The Yellow Wallpaper, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman -- Literary Analysis

Charlotte Perkins Gilman wrote an amazing story in 1892 entitled â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper†. The story is full of symbolism and was inspired by Gilman's own life struggles. This analysis of her work will cover some important parts of the author’s life, the characters, the setting of the story, and the plot. Throughout the analysis will be explanations of symbols and how the author tied her personal experiences into the story. Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s work, â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† is a story that the author wrote to depict her own struggle with mental illness. In order to really appreciate this story, it may help to know about the author’s life. Born in 1860, she was the only child of Mary Finch Westcott and Frederick Beecher Perkins, a librarian and writer. It is said that Charlotte’s father abandoned his family, and, on the verge of poverty, they were forced to move around frequently (Merriman). At the age of 24, Charlotte married her first husband, Charles Watson Stetson, with whom she bore a daughter, Katharine Beecher Stetson. Shortly after giving birth, Charlotte began to suffer from severe postpartum depression and had a nervous breakdown. She spent some time at a sanitorium in Pennsylvania, under the care of Dr. Silas Weir Mitchell (Merriman). In 1913, Gilman wrote â€Å"Why I Wrote ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’†; For many years I suffered from a severe and continuous nervous breakdown tending to melancholia – and beyond. During about the third year of this trouble I went, in devout faith and some faint stir of hope, to a noted specialist in nervous diseases, the best known in the country. This wise man put me to bed and applied the rest cure, to which a still good physique responded so promptly that he concluded that there was no... ... the characters in the story, the setting of the story, and the plot of the story. While times have changed drastically since Gilman wrote her story, it is my hope that women everywhere will read â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper†, recognize the struggles she faced in her life, and be grateful that she chose to not accept the advice of a male physician wanting her to submit to a domestic, docile, stereotypical housewife sort of life. Works Cited Booth, Allison and Kelly Mays. The Norton Introduction to Literature. 10th ed. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2010. Merriman, C.D. â€Å"Charlotte Perkins Gilman.† Jalic, Inc. 2006. 27 Feb. 2015. http://www.online-literature.com/charlotte-perkins-gilman/. Voight, Heather â€Å"Symbols in the Yellow Wallpaper, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman.† 2010. 27 Feb. 2015. http://www.helium.com/items/1753292-symbols-in-the-yellow-wallpaper.

Is Islam a Violent Religion by Nature? :: essays research papers fc

Is Islam a Violent Religion by Nature?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Islam and the worship of Allah (god) began with Muhammad and his revelations that lasted for 23 years of his life from (610 C.E.- 623 C.E.). In the Islamic religion it is believed that he was the last prophet sent by Allah (god) and this made all his teachings into to Law and are looked at as the will of God. These messages were given to him through the archangel Gabriel, in a kind of continuation to the Jewish Torah and Christian Bible, which the Qur’an shares some similarities or past â€Å"history† with them such as the belief in Abraham and Jesus as a prophet, but in the eye’s of Mohammad the Jews and Christians had fallen astray from the real teaching of god. His life and actions were very important to the creation of the religion. I would say that his policies changed quite a bit under different situations of his career as a prophet. At the begging he had a small following that consisted of mostly of middle class that was upset with the injustices in society. They were expelled from Mecca and begin raiding caravans under the pretense that they had been robed of their belongings when they were expelled from Mecca. Mohammad tell them that their battle is holy and dieing doing the will of Allah is respectable and will be rewarded in the after life. After the battle of Badr in 624 c.e. the muslims having smaller forces but knowing that god is on their side attack a larger group of meccanMuslim warriors become highly feared and began winning battles even if out numbered. Qur’an (4:74) â€Å"Let those who fight in the path of God who sell the life of this world for the other. Whoever fight in the path of God, whether he be slain or vic torious, on him We shall bestow a vast reward† This attracts more support for Mohammad’s movement not only from idealist who would fight under the protection of god and the benefits of this in the afterlife but also from people that wanted to reap the benefits of the pillaging that was going on gaining numbers in his movement. Here Mohammad began changing his rules of tolerance to some that were justifying attacks even in the sacred month. This is also were understanding the Qur’an begin to become very contradictory and up to interpretation of the of the asbab al-nuzul (occasion of the revelation) because the earlier verse are abrogated by the later ones.

Archimedes :: essays research papers

Archimedes is considered one of the three greatest mathematicians of all time along with Newton and Gauss. In his own time, he was known as "the wise one," "the master" and "the great geometer" and his works and inventions brought him fame that lasts to this very day. He was one of the last great Greek mathematicians. Born in 287 B.C., in Syracuse, a Greek seaport colony in Sicily, Archimedes was the son of Phidias, an astronomer. Except for his studies at Euclid's school in Alexandria, he spent his entire life in his birthplace. Archimedes proved to be a master at mathematics and spent most of his time contemplating new problems to solve, becoming at times so involved in his work that he forgot to eat. Lacking the blackboards and paper of modern times, he used any available surface, from the dust on the ground to ashes from an extinguished fire, to draw his geometric figures. Never giving up an opportunity to ponder his work, after bathing and anointing himself with olive oil, he would trace figures in the oil on his own skin. Much of Archimedes fame comes from his relationship with Hiero, the king of Syracuse, and Gelon, Hiero's son. The great geometer had a close friendship with and may have been related to the monarch. In any case, he seemed to make a hobby out of solving the king's most complicated problems to the utter amazement of the sovereign. At one time, the king ordered a gold crown and gave the goldsmith the exact amount of metal to make it. When Hiero received it, the crown had the correct weight but the monarch suspected that some silver had been used instead of the gold. Since he could not prove it, he brought the problem to Archimedes. One day while considering the question, "the wise one" entered his bathtub and recognized that the amount of water that overflowed the tub was proportional the amount of his body that was submerged. This observation is now known as Archimedes' Principle and gave him the means to solve the problem. He was so excited that he ran naked through the stre ets of Syracuse shouting "Eureka! eureka!" (I have found it!). The fraudulent goldsmith was brought to justice. Another time, Archimedes stated "Give me a place to stand on and I will move the earth." King Hiero, who was absolutely astonished by the statement, asked him to prove it.

Christian and Biblical References Hidden Within the Rime of the Ancient Mariner Essay

Christian and Biblical references have been involved in the craft of writing since the birth of religion; or at earliest, the composition of the Bible. Biblical Symbolism in â€Å"Rime of the Ancient Mariner† Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem, which was written in 1797, has been widely discussed throughout literary history. Although critics have come up with many different interpretations of this poem, one idea that has remained prevalent throughout these discussions is the apparent religious symbolism present throughout this poem. The Ancient Mariner contains natural, and biblical symbolism; however, the religious and natural symbolisms, which coincide with one another, play the most important roles in this poem. Apocalyptic and natural symbolism dominates the core of this poem. The biblical symbolism found in this poem mainly reflects the apocalypse, as it deals with the Mariner’s revelation that good will triumph over evil, and his acceptance of all nature as God’s creation. Beginning with the main issues surrounding â€Å"The Rime of the Ancient Mariner† it is impossible to believe that Coleridge was not thinking of the mysterious wind that blows on the Mariner, without any awareness of the wind as a Biblical symbol of the Holy Spirit. Coleridge could also associate the murder of the albatross with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The reader is told that the Polar Spirit â€Å"loved the bird that loved the man / Who shot him with his bow† (Line 404). Signifying a strong tie/bond between the two. This bond not only relates to the ‘love between the man and the bird,’ but rather, the connection between an individual and religion. It is doubtful that someone with Coleridge’s Christian background and faith could fail to see an analogy with God who loved his son who loved the men that killed him. Trying to further understand the symbolism tied into this poem, it is important to take other sections of the piece into account. Another example of symbolism is the fact that the albatross is hung around the Mariner’s neck like a crucifix. Ah! Well-a-day! What Evil Looks / Had I from old and young! / Instead of the cross, the Albatross / About my neck was hung† (Line 139). As Coleridge writes, the image of the Albatross slung around the neck of the Mariner symbolizes the crucifixion of Christ. The crucifixion of Christ has been discussed for centuries; this Biblical reference of this image is immense. Through the use of words, Coleridge is able to portray a sense of darkness and a loss of hope, comparable to loss of hope when our savior Jesus Christ was nailed to the cross. Looking deeper into the mind of Coleridge and further analyzing his work, another abstract approach to viewing the death of spiritual and/or Biblical reference can be seen by dissecting the text. The â€Å"cross† in â€Å"cross-bow† hints at the murder of Jesus, which logically places the albatross as a symbol for Christ. Since the publication of Coleridge’s piece â€Å"The Rime of the Ancient Mariner† It is thought by many literary experts that Coleridge deliberately created these symbols and images with Christian meaning in mind; but if true, why? In order for Coleridge to encapsulate the readers full attention and challenge their knowledge these truly hidden symbolisms and literary techniques are needed. Coleridge further attempts to navigate his readers though this work by using references and wording that individual’s can connect with. The apocalypse is heavily reflected upon throughout this poem as Coleridge combined the vivid colors, the ocean, and the death fires of â€Å"The Ancient Mariner† with the terror and desolation of the days of wrath in order to symbolize the true apocalypse. Down dropt the breeze, the sails dropt down, / ‘Twas sad as sad could be; / And we did speak only break / The Silence of the sea! / All in a hot and copper sky, / The bloody Sun, at noon, / Right above the mast did stand, / No bigger than the moon. / Day after day, day after day, / We stuck, not breath nor motion; / As idle as a painted ship / Upon a painted ocean. † (Lines 107). The section of the poem after the Mariner kills the Albatross is a description of the emptiness and desolation that the Mariners experience, and the curse that is over the ship. This section of the poem has tremendous correspondence to the apocalyptic story. The language and form in this part of the poem represents the images and words, which have traditionally described the wrath of God and the guilt of man in Christian terms. Continuing through the poem one stanza reads, â€Å"The souls did from their bodies fly – / They fled to bliss or woe! / And every soul, it pass’d me by / Like the whizz of my crossbow! † (Line 220). It is at this point in the poem that the Mariner feels the guilt for having killed the Albatross and the deaths of his shipmates. As the Mariner begins to realize the repercussions of his actions he begins to transform. At this point in time the Mariner is beginning to touch the hands of God; he is beginning to see the beauty in all of God’s creatures and the significance of life. Preceding this realization the Mariner begins his transformation as stated above; he understands the curse of the Albatross and the reasons for the death of his crew. His actions haunt him and death appears the only way out. â€Å"An orphan’s curse would drag to hell / A spirit from on high; / But oh! More horrible than that / Is the curse in a dead man’s eye! Seven days, seven nights, I saw that Curse, / and yet I could not die† (Line 257). Cleary seen in the quotation above, the curse resulting in the murder of Albatross left the Mariner viewing death as the only possible option to relieve himself of the haunting, tragic images that left his crew dead. Under the moonlit sky as the Mariner’s ship still sails cursed, but then he witnesses something that changes his perception of God and his faith. â€Å"Beyond the shadow of the ship, / I watch’d the water-snakes: / They moved in tracks of shinning white, / And when they rear’d, the elfish light / Fell off in hoary flakes. Within the shadow of the ship / I watch’d their rich attire: / Blue, glossy green, and velvet black, / They coil’d and swam; and every track / Was a flash of golden fire. / O happy living things! No tongue / Their beauty might declare: / A spring of love gush’d from my heart, / And I bless’d them unaware: / Sure my kind saint took pity on me, / And I bless’d them unaware. / The selfsame moment I could pray; / And from my neck so free / The Albatross fell off, and sank / Like lead into the sea. † (Line 272). It is at this point that the Mariner begins his transformation; leading him closer to God allowing him to see the beauty in ll of God’s creations and creatures as he forms a respect for the presence of God in nature. This reconciliation in the Mariner’s life breaks the curse and shines a light of hope into the eyes of a man who was praying for death. Coleridge uses the wrath and guilt of the apocalypse, but adds his own ideas of divine love and conversion, which lead to paradise. Even though the Mariner must continue with his penance, he is free of God’s wrath and is able to appreciate and love all of nature as God’s creation. Throughout this poem there are many examples of biblical symbolisms in nature. Coleridge uses different elements of nature, such as the sea, as symbols of religious thought or beliefs. The sea is where the decisive events, the moments of eternal choice, temptation, and redemption occur. While at sea, the Mariner makes the eternal choice to kill the Albatross. This choice is eternal because once the Mariner has committed the act of murder; there is nothing that he can do to change it. As a result of the Mariner’s decision, a curse falls over the ship and the Mariner is sentenced to eternal penance. The eternal penance that he must serve is a reminder to the Mariner of the choice that he made. However, even after the death of his soul, the Mariner experiences redemption when he recognizes and learns to love all of God’s creations. It is a known fact that Coleridge’s thoughts and feelings where rarely affected by his beliefs, especially the apocalypse. The apocalyptic story deals with God’s freeing the soul of man from the pains of sin and death, and lifting it into paradise. After the Mariner kills the albatross, he feels as if he is under some sort of curse. However, the Mariner goes through as conversion, which thus releases his soul from the pains of sin and death so that he can once again obtain happiness. There are two essential steps in the conversion process. The first step occurs when imaginative powers mythological appearances of nature, so that the slightest willful act appears to bring down a terrible vengeance. The willful act that the Mariner partakes in is the killing of the Albatross, and the terrible vengeance that occurs as a result of this action is the curse that is cast over the ship. The second part of this conversion process takes place at the greatest moment of hopelessness. At this point, the presence of divine love within humankind appears, and emphasizes the appearance of the natural world. â€Å"The Rime of the Ancient Mariner† is not a direct religious sermon, but there are many strong references to the Christian religion throughout the poem, which stem from Coleridge’s own religious beliefs. Although Coleridge did not take the religious images in this poem directly from the Bible, much of his inspiration for the poem seems to be based on religious ideas, especially that of the Apocalypse. To conclude, Coleridge integrates natural symbols, which are associated with the religious symbols, in to this poem in order to further emphasize his belief that God is present everywhere in nature, and that one can be sent into this state of paradise when this love for God is discovered. By using imagery from the apocalypse and religious symbolism in nature, Coleridge created an incredible poem, which expresses how the realization of divine love within oneself has the power to heal pain and suffering, while bringing oneself to a state of clarity, tranquility and enlightenment.

Price trends of personal computers Essay

Charles Babbage invented the first computer in the 19th century. Since then various models have evolved and advancing technology has created machines that can achieve superhuman tasks within seconds leaving no room for error. These processing machines have revolutionized all aspects of human lives starting from simple typing and calculations to enabling complex business transactions and connecting millions of individuals to huge volumes of data and information available at their fingertips. An individual can now access unlimited information through the Internet, communicate online through emails and chats, carry on business meetings sitting in their homes with delegates located at the other end of the globe through video conferencing and reach out to millions of potential consumers for their products and services with the help of e-commerce applications. The computer has come a long way in the past few years and the increased utility and broadened scope has raised the market demand for this gadget in the global market. Market Demand for Personal Computers The market demand for personal computers has witnessed huge increase in the past few years. Initially computers were purchased by only a handful of individuals and organizations limited to government and large corporations. This was largely accountable to the huge costs involved in acquiring a computer added to the space constraint that it posed due to its big size. The computers would occupy a single room with too much wires and power requirements that required heavy maintenance and careful handling. However, with advancing technology the size of computers began to get smaller and smaller and the manufacturing of smaller processing chips made this possible. The smaller size of computers made it possible for the consumers to purchase for their businesses and eventually for their homes. Today the economy is greatly driven by the computers and their all-pervading applications that have transformed the way business strategies are designed and implemented. The e-commerce and online training and learning applications have created a huge market demand for computers in all spheres of life. This gadget has made it possible for individuals to carry on working from the comforts of their homes without having to commute to their offices on a regular basis. Schools, colleges, other educational and training institutions, along with shops and establishments, malls, small or big business enterprises cannot do without computers. Most business establishments have computerized their operations and departmental processes to catch up with times and reap the extraordinary benefits of faster and accurate processing of work. The rapid advancement in the telecommunication sector too has made a big impact on the sales of computers. The availability of high-speed broadband connectivity along with cheaper rates has boosted the market for these machines both in developed and developing countries. The sales of computers have gone up in the past few decades owing to these factors. Human beings by nature are possessed with the desire to have the latest technology and this holds much credence with the high tech savvy younger generations who are the prime user groups and consumers of these gadgets. The more advanced the technology the greater the appeal it holds for this group of consumers. The first personal computer MITS Altair 8080 was launched in the year 1975 and only a few thousand machines were sold within a period of 1 year of the launch. The market for personal computers has now reached to more than 4. 4 million units of personal computers sold in the year 2007 (source: just4business. com). The market share for macintosh gradually declined from 3. 2 percent in the year 1999 to 1. 98 percent in the year 2004 and the IBM personal computers gaining stronghold over the market. Source: Ars technica Price trend of computers Pricing of a product is an important determinant in establishing the market share and personal computers too have witnessed a steady fall in the price segment largely to attract greater market share. The pricing trend in the computer industry is to a great extent influenced by the rapid pace of advancing technology that renders the existing one obsolete in matter of a few years. The users are left with no other option but to upgrade their existing machines or invest in new improved versions equipped with latest features and enhancements. This trend is unique to the computer industry and can be evidenced in the regular pace of new models and versions that have in fluxed the market within the past one-decade. The massive supercomputers have given way to smaller desktops that rapidly paved the way for portable laptops and notebooks. Another essential factor that has influenced the pricing trend of computers is the universality in applications of computers today. The wide range of tasks and areas in which the computers have found universal acceptance has created a huge demand for these machines. The growing demand and increasing applications thus play a significant role in determining the price of computers. Initially the price of supercomputers ranged approximately between US$ 5 million to US$ 25 million. With advancing technology and increased usage the price of computers started dropping heavily. The price of personal computers has been witnessing a downward curve in the past few years despite growing demand. A survey carried out by the German Association for Information Management, Telecommunications, and New Media the number of computers sold in the year 2007 reached 4. illion units. The prices have dropped owing to the increasing demand and supply of various models in the market. Owing to the huge market demand for personal computers many suppliers have entered the market manufacturing on a large scale resulting in increased supply of machines. Moreover, the computer industry being very dynamic in character accounts for new models featuring enhanced technology and improved capabilities being introduced at a rapid pace. This renders the old models obsolete requiring regular upgradation and feature enhancements. The extraordinary pace at which technology is producing new versions and chips having increased processing capacities the market are always flooded with new models and new technology. If the supplier wants to reap benefits from the market he needs to keep the models within accessible price range to lure the customers into buying his product. High price ranges will shift the consumers to other models having similar features or even better the assembled personal computer that can be very cost effective for the consumers. Too many alternatives and choices available in the market have spoiled the consumers to a great extent. The Gartner report on computer sales states that the ongoing replacement cycle has defined the increasing sales of personal computers. It is observed that the last strong phase for the sales of personal computers was in the year 1999 and the recent years have witnessed increasing sales of laptops and notebooks as replacement to their desktop computers. More and more suppliers have in fluxed the market with new models and features in laptops and notebooks and the prices of these categories of computers have dropped by nearly 25 percent since 2006. This strategy is aimed at attracting more consumers to buy their brands and the manufacturers also realize that since the consumer has several alternatives available to him price can be an important decision making factor in influencing purchase. The basic law of demand and supply influences the principle of price economics. There are many theories attached to pricing strategies adopted by businesses globally but the fundamental principle lays the same for all products or services. â€Å"Many factors affect the quantity and type of goods producers supply and the quantity and types of goods consumers buy, and all these variables are integrated into one unit: price. In a free market, prices are based on the interaction of supply and demand, which themselves are based on individual judgements and values, not on executive caprice. Prices are not subjective† (Saraka, 2008). Conclusion The 21st century has witnessed many changes in the computer industry with new enhanced operating systems making their way into the market and better-equipped hardware attracting the consumer attention. The market share for both personal computers and laptops increased steadily with exploding demand from all corners of the globe.

Fool Chapter 15

FIFTEEN IN A LOVER'S EYE A warm wind blew in from the west, completely cocking up the Yule. Druids like snow round Stonehenge during the festival, and burning down the forest is all the more satisfying if there's a chill in the air. As it was, it looked like we'd have rain for the feast. The clouds rolling over the horizon looked like they'd been born of a summer storm. â€Å"Them look like summer storm clouds,† said Kent. We were hiding in the barbican above the gate, looking out over the walled village of Gloucester and the hills beyond. I'd been hiding since my encounter with Edmund. Evidently the bastard was somewhat put out with me. We could see Goneril and her train entering the outer gates. She rode with a dozen soldiers and attendants, but noticeably, the Duke of Albany was not with her. A sentry on the wall called out the approach of the Duchess of Albany. Gloucester and Edmund appeared in the courtyard, followed by Regan and Cornwall. Regan was working to keep her eyes off of Edmund's bandaged ear. â€Å"This should be interesting,† said I. â€Å"They swarm like vultures over a corpse.† â€Å"Britain's the corpse,† said Kent. â€Å"And we baited her to be torn apart.† â€Å"Nonsense, Kent. Lear's the corpse. But ambitious scavengers do not wait for his death to begin their dining.† â€Å"You've a deeply wicked side, Pocket.† â€Å"Truth has a deeply wicked side, Kent.† â€Å"There's the king,† said Kent. â€Å"No one attends him. I should go to him.† Lear shuffled into the courtyard wearing his heavy fur cape. â€Å"Like looking down on a lubricious chess set, isn't it? The king moves in tiny steps, with no direction, like a drunkard trying to avoid the archer's bolt. The others work their strategies and wait for the old man to fall. He has no power, yet all power moves in his orbit and to his mad whim. Do you know that there's no fool piece on the chessboard, Kent?† â€Å"Methinks the fool is the player, the mind above the moves.† â€Å"Well, that's a scratchy spot of cat wank.† I turned to the old knight. â€Å"But bloody well said. Go to Lear, then. Edmund won't dare molest you, and Cornwall must pretend some contrition for throwing you into the stocks. The princesses will be burning bright for Edmund's eye, and Gloucester – well, Gloucester proffers hospitality before jackals, he is well occupied.† â€Å"What will you do?† â€Å"I seem to have rendered myself undesirable, as impossible as that sounds. I need to find us a spy – someone more stealthy, devious, and underhanded than my own sweet nature allows.† â€Å"Good luck with that,† said Kent. â€Å"I loathe you, I despise you, I curse your existence and the foul demons that spawned you. You sicken me with anger and bilious hatred.† â€Å"Oswald,† said I. â€Å"You're looking well.† Drool and I had intercepted him in a corridor. There is an unwritten edict, that when negotiating with an enemy, one does not reveal his knowledge of that enemy's agenda, even unto death. It's a point of honor, of sorts, but I see it as petty play-acting, and I had no intention of indulging in it with Oswald. Yet, I had need of his spidery talents, so some finesse was required. â€Å"I would give an arm to see you hang, fool,† said Oswald. â€Å"Oh, an excellent starting point,† said I. â€Å"Don't you think, Drool?† â€Å"Aye, Pocket,† said Drool, who loomed between Oswald and me, a thick table leg unsuccessfully concealed behind his back. Oswald might make as to draw his sword, but Drool would have beaten his brains into bloody marmalade before the blade cleared its scabbard. Unspoken, but understood. â€Å"Smashing good start,† said the giant. â€Å"So, Oswald, let us go from there. Say you get what you want. Say you lose an arm, and I am hanged, how then is life better for your fine self? Your quarters more comfortable? Wine taste better, will it?† â€Å"It's unlikely, but let's explore the possibilities, shall we?† â€Å"Very well,† said I. â€Å"You first. Sever an arm and Drool here will hang me. You have my word.† â€Å"You have my word,† said Drool, in my voice. â€Å"Stop wasting my time, fool. My lady is arriving and I need to go to her.† â€Å"Ah, there's the rub, Oswald. What you want. What do you really want.† â€Å"You could never know.† â€Å"Your lady's approval?† â€Å"I have that.† â€Å"Ah, that's right, your lady's love.† Oswald became still then, as if I had taken the breath from the corridor in which we stood. To prove such was not the case, I pressed on. â€Å"You want your lady's love, her respect, her power, her submission, her bottom in the air before you, her begging for satisfaction and mercy – that about it?† â€Å"I am not so base as you, fool.† â€Å"And yet the very reason you hate me is that I have been to that place.† â€Å"You have not. She has not loved you, nor respected you, nor given you power. You were an amusement at best.† â€Å"Yet I know the way there, my coal-hearted friend. I know the way a servant might find such favor.† â€Å"She could never. I am of common blood.† â€Å"Oh, I'm not saying I could make you duke, only that you would be her lord in body, heart, and mind. You know her weakness for scoundrels, Oswald. Did you yourself not pimp your lady to Edmund?† â€Å"I did not. I only delivered a message. And Edmund is heir to an earldom.† â€Å"Just this bloody week he is. And don't act as if you don't know what was in that message. I have the power, Oswald, given me by three witches in the Great Birnam Wood, to put a spell upon your lady so she will adore and desire you.† Oswald laughed, not something he did often. His face was not fit for it and he looked like he had something caught in his back teeth. â€Å"What kind of fool do you think me? Out of the way.† â€Å"And all you have to do is what your lady would have you do anyway, serve her desires,† said I. I needed to make my case quickly. â€Å"She is bewitched already, you know? You were there.† Oswald had been backing away from Drool, off to find another route to the courtyard and Goneril, when he stopped. â€Å"You were there, Oswald. At Albany. Goneril was having a grab at my tackle and you came in. You'd just come through the door, I heard it. I had this purse in my hand.† I held up the silk pouch the witches had given me. â€Å"Remember?† â€Å"I was there.† â€Å"And I handed your lady a letter and said it was from Edmund of Gloucester. Remember?† â€Å"Aye. And she dumped you on your arse.† â€Å"Right you are. And sent you here, to deliver a message to Edmund. Had she ever made a note of the bastard before, Oswald? You are with her nearly every waking moment. Had she noted him before?† â€Å"No. Not once. She gave some notice to Edgar, but not the bastard.† â€Å"Exactly. She is bewitched to love Edmund, and I can do the same for you. You'll die a frustrated toady any other way, Oswald. I've one more spell left.† Oswald took careful steps back to me, like he was walking a wire rather than the stone floor of a castle corridor. â€Å"Why wouldn't you use it for yourself?† â€Å"Well, for one, you would know, and I presume you would not be slow to inform Lord Albany, who would quickly have me hanged. And second, I had three such spells, and I have used one for myself already.† â€Å"Not the Duchess of Cornwall?† I could tell Oswald was aghast at the idea, yet there was an excitement in his eye. I showed him a sly grin and flicked the bells of my hat with Jones. â€Å"I've a rendezvous with her this very night after the Yule feast – midnight, in the abandoned North Tower.† â€Å"You dastardly little monster!† â€Å"Oh sod off, Oswald. Would you have a princess of your own or not?† â€Å"What do I have to do?† â€Å"Almost nothing,† said I. â€Å"But it will take some strength of character for you to see this through. First, you must counsel your lady to keep peace with her sister, and convince her to relieve Lear of the remainder of his force. Then, you must have your lady rendezvous with Edmund at the second bell of the watch.† â€Å"Two in the bloody morning?† â€Å"Watch how she leaps at the chance. She's bewitched, remember. It is critical that she ally herself with the house of Gloucester, even if it is in secret. I know that will be difficult for you, but you must endure it. If you are going to have the lady and her power, someone will have to dispatch the Duke of Albany – someone who will be of no loss when hanged. The bastard Edmund is perfect for the part, is he not?† Oswald nodded, his eyes getting larger with my every word. His whole life he had carried messages and run errands for Goneril, but at last he could see reward in sight for being intrigue's pawn. Fortunately, the possibility blinded him to reason. â€Å"When will the lady be mine?† â€Å"When all is in place, catch-fart, when all is in place. What do you know of a military force coming from France?† â€Å"Why, nothing.† â€Å"Then skulk and eavesdrop. Edmund knows of such a force, or he has constructed a rumor. Find out what you can. Find out, but do not speak to Edmund of his rendezvous with your lady, he thinks it a secret.† Oswald stood to his full height (he'd been bending over to talk face-to-face with me). â€Å"What do you gain from this, fool?† I had hoped he wouldn't ask. â€Å"Like you, even with love, there are those who would stand in the way of my happiness. I need you and those affected by your deeds to help them out of my way.† â€Å"You would kill the Duke of Cornwall?† â€Å"He is one, but no matter who loves me, I am bound to Lear – I am his slave.† â€Å"So you would kill the king, too? No worries, fool, I can do that. You have a deal.† â€Å"Fuckstockings!† said I. â€Å"Jolly good show, Pocket,† said Kent. â€Å"Go looking for a messenger and end up setting a bloody assassin loose on the king. A born diplomat, you are.† â€Å"Sarcasm is very unattractive in the elderly, Kent. I couldn't very well call him off, my sincerity would have been questioned.† â€Å"You weren't being sincere.† â€Å"Well, conviction then. Just stay by Lear during the Yule feast and don't let him eat anything unless you've eaten it first. If I know Oswald, he'll try to slay the king using the most cowardly means.† â€Å"Or not at all.† â€Å"What?† â€Å"What makes you think Oswald was telling you the truth any more than you were telling it to him?† â€Å"I'm counting on his lying to a degree.† â€Å"But to what degree?† I paced in a circle around our little tower room. â€Å"What a wimpled wagon of nun wank this is. I'd rather juggle fire blindfolded. I'm not built for these dark dealings – I'm better suited for laughter, children's birthdays, baby animals, and friendly bonking. The sodding witches got it wrong.† â€Å"And yet, you've set a civil war in motion and sent an assassin after the king,† said Kent. â€Å"Grand ambition for a children's birthday clown, don't you think?† â€Å"You've become bitter in your dotage, you know?† â€Å"Well, perhaps my duties as food taster will end my bitterness.† â€Å"Just keep the old man alive, Kent. Since the Yule feast is still on, I take it dear Regan didn't tell Lear that she was taking his knights yet.† â€Å"The lady tried to make peace between Goneril and her father. She only served to calm the old man enough that he agreed to come to the feast.† â€Å"Good. No doubt she'll make her move on the morrow.† I grinned. â€Å"If she's well enough.† â€Å"Wicked,† said Kent. â€Å"Justice,† said I. Regan came up the spiral stairs alone. The single candle she carried in a storm lantern cast her shadow tall up the stone wall like the very specter of a shaggable death. I stood outside the solar door, candelabra in one hand, the door latch in the other. â€Å"Happy Christmas, kitten,† said I. â€Å"Well, that feast was complete crap, wasn't it? Bloody Gloucester, pagan twat, calling it the feast of St. Stephen instead of Christmas. There's no presents on the feast of bloody Stephen. Without presents I'd rather celebrate Yule for the winter solstice; at least then you get to sacrifice a pig and build a cracking huge fire.† â€Å"Gloucester was being deferential to your Christian beliefs as it was, love. The holiday is Saturnalia[39] for him and Edmund, proper orgy it is. So perhaps there's a present for you yet to be unwrapped.† She smiled then. â€Å"Perhaps. Edmund was so coy at the feast – barely looking my way. Fear of Cornwall, I suppose. But you were right, his ear was bandaged.† â€Å"Aye, lady, and I'm to tell you that he's a bit modest about it. He may not wish to be fully seen.† â€Å"But I saw him at the feast.† â€Å"Aye, but he's hinted that there may have been other self-punishment performed in your honor and he's shy.† A joyous child at Christmas she suddenly was – visions of a bloke lashing himself dancing in her head. â€Å"Oh, Pocket, do let me in.† And so I did. I opened the door, and slipped the storm lantern from her grasp as she passed. â€Å"Ah, ah, ah, love. No more light than that one candle. He's ever so shy.† I heard Edmund's voice say from behind the tapestry, â€Å"Oh, my sweet lady, Regan, thou art more fair than moonlight, more radiant than the sun, more glorious than all the stars. I must have you or I shall surely die.† I slowly closed and latched the door. â€Å"No, my goddess, undress there,† said Edmund's voice. â€Å"Let me watch you.† I'd been all evening coaching Drool on what to say and exactly how to say it. Next he would comment on her loveliness, then ask her to blow out the single candle on the table and join him behind the tapestry, at which point he was to unceremoniously snog her soggy and shag her silly. It sounded rather like what I'd guess would be the auditory effect of a bull elk trying to balance a wildcat on a red-hot poker. There was no little bit of yowling, growling, squealing, and screeching going on by the time I saw the second light coming up the stairs. I could see by the shadow that the lantern bearer was leading with a drawn sword. Oswald had been true to his treacherous nature, just as I had calculated. â€Å"Put down that blade, you git, you'll put someone's eye out.† The Duke of Cornwall rounded the stairs with blade lowered, a bewildered look on his face. â€Å"Fool?† â€Å"What if a child was running down the stairs?† I said. â€Å"Awkward explaining to Gloucester why his beloved toddler grandson was wearing a yard of Sheffield steel through his gizzard.† â€Å"Gloucester doesn't have a grandson,† said Cornwall, surprised, I think, that he was engaged in this discussion. â€Å"That doesn't diminish the need for basic weapons safety.† â€Å"But I'm here to slay you.† â€Å"Moi?† said I, in perfect fucking French. â€Å"Whatever for?† â€Å"Because you are shagging my lady.† There was a great bellow from the tower room, followed by a female feral screech. â€Å"Was that pain or pleasure, would you say?† I asked. â€Å"Who is in there?† Cornwall raised his sword again. â€Å"Well, it is your lady, and she is most certainly being shagged, by the bastard Edmund of Gloucester, but prudence would have you stay your blade.† I laid Jones across the duke's wrist and pushed his sword hand down. â€Å"Unless you care nothing for being King of Britain.† â€Å"What are you on about, fool?† The duke very much wanted to do some killing, but his ambition was trumping his bloodlust. â€Å"Oh ride me, you great, tree-cocked rhinoceros!† screamed Regan from the next room. â€Å"She still says that?† I asked. â€Å"Well, usually it's ‘tree-cocked stallion,'† said Cornwall. â€Å"She does get good wear out of a metaphor.† I put my hand on his shoulder for comfort. â€Å"Aye, a sad surprise, for you, I'll wager. At least when a man, after looking into his soul, finally stoops to fuck a snake, he hopes at least not to see pairs of boots already lined up outside her burrow.† He shook me off. â€Å"I'll kill him!† â€Å"Cornwall, you are about to be attacked. Even now Albany prepares to take all of Britain for his own. You'll need Edmund and the forces of Gloucester to prevail against him, and when you do, you'll be king. If you go in that room now, you will kill a horn-beast, but you will lose a kingdom.† â€Å"God's blood,† said Cornwall. â€Å"Is this true?† â€Å"Win the war, good sirrah. Then kill the bastard at your leisure, when you can take your time and do it right. Regan's honor is, well, malleable, is it not?† â€Å"You're sure about this war?† â€Å"Aye. It's why you need to take Lear's remaining knights and squires, just as Goneril and Albany took the others. And you mustn't let Goneril know you know. Even now your lady is assuring Gloucester's allegiance to your side.† â€Å"Really? That's why she's shagging Edmund?† It hadn't occurred to me until I'd said it, but it really did work quite nicely. â€Å"Oh yes, my lord, her enthusiasm is inspired by her fierce loyalty to you.† â€Å"Of course,† said Cornwall, sheathing his sword. â€Å"I should have seen it.† â€Å"That doesn't mean you can't kill Edmund when it's over,† said I. â€Å"Absolutely,† said the duke. When Cornwall was gone and some time after the first bell had rung for the watch, I knocked on the door and peeked my head in. â€Å"Lord Edmund,† said I. â€Å"There's a stirring in the duke's tower. Perhaps you should say your farewells.† I held Regan's storm lantern at the crack of the door so she could find her way out, and a few moments later she stumbled out of the solar with her gown on backward, her hair in knots, and a slick of drool running in a river between and over her breasts. Overall, in fact, she looked quite slippery. She was dazed and limping in a way that seemed she couldn't quite figure which side to favor, and she was dragging one shoe by its strap around her ankle. â€Å"Lady, shall I get your other shoe?† â€Å"Sod it,† she said, waving drunkenly, or what seemed like drunkenly, almost falling down the stairs. I steadied her, helped her get her gown turned around, swabbed her down a bit with her skirt, then took her arm and helped her down the stairs. â€Å"He's quite a bit larger close up than he appears across the room.† â€Å"That so?† â€Å"I shan't sit down for a fortnight.† â€Å"Ah, sweet romance. Can you make it to your quarters, kitten?† â€Å"I think so. You're clever, Pocket – start thinking of excuses for Edmund if I'm not able to get out of bed tomorrow.† â€Å"My pleasure, kitten. Sleep well.† I made my way back upstairs where Drool was standing trouserless by the candle, still sporting enough of an erection to bludgeon a calf senseless. â€Å"Sorry, I came out, Pocket, it were dark.† â€Å"No worries, lad. Good show.† â€Å"She were fit.† â€Å"Aye. Quite.† â€Å"What's a rhinoceros?† â€Å"It's like a unicorn with armored bollocks. It's a good thing. Chew these mint leaves and let's get you wiped down. Practice your Edmund lines while I look for a towel.† When the watch rang the second bell, the scene was set. Another storm lantern illuminated the stairs and cast a buxom shadow up the wall. â€Å"Pumpkin!† â€Å"What are you doing here, worm?† â€Å"Just keeping watch. Go in, but leave your lantern with me. Edmund is shy about the injury he has inflicted on himself in your honor.† Goneril grinned at the prospect of the bastard's pain and went in. A few minutes passed before Oswald crept up the stairs. â€Å"Fool? You're still alive?† â€Å"Aye.† I held my hand up to my ear. â€Å"But listen to the children of the night – what music they make.† â€Å"Sounds like a moose trying to shit a family of hedgehogs,† said the scoundrel. â€Å"Oh, that's good. I was thinking more of moo cow being beaten with a flaming goose, but you may have it. Ah, who's to say? We should leave, good Oswald, and give the lovers their privacy.† â€Å"Did you not meet with Princess Regan?† â€Å"Oh, we changed the rendezvous to the fourth bell of the watch, why?†

Professional and Personal Development Plan Essay

According to the experience in the ledge weekend, I finished self – exploring with the help of my team members as well as our mentor Brandy. By carefully reading my personal insights profile and putting outcomes in practice, I find out that it is helpful by offering detail leadership information and organized analysis of myself, which includes something I even have not realized before. All these information give precious guidance to me to improve myself becoming a better leader as well as a follower. Personal Style – As a â€Å"Green† person, I am proficient at alleviating the concerns of others and always consist trying and working hard in order to fulfill my sense of responsibility and obligation. Different from â€Å"Red† and â€Å"Yellow† people, I am low ley and would like to experience strong internal personal reaction rather than showing private feelings. I would like to do things in routine manner and is consistent on my work. Order means a lot to me, which is showed by always making plans and keeping everything organized. In other words, work and home structure affect me very much. My mother influenced me a lot on structure making since I was a young girl. She is an organized person who subsequently is very efficient both in home stuff and her work. She is stick to time and plan, as well as flexible when facing changes. Furthermore, I am also tolerant, open-minded, and adaptable, enjoying the present moment. Most of the time I am patient and always understand others and I am forgiveness to make time for people and their problems. I am very effective in specialized work and highly consistent in performance. Interacting with others – I am good at blending productivity with an interest in, and compassion for, the work force. I am capable of great devotion and loyalty to a valued person or cause. In most situations, I could bring harmony and goodwill to the whole team as well as make great contribution constructing a better team. Being as class monitor from a young age, I have huge experiences on how important it is to keep groups of people in harmony and construct a peaceful environment for better development of work and study. Decision-making – In work, I am always deeply committed whenever I choose to undertake a role or task. Compared to the results, I concern more on process. Usually I am good at finding out what we need at the moment and then deal with it – like an â€Å"effective observer†. My team members gave me this title during the Edge Weekend. According to the their  feedbacks, I am excellent at making calm and critical decision as well as comments in rush occasions while others shows panic or have conflicts. Although I am not a perfect vocal person, this feature does not prevent me making critical and incisive decisions and offering useful comments to help modify current incorrect working situation. This leadership competency also comes from my former leadership experience. When being responsible for scheming the high school anniversary celebration, I met similar problems facing internal team conflicts on different ideas. I realized that when groups of people are eager to express and force others to accept their ideas, it becomes more difficult for the whole team to come up with a comprehensive conclusion or path to follow without bias. By the several times’ practices and experience collecting, I consciously calm down to think carefully of everyone’s opinion objectively. Although it is hard to keep a reasonable mind during severely discussion, I could handle it very well now and get to the critical point easily when others are affected heavily by conflicts or the loss of direction. Vision for the leader I will become ï  ¬What contributions will I make to an organization that builds my strengths and the organizational success? i.Self-confidence and influential ii.Can state significant views with clarity and forethought iii.Prefers flexibility and open mindedness  iv.Reliable, cohesive and identity – Commits to realistic goals, expresses through actions, supports others by being loyal, diplomatic and sincere v.Sensitive to Environment – Brings fun and light-heartedness to any environment vi.Tolerance for Sustainable Development – Be patient and forgiving ï  ¬Why would anyone choose to follow me? Some leaders tend to distribute work to employees without considering carefully the capacity differs from person to person. However, I am the kind of leader who could utilize employees’ ability according to their strength and always be considerable, making them comfortable when working. Also, as the leader of employees, I commit to realistic goals and could state significant views with clarity and forethought. At the same time, I express myself not only vocally but also through actions, which makes employees feel reliable and motivated to construct trust. Furthermore, I am flexible and  open-minded to accept different ideas, which offer platform for employees to express their ideas. They feel being respected and have more motivation to improve and raise productivity. As a leader pay much attention on harmony, my efforts on making working environment comfortable and light-hearted may be welcomed by employees. Like what is said in the article Beyond Uncertainty, â€Å"A company is not an instrument; it is, or should be, a living and growing community.† No one will refuse to follow a leader who is effective using right strategy to mange, being mindful, reliable, open-minded and concern much on working performance as well as environment. ï  ¬How will I impact the world from a leadership perspective? As such a leader, I would impact the world by making my team or company more likely to be a community, instead of just focus on economics or financial results. Thus the company’s lifespan may extend. – The Living Company. If all companies could understand leadership on this perspective, all of us will construct healthier companies so that have a better market. Gap Analysis and Professional Development Plan A.Identify gaps and development needs   According to my insights profile results and the concept of Emotional Intelligence, including Personal Competence and Social Competence in order to achieve my future vision, I still need to fulfill several gaps shown as below: ï  ¬Self-confidence: A strong sense of one’s self-worth and capabilities; ï  ¬Communication, share concerns and reservations bravely In order to become the leader in my future vision, the first thing to do is increasing self-confidence. In some occasions, I found it hard to demonstrate all my abilities and may be underestimated by others and also disappointed myself. Through the readings and feedback of my team members, I discovered that it is not because I am lack of certain ability to complete the task, but I do not hold the belief that I can certainly do it well. In other words, I am lack of courage to step forward a little bit further. ï  ¬Developing others and be influential: Sensing others development needs and bolstering their abilities ï  ¬Emotional awareness: recognizing one’s emotions and their effect These two sections relate to what we read in the past few weeks on moral leadership. â€Å"Moral leadership, by definition, cannot be  situational or contingent. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ The ultimate in disrespect of individuals is to attempt to impose one’s will on them without regard for what they want or need and without consulting them. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Thus treating people with respect is what moral leadership is about, and nothing could be harder.† It responses to my former future vision that being a considerable leader should not only pay attention on financial profit and performances, but also the awareness of employees. Furthermore, how to act is more important because the way you act could change their thoughts. To acquire moral leadership, I should practice more on how to treat others respectfully. ï  ¬Innovation while decrease risks According to results of the Insight profile and Emotional Intelligence, I need to be braver to take risk through innovations. Although in The Living Company, the author points out that one of the four common features of long life span companies have is that â€Å"Long-lived companies were conservative in financing†, it is not wise either to be so frugal and do not take any challenge. In my opinion after reading materials, I think it is also important for me to learn how to balance between embracing challenges and decreasing risks. ï  ¬Initiative: Readiness to act on opportunities, make quick or unprepared articulation ï  ¬ Be more flexible, do not over-dependence on rules and procedures. In Week 6’s Oxford discussion, we talked about lots of critical questions about sustainable development. In the article of Value Creation: The Promise of Sustainable Development, the author points out we should balance among Economics, Social and Environment. To create sustainable strategy, we should follow four primary drivers of value creation: Margin improvement, Risk reduction, Growth enhancement and Capital efficiency. All these four aspects remind me how to achieve my future goal by being more flexible. The value creation is a comprehensive process, which needs not merely avoiding risks or losses. B.Development Plan B1: Clearly identified SLOT During the Edge Weekend, we discussed SLOT with each other and tried to analysis ourselves and others using this strategy. S – Strength, means we can use it to make a contribution to the team. Since everyone’s strengths  are different, we could construct a stronger team if we utilize them well. But before that, we need to do accurate self-evaluation in order to take advantage of our strengths. My main strengths, which are mentioned in my formula 2+2, are excellent summarizing skill and organized personality that enhance the whole team’s efficiency. L – Limitation, means nobody is perfect, everyone may face some problems no matter they are internal or external ones. Limitations come from personality or leadership. That’s why we need to explore ourselves and make plans to improve our leadership, and also combine together to help each other in the team. My limitations showed in the Edge Weekend are unvocal and being lack of consistency on own ideas when facing conflicts. O – Opportunity. T – Threat Like the SWOT model in Management, environment plays an important role in influencing our development. Facing opportunities, we should catch them in order to create value by improving our leadership. On the other hand, we should avoid threat. For me, the opportunities are everywhere since I am eager to try new things, all team members treat me very well and always would like to help me improving myself. The threat for me may be the foreign environment, which makes me feel hard to keep on the same page with other American students, since communication is very important for good leadership. Strengths and limitation are internal elements that affect our leadership development, while opportunity and treat are external elements. What we should do with them is shown as below in the form. Internal Elements External ElementsUse itImprove itOpportunity Supervise itEliminate itThreat StrengthLimitation B2: My goals clearly relate to SLOT In order to improve my leadership, I should make plans according to SLOT: Using my strengths of well organizing and opportunity of listening to team members’ opinions in order to become more sensitive to environment and reliable, cohesive and identity. Although I have limitations of unvocal and  not that idea-consistency, I can use my opportunity of my team members’ encouragement to become more self-confident and influential. Since I have the limitation of unvocal and the threat of unfamiliar environment, I should eliminate them by practice English more in order to state significant views with clarity and forethought. Although I have the strength of well organized and considerable, the threat I am facing is the changeable world that requires me to take more risks while not loose too much. Therefore I should learn to keep balance of these two sides in order to improve flexibility and open mindedness and tolerance for sustainable development. B3: SMART – 15 My leadership development goals do meet the SMART criteria, which include Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time bound. According to SLOT analysis, every goal could be achieved in one specific way: use, improve, supervise or eliminate. Most of them are measurable by collecting team members’ feedback. All those goals are achievable, although some goals such as balancing risk-taking and flexibility is hard to handle in the long run. All those goals and my internal as well as external elements are relevant. Only if they combine together could I do accurate analysis and make detail plan for the future. At last, all these goals could be achieved in time bound, if I keep following the above plan.