The House And The Ushers Essays - Meaning, Literature, Fiction

The House and the Ushers One of the central themes underlying the short story, The Fall of the House of Usher, is that of the nature of the house. The way it is described and the way it is so mysterious. Another central theme about this story is the nature of the people that live in the house. They are portrayed very much in the same manner throughout the story. Thus, they have several similarities with each other. All of which are of a bad feeling, showing how bad things are for the people and the house. These similarities are very well laid out in the story and are, I believe, meant to be something to be considered when reading it. At the beginning of the story there is a very negative feeling being attached to the appearance of the house. He uses a couple of things to try and make you feel negatively about this place. He used words and phrases such as: "insufferable gloom," "vacant," "black and lurid," and the "rank sedges" were mentioned too. These are obviously there to give a sort of a bad connotation, or bad karma, to the house. He speaks of how the house has a "wild inconsistency" and how each individual stone is starting to decay and fall apart. Suggesting that the house has many problems, all problems that could possibly lead to the destruction of a house. Some accounts even take it as having a kind of gothic feeling to it. Which, after reading the descriptions about it, is very understandable. Another word thrown around when speaking about the house is ghostly. Other phrases such as, "through many dark and intricate passages" and ebon blackness" also help to set the mood correctly. They all set up the fact that some sort of fearful event is going to take place soon. All these things put together and a few others help to connect the house to Roderick and Lady Madeline. When the narrator first sees Roderick after a long period of time, he thinks that he resembles that of a corpse. Then Roderick tells him the reason for his appearance, why he looks so bad. He said he had an illness that was a "morbid acuteness of the senses." The word morbid, when used anywhere, has very strong meaning and it is of the negative type. He uses the word tortured when he is describing his eyesight and says that even the slightest sound is almost unbearable. Thinking about having all of these symptoms put together is a very bad picture to paint in your mind. His condition, in this case, is very comparable to that of the condition of the house. Then Madeline is introduced, and the first thing stated about her is that she has an unknown illness. Her illness is so bad that she cannot respond to any outside stimuli. She is never even seen again by the narrator after this brief introduction. The way both of the characters were introduced, with their appearance and the descriptions of all of the illnesses that they have, gave them a very negative connotation. Poe is trying to set the mood of the story by throwing out all of these negative things about the structure of the house and how it is decaying and falling apart. He is doing the same by telling about Roderick and Madeline and how they are sick and virtually doing the same as the house is, rotting away and slowly coming apart. Bibliography N/A

Communications Research Proposal Paper Essays

Communications Research Proposal Paper Essays Communications Research Proposal Paper Essay Communications Research Proposal Paper Essay Research Proposal Paper Women’s Self Image in the Modern Media Communication Research Methods 4/23/2011 Introduction and Rationale: The scope of this proposal will be to evaluate the current problem of self-image for women in the United States through negative representation found in the modern media. For many critics of the media, the feminist issue of identity has been a recurring problem for many women, as the media (commercials, magazines, film, etc. ) appropriate an image that is often far above the normative appearance that is common for women in America. Bodily issues, such as weight, body structure, facial appearance, and other factors, are often created to give an unrealistic representation of women, which damages the self-esteem of women that do not or cannot possibly live up to these images. With the media controlling many facets of identity within American culture, it is a negative representation of women that degrades how women interact with society, and what is expected of them through media concocted social norms. Media can control these norms by controlling the TV and print magazine markets, which in turn, creates negative stereotypes about women that degrade women’s self image. Working Hypothesis: The scope of this proposal will be to evaluate the research done by feminist and media researchers that find an unrealistic image of women being represented through patriarchal media dominance. By discovering the way that media distorts and creates bodily manipulations (graphic design, air brushing, etc), one can realize the depth of unrealistic bodily shapes and facial images that occur when women are being represented in TV and in print media. By evaluating the facts and research done to learn how the media accomplishes this, one can realize how to correct and combat negative self-images within women’s communities and organizational groups on media literacy. Research Strategy: The Problem and Various Solutions One source being used for this study is one conducted by the Media Research Network, which provides studies that confirmed the way that the media is representing unrealistic bodily images for women in American culture. The research found in this article details the way that media is funded through the dietary industry to help bring about an image of a thin body and how it can be damaging for young women (Media Research Network para. 9). In this manner, the image of women being produced through the media is often contradictory to good health, even though the thinness of women appearing in the Ads may appear â€Å"attractive† or socially acceptable. Another important factor in solving the issue of media distortion of women’s bodies is it constructs bodies with various computer programs that can digitally alter a female figure. One example of this type of manipulation is how various celebrities have had their bodies touched up with an air brush and digitally altered to appear without blemishes of body fat, scars or other misshapen parts of the body that do not conform with media concocted â€Å"social norms† (Derenne and Beresin para. 12). This media construct provides examples found through investigation and research that there is very few ‘natural† images of women that can be found within these types of print publications, which provide a foundation for a negative and impossibly unrealistic self image issue with women. Due to the gravity of influence that these magazines offer women in the modern age, there is a very argument that women need to become far more media literate when seeking to understand the reality of bodily shapes and how most women look through objective point of view. By actively researching and conducting insightful analysis of how women’s images are altered, there can be preventative measures taken by women to help stave off illnesses such as bulimia and anorexia from occurring. Certainly with media manipulating posing negative images of women that define a way for women to be socially seduced, media literacy is one major solution to helping women discover realistic ways for learning about their bodies. By teaching women through discussion groups, support groups, and other feminist orientated awareness groups to understand how the media is distorting woman’s images, there can be a lesser feeling of objectification in how women view themselves. This form of media literacy can help women to view their bodies outside of the patriarchal construct of society that views women as sex objects only to be gazed or looked upon (Ware para. 12). This can provide a great deal of insight into preventing the exploitation of women’s bodies by corporate male executives in the media industry that wish to create women as objects of male desire. By advocating organizations and other groups to prevent this type of negative image, media literacy can be an important avenue for solving this societal problem. Conclusion: This proposal provides the various problems with how women are exploited and negatively represented in the modern media. The research in this proposal points to the unnatural altering of women’s images to conform to a patriarchal manipulation of women into sexual objects of desire. The use of digital graphics arts to improve the image of a woman’s body into an unaltered image creates negative and unrealistic ways that women can be harmed- both mentally and physically. These unnatural images are created through a vortex of patriarchal manipulation, which has been proven to influence bulimia and anorexia in all age levels of the female populations. Some solutions include creating media literacy organizations and groups to help inform the female public that these images are negative and wrongfully representing social norms. Also, investigations and research into media manipulation of the female body are also important factors in discerning an objective view of what is a positive or negative self-image for women in American culture. Derenne, Jennifer, M. D. and Beresin, Eugene. â€Å"Body Image, Media, and Eating Disorders. † 22 August, 2007. Academic Psychiatry. 2006. Media Research Network. â€Å"Beauty and Body Image in the Media. † 22 August, 2007. Media-awareness. ca. Ware, Niqe. â€Å"Te patriarchal Domination of Women’s Bodies Through Advertising: Women’s Media Induced Schizophrenia. † 1996. Bellawoman. com. 22 August, 2007.

Providing Quality Service Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Providing Quality Service - Assignment Example The first step in involving guests in providing quality service in the industry is being able to understand the guests that are in the industry’s target market to the most possible extent. Ideally, this understanding comprises of the typical demographic breakdown of age, gender, race and the location of the visitors. Also, there are the emotional breakdowns of their feelings, beliefs, attitudes are, the kind of experience they require, want, also expect the tourism industry to deliver. Also, there is the understanding of guest’s capacities that is, their skills, knowledge and abilities so as to coproduce the experience (Hyde, Ryan & Woodside, 2012). Providing quality service normally needs the interaction between the service provider and the guest. The interaction can be a belief encounter between the guest and the server. The interaction can be face-to-face, on the web, over the phone, by mail or via texts. When it is a face-to-face interaction, the employees have to be trained on how to coproduce the experience in a orderly manner. For instance, a restaurant may train its servers to train guests on the right manner of cooking using a Fondue pot. When the experience takes place at the time of consumption, then the industry has to plan to make sure that fresh, inexperienced, untrained and informed customers receive a similar service, experience quality plus value that the recurring, experienced, trained and informed ones received (Waalen et al., 2004). As every guest is different, the industry cannot expect each of them to take the same amount of time or resources in gaining experience. Being able to accommodate the variability in customer divergence is how the industry would make crucial contribution by researching carefully and planning thoughtfully to adjust the service experience offered to every customer. Different situations in the service delivery call for different plans in the

Assessing the Performance of the U.S. Economy Essay

Assessing the Performance of the U.S. Economy - Essay Example The report is started with the overview of the current state of the economy of the United States of America. This is followed by an identification of the most relevant economic theories and principles that can be applied to evaluate the performances of the US economy over a specific time period. The report is suitably concluded by highlighting the findings from the analysis and prescribing the macroeconomic policies that should be formulated for analyzing the economic performance of the nation. The macro economic performance of any economy can be estimated through the use of different economic metrics that represent and mirror the economic performance of a nation as estimated from different dimensions and perspectives. For this purpose, multiple theories and principles of economics are implemented in the analysis. The six main economic metrics that are used for the analysis with their application in the US economic scenarios are given as follows and heir correlations are given in Appendix 1. The gross domestic product is an important economic metric which is an aggregate measure of the monetary value of all finished goods and services that are produced by all residents and institutional units within the national border of a country (Mankiw, 2007). The Gross Domestic Product can be used as a key economic indicator for gauging the health of the US economy. The GDP of US has contracted by 0.7% in the first quarter of 2015 as compared to the last quarter of 2014. The average GDP growth rate of US from 1970 to 2015 is 3.26% (Appendix 1). Since the US economy is one the most advanced and diverse economies of the world, therefore it has been able to manage its GDP fluctuations through the proportions of production from different sectors. However, the contraction noted in the first quarter of 2015 was a reflection of the higher accumulation of inventory and widening trade deficit in the economic constructs (Bade and Parkin, 2002). The purchasing power parity is a

Project Managers and Functional Managers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Project Managers and Functional Managers - Essay Example Project managers have more critical leadership challenges b. Project managers have multifaceted teams c. Project manager use synthesis, functional managers use analysis IV. Skills and competencies of project managers a. Traditional skills and competencies b. Emerging skills and competencies V. Project Managers and Functional Managers There is a greater emphasis on project management techniques in the business world today. This is because of the unique value that project management brings to certain aspects of the life of the organization that includes change management, product development, and marketing. Many businesses recognize that instead of relying on the functional managers to see specific projects through, it is better to organize such aspects under project managers. A project manager is the person who heads a team that handles a specific project that has a time limit, and which has verifiable resource limits (Flannes & Levin, 2005). Project managers participate more as team leaders than as bureaucratic entities. They normally work with cross-functional teams with members picked from various backgrounds to bring diversity to the project team. A functional manager on the other hand exists to coordinate the functions of an institution on ongoing basis. Normally, a functional manager will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the department they head (Meredeth & Mantel, 2011). They tend to be in charge of departments like finance, accounts, human resource, and security, among others. It is important to note that functional managers may also serve as project managers for small-scale projects in the firm, which do not warrant the establishment of a separate project team. Normally, functional managers graduate into project managers when the need for project managers comes up in the firm. However, more and more organizations hire project managers at entry level because of the consistent nature of project operations in many companies. Most companies i n the IT and construction industries, for instance, operate under project regimes, hence they keep permanent project managers in their firms. Comparison of Project and Functional Managers There are some important similarities between project managers and functional managers. The first on is that they both manage people. More than anything else, they have a responsibility to ensure that the people under them are working towards achieving the overall aims of the organization. This makes them leaders to a varying degree in the organization. Secondly, they require technical competence in the functional role that they perform, or in the project area that they are in charge. Both types of managers need a substantial amount of appreciation of the issues that they deal with. In most firms, both managers will report to senior management of the company. Depending on the hierarchy, a project manager will more often be senior than a functional manager if the firm uses the progression described earlier. However, in other cases, these managers form part of the management team and interact t as peers. Another key characteristic that defines both project and functional managers is that they have specific tasks to accomplish. It is their role to deliver certain aspect of the organizations mandate and hence each of them answers for the tasks over which they superintend. Finally, both types of managers have resources at their disposal. The resource allocation procedures normally vary from the way departments get

Solving Problems And Making Decisions

Solving Problems And Making Decisions SitesPower is a training institute specialized in providing Technical courses in IT and courses in Business Management fields. It is based in Dubai and with a branch in Sharjah. It has been approved by the UAE Ministry of Education and it is an approved and accredited institute from awarding bodies like ILM, Autodesk, and Microsoft etc. whose courses and trainings are delivered in the institute. As a trainer in SitesPower, I provide training courses in ICDL, Microsoft Office Applications (2007-2010), and a wide range of certified courses in Business Management to deliver specific skills that students need. Also, I accomplish a lot of tasks assigned to me by my manager, and that requires a lot of time, effort and preparation to complete those tasks on time. Trainers face many problems in training programs, but some of these problems are frequent and sometimes worrying, such as: problems of students failing in the ICDL Exams, and delay in receiving the certificate due to students repeating the course or not being able to complete the course. Before talking about this issue, I will explain through the following chart: the administrative and organizational structure of the training centre SitesPower Sharjah branch in which I work there Present situation (Analysis of the problem) The International Computer Driving License Course (ICDL) is the most important certificate for a large number of employees or job seekers, particularly in government jobs in the United Arab Emirates. For this reason, the demand for this certificate has increased over many years and has become a key requirement for employment in many companies. Because of its importance, the candidates enrol in our training centre programs and attend ICDL classes for the preparation for ICDL Exams so as not to be an obstacle to access to jobs or losing their current jobs. The main problem that we face with these courses is the failure of some students in the ICDL exams, and therefore they will not get the certificate or causing a delay to obtain the certificate due to repetition of the course or the exam, which leads to a major embarrassment and might lose job opportunities. First of all, I will explain the components of the ICDL sessions, rules and how to obtain the certificate in order to understand the causes of students failure in the exams. ICDL Course consists of the following Modules: IT (Information Technology) Using Computer and Managing Files (Operating System) Word Processor (Microsoft Word) Spread Sheets (Microsoft Excel) Database (Microsoft Access) Presentations (Microsoft PowerPoint) Web browsing and Communication (Internet Explorer Outlook Express) This course duration is seven weeks, i.e. average of 9 hours for each module. The candidate must pass the exam assessments for each module to obtain the certificate. Exams are provided on the web through a software program, and its files contains exercises shown on a computer screen and questions bar shown on the screen with a time calculator to calculate the time required to complete the test. The Exam timing prescribed for each subject is 45 minutes. Questions are categorized into groups according to the exam module, but the numbers of questions for each module are 36 questions. The Candidate should answer these questions within 45 minutes and has to get the rate of 75% or more to pass in the exam. Based on the above, the main problem I encounter during teaching and training students for the exam is some repetition in these certification exams and this will affect negatively on the students and also on the training centre and its employees. There are many reasons that I will clarify them later, some of these reasons are: Inefficient trainee using the computer Inability to concentrate during the lecture and thus no interaction with the instructor. Lack of opportunity to review the material and training tests on these exams. The student may not be able to answer all questions within the time allocated for the exam. Student may face a problem in understanding the wording of the question. There are reasons linked to the technical aspects of the ICDL Exams online, hardware and software used may affect the result of the exam and cause the failure of the student. We can classify the above mentioned problems into two categories: First: Expected problems Problems associated with weak efficiency trainee in using the computer, Exam system, and inability of the trainee to answer all questions within the limited time. These problems occur continuously, and we face them in every training session including: Number of students enrolled in the training course. Difference in the level of competencies and comprehension of the trainees in using the computer. Second: Unexpected problems The technical problems associated with the exam system, the computer used by the trainee during the exam or software used by trainee to answer questions. These problems occur few and only appear during the exam, but may cause either postpone the exam or failure of the trainee and thus give him a chance to repeat the exam again. The problems that I mentioned earlier, both expected and unexpected adversely affect everyone. First of all The candidate will be affected by these problems due to the failure and delay in receiving the certificate, which means losing job opportunities or may lead to termination of employment. Other candidates will also be affected by these problems because of their fear from making the same mistakes and problems that have occurred with their colleagues and thus will affect their self-confidence and possibly lead to failure as well. Secondly these problems might also affect the training centre, as it may lead to bad reputation of the training centre as it was unable to address the problems of the trainees and its inability to help the candidate solve these problems and ensure their success in the exam. Thirdly These problems will also affect the trainer in taking part of the responsibility for the failure of the trainee. One of the most important goals that I am trying to achieve through solving these problems mentioned above and in cooperation with the management is to help the trainees to achieve their objective to be certified by developing their computer skills to ensure getting that certificate. Through achieving the objective of the trainees, training centre will achieve its goal and gain a special position among the other accredited training centres in the region. The failure to take any actions to address these problems that I have mentioned above and solve them, will lead to increase the gap between the trainees and the training centre and unable to achieve the training centres goals and the trainees objectives. Investigation and identification of possible solutions to the problem When I started my job at the centre in 2006, as a trainer, I was assigned to give ICDL courses and train candidates on the ICDL practice exams. A lot of candidates joined our training centre programs at that time to get the ICDL certificate. Some of them faced many problems in the exams and failed to get the certificate. During that time, I didnt realize the reasons of those candidates who were failing in the exams. Gathering the information After a few months, the management asked me to start monitoring ICDL exams due to lack of exams testers. But I had to be qualified first in order to be authorized as a tester to monitor these exams. Therefore, I took a training course in the ICDL office in Dubai Internet City on how to monitor and solve problems that might occur during the exams. After taking this course, I had started to understand and analyse the reasons for why candidates were failing in these exams and also to know the nature of ICDL questions. And analyse historical records of exams and result reports. After knowing this, I decided to help candidates to overcome all problems of the exams plus for being an exam tester. In Summary, I gathered the information about the problem from the following sources: My evaluation of the candidates skills during the lectures. Monitoring the Exams Reports of the Exams Evaluation of Possible Solutions Fishbone is a way of analysing problems Super Series from ILM Based on the information gathered above, I have decided to use the Fishbone Tool to analyse this issue by identifying the main reasons and the subsets as shown in the diagram below: Problems in the Network system Difficult terms set out in some exam questions Lack of maintenance of devices before the exam by computer technicians Errors in the booking of exams for candidates Problems in the live exam system Problems in the hardware and software in the users computer The difference between the candidates in their skills The number of candidates in the ICDL course no interaction with the instructor during the lecture No preparation prior to exam Lack of practicing on mock exams Lack of computer skills Causes of student failure in ICDL Exams Candidates ICDL Course Equipment Employees Live Exam System By using the Fishbone analysis tool, I managed to collect all the reasons that might cause the students failure in the exams. After that, I conducted a survey among the candidates in a scale of impact and importance from (1-5), where (No.1 is very weak) and (No. 5 very strong): Identify the areas of improvement that can enrich the overall performance of the candidate in the exam. To know the level of impact on the students failure in the exams No. The Reason of student failure in the ICDL Exams 1 2 3 4 5 1 Weakness in skills, and incompetence and inability to use computer by trainee 31.58% 10.53% 21.05% 15.79% 21.05% 2 No enough time allocated for training on the practice exams at home or at office 15.79% 10.53% 15.79% 31.58% 26.32% 3 Less time of training on the sample exams in the classroom 47.37% 10.53% 36.84% 5.263% 4 The inability to interact with the instructor and the inability to understand his explanation of the modules 31.58% 31.58% 15.79% 21.05% 5 Uncertainty, and lack of understanding of examination program and not knowing how to use it during the exam by the student 26.32% 26.32% 31.58% 5.263% 10.53% 6 Lack of understanding of exam question because of the difficulty of the terms used in the exam 26.32% 21.05% 21.05% 21.05% 10.53% 7 Exam time is not enough 36.84% 15.79% 31.58% 5.263% 10.53% 8 Technical problems associated with the exam software 21.05% 15.79% 31.58% 26.32% 5.263% 9 Technical problems related with the computer user in the exam or technical problem in its software. 36.84% 26.32% 21.05% 10.53% 5.263% 10 Lack of the trainer experience and skills 89.47% 10.53% 11 ICDL Books and materials 47.37% 21.05% 5.263% 10.53% 15.79% Depend on the result shown in the table above I discovered that the most important reasons of student failure in the ICDL Exams were: Weakness in skills, and incompetence and inability to use computer by trainee No enough time allocated for training on the practice exams at home or at office Technical problems associated with the exam software Lack of understanding of exam question because of the difficulty of the terms used in the exam Recommended implementation plan to solve problem According to the results mentioned above, I have recommended to management the idea of taking the advantages of some features that we got form ICDL office, like booking for candidates ICDL exams at convenient and also provide them with practice exam cards. In addition, I have determined some other actions that would help solving these problems. These actions consist of the following points: Determine the number of candidates in each session with maximum number of 12 candidates. Increase the number of scheduled hours for each subject if necessary, and making more practices in the class. Provide each student with practice exam cards with 20 hours training to conduct the necessary training before the exam either in their offices, homes or even in the training centre. Explain the exam system for students at the beginning of each session, providing them with important advices and guidelines to ensure their success in the exam. Aware candidates of the importance of the exam timing, and the importance of answering the questions quickly. Getting help from the computer technician during candidate taking the ICDL exams, to resolve any technical problem that appears during the test. Update the computers and replacing the old one with new one. Making a routine and regular check on the computers, and especially before the ICDL exams. Print the result report of the student after taking the exam when necessary, in order to study the wrong answers with the student to avoid these mistakes next time. After applying these recommendations, and monitored its effectiveness and impact, we managed to: Increase the success rate of the ICDL exams. Reduce the percentage of the problems appearing in these exams to the minimum. Improve the performance of the candidates using of computers. Raise self-confidence of trainees in the exams. Following table show the different between ICDL Results through three years 2011 2012 -2013 2011 2012 2013 (January) Pass 42.85714% 70.58824% 71.42857% Fail 57.142857% 29.411765% 28.571429%

The State of Todays Health Care System Essay -- Health Care Medical P

The State of Today's Health Care System Today’s health care system is in a constant state of fluctuation and commotion. It is sometimes difficult for the health care consumer to identify a valuable resource when they need one. The purpose of this paper is to explore one of the many health care resources that are available in the greater Philadelphia area and then visit this site to learn more about it. Philadelphia, in itself is an outstanding resource to the people of the area. In terms of healthcare resource implications this is true. There are numerous teaching hospitals, museums, clinics, and educational centers in this region. I choose to learn more about Planned Parenthood, a well-known organization in this area as well as nationally. Upon entering the clinic I knew very little about Planned Parenthood. It turned out that what I knew was only a fraction of what Planned Parenthood is really all about. According to the chairperson and president of PP, young people rely on Planned Parenthood to be truthful, confidential and non-judgmental. Women and men are grateful that it is an affordable resource, accessible to all, and respectful of all persons’ decisions. Patients fell safe there because they provide safe medical care by trained professionals. Parents can feel a sense of ease because they know that their children are learning correct and valuable information concerning sex. Both donors and investors can feel confident that their gifts are an investment in the health and well being of the men, women, and children in their community. This paper will relay the information received from the site visit to Planned Parenthood in Media, Pennsylvania. It will discuss the mission, services, and financial aspects of Planned Parenthood. Mission Statement. The mission of Planned Parenthood Southeastern Pennsylvania (PPSP) is to protect and enhance reproductive freedom, to increase access to reproductive health care services and information, and to promote sexual health. This mission provides the foundation of PPSP’s services and programs that they offer to the approximately 43,000 men, women, and children of the Delaware Valley. Planned Parenthood was found by a registered nurse named Margaret Sanger in the early 1900’s. Her belief and reason for founding PP was this, â€Å"†¦the first right of a child (is) to be wanted, to be desired, to be plann... ...n was spent on education and training. Other funds were spent for special events, fund raising, and administration. At the end of the fiscal report there are ten pages which list the names of those who have made contributions to Planned Parenthood. These donations range from $25,000 or more to $100. PP relies on the contributions of individuals, foundations, and corporations to support their operations and activities in Southeastern PA. All contributions made to PP are tax deductible (Annual Report). I learned a tremendous amount from visiting Planned Parenthood. All of the ideas that I entered the clinic with were quickly proven wrong and limited by the woman that I interviewed. PP is a valuable resource to all women, men, and teens that are interested in maintaining or improving their reproductive health, reproductive education, or their general health. This is a resource that does not receive the publicity or recognition that it deserves. Hopefully the public is aware of what an asset Planned Parenthood is and how much they offer- more than I did before this project. We in Southeastern Pennsylvania are lucky to have PP to turn to for educational and health care needs.