Direction and Purpose Essay

Metaphors provide creative images for readers. They give flavor to literature and allow free interpretation of a piece; thereby making a conversation in a story, an image in a poem, a symbolism in the plot and such, more interesting. Through the use of such a figure of speech, the images are laid bare and presented fresh. This creates an interaction between the reader, the author and the piece; as readers are made to analyze the images presented and the idea that the metaphor is trying to introduce. It seems the poem, â€Å"Manila†, efficiently develops the metaphor that is the Philippines society during the colonial era, through a timeline. It takes the problem of colonial Manila into the modern Filipino mindset. The poem begins with an introduction [Lines 1-3], which gives us the first glimpse of the similarities between the city of Manila and the hermit crab. The succeeding stanzas [4-8] elaborate the physical conditions of the country’s capital and finally, the poem concludes [l9-14] with the mentality upheld by the nation. To appreciate how metaphors lay bare Espino’s â€Å"Manila†, let us analyze the imagery create in the poem, line by line. Unlike most poems, â€Å"Manila† begins with an epigraph from Nick Joaquin, which reads: â€Å"Dust and crabs, dust and crabs.† We can assume that this quote gives a foreview of what Federico Espino’s poem will highlight. Though very little is conveyed in this line, we are able to suppose that the metaphor will hold significance to the poem proper. Dust may be described as either something that depicts age or some remains of an explosion. We also know of crabs as an animal that crawls and has claws. Crabs are also able to survive on land for short periods of time and can literally live on dust. â€Å"Manila† begins with the line: â€Å"A hermit crab beside the tide of times,† if we look at the concept of the hermit crabs as a description of Manila, the line merely tells us that time has passed. It tells us that Manila has an old history and that it has endured much. The next line: â€Å"She bears the traces of her former homes/ the shells of foreign cultures and the slime,† tells us that the country’s history contributes much to its identity. The city has withstood much to the point that it is now isolated and delayed in comparison to the developments of other countries. The â€Å"former homes† are the shells that the crab has already left behind. The â€Å"foreign cultures† such as that of the Spanish, British, Japanese and Americans have all freed the country, yet their influences – dating back to colonial times – still linger. But as hermit crabs changes its shell, Manila now looks for a new â€Å"shell† of protection as she enters another era – whilst trying to retain its identity. Even with the passing of time, the mix of culture is still protected and preserved, which the narrator describes as both positive and negative – implying that though the foreigners have given us a rich culture, they have made us endure much â€Å"slime† and shit (considering that slime is a gastropod’s mucus secretion) in order to take what was rightly ours – freedom. In the succeeding lines: â€Å"Now she looks for food as small waves comb/Upon the shore where bits of driftwood lie†, we now see a direction in the poem. Again it highlights how the hermit crab searches for something and we now see she looks for food. Keeping in mind that food is parallel to life – since it is necessary in sustaining life – the hermit crab looks for nourishment in a place which seemingly has very little to give. From Nick Joaquin’s â€Å"Sa Loob ng Maynila†, we understand the devastation in the city when it served as the center of the revolution, and we see that starting anew is difficult when one is left on what is being portrayed as a deserted island. As expected, â€Å"she finds nothing in her hungry quest/ Instead she hears the raucous seagull’s cry/ Which is a shriek beyond the rock-ribbed nest.† In these lines, the seagulls – natural predators of the hermit crab – are foreign countries. We can assume that not only are we looking up at the seagulls but that they are also in a position to take advantage of us. In relation to the Philippines’ history, foreign countries are soaring. Other countries progress and it is a mockery when – ironically – the countries we defeated fighting for our independence are now more stable than we are – they still rise above us. We are still beneath them in a sense to the point we have to crawl in order to get anywhere. These lines are merely creating the image of a third world country. All seems futile, especially when you have nowhere else to go. â€Å"It mocks her as she crawls upon the sand— The sidewise movement of the hermit crab/ Which Dylan saw on a deserted strand/ And used as a metaphor in runes that throb† It is possible that Dylan represents a foreigner (since it is a typical name for an American boy) and he saw our â€Å"aimless wandering† and toke advantage of it – however, this is more of a hunch than a legitimate argument. What is clear though, is the point of our sideways movement, which is the natural direction a hermit crab follows. By this we can concur that the movement has become innate. We are not moving forward. We want so much, yet work so little. Perhaps, these lines also imply that we search in all the wrong places. â€Å"With life. Yes, this city is a pair of claws/ Creeping, crabbing with all its tragic flaws.† These last lines of the poem summarize the intent of the entire poem. Here it is implied that the people of the Philippines are aware of the damage in their society. Slowly, almost lifelessly, the Filipinos attempt to move through the things we dislike in our country. We complain so much yet we do very little – and perhaps that is our downfall. True there is no prefect nation, but in most nations you see a progression. In reference to Nick Joaquin’s opening epigraph, perhaps the dust is the remains of those countries that once colonized us. We never bothered to clean up what was left to us – good and bad. Espino hints that perhaps that is why we are not moving forward, there is too much to fix all at once. And this can be related to what we call â€Å"crab mentality† or the Filipinos’ attitude of clawing at those who have gotten ahead to pull them back again. We â€Å"creep† and â€Å"crawl† in our own flaws – in our own mistakes – instead of picking ourselves and walking. It is our own claws that hold us back. The generalizations made by Espino are obvious. Though the title is â€Å"Manila† is it clear that the city, being the â€Å"heart† of colonial Philippines, is a synecdoche for the entire country. And when all aspects of Espino’s Manila are examined, we see that the metaphor is in the intricate, descriptive design of the Philippines as a hermit crab trapped on a deserted island. Though she is attempting to escape, she is crawling blindly in no particularly direction. It seems not much has change. Though â€Å"Manila† was written a long time ago, it is relatively surprising that the text paints Manila in a sad, accurate manner. We fought for our freedom. Now we merely struggle with it. It seems our nation cannot decide independently; like a hermit crab, we depend on our symbiotic relationships. We cannot survive alone and we rely on what can be give to us by those who â€Å"protect† us. The dependence relayed in the poem explains why we have no direction, no purpose, and no resources. We are – truly – stuck.

Theme of Evil in Macbeth

English – Macbeth – Evil – Homework Essay – â€Å"In Macbeth, Shakespeare presents us with a powerful vision on evil†. Write your response to the above statement. Textual support may include reference to a particular performance of the play you have seen. I believe the theme of this play to be the vision on evil. It is a very powerful theme; it makes the play both interesting and memorable. There is an evil presence throughout the play; this is evident from the very first scene where we encounter the three witches. Fundamentally, there are two types of evil visible in Shakespeare’s play of Macbeth. The evil which we see, the violent acts, the violent imagery, then there is a sense of evil within the characters themselves, and the three witches, as they are considered evil beings. All of these elements combine to establish an overall atmosphere of evil. Evil characters like Lady Macbeth I think the strongest vision of evil in this play is demonstrated by the witches. The witches themselves are a symbol of evil, never mind their actual doings. They are supernatural and automatically feared. They like to play cruel tricks, mislead people. Their cruel actions always cause a cruel and bleak outcome for their victim. We see examples of this in the very first scene, when they discuss how they tortured a sailor by depriving him of sleep and tossing his ship into a tempestuous storm. They enjoy barbaric acts like severing a man’s thumb and keeping it as a trophy. In my opinion it’s very meaningful that the witches are the first people we met, the set the tone of the play. The significance of this is huge; it shows the prevalence of the theme of evil. Early on, we realise that the witches have a great deal of power over events and propensity to convince a malleable mind. Their goal is not to help Macbeth gain all the glory and power which it is his ambition to achieve but to convince him that this is their aim but rather lead him to his death! They receive satisfaction in the false sense of security and hope their prophecies have given Macbeth. I think the witches have set their sights on misleading Macbeth the whole way until his death, they pray on his sense of ambition and use this to start the fire which engulfs all and ends with Macbeth’s death. Lady Macbeth has another important role in this play, to expand on the theme of evil and carry it further through the play. I think she, like the witches enjoys in the pursuit of evil just for the sake of it. She taunts and blackmails her husband into committing unthinkable crimes for the sake of it. Lady Macbeth is an appalling woman, from the moment we met her we see her just ready to empty her wickedness upon any poor sucker that comes along, unlucky for Macbeth he happens to be her victim. She is a like a spider she catches him in her web and wraps him up and engrosses him in all her evil. Her true essence comes into play when she calls upon the evil spirits to take away her femininity, to take away her weaknesses and pity, â€Å"come, you spirits, that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty†. When Macbeth refuses to be part of the act, he decides to not kill Duncan, this infuriates Lady Macbeth. She begins to try and guilt Macbeth into committing the crime. She uses violent bloody imagery to guilt him into doing it. She is very manipulative; this shows us how ruthless Lady Macbeth is. Macbeth ends up changing his mind. While the three witches and Lady Macbeth are seen as the main forms of evil in the play, we must not overlook Macbeth himself. We cannot tell if he is truly an evil human being or if he just carries out evil acts. After all, he is the one who carries out Duncan’s brutal murder. He is the one who ordered for the killing of Banquo and Fleance (who escapes). He is the one who employs three murders to kill Macduffs wife and kids. Is this because he is evil? Or is it because of the push Lady Macbeth gave him which led him to spiral out of control and with the confidence he received from the witches. The brutal slaughter of Duncan was his first step into the bloodbath from which he finds impossible to return from. The violent bloody imagery used throughout the play also portrays a sense of evil. The evil in the play is presented very well through pathetic fallacy. In most occasions in the play, when a murder was committed or when we came upon the witches, the weather would reflect the actions or the tension in the play. Also, how the animals reacted after Duncan’s death, they all went wild and ate each other. I think this draws a very good image, and links everything in with the particular act. These unnatural acts mirror the evil in reality. In my opinion this overall intensifies the play and makes you become engrossed in the play. Overall, Shakespeare’s Macbeth, is full of images of evil, cruelty, suffering and death. It is images like the amputated thumb, the horses eating each other of the brutality of the murders. There are also many references to the devil, hell and violence. The characters, their actions and moods all combine to make a very powerful vision of evil within the play. While we see that evil does not go unpunished, the final victory does not look like much compared to the amount of evil which has been seen through this play, the amount of lives lost and how it has affected the people left behind, even though law and order is finally restored. It is prevalent that the main theme in this play is the theme of evil.

Examine Some of the Reasons Why Females Commit Less Crimes Than Males.

Examine some of the reasons why females may be less likely than males to commit crimes. Women in general seem to have a lower rate of offending than men. Some sociologists take the view that it is social factors rather than biological factors that cause the gender differences in offending. Sociologists have put forward three main explanations of gender differences in crime, which are the sex role theory, the control theory and the liberation thesis.The sex role theory and the control theory both give us explanations for why females are less likely than males to commit crimes, however the Liberation thesis argues this, and suggests there are no gender differences between male and female crime rates. Gender differences in crime began by focussing on differences in the socialisation of males and females. Boys are encouraged to be tough, aggressive and risk taking. This means they are more disposed to commit acts of violence and take advantage of criminal opportunities when they present themselves to them.Parson’s traced down differences in crime and deviance to the gender roles in nuclear families. Whilst men take the instrumental role of a breadwinner, women perform the expressive role in the home where they take the main responsibility to socialise the children. As girls have access to an adult role model and boys to not it means that, boys are likely to reject feminine models of behaviour that express tenderness, gentleness and emotion and distance themselves by engaging in ‘compensatory compulsory masculinity’ through aggression and anti-social behaviour that lead to acts of delinquency more than women.Furthermore, new right theorists argue that the absence of male role models in matrifocal lone parent families leads to boys turning criminal. Also, men have much less of a socialising role than women in the conventional nuclear family; therefore socialisation for boys is much more difficult compared to girls. Cohen argued that this relative lack of an adult male role model meant boys are more likely to turn to all male street gangs as a source of masculine identity. In these subcultural groups, status is earned by acts of toughness, risk taking and delinquency.However, this sex role theory is criticized by Sandra Walklate for its biological assumptions. Walklate argues that Parson’s assumption is that because women have the biological capacity to bear children, they are best suited to the expressive role. Furthermore, it is argued mainly by control theorists that women always conform to men and their role as a housewife. Heidensohn expanded on this control theorist view and suggested, due to women being a part of a patriarchal society it reduces their opportunity to offend as the nuclear family lifestyle at home acts as a prison to them.He further notes that men are able to impose this control upon women through domestic violence and by controlling their finances it limits their activities. Daughters are also su bject to patriarchal control. Girls are less likely to be allowed to come and go as they please or to stay out late. As a result they develop a ‘bedroom culture’ socialising at home with friends rather than in public places, they are also required to do more housework than boys. As a result they have less opportunity to take part in deviant activities.Conversely, what Heidensohn doesn’t take on board is that modern relationships nowadays are much more equal and as the liberation theory argues, women have many opportunities outside the home and there has been a large increase in independence for women. On the other hand, the liberation thesis debates that if society becomes less patriarchal and more equal then women’s crime rates will become similar to men’s. Put forward by Adler, she suggests that as women become liberated from patriarchy their crimes will become as frequent and as serious as men’s.Women’s liberation has led to a new t ype of female criminal and a rise in the female crime rate. The changes in the structure of society according to Adler have led to changes in women’s offending behaviour. As patriarchal controls and discrimination have lessened, and opportunities in work and work have become more equal, women have begun to adopt traditionally ‘male’ roles in both legitimate activity(work) and illegitimate activity (crime). As a result, women no longer commit traditional ‘female’ crimes such as shoplifting and prostitution.They now also commit typically ‘male’ offences such as crimes of violence and white collar crimes. This is because of women’s greater self -confidence and assertiveness, and the fact they now have greater opportunities in the legitimate structure. For example, there are more women in senior positions at work and this gives them the opportunity to commit serious white collar crimes such as fraud. To support her view, Adler argued that the pattern of female crime has shifted.She cited studies showing rising levels of female participation in crimes previously regarded as ‘male’ such as embezzlement and armed robbery. Nevertheless, many critics reject Adler’s liberation thesis by arguing, the female crime rate began rising in the 1950’s long before the women’s liberation movement, which emerged in the late 1960’s. Also that most female criminals are working class; they are least likely to be influenced by women’s liberation, which has benefited middle class women much more.According to Chesney- Lind in the USA poor and marginalised women are more likely to be criminals compared to liberated women. On the whole, it is arguable that females do commit fewer crimes than males simply due to their roles as housewives and the patriarchal society we live in today. Despite this, it is still considered through the liberation thesis that there are no gender differences with the rates of crimes between males and females.

Workplace Tension Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Workplace Tension - Essay Example The tension exists apparently due to differences between co-workers, and the counsellor directs his or her efforts towards the discovery and removal of this source of tension. When tension exists between co-workers, their attention shifts from the main job they are performing to the source of their stress – the other co-worker. Workplace tension among co-workers develops into workplace conflict if the sources of the tension are not discovered and eliminated at the soonest possible time. The co-workers involved tend to be occupied by their personal conflicts and therefore become distracted from their jobs. Because they cannot function at their peak, these workers experience reduced productivity, which results in reduced efficiency and therefore higher costs for the organization. This may be seen as a slowdown during operations, or increasing errors committed on the job that lead to lower quality and additional rework costs. Although workplace tension is a personal thing, it is therefore in the company’s better interest that such tension be avoided, usually through proactive counselling. There are many theories the counsellor may be guided by. The theory I believe could best help the counsellor in eliminating workplace tension is the Motivational Systems Theory (MST), formulated by Martin Ford in 1992. The MST tries to present in an organized manner a clear image of the different motivation theories. It recognizes the interaction of the individual and his environment, on his way to his career-related goals, and how important a person’s motivation is to the way he functions (Patton & McMahon, 1998:140). In applying MST, the counsellor must try to understand the individual worker’s motivation, and the different factors affecting his motivation such as biological, environmental, skills, knowledge, and circumstances, as well as factors relating to hic job. While many of these factors are personal to the individual worker and do not

The Entertainment Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Entertainment Industry - Essay Example The art cinema motivates its narratives through being real and authoritative. It shows us the real location of events as well as the real issues that we face daily. In order to change the main character of the movies, it is good to choose a character that has specific goals, well stated and is object oriented. The art of cinema is not concerned with the actions of the characters; instead, they are concerned with the reaction that they will get from people who watch the film. A better way of restructuring the art cinema would be putting emphasis on actors. This makes them feel that the welfare and role they are doing is important not only to the viewers but also to the producers, therefore, ensuring a good working relationship in the production of a movie. In ending some of the stories stated, it would be possible to change them as follows; In the art film â€Å"L’ Avventura† where character by the name Anna is lost and not found, it would be more appropriate to change t he plot and end it in a way that maybe the body is found dead in unknown place or maybe show her happily living with an unknown person. This makes the viewer know what happened to her in the end. In â€Å"a bout de soufflà ©Ã¢â‚¬  was the reason for Patricia’s betrayal of Michel remains unknown, the plot could change in a manner that she writes and leaves a note explaining why she betrayed him. Such changes will make the viewer contended after watching the film since they are fully aware of what happened rather than leaving them in suspense.

Employment law - 4 case study questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Employment law - 4 case study questions - Essay Example One of the new terms that the company was introducing was to require the employees ‘to carry out such overtime as may be required by the company’. Question 1 Facts Nigel is one of the employees affected by the ‘new’ terms and conditions. He is a service engineer who has been doing some overtime work in his own volition for the benefit of the company. But upon the requirement to make overtime working an obligation, Nigel has refused to do any further overtime stating that the long working hours are having a detrimental to his health and family life. He further claims that he never signed a contract agreeing to do unlimited overtime. He has consistently and expressly made it clear over the last few months that he was working a limited amount of overtime and was not supporting the unlimited provision the company was introducing. He simply agreed to the limited overtime for the benefit of the company and he never at any particular moment felt obliged to do it. T he company is considering taking disciplinary action against Nigel, with his manager threatening to suspend him without pay until he agrees to resume overtime working. Argument First, the company has a right to compel obedience from its employees. It is the employees’ duty to cooperate with his employer and to obey the instructions given and, most importantly, not to impede the employer’s business (Ullman, 2003). The company can initiate the disciplinary process and even dismiss Nigel on grounds of insubordination. Macari v Celtic FC ct of session [1999] IRLR 788 provided some useful insights when it directed that if the employer breaches the duty of trust and confidence, yet the employee refuses to leave, then the employee should not disregard employer’s lawful instructions. Nigel was informed in advance and in writing on the intended revision of terms. Nigel never left, even though he showed his disagreement with the new terms obligating him to work overtime a s and when required. Due to his decision to stay the company takes that as an implied communication of acceptance of the new terms and conditions. It expects Nigel to adhere to them, failure to which will lead to his suspension and or dismissal pursuant to the provisions of the disciplinary process (Moffat, 2011). The company’s revision of the written particulars was made within the legal framework and therefore, legal and binding if signed. According to ss.1-7 Employment Rights Act 1998, the employer should provide the written particulars of employment within the first two months after the commencement of employment. If it is a continuing employee, like in this case, it should not be later than a month after the change has been effected (Craig, 2008). Again, s. 4 of the Employment Rights Act provides that if such changes are made, then the employees should be informed of the same personally and in writing; the company did so. The company, however, faces tough odds because of the arguments or the courses of action available to Nigel. Nigel claims that working overtime has been detrimental to his health and family life. Employers are generally required under the European Convention for the protection of Human Rights and fundamental freedoms (EHCR) to respect the employee’s right to private life and family life under article 8 (Craig, 2008). The EAT 2 also provides that the employer shall take reasonable measures, as is reasonably practicable, to take care of his employee’

A Micro and Macro Analysis of the Mobile Industry Environment Using Essay

A Micro and Macro Analysis of the Mobile Industry Environment Using the Pestel Analysis. A Case Study of Blackberry - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that Blackberry is one of the multinational electronic product suppliers in the world that has managed to dominate the mobile industry market for a long time now in the history of the mobile industry. The organization is a major supplier of wireless devices including mobile phones and pagers and currently working on the launch of more products. Commonly known as Research in Motion, the company started in 1984 and took the world by storm in 1999 with the introduction of blackberry solutions. It continued to produce advanced models of blackberry solutions while partnering with technological and telecommunication companies such as MTN, Yahoo, AOL among others. Blackberry has proved a superior communication device especially during the 9/11 crisis, in which it was able to send messages where other devices had failed. In addition, during the anthrax scare, blackberry also emerged a superior means of wireless communication, and the two incidences earned it a reputation for security and reliability. BlackBerry recorded a revenue of $18.435 billion and profit of $ 1.164 billion in 2012. The company’s main competitors are Google Inc., Nokia OYJ, Apple Inc., and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. However, the mobile industry environment has considerably changed, and the intensity of competition has greatly put the supplier at a lower bargaining end. As Husso points out in his research, scholars have taken a keynote of the change in the dynamic mobile environment that has threatened to push most organizations out of the market. Despite the fact that the company is performing well financially, it is not immune to the pressures of external forces. Currently, most researchers have established that new market entrants, change of technology, and development of new government regulations have all heightened the competition. Consequently, the organization has engaged in research-driven strategic management to react to the changes in the market force and to remain profitable in this industry. The mobile industry is one of the market environments that have garnered a wide range of research from scholars across the world. Ryan expressed the competition that exists within the mobile industry and recommended that all mobile industries switch to modest business strategies to survive in the competitive market. This scholar pointed out that competition has reduced the cost mobile products so much that business priced-market strategies have become obsolete in this market. The research of Ryan has been followed by numerous researchers seeking to evaluate various aspects of the mobile industry environment. Researchers such as Kim and Tallberg have paid particular attention to the mobile handset market and the competition that has emerged in the recent past.