Saturday, December 28, 2019

Discussing Heart Of Darkness, The Hollow Men, and...

Relationship between Heart Of Darkness, The Hollow Men, and Apocalypse Now The Hollow Men is a poem by T.S. Eliot who won the Nobel Prize in 1948 for all his great accomplishments. The Hollow Men is about the hollowness that all people have; while Heart of Darkness is a story of the darkness that all people have. The poem written by Eliot was greatly influenced by Conrad and Dante. Some people may even think that WWI also influenced it. It was written after World War I and could be describing how peoples beliefs had been eroded. I think that a lot of the poem is written about Heart Of Darkness, and Dantes Inferno is used as imagery for the poem. In this essay I will show how the poem The Hollow Men is talking about the same†¦show more content†¦This is apparent in The Hollow Men in lines 13-15 when the poem says: Those who have crossed With direct eyes, to deaths other Kingdom Remember us-if at all-not as lost(Collected Poems 1909-1935 56). The meaning to of deaths other kingdom does not seem to be hell or heaven it seems to me to be somewhere else . In lines 57-60 Eliot is talking about where the hollow men meet, which is at the tumid river. In Heart Of Darkness Marlow tells of his journey into a nightmare kingdom of death, the heart of darkness in the forests of the Congo. Conrad describes Africa as a Kingdom of Death and the Congo River relates to the tumid river. Let me digress to the hollowness of Heart of Darkness. The former, Helen Gardner suggests that: The Hollow Men exhibits the feeling of total meaninglessness, the extremity of skepticism which Marlow said he felt on the brink of death: a vision of grayness without form filled with physical pain, and a careless contempt for the evanescence of all things.... (Landscape As Symbol In The Poetry Of T.S. Eliot 92). The darkness and the hollowness are the same thing. They are the emptiness of moral strength and faith. It is what Marlow feels as he is on the brink of death. In the poem The Hollow Men there are details taken from The Heat Of Darkness. The tumid river as mentioned above is just one example. In lines 11-12 in The Hollow Men it says: Shape without form, shade without colour, Paralysed force,Show MoreRelatedFilm Festival At Antelope Valley College3497 Words   |  14 Pageshad liked but upon second analysis, might not hold in such high regard. In the end the films I chose are Juno, High Noon, The King’s Speech, Exit Through the Gift Shop, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, and Apocalypse Now. The Lancaster and the Antelope Valley area in general is known for its’ highest Veterans per capita. The town frequently tips its’ hat to those who have served. The downtown strip is flagged with pictures and names of heroes past and present

Friday, December 20, 2019

Comparison of Smooth Talk to “Where Are You Going, Where...

Comparison of Smooth Talk to â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?† Joyce Carol Oakes’s short story, â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?† was written in 1966 and twenty years later was made into a movie entitled Smooth Talk, winner of the 1985 U.S. Film Festival for best dramatic picture. The writing by Oates is loosely based on a true story described as â€Å"the tale of Charles Schmid, a twenty-three-year-old who cruises teenage hangouts, picking up girls for rides in his gold convertible† (Johnson 160). I say â€Å"loosely based† since the author purposely omits facts that she has read in newspaper and magazine articles, facts that would lend humanness to the demonic nature of a man she has cleverly and ironically named Arnold†¦show more content†¦In contrast, by implying in her short story that Connie is already sexually active, author Joyce Oates deepens the terror of the screen-door meeting by focusing not on just the sexually persuasive nature of Arnold Friend but also on the demonic trance-like state he uses in order to control his victims. Apparently the authors of the three critical interpretations differ, too, in their views of whether Connie has been sexually active prior to her meeting with Friend. Greg Johnson states, â€Å"Oates makes clear that Friend represents Connie’s initiation not into sex itself† she is already sexually experienced â€Å"but into sexual bondage† (161), while Joan D. Winslow argues that Connie has â€Å"not yet experienced sexual intercourse, but she is moving toward it† (162). Both the movie and the story emphasize the dramatic separation of understanding between Connie and her mother. The apparent lack of depth in Connie and her father’s relationship dims in comparison to the almost-tangible hatred Connie seems to feel toward her mother, her mother â€Å"who had been pretty once too, but now her looks were gone, and that was why she was always after Connie† (Oates 148). Despite the anger she feels, however, it is her mother that Connie cries out to for help in both versions as she sees herself forced to give into Friend’s wishes in an attempt to spare her family the evil he hints will comeShow MoreRelatedCc Between Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? and the Movie Smooth Talk747 Words   |  3 PagesWhere have you Been Smooth Talking? In the short story Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? By Joyce Carol Oates, the lifestyle of protagonist Connie is described. Connie was a typical 15-year-old. She was outgoing, fun, and social. She had the worst relationship with her mother and her relationship with her father was not explained because he was not home much. Connie’s main concern was boys; she would do anything to meet up with them. That is not always a good idea because you never knowRead MoreWhere Are You Going?1024 Words   |  5 PagesEnglish 1301 9 September 2015 Comparing Joyce Carol Oates â€Å"Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been?† to the film Smooth Talk Joyce Carol Oates, author of the fictional short story, where are you going, where have you been? Emphasizes a taunting tone to convey Connie s restrained reaction towards Arnold Friend s presence. The film â€Å"Smooth Talk† portrays the visual imagery in the short story â€Å"where are you going?, where have you been?†helps the audience understand each character s personalityRead More Comparing ChinaTown and the Big Sleep Essay1278 Words   |  6 Pagesto the hard-nosed detective films it is modeled after. The film is filled with allusions to the Big Sleep, especially taken from scenes of Marlowe and Vivian. Chinatown has formal elements indicative that it is going to be in the style of traditional Film Noir hardboiled detective, until you examine the characters personalities next to the story content.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The end of the ChinaTown has a major change from films like the Big Sleep or even the Maltese Falcon. J.J. Gittes ends up with nothing.Read MoreWhere Are You Going? Where Have You Been?1466 Words   |  6 Pages In 1966, Joyce carol oates wrote a short story called â€Å"Where are you going? Where have you been?†. The story is about a young girl name connie who is very beautiful, and because of this her mother hates her. Connie is a troubled teen who finds herself the center a man, Arnold Friend. He first meets her when she went to a drive in restaurant with her friends. On sunday arnold came to her house and tried to get her to take a ride with him. As she became scared and tried to get him to go away, heRead MoreComparing To his Coy Mistress by Andrew Marvell and To his Mistress Going to Bed by John Donne1511 Words   |  7 PagesComparing To his Coy Mistress by Andrew Marvell and To his Mistress Going to Bed by John Donne In recent times I have compared and contrasted two pieces of love poetry, both of which are exceptionally lyrical and full of intellectual language that bring the poems alive with elaborated metaphors that compare dissimilar things, as they Inare equally, yet somehow individually both metaphysical poems. The first of these poems that I comprehended was To his Coy Mistress; (writtenRead MoreKnowledge Is Power, It Is The Essential Key To Success1587 Words   |  7 Pagesleast that’s what I’ve been told. Knowledge enriches the mind, thereby empower anyone who utilizes it. The human mind holds to key to the breaking and building of an individual. The idea of superiority creates the desire for control and until we understand our mind, we might just end up repeating past failures. The history of African-American journey from ancient times in African to slavery to the civil war and the freeing of the slaves to the present day, seems like a smooth flow, sugar coating theRead MoreEssay on Parent, Child with Learning Disorders1341 Words   |  6 PagesJuliet is one of the most important scenes in the play because it is the scene where Romeo and Juliet first meet. The play is fundamentally about two families: the Montague’s and the Capulet’s. It is during Act 1 Scene 5 where they first fall in love; however, they’re unaware that they are from their rival families, which creates dramatic tension. From the very beginning, the prologue informs us that this play is going to be a tragedy; therefore we know that this will create tension within the sceneRead MoreThe Flower By George Herbert2230 Words   |  9 Pagesbeautiful and truly amazing flowers are, the fact that they have returned yet again another year. I believe that the author is trying to say that the winter was long, so long that he almost didn’t believe the flowers were ever going to return. He also talks about grief in this stanza, I believe that he is using flowers to describe his own personal feelings. Almost like he was going through a rough time and also didn’t think that he was going to make it to see spring, spring as in a new beginning andRead MoreThe Most Defining Characteristic Of Tokyo Essay1696 Words   |  7 PagesUnlike the United States which takes up a third of a whole continent, Japan has limited real estate. Everywhere I looked from busy shopping areas to quiet suburban neighborhoods, there was a harmonic sense of architecture. It is truly a vertical city where restaurants, stores and apartments are all stacked on top of the other like Lego blocks. My legs were sore for the first few days exploring the city as if I was spending each day rigorously working out at the gym. Many times I found myself climbingRead MoreReflection on Groups of Students in a Classroom Setting1537 Words   |  6 Pagesseven groups of three or four students based on where they were already sitting in the room. For reference, on the anticipation chart, I only referred to one student from each group by name. I gave the students the task and told them to individually read through the problem and to start working on the problem independently for five minutes before starting to work on the task in their groups. At the end of the time allotted, the groups should have some s ort of solution with justification and be

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Fall 2000 Mid

Fall 2000 Mid-Term Essay The selections we have read this semester have literally opened up my eyes to early American literature. While some readings have merely confirmed my current beliefs, others have contrasted sharply and even changed some of my views of early American history. The works I will be discussing are: Columbus: Journal of the First Voyage, William Bradford: Excerps from Of Plymouth Plantation and Mary Rolandson: Narrative. These three works have had a dramatic effect on my current views of early American literature and history. The Journal of the First Voyage probably had the most impact on me. It showed the Indians and colonists as having a very peaceful interaction with each other. I must admit I never had a picture in my mind of Indians being peaceful. This image contrasts with the image of Indians as savage barbarians thats so commonly portrayed on television, film and even some of the readings in our textbook. The Indians revered Columbus and his men and traded freely with them, bringing javelins and clews of cotton to barter, with they exchanged with the sailors for bits of glass, broken cups, and fragments of earthenware(118). Whereas other authors, such as Mary Rowlandson, depicted the Indians as Merciless Heathens, Columbus found them to be quite the contrary, describing them as a very gentle race, without the knowledge of any iniquity; they neither kill, nor steal, nor carry weapons, and are so timid that one of our men might put a hundred of them to flight(124). Of course all things being relativ e, Columbus was not exactly in the same position as Mary Rowlandson. Mary Rowlandsons experience with the Indians was a far cry from Columbus interaction with them. She shares her feelings towards the Indians in a very negative way. During the Indan attack on her Lancaster settlement, Rowlandson describes the scene of stabbing, killing, and burning as very gruesome and vicious. In fact, with her brother-in-law lying dead on the ground, she refers to the Indians as Merciless Heathens. She describes the attack: It is a solemn sight to see so many Christians lying in blood, some here, and some there, like a company of sheep torn by wolves, all of them stript naked by a company of hell-hounds, roaring, singing, ranting and insulting, as if they would have torn our very hearts out(344). During her journey as a captive of the Indians, Rowlandson describes them as ravenous Beast and Barbarous Creatures. When she and her child fell over the horses back, the Indians laughed and rejoiced. At this occurrence she calls them inhumane creatures. All in all, the Mar y Rowlandson narrative paints a very grim picture of the Indians behavior towards the colonists. Of Plymouth Plantation is a great look at early American culture. It shows how the colonists began what is now a thriving democracy. When they all banded together and signed the Mayflower Compact, they did not assign a king, rather a governer; someone to govern over this Civil Body Politic they had begun. Although times were hard in the beginning and there was talk of mutiny, these thoughts were soon quelled and overcome by wisdom, patience, and just and equal carriage of things, by the Governer and better part(251). We can see the democratic systems employed the Governer, such as when he assigned to every family a parcel of land, according to the proportion of their number(254). These were the humble beginnings of what we have today. Our views of the world are constantly evolving, from the day we are born till the day we meet our maker. College is perhaps the most influential time regarding our views towards the world. The reading from this semester have greatly effected my views of early American literature and history. I now see history in a different light and I am grateful for the enlightenment.

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Managing Employee Performance and Reward Management

Question: Discuss about the Managing Employee Performance and Reward Management. Answer: Introduction Training and development of employees is an important aspect of an organization. The human resource management team is responsible for identifying employee and organizational needs as well as developing training programs to improve the productivity and efficiency of the staff (De Waal, 2013). After conducting a training program, it necessary to review the performance of the workforce. This process enables the human resource management to identify the efficiency of a training program, the retention, and performance of employees. In the hospitality industry, employee needs involve the ability to offer quality services that yield maximum satisfaction for the customer (Shields, et al. 2015). The employees should learn how to treat customers with respect and deliver services to the best of consumer satisfaction. This report outlines a coaching and performance review program for employees in Hospitality Company. Importance of Coaching and Performance Review Programs It is nave to believe that once labor is hired, employees will perform their jobs efficiently. They will require guidance, supervision and performance review to ensure that they know what is expected of them and that they deliver their best performance (De Waal, 2013). Performance management programs are, therefore, designed to increase employee productivity, identify top-performing staff as well as motivate the workforce. An efficient and effective performance review program will also allow the organization to develop hiring and training policies that are aligned with the organization goals (Hsieh, Lin, 2010). In a hospitality firm, employees engage with customers on a regular basis since the industry is service-oriented. The productivity and efficiency of employees directly affect the satisfaction of the clients and the revenues and performance of the organization as an entity. A performance review program, therefore, will allow the company to identify productive employees, servic e gaps, and employee training needs (Burke, Weitzel, Weir, 2008). Definition of Role-Based Capabilities and Employees Behavior First is the definition of role-based capabilities and behavior of employees. This allows all staff member to understand what is expected of them by defining the job-specific skills and the responsibility of each employee. For instance, in the hotel industry, a chef is required to have knowledge and expertise relating to cooking all meals available in the menu (Harris, Mongiello, 2011). Though such a job position does not entirely relate to engaging with clients, the food availed to them affects their satisfaction and feedback shows how much the enjoyed the food. For a chef, he/she should have the ability to make all foods available in the menu. The standards of food preparation should meet hygienic requirements. A waiter/waitress, on the other hand, should understand clients request to avoid giving a customer the wrong order. Besides, they should be polite and client friendly as their behavior directly impacts on the image of the hotel. This step in the performance review program g uides employees (Hsieh, Lin, 2010). Designing an appropriate rating system The second phase involves designing an appropriate rating system. A rating system assesses the employees for each goal, competence, and accomplishment they set out to achieve at the beginning of each year. The rating system should be clear on what each scale means. For example, a rating scale of 1 to 5, where 5 is the best score. Each level should clearly define what it stands for. 1 could stand for poor and unacceptable behavior/ performance, 2 unacceptable behavior that show signs of improvement. 3, acceptable behavior though improvements can still be made, 4 good and acceptable behavior that should be maintained and improved. 5, excellent behavior that should be emulated by others. However, it is important to note that, a rating system is prone to bias thus managers should give a brief and definite reason on why they gave a particular rate (Harris, Mongiello, 2011). The need for a rating system is to not only assess and record employee performance but to also act as a motivation tool. In the Hotel Company, such a rating scale is efficient while combined with traditional performance tools such as client feedback. It allows managers to assess the customer satisfaction with the food and services provided by employees. Deciding on the frequency of reviews The third step entails deciding how often review will be made. Different organizations have varying performance evaluation intervals. Some utilize annual reviews while other prefer quarterly performance reviews. Performance analysis is dependent on the nature of services provided as well as the employee expertise. Frequent performance reviews enable managers to conduct consistent assessment and allow them to address adverse employee behavior before it impacts negatively on the organizations overall performance. However, frequent reports can be tasking and time-consuming (Noe, et al., 2006). In the Hotel Company, monthly and quarterly review intervals are necessary. A hotel manager can assess the performance of employees regularly and address issues that affect employee productivity. For example, periodic review of the chefs cooking methods and hygiene standards makes sure that the food availed to customers meets quality and health criterions. On the other hand, waiters and waitress b ehave professionally towards clients making the hotel a comfortable environment. A manager in the hotel can address negative behavior from employees before it affects their productivity and the companys image. Quarterly assessments allow the manager to identify top performing employees who are consistent as well as the improvement trend of the others (Mone, London, 2014). Evaluation The last step of a performance review program is the evaluation. In this stage, a manager evaluates the performance of employees based on the ratings given. Performance management programs also provide data necessary for making human resource decisions. With such information, the human resource management can identify expertise gaps in the organization and decide whether to hire more employees or to provide training programs based on the employee needs (Shields, et al. 2015). It also recognizes employees who are developing career wise and would be appropriate for promotions. For instance, a chef who shows superior skills in cooking could be promoted to become the head chef in the Hotel Company. Other chefs that show potential but are yet to accomplish it can be enrolled in training programs to enhance their productivity (Buckingham, Goodall, 2015). On the other hand, waiters/waitress should be evaluated based on client feedback. Besides, those that possess leadership qualities, comp etence and attain their set goals could be promoted to hotel managers. Therefore, in Hotel Company, the performance review program should define the responsibility and behavior of all job positions held. It should identify these responsibilities in a clear and understandable manner to ensure that each employee understands what is expected of them. It should provide an appropriate and straightforward rating system such as 1 to 5. The rating system should be definite (Braskamp, Ory, 2004). Besides, it should eliminate chances of bias. Secondly, performance reviews should be carried out monthly and quarterly to monitor and address negative behavior as well as identify consistent top employees. The evaluations should provide relevant and accurate information necessary for making decisions regarding the human resource (Burke, Wilcox, 2009). Conclusion Coaching and performance review programs are developed to guide, monitor and motivate employees towards efficient productivity. It evaluates employees on a regular basis to ensure that they meet the requirements of their job positions. It defines managers expectations thus guiding the workforce on what they are supposed to do. Secondly, it establishes a rating system allowing employees to identify their strengths and weakness thus facilitating them to improve the latter. Frequent review enables a manager to address behavioral issues before thy affect the organizations image. Additionally, evaluation of employees allows the management team to identify potential candidates for promotion and necessary training programs that should be implemented. References Braskamp, L. A., Ory, J. C. (2004). Assessing Faculty Work: Enhancing Individual and Institutional Performance. Jossey-Bass Higher and Adult Education Series. Jossey-Bass Inc., 350 Sansome Street, San Francisco, CA 94104. Buckingham, M., Goodall, A. (2015). Reinventing performance management. Harvard Business Review, 93(4), 40-50. Burke, R. J., Weitzel, W., Weir, T. (2008). Characteristics of effective employee performance review and development interviews: Replication and extension. Personnel Psychology, 31(4), 903-919. Burke, R. J., Wilcox, D. S. (2009). Characteristics of effective employee performance review and development interviews. Personnel Psychology, 22(3), 291-305. De Waal, A. (2013). Strategic Performance Management: A managerial and behavioral approach. Palgrave Macmillan. Harris, P. J., Mongiello, M. (2011). Key performance indicators in European hotel properties: general managers choices and company profiles. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 13(3), 120-128. Hsieh, L. F., Lin, L. H. (2010). A performance evaluation model for international touristhotels in TaiwanAn application of the relational network DEA. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 29(1), 14-24. Mone, E. M., London, M. (2014). Employee engagement through effective performance management: A practical guide for managers. Routledge. Noe, R. A., Hollenbeck, J. R., Gerhart, B., Wright, P. M. (2006). Human resource management: Gaining a competitive advantage. Shields, J., Brown, M., Kaine, S., Dolle-Samuel, C., North-Samardzic, A., McLean, P., ... Plimmer, G. (2015). Managing Employee Performance Reward: Concepts, Practices, Strategies. Cambridge University Press.