Portrait Of A Lady Essays - The Portrait Of A Lady, Chains

Portrait Of A Lady It is an unquestionable fact of life that human nature is flawed. Human beings have a variety of weaknesses that may differ from one person to the next. How one deals with this ultimately determines whether it will or will not destroy the person. The faults that humans possess stem from an open field of possibilities that they are able to choose from as they build their own character. However, as much as individual free will is desirable, as all other parts of the natural world, it can include negative aspects, as well. Probably, the most difficult element is being able to make good choices, keeping in mind what Mahatma Gandhi once said, "Freedom is not worth having if it does not connote freedom to err." Once a state of freedom is attained, all of its sides are encompassed. This essential human cycle of freedom has progressed along with the changing times, views, and values in society. It is depicted by many authors in countless novels. Henry James' perception accurately describes the shifts that occurred in society during the late nineteenth century. He uses colorful characters in his writings to express his opinions on actual revolutionary outlooks of the time and to comment on human nature. The Portrait of a Lady is an example of his view on freedom. The quest for personal freedom destroys Isabel Archer in Henry James' The Portrait of a Lady. Isabel Archer is introduced instantly, in the novel, as a woman with strong and uncompromising convictions. The first glimpse of Isabel shows that she is "quite independent" (James 27). This early description sets expectations for her character. When Isabel herself appears on the lawn of Gardencourt, where she is met by the family she has never known, she strikes Ralph as having "a great deal of confidence, both in herself and in others" (James 31). Isabel's charisma could be felt by people that were strangers to her. Her attitude and stubborn personality shine through and can be visible in everything she does. A little later at Gardencourt, Isabel is appalled at the very idea of being considered "a candidate for adoption" after her aunt takes her away from her home where she had no parents: "I'm very fond of my liberty," she says (James 35). Clearly, Isabel is not afraid to let others know how she feels, no matter how disagreeable her views may be. One such subject is liberty, which means to know everything, including all the possibilities ahead in order to choose freely, confidently, responsibly; as when she tells her aunt that she always likes to know the things one shouldn't do, "so as to choose" (James 86). Such frank language is what makes Isabel who she is, a person who takes risks, often thoughtlessly. Unsurprisingly, Isabel reveals she is afraid of becoming "a mere sheep in the flock" because she wants to be the sole free master of her own fate (James 182-183). In other words, Isabel declines to be anybody's puppet. Choosing the direction that her life heads is only her decision, even when she cannot make that choice skillfully. Although Isabel cherishes it, her independence is not necessarily always best for her. With the passing of time at Gardencourt, Isabel Archer reveals more of her headstrong qualities. Her uncle's passing allows her to reveal this. When Isabel's uncle dies, he gives the humble, yet sharp, girl a large amount of money which changes her life. Isabel's newly acquired fortune brings her an enlarged freedom, however problematic. Consequently, Isabel believes that she is now freer than ever before. However, she is scared of the burden of tremendous responsibility involved in complete, unquestionable freedom. She is free- she thinks- to choose her own fate. And so she believes she does when she fulfills her "one ambition- to be free to follow out a good feeling" (James 374). The heroine follows this principle of freedom throughout the rest of the novel. Constant anxiety surrounds Isabel about the use she would ever make of her freedom, which she never doubts or questions. By accepting the consequences her free acts, Isabel is satisfied by doing herself the justice of always being considerate of herself. "She has chosen with the sense that the ordinary benefits of life are not likely to satisfy her, and her major acts [will be] refusals to accept the ordinary" (O'Neill 39). Keeping this in mind, Isabel proceeds throughout the novel with this single ideal. Still, when Isabel becomes really free to make a decision on her own,

Business Corporations and their Role in the Industry

Business Corporations and their Role in the Industry Introduction Business Corporations define objectives that are used to help in reinforcing the position of business Companies; this leads towards strengthening of some respected positions within the industries which establishes the business above existing competitors. Business ethics and regulations are observed for the purposes of realigning business institutions towards their respectful positions.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Business Corporations and their Role in the Industry specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The corporate and financial ethics revolves around the company’s key strengths and opportunities, and at the same time assist in preventing any form of weaknesses as well as protecting the company against threats. However, there is a possibility that a company could create competitive advantage through the implementation of appropriate business models (Camardella, 2003, pp. 103-107) Summary of the au thor’s overall view-point The author focuses on the current moral ethics and lifetime decisions which require address in the life of businessmen. The issues pertaining to work place ethics are explicitly addressed within the case study. The author focuses on Tyco’s policies which require revision as a result of numerous scandals experienced annually. This is since formal auditing used by the company results into some of the harmful implications which incorporates various negative publicity and disastrous results on the side of top management. According to the author, management should be capable of scrutinizing various cost structures within the company for the purposes of settling for less expensive and trusted auditing methods. Hence, the benefits of bylaws, including clear lines of accountability and long term effects should also help in solidifying the Company’s choices. Due to some disorganization within the Company’s management and employees it was necessary that instead of using corrupt formal audit report to keep the staff accountable to their duties, the process of reorganizing the staff could more importantly assist in establishing clear rules on accountability (Deming, 1986). Discussion on the major issues presented in the case Several issues are presented in the case study all of which focuses on financial management ethics, compensation processes and means, at the same time fraudulent cases facing the company’s top management team. There is also the essence of power struggle amongst the employees.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The central problem in Tyco case revolves around the nature of disconnect in power and authority; this is whereby small group of employees including the CEO and some board members assumed the role of managing various sectors of the Company and maintained control of the s taff and policies. The nature of control of this core group from the top managers, CEO and CFO, determined the outcome of every process within Tyco; this brought lots of conflict within the Company’s management team. This nature of dominance led to easy articulation of fraudulent activities including customer related services, of which corrective attempts could not be made since even investigative bodies such as PWHC were involved (Chan Lynn, 1991, pp. 57-87). Additionally, â€Å"sloppy† and â€Å"corner-cutting† ways proved second in nature for the top management team who never entertained the grievances of their junior employees. This is clearly depicted on the power struggle saga where one employee was forced to resign from his duties, owing to conflict with one of the board members. Employees, who attempted to challenge the Company’s fraudulent practices, were immediately silenced. This, in turn, led to an undercurrent of unrest amongst the employees (Stanwick and Stanwick, 2009). Questions for thought Research reveals that workers could only be motivated through payment. The theory of scientific management addresses some crucial issues concerning workers. According to the case study there is a perspective that Kozlowski do not naturally enjoy work therefore calling for close supervision for perfect work to be done. This calls for managers at various capacities to develop process breakdown which entails different tasks performed. This could have made it difficult for the CEO to perform any fraudulent actions since clear records could have prevented his moves.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Business Corporations and their Role in the Industry specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Despite all these, employees should also be equipped through appropriate training methods and equipments which enable them to perform their duties effectively with respect to ethics safegua rding purchase of equipments within the market. Payment should be made based on delivery, the level of performance and time taken to complete full transactions (Stanwick and Stanwick, 2009). The term commingling is always used whenever, fiduciary, which presents the person entrusted with the management of funds other than his or her own, decides to embezzle the same funds for individual benefits without clear records from the company. Tyco’s case presents various means where the respective company officials’ including the CEO breaches their fiduciary duties. Tyco’s top management officials were drawn into several commingling cases; for example Mark Belnick was charged with a case whereby he took loans and bonuses from the company without proper authorization and at the same time purchased apartment in New York using the company’s funds but instead indicated only his name on the assets. At the same time the company’s funds were used to organize for Kozlowski’s wife birthday which according to the CEO was part of the company’s business function which was not the case. Tyco funds were used by the CEO on some occasions to maintain his residential homes in Florida as well as purchasing some of his personal effects (Stanwick and Stanwick, 2009). It was not possible for the board to identify the various adjustments since some of its members were also involved in the many scandals within the company. This made it easier for vital information to be blocked from reaching the board for further discussions. The company was focused more so in the mechanistic perspective where they dealt with members collectively rather than individually (Stanwick and Stanwick, 2009). References Camardella, M.J., (2003). Effective Management of the Performance Appraisal Process. Employment Relations Today, 30(1), pp. 103-107. Chan, Y.C. Lynn, B.E., (1991). Performance Evaluation and the Analytic Hierarchy Process. Journal of Management Accou nting Research, (1), pp. 57-87.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Deming, W.E., (1986). Out of the Crisis. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Centre for Advanced Engineering Study. Stanwick, P.A. Stanwick, S.D. (2009). Understanding business ethics (1st ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Rivera Surname Meaning and Origin

Rivera Surname Meaning and Origin Rivera is a common Hispanic surname bestowed on a person who lived on a riverbank, from ribera, the Spanish word for riverbank. The name may also be a habitational name for someone from any one of the places named Rivera. Rivera is also a northern Italian variation of the surname Ribera, which also means river bank or shore, from the  Italian ribera  (Late Latin riparia), meaning bank, shore. The Rivera surname can be traced back to Gonzalo Là ³pez de Rivera, Lord of the Castle of Rivera in Galicia in the 1200s, according to Instituto Genealà ³gico e Histà ³rico Latinoamericano. Some sources, however, claim that the Riveras are direct descendants of Sancho Belloso, natural-born son of the King of Leà ³n, Ramiro III. Others, that the name dates back to ancient Roman times. Rivera is the 9th most common Hispanic surname. Surname Origin:  Spanish Alternate Surname Spellings:  RIBERA, RIVA, RIVERO, RIVIERE, RIBA Famous People With the Surname Rivera Chita Rivera - American dancer, singer, and actressDiego Rivera - Mexican painter and muralistGeraldo Rivera - American talk show host and journalistJenni Rivera - Mexican American singer Where Do People With the Rivera Surname Live? Rivera is the 260th most common surname in the world, according to surname distribution data from  Forebears, found in greatest numbers  in Mexico and with the highest density in Puerto Rico where it is the most common surname. The Rivera surname is also very common in Honduras and El Salvador, where it ranks 8th, as well as Nicaragua (19th), Panama (24th), Mexico (29th) and Guatemala (30th). Within Europe, Rivera is most frequently found in Spain, according to  WorldNames PublicProfiler, especially in the Extremadura and Galicia regions. The surname is also very common in the United States, especially in the states of New Mexico and New York. Genealogy Resources for the Surname Rivera 100 Common Hispanic Surnames Their MeaningsGarcia, Martinez, Rodriguez, Lopez, Hernandez... Are you one of the millions of people sporting one of these top 100 common Hispanic last names? How to Research Hispanic HeritageLearn how to get started researching  your Hispanic ancestors, including the basics of family tree research and country-specific organizations, genealogical records, and resources for Spain, Latin America, Mexico, Brazil, the Caribbean, and other Spanish speaking countries. Rivera Family Crest - Its Not What You ThinkContrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a Rivera family crest or coat of arms for the Rivera surname.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male-line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted.   Rivera Family Genealogy ForumSearch this popular genealogy forum for the Rivera surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Rivera query. FamilySearch - Rivera GenealogyAccess over 4.8 million free historical records and lineage-linked family trees posted for the Rivera surname and its variations on this free genealogy website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. GeneaNet - Rivera RecordsGeneaNet includes archival records, family trees, and other resources for individuals with the Rivera surname, with a concentration on records and families from France, Spain, and other European countries. RIVERA Surname Family Mailing ListsThis free mailing list for researchers of the Rivera surname and its variations includes subscription details and searchable archives of past messages. DistantCousin.com - RIVERA Genealogy Family HistoryExplore free databases and genealogy links for the last name Rivera. The Rivera Genealogy and Family Tree PageBrowse family trees and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the last name Rivera from the website of Genealogy Today. References Cottle, Basil.  Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. Dorward, David.  Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998. Fucilla, Joseph.  Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges.  A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick.  Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Reaney, P.H.  A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997. Smith, Elsdon C.  American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

Essay Question Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Question - Essay Example In addition, Creon is to take care of Oedipus children, that is, Antigone and Ismene, and Oedipus sons, Polyneices, and Eteocles. When the two sons of Oedipus become of age, they start to fight over who is to rule Thebes. Polyneices being the older brother believed to be the rightful heir to the throne Thebes since he had the birthright. However, Eteocles causes an uprising against Polyneices and ousts him out of power. Polyneices retaliates with an army in a battle where the two brothers kill each other. Creon ascends to the throne once again. Conflict arises in Thebes when the new king Creon makes a decree that it is only Eteocles that will be honored with a befitting burial since Eteocles fought for Thebes. On the other hand, the body of Polyneices was to be left in the field to rot and be eaten by animals for leading a violent uprising against Thebes using a foreign army. The decree of Creon, which prohibited anyone against burying Polyneices was to serve as an example to Polyneices followers (Sophocles & Johnston, 2007). Creon declared that Polyneices did not deserve a honorable burial since Polyneices waged war against Thebes and, therefore, a traitor of Thebes. The declaration does not go well with Antigone, who asserts that her brother Polyneices deserves to be buried even though he was a traitor of Thebes (Sophocles & Johnston, 2007). A conflict arises between Antigone and Creon since Antigone believes that they have a divine duty to the gods to bury the dead. In addition, antigone is determined to bring honor to her family by burying her brother. Antigone saw it as immoral and dishonorable for the body of their brother to be left in the fields unburied like someone who had no family. Antigone makes an emotional appeal with Ismene for them to bury their brother since even though Polyneices is guilty of betraying the state, they should show him sisterly love and

Risk Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Risk Management - Assignment Example It boils down to the fact that individuals and business mangers will always have to make decisions with limited information, in an environment of near uncertainty. Statistical tools like the decision tree can be used to make some comparisons between different courses of action (Module 9, p.2.). All possible choices for a particular project can be listed with probabilities of occurrences of outcomes for each choice. Different scenarios within each outcome are also assigned probabilities. For each choice- outcome- scenario combination, profitability estimates can be made. This will give a rough comparison for profitability for the different choices. Understanding consumer perception of risk will help sellers to formulate appropriate pricing strategies (p.3.). For consumer durables, extended warranty and assurance of prompt service will fetch a higher price. Managers in a privately owned firm can afford to take higher risks with better understanding by the top management. He may go for an option with potential for very high returns, though chances of its occurrence may be very low. Understanding the different types of auctions will help the manger to quote appropriate prices for his products (†¦p.6.). Performance based job security and remuneration will help curb actions aimed at individual advantage and help reduce moral hazard (†¦. P.5.). To overcome the problem of asymmetric and hidden information, techniques of signaling and screening can be employed (p.6.). By making selective offers, customers can be made to reveal their preferences. So, today’s manager is better equipped with tools to analyze available data and make more logical

Professional goals Essay Example for Free

Professional goals Essay Career or profession is a term used to refer to a person’s course or advancement in life. Career involves remunerative work as well as formal education. It also involves consecutive circumstances that make up an individual’s work life and involve commitment to a field of knowledge and skills like human resource management. Some of the career activities that an individual may engage in include; sporting career, musical career, teaching, wrestling career, doctor, nurse, engineering, editor, business manager, accounting, journalist, lawyer e. . c. This essay however involves a discussion on accounting career. Most jobs in accounting career require at least degree in bachelor of accounting or a bachelor’s degree in any other interrelated field. In federal government, beginners in accounting and auditing places necessitate at least four years of college education including twenty four semester hours in accounting and auditing or a corresponding arrangement of education and knowledge (Angus 387). There is however an added advantage for people seeking jobs in accounting career and have acquired a masters degree in accounting or degree of masters in business administration with awareness in accounting, professional recognition through certification or licensure, propensity in accounting and auditing computer software and specialized expertise in accounting. The reason for selecting accounting as my career is that the jobs found in the accounting career are enjoyable, interesting and entertaining to perform. The work may be much and tiring but does not involve boredom as it involves doing interesting activities such as calculating financial statements. It is enjoyable doing accounting activities being my dream career. The pace of work of an accountant depends on the position and responsibilities one has to perform. Generally the work standard for several accountants and auditors is forty hours per week, nevertheless an accountant or an auditor may work for more hours especially if he or she is self employed or if there are many clients. In this situation the pace of work must be very fast. Persons who work within the accounting career have a very good starting salary. For example in most cases the top ten percent of accountants and auditors do earn from 76000 US dollars and above, the middle half of the occupation earn between 29000 and 49000 US dollars while those who are at the bottom earns between 15000 and 23000 US dollars. The directors in the accounting career on the other hand earn between 56000 and 91000 US dollars. There is however a slight difference in the salary ranges between the accountants in urban areas and those in rural areas. Generally the salary for people in the accounting career ranges from 15000 to 91000 US dollars depending on the nature of your work (Eisenbeis Robert 879). The most identifiable challenge faced in this profession is that the accounting career now requires the accountants to perform more technical tasks including implementing, controlling and auditing computer systems and networks as well as developing a business’s technology plans. In addition, accountants take the role of personal advisors i. e. besides giving customers accounting and tax help, they also assist them come up with their personal budgets, handle their assets and investments, plan for retirement and identify and reduce the clients disclosure to risks. Another problem experienced in this profession is that it at times involves a lot of work that at times an accountant is forced to transfer some work to do at home. This however may easily dealt with since it involved only time adjustment and some program change. Accountants usually carry on many activities other than just preparing financial statements and recording business transactions. The additional responsibilities for an accountant include calculating computing costs, calculating efficiency gains for new technologies, participating in the setup for achievements and unions and developing it systems to trail financial performance, tax policy and employee benefit management. As a management accountant working in a big company my responsibilities included having a say in decisions concerning capital budgeting and business analysis. The major activities that I had to engage in included analyzing costs and contracts, participating in efforts to reduce expenses, contributing to major business decisions and working together with marketing and financial managers to establish new businesses (Luck Christopher 78). In management accounting there are several decisions to be made that are major to the business operations. The most difficult decisions to make in this case were those relating to capital budgeting. The management accountant finds it difficult to make decisions on purchases, payments and the amount of capital to be allocated for any expenditure that has to be made. When first considering the accounting career, I thought it was just about gaining a qualification and becoming an accountant. It is true however that one can acquire a degree in accounting and become a general accountant, but this remains only one of the alternatives that an individual may follow in his or her pursuit of accounting career. Other than pursuing a degree in bachelor of accounting, there are several other specialist areas one may pursue. Some of the specialist areas are information systems, computer operations, taxation, and management policy. My strength in this career is that I got a full qualification from my bachelor’s degree in accounting with an added advantage of having professional recognition through certification and licensure, proficiency in accounting and auditing computer software and a specialized expertise in accounting. In addition I had the work experience which I had acquired during summers when I was pursuing my degree. My weakness in this career is that accountants are now required to take the role of personal advisors to clients which I am not very comfortable with. Conclusion Accounting is indeed a very fulfilling and accomplishing career. It is a career that anybody interested in achieving may enjoy undertaking. Even though, the entry in the accounting career requires high academic qualification, it is also well paying which and therefore gives enough satisfaction.

Ants, Little But Mighty :: essays research papers

Ants, Little but Mighty   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What is an ant? Ants are insects, they have six legs and each leg has three joints. Ants legs are very strong. With it’s little legs it can lift twenty-five time its own body weight. They have two stomachs. One stomach holds its food, and the second holds food to be shared with other ants. The out side of their body is covered with a hard armor. This is called the exoskeleton. Ants have four growing stages, the egg, larva, pupa, and the adult. There are over 100,000 known species of ants. Each ant colony has at least one or more queens.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The queens job is to lay eggs. How does she start her colony? Well in the spring all the males and young winged queens leave there nest and fly high in the air and mate. The few ant queens that survive this â€Å"marriage flight† cast off there wings and instinctively begin to look for a spot to start a new ant colony.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After making a nest, the young queen ant seals off the entrance and begins to lay eggs. Some of the first batch are eaten by the queen for nourishment. When the surviving eggs hatch they become like larvae. After a few weeks each larva spins a cocoon around itself and pupates. In a few more weeks, adult workers emerge. It is their job to hunt for food and make the nest bigger.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  More workers will develop and the colony gets very organized. The new workers will completely take over as caretakers of the eggs, larvae, and pupae. Now the queens only duty is to lay more and more eggs, thousands of them in her lifetime. Many wingless workers develop and help to enlarge the nest into an intricate network of tunnels and chambers that will eventually house thousands of ants.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When the colony becomes well established, the queen begins to lay some eggs that develop into queens and males. It takes a few years before a colony becomes large enough to send out winged males and young queens to start new colonies. The cycle will now begin all over again.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ant nests come in all shapes and sizes. One tropical species built a nest that extended forty feet below the surface of the ground. Another species built a nets that covered an area the size of a tennis court. Ants know the best time to build a nest, that’s after it rains. The damp soil is easier to work with. Their are many chambers in an ants nest. Some rooms are used to store the food. Some are used for storage of ant eggs. Ants, Little But Mighty :: essays research papers Ants, Little but Mighty   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What is an ant? Ants are insects, they have six legs and each leg has three joints. Ants legs are very strong. With it’s little legs it can lift twenty-five time its own body weight. They have two stomachs. One stomach holds its food, and the second holds food to be shared with other ants. The out side of their body is covered with a hard armor. This is called the exoskeleton. Ants have four growing stages, the egg, larva, pupa, and the adult. There are over 100,000 known species of ants. Each ant colony has at least one or more queens.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The queens job is to lay eggs. How does she start her colony? Well in the spring all the males and young winged queens leave there nest and fly high in the air and mate. The few ant queens that survive this â€Å"marriage flight† cast off there wings and instinctively begin to look for a spot to start a new ant colony.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After making a nest, the young queen ant seals off the entrance and begins to lay eggs. Some of the first batch are eaten by the queen for nourishment. When the surviving eggs hatch they become like larvae. After a few weeks each larva spins a cocoon around itself and pupates. In a few more weeks, adult workers emerge. It is their job to hunt for food and make the nest bigger.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  More workers will develop and the colony gets very organized. The new workers will completely take over as caretakers of the eggs, larvae, and pupae. Now the queens only duty is to lay more and more eggs, thousands of them in her lifetime. Many wingless workers develop and help to enlarge the nest into an intricate network of tunnels and chambers that will eventually house thousands of ants.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When the colony becomes well established, the queen begins to lay some eggs that develop into queens and males. It takes a few years before a colony becomes large enough to send out winged males and young queens to start new colonies. The cycle will now begin all over again.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ant nests come in all shapes and sizes. One tropical species built a nest that extended forty feet below the surface of the ground. Another species built a nets that covered an area the size of a tennis court. Ants know the best time to build a nest, that’s after it rains. The damp soil is easier to work with. Their are many chambers in an ants nest. Some rooms are used to store the food. Some are used for storage of ant eggs.