Crossing to Safety and The Sweet Hereafter Essay Example for Free

Crossing to Safety and The Sweet Hereafter Essay The long summer has led me to produce a few thoughts on the assigned summer reading. While reading the books The Sweet Hereafter and Crossing to Safety I have discovered the importance of first person. By comparing the books I have found how the first person viewpoint relates to the characters, the action, and how the novels differ by author in their style of writing. The Sweet Hereafter has an interesting approach to sending us on a journey through the story. By having four narrators we get to see all the angles around the main event. One narration in particular, Billy Ansel, gives us an eye witness account of the featured action in the novel. The swerve off the road to the right, the skid, the smashing of the guard rail and the snow bank; and then the tilted angled plummet down the embankment to the sand pit, where, moving fast and somehow still upright, the bus slid across the ice to the far side; and then the ice letting go and the rear half of the yellow bus being swallowed at once by the freezing blue green water. Here we see how the first person can be used for action sequences. Because Billy Ansel was the only eyewitness, it is imperative that Russell Banks puts in his account in his own words, thoughts and feelings. Using the first person is one way to depict action, but it is also an efficient way to describe characters. Wallace Stegner takes a drastically different approach to his novel Crossing to Safety. The book is primarily told through the eyes of Larry Morgan. Throughout the book we get Larrys thoughts and feelings on events and happenings from beginning to end. Wallace Stegner uses Larrys character to describe the other characters and issues. Charity I was prepared for more or less-the fine narrow head, the drawn back hair, the vivid face, the greetings that managed to be excitedly personal even while she was dividing them among eight of us. but right then, in her doorway, crying greeting, she looked simply tall, beautiful, exotic and exuberant. These excerpts are a good example of Stegners use of the first person to describe a character as Larry saw it. Wallace does a good job of making sure not to overindulge the reader with pointless details and leaves the description short and sweet. Banks and Stegner both use the first person to tell their tales, but it is evident that their traits and s tyles vary significantly. Banks and Stegner have almost two completely different approaches to their novels. Russel Banks broke his story into four character chapters where we see one angle on the tragedy and surrounding events. By doing so, Banks invokes a different feeling from the book. Russell makes it seem as if the characters are actually talking to the reader, as if they were right across from you telling the story. The use of dialect and vocabulary also give the story a personal touch, to continue the exclusive feeling. Wallace Stegner uses one main character to take us through the book, inserting thoughts and dialogue when necessary. Wallace uses the first person viewpoint very differently than Banks. While reading Crossing to Safety it emits the feeling that the reader is actually there in the scene, watching it all take place as the story goes on. Stegner makes the book feel more like a movie than a story because of his vast descriptiveness in every scene and thought. Wallace makes the story flow s lowly building to climax whereas Banks has short thoughts with a peak at every turn of the page. The Sweet Hereafter and Crossing to Safety are both very-well written books and deserve the credit they get. While both books encompass the first person point of view, it all comes down to the personal choice of the reader, the literary connoisseur. Works Cited Stegner, Wallace. Crossing to Safety. New York, 1987. Banks, Russell. The Sweet Hereafter. New York, NY, 1991.

Hatchet Essay -- essays research papers

This book is written by Gary Paulsen. It takes place in the Canadian wilderness, where Brian Robeson’s, who is 13 yrs. Old, plane crashes. Brian shows a lot of determination and strength, to be able to survive in the wilderness, with no one else. The story starts out with Brian in the city, he lives with his mother, who is divorced. His mother gives him a gift before he leaves and it is a hatchet that fits on his belt so Brian puts it there. Brian meets the pilot and he is a nice man. Brian and the pilot get ready to leave and then Brian remembers that he saw a man kissing his mom but he does not let it bother him. Brian leaves and after an hour or so, the pilot was yelling and screaming that his chest hurts. He had a heart attack and died. Now Brian had to fly the plane on his own. Brian picked up the CB radio and called for help. He made contact with a man and Brian told him that the pilot had a heart attack and died and that he did not know how to fly a plane. Brian did not get an answer. Brian is flying to Alaska to visit his dad for the summer when suddenly the pilot has a heart attack and dies. He grabs onto the controls and tries to land the plane but there's no flat area so he decides to crash into a lake. He hustles out of the plane with his hatchet at his side and swims to the shore. He has to use the natural resources and his brain. Brian uses his hatchet to make a shelter and weapons. He chops down branches and sets them up for his shelter. "With the branch...

Practice Exam 1

Choose four (4) of the following questions and answer them in short essay format. All questions are worth equal marks. (12. 5 marks each) QUESTION 1 (12. 5 marks) Discuss the key factors in the international environment that managers of emerging global organisations look to as threats to their international operations. Provide examples as appropriate. International Environment is the management of business operations conducted in more than one country and usually outside of the organisations normal environment (out of the country).Legal-Political Environment: Political systems the organisation may be unfamiliar with; dealing with the government. – Political stability – Quotas, tariffs and taxes – Law and regulation Economic Environment: Economic conditions in which the organisation operates in – Consumer Market – Exchange rates – Economic development (Developing country? Depression? ) Sociocultural Environment: Common behaviour and way of thi nking among the consumers. – Religion – Time orientation – Beliefs and values(Hofstede) – Language QUESTION 2 (12. 5 marks)What are Porter’s competitive forces in an organisation’s environment? Explain them and provide examples to illustrate your answer. Threat of new entrants: – Capital requirements and economic of scale are potential barriers – Easier to enter mail order business than automobile due to high capital cost – Technology made it easier for new entrants to enter market. – Threat of existing rivalry: – Coke VS Pepsi, Toyota VS Honda – Influenced by the other four forces and cost-product differentiation Threat of substitute products: – Affected by cost changes or trends Internet open new ways to meet customer needs – Low cost airline tickets VS travel agencies Bargaining power of buyers: – Few buyer, many suppliers. Goods are standardised. (High buyer power) – B uyer gets more information about the car they want to buy; accident before? Bargaining power of suppliers: – Many buyers, few suppliers. Highly valued products. (High supplier power) – Airplane engine suppliers will have great power due to lack of competition – Internet helps the suppliers to reach end users and greater number of buyersQUESTION 3 (12. 5 marks) What is the difference between organisational structure and organisational design? Outline the six elements of organisational design. Organisational structure is a framework that defines the way tasks are assigned, the formalization of reporting relationships and the effectiveness of coordination of employees across departments. It is an expression of who is performing various tasks and how they are related to one another whereas organisational design is the process of reshaping or changing the organisation structure.Organisation leaders develop plans to function or perform better. Six elements are: 1) Wor k Specialisation – A. k. a Division of labour. Main idea is to divide the jobs so that everything is not done by one individual. Employees can focus on doing specific functions in their own department allowing them to effectively and efficiently specialise in that particular job. 2) Chain Of Command – Line of authority from the upper level of organisation to lower level of organisation and classifies who reports to whom. Unity of command where each employee is held accountable to only one supervisor.Scalar Command defined line of authority that refers to all employees. 3) Responsibility, authority & delegation – Authority is the legitimate right of managers to issue orders, make decisions and allocate resources. Responsibility is the duty to perform a task an employee is assigned to and usually comes with authority for managers. Delegation is the transfer of authority to a lower level position in the hierarchy. 4) Span of management – Refers to the number of employees reporting to a supervisor. Also known as span of control.Determines the number of employees a supervisor can effectively and efficiently manage. 5) Centralization & decentralization – Centralization is when the authority is located at a single point usually at the top level of the organisation and decentralization is when decision authority is pushed down to lower organisation levels. Decentralization is believed to relieve burden on top managers, make greater use of worker skills and abilities and permit rapid response to external changes. 6) Formalization – Process of creating written documents to direct and control employees.These include rule books, regulations and job descriptions. These provide the employees with descriptions of tasks, responsibilities and decision authority. QUESTION 4 (12. 5 marks) A contingency approach to leadership seeks to explain the relationship between leadership styles and specific situations. Describe Hersey and Blanchard ’s situational leadership model. Provide examples to illustrate your answer. [pic] QUESTION 5 (12. 5 marks) Managers faced with ethical choices have a number of approaches that they may use to guide their decision making.Discuss the various approaches to ethical decision making, providing examples to help explain your answer. Utilitarian approach is the moral behaviour of producing the greatest good for the greatest number. Decision makers are to consider the effect of all parties and select one that best gives satisfaction to the greatest number of people. Squatter homes are not abolished because the government may find that leaving the squatter homes untouched may be a better option as it provides as a home for many people.Dunlop closed their manufacturing plant in Australia and decided to open one in Thailand and Malaysia, managers justified that decision on the basis that it produces greater good to the company as a whole. Individualism approach promotes the individualâ⠂¬â„¢s best long term interests which will lead to the greater good. The action in which is intended to produce greater good than bad to the individual rather than other alternatives. This will in turn, lead to greater good as individual’s behaviour fits the standards of behaviour people wants towards themselves.Moral rights approach defines the fact that human beings have rights and liberties that cannot be taken away by another individual. This approach suggests companies to maintain the rights of the people affected by it. Western countries give their people the right to have their own say (freedom of speech) and in some companies, they give their customers the freedom to speak and complain. Hence, the saying the customer is always right. Justice approach is the moral decision based on equality, fairness and impartiality. There are 3 types of justice concerning managers: distributive ustice where people should not be treated differently based on illogical characteristics s uch as gender. Procedural justice where rules should be administered fairly and consistently and Compensatory justice where individuals should be compensated for the cost of their injuries by the party responsible. QUESTION 6 (12. 5 marks) A current issue for HRM involves the changing nature of careers, and the evolving dynamic of relationships between employers and employees. Discuss the major issues involved in the changing nature of careers, and the HR issues in the new workplace. Provide examples as appropriate.Major Issue: Changing social contract Issues in new workplace: 1) Becoming employer of choice – company highly attractive to employees due to HR practices that focus on not only tangible benefits but intangible too. 2) Team & Projects – People who used to work alone now has to work in groups. Many workers handle multiple tasks and responsibilities. 3) Temporary employees – Demand has grown for professionals. Contingent workers means reduced payroll an d benefit costs as well as increased flexibility for both employer and employee. 4) Technology – Virtual teams and telecommunicating ) Work/Life Balance – Telecommunicating helps employees work from home to balance life and work. 6) Downsizing – Some companies have to downsize and let employees go. ———————– Old contractNew Contract Employee Employer – Job felt secure – One part of the organisation – Knowing – Routine Jobs – Standard training programs – Limited information – Traditional compensation package (typical benefits) – Manage own career (employment not guaranteed) – Partner in business improvement – Learning – Challenging assignments – Continuous learning, lateral career – Information & resources – Creative development opportunities Practice Exam 1 Choose four (4) of the following questions and answer them in short essay format. All questions are worth equal marks. (12. 5 marks each) QUESTION 1 (12. 5 marks) Discuss the key factors in the international environment that managers of emerging global organisations look to as threats to their international operations. Provide examples as appropriate. International Environment is the management of business operations conducted in more than one country and usually outside of the organisations normal environment (out of the country).Legal-Political Environment: Political systems the organisation may be unfamiliar with; dealing with the government. – Political stability – Quotas, tariffs and taxes – Law and regulation Economic Environment: Economic conditions in which the organisation operates in – Consumer Market – Exchange rates – Economic development (Developing country? Depression? ) Sociocultural Environment: Common behaviour and way of thi nking among the consumers. – Religion – Time orientation – Beliefs and values(Hofstede) – Language QUESTION 2 (12. 5 marks)What are Porter’s competitive forces in an organisation’s environment? Explain them and provide examples to illustrate your answer. Threat of new entrants: – Capital requirements and economic of scale are potential barriers – Easier to enter mail order business than automobile due to high capital cost – Technology made it easier for new entrants to enter market. – Threat of existing rivalry: – Coke VS Pepsi, Toyota VS Honda – Influenced by the other four forces and cost-product differentiation Threat of substitute products: – Affected by cost changes or trends Internet open new ways to meet customer needs – Low cost airline tickets VS travel agencies Bargaining power of buyers: – Few buyer, many suppliers. Goods are standardised. (High buyer power) – B uyer gets more information about the car they want to buy; accident before? Bargaining power of suppliers: – Many buyers, few suppliers. Highly valued products. (High supplier power) – Airplane engine suppliers will have great power due to lack of competition – Internet helps the suppliers to reach end users and greater number of buyersQUESTION 3 (12. 5 marks) What is the difference between organisational structure and organisational design? Outline the six elements of organisational design. Organisational structure is a framework that defines the way tasks are assigned, the formalization of reporting relationships and the effectiveness of coordination of employees across departments. It is an expression of who is performing various tasks and how they are related to one another whereas organisational design is the process of reshaping or changing the organisation structure.Organisation leaders develop plans to function or perform better. Six elements are: 1) Wor k Specialisation – A. k. a Division of labour. Main idea is to divide the jobs so that everything is not done by one individual. Employees can focus on doing specific functions in their own department allowing them to effectively and efficiently specialise in that particular job. 2) Chain Of Command – Line of authority from the upper level of organisation to lower level of organisation and classifies who reports to whom. Unity of command where each employee is held accountable to only one supervisor.Scalar Command defined line of authority that refers to all employees. 3) Responsibility, authority & delegation – Authority is the legitimate right of managers to issue orders, make decisions and allocate resources. Responsibility is the duty to perform a task an employee is assigned to and usually comes with authority for managers. Delegation is the transfer of authority to a lower level position in the hierarchy. 4) Span of management – Refers to the number of employees reporting to a supervisor. Also known as span of control.Determines the number of employees a supervisor can effectively and efficiently manage. 5) Centralization & decentralization – Centralization is when the authority is located at a single point usually at the top level of the organisation and decentralization is when decision authority is pushed down to lower organisation levels. Decentralization is believed to relieve burden on top managers, make greater use of worker skills and abilities and permit rapid response to external changes. 6) Formalization – Process of creating written documents to direct and control employees.These include rule books, regulations and job descriptions. These provide the employees with descriptions of tasks, responsibilities and decision authority. QUESTION 4 (12. 5 marks) A contingency approach to leadership seeks to explain the relationship between leadership styles and specific situations. Describe Hersey and Blanchard ’s situational leadership model. Provide examples to illustrate your answer. [pic] QUESTION 5 (12. 5 marks) Managers faced with ethical choices have a number of approaches that they may use to guide their decision making.Discuss the various approaches to ethical decision making, providing examples to help explain your answer. Utilitarian approach is the moral behaviour of producing the greatest good for the greatest number. Decision makers are to consider the effect of all parties and select one that best gives satisfaction to the greatest number of people. Squatter homes are not abolished because the government may find that leaving the squatter homes untouched may be a better option as it provides as a home for many people.Dunlop closed their manufacturing plant in Australia and decided to open one in Thailand and Malaysia, managers justified that decision on the basis that it produces greater good to the company as a whole. Individualism approach promotes the individualâ⠂¬â„¢s best long term interests which will lead to the greater good. The action in which is intended to produce greater good than bad to the individual rather than other alternatives. This will in turn, lead to greater good as individual’s behaviour fits the standards of behaviour people wants towards themselves.Moral rights approach defines the fact that human beings have rights and liberties that cannot be taken away by another individual. This approach suggests companies to maintain the rights of the people affected by it. Western countries give their people the right to have their own say (freedom of speech) and in some companies, they give their customers the freedom to speak and complain. Hence, the saying the customer is always right. Justice approach is the moral decision based on equality, fairness and impartiality. There are 3 types of justice concerning managers: distributive ustice where people should not be treated differently based on illogical characteristics s uch as gender. Procedural justice where rules should be administered fairly and consistently and Compensatory justice where individuals should be compensated for the cost of their injuries by the party responsible. QUESTION 6 (12. 5 marks) A current issue for HRM involves the changing nature of careers, and the evolving dynamic of relationships between employers and employees. Discuss the major issues involved in the changing nature of careers, and the HR issues in the new workplace. Provide examples as appropriate.Major Issue: Changing social contract Issues in new workplace: 1) Becoming employer of choice – company highly attractive to employees due to HR practices that focus on not only tangible benefits but intangible too. 2) Team & Projects – People who used to work alone now has to work in groups. Many workers handle multiple tasks and responsibilities. 3) Temporary employees – Demand has grown for professionals. Contingent workers means reduced payroll an d benefit costs as well as increased flexibility for both employer and employee. 4) Technology – Virtual teams and telecommunicating ) Work/Life Balance – Telecommunicating helps employees work from home to balance life and work. 6) Downsizing – Some companies have to downsize and let employees go. ———————– Old contractNew Contract Employee Employer – Job felt secure – One part of the organisation – Knowing – Routine Jobs – Standard training programs – Limited information – Traditional compensation package (typical benefits) – Manage own career (employment not guaranteed) – Partner in business improvement – Learning – Challenging assignments – Continuous learning, lateral career – Information & resources – Creative development opportunities

Communism and Working Class - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 641 Downloads: 9 Date added: 2019/07/31 Category Politics Essay Level High school Tags: Communism Essay Did you like this example? Communism was originally the political thought that concentrated on the working class. The idea for Communism officially started with Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in The Communist Manifesto, where they outlined their idea of what equality between the people should really be seen as. Those two men modified multiple different ideas from the writings of several authors and philosophers including Platos The Republic (4th century B.C.), and Sir Thomas Mores Utopia (16th century A.D.). Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Communism and Working Class" essay for you Create order Prior to writing the Communist Manifesto, the men were also involved in different working parties in Germany. The men combined their ideas with the ideals of other different parties to unify the workers of Germany and called the collective thought Communism. Communism as a form of government was first implemented by Vladimir Lenin in Russia 1917 after the Russian Revolution against their leader Czar Nicholas II. Lenin took inspiration from the ideas of the two German authors and then added his own philosophy, called now Marxism-Leninism, soon after that Communism became more recognized throughout the world. From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs. Communism is known as a form of government branching off from the larger Socialism. The main idea in Communism is equality for all in status, for all people to work to the best of their ability, and for all people to receive enough for their personal needs. In order to achieve this goal, states ruled by the communist party contain no social classes and no ownership of private property, all the property belongs to the community as a whole. During the late 1940s and early 1950s, the prospect of communist activity at home and away seemed very real to many people in the United States. These fears came to define the times political culture. A republic senator by the name of Joseph P. McCarthy spent almost five years trying to expose communists and other loyalty risks in the U.S. government, only to fail. In the tense atmosphere of the Cold War, acts of disloyalty were enough to convince many Americans that their government was filled with traitors trying to terrorize the country. McCarthys accusations were so intimidating that only a select few people ever tried to speak out against him. It was not until he attacked the Army in 1954 that his actions earned him the censure of the U.S. Senate. Communism, a political, and economic doctrine that aims to replace private property and a profit-based economy with public ownership and community control of the natural resources for the community. This means that, while being more advanced than other forms of it, Communism is a form of socialism. There has been much controversy over exactly how communism is different from socialism but the distinction rests largely on the communists personal definition socialism. Two phases of communism that would predict the overthrow of capitalism are a transitional system in which the working class would control the government and economy but still find it necessary to pay people according to how long, hard, and well they worked. Then the second would be fully realized communism†a community without class divisions or government, in which the production and distribution of goods would be solely based upon the principle From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs. Marxs followers, especially Vladimir Ilich Lenin, took this up. Even the party leaders established a command economy in which the state-controlled property and determined wages, prices, as well as production goals. Communism is generally making fewer concessions to market capitalism and electoral democracy than most other forms of society. As a system of government, communism usually centers on a one-party state that bans most forms of political dissent. Socialisms history is more varied than communism: the Communist Manifesto devotes a chapter to criticizing the forms of socialism that already exist.