stylistic devices sparingly. In my opinion there is an external conflict in this story. The theme of this story is appearance against reality. Everything in the  story is not really what it seems to be. The narrator expected to have a little luncheon with a beautiful lady. But it turned to be an expensive meal with an unattractive woman. This woman repeats â€Å"I never eat anything for luncheon†, but eats everything she can. I think that the author’s message â€Å"the appearance is not yet the reality† is very important and relevant today.

How Does Steinbeck Present the Character of Curleys Wife

How does Steinbeck present the character of Curleys Wife? In this essay I am going to be assessing the character Curleys Wife from Steinbeck’s book Of Mice And Men. The book is set in the 1930s during the Great Depression it features two farm workers called George and Lennie. The travel around together in search of work sharing a dream of a place of their own, a small ranch where they can live and work for themselves. It tells the story of how violence may erupt to destroy those dreams.Curleys wife is a character in the book who from the brief encounters with her is presented in two ways. Firstly the dangerous, flirtatious character who isn’t trusted by the rest of the ranch workers but then later one we realize how she is just a victim of loneliness with her being the only girl on the ranch and how she too has an incomplete American Dream to pursue an acting career. Curleys wife is a very important character and is heavily involved in the outcome of the story when Geor ge ends up shooting Lennie however there is the question of her innocence.Before we meet Curleys wife, Steinbeck deliberately gives us a first impression of her to let us know their honest views on her with Candy and Georges conversation. Candy starts by saying â€Å"Wait’ll you see Curleys wife. †, this makes us anticipated of her and gives us an expectation of what is going to be said about her. During the conversation the only positive thing said was that she was â€Å"purty†. She is portrayed as being flirty and not satisfied with her husband when Candy claims â€Å"Married two weeks and got the eye?Maybe that’s why Curleys pants is full of ants. † This makes the reader think because if they were newlywed they should be on their honeymoon period however one is overly flirtatious and the metaphor â€Å"pants is full of ants† shows the others paranoid over her, this gives us the sense something’s not right with their relationship. S teinbeck exaggerates the use of the phrase â€Å"the eye† to mirror the fact she repeatedly flirts with the men in search of attention.Steinbeck describes her negatively when he refers to her as a â€Å"tart† when Candy says â€Å"well i think Curleys married†¦ a tart†, the ellipsis shows Candy’s unsure whether he should refer to her in such an insulting manner but he chooses to anyway. The conversation prejudices Curleys wife before we even meet her and the fact George thinks she will be trouble prepares the reader for future events. Steinbeck uses his description of Curleys wife carefully to give us a certain first impression on her before finding out more about her. The escription starts with â€Å"the rectangle of sunshine in the doorway was cut off†, the light being cut off could be foreshadowing her being the obstacle that would eventually ruin George and Lennies hopes and dreams. Steinbeck then calls her a â€Å"girl† rather than a woman implying her youth and vulnerability, he continues keeps her unnamed to uphold the prejudice women faced in the 1930’s and to show the oppressive misogyny posed against her and how she is only seen through her relation to Curley and is ultimately a possession of his, unworthy of a unique identity.Steinbeck also claims she was â€Å"looking in† showing her as an outsider who doesn’t really fit in and when she does look in, it’s to see something she hopes to have in the future, friendship. When Steinbeck starts to describe her appearance he starts with â€Å"she had full rouged lips and wide spaced eyes, heavily made up† this makes us realise she hides her face with makeup showing her self-consciousness and gives the impression she is trying to look older however it’s not working by her previously being referred to as a â€Å"girl†.Steinbeck repeats the word red when he says â€Å"her fingernails were red† and then †Å"red ostrich feathers†, the noun red has many meanings for example, love but it also means danger and stop. This could again be showing signs of what the future could hold for her and how her desire for love becomes a great danger when leading to her death. Her facial features are a great contrast to her â€Å"nasal, brittle† voice that implies she’s about to break.Curleys wife is provocative with her body language as she is described to have â€Å"put her hands behind her back and leaned against the door frame so that her body was thrown forward† and â€Å"she looked at her fingernails†, she is very conscious of the affect she has on men and uses this to her advantage however her inappropriate clothes and her behavior I think are designed to provoke interest and attention rather than to invite intimacy, we later learn this is because of her loneliness in her marriage to Curley.Her loneliness is clear by her constant asking of the whereabouts of Cu rley proving she is just looking for an excuse to continue her conversation with the ranch workers. The perceptions we make of Curley's wife are corrupted from the views of the ranch hands. Because sexuality is her only weapon she is referred to by George as ‘jailbait' and ‘ a tart' ‘Jesus what a tramp. ‘ George has reason to be weary of her presence especially with Lenny around and the incident in Weed. Listen to me you crazy bastard†¦ Don't you even look at that bitch. He is concerned about Lennie safety because he knows he won’t be able to resist her. The next time Steinbeck presents Curleys wife is in her conversation with Lennie, Candy and Crooks. In this extract we see how Curleys wife clearly enjoys having power over others and because she is the only girl on the ranch she is prone to discrimination by being made to feel like one of Curleys possessions.We first get this impression when she refers to them as â€Å" a bunch of bindle stiffs – a nigger an’ a dum-dum and a lousy ol’ sheep†, Curleys wife wouldn’t dare say these insults to anyone else but she would to these three men purely because one is older, one is mentally challenged and the other is a black man who in the 1930’s faced larger discrimination than girls. However her vulnerability is still shown when she asks â€Å"whatta ya think I am, a kid? †.The use of this rhetorical question makes us remember how she doesn’t want to be thought of as a little kid linking Back to when Steinbeck repeatedly called her a â€Å"girl† rather than a woman giving us the impression that even she realises how lowly she is thought of in the ranch so Steinbeck makes her speak â€Å"contemptuously† to show how she thinks they are beneath her. This scene adds to making the reader dislike her and see her as the downfall of the men in the story. Steinbeck lets us learn more about Curleys wife in the final scene be fore her death.Here we learn that she too has her own dream just like all the other men on the ranch, her dream was to become a movie star in Hollywood and here we also see a completely different side to her initial flirtatious character we originally meet. Curleys wife’s naivety is demonstrable in her approach and attitude towards her dream. â€Å"I coulda made something of myself† she refuses to accept that her dream had a very little chance of coming true, when she says â€Å"maybe I will yet† she uses her dream as an escape from her loveless marriage and pitiful life; she is deluded that her dream will be realised and clings to the hope of a better life.Curleys wife also blames others for the breakdown of her dream, especially her mother, â€Å"My ol’ lady wouldn’t let me†¦. if I’d went I wouldn’t be livin’ like this you bet† she is using her mother as a scapegoat for the failure of her dream, and her current si tuation. Therefore by marrying Curley, she has managed to escape her mother who she feels is responsible for preventing her from achieving her dream of being a movie star. â€Å"an I coulda sat in them big hotels†, Curleys wife’s dream revolves on what could have been, she yearns for luxuries and attention,.Like the men she desires friendship, but her dream is more materialistic; she seeks the attention she feels she deserves. When Curleys wife is telling Lennie about her dream, Steinbeck states that â€Å"Her words tumbled out in passion of communication as though she hurried before her listener could be taken away† This links to her desperation for someone to talk to and how she yearns for some sort of interaction. Curleys wife dream makes her more vulnerable and human. Steinbeck recreates this impression by portraying her innocence in death.Steinbeck uses very specific language when describing how Curleys wife was murdered by Lennie. In this extract we see ho w she underestimated Lennie’s great strength and this is proven when she says â€Å"Jus’ like a big baby†, we as readers know he is capable of murder and we know he is anything but a big baby adding to the tension. Steinbeck does give us a moment of hope when he remembers his Aunt Clara who he has occasionally forgotten, this gives us hope that he will remember Georges warnings on Curleys wife but this isn’t the case.Curleys wife invites Lennie to feel her hair after hearing about his love of stroking soft things and she soon realises her mistake when she goes â€Å"Don’t you muss it up† and when Lennie refuses to let go she cries â€Å"let go† â€Å"you let go† the use of these short sentences lets us realise her panic. Steinbeck declares how she â€Å"writhed to be free† this could really mean how she ached to be free of the ranch and of Curley.Then when he adds how â€Å"her hoarse cry came out† it creates a ma jor contrast to when she wasn’t heard by the men and when her voice is needed the most she is being stifled. He even mentions how her â€Å"eyes were wild with terror†, they aren’t being described with being heavily made up. When Curleys wife is killed Steinbeck ensures the readers sympathy for Lennie is maintained. The reader sees the killing as an inevitable consequence of Lennie’s bear-like strength and Curleys wife’s desire for attention.The use of the simile â€Å"and he shook her and her body flopped like a fish† creates an unsympathetic image, further emphasised with the alliterative â€Å"f†, as we tend not to feel sorry for dying fish in the way we may for a different animal. The sympathy the reader may feel for Curleys wife is weakened with â€Å"and she was still, for Lennie had broken her neck† as this seems harsh. This tone reminds the reader that Lennie would not have wanted to break her neck it was just something that happened so, even though he has committed a terrible act, the reader does not fully blame Lennie.The repetition of the natural imagery, including the clear link to the animalistic imagery when Curleys hand was crushed as he â€Å"flopped like a fish on a line†, both links Curley and his wife as the enemy, but also reminds the reader of Lennie’s early description as a bear, reiterated with his â€Å"paw†-like hands throughout the novel. Because of this, it seems clear that this was both inevitable and natural as bears do kill fish, and Steinbeck could be highlighting the predatory nature of the world; it could also suggest that Steinbeck was trying to show the constancy of the natural world and Lennie is just another victim in this world.However when Curleys wife is dead Steinbeck seems to show her the respect she deserves as his description of Curleys wife after her death is evidently more complimentary than previous occasions. He starts by saying â€Å"T he meanness and the planning and the discontent and the aches for attention was all gone from her face† this straight away lets us realise that only from her death we see the other side to her, the side that was unhappy with her marriage and her life, her incomplete dream and the constant craving for a companion and all this because of her death simply disappears.Steinbeck also uses words such as â€Å"sweet and young† to project Curleys wife more positively as a pretty, young woman, free of all mean qualities. This contrasts to the other times he referred to her as a â€Å"girl† because this time he is reflecting her purity rather than her childlike features. When he says â€Å"Now her rouged lips and her reddened cheeks made her seem alive and sleeping very lightly† it shows us what her life could have been like if she were to have completed it to its full potential. The way Steinbeck portrays her now is a lot more poetic showing his respect.In my conclu sion I think Steinbeck manages to portray two sides to Curleys Wife in the book Of Mice and Men. The first side is the misunderstood girl who isn’t trusted and her need for company and a friend is mistaken for a flirtatious troublemaker. However at the end of the novel Steinbeck makes her intentions clear and shares her dream of becoming a Hollywood movie star giving the readers the chance to see the vulnerable side of her, the one that shows her as not wanting but needing somebody to talk to.The need for such things is what caused her death. Lennie was keeping her company and she needed this so much that she was willing to let him harm her, and in this case kill her. Steinbeck also shows her differently in death as well. He gives Curleys wife respect and describes her as being beautiful and majorly contrasts the provocative way he did beforehand. How Does Steinbeck Present the Character of Curleys Wife How does Steinbeck present the character of Curleys Wife? In this essay I am going to be assessing the character Curleys Wife from Steinbeck’s book Of Mice And Men. The book is set in the 1930s during the Great Depression it features two farm workers called George and Lennie. The travel around together in search of work sharing a dream of a place of their own, a small ranch where they can live and work for themselves. It tells the story of how violence may erupt to destroy those dreams.Curleys wife is a character in the book who from the brief encounters with her is presented in two ways. Firstly the dangerous, flirtatious character who isn’t trusted by the rest of the ranch workers but then later one we realize how she is just a victim of loneliness with her being the only girl on the ranch and how she too has an incomplete American Dream to pursue an acting career. Curleys wife is a very important character and is heavily involved in the outcome of the story when Geor ge ends up shooting Lennie however there is the question of her innocence.Before we meet Curleys wife, Steinbeck deliberately gives us a first impression of her to let us know their honest views on her with Candy and Georges conversation. Candy starts by saying â€Å"Wait’ll you see Curleys wife. †, this makes us anticipated of her and gives us an expectation of what is going to be said about her. During the conversation the only positive thing said was that she was â€Å"purty†. She is portrayed as being flirty and not satisfied with her husband when Candy claims â€Å"Married two weeks and got the eye?Maybe that’s why Curleys pants is full of ants. † This makes the reader think because if they were newlywed they should be on their honeymoon period however one is overly flirtatious and the metaphor â€Å"pants is full of ants† shows the others paranoid over her, this gives us the sense something’s not right with their relationship. S teinbeck exaggerates the use of the phrase â€Å"the eye† to mirror the fact she repeatedly flirts with the men in search of attention.Steinbeck describes her negatively when he refers to her as a â€Å"tart† when Candy says â€Å"well i think Curleys married†¦ a tart†, the ellipsis shows Candy’s unsure whether he should refer to her in such an insulting manner but he chooses to anyway. The conversation prejudices Curleys wife before we even meet her and the fact George thinks she will be trouble prepares the reader for future events. Steinbeck uses his description of Curleys wife carefully to give us a certain first impression on her before finding out more about her. The escription starts with â€Å"the rectangle of sunshine in the doorway was cut off†, the light being cut off could be foreshadowing her being the obstacle that would eventually ruin George and Lennies hopes and dreams. Steinbeck then calls her a â€Å"girl† rather than a woman implying her youth and vulnerability, he continues keeps her unnamed to uphold the prejudice women faced in the 1930’s and to show the oppressive misogyny posed against her and how she is only seen through her relation to Curley and is ultimately a possession of his, unworthy of a unique identity.Steinbeck also claims she was â€Å"looking in† showing her as an outsider who doesn’t really fit in and when she does look in, it’s to see something she hopes to have in the future, friendship. When Steinbeck starts to describe her appearance he starts with â€Å"she had full rouged lips and wide spaced eyes, heavily made up† this makes us realise she hides her face with makeup showing her self-consciousness and gives the impression she is trying to look older however it’s not working by her previously being referred to as a â€Å"girl†.Steinbeck repeats the word red when he says â€Å"her fingernails were red† and then †Å"red ostrich feathers†, the noun red has many meanings for example, love but it also means danger and stop. This could again be showing signs of what the future could hold for her and how her desire for love becomes a great danger when leading to her death. Her facial features are a great contrast to her â€Å"nasal, brittle† voice that implies she’s about to break.Curleys wife is provocative with her body language as she is described to have â€Å"put her hands behind her back and leaned against the door frame so that her body was thrown forward† and â€Å"she looked at her fingernails†, she is very conscious of the affect she has on men and uses this to her advantage however her inappropriate clothes and her behavior I think are designed to provoke interest and attention rather than to invite intimacy, we later learn this is because of her loneliness in her marriage to Curley.Her loneliness is clear by her constant asking of the whereabouts of Cu rley proving she is just looking for an excuse to continue her conversation with the ranch workers. The perceptions we make of Curley's wife are corrupted from the views of the ranch hands. Because sexuality is her only weapon she is referred to by George as ‘jailbait' and ‘ a tart' ‘Jesus what a tramp. ‘ George has reason to be weary of her presence especially with Lenny around and the incident in Weed. Listen to me you crazy bastard†¦ Don't you even look at that bitch. He is concerned about Lennie safety because he knows he won’t be able to resist her. The next time Steinbeck presents Curleys wife is in her conversation with Lennie, Candy and Crooks. In this extract we see how Curleys wife clearly enjoys having power over others and because she is the only girl on the ranch she is prone to discrimination by being made to feel like one of Curleys possessions.We first get this impression when she refers to them as â€Å" a bunch of bindle stiffs – a nigger an’ a dum-dum and a lousy ol’ sheep†, Curleys wife wouldn’t dare say these insults to anyone else but she would to these three men purely because one is older, one is mentally challenged and the other is a black man who in the 1930’s faced larger discrimination than girls. However her vulnerability is still shown when she asks â€Å"whatta ya think I am, a kid? †.The use of this rhetorical question makes us remember how she doesn’t want to be thought of as a little kid linking Back to when Steinbeck repeatedly called her a â€Å"girl† rather than a woman giving us the impression that even she realises how lowly she is thought of in the ranch so Steinbeck makes her speak â€Å"contemptuously† to show how she thinks they are beneath her. This scene adds to making the reader dislike her and see her as the downfall of the men in the story. Steinbeck lets us learn more about Curleys wife in the final scene be fore her death.Here we learn that she too has her own dream just like all the other men on the ranch, her dream was to become a movie star in Hollywood and here we also see a completely different side to her initial flirtatious character we originally meet. Curleys wife’s naivety is demonstrable in her approach and attitude towards her dream. â€Å"I coulda made something of myself† she refuses to accept that her dream had a very little chance of coming true, when she says â€Å"maybe I will yet† she uses her dream as an escape from her loveless marriage and pitiful life; she is deluded that her dream will be realised and clings to the hope of a better life.Curleys wife also blames others for the breakdown of her dream, especially her mother, â€Å"My ol’ lady wouldn’t let me†¦. if I’d went I wouldn’t be livin’ like this you bet† she is using her mother as a scapegoat for the failure of her dream, and her current si tuation. Therefore by marrying Curley, she has managed to escape her mother who she feels is responsible for preventing her from achieving her dream of being a movie star. â€Å"an I coulda sat in them big hotels†, Curleys wife’s dream revolves on what could have been, she yearns for luxuries and attention,.Like the men she desires friendship, but her dream is more materialistic; she seeks the attention she feels she deserves. When Curleys wife is telling Lennie about her dream, Steinbeck states that â€Å"Her words tumbled out in passion of communication as though she hurried before her listener could be taken away† This links to her desperation for someone to talk to and how she yearns for some sort of interaction. Curleys wife dream makes her more vulnerable and human. Steinbeck recreates this impression by portraying her innocence in death.Steinbeck uses very specific language when describing how Curleys wife was murdered by Lennie. In this extract we see ho w she underestimated Lennie’s great strength and this is proven when she says â€Å"Jus’ like a big baby†, we as readers know he is capable of murder and we know he is anything but a big baby adding to the tension. Steinbeck does give us a moment of hope when he remembers his Aunt Clara who he has occasionally forgotten, this gives us hope that he will remember Georges warnings on Curleys wife but this isn’t the case.Curleys wife invites Lennie to feel her hair after hearing about his love of stroking soft things and she soon realises her mistake when she goes â€Å"Don’t you muss it up† and when Lennie refuses to let go she cries â€Å"let go† â€Å"you let go† the use of these short sentences lets us realise her panic. Steinbeck declares how she â€Å"writhed to be free† this could really mean how she ached to be free of the ranch and of Curley.Then when he adds how â€Å"her hoarse cry came out† it creates a ma jor contrast to when she wasn’t heard by the men and when her voice is needed the most she is being stifled. He even mentions how her â€Å"eyes were wild with terror†, they aren’t being described with being heavily made up. When Curleys wife is killed Steinbeck ensures the readers sympathy for Lennie is maintained. The reader sees the killing as an inevitable consequence of Lennie’s bear-like strength and Curleys wife’s desire for attention.The use of the simile â€Å"and he shook her and her body flopped like a fish† creates an unsympathetic image, further emphasised with the alliterative â€Å"f†, as we tend not to feel sorry for dying fish in the way we may for a different animal. The sympathy the reader may feel for Curleys wife is weakened with â€Å"and she was still, for Lennie had broken her neck† as this seems harsh. This tone reminds the reader that Lennie would not have wanted to break her neck it was just something that happened so, even though he has committed a terrible act, the reader does not fully blame Lennie.The repetition of the natural imagery, including the clear link to the animalistic imagery when Curleys hand was crushed as he â€Å"flopped like a fish on a line†, both links Curley and his wife as the enemy, but also reminds the reader of Lennie’s early description as a bear, reiterated with his â€Å"paw†-like hands throughout the novel. Because of this, it seems clear that this was both inevitable and natural as bears do kill fish, and Steinbeck could be highlighting the predatory nature of the world; it could also suggest that Steinbeck was trying to show the constancy of the natural world and Lennie is just another victim in this world.However when Curleys wife is dead Steinbeck seems to show her the respect she deserves as his description of Curleys wife after her death is evidently more complimentary than previous occasions. He starts by saying â€Å"T he meanness and the planning and the discontent and the aches for attention was all gone from her face† this straight away lets us realise that only from her death we see the other side to her, the side that was unhappy with her marriage and her life, her incomplete dream and the constant craving for a companion and all this because of her death simply disappears.Steinbeck also uses words such as â€Å"sweet and young† to project Curleys wife more positively as a pretty, young woman, free of all mean qualities. This contrasts to the other times he referred to her as a â€Å"girl† because this time he is reflecting her purity rather than her childlike features. When he says â€Å"Now her rouged lips and her reddened cheeks made her seem alive and sleeping very lightly† it shows us what her life could have been like if she were to have completed it to its full potential. The way Steinbeck portrays her now is a lot more poetic showing his respect.In my conclu sion I think Steinbeck manages to portray two sides to Curleys Wife in the book Of Mice and Men. The first side is the misunderstood girl who isn’t trusted and her need for company and a friend is mistaken for a flirtatious troublemaker. However at the end of the novel Steinbeck makes her intentions clear and shares her dream of becoming a Hollywood movie star giving the readers the chance to see the vulnerable side of her, the one that shows her as not wanting but needing somebody to talk to.The need for such things is what caused her death. Lennie was keeping her company and she needed this so much that she was willing to let him harm her, and in this case kill her. Steinbeck also shows her differently in death as well. He gives Curleys wife respect and describes her as being beautiful and majorly contrasts the provocative way he did beforehand.

Being a Carpenter

The topic on which this paper will be is carpentry. This paper will include many facts of carpentry, and ways to become a carpenter. This paper will also inform how much the earnings are in your region/area. These writings will also include what a carpenter is and does. In addition, the paper includes the working conditions and hours of a carpenter. The focus will be on the career of a carpenter and the three ways to obtain necessary training. Being a carpenter entails several work activities. Some of the common work activities are controlling machines and processors. One of the things a carpenter also does is study blue prints. Another thing carpenters do is layout, measure, and cut wood. Carpenters do all of their work with their hands. Carpenters also repair and inspect damaged parts of buildings and structures. If you’re a carpenter you need to perform activities that use your whole body and your imagination. Carpenters also need to be able to teach others and estimate sizes. Polishing and finishing wood is also a skill carpenters should have (â€Å"Carpenters†). Therefore these are most of the things that a carpenter does. A carpenter faces very tough work conditions. Some of these working conditions include mostly working outdoors or indoors without air conditioning or heat. These working conditions are also very cramped and you are always exposed to chemical fumes and solvents. When you’re a carpenter you will also always be exposed to high places by climbing up ladders to roofs of houses which you’re fixing. Carpenters are exposed to loud noises which can be annoying and uncomfortable. If your measurements are not exact, someone may become injured. Carpenters may get back, arms, or leg problems due to repeating the same physical activity repeatedly. They also need to work more days and more hours in the summer when the weather is good. One bad thing about carpenters is that they usually need to work weekends in order to meet deadlines. You always need to work at several different job sites and it may be for several months (â€Å"Carpenters†). Even though these are very challenging working conditions it will pay off in the long run. A carpenter needs many skills and abilities. While being a carpenter you need to communicate by listening to others and asking questions. You must also be able to use math and science to solve a problem. You need to be very alert to notice when someone is doing something incorrectly and you need to be able to determine people’s strengths and weaknesses. Carpenters need to be able to estimate cost and time of a job (â€Å"Carpenters†). In conclusion, a person must possess these skills to be a carpenter. Wages of carpenter’s vary depending on several factors. Factors include the number of hours carpenters spend on the job. Carpenters can earn $48,550 to $78,710 in Hawaii with the median salary at $65,830. Across the rest of the United States carpenters can earn $30,410 To $53,580 yearly, with the median salary at $39,470 (â€Å"Carpenters†). Thus, these are all the benefits and wages which carpenters receive when working full time. There is much needed training to be a carpenter starting in high school is very important in preparation for the field of carpentry. Some courses to take in high school can be blueprint reading and carpentry. Some other classes include construction, drafting, and wood working. Wood working would be excellent because carpenters always work with wood as their job. Physical Education is also a very important class to take because you need to be in shape and be able to lift at least seventy pounds. Carpenters who want to start their own business should take some classes including the following entrepreneurship, accounting, and business. You must be at least seven-teen with a high school degree or G. E. D. and you must pass an industry test (â€Å"Carpenters†). Thus if you can complete this training you can be a carpenter. There are many colleges that offer courses to become a carpenter. Some of these colleges are; New England Institute of Technology, University of Hawaii: Honolulu Community College, and Hudson Valley Community College. These schools offer the programs to become a carpenter. The first college is named Hudson Valley Community College; which is located in Troy, New York. Troy is a small city of about 50,000 to 249,999 people in it. The entrance requirements are thirty-dollars for an application and a high school degree or equivalence. The tuition cost will differ since most schools are cheaper for residents of that state. The cost for in-state tuition is $3,978, and the tuition for an out-of-state student will be $10,778. The other costs to factor in though are books, supplies, and dorms. The books and supplies will come out to about $550 and an estimated $300 for personal expenses. Dormitories are also an additional $6,300. The director of admissions Mary Bauer can be contacted at the number (877)325-4822 or faxed at the number (518)629-4576 and the address of the school is 80 Vandenburgh Avenue Troy, NY 12180 (â€Å"Hudson Valley Community College†). This is one of the schools that can help someone become a carpenter. The next school is called New England Institute of Technology. This college is a regionally accredited co-ed two year technical college, which is located in New England. The only requirements are twenty-five dollars for an application, a high school degree or equivalence, and an interview. The tuition fee is $18,815 for in and out-of-state students. It is an estimated $1,280 for books and supplies and it is $7,135 for a room or dormitory. A fact about this campus is that it is it is eighty-three percent men and seventeen percent woman. Mark Blondin, the Director of Admissions can be called at (401)467-7744 or located at 2500 Post Road Warkick, RI. (â€Å"New England Institute of Technology†). This school will also help you become a carpenter. The last school is University of Hawaii: Honolulu Community College. Honolulu Community College is located in Honolulu, Hawaii; it is a large urban setting of over 500,000 people. The requirements to get in the college are twenty-five dollars for an application and you do not even need a high school diploma. The tuition for this school is $2,670, the books are $773, and a room is $7,447. Some cool facts about this college are that you can join various clubs and it is close to a beach. The admissions counselor; Funai Grace who is located at 874 Dillingham Boulevard Honolulu, HI 96817 or you can call her at (808)845-9129. (â€Å"University of Hawaii: Honolulu Community College†). So, this college is a cheaper school and it’s close to the beach. In conclusion, this paper included many facts of carpentry, and ways to become a carpenter. This paper also included some interesting facts and costs of schools. The paper also included some things about what is like to be a carpenter, what you need to do, and how to become an actual carpenter.

Living Abroad Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Living Abroad - Essay Example Access to other states provides the freedom of choice to those people who are not content with limits and intend to broaden own mind. Because traveling is not just a matter of good time-spending, it is also a process of studying, which assists to elaborate new kind of perception, comprehension and emotional arousal. When a person visits various places all over the world, he gets acquainted with foreign culture, lifestyle, customs, morals and manners. This in its turn makes him wiser, more mature and intelligent, enabling to come up with totally new ideas, thoughts, attitudes and sometimes absolutely new dreams. The more a man sees, the faster he saturates own mind with knowledge that helps him to develop own personality and grow. Nature gave us unlimited abilities. That is why our task is to improve ourselves no matter what level we have already reached. Regrettably, not everybody has inner intention to get smarter and more educated, but those who really have it try to perceive as mu ch information as possible. And partly we are able to implement the mentioned plan with a help of different people during communicational process and various places that have own history and events. Therefore, traveling contains several functions, one of which is experience along with self-development. Being an everlasting dreamer by nature, I have a list of goals that should be attained on specific stages of my life. The biggest of them is to make a trip all around the world. It is definitely not an easy scheme, which can take a lot of time, but I am absolutely confident that this dream is worthy having a try. In my opinion, there is nothing so amazingly impressing than to admire foreign countries, hearing another language, searching for places of interest, tasting national food, trying to have a chat with local citizens, and just wandering with a map from one street to another in a hope to find the right direction. Traveling is not just another kind of entertainment, for many peop le it is a real way of life without which they can not imagine own existence. Visiting other countries manages to broaden person’s outlook, making him stronger and capable of great endurance to changing conditions of surrounding atmosphere. It is not random that usually a man who travels a lot turns out to be rather interesting interlocutor, because his way of life allows him to be aware about many things that are hardly known for those people who never go out of native town. A traveler can teach you a lot due to his wide experience and high intelligence. Such person is steadier to foreign environment and there is less possibility that different stressful situations will be able to break him down and push to give up. When you see many things, you become ready for unpredictable issues, which for stay-at-home people can be unsolvable. That is why traveling gives you a considerable advantage, endowing with knowledge that can become essential and rather useful in the future. For example, it is known that each country has its own rules and ethics which need to be followed when you make a visit or deal with people originated there. Hence, in China it is considered to be normal when a person leaves some food on his plate, which means that he is full up and content with master’s hospitality. This is a sign of respect and gratitude. However, in United States of America such gesture can be accepted as offence. People may think that you did not eat up because in your opinion the food was not delicious, even

Forced Drug Testing of Defendants Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Forced Drug Testing of Defendants - Essay Example The rationale argued Clinton for desiring the drug testing program was that "too often, the same criminal drug users cycle through the court, corrections, and probation systems still hooked on drugs and still committing crimes to support their habit." (Clinton, 1995) We should react, he argued, "at the earliest possible stage in a person's interaction with the criminal justice system-following arrest." (Clinton, 1995) At first blush this would seem to be a rather easy concept. It would seem that drug testing would be a harmless way to combat what all lawmakers would agree is wretched drug problem in the United States. However, there are issues that apply to the constitutional rights of any person. Why does a person who is only alleged to have committed a crime have to be forced into testing Does that person loose their privacy rights which are secured by the Fourth Amendment simply because they were arrested My opinion is that while pre-trial drug testing may secure the appearance of a defendant it does not mean that the defendant is not going to be prone to committing further crimes. It only means that the defendant will avoid going to jail. ... Pursuant to that program persons that were convicted of drug crimes were given a choice. They could either agree to enter impatient drug treatment which was supplemented by outpatient drug treatment, or be sentenced. Ultimately, it was demonstrated that those who had received the benefits of treatment were less likely to commit the same type of crimes. (William H. McGlothin et.al, 1977) Notably, these were programs and suggestions that were offered in lieu of being in jail rather than being used to secure appearances. The Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution guarantees that "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized." B. C. v Plumas Unified School District (9th Cir. 9/20/99). One might argue that because a person is in police coustdy, that they have already lost that guarantee of security. However, where is the line drawn For example, if I am arrested for shoplifting, should a court be allowed to mandate that I submit to drug testing Of course, I don't have the right to claim privacy as to the shoplifting charge, but why should I be searched for drugs Does drug testing not constitute a search The notion that it holds any pretrial value is completely illusory. Suppose next that I have passed all drug testing. What would be the next threat Perhaps bail should be foregone because I have no drugs in my system. I am by no means advocating the use of drugs. Rather, I am advocating for my privacy and the right as it

Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 6

Strategic Management - Essay Example Primark has been a retailing giant in the fashion industry that has over a few years been successful. Some of its strategies have over the years included effective marketing to specific targets across Europe. Primark’s target market is mostly the fashion sensitive age group which is basically people with the age below thirty five years of age. They also deal mostly with brand names that are minor, which translates to cheap quality fashionable trends. They have maintained their market by providing the same product of the same quality at a lower price than their competitor provide. This accompanied with the effective management of response and delivery mechanisms has ensured that Primark has maintained its competitive and reliability position in the European market. Their computerised warehouse controls and an effective efficient distribution networks has made sure that Primark stays top notch in customer satisfaction. With the current technological capability, social life has b een incorporated with the business aspect of running things. Companies have been compelled to adapt social media and the use of the internet to provide their services. Marketing and advertising have been forced to tap into the high usage of internet to make a large profit. With just under three billion people using the internet and over two billion people using smart phones, companies have resolved to a paradigm shifts. Some retail and distributing stores have moved from slightly depending on the internet to full dependence of the internet for all their services. Companies like Amazon and eBay who are also giant retailers have completely depended on online shoppers successfully for their sales. Primark has been reluctant to adapt to this marketing and sales strategies but has just kept the traditional walk in stores. This habit is however facing a challenge as more people change their shopping habit coupled with the various technological products that arise in the market. With Prima rk’s main target being people who are below thirty-five years of age, they are bound to adjust and shift into providing online shopping solutions for their clients. This is because it is estimated that the highest number of internet users are people who are below the age of thirty five years. This brings Primark head to head in confrontation and demand from its customers. With the global penetration of internet use, coupled with the increase in the use of mobile devices especially smart phones also creates the necessity to Primark of adoption an online shop. The demand in the usage of these solutions provides a huge market in the retail sector. Another factor that might make it inevitable for Primark to adopt the online retail shop is the use of social media marketing and internet marketing. Over one, half of Europe’s population has one or two active social media accounts. The usage of mobile phones and tablets has been very addictive and convenient at the same time. A large number of people rarely get the time to walk around, let alone spend time with their families. Online jobs and jobs that demand regular travelling or jobs which have squeezed time schedules create least chances for shopping to the affected people. This drives away all the interested clients that might have purchased the said products. Providing such clients with an alternative shopping model enables them to purchase the products online at any time. This not only stops the retailer from losing

How institutional and cultural issues impact International HRM Essay

How institutional and cultural issues impact International HRM - Essay Example This essay will provide an analysis on the literature available on International Human Resource Management and how companies deal with the challenges of globalisation and of managing employees of different culture. International human resource management is an important emerging phenomenon in international business. There is a sudden growth of interest over this due to the rapid growth of industrialisation and globalisation. Globalisation has revolutionized the way organisations function; it has been enhanced by continuous technological advancement, the Internet and Information Technology. Organisations have to expand both as an organisation and as a business. Businesses, which have been internationalized because of intense globalisation, have to introduce more new products and services. Competition dictates these companies to be always changing and innovative. The importance of borders between different countries is reduced, and similar events and phenomena in countries throughout t he world are more easily linked. The identities of cross-border structures are strengthened, and the power of organisations operating only within the nation state is weakened. International human resource management has its origin in the 1980s, as a reaction against the more functional approach embodied in personnel management. McKern stated that during the early years of the post-war development of the modern international corporation, organisational structures evolved slowly in response to geographical and market diversity. It was easy for management to change structures incrementally. But now changes in the organisation are based on complex environmental factors. International HRM was born. Guest (1990 as cited in Cray and Mallory, 1998) says that ‘the apparent novelty of HRM lies in the claim that by making full use of its human resources a firm will gain competitive advantage’. HRM Paradigms Human resource management is the strategic and coherent approach to the ma nagement of an organisation’s most valued asset – the people. Due to the emergence of various forces in globalisation, organisations and businesses have become global as a result of technological innovations, and the introduction of more development in communications and transportation. There are two paradigms focusing on HRM. The universalist paradigm, which is dominant in the United States and widely used elsewhere, assumes that the purpose of the study of HRM is to improve the way human resources are managed strategically within organisations (Harris et al., 2003). In contrast, the contextual paradigm searches for an overall understanding of what is contextually unique and why. Many management researchers find the universalist paradigm ironically excluding much of the work of HR specialists in such areas as compliance, equal opportunities, trade union relationships and dealing with local government. This paradigm is not helpful in regions like Europe, where signific ant HR legislation and policy is enacted at European Union level (e.g. freedom of movement, employment and remuneration, equal treatment) as well as those of particular countries or sectors (Brewster et al, 1996, qtd. in Harris et al, 2003). HRM is now considered the determinant factor in the success or failure of international business. The success of global business depends most importantly on the quality of management in an organisation. There is a shortage of international management talent that constrains implementation of global strategies (Scullion and Paauwe, 2004). There is a lot of challenge placed on the manager in managing an organisation of different culture. Along this line of thought is the concept on comparative human resource mana

Business Dissertation proposal Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business Dissertation - Research Proposal Example A largely qualitative methodology will be adopted for primary data collection. An e-mail questionnaire will be the basic tool of the survey. The sample of SMEs will be a systematic random one and it will be drawn from national business registers. Since this will be a small-scale study the data will be analyzed by manual methods using a "data preparation grid" (Munn and Drever, 1990). The use of structured grids facilitates the identification of emerging patterns. The literature search will aim to be comprehensive, but restricted access to primary literature, for example due to the remote location of material sought, will exclude consideration of some sources in the actual literature review. The collection of primary data will be based on a survey of 100 SMEs, the number in the sample limited due to the restrictions of time to complete the project and resources to support it. 8. Resources Computing and library facilities at University will be used extensively in support of the project. 7. Timetable

The Criminal Justice Policy the Last 20 Years Essay

The Criminal Justice Policy the Last 20 Years - Essay Example In many circumstances, this system has failed to hold offenders accountable, reduce crime, help the victims or even operate with efficiency (Ismaill, 2011, 152-9). The system has many ‘black box’ dealings which contribute too little evidence on the procedures of implementing the policies. Moreover, it has led to problems associated with risks, for instance, increase in crime rates, the victimization on community policing, continuing injustices and the inefficiencies in regards to its operation with information or evidence with less credibility. The criminal justice system has many failure points due to limited training provided for criminal justice officials, practitioners, the various agencies in which it operates and to the researchers (Mears, 2010, 61-9). Evaluation research would help the policymakers in making decisions on whether to design, adopt, reject or improve a given criminal justice policy. Â  The criminal justice system policies are costly. The politicians are lacking appropriate research evaluation strategies and thus could spend billions of dollars in policies that may not be needed by the people or just policies which may not operate as expected (Ismaill, 2011, 152-9). A policy based on research evaluation is a solid start for accountability of the system and reliance on strategies based on evidence (Mears, 2010, 61-9). This also forms a firm foundation for cost-effectiveness in the administration of justice, enables the offenders to be helpful members in the society, enhances the prevalence of justice, and helps in assisting the victims of injustice and the communities impacted on by criminal acts. The public and the policymakers always demand a criminal justice system which is credible, accountable and cost-effective. Â  The number of offenders has significantly risen over the last twenty years (Mears, 2010, 61-9).

Gender inequality Essay Example for Free

Gender inequality Essay This is a theoretical approach which views social institutions as collective tools made to fulfill individual as well as social needs of the larger community. It pays attention to the structure, workings, responsibilities and performance of the society as a whole. Society is therefore seen to consist of subsections of inter-dependent and interrelated people who work together to attain satisfaction and the survival of the whole society. This then calls for the society to be trained in behaviors and roles that benefit the society, with a deep believe that behavior is structural. The first phase in the social sensitization is then adherence to values that outline the general guidelines of the societal roles and norms. Functionalists salute the fact that rules and regulations in the society help to organize and coordinate genuine relationships between different members of the society. The institutions tasked with the above roles include the economy, family, political and educational systems, which all forms the social structure. Within these institutions, there exist interrelated and interconnected norms and roles and thus it is believed to ensure societal conformity. For example, in the family, the interrelated roles are of sons, daughters, husband, mother and wife. (Amartya, 2001, pp. 19) The theory is viewed from different angles and operates on some key concepts. It first views society as a system. A system is a pool of interconnected parts making a move towards same equilibrium. Secondly, for a society to survive, it must satisfy some functional requirements that include reproduction among others. Thirdly, different phenomenon exists because they have to serve a function. Aspects like family, religion, order, media and education have their roles to play for betterment of society. In the social life, production and distribution of goods and services must take place, administrative justice has to occur, political structure must in place and family structure must exist as a means to reproduce and maintain social life. The way these roles are carried out obeys norms and structures of the society. An example of functionalism is gender inequality. Functionalists generally believe that certain degree of inequality is important and functional for the society; the society cannot operate smoothly without a certain inequality degree. In society, functionalists argue that inequalities must exist in the rewards in form of power, prestige, status and income. These disparities will induce each and every individual to perform distinct duties. Social inequalities represent natural inequalities which occur in the division of labour process. Different classes of work produce extra value to the concerned process and therefore require an extra package of reward. In our institutional settings, different subsections have been introduced to solve some functional and special roles. These put pressure on selected areas and groups hence the idea of inequality. Such micro institutions include operative (production), regulatory, legislatory and distributory prerequisites (Ridgeway, 1992, pp. 55). The reality is that each society and individual need to be engaged in solving problems related to control and coordination, production of goods and services and finally best find best and optimal ways of distributing resources. With increasing population worldwide, problems of feeding the individuals have developed thus creating new and more challenging forms and organizations which can coordinate and control various and distinct social units and also develop systems of resource distributions. The only solution to this is introduction of labour specialization and redefinition of assigned duties for fulfillment of specified duties. Ultimately, this results to big man aspect followed by a hierarchical chain with different mandates, duties and privileges. In the societal functioning, the idea of roles is developed into collectivities complementing each other in the functions fulfillment in the society. Most of the roles are bestowed on the social institutions and social structures. The structures perform their roles to assist the society to function. A perfect and equilibrium society is the one where the role and responsibilities are not conflicting, everyone knows and meets his or her role effectively and no discrimination or stratification. A perfect socialization is attained when all societal norms and values are observed and maintained by everybody in the societal settings. However, our today’s institutions no longer value a leveraged socialization environment. This is because individuals in the changing situations are adapting to their responsibilities through a role bargaining process. (Dollar and Gatti,1999, pp. 45) The new and emerging responsibilities are never institutional and conformitive, but are rather geared at building different personalities to perform different roles in the same setting. Because the traditional adaptation process can not respond to sharp shocks and immediate radical changes, structural dissolution and dysfunction has occurred, leading to new system or death of the society. After the society dies, the oneness and status equity spirit dies away and people draw demarcation lines between themselves on the basis of social classes and economic status, hence inequality invades the social system. (Dollar and Gatti, 1999, pp. 89) Functionalist analysis perspective recognizes the society to be composed of various components, the institutions which are functional. Within them there must be institutional roles to be played such that social coherency and mutuality is an objective within many of them. The social structure is therefore bound to attain wide range of goal, a sense which can’t allow them to concentrate primarily on societal affairs. This classifies the institutions with respect to time into either functional or dysfunctional. In this case only only power and coercion can be used to attain functionalism. This drive makes such institutions to develop other alternatives to fulfill the societal functions. Such alternatives are mostly made to help attainment of the institutional goals regardless of whether functionalism is attained or not. When functionalism dies, the institutions are never society friendly and therefore the tendency of status quo is approved and then inequalities rise up. Functionalists maintain their stand on the societal solidarity, without underrating the stratification issue, which is prevalence of hierarchical arrangement of different social classes. Functional prerequisites also include basic needs such as food, shelter, money and clothing. It is believed that social stratification is necessary in stabilization process of the society. This strategy comes along with inaccessibility of resources and the lack of social mobility due to the decay of functionalism. Stratification means that people at the working class have lower chances to advance socioeconomically, at the same time the wealthy continue exploiting proletariat generation, one after the other (Amartya, 2001, pp. 106). Functionalists have also found out that social classes are based on the power over the production process. In this case where function of common goodness is dead, the ruling class is the bourgeoisie and the working class is known as proletariats. These groups hijack and take control of not only production process but also its intermediary means of production. They then strengthen their relationships based on exploiting the rest of the mass in the society. At this stage the society undergoes disintegration and all former social patterns are dropped to give room to the emerging trend of living. This social stratification does not only manifest economic inequality but also power and status differentials. (Lorber, 2001, pp. 67) Functionalist theory says that there exist four classes in stratification that betray societal togetherness and common equilibrium. These classes are propertied upper class, the propertied-less or white collar workers, petty bourgeoisie and working class. Functionalism is a field of thought that puts attention to values and norms of the society. As a matter of diversity, it is the time to think in other terms that would release the society from the inapplicable chores that have been bypassed by time. The theory creates gender roles throughout ones life, permeating from childhood to adulthood. According to the thought, this helps in structuring parenting and marriage patterns. In the mean time, the theory has been outdated because everyone has the sponbsilbility of responding to economic challenges of the family as well as family chores. Studies have tried to compare the way functionalistic theory assigns different duties with respect to gender, and the real life situation given the dynamicity with time. Revelation has been made that women are currently taxed with both work, majority of home chores and child care. On the other hand men are no longer the sole breadwinners of the family (Lorber, 2001, pp. 76). Despite economic contribution, it has been noticed that women have maintained the care giving responsibility in their familial context. As a result, functionalists view family as one of the components of social structure which its goals should be compatible and aimed at and common goal for mutual benefit. If the family is characterized by the above injustices in the allocation of family chores, then the theory flops in performing its duties as a societal conformer. By critically looking at functionalism, it existed and considered lightly the suppression of women in the family, which was considered the most vital institution. Even if the functionalists failed to articulate the conflicts and tensions in the family, they really existed if they were not about to. If that is not the case then functionalist oversimplified their analysis of women concerning work and family and only concentrated on the positive impacts of the family to the society at the cost of women. The mystery in this theory is contributed by lack of the realization that a change can occur in the society that can lead to rebellion or innovation. Some changes build up rebellious atmosphere and thus the society undergoes dissolution. There was also the necessity to consider the effect of both manifest and latent functions in relation to functionalism. Manifest functions are conscious intentions of the actors, whereas latent functions are objective results of their actions and that are unintended. To validate this theory from a personal point of view, a more comprehensive study into the gender inequality in both economic and the social arrangements in our contemporary world is necessary. In day to day life, women collaborate with men in ambiqous and complex ways, with different deprivations and rewards. I think that gender equity sensitive indicators should be developed to enable the functionalism, theory to gain meaningful momentum and focus on common good, an environment without deprivation and stratum. (Ridgeway, 1992, pp. 34) It would be relevant to explore why women’s contributions and efforts do not receive commensurate returns. To excel in this analysis, these indicators should be developed and used, they should be formulated and utilized and identify unrecognized women efforts that go uncompensated. When inequalities hit a society, disparities are witnessed in such as men and women, social classes, racial groups and regional population. In terms of education all possible efforts should be made ensure equality in providing equal opportunity and realization of equal results to each student depending on personal aptitudes, interests and abilities regardless of gender. Discrimination on gender basis is usually demonstrated by factors such as examination result, response of teachers, enrolment levels, interaction of teachers with various topics, students and topics in the school environment. (Amartya, 2001, pp. 31) Functionalists did not consider these kinds of disparities that were covered within the society. School is one of the social institutions that these thinkers believed contributed to social harmony. They could as well consider harmonization issues within the school that are inhuman. If every aspect of humanity was to be put into consideration, then it could not apply to the larger society at the same time ignoring the oneness in the institutions themselves. If school was seen a good centre for transmitting and instilling those values, it should serve as the best example in exercising and applying them in every day life situation. The functionalists should rise to the reality and accept that women are not objects in any setup; they can and do deliver vital and basic responsibilities that should be recognized, appreciated and rewarded. In the working environment the sense of humanity and gender equity must also prevail to pave way for justice. In some institutions, there is no subjection and objection to state or federal laws that guard gender biasness. Instead, discrimination has featured in areas of training, firing, placing, selecting and evaluating employees. When it comes to training, some training programes are made specifically for men, especially in the top management section. The reality is that women can even deliver more than or equally as men in these areas and therefore equal opportunities should be availed to all, keeping in mind work force is made to utilize the capabilities of all employees for betterment of the institution or organization. (Lorber, 2001, pp. 134) From a personal view point, the labour market should not reflect lingering, pervasive and systemic inequality of sexes in society. I therefore advocate for policy for policy reforms at provincial and federal government to encourage change. Affirmative action through quota policies should be introduced to regard childcare as of paramount importance. Government policies should also address the demands of childbearing. In the working environment, it is believed that; women work in part-time or in fields that are not self-directed which pay less, few women work for foreign firms which pay better and the believe that women work for wages tied to performance and therefore earn less. The policy reforms I recommend should address all these injustices. To conclude, functionalism theory can best deliver if it applies the strategies right from the micro institutions themselves then stretch to the entire society. This is because if the social institutions are weak or insufficiently apply these values, the entire society is bound to fail. Reference Dollar, D. and Gatti, R. (1999): Gender Inequality, Income and Growth: Are good times good for women? London, Routledge Amartya (2001): The Many faces of gender Inequality. Journal of gender and gender inequality, Vol. 43 Lorber, J. (2001) Gender Inequality: Feminist Theories and Politics. New York, Roxbury Publishers Ridgeway, C. (1992) Gender, Interaction, and Inequality. London, Springer

Relationship Between Fashion And Identity Cultural Studies Essay

Relationship Between Fashion And Identity Cultural Studies Essay For many years people have been putting some message in the type of clothing they wore, people started wanting to stand out from the big crowds and be different from other people, changing the way they use their clothes, giving a personal touch, trying to stand out from the common way that people were used to wear it. Fashion can be defined as a constantly changing trend, it is necessary to recognize that at the present moment fashion has a deeper influence on peoples life, is not only anymore something to cover our self, fashion nowadays show some part of peoples personality and tell to other people who they are. People can decide in which way want to be perceive, showing that fashion posses more than just frivolous reasons for its existence, is not just a way to look good, transcends social and cultural barriers. Clothing has become a part of the self-realization of every person. At the beginning Clothing was basically designed to be supply the fact of be covering as a need, a need that is dictated by the norms of social conduct. The type of clothing people use to cover depends on the person who is wearing it, taking us to the concept of personal identity. The choice of clothing and accessories is as important as the identification of the colour of hair, height, skin and gender. Clothing nowadays is a media of information about the person wearing it (Barnard, 2002) The present time offers a great variety of styles and gives people the opportunity to reveal their identity. Every cloth carries a strong message but is about every owner look. Therefore, the clothing of a person is a mean of communication with the outside world. It is the way of telling people about the state and the status of it owner (Barnes Eicher, 2008). On the book Fashion as communication by Malcolm Barnard, it is a perfect outlining of cultural roles, rules, rituals, and responsibilities that are maintained and constructed by fashion. Fashion can be compared to art. The use that people give to the clothes is like an architector that gives his creation any shape he desires and want and at the same time is the reflection of the architectors toughs, believes and also the place and the social class for who he is designing for, this works as a perfect example because, people look in one way when they are going to work and they are some other where they are just hanging out with friends. The message that clothing contains is basically a way of nonverbal communication, all of this means that in this new era, people not just wear close to follow a social condition that is to be cover, it is also a way to show people how important is for each of us to be well presented. Clothes have an immense impact on the perception of people and on the perception of the person who is wearing it, a suit can make a person feel more confident which eventually will change even the gestures and the manner of talking of the person or for inst ance wearing jeans after a suit may change the conduct of a person to a very liberal one (Hollander, 2002) The perception of people around can be very predictable in terms of their reaction on a person wearing this or that style of clothing. Fashion is one of the most powerful means of communication, which sometimes may play a vital role in the life of a person. Therefore fashion may not only carry a message. This can be simply proved by analysing the reaction of the people on the street on people wearing different types of clothing. The preference is always given to people dressed in a conventional way, with this Im not saying that been presented in the way that society expect is the right way, Im just saying that we still inside of a society that always expect that things should be in a certain way, is good that we are opening our minds and is easy to develop an style in a free way showing their personality without be scare of the reaction of the society, we dont judge the people who is next to us for what he is wearing because the believes and thought of that person can tell him that t he person who is next to him is not going according to it should be, here is where it comes the fact that that globalized world like the one we are living now, give us the opportunity to understand that not what I think is what is right, all of this show us that fashion it can be a tool of manipulation where with the right look you can be part of any society without have to expose what you truly believe. In terms of gender Clothing is a fundamental part in the image of a contemporary man or a woman (Crane, 2001). The image is constructed for various reasons and has various manifestations; Dressing has become a way to create and to reveal information. Fashion has always been considered to have more of women based orientation, Women, have a great impact on the development of fashion worldwide. Of course one of the primary messages clothes carry is the social message. Historically the social message has transformed, Nowadays clothing is not an attribute of belonging to a clan, or to a restrained social level though it still can tell a lot about the financial status of a person, women use to wore traditional dresses, which signified their cultural and social status (Guy Green Banim, 2003). Women clothing in the past had a lot to do with emphasizing femininity, Analysing the way of dressing today it is necessary to say that fashionable clothes has push extremely femininity way. Women bec ome less ladylike but more aggressive and business like. Women have accepted a lot of clothing styles that propagandize masculinity. Of course theyre still some women that still caring tenderness and femininity preserving womens sexuality in their styles but nevertheless the general tendency of feminization in todays society has done its work. Nowadays is not a secret that men are more involved on this trend of take care in a better way of the way they look. Through the history mens fashion has changed a lot. Identity has brought a lot of specific changes in the perception of a contemporary man. An open manifestation of sexual orientation has brought the image of a feminine man; fashion for men has become more flexible, letting the men express it self without been worried of what people is going to think about it, the funny thing if it can be call as funny is that before, taking that before as the time of kings and prince, they used to be really concerned about they way they look, a nd if look some of those customs some of them used to be really feminine and the fact that they were really concern about they way they look was normal, even the fact that a prince didnt care they way he looks was disrespectful with his customs. The symbolism of clothing is another part of delivering the message that a person tries to put into it. The symbolism may touch any part of peoples life For example: music, sexual orientation and some others, (Barnard, 2002). Originally, a symbol is a facility that is used to express feelings or belonging to some group of class often dealing with power and wealth. The perception of symbols is not the same as the perception of the whole clothing image of an individual, because people may interpret the same symbol differently and the understanding of the carrier of the symbol will be completely different. For Example every person has to be very careful with the symbol on a visit in a foreign country; all of this because the double meaning of the symbols that may be offending the culture the person is in, this take us to the example of someone next to us on the underground, every person belongs to a different culture and has the right to reveal into his personal identity sometimes repla cing on his own look his cultural identity. This cultural identity brings people belonging to a culture definite highlighting differences with other people. Clothing in terms of culture is the way to reveal either the historical roots of a person or the roots the group he belongs to demonstrating a belonging to a certain cultural community. Is very easy to distinguish a European from a Hindu by the style of dressing or an Indian woman from an oriental woman by the distinctive spot on the forehead of an Indian woman and a veil worn by Moslem woman. Fashion has taken the best part of the traditional costumes of every culture, giving the chance to people to show from where they came in a really respectful way, been proud of where they came from. Fashion and identity are inseparable. Fashion with all its symbolism and attributes and with it outstanding base and the Identity as a necessary process of each person personality as it is a part of self-realization. Fashion can help each person to show who is and how wants to be seen.