Exploring ethics in contemporary business Assignment

Exploring ethics in contemporary business - Assignment Example Further, decisions in an organisation are taken, for instance, to mitigate risks or brainstorm for the best alternatives to move an organisation to the next level (Guest & Woodrow, 2012) . In a hierarchical organisational structure, decisions are made in boardrooms by the top management without involving other employees. Consequently, the style of leadership in a hierarchical organisational structure tends to be authoritative, where the decision made by the top management is final (Ahmed, Bwisa, & Karanja, 2014). In such a case where decisions go wrong, the management should be held accountable for poor decision-making. On the contrary, while a flatter organisational structure allows other employees to take part in the decision-making process, the management still has the last word regarding the ideal decision to be implemented (Michaelson, 2010). In this sense, ethical issues arise whether it is appropriate to hold an employee accountable for poor decision-making in an organisation. In an organisation, decision-making entails a process of tackling a problem by looking for a solution that will bring about value for an organisation’s stakeholders. In essence, decisions in an organisation can be programmed or non-programmed. In the former, decisions are normally repetitive and routine while, in the latter process, decisions tend to be novel and unstructured (Ahmed, Bwisa, & Karanja, 2014). Some of the models in the literature that can be associated with organisational decision-making include the Rational, Carnegie, Incrementalist, Unstructured and the Garbage Can models (Glockner & Betsch, 2011). With regard to the rational model, the process of making decisions is straightforward and involves a three-step process. The three steps encompass identifying the problem, brainstorming for an ideal alternative and selecting the best among others to implement. In most organisational setups, the rational model is the most common

Humanities Today Essay Example for Free

Humanities Today Essay For as long as humankind has existed so have art, music, architecture, literature, and philosophy. The University of Phoenix (2009) defines humanities as â€Å"an approach to study that emphasizes ideas and values through analysis of modes of cultural expression, philosophical and religious thought, and modes of human communication† (University of Phoenix, Week One Supplement). Gloria K. Fiero (2006) further defines humanities as literature, philosophy, history, architecture, visual arts, music, and dance (p. 4). Humanities impact daily life without many people being aware of their presence. What distinguishes humanities from other modes of human inquiry and expression is that they focus on ideas and values, not simply the production or result of an action. This paper will provide current examples of visual art, music, architecture, philosophy, and literature and analyze how they reflect current developments in politics, socioeconomics, and technology. Visual art can be, but is not limited to, painting, sculpture, and photography. Classic paintings by renowned artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Claude Monet, Vincent Van Gogh, and Pablo Picasso are still considered masterpieces in today’s society but are not enjoyed by the common population the way that graphic and digital art have in the past century. Graphic and digital technology have become the means by which visual art is to be viewed and cherished among the mass population in a way that has never been available in history. Today’s society has become focused on instant gratification. Changes are expected to be made in politics overnight, struggles in socioeconomics demand rectification within weeks (even though they took years to create), and advancements in technology feeds society’s dependence on better, faster, and stronger tools. Unfortunately, visual art has become victim to this need for instant gratification. No longer are single masterpieces created by the flow of an artist’s hands, shaping and molding art into a creation of his or her soul. Instead, art is generated digitally by the click of a mouse and a selection of color and size from a predefined chart. The art can then be mass-distributed and mass-produced around the world in the matter of minutes. The creativity is still there, but the love generated through the time and patience required to construct that art by hand is no longer there. With the flood of self-help books saturating the market, literature also reflects society’s need for instant gratification. Self-help books are a reflection of the current socioeconomic state in which everyone is looking for a way to better his or her life instantly. Politicians have indirectly supported this literary genre by focusing and promoting what is wrong in the country and in each other. For example, if a politician has shortcomings in his or her public speaking abilities, the opposing political party will ridicule that person publicly. Citizens who feel they also do not have strong speaking skills and fear being mocked may then be compelled to purchase a self-help book on public speaking. As technology has advanced, self-help books have become a wonderful tool for individuals struggling to learn how to use the newest electronic devices. One popular technology self-help series is the For Dummies books. The books began in 1991 with â€Å"DOS for Dummies† (Johnson, 2006, para. 3), but they have now sold over 150 million Dummies books in 39 languages. Many people have benefited from the simple, helpful language used in these books, but not all self-help books are created equal. Some self-help books offer a quick solution that often leaves individuals feeling worse than when they began. Striving for self-improvement is excellent; however, self-help books can sometimes do more harm than good. Music in today’s society can also do more harm than good when presented to an impressionable mind. Music has always been used as a means of creatively reflecting political and socioeconomic issues, but since the inception of the Rap and Heavy Metal music genres, discontent, anger, and frustration have become common and wide-spread in music over the past 50 years. Songs about drug use, suicide, murder, and rape and those that use explicit language are common in these two genres of music and have begun to permeate other forms of music. This reflects not only society’s discontent with the current political and socioeconomic state, but it also reflects society’s tolerance and acceptance of freedom of speech. The sound of music, the production of music, and the enjoyment of music have evolved as technology evolves. New sounds that have never been possible before are now available through technology. Music is now available anywhere through the use of an MP3 player or cell phone. No longer does a person have to stop and listen to a musician; music can be played at any time. This fills society’s need for instant gratification. Today’s architecture also caters to the on-the-go lifestyles of society. Bigger, stronger, smarter, and faster are all ideas and values visibly manifested in current architecture. The aesthetic appeal of a building has given way to designs which exploit opportunities to get the most for the money. A recent trend which reflects a change of political and socioeconomic initiatives is building environmentally-friendly structures. That means creating a building that produces little waste, uses alternative power solutions, and emits minimum greenhouse toxins. Advances in technology have made these structures possible; however, they cost additional money to construct, and businesses and individuals are charged more money to use them than a traditionally built structure. Instant gratification, the struggle for self-improvement, tolerance and acceptance, and the idea of making as much money as possible are all philosophies in today’s society. Each is reflected in art, literature, music, and architecture, but as a whole, they make up the philosophy of society through their ideas and values. Developments in politics, socioeconomics, and technology have all played a part in creating these philosophies, but they are visibly manifested in the humanities. One can only wonder how the current humanities will be viewed and analyzed 50 or 100 years from now. The examples this paper has provided of visual art, music, architecture, philosophy, and literature demonstrate how current developments in politics, socioeconomics, and technology are reflected. As politics, socioeconomics, and technology change so too will art, music, architecture, philosophy, and literature. They are a reflection of one another and intertwined in their evolution. References Fiero, Gloria K. (2007). The humanistic tradition (5th ed). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Johnson, Doug (2006, October). For dummies books are popular learning aids. Retrieved from http://www. voanews. com/specialenglish/archive/2006-10/2006-10-12-voa1. cfm University of Phoenix (2009). Week One supplement: Humanities Terminology. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, Week One, HUM102 – Introduction to the Humanities website.

A Demand Curve Shifts Economics Essay

A Demand Curve Shifts Economics Essay A shift in the demand curve to the left or right represents a change in consumer preferences. A shift to the right indicates that an item has become more commercially desirable and that a larger number will be sold at a given price. A shift to the left is just the opposite, indicating that a marketplace good is less desirable and that fewer items will be sold at a given price. How would supply or demand be affected when the following things occur? Oranges- after a tornado The demand cure will shift to the left meaning that there has been a change in what the consumer is interested in. The oranges will become less desirable because there will be fewer oranges to sell at a given price. There will be a short supply of oranges and the demand for them will lessen in that area hit by the tornado. It will take time to build the funds for any equipment that had been damaged by the tornado. Other areas will still have the same demand for the oranges because they were not affected by the tornado and they may pay a higher price for the oranges. Automobiles after a major recall This will affect the maker of the automobile and the demand for autos from that maker will go down. Other auto companies may have a spike in sales if the consumer is shopping for an automobile that has not been affected by the recall. This spikes the demand for other autos from another company and halts the supply from the auto that has been recalled. Spinach- after the FDA announces that spinach can prevent cancer Here the demand curve will shift to the right. Suppliers will have to adjust to the change to meet the level of demand. The price on the spinach rise because if demand increases so does the price. This may lead to a shortage of the spinach because the demand can exceed the quantity of the spinach supply. Flu Vaccines after technology was discovered to mass produce flu vaccines If there is a mild flu season not everyone will get a flu shot. For example, if there was a press release of a large amount of people contraction the flu, more people would get flu shots and the demand will go up. If there is less press coverage of people contracting the flu, the less there will be a demand. Since the vaccine can be mass produced the supply and demand will stay equal and the price affordable and may not fluctuate much at all. The midterm exam will be worth 150 points or 15% of your grade. It will constitute of 5 short answers worth 30 points each. The midterm exam is open book and there is no time limit on the exam. You have the option of saving your answer and resuming at a later time. When completed, please submit in a ONE word document. *Upload via attachment* The midterm exam questions will contain material discussed in class (discussions, assignments, websites, etc.) and textbook material (Chapters 1-7, 9-11). All short answers must contain information using no external research. Students are required to respond in their own words using applicable examples and knowledge gained from the class. A typical short answer should be between 100-150 words. The following rubric will be used to assess each of your midterm answers: 15 Points- Justification and Accuracy of Answers (opinion, point articulation) 10 Points Integration of example (s) 5 Points- Spelling, Grammar and APA (typos, grammar style, tone, flow) ** Please note that APA must be used when answering each question (introduction, body, and conclusion). ** Each answer should be on a separate sheet of paper ** There should be one title for the midterm exam 3. Describe the flow of resources, products, income, and revenue among the economic decision-makers (households, firms, and markets) in an open economy. How does this affect GDP? (30 Points) 4. Compare and contrast the command economy, the capitalist economy, the traditional economy and the mixed economy. (30 Points) 5. In your own words, please define and describe the following terms: supply curve, demand curve, gross domestic product and gross national product. (30 Points) To better define macroeconomics, consider its distinction from microeconomics. Imagine you are attempting to figure out how the price of a certain good has been determined. Microeconomics would focus on how supply and demand determine prices, while macroeconomics would study the determination of prices at all levels. To test particular policies and ideas, or to find out the causes of good macroeconomic performance, we need to have some measure of overall economic activity. For this reason, macroeconomics uses aggregates (totals) to measure key concepts such as national income, output, unemployment, inflation, and business cycles (periodic expansions and contractions of economic activity). By studying macroeconomics and understanding the critical ideas and tools used to measure economic data, you will have a better perspective on the issues and problems discussed in contemporary economics. Compare and contrast 3 main differences between microeconomics and macroeconomics. Why is it important for you to study macroeconomics? (30 Points) Microeconomics is the study of your economic behavior and the economic behaviors of others. (McEachern, p. 8). Macroeconomics studies the performance of the economy as a whole. (McEachern, p. 9). Economists use economic models when making predictions or assumptions about the economy because they are easy to relay information through. Most people are visual and like things broken down into pieces that all connect. The circular flow model would be beneficial because it traces the flow of resources, products, income, and revenue for making financial decisions. Economists use economic models when making predictions or assumptions about the economy because an economic theory, or economic model, is a simplification of economic reality à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (It) captures the important elements of the problem under study (McEachern, p. 9). Trying to examine all of the economic variables and data would be so complex and overwhelming, that the original problem or question could easily become lost or diffused. A theoretical model, on the other hand, facilitates focusing on the key relationships (p. 69). Economist use economic models when making predictions or assumptions about the economy mainly because the models help simplify things. The economy and everything that goes along with it can be a very complex matter so without the simplification it would be easy to get confused or off track. The models also help to create a template for economists to follow when they are making their predictions of what will happen in the future. This allows them to try and plan ahead for things that might come about. You cannot plan for everything but it is better to be over prepared then not at all. These predictions help economists be sure that all the demands can be met. Economists sometimes use the scientific method to study economic problems. It consists of four steps, Step one: Identify the question and define relevant variables, Step two: Specify assumptions, Step three: Formulate a hypothesis, Step four: Test the hypothesis. According to William McEachern, an economic model is a simplification of economic reality, which economists use to make predictions about the real world (McEachern, 2009, p. 9). Economic models assist economists by condensing and illustrating information, allowing them to analysis situations and create a future forecast. There are several different economic models, such as the production possibilities frontier (PPF), the circular flow diagram, supply and demand diagram, as well as other advanced economic models. The PPF takes into consideration all resources, technology, and rules which apply to production, and identifies possible combinations of the two goods that can be produced when all available resources are employed efficiently (McEachern, 2009, p. 27). In general, the PPF model is a curved graph that allows economics to determine what production levels are efficient, inefficient, and unattainable. The circular flow diagram is a flow chart which describes the flow of resources , products, income, and revenue among economic decision makers (McEachern, 2009, p. 6) . This economic model illustrates for economists how a system functions in order to determine if it is operating efficiently or inefficiently and if it can be improved. Finally, the supply and demand diagram identifies the supply and demand of a good or service, while depicting its price, quantity, and equilibrium. This model allows economists to measure and predict how changes in supply or demand effect price and quantity. 2.List and describe in your own words 3 determinant of aggregate demand and 3 determinants of aggregate supply?(30 Points)

Merchant Of Venice :: Free Merchant of Venice Essays

Villain of Venice   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  People often find security and self-assurance in acting evil towards other people. They may be out to destroy others, or improve their own social status. However, at the same time, the “villain'; may also be out for revenge. Shylock, from William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, has each of these motives as he takes on the role of the antagonist in this play. Shylock, the Jew, manages to mistreat almost everyone in his life. He especially acts as a villain towards Lancelet his young servant, Antonio the Christian, and even his own daughter, Jessica.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Shylock is a very harsh master to the young Lancelet. He is very belligerent towards the young boy, and he seems to enjoy mistreating the young boy. “Who bids thee call? I do not bid thee call.'; (Act 2, Scene 5, Line 9) He realizes that Lancelet is much lower than he is on the social and economic level, and he does not let the youngster forget his status by continually acting antagonistic towards him. He makes Lancelet appear to be a sluggard who sleeps all day and does little work. He always seems to criticize the poor boy behind his back and complain about his laziness. Even after Shylock sees that Lancelet is gone, he continues to reproach his work as a servant. It seems as though Shylock is trying to elevate his own self-esteem, by acting contentious towards his servant.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The way in which Shylock treats his own daughter is beyond comprehension. He virtually locks her in the house when he goes to the masque one night. Shylock redundantly enforces the importance that she lock the house up after he leaves. Lock up my doors, and when you hear the drum…   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Clamber not you up to the casements then, Nor thrust your head into the public street… But stop my house’s ears (I mean my casements). Let not the sound of shallow fopp’ry enter my sober house. (Act 2, Scene 5, Lines 30-37) He makes her captive in her own home and forbids her to so much as look out a window. Jessica refers to her home as hell and, although she is sad to see him go, tells Lancelet that he is making a wise decision. It is evident throughout the play that Shylock does not care as much for his daughter as he does for his material possessions. When he tells Jessica to lock up the house after he leaves, it is not because he fears for her safety, but rather because he is hesitant about leaving his personal property. Merchant Of Venice :: Free Merchant of Venice Essays Villain of Venice   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  People often find security and self-assurance in acting evil towards other people. They may be out to destroy others, or improve their own social status. However, at the same time, the “villain'; may also be out for revenge. Shylock, from William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, has each of these motives as he takes on the role of the antagonist in this play. Shylock, the Jew, manages to mistreat almost everyone in his life. He especially acts as a villain towards Lancelet his young servant, Antonio the Christian, and even his own daughter, Jessica.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Shylock is a very harsh master to the young Lancelet. He is very belligerent towards the young boy, and he seems to enjoy mistreating the young boy. “Who bids thee call? I do not bid thee call.'; (Act 2, Scene 5, Line 9) He realizes that Lancelet is much lower than he is on the social and economic level, and he does not let the youngster forget his status by continually acting antagonistic towards him. He makes Lancelet appear to be a sluggard who sleeps all day and does little work. He always seems to criticize the poor boy behind his back and complain about his laziness. Even after Shylock sees that Lancelet is gone, he continues to reproach his work as a servant. It seems as though Shylock is trying to elevate his own self-esteem, by acting contentious towards his servant.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The way in which Shylock treats his own daughter is beyond comprehension. He virtually locks her in the house when he goes to the masque one night. Shylock redundantly enforces the importance that she lock the house up after he leaves. Lock up my doors, and when you hear the drum…   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Clamber not you up to the casements then, Nor thrust your head into the public street… But stop my house’s ears (I mean my casements). Let not the sound of shallow fopp’ry enter my sober house. (Act 2, Scene 5, Lines 30-37) He makes her captive in her own home and forbids her to so much as look out a window. Jessica refers to her home as hell and, although she is sad to see him go, tells Lancelet that he is making a wise decision. It is evident throughout the play that Shylock does not care as much for his daughter as he does for his material possessions. When he tells Jessica to lock up the house after he leaves, it is not because he fears for her safety, but rather because he is hesitant about leaving his personal property.

Impact on Environment by Mining Essay

Overview Rainforests are the biggest source of oxygen, wood and medicines on this earth. Amazon rainforest is known for alluvial gold deposits. Gold is found both in river channels and at the banks of the river after floods (floodplains). Hydraulic mining techniques are used for mining gold. The method involves blasting at the banks of the river. This has caused irreversible damage to trees, birds and animals. While separating the sediment and mercury from the gold-yielding gravel deposits, small-scale miners who are less equipped than industrial miners, may ignore release of some mercury into the river. This mercury enters the food chain through aquatic animals and their predators. Highly poisonous compound ‘cyanide’ is also used to separate gold from sediment and rock. In spite of all precautionary measures, it sometimes escapes into the surrounding environment. Those who eat fish are at greater risk of ingesting such toxins. Read more:  Bad Effects of Festivals on Environment Effect on Land Deforestation: Mining requires large areas of land to be cleared so that the earth could be dug into by the miners. For this reason, large-scale deforestation is required to be carried out in the areas where mining has to be done. Besides clearing the mining area, vegetation in the adjoining areas also needs to be cut in order to construct roads and residential facilities for the mine workers. The human population brings along with it other activities that harm the environment. For example, various activities at coal mines release dust and gas into the air. Thus, mining is one of the major causes of deforestation and pollution. Loss of Biodiversity: The forests that are cleared for mining purposes are home to a large number of organisms. Indiscriminate clearing of the forests leads to loss of habitat of a large number of animals. This puts the survival of a large number of animal species at stake. The cutting down of trees in itself is a big threat to a number of plants, trees, birds and animals growing in the forests. Pollution: Despite measures being taken to release the chemical waste into the nearby rivers through pipes, a large amount of chemicals still leak out onto the land. This changes the chemical composition of the land. Besides  this, since the chemicals are poisonous, they make the soil unsuitable for plants to grow. Also, the organisms that live in the soil find the polluted environment hostile for their survival. Effect on Water Pollution: Chemicals like mercury, cyanide, sulfuric acid, arsenic and methyl mercury are used in various stages of mining. Most of the chemicals are released into nearby water bodies, and are responsible for water pollution. In spite of tailings (pipes) being used to dispose these chemicals into the water bodies, possibilities of leakage are always there. When the leaked chemicals slowly percolate through the layers of the earth, they reach the groundwater and pollute it. Surface run-off of just soil and rock debris, although non-toxic, can be harmful for vegetation of the surrounding areas. Loss of Aquatic Life: Release of toxic chemicals into the water is obviously harmful for the flora and fauna of the water bodies. Besides the pollution, mining processes require water from nearby water sources. For example, water is used to wash impurities from the coal. The result is that the water content of the river or lake from which water is being used gets reduced. Organisms in these wate r bodies do not have enough water for their survival. River dredging is a method adopted in case of gold mining. In this method, gravel and mud is suctioned from a particular area of the river. After the gold fragments are filtered out, the remaining mud and gravel is released back into the river, although, at a location different from where they had been taken. This disrupts the natural flow of the river that may cause fish and other organisms to die. Previously buried metal sulfides are exposed during mining activities. When they come in contact with the atmospheric oxygen, they get converted into strong sulfuric acid and metal oxides. Such compounds get mixed up in the local waterways and contaminate local rivers with heavy metals. Spread of Diseases Sometimes the liquid waste that is generated after the metals or minerals have been extracted is disposed in a mining pit. As the pit gets filled up by the mine tailings, they become a stagnant pool of water. This becomes the  breeding ground for water-borne diseases causing insects and organisms like mosquitoes to flourish. Examples of the Environmental Impact of Mining 1. Environmental Impact of Mining In Guyana In 1995, in Guyana, more than four billion liters of waste water that contained cyanide, slipped into a tributary of the Essequibo; when the tailings dam, which was filled with cyanide waste, collapsed. All the fish in the river died, plant and animal life was completely destroyed, and floodplain soils were heavily poisoned, making the land useless for agriculture. The main source of drinking water for the local people was also polluted. This was a major set-back for the eco-tourism industry on the river. When trees are cut (forest clearing for the construction of roads and mines, wood for the immigrated people, workers, etc.) and water sources are contaminated, animal populations migrate or die. Moreover, hunters are hired to feed the people working at the mining sites. 2. Mining in Goa Illegal mining in Goa is being projected as a bigger scam than Bellary. While revenue losses from illegal mining has been estimated at about Rs 3,000 crore, the loss by way of damage to the environment and loss of livelihood has not been estimated. | | Take the instance of Caurem village in Quepem taluka in south Goa. It has 2,000 families whose farms have been destroyed by illegal mines operating in the area. The silt from mining has entered the fields which now resemble a large quagmire. Tukaram Velip, a resident says that the perennial stream that irrigated the village fields is polluted and agriculture has been completely destroyed. People are left with no means of earning their living, he says.Most of the mines in the state are concentrated in four talukas—Bicholim in north Goa, and Sattari, Sanguem and Quepem talukas in south Goa. Activists say that an estimated 100,000 people living in the villages in these four talukas are affected. Besides loss of livelihood, they are also suffering from the adverse effects of air noise and water  pollution. â€Å"Mining has caused irreversible damage to forests, agriculture, fisheries and water aquifers,† says Abhijit Prabhudesai, member of Goyencha Xetkarancho Ekvott (GXE), a non-profit in Margaon city. He says the government has allowed mining even in forest areas despite the presence of wildlife. The mining has also affected the Salaulim dam on the Salaulim river in Sangeum taluka, which supplies drinking water to half the state’s population, besides providing water for irrigation and to industries. Over 20 mines are operating in the vicinity of the dam. Heavy silt has settled in the dam reservoir because of mining. An official in the state water resources department admits that mining has damaged the state’s water resources and says the department is now reassessing the life span of the Salaulim dam. The dam was commissioned in the 1970s with an expected life span of 100 years. A study conducted by The Energy Resources Institute (TERI) in 1994 showed excess iron and manganese levels in the Salaulim reservoir water. â€Å"This was when mining was at a much lower scale as compared to present level of mining. We have repeatedly asked the government to conduct a study on water availability and quality, but nothing has been done till date,† says Prabhudesai. 3. Environmental Impacts Of Mining On Bundelkhand Region In the Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh, mining has had a huge negative impact on the environment. A Study was done to quantitatively evaluate the extent of the impact and the results were disappointing. The desirable limit of Fe is 0.3 mg/l and maximum permissible limit is 1.0 mg/l as per Indian standards. If water content more than these limit gives brackish color and bitter or metallic taste, therefore may not be use for drinking purposes. Concentrations of Cu in GW and SW samples varies from 0.029 to 0.088 mg/l and 0.039 to 0.062 in all the three seasons indicates that samples have more than permissible limit of Cu (

Salient features of Martin Luther King Jr’s famous speech, “I have a dream”

This essay describes the salient features of Martin Luther King Jr’s famous speech, â€Å" I have a dream†. It concentrates on reasons which contributed to making it so famous. This speech had many salient features which have made it so famous and acceptable to the audience. These are : Structure : The speech is very well structured. King first builds a base for his arguments, by saying that the demands that follow in his speech were guaranteed to the black Negroes long back.He then alleges that the American government nd the white people have not complied with these rights given to blacks. He then injects courage into the minds of the black audience, by using a special force known as ‘ repetition’. He repeats, â€Å" It is my dream that †, many times, and actually succeeds in forcing the minds of black audience to ‘ see’ that dream with him. Force : One more effective element in this speech is the invisible force behind it. The words ar e very strong, and the style is direct. A very direct attack is launched on the American government.The miserable torture that the blacks were undergoing is reported in a very direct, face to fact style. Nothing is indirect or implied. This force is more evident when he paints the picture of his vision of life of the Negroes in future. There is no rhetoric, no sarcasm. This adds the necessary force in the speech, which captivates the audience. Continuity : This is the third impressive feature. The three main parts of the speech, namely, the violation of promise, present condition of Negroes and his uture dream for the Negroes, are interwoven without any pause in between. The switch-over from one part to another part is very natural and automatic. This helps in binding the audience to the speech, till the end.Good use of linguistic tools : This speech uses tools offered by English language in a wonderful way. Many aspects are presented in a metaphoric way, to make the meaning very cl ear and leave no doubt in the minds of audience. The most distinct metaphor is comparing the failure of American government to keep ts promise towards the black Negroes, to a check returned by a bank, citing insufficient funds as a reason. Another impressive metaphor is his comparing the present status of Mississippi as ‘ sweltering with the heat of injustice’, while his dream compares the same Mississippi to an ‘ Oasis of freedom and justice †. His linguistic style is very picturesque, and that is what impresses the audience.For example, â€Å" On the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together on the table of rotherhood †. He communicates too many things in sentences which draw a picture in the minds of the audience. The sentences of this speech are seldom long, and never, very long. It is full of short, meaningful sentences. This is another example of excellent use of languag e. Non violence : Martin Luther King has strongly advocated non violence means as a tool for the fight towards freedom. Memories of the brutalities of world war II ( world war II ) and the success of non violence ( Mahatma Gandhi ) as a tool to ring political changes in India, were still afresh in the minds of people.This concept was immediately embraced in America also. Inclusion of specific instruction to fight in a non violent way, made his speech more effective and more acceptable. National flavor : Martin Luther King talks of each and every corner of the nation, by naming it. This adds a national dimension to his speech. There is hardly any region which he has not included in his speech. This helps in making a very wide, national impact.The TV audience : The TV audience must have also been mesmerized by the huge number of people which had gathered at Lincoln Memorial grounds on that day. It compromised of whites also. Inclusion of white people must have made a positive impact i n favor of King’s demands, in the minds of TV audience. The erect posture of King, coupled with oozing self confidence must have boosted the spirits of all listeners and spectators. â€Å" I have a dream â€Å", is a great speech even for all times in future !!

Imagery in One Flew Over the Cuckoo s Nest Essays

Imagery in One Flew Over the Cuckoo s Nest Essays Imagery in One Flew Over the Cuckoo s Nest Paper Imagery in One Flew Over the Cuckoo s Nest Paper The Image of Insanity In a world of technology and cities of massive population, in which strangers abound and close relationships are limited, society itself appears to be one large, emotionless machine, chi guying along with no care whatsoever for the individuals that make up the huge entity. A proponent of rebellion against conformity himself, Ken Keyes expresses his views on the demutualization of society in One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest through vivid imagery. More than a novel about the struggles of the individual characters or a representation of the dilemma of insane versus sane, One Flew is a statement about the cause f insanity. Through the imagery in Chief Bromides narration, Keyes reveals that the demutualization and conformity Of society is the true cause Of insanity. The patients of the mental hospital are constantly seen as an entity separate from the rest of society. The ward is isolated, and initially the only mention of the outside world is in a figurative sense. The Public Relation man and the women who he takes on tours of the hospital and the entrance of Big Nurse from the outside both reveal that the world continues moving outside, but Chief can see out the windows for the first half of the novel. Because Nurse Ratchet must unlock the door to enter, it gives the ward a further feeling of separation from the rest of society. This distinct difference marks the reason that these men are in the ward to begin with: they do not fit in to their roles in society. As Harding says to McCarthy at one point, All of us in here are rabbits of varying ages and degrees, hippy-hopping through our Walt Disney world. Oh, dont misunderstand me, iv?re not in here because were rabbits Were all here because we can adjust to our arbitrator (Keyes 61 Here Harding is revealing both the separation between the ward and the rest f the world, and that the reason the patients are in the ward to begin with is that they cant integrate With society properly. A common vein of Keyess works is the alienated and nonconformist individuals, who attempt To overcome their limitations and to retain their sanity (Ken Keyes). In One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, the nonconformists are already labeled insane and are struggling to find a place and retain some sense of individuality while the Combine attempts to turn them into effective parts of society. Nurse Ratchet is the face of the Combine in this endeavor, a perfect representative f a standardized, conformist, correct outside world, whose elemental desire is to protect itself against non-conformity or incorrectness (Wieldier). In this strictly regimented world of the ward the nonconformist patients have already given up for the most part, and the only thing preventing them from becoming just another part Of society is their own personalities, which are seemingly out of control. Into this attempt to make the patients fit into conventional society, where Ratchet is trying to build A little world Inside that is a made-to-scale prototype of the big world Outside (Keyes 48-49), tepees McCarthy, the embodiment of individuality and nonconformity. McCarthy is the architect of the patients rebellion against Big Nurse Ratchet and the obedient and unquestioning society she represents. He begins the fight against Big Nurses mechanized world. McCarthy represents individuality and self-reliance. He is the wild-west good guy who is a figure of the untamed natural world itself (Swallowing 124-125). In contrast, the Combine and society are euthanized, described in very mechanical terms. The term Combine itself implies the mechanical nature. The unification of society as one, the combining every person into one mass, without any identification of the individual, and also a combine, or a harvester, a machine that gathers crops, or in this case, people. According to Broaden, the bastards who work for the Combine Slip one of their machines in on you (Keyes 12). He also describes a nighttime scene in which the dorm sinks down into the basement where robot-like workers move in repetitive motions in a furnace-like room, and a patient named Plastic is hooked by his heel and treated like a side of meat (78-81 In these Ways the Combine harvests the people who cannot fit in with the structure and rules of society. Everything about the ward is described in a mechanical way. The imagery rev eals that this made-to-scale copy of the Outside has become completely euthanized. All of the workers, and especially Big Nurse, appear robotic. She carries wheels and gears, needles, pliers and copper wire (10) and makes precise, always calculated movements and gestures. Even her facial expressions are calculated and cold. The imagery of the black boys is slightly more humankind, as they are described as having emotions, but the Hum of lack machinery, humming hate and death and other hospital secrets (10) still provides mechanical imagery. Even the ward itself is managed in a strict manner, with a very repetitive routine. As Tanner describes, The phantom machines Broaden describes in the walls and in the people are part of a significant pattern of imagery used to develop the central theme concerning technological manipulation (22). Titles like Vegetables, Wheelers, Chronics, Acutest, and even the black boys are another sign of how the ward suppresses individuality and dehumidifies the patients in order to mold hem into proper members of society, because society itself is euthanized. Therefore, Macarthur first acts of rebellion occur when he first enters the ward. He goes against procedure by refusing to shower, and then he crosses the line between the segregated groups. Despite [knowing] right away hes not a Chronic (Keyes 22), he goes around the room and shakes the hands of not only the Acutest, but also the Chronics and even the Vegetables. As unconsciously as this he begins his rebellion against the ward, against the Combine, and against accepted society. As the representative Of individuality, McCarthy is the key fighter in the small scale war. Far from being euthanized, the imagery Keyes uses to portray McCarthy is very natural, rough and untamed. Beat up and rough, with a palm that was callused, and the calluses were cracked, and dirt was worked into the cracks. A road map of his travels up and down the West (27), McCarthy held the spirit of untamed nature and the West, the very epitome of individual work and self-reliance. Once the Keeps imagery set the stage in the readers mind, the contrasting imagery of Machine and Nature is identified, [and] the battle lines for the entrap conflict are readily apparent (Tanner 28). The patients rebellion progresses the conflict between nature and euthanized society. [T]he symbolic rebellion of these characters is transformed into a full-scale political protest directed specifically at the existing power structure (Lieberman). This existing structure being the mechanized, technological society represented by the Combine. Keyes was using the attitude of his time period to add to the realization that One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest was a parallel to the events of the real world. He gave he readers something more to think about, critiquing an American society that was portrayed in the serious media of the sass as consisting of a lonely crowd Of organization men, Offered affluence only if willing to pay the price Of conformity (Tanner 18). It was the distressed and tense feelings that were prevalent in this style of society that led to the activism and rebellion of the sis (Ken Kef). As a representation of that rebellious attitude, One Flew utilizes the same tensions and mind-sets to promote the patients rebellion. Although the rebellion starts off with a somewhat political appearance, including the sit-down strike that the men go on when Ratchet, despite us poised encouraging a democratic-style ward, refuses to let them watch the World Series despite having voted to be able to (Keyes 127-128), as it continues, it becomes associated with nature in some ways as well. As the exact opposite of machinery and technology, nature became the sign of the patients successes in the covert war. As the rebellion scene most associated with nature, the fishing trip that McCarthy organized for the patients represented the peak of their success. In fighting standardized society, the men are fighting the very thing which isolated them and cast them aside. Because they could not or would not conform, they were sometimes driven or sometimes simply labeled as insane. The machines and other images he sees are the product of [his] fear- distorted imagination Fear, paranoia, weakness, and disorientation from nature (Tanner 27). In some ways the patients of the mental hospital are no less sane than the people out of it, but they are unable to adjust to the reality of society. Lieberman interprets the patients insanity in a similar way, stating that many of them are not mad at all, unless they have been unhinged by the craziness in the world at large. This logic is supported by the fact that most of the men were voluntarily committed, and it is revealed that many of them got worse within the hospital. Chief Broaden is such a character. Harding implies that it was the treatments the doctors used that actually did the most damage. He says, Ive heard that the Chief, years ago, received more than two hundred shock treatments. Imagine what this could do to a mind that was already slipping (Keyes 65). In the past, mental illnesses were often wrongly diagnosed or completely ignored, and treatment id little more than chain or cage the patient, while actual treatments often comprised of medication, electroshock therapy, or cryosurgery that could do more damage than good (Historical Context). In addition, it has been questioned whether mental hospitals dont actually cause people to appear insane or act insane in response to a bizarre setting (Hornlike 113). Keyes, along with many other modern writers, presents madness more as a moral condition that stands as an indictment of modern society, simply a product of social corruption (Lieberman). As McCarthy says, You boys dont kook so crazy to me' (Keyes 22). Although a large percentage of the patients clearly have some mental problems, he sees some issues as being simply a part of being human, and therefore imperfect. To him insanity is not an explanation of anything A dead-end label, an excuse. To be crazy is not to be without sense (Hornlike 114). Even some Of the more insane men seem to have a deep meaning behind their insanity. During a dream-like sequence, Broaden comes across Colonel Matters, a Chronic patient who makes bizarre metaphors such as Mexico is The wall-nut, and Broaden alkalizes Hes been saying this sort of thing for the whole six years hes been here, but never paid him any mind, figured he Didnt make a lick of sense. Now, at last, I see what hes saying (Keyes 120). As Broaden explains, the man was making his own sort of sense, even if no one else understood. McCarthy also understands this type of logic, and teaches the inmates of the insane asylum to create their own truths (Pick), which is, in a way, what Broaden has done in his creation of the mechanical underworld that no one else can see. The relationship between nature and machinery in the conflict f the rebellion also reveals the affects that the demutualization of society has on people. There is a correlation throughout the novel between the imagery used (mechanical or natural) and the mental health of the patients, and especially the Chief. Although it is hard to pinpoint a time where Chief can be declared completely sane, his perception of reality definitely improves throughout the novel. He continues to think of things in terms of the Combine and the machines, but he no longer sees things that arent really there, he is just interpreting what he sees in strange ways. His improvement can be edged by the imagery he presents in his narration. The first event that reveals his improvement is when the fog machine supposedly breaks. Before this the fog was almost a defense mechanism for Broaden, one he used to shield himself from other people and from reality. When McCarthy argues with Big Nurse about watching the World Series, the fog rolls in heavy and surrounds Broaden, but one of the things he sees in the fog is his father, who he tends to associate with nature because his childhood was surrounded by the natural world. After this, Chief continues through a dream-sequence tit the fog all around, but when McCarthy calls for a vote, he manages to push through the fog and raise his hand, connecting him back to reality. This meeting supposedly causes the fog machine to break, and Broaden remains in touch with his own version of reality for quite some time after this. The next big step for Broaden is when he wakes up to reality in the middle of the night, walks to the window, and is actually able to see outside. Here he begins to recapture some of his former feelings about nature (Madden 1 55), but the power of the machine is reinforced when a dog he sees is run over by car in the same scene. Despite this reminder, the Chief continues to regain his sanity. He begins to remember more of his childhood memories, most of which are associated with nature (Madden 155-156). In this way, the more he sees and remembers nature, and the more vivid his imagery of nature is, the more sane he is, as well. In contrast to Broaden, McCarthy begins to lose touch with nature and, eventually, with sanity. He enters the novel and the hospital bigger than life and restores the inmates power, [but] ends as a clockwork version Of his former self* (Pick). At the end of the novel, just before Broaden executes him and then escapes, McCarthy is described as a crummy sideshow fake (270), by the patients who dont believe he could ever become less than the Wild West style hero he was to them. His face is empty, like a dummy. He has finally been caught and euthanized by the Combine. After killing the fake McCarthy, Broaden escapes from the hospital by tearing out a control panel and tossing it through the safety-glass window. He heard the wires and connections tearing out of the floor. The glass splashed out in the moon, like a bright cold water baptizing the sleeping art (Keyes 271-272). This imagery shows nature escaping from the machine, just as Broaden is finally escaping from the control of the Combine. He is finally able to get away and reaffirm his connection with nature, and by doing so he IS able to reinforce his recovered sanity. The fact that his escape from depredations and euthanized society is so closely linked with his sanity confirms Keyes belief that society causes insanity. Keyes uses imagery through One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest to present to the reader the idea that the focus on technology, machinery and diversification in our society s associated with insanity, while nature is, in contrast, connected to sanity.