An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge

An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge Introduction ‘An Occurrence at Owl Creek’ is set in the American Civil War and tells of the execution of Peyton Farquhar, a civilian confederate sympathizer (Sparknotes.com, 2007). The story throws us to different times: the ‘present’ moment of the execution, the past that led to the execution and most notably, to an ‘imagined present’ (Sparknotes.com, 2007).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More But there’s is no clear distinction between the reality and the imagination if each is to be judged on its own right. Just as the real world has people who can be hungry and tired and in need, so is the world that Farquhar imagines. It is this playing around with time, this irregular time sequence that makes this story famous. From a psychoanalytic point of view, it is quite evident how Bierce’s own life is an in fluence to this story. Besides having himself been a soldier, Bierce was an outspoken opponent of realism, which insisted on reflecting life as it is, ‘without any subjection whatsoever to creativity of the mind (Sparknotes.com, 2007). Analysis The story is a reflection of some of the issues that Bierce seemed to have been interest in. These include: Reality versus Illusion: Bierce seemed to be of the thought that the line between reality and illusion is not a very obvious one; that these two work side by side (Sparknotes.com, 2007). Bierce, to an extent, manages to bring the audience with him into this thought. The final section, Peyton’s escape to his family, is quite believable in its own right. Of course, there’s a possibility of the reader being confused. Here’s why. The final sentence in section I is â€Å"The sergeant stepped aside† (Sparknotes.com, 2007), at this point, we expect that Farquhar is plunging to his death. Now in section III he is ‘really’ escaping to his family; the reader is caught between a fact, as told by the storyteller, and the reality of Farquhar’s escape as created by words.Advertising Looking for essay on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The confusion created by a conscious/subconscious awareness that Farquhar is plunging to his death visvis his escape, or the acceptance that he is actually escaping, are a reflection of Bierce’ success at making us see that, in spite of the gap between them, the difference between reality and illusion, what it takes to move from one to another, is not so obvious. Bierce also explores the aspect of liquidity of time (Sparknotes.com, 2007). The story moves from the present to the past and finally to the imagined. This structure reflects how fluid time is, as well as the conflict between its competing variants. Section II interrupts the continuing proces s of Farquhar at the edge, starting to plunge down to his death (Sparknotes.com, 2007). In section III, Peyton has gone into a completely timeless realm, free from the hands of time as counted down by the actual second-hand of a clock. Farquhar manages to do in his mind/imagination what can’t be done in the actual world within the seconds it takes him to go over the edge and the rope breaking his neck. In the end, Bierce’s seems to say that time is subjective, that it can be manipulated to suit need, as does Farquhar. Bierce’s story was seen as a breach of the traditional rules of narration, especially the ending of the story. Bierce’s conclusion is not really of the expected form as it questions the nature of resolving a story (Sparknotes.com, 2007). The conclusion here becomes a distortion of the reality as it is known; Farquhar, in a sense, manages to ‘outlive’ his execution because though his life ends in the first section, his story stil l extends. Bierce’s unique plotting sees conflicting versions of truth live side by side inside the same story (Sparknotes.com, 2007). In spite of this, Bierce still does his story within the conventions of literature: the story starts, develops and ends; he employs tropes such as motifs and symbols, as well as features of drama such as realism, foreshadowing and tone (Sparknotes.com, 2007). Realism involves making an imaginary world as believable as possible. For authenticity, Bierce gives a vivid and believable description of the setting at the bridge where Farquhar is to be executed: from the time to the position of planks and rope; from the positioning of the soldiers and their guns to their conduct at the ritual of execution (Sparknotes.com, 2007).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Again, although the revelation at the end of Farquharâ€⠄¢s imagination is unexpected and shocking, Bierce, by talking of how things ‘seem’ to Farquhar as opposed to what is actually happening is a foreshadowing (helped by the change of tone) of the actual death of Farquhar. Conclusion Finally, it is quite notable the way that Bierce uses imagination to get into Farquhar’s head. Here is a dying man who does not speak his mind, he only imagines it. Yet Bierce takes the â€Å"seat of God†; that he’s able to get into Farquhar’s head (Sparknotes.com, 2007). In the end it is this fruit of imagination that brings all that makes this story different and remarkable, both in the arena of literary works, as well as for the reader. Reference Sparknotes.com. (2007). An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge. Web.

Free Essays on Medea, The Tragic Hero

Medea: the Tragic Hero Aristotle’s tragic hero is defined in Poetics and consists of five essential characteristics. Although some tragedies did not follow Aristotle’s model, the list of characteristics that Aristotle describes became a prototype and outline for many Greek tragedy writers. Euripedes wrote over one hundred tragedies and many times he followed Aristotle’s definition. Medea is unique in that it consists of many of Aristotle’s ideas as well as some that Euripedes implemented himself. Aristotle states that a tragic hero must be noble, which means that the hero must be of high social class possessing moral qualities as well as unique abilities. Medea was a princess of Colchis and displayed a vast knowledge of enchantments, medicine, and sorcery. Medea’s moral qualities were removed only after her husband Jason had abandoned her and their two children and began courting the daughter of King Kreon of Corinth. The fading of Medea’s moral values was directly related to her hamartia, the second characteristic of Aristotle’s tragic hero. Hamartia is a flaw or weakness in the hero and Medea’s was her immense anger and wrath towards everyone around her, including herself, once she learned of Jason’s betrayal. In her wrath she deceived Jason by gaining his confidence again only to bestow him gifts of malice such as a poisoned wedding gown that kills Kreon’s daughter, as well as Kreon himself who is so heartbroken that he embraces his dead princess and absorbs the poison also. Included in her plot for vengeance was the murder of her own two children. The satisfaction of the pain she caused Jason by doing this far outweighed her own devastation. Medea’s slaying of her own children is part of the third characteristic of Aristotle’s tragic hero. Her hubris, excessive pride, and desire for revenge led Medea to the loss of her children. Prior to this act she believes that killing them will hurt Jas... Free Essays on Medea, The Tragic Hero Free Essays on Medea, The Tragic Hero Medea: the Tragic Hero Aristotle’s tragic hero is defined in Poetics and consists of five essential characteristics. Although some tragedies did not follow Aristotle’s model, the list of characteristics that Aristotle describes became a prototype and outline for many Greek tragedy writers. Euripedes wrote over one hundred tragedies and many times he followed Aristotle’s definition. Medea is unique in that it consists of many of Aristotle’s ideas as well as some that Euripedes implemented himself. Aristotle states that a tragic hero must be noble, which means that the hero must be of high social class possessing moral qualities as well as unique abilities. Medea was a princess of Colchis and displayed a vast knowledge of enchantments, medicine, and sorcery. Medea’s moral qualities were removed only after her husband Jason had abandoned her and their two children and began courting the daughter of King Kreon of Corinth. The fading of Medea’s moral values was directly related to her hamartia, the second characteristic of Aristotle’s tragic hero. Hamartia is a flaw or weakness in the hero and Medea’s was her immense anger and wrath towards everyone around her, including herself, once she learned of Jason’s betrayal. In her wrath she deceived Jason by gaining his confidence again only to bestow him gifts of malice such as a poisoned wedding gown that kills Kreon’s daughter, as well as Kreon himself who is so heartbroken that he embraces his dead princess and absorbs the poison also. Included in her plot for vengeance was the murder of her own two children. The satisfaction of the pain she caused Jason by doing this far outweighed her own devastation. Medea’s slaying of her own children is part of the third characteristic of Aristotle’s tragic hero. Her hubris, excessive pride, and desire for revenge led Medea to the loss of her children. Prior to this act she believes that killing them will hurt Jas...

Tim's Coffee Shoppe Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Tim's Coffee Shoppe - Essay Example The product, price, placement, and promotion marketing criterion (Pride & Ferrell, 2012) informs the implementation of Tim’s consideration. The breakfast quiches will complement the need for a side product to the coffee offered by Tim’s Coffee Shoppe. Price adjustments would have to be undertaken in a manner that meets customer expectations. Moreover, the placement of the new products fits into the already existing market, and promotions could be employed in marketing the new line of products at the Coffee Shoppe. The menu board at Tim’s Coffee Shoppe is commendable, but essentially in need of some improvements. Given the diversity and dynamism exhibited in the hot and cold beverage markets, Tim’s Coffee Shoppe should work on offering more and diversified coffee products. Also, customers should not be targeted as a general unit. Instead, Tim’s Coffee Shoppe should identify its customer segments and seek to meet the needs, tastes, and preferences of each identified segment. Finally, complementary products that Tim’s Coffee Shoppe intends to offer should be in a position to maintain the uniqueness of the business in the

Exploration Missions on Mars Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Exploration Missions on Mars - Essay Example Exploration Missions on Mars In the contemporary world, there have been numerous missions and these have included the Mars Odyssey, the Mars Express, the Mars Exploration Rovers, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiters and the Mars Science Laboratories. They have been developed to ensure that further knowledge of the planet is increased and this to such an extent that there is contemplation concerning sending a manned mission to Mars. This report seeks to show the extent to which the recent missions to Mars, especially within the twenty first century, have increased human knowledge concerning this planet and whether they have been successes. The Mars Odyssey mission is one of the most important in the twenty first century because it was the first successful mission to be launched in the new millennium. The orbiter involved in this mission reached the orbit of Mars in 2001 where it was able, through its gamma ray spectrometer, to detect a significant amount of hydrogen on the Martian surface, which allowed scientists to speculate that there, must be large amounts of water on the planet in the form of ice (Boynton et al, 2004,). Furthermore, its Phoenix lander was instrumental in confirming that Mars indeed had water and that this would allow for the conditions necessary to sustain life. It is essential to note that it was through this mission that scientists were able to determine were able to confirm the presence of water on the planet in the form of ice and it allowed for there to develop speculation concerning whether the ice ever thawed.

Implementing an ADR Process Essay Example for Free

Implementing an ADR Process Essay An Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) is a voluntary procedure where parties come to an agreement to use in conjunction with a formal process of administration, to resolve and settle disagreements or disputes in a work environment (Ann and Jay, 2002). There exist a number of objectives that lead to the use of an ADR processes in an organization. The Alternative Dispute Resolution processes should perform the following factions among others. It should resolve or reduce a number of issues in a dispute, be accessible, use the available resources efficiently, resolve disputes and disagreements as early as they occur, produce effective, lawful and acceptable outcomes to the involved parties and enhance the parties’ satisfaction (Cavel and Vondra, 1994). Types of ADR processes Mediation is a type of neutrally facilitated negotiation. It is a process where the parties to the dispute choose a mutually acceptable and independent third party called the mediator, to assist them in arriving at an amicable solution to their conflict or dispute (Cavel and Vondra, 1994). The mediator enables parties to appraise their own cases with him in confidence, the factors like business relationships, commercial pressures, and reputation issues can be taken into account to necessary extent. Also, the procedure is flexible to suit the parties and the dispute. Mediation is also quick, consequently cheap and entirely confidential. However, Mediation is not suitable where the parties in a dispute require a court judgment (John and Steven, 2003). Conciliation is a process where the conciliator might express an opinion on the advantages of a dispute and will recommend a resolution to that dispute if he is not able persuade the parties to create their own solution (Ann and Jay, 2002). It is often preferred to mediation if the parties want the benefit of a conciliator’s intervention and assistance in the given confidential form provided. Neutral or expert evaluation; Here the parties aggrieved appoint an acceptable and neutral third party to both of them to evaluate their dispute and deduce an opinion on its outcome (Ann and Martin, 2002). They may request for an evaluation of their positions as a matter of law liability. Adjudication is non-housing grant whereby it is a process in which the parties appoint a neutral expert in the subject in disagreement to decide the dispute (Cavel and Vondra, 1994). The adjudicators decision may be binding in the end of a temporary effect or advisory depending on the parties terms of reference availed to him. Implementation of an ADR processes The implementation of an ADR process may face a lot of barriers. For instance, the management may reject it. This may arise where the management do not belief in simple methods of conflict resolution or where they belief Court judgment. Also, another barrier could be misinformation or lack of commitment. Some employees or managers may present the truth about then ADR process as incorrect or as a bad method thereby creating some for of rejection by the other people within an organization (Cavel and Vondra, 1994). The management may also pose a big challenge if it will decline to provide the required leadership in the process of implementing the ADR process. This is where the leading parties may not be willing to play a lead role in its implementation. Another challenge that may be realized is the lack of any form of commitment by the implementing group or lack of a proper legislation for its implementation. Some people on the other hand my go to court to acquire an injunction over the use of this process in an organization. While on the other hand the law firm workforce may fear the possible consequences of adapting ADR process subjecting it to criticism (John and Steven, 2003). Therefore, to overcome these challenges, one needs to have a number of methods. For instance, the person implementing an ADR Process should improve the communication to the rest of the employees and the management in general. Effective communication ensures that the process shall be well explained and illustrated while giving the advantages of accepting its use in the organization if implemented (Steven and Graham, 1993). Also, it is necessary that the concerned parties should hold a meeting for brainstorming and analysis of the strengths of the proposed ADR Process and its implementation. Involving the all affected stakeholders in implementation process ensures that the stakeholders own the process by their active contribution and participation, thus likely to result less resistance. Moreover, this will ensure that the persons concerned are well informed and are part of the process thereby reducing the chances of rejection and other barriers to its implementation. Another way of overcoming the implementation of an ADR Process is by adopting good leadership behavior by the leading persons in the organization. In this regard, a hands-off leadership style which is closely related to â€Å"laissez-faire† is appropriate leadership behavior whereby the top managerial carder provides no or little direction and gives workforce as much freedom in the implementation process (Donald, 2004, p. 216). The authority is given to the staff enabling them to make decisions, determine goals, and resolve problems on their own. However, the management should lead by supporting the implementation of the ADR Process and also provide relevant advice as to the advantages and disadvantages of using the process in the organization in resolving disputes and not imposing the process. Also, an appropriate advice should be given in relation to the legal processes and other court related problems like delays which are likely to drag the resolution of a dispute that would be resolved in a matter of days or hours between the parties. In addition, the cost that is involved in the legal process is higher that that used in the ADR Process. This should discourage the aggrieved parties from taking the case to the courts. The ADR Process plan may be accepted by the management if the definition of the intermediaries like the conciliators, mediators among others is well done and identified. The management might also accept the plan if legality part of the intermediaries is well done especially in adjudication where the experts are involved in the dispute resolution (Ann and Martin, 2002; John and Steven, 2003). This mainly because of the associated advantages of using an AR process like satisfactory results, more flexibility, participation and control, better case understanding, management improvement and reduction of hostility (Cavel and Vondra, 1994). The management is also likely to accept the ADR Process plan if the cost is conspicuously advantageous in adopting the ADR Process and if it proofs that by adopting it, the parting are likely to resolve their disputes amicably are return to their normal way of working because as an organization, it is only fare that the employees are working with harmony and agreement. In conclusion, it is clear that an ADR Process is good for an organization if it is implemented and well used. As much as there are challenges that are associated with its implementation, it is proper that it is well explained both to the management and the rest of the employees so as to embrace its merits and foster a sense of collective acceptability thereby reducing the chances of its rejection.

Alas, Babylon :: essays research papers

Alas, Babylon Essay   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the book Alas, Babylon, the author, Pat Frank, discusses the condition of the human race. Mainly, his view differs from others because rather than write about the countries in a nuclear war, he writes about people living in the countries that are involved in that war. His discusses these peoples’ progress, both technological and moral, as well as their use of power. These topics make the book as intriguing as it is to read.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Frank, rather than talk about all mankind’s technological advances, talks about how they have hindered man. He says that we have become dependant on these discoveries. He shows this when Dan Gunn and Mark take turns telling Randy all these things that he has, such as a nice car and a refrigerator, are useless when nuclear fallout occurs. It seems that man cannot function for even one minute without using things that were not even available fifty or one hundred years ago. Frank is warning us that there may be a time when we will need to retain the lifestyle of the nineteenth century, and only the people who have the knowledge of this way of life will be fine.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Frank has an interesting view on the way man has progressed morally. I think that he says that we don’t really know our morals until we have them truly questioned. In this he implies that the people who have strong morals, not only will stay true to them, but will survive. An example of this is Randy Bragg. Randy, on the day of nuclear fallout, stopped on the side of the road to help a woman. This shows that he has respect for the human race as a whole. The opposite of this was Edgar Quisenbury. Edgar valued nothing but money. In the end, the absence of money caused Edgar to become an example of Darwin’s â€Å"Only the strong† theory as he shot himself.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Power is addressed in the book as something that Americans do not take seriously. The use of this power is not shown so much as who is in power. I will use three examples of this. Bubbah Offenhouse was in charge of making everyone aware of what to do in case of fallout. However, he chose not to even hand out information on this because he didn’t want to think about it.

Shinsei Case Study

Shinsei Bank Case Shinsei bank has a rich history in terms of influence over the Japanese banking sector. Of all the defining moments, there are a few moments that reflect the culture shift of Shinsei bank from the more traditional Japanese approach to the more Western business model. These moments include the denial by Shinsei to forgive 97 billion Yen in debt owed by Sogo, the creation of the Shinsei Securities operations and the institutional banking department, being listed on the Tokyo Stock exchange and the hiring of Tom Pedersen as the Chief Learning Officer All the above moments are important because all reflect the shift from tradition and probably may account for the current lack of culture or rift between the traditional Japanese employees and the foreign employees of Shinsei. Traditional Japanese banks were expected to view profits as long term and were expected to be more socialist in terms of sharing the burden with society. By rejecting the request of Sogo to forgive its debt, Shinsei set the tone that its main responsibility is not to society but to earn a profit for its shareholders. This aspect was strengthened by the creating of the Securities Operations and the Institutional banking department. As the case pointed out, these positions were filled by foreigners who had experience in creating profits. In turn, these employees were mostly paid on commissions, which exacerbated their risk taking for short-term profits, which is inconsistent with the views of the traditional Japanese employee. In addition, by being listed on the stock exchange marked a milestone for the company because now its focus was completely shifted to earning profits and doing whatever was necessary to earn profits. All the above changes led to a culture rift between the traditional Japanese employees and foreign workers. As the case pointed, this rift or lack of culture was noted by Porte. Understanding the seriousness of the problem, Porte hired Tom Pedersen to become the Chief Learning Office and assigned him with the responsibility of unifying the corporate culture with one mission for all employees. Although I agree with the use of â€Å"pay for performance† in theory, I do not agree with the two-tier system as implemented by Shinsei. At Shinsei, it seemed that the two tiered system led to resentment. As one employee put it â€Å"Frankly, for much of the first year the atmosphere in the bank was like civil war†¦Everyone was fighting everyone else. † The problem with pay for performance systems is that detracts from team work as motivation for self reward goes against the idea of helping colleagues. On the other hand, pay based on the organization profitability leads to star performers being underpaid as well as social loafing. In order to effectively implement a pay for performance system, an organization must be careful to avoid the negative side effects. What was the aim of the values and vision exercise? How successful was it? The main purpose of the vision and values exercise was to formalize and align the current values that were present within the organization. By doing this, Pedersen hoped to align the values to the banks strategic plans. I think Pedersen has done a great job so far in trying to bridge the gap between the employees and trying to promote an organizational culture based on a common mission. His vision and values exercise was successful. In addition, he adopted a new â€Å"360 Performance Evaluation† system for senior executives and coaching session for evaluators so the evaluations were not inflated. By doing this, Pedersen was showing that there was more emphasis on those who could follow the values of the organization, rather than just on those that produced revenues. This showed great progress to the creation of a unified corporate culture. The primary role of a Chief Learning Officer is to work with HR and other corporate functions to create a learning environment to follow the vision of the organization. This can include creating centralized training programs, performance evaluation programs, and other programs to develop employees internally. I think the performance evaluation program should be expanded, but not at the current time. Since this has been in operations for only a year, the firm should closely evaluate the response of this program, adjust and incorporate other metrics (which are more applicable to day-to-day employees). In addition, I agree with Luton that the results of the performance evaluation should be communicated to the one being evaluated. It is very important to communicate the findings of an evaluation to the employee and get their feedback on the process. An employee needs to know where their performance stands versus expected performance and the steps they can take to improve the performance. This can empower the employee as its shift responsibility to the employee. Generally speaking, the decision to expand or eliminate a new initiative should be based on the results obtained from the initiative versus expected results. In addition, a new initiative should be judged as to how well it fits within the organizations missions. There are numerous ways to assess the effectiveness of an initiative such as conducting employee surveys, benchmark studies, and soliciting feedback from middle and upper management. In order to further improve collaboration, Pedersen should implement a training program which includes specific learning principles. The main purpose of the training program should be to increase employee knowledge and skills. In order for a training program to be effective, the employees must know the objective of the training program. Employees should know exactly why they are participating in the training in the first place. The specific purpose and objective must also be communicated. Second, the training content should be meaningful which means the concepts and examples should be familiar to the trainees. In addition, the employees should be given an opportunity to practice the principals they learned and then they should be given feedback about how well they are meeting the training objective. By incorporating the above steps in a training program, an organization can break down divisional barriers and foster a firm wide learning organization. What are the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats the company will encounter? Strengths One strength of the company as a whole is the diversity of the workforce. Although majority of the workers are Japanese, the composition of the workforce includes people from all over the globe, including ex-workers of LTCB. This is important because if the company were to effectively manage the diversity, it can tap into the various specialized knowledge as well as the culture knowledge of current Japanese workers. Weaknesses Currently, the lack of communication between employees is the biggest obstacle to change. In addition, the two-tier pay system appears to be a great cause of resentment. In order for the company to be competitive, Shinsei needs to effectively manage this divide. Opportunities Currently, Shinsei has a diverse workforce with knowledge in various sectors of the banking industry. By developing and strengthening an organizational culture in which all share the same mission, the company can become very competitive Threats One threat to Shinsei is the current structure of its revenue. As non-interest revenues are growing, Shinsei needs to figure out a way to attract retail business. The only way to do this is by creating an unified culture and tapping into the talent and skills of the current employees. Without this, Shinsei will cease to grow and will eventually become obsolete. What are the ethical underpinnings of the case? Use Schumann’s ethical framework. Consider how these decisions impact on the stakeholders? The ethical issues in this case are that Shinsei needs to develop an organization culture by managing employee performance and pay. Currently, the two tier pay system is not working as some employees feel they are unfairly treated. However, I think in this case, the firm will not be able to fairly treat all employees. This is not to say that the action will be unethical or illegal. This just means that not all employees will feel the same towards any decision made by the firm. As such, the decision that leads to the most good should be employed. Whatever the decision, the decision will affectshareholders of the company, the employees, their families and even society itself. For example, if a company does not change the pay system or implements a performance system that is not fair, talented employees may leave. This can lead to loss of revenue and ultimately affect the bottom line of the shareholders. With loss of revenue, the company may be forced to downsize which can affect current employees and even society. As such, any decision made by the firm will have a great impact on the stakeholders. In the end, the organization needs to make the right decision that will have the most good for the largest amount of people.