Home Depot Employee Benefits Essay Example for Free

Home Depot Employee Benefits Essay The first case is against an employee Gunderson working at JMI agency owned by Brown Corporation. It is filed by Brown on account of the defendant’s violation of the employee agreement by joining a competing company after working there continuously for seven months and soliciting and servicing Brown’s customers and disclosing confidential information. The summary judgment was made in favor of the defendant because an employment of seven months is not enough under Illinois law to support the limiting agreement. (Findlaw, 2008) The second case is against an employee Robert M. Bono working at Chicago Transit Board who was discharged from his job on account of misconduct by calling a customer while working though his job duties did not require calling any customers. The call was personal and social in nature involving a sexual joke. The court affirmed the decision of Chicago Transit Board as being reasonable and appropriate. (Findlaw, 2008) Issues:Â  The issue being discussed in the first case is the claim by the parent company of breach of contract by the employee. But since the employment period of Gunderson was only seven months so according to Illinois law no charges can be made against him In the second case, the issue discussed is of an employee misbehaving with a customer on telephone and making personal use of the phone though he is not allowed to do so. Therefore, he dismissed by the company. Implications for Home Depot:Â  At Home Depot, each employee should be clearly told of his/her duties and the consequences of not acting accordingly. Secondly, the employee contract at Home Depot should specify clearly all the terms and conditions specially the time period after which he can be accused of the violation of the contract. Conclusion: Through the analysis of the above cases, I learned that minor mistakes by an employee can result into big troubles and court procedures. Therefore, one should remain cautious every time while working on his job.

Changes And Trends Of The Hospitality Industry

Changes And Trends Of The Hospitality Industry In the last few decades, the hospitality industry has gone through many changes. According to Go and Pine, (1995) and Guerrier et al. (1998), changes in the industry are mainly due to the globalization, the changes are mainly due to globalization. Supported by Barrows C.W and Power T. (2009) globalization, in a sense has become old news but with the falling of trade barriers brought on by the North American Free Trade Agreement and the European Community has made borders seem nonexistent. With North America and European countries having a major trading role with other countries, the ease of financial transaction and information is an important step in the restructuring of the hospitality industry. Besides globalization, the growth of multiple ownership of hotels and stronger hotel brandings in the late 90s and early 20s has affected the hospitality industry, especially in organizational structure. (Go and Pine, 1995 Guerrier et al, 1998) Moreover, in this day and time, while those changes are still relevant, there are many other factors that contribute to the ever-changing nature of the hospitality industry. World changing incidents such as the tragic terrorist events in North America, Madrid, London and Bali, the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), hurricane Katrina, the economy downturn, the A (H1N1) influenza pandemic and political tensions of the past decade will have a lasting effect on how the hospitality industry will operate. While there are challenging issues in the past, never has the industry have to face with so many issues at one time. However, in the face of these challenges, the hospitality industry is set to beat expectations on economic recovery with Global Travel Tourism Economy real GDP growth is expected to rise by 2% this year beating the estimate of 0.5%, and thus creating an extra 946,000 job worldwide. (WTTC, 2010) High profile hospitality institutions have gotten together and hosted pa nel discussions and studies on the effects of these tragic incidents on the industry particularly on the terrorist incident of September 11, 2001. Both short term and long term effects are seen on the hospitality industries. These studies have identified different effects ranging from people not travelling for any reason to travelling for important needs and finally to somewhat normal travel patterns of the past. Surely but slowly the patterns will reach normal levels but the question here is when. Trends of the hospitality industry These days as more and more people travel the world be it for pleasure or business, they want somewhere as close to home to feel comfortable. However, there are other people who want otherwise, something different rather than having the same feeling at home, they want a different experience of living style which they can only dream off. (Weissinger, 2000) Therefore, there are many diverse types of hotels that sit under the umbrella definition of hotels. On that note, the front office department is often considered the nerve centre of a hotel and is unchanged in terms of roles to be played. (Bardi, J.A., 2007) According to Vallen and Vallen (2004) front office is defined in terms of role as the first and main contact point between a guest and an operating hotel. Generally the front office activities can include all functions that center around the reception desk and its allied areas. This can be simplified from greeting guests, providing of information, checking in and out, till the m oment they leave the property. Roldan (2004) states that the key to success of a hotel business starts off with the first contact between the guest and the hotel personnel. Being the first contact point, the front office staffs first impression upon a hotel guest is vital; the way they are received and treated can mean repeated patronage in the future. The future professionals of the industry have to analyze who their customers are and what they want. In todays day and age, Bardi J.A., (2010) and Barrows C.W., and Power T., (2009) supports Go and Pine, (1995) and Guerrier et al., (1998) in its changes of factors in the industry and moreover identifies additional aspects such as the different trends of customers that foster growth in the industry, the author says that, the trend towards the increase in leisure time and working less years is one reason behind the growth. The second factor would be the pleasure concept of consumers that was brought forth Barrows C.W., and Power T.,(2009) reinforced by Bardi, J.A.,(2010) stating that the work ethic of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries have greatly influenced the way Americans play, as recreation and leisure was were considered privileges. With that in mind, in the world today, as the current trend for discretionary income in the emergence of two-way income and family planning is booming, the hospitality industry is changing. Problem Statement The hospitality and tourism industry is an ever-changing industry with new technological advances and trends that comes in waves and then disperses. Hotels being a part of the industry have to adapt and change as well. The hotel front office is one area that has to constantly reorganize with the changes in the industry. In regards to the fluctuating environment of the industry, the industry is still making a comeback, stronger each year. Both the demand and supply for workers are present at state; however, the qualities of these workers are still in question. The high labour turnover experienced in the hospitality industry is common in this day and time and can be due to many factors such as long working hours, low pay, the wide array of job opportunities and many more. In the hospitality industry, especially in the hotel sectors, service is the key to retaining customers (Maxwell, Watson and Quail, 2004) and is what separates competition these hotels from one another. Therefore, it is not a problem to be taken lightly and this study aims to take a look at the people of the workforce itself. Research Questions What are the key skills and attributes needed to be effective in the front office department? Does graduating with a high school certificate, diploma or degree in hotel management make a difference in terms of performing? What are the future prospects of front office employees? What are the intentions of front office employees? What are the natures of front office work? How do the industry players retain its employees? Research Objectives To investigate and analyze the key skills and attributes to be effective in the front office department. To look into the subject of obtaining a high school certificate, diploma or degree in hotel management; does it make a difference? To further gain insight on the future prospects of front office employees. To investigate the intentions of front office employees and what they want. To investigate further the scope of front office work. A research into the whys of employee turnover reasons. With the informed data gathered upon answering said questions on top, the enablement of the hospitality industry players to estimate Hypothesis Human Capital > Internationalization Human capital positively affects the internationalization of an enterprise. Human Capital > Service Innovation Human capital positively affects the innovation of service employees in regards to their work. Internationalization > Performance Internationalization affects the performance of a firm whether it is financially or through guess satisfaction level. Service Innovation > Performance The innovation of the workforce leads to better performance and guest satisfaction. Theoretical / Conceptual Framework The original Degree of Internationalization Entrepreneurial Orientation Performance Service Innovation Human Capital The original framework was built for professional service firms especially small and medium enterprises (SME) (Radulovich, 2008). It was constructed to relate a service firms entrepreneurial orientation, human capital, the firms degree of internationalization, service innovation, and performance. This framework was constructed upon thoroughly examining in the aforementioned areas above. Adapted Framework Degree of Internationalization Human Capital Performance Service Innovation Skills and training (Human Capital) > Internationalization and Service Innovation > Effective workforce > Guest Satisfaction and Performance This framework has been adapted and changed accordingly to fit into the hospitality industrys index. The core conceptual framework is unchanged with the exception of excluding the Entrepreneurial Orientation aspect which is highly unlikely to affect the core concept and theory that is to be explained. As changes are made, Human Capital will now be the core driving force. Hypothesis Related to Human Capital and Degree of Internationalization In a study done by (Hitt, et al, 2006) concludes that human capital is a primary resource contributor to professional service international expansion. The theory here is that a firms degree of internationalization is closely related to the human capital of the organization. Key factors identified as contributing factors are knowledge (Autio Sapienza Almeida, 2000) and also top management characteristics (Bloodgood, Sapienza Almeida, 1996). This study also identified that the characteristics and experience of the top management team relates positively to the internationalization of an organization. Another more recent study also proves that there is empirical study which shows support for human capital resources as influencing degree of internationalization. (Hitt, Bierman, Uhlenbruck, Shimizu, 2006) Therefore it can be concluded that there is positive influence of human capital professional service towards the internationalization. Hypothesis Related to Human Capital and Service Innovation Human resources can be defined as interpersonal and business skills and is proven that there is a positive effect on a firms innovation strategies. In a study done in the US, human capital at both the individual and firm level is identified as a positive effect on service innovations (Zhou, 2007). Shane (2000) also recorded that prior knowledge affects an individual ability to perceive new opportunities and to contribute innovative solutions. To support this theory, an in-depth study was done with 8 firms conducting a study on examining innovation and opportunity recognition and is reported that prior experience affected their ability to perceive opportunities and innovate. (Edelman, Brush, Manolova, 2005). Furthermore, the prior knowledge and specialized knowledge of the internal human resources are significant contributors to the innovation of work speed and competition level as recorded in Taiwanese high-tech ventures. (Wu, Wang, Chen, Pan, 2008) Hypothesis Related to Degree of Internationalization and Performance Studies relating the degree of internationalization and performance are not new and there is empirical evidence to support this theory which positively affects a firms performance (Bloodgood, Sapienza, Almeida, 1996; Delios Beamish, 1999; Grant 1987; Hitt, Hoskisson, Kim, 1997). Studies also show that as a new venture firm gets into the international markets earlier gains better advantages over their competitors and improved performance. (Brock, Yaffe, Dembovsky, 2006). In the view of hospitality terms, a brand name can be created upon trust and loyalty which is an important factor for continuous visits. Hypothesis Related to Service Innovation and Performance Service innovation on service performance has been theoretically and empirically confirmed with studies done in recent years. It is confirmed that in differing context of globalization that innovation still improves performance of a firm. Zhou, Yin and Tse (2005) have documented this relationship in their study done in the emerging market of China. As China is a transitioning and developing market, it is only comparable to the market of Malaysia. The comparison of the effects of China to the economy of Hong Kong found that innovation plays a major role in both these markets. (Luk, Yau, Sin, Tse, Chow, Lee, 2008) Scope / Limitations Scope: In this study, the author has chosen to conduct the research in all 5 star hotels in the area of the city of Kuala Lumpur. This scope will help dictate and represent city hotels in Malaysia as it is busiest all year round, and the job scopes of the hotels are wide enough to obtain data. On a deeper level, a survey will be conducted to all front office staff (e.g. Front office attendant, bellboy, front office accountant, etc) in order to obtain information. Limitations: As for limitations, time restraints and resource limitations would be the biggest factor. As the author would only have approximately 6 months to collect and analyze the data, the depth of the research may not be too detailed. Besides that, there will be a limit to research options available to the author due to insufficient knowledge on research ways and as this will be the first research paper done by the author. Notwithstanding, being a student, there will be limitations in terms of access to data because of monetary issues and outlets to gain information in the industry. Significance of Study This research paper intends to analyze the different behavioural needs and wants of the front office workforce. By gathering the work backgrounds, studying the motivation factors and the intentions of this group, a better and effective workforce can be established to be in line with the transitioning aspect of the industry. Ongoing research is a must in this area because of the ever-changing prospects of the Hospitality and Tourism Industry, especially the front office department. Key skills and attributes are to be identified as a benchmark for structure when hiring by the Human Resource department. This paper would be a guideline for the hotel industry players to attain information on the behaviour of front office staff and their intentions for the future. Employing and constantly motivating a workforce is one of the hardest things to keep up in any industry. Without proper information on the behaviour and the intentions of the workforce, being in a labour intensive workforce and s ervice oriented industry, there surely will be a loss in terms of customer satisfaction and the profits of a hotel and this is unacceptable. Chapter 2 Literature Review Hospitality Skills and Nature of Hotel Front Office Work Jobs commonly retain a low-skill character, especially in the fastest-growing sectors Bradley et al (2002) (p.129) The hospitality sector is growing with a tremendous rate, especially in East Asia and the Pacific, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. These areas are forecasted to show a rate of 5% growth each year and 4.1% in Europe and Americas. (WTO, 2010) There has been long standing debate over the skills and nature of the front office work. It is widely characterised in both academic and popular press as a low-skilled job dominated by low skills profile. (Wood, 1997) In support of this theory, Shaw Williams (1994) first claimed that the hospitality industry workforce were uneducated, unmotivated, untrained, unskilled and unproductive (p. 142). Upon further research, the nature of front office work revealed by one side is in terms un-unique (Mullins, 1981; Lashley Morrison, 2000). Mullins and Lashley argue that the technical skills of the hospitality sector have relevance and can be applied to other sectors of the economy. Another dimension of why there is the public perception that the hospit ality industry is regarded as low skilled is because there are no real prerequisite for employment in terms of qualification (Huddlestone and Hirst, 2004). As far as the research of Baum Devine (2007) and Baum (2007) goes the educational attainment of a person is not an influencing factor to undertake the front office job. In terms of front office, the industry has considerable cross-over work of other sectors such as office administration, accounting, and IT systems management, these generic skills tend to overlap each other. In this argument, where is the uniqueness of work skill? By any means the hospitality industry is just borrowing a number of skill forces from different industries, in this case with a lower pay wage and a lower career development opportunity. This theory of unskilled labour in the hospitality industry does not go uncontested, in the forthcoming years after the thesis (Baum, 1996, 2002). Baum questions the validity of hospitality work as a low skilled job universally based solely upon the assumption of westernized, international hospitality work. It may be perceived so in general, but it is not applicable in the developing world whereby the technical demands and skills are lower than those of the developed countries. Another such example of a considerable contest comes from Burns (1997), Burns categorizes the labour force into two, skilled and the unskilled. Burns uses a very distinctive definition of skills in the hospitality for this saying: the different sectors that comprise tourism-as-industry take different approaches to the human resources, and that some of these differencesare due to whether or not the employees have a history of being organized (either in terms of trade unions or staff associations with formalised communication procedures. (p.240) Both these factors are separated by manpower planning paradigns for the manufacturing sector and as for the workforce, it comes in traditional power, organization. The workforce takes control through the use of trade unions and control the supply of labour through apprenticeship and training. Contributing factors worth noting are factors put forth by Seymour (2000) and Warhurst et al (2000), gives an added dimension to the work of hospitality employees. Seymour adds in emotional labour arguing that the added management of emotions as part of the day to day job is the difference between working in fast food as opposed to traditional areas of service work. The added emotional labour is there for the benefit of guest experience and that they are paid to do it. In Baum T. (2007), it is further perceived that there is the need for emotional intelligence (EQ) as defined by Goleman (1998) . . . the capacity for recognizing our own feelings and those of others, for motivating ourselves, and for managing emotions well in ourselves and in our relationships. (p. 317). Explained by Warhurst et al. (2000) and Witz et al. (2003) the added aesthetic labour to the tools of trade is indeed of importance to the hospitality workers, especially to front office staff. In describing aesthetic labour it is the skill required to look, sound and behave in a manner that is required for the job while meeting the expectations of the customers. They have to demonstrate the ability to engage in different aspects with the customers such as cultural, social, and economical matters. This on hand requires a certain level of education to be obtained. What industry wants: employers preferences for training. In the industry, while representatives state that they prefer industry skills and experience above education skills and knowledge, it is only realistic that a mixture of both these qualities are required, which is lacking in the workforce. (Smith Kemmis, 2010). In the hospitality industry most of the training is informal. Only a small portion (14%) of employees has gone through higher education in the respective industry. ( 2-1) The other 86% comes from the private sector and employer training in the industry. It was found out in a study that the National Vocational Qualification curriculum, found out that training in higher educational institutes would not cut it in the industry. (People1st,2009) In the same interview, two interviewees stated that on-the-job training is particularly the way to go in an industry that is interaction based in order for skill development. The focus on experience and skill over education is proved in a study done. vocational education and training (VET) practitioners Both industry groups felt that the most important skills and knowledge for trainers to possess were related to industry rather than education There was a lack of tradition of training in the industries compared with other industries, with relatively new qualifications for most jobs, and managers in the industries were underqualified , meaning it was difficult for them to drive high standards in training. Given these circumstances it is perhaps surprising not that training for the service industries exhibits many challenges, but that it does the job as well as it does. This observation was supported by hospitality employers who acknowledged the difficulties faced particularly by TAFE teachers, and were very ready to make excuses on their behalf. The recession, as in Australia, had provided opportunities for cross-fertilisation among industries as people lost their jobs in one sector and looked to move into other work where the skill set was similar (People1st, 2009). The standard of service in both industries was felt to be lower than required (especially in a situation where customer expectations were continually rising), with both industries also reporting a need for improved management skills. The hospitality industry had a skill shortage in chefs (People1st, 2009). Customer service is paramount in these industries; Maxwell, Watson and Quail (2004, p. 159) point out that for hospitality the customer reigns supreme, and Huddlestone and Hirst (2004, p. 6), for retail, state customer service is becoming the most essential employee skill. In a study of training in the Hilton chain, Maxwell et al. (2004, p. 269) note that a service culture is deeply imbued in organisational structures and practices, and cannot be added on simply by training individual staff. Chapter 3 Research Design and Methodology 3.1 Overview In this chapter of the sample proposal, an explanation on the research methodology and design is written. In the first part of Chapter 3, there will be a brief introduction on the purpose, aims and objectives and benefits of the study. Following that will be a discussion on the research design of the study. Exploratory details such as the population, sample and sampling procedures are discussed. On the third section of the chapter, there will be added explanation on the data collection procedures and data analysis steps. A brief explanation on the questionnaires will be given to give an insight on the questions asked. 3.2 Introduction The purpose of this study is to illustrate the current behaviour conditions of the front office. The information gathered will compose of the nature of front office work, education attainment level, skills, work background, attitudes towards the area of work and plans for the future. By analyzing these areas and acquired from these group of people in the hospitality industry will enable the industry players such as managers, policy and decision makers to get a more personal insight look at the wants, needs and future perspectives of these in demand people. Appropriate changes and more effective strategies in regards to high satisfaction levels can be developed and be used in the industry to decrease labour turnover and low level performances. 3.3 Research Design Population The study is intended to collect data on one of the most important workforce in the hospitality industry; the front office workers. The population of the survey intended will be Front Office workers in the area of Kuala Lumpur. Sample The sample population identified in the survey goes by the different distinct areas of Kuala Lumpur (Table 1). The sampling method that will be used is Cluster sampling. Having already divided them into different location categories, the target sample is then identified as the front office workforce in hotels. Name of Hotel Area/Location JW Marriot Hotel Bukit Bintang Park Royal Kuala Lumpur Bukit Bintang The Ritz Carlton Kuala Lumpur Bukit Bintang The Westin Kuala Lumpur Bukit Bintang Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur Golden Triangle Hilton Kuala Lumpur KL Sentral Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur KL Sentral Ascott Kuala Lumpur KLCC Crowne Plaza Mutiara Kuala Lumpur KLCC Hotel Maya Kuala Lumpur KLCC Hotel Nikko Kuala Lumpur KLCC Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur KLCC Micasa All Suite Hotel KLCC Pacific Regency Hotel Suites Kuala Lumpur KLCC Prince Hotel and Residence KLCC Renaissance Kuala Lumpur Hotel KLCC Shangri-La Hotel Kuala Lumpur KLCC The Gardens Hotel and Residances Mid Valley Palace of the Golden Horses Mines Grand Dorsett Subang Hotel Petaling Jaya Holiday Villa Subang Petaling Jaya Sunway Resort Hotel and Spa Petaling Jaya The Saujana Kuala Lumpur Petaling Jaya Table 1 For this study, a survey will be carried out on all the 5 star hotels in the city of Kuala Lumpur. On identifying the 5 star hotels located around Kuala Lumpur, the works of KL-Hotels.com were used. This will be verified again by Upon identifying the sample population, a sample frame will be created to categorize the hotels into different location categories for the enablement of easier data managing. An invitation will then be sent out to the General Managers of each selected hotel for approval on participating with the survey. Upon approval, the questionnaires will be distributed among the front office staff of the hotels. 3.4 Data Collection Procedure Primary data The data collected from the questionnaire will be the main source of primary data. Secondary data much research has been done regarding the effectiveness of a workforce and how to improve. These sources are highly resourceful and will come in helpful when data analysis is been done. The theories and conclusions can be used to support and disregard some of the findings in this study. The secondary data may come from a number of literature forms such as journal articles, textbooks and written experiences. A formal proposal will be sent out to the General Managers of each of the selected hotels to ensure participation in the survey. Upon approval, the identification of all front office staff is indentified and recorded. As per identifying all the front office workers (night auditors, concierge, bellboy, front office assistant, etc) in the selected hotels, the questionnaire will then be distributed electronically to the head of the front office department; Front Office Manager. After the questionnaire is finished, the questionnaires should be collected and given back for data analysis. The data received will then be analyzed with the help of the SPSS data software. With the help of the SPSS program, bias answers and unreliable answers can be disregarded. As the data is sorted out and conclusions are done, comparisons will be done to reaffirm findings or to oppose them. 3.5 Questionnaire Design The goal of the questionnaire is to collect data from within the front office department. To achieve this, questions pertaining to the nature of the job, the work background, intentions for the future and key skills and attributes will all be posted. In regards to explaining the structure of the questionnaire in sections, there will be 4 sections. The first section of the questionnaire will be in regards to personal details. The second part of the questionnaire will be closed ended questions with choices to choose from. This part of the questionnaire is to get a response from the employees regarding their views on the hospitality industry. The third section of the questionnaire will be about the nature of the front office work, and also to get an inner look to their needs and wants. The fourth and final section is designed to completely give freedom to the respondents with open-ended questions regarding their views on management levels and their thoughts on training and skills in the industry.

Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Issues - Michael Levin vs. Richard Mohr :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

Homosexuality - Michael Levin vs. Richard Mohr Homosexuality has been on debate for numerous years. It is mentioned in the Bible which is thousands of years old. But recently two philosophers have spoken how they feel about Homosexuality. Michael Levin and Richard Mohr's views on the subject are in conflict with one another. Levin argues that homosexuality is abnormal because it is a misuse of body parts that have evolved for use in heterosexual intercourse (Levin 354). Furthermore, because natural selection has made the exercise of heterosexuality rewarding to human beings, homosexuality has a high probability to unhappiness. Mohr refutes Levin's stance about homosexuality myths and stereotypes. He rejects arguments that homosexuality is immoral or unnatural. Levin exemplifies the point that homosexuality is misuse of body parts with the case of Mr. Smith, who likes to play "Old MacDonald" on his teeth so devoted is he to this amusement, in fact, that he never uses his teeth for chewing but instead takes nourishment intravenously. This is a clear example where Mr. Smith is misusing his teeth. In addition to misuse, Levine states that this man will have a dim future on purely physiological grounds (Levin 355). Since Mr. Smith isn't using his teeth for chewing, his digestive system will suffer from disuse. The result will be Mr. Smiths deteriorating health. Levin incorporates the evolution process into this example. He states that Mr. Smith descended from creatures who enjoy the use of such parts. Creatures who do not enjoy using such parts of their bodies will tend to be selected out. In particular, human males who enjoyed inserting their penises into each other's anuses have left no descendants. Homosexuality is likely to cause unhappiness because it leaves unfulfilled an innate and innately rewarding desire (Levin 355). Mohr takes a completely different stance on homosexuality. According to Mohr, homosexuality is perfectly unobjectionable. The unnaturalness charge that Levin give homosexuality carries a high emotional feeling. This feeling is usually expressing disgust and evincing queasiness. An example of such feelings are some people's response to women who do not shave body hair. Many of the people who have a strong emotional reaction, without being able to give good reasons for them, we think of them not as operating morally, but rather as being obsessed and maniac (Mohr 367). So the feelings of disgust that some people have to gays will hardly ground a charge of immorality. The idea of "natural" is a key defense in Mohr's debate. He states that natural is that it fulfills some function in nature. According to Levin, homosexuality on this view is unnatural because it violates the function of

A Rose for Emily By William Faulkner :: Free Essay Writer

A Rose for Emily Characterization refers to the techniques a writer uses to develop characters. In the story A Rose for Emily William Faulkner uses characterization to reveal the character of Miss Emily. He expresses the content of her character through physical description, through her actions, words, and feelings, through a narrator's direct comments about the character's nature, and through the actions, words, and feelings, of other characters. Faulkner best uses characterization to examine the theme of the story, too much pride can end in homicidal madness. Miss Emily, the main character of this story, lives for many years as a recluse, someone who has withdrawn from a community to live in seclusion. "No visitor had passed since she ceased giving china-painting lessons eight or ten years earlier" (253-254). Faulkner characterizes Miss Emily's attempt to remove herself from society through her actions. "After her father's death she went out very little; after her sweetheart went away, people hardly saw her at all" (254). The death of her father and the shattered relationship with her sweetheart contributed to her seclusion. Though her father was responsible for her becoming a recluse, her pride also contributed to her seclusion. "None of the young men were quite good enough for Miss Emily and such" (225). Faulkner uses the feelings of other characters to show Miss Emily's pride. Her pride has kept her from socializing with other members of the community thus reinforcing her solitary. But Miss Emily's father is still responsible for her being a hermit. Her father's over-protection is evident in this passage, "We remembered all the young men her father had driven away, and we knew that with nothing left, she would have to cling to that which had robbed her, as people will" (256). Her father robs her from many of life's necessities. She misses out on having friends, being a normal "woman," and her ability to be happy. Emily is so used to having her father be there for her, she figures that by keeping his body he can still be part of her life. If he had not refuse the men who wanted to go out with Miss Emily, she may have not gone crazy. Miss Emily may have wanted seclusion, but her heart lingered for companionship. Her desire for love and companionship drove her to murder Homer Baron. She knew her intentions when she bought the arsenic poison.

Revolutionized Relationship Essay -- Canadian History

One of the major problems associated with a bilingual country, inevitably, is national unity. In Canada, national unity usually refers to the relations between both the French and English Canadians. English-French relations have always been unstable, ever since the English conquest on the French in the late 1800s. In the twentieth century, this link was further depreciated primarily because of conscriptions during the First and Second World War along with the Quiet Revolution and the October Crisis. Conscription during the First and Second World War was one of the initial major causes that began the deterioration of French-English relations largely because the French had no desire to go to war. The Quiet Revolution was an effort to redefine the role of the francophone civilization inside Canada, which was an attempt at strengthening the French-English relationship. Lastly, the October Crisis, which was a sequence of events that were set off by two kidnapping of government official s by members of the FLQ, Front de liberation du Quebec, caused an uprising between French and English Canadians. Theses moments in history greatly affected the French-English Relation greatly. During the twentieth century, the main reasons for the changes of French-English relationships are conscription during the World Wars, the Quiet Revolution and the October Crisis. When World War One was declared, the French immediately made it clear that they had no interest in fighting in the war, especially alongside the English Canadians. Conscription during the war one of the leading causes that worsened, the already weak English-French relations. Because Canada was part of the British Empire, they were involuntarily forced to partake in the war with the... ... with Quebec and bake until separated. The Martlet. Date of publication May 9, 2012. http://www.mar tlet.ca/martlet/article/recipe-separatism/. French English Relations. Dufferin-Peel Catholic School Board. http://www.dpcdsb.org/NR/rdonlyres/1038755C-4E4C-40DB-837B- DE4023D0B133/38622/FrenchEnglishRelations1950PresentNotes.pdf. French-English Relations. Prairie Land Regional Divisions. Last modified March 2006. http://www.plrd.ab.ca/public/v/ellen.vanderkolk/projectroom/ss10- 13/fr.eng.relations.htm. M. D. Behiels, Francophone-Anglophone Relations. The Canadian Encyclopedia. Last modified 2012. http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/ francophoneanglophone-relations. Robert Bothwell. The October Crisis. The Canadian Encyclopedia. Date of publication November 15, 2010. http://www.cdnexperience.ca/read-the-series/29-the- october-crisis/.

Print Media

Popular Culture and Print Media Print media is classified as anything that is in print and is also used to inform the public. The most prominent forms of print media are newspapers, books, magazines, direct mail, and yellow pages. Outdoor advertising like billboards and transit posters are different types of print media but are very effective in conveying the advertisement across. What one sees and reads has a big influence on what he or she says, how one says it, and his or her action. The influence print media has on people and communities have contributed to the change in popular American culture today. Print media is placed to catch everyone attention, it is everywhere one may look. People will find some form of print media strategically placed to catch onlooker’s attention. More than a communicative feature, print media has influenced American culture and consumerism over the years. Print media sets the trend on what is fashionable and what is out of fashion. More important, it serves as a significant factor to inspire and impede consumerism. By influencing one’s consciousness and perception, print media has formed society into what has become â€Å"American Culture† of today. The influence print media has can make one desire the thing he or she use to dislike, believe in principles he or she used to have an aversion to, and continually consume items in excess. Print media has been extending the knowledge of the news or chronicles across the nation by keeping the public up- to- date on information pertaining to one’s life, services, products, and the environment. Several trends that have propagated by the print media are food, fashion, and weigh loss programs. People are focused more on these trends today than ever before. Print media has made it more accessible for people to obtain whatever information he or she needs to keep up with these particular trends. Because of the down economy, more people are cooking at home instead of dinning out. People prefer to cook meals that are quick and easy to prepare and are healthier for the family. A few of the popular trend includes; organic or soy dairy product, ethic foods, one dish meal, vegetables, and ruits. This food trend has caused the prices of the items in the grocery stores to increase. In turn, the increase has sparked the owners of the grocery stores to enhance the distribution of sales advertisement. They are more sales advertisements printed and mailed to the consumer’s home nowadays than ever before. People can plan what they want to buy, before they leave their home, according t o what is on sale. These advertisements sent through the mail also allow people to budget accordingly or even cut out sale coupons that will make their shopping more cost efficient. Magazines and tabloids are a few sources that primarily focus on fashion. Usually, they employ a fashions staff that includes a team of fashion writers who are used often to highlight the different fashion trends. In addition to, magazines and tabloids, one can find an entire section dedicated to fashion in newspaper like the Sunday Times Style Magazine. This particular magazine is committed entirely to the most up- to- date fashion. These fashions set the trends that young and older people like and are willing to wear. These papers often use celebrities to advertise certain product such as clothes by a specific designer or brand contributes to the fashion culture of today. Weight loss programs have also propagated he print media market. This is solely because many people are trying to be healthy and fit. They currently have whole magazines dedicated to weight loss. These are Body and Soul Magazine and Shape Magazine and they provide people with information about diets, fitness, healthy eating, and recipes from home. They also provide expert advice on how to live healthier from doctors or fitness gurus. The advertisements in these magazines show people who are skinny and healthy and this makes people reading these magazines want to be like them. Today print media has become one of the most successful industries. The different types of print media give the people an excessive amount of options to choose from. Whether it is from a newspaper or magazine, every source has a particular benefit. Print media is driven by the need for advertisers to reach the audience they are targeting and in places were people are looking for information.

Of Mice and Men: How does the author show sympathy for Curley’s wife Essay

On the ranch there is a well known woman merely referred to as ‘Curley’s Wife’. As the characters develop we find that she is not in fact the unimportant, nameless character we first perceive her as, but rather she is a relatively complex one, with much more to her than we first gather, causing us to feel sympathy for her later in the novel. In this essay I will state how John Steinbeck influenced the reader to feel sympathy for Curley’s wife, especially after making the reader prejudice towards her. Steinbeck creates sympathy for Curley’s wife in numerous ways, one being her name. The fact that she never has a name outside of the reference to her husband clearly shows the reader that her identity is surrendered to a heartless husband. Evidence of this is when she admits that her husband ‘aint a nice man’ and that she never truly wanted to marry him. This leaves the reader with a impression of a unhappy, isolated woman to the extent that there is sympathy regardless of her outrageous behavior towards Crooks. Alternatively, the lack of a name for this woman could could suggest she is insignificant and not as important of a character as George, Lennie or any of the other men on the ranch. It could also be referring to how during the Great Depression, women were oppressed and treated less equally. Steinbeck may have portrayed Curley’s wife in this light to allow the reader to recognize the inferior role of women at that time. The lack of name relegates Cur ley’s wife to an insignificant status like a lot of women in a 1930s society. Steinbeck enables the reader to see Curley’s Wife through migrant worker Candy’s eyes on their first encounter her, as in his dialogue he refers to her as a ‘tart’. Through his words, we develop an initial perception of Curley’s Wife as as a bit of a ‘floozie’. Furthermore, Candy effectively accuses her of acting disloyal to her newly married husband Curley by saying, ‘she got the eye’ for other men. The word ‘tart’ suggests she presents herself in an ostentatious manner. Before even being introduced to the woman, the reader is convinced she’s to blame for anything that goes wrong in Solidad. Her physical appearance of ‘†¦full, rouged lips†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢, as  well as ‘fingernail painted red’ and elaborate hair, emphasize our preconceptions of her. I believe her attire is very significant to how we perceive her. She is said to be ‘heavily made up’ in primary colours (making her almost impossible to ignore or dismiss). This could be interpreted as her silent cry out for attention due to her being so isolated and lonely, after all there are no other woman on the ranch. Her appearance is portrayed as one of an actress or someone who has means of great luxury, this is why she is so incongruous on the ranch as she is not your typical housewife.. Her mien could also be construed as though she believes she is above any other woman who lives on a ranch, indicating she wants escape from her current lifestyle as her attire is suited for anything but her own. The description of her face being, ‘heavily made up’ could also propose the idea that she is insecure with her natural complexion. In other words, her face is a mask – it’s fake and not the real her. This makes a big connection of her ambitions of being an actress, a person that is constantly pretending to be someone they’re not. All of this contributes to the reader sympathising with her as she is so hopelessly insecure. On the other hand, Curley’s Wife’s appearance could be seen as naivety, and simply desire to be appreciated/noticed. Steinbeck may have portrayed Curley’s Wife with’ wide eyes’ to illustrate her as gullible or even that she is searching for something – which I believe was to be appreciated. If the text is analysed thoroughly, Steinbeck leaves subtle traces of evidence to help the reader understand her behaviour and fashionistic choices. ‘He says he was gonna put me in the movies’ is evidence of the ‘dream life’ Curley’s wife believed she was destined to have as she details twice ‘ I coulda been in movies†¦ I coulda sat in big hotels’ had her chance not have been stolen. This theme of lost opportunity or shattered dreams is often repeated throughout the story. The delusional mindset that leads to her cruel nature is the theme that makes the reader sympathetic to her. Red is a primary colour therefore people are attracted to it hence why Curley’s Wife wearing a lot of red may symbolise she desperately wants the  spotlight (attention) – much like many film stars. The description of ‘full rouged lips’ could be evidence of her attempt to be appreciated by the ranch workers; by drawing their attention to her lips it forces them to listen to what she has to say. Furthermore, another connotation of the colour is danger. A reason for Steinbeck portraying her as an associate of this colour may have been the foreshadowing of the blood that was to be shed. Finally, it is also a reminder of the girl in Weed who had a ‘red velvet’ dress that Lennie grabbed which caused him and George to go on the run, which we also know happens at the end of this novel. I believe Steinbeck structures Curley’s Wife’s character very intelligently as this subtle foreshadow indirectly makes a connection of the beginning and ending of the novel, also relating to her ambitions of being a movie star by the emphasis of a red ‘velvet’ dress. This indistinct description is often unnoticed causing the ‘reality vs: fantasy’ connection to be dismissed between Curley’s wife wearing a ‘cotton’ dress which immediately makes her no more than a housewife, however much she tries. Also on Curley’s Wife’s first appearance, the reader is made apparent of her alleged promiscuity as, ‘she put her hands behind her back and leaned against the door frame so that her body was thrown forward’, This suggestive and provocative body language justifies Candy’s statement of her and is hard evidence to the reader that she in fact a tart. However, we know this is not true. Curley’s wife shows similar traits to Crooks by standing in the door frame as he is isolated from it too. This causes the reader to feel sympathetic for her as she is secluded for being conceived as something she actually isn’t. Through no fault of her own, the men do not want to associate with her due them believing she is ‘jailbate’ ‘and a ‘rattrap’. This infers that the men are scared of her, something that frustrates her because she can’t comprehend why the men’s attitudes to her are so negative. The ‘rattrap’ could also be a forewarning of her escape to freedom which was only achievable by death. This is because once the rat trap’ (ie her) had been set off, it could no longer be used again, so effectively she committed suicide. I think that Curley’s wife and a rat are arguably similar as they are both hated by their relative society for being who / what they are, which is completely unfair. Also, rats are relatively small animals, this  could link to Curley’s wife as she feels and is perceived as dramatically insignificant on the Boss’ ranch. Curleys’ wife both talks and acts playfully and flirtatiously in front of the other workers. In my opinion she behaves in this manner because her sex is her only weapon to gain attention. Steinbeck could have been trying to make a point of her actions being relative to the era she lived in. I believe he deliberately portrayed her in this light with the intentions of making the reader feel sympathetic towards her in later chapters, but also to make the reader feel apologetic and penitent for labeling and being prejudice towards her. On one of her ‘looking for Curley’ routines she says, ‘They left all the weak ones here’ alluding to the three men, all ‘weak’ in their respective ways. However there is irony in this comment because she is seen as unworthy of a name thus why the reader can conclude that she’s unimportant. It is also ironic because she was left behind by all the men too, ‘Even Curley’. This causes the reader to feel sympathy for her as she is aware that she is just as marginalized as the ‘weak’ men. Evidence of this is when she rhetorically questions them. Here, the author is not only trying to show that Curley is a major obstacle in her having a proper conversation but Steinbeck is also emphasizing the fragmented relationship the couple have.The lonely and hostile side of the woman is revealed when she admits to feeling a shameless dissatisfaction with her life which inevitably causes the reader to feel remorse for her. Curley’s wife is again shown to be dislikeable by expressing bitterness when reffering to the men as ‘bindle stiffs- a nigger an’ a dum dum† The author presents her intense anger by stating â€Å"breathless with indignation† which explains her frustration. Finally, Steineck creates sympathy for Curley’s wife in the way that he portrayed her death as her true vulnerability is unmasked. ‘Ever’one knowed you’d mess things up.’ were the words from Candy when left in the barn with her body. The fact that none of the ranch workers, or even her husband, seemed to be particularly saddened of her death causes the reader to feel sympathy for her because it cements just how unappreciated she was. We  finally see her for the young victim she is as ‘the meanness and the plannings and the discontent and the ache were all gone from her face’. This repetition of discontent symbolizes that death was her escape because she is now away from being negatively labelled and misinterpreted. Steinbeck uses imagery to present her at peace after her death as she is described as, ‘†¦very pretty†¦sweet and young†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ This causes the reader to feel sympathetic as the character we first perceived her as is gone. Also, the description of ‘young’ furthered my sympathy towards her as it suggests to me she had a short and unfulfilled life. My sympathy for her is also heightened in this chapter because her vulnerability is now clearly identifiable, for example she failed to understand the danger of Lennie – despite the evidence of his violent power in her husband’s mutilated hand and the dead pup he is grasping. The basic idea in Steinbeck’s description of Curley’s wife’s corpse is that in death her beauty can finally be appreciated. Furthermore, who can’t feel sympathy for somebody that is dead from no fault of their own? Personally, I feel most sympathetic towards Curley’s wife more than any other character in the book because she was in a constant battle to be accepted. What makes me most sympathetic though is that in finally letting her guard down to confide in Lennie, she was murdered. Even in her death she is nothing more than a scapegoat as she is referred to as ‘no good’ by Candy. She was never considered as a person, only as Curley’s showcase trophy. Curley’s wife, as Steinbeck depicts her, does not share Lennie’s innocence. Steinbeck rests a measure of blame for the killing on the victim herself which causes the reader to yet again pity her unfortunate life. Moreover, I feel sympathetic towards her because her dreams were futile and it was only at death that she could be rid of all the male dominance that corrupted and controlled her life. After all, it was a man who gave her the ‘false hopes entity’ that followed her to her life on the ranch, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t leave the past behind. She ‘had the eye’ restlessly searching for true love and affection. Steinbeck gave Curley’s wife a circular structure that represents no matter how hard she tried to progress to her ambitions, her cycle always involved her finishing at her starting point, therefore no progress could ever made because her life was the  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœbeginning of the end’.