The Mill on the Floss - Simbolistic approach Essay Example for Free

The Mill on the Floss Simbolistic approach Essay George Eliot was the male pseudonym of Mary Ann Evans (she would later call herself Marian), born on November 22, 1819 at Arbury Farm in Warwickshire. Her father, Robert Evans, was an overseer at the Arbury Hall estate, and Eliot kept house for him after her mother died in 1836. The Mill on the Floss involves many autobiographical details, and it reflects Eliots close childhood relationships with her father and her older brother Isaac. The Floss is a somewhat difficult symbol to track, as it also exists for realistic effect in the workings of the novel. On the symbolic level, the Floss is related most often to Maggie, and the river, with its depth and potential to flood, symbolizes Maggies deeply running and unpredictable emotions. The rivers path, nonexistent on maps, is also used to symbolize the unforseeable path of Maggies destiny. St. Ogg, the legendary patron saint of the town, was a Floss ferryman. One night a woman with a child asked to be taken across the river, but the winds were high and no other boaters would take her. Only Ogg felt pity for her in her need and took her. When they reached the other side, her rags turned into robes, and she revealed herself to be the Blessed Virgin. The Virgin pronounced Oggs boat safe to all who rode in it, and she sat always in the prow. The parable of Ogg rewards the human feeling of pity or sympathy. Maggie has a dream during her night on the boat with Stephen, wherein Tom and Lucy row past them, and Tom is St. Ogg, while Lucy is the Virgin. The dream makes explicit Maggies fear of having neglected to sympathize with those whom she hurts during her night with Stephen (and also, perhaps, her fear that they will not sympathize with her in the future). But it is Maggie, finally, who stands for St. Ogg, as she rows down river thinking only of Toms safety during the flood in a feat of almost miraculous, divinely-protected effort. Especially in the early books of The Mill on the Floss, Tom, and especially Maggie, are associated with animal imagery. The imagery is usually of farm-type animals—ponies, dogs, ducks—and usually points to the characters capacity for affection or non-adherence to social convention. Following Darwin, Eliot uses this imagery also to gesture toward the wider relation between humans and animals that can be especially seen in young children. Thus, when Maggie and Tom reconcile in Chapter IV of Book First, the narrator points out, We [adults] no longer approximate in our behaviour to the mere impulsiveness of the lower animals, but conduct ourselves in every respect like members of a highly civilized society. Maggie and Tom were still very much like young animals. The motif of darkness and lightness of women—meaning their eyes, hair, or skin—is often used to emphasize the uniqueness of Maggies appearance. The motif of darkness and lightness connects to the motif of the distinctions between the Dodsons and the Tullivers—the Tullivers have darker skin, while the Dodsons have lighter skin. The Dodsons, and indeed, all of St. Oggs, respect or covet Lucy Deanes fair appearance. Her lightness is also prized in a larger cultural arena, and, in Book Fourth, Maggie becomes frustrated by the traditional plot lines in which the light, blond women live happily ever after in love. Maggies family views her darkness as ugly and unnatural, yet by the end of the novel, it has made men perceive Maggie as more beautiful because her darkness is a rarity. Eliot depicts Maggies eyes as her most striking feature. All men (including Philip, Bob Jakin, and Stephen) notice her eyes first and become entranced. Maggies eyes are a symbol of the power of emotion she contains—the depth of feeling and hunger for love that make her a tragic character. This unique force of character seems to give her power over others, for better or for worse. In Book First, Maggie is associated with Medusa, the monster who turns men to stone by looking at them. Maggies eyes compel people, and different characters reactions to them often reflect the characters relationship with Maggie. Thus, Philip, who will become Maggies teacher, in a sense, and first love, notices that her eyes were full of unsatisfied intelligence, and unsatisfied, beseeching affection. Bob Jakin, who views Maggie as superior to him and a figure of whom to be in awe, reports that Maggie has such uncommon eyes, they looked somehow as they made him feel nohow. Finally, Stephen, who will exploit the inner struggle that Maggie has felt for the entire novel, notices that Maggies eyes are full of delicious opposites.

Someone Special :: Personal Narrative, Autobiographical Essay

Someone Special When I first saw him, I was sitting in an auditorium complaining to my mother about how cold it was in there. We and hundreds of other student-parent pairs were lined up in rows of the large room waiting to be told what to do by upper-class college students in matching tee shirts. I was scanning, like always, for any interesting guys. Upon finding any that appealed to me, whether by genuine attractiveness, unique clothing or just a pleasant aura, I would watch, study, and try to figure out everything about him, like his attitude, views on the world, and his favorite color. I had been sitting there wondering (probably unlike all of the other kids who were at State University Orientation) what kind of guy I was going to look for when I arrived a month later to attend classes. Everyone else was talking with their parents about their class choices and housing contracts. Some were even asking the experts at the podium questions about the university. But this was way beyond me because I had more important things on my mind. I remember seeing him rise a few rows in front of me with his mother. I'm not sure exactly what caught my eye first, but his light brown hair and rosy complexion kept my stare. He had on a blue shirt that hung un-tucked from his khaki shorts, clothing that intrigued my eyes to follow him, as he squeezed through the metal chairs that someone had set up a little too close. He politely said, "Excuse me," and smiled with seemingly complete confidence. I nudged my mother, "Right there," I said signaling her to notice his strut. "Cute," she said shortly which translated to, "I guess I agree Whitney, but I don't look anymore." It was the usual answer I got when I asked for her opinion. I would sometimes badger her to elaborate, but the answer always lacked in enthusiasm. We watched him disappear behind a big red curtain that separated the students with and without name-tags, and I began formulating his life story. He looked like the I-played-a-few-sports-in-high-school type, pretty normal to me compared to all of the different types of people in the room. He wasn't preppy enough to be the guy that came to college for the sole reason of joining a fraternity, but nowhere close to being the guy that nobody wanted in a fraternity.

Importance of Cross Cultural Communications Essay

Effective cross-cultural communication is one of the most important issues dealt with in business, particularly when a firm operates at an international level. Communication is a process with three key elements, which includes a source, an audience, and a channel. Communication derived from businesses will have listeners that include, but are not limited to customers, employees, suppliers, and the community (Caddy et al.). These listeners contribute to the success of a firm, which is why there is so much emphasis put into creating appropriate channels of communication. This effect is further amplified when dealing at an international level, where the effect of culture and time has more bearing. What makes effective communication important is the fact that it affects all aspects of the business function. Therefore, failing in just one of these areas can create repercussions that reverberate throughout the whole company. This essay will examine the importance of cross-cultural communication, and how it is intertwined with a firm’s HR management, strategic planning, operations, ethical decisions, and marketing campaign. Human resource management deals with people within the organisation first and foremost. For a Human Resource manager, managing the cultural aspect of communication becomes is vital because of the effect it can have on each individual employee. In an international work environment, there will likely be a number of employees from different parts of the globe sharing the same space (Parzhiger 2002). This can be a source of friction within a work environment, particularly when you consider that ethnocentric attitudes can exist within a workplace (Han et al 2007). Such friction within the communication process can manifest itself through racism, bias, prejudice, and discrimination (Parzhigar 2002). Not only are such actions considered illegal, but it can also contribute to low morale within the workforce. This eventually leads to unmotivated and therefore unproductive staff. In order to resolve such cross-cultural issues, a Human Resources manager must first come to realize that both individuals and groups differ in terms of the way they communicate (Parzhigar 2002). That way, policies or extra training programs can be established to act as a guide the actions of  employees. Many managers, though, are fail to realise such differences, or unqualified to handle them. This is why much consideration must be given when deciding who is qualified to lead an international assignment (Hodges 2003, p. 450.) By acknowledging people’s differences, the manager can create policies that will limit friction in the workplace, thereby ensuring that it runs peacefully. An effective communication system will help a firm gain a distinct competitive advantage because the constraints of time will be limited. Time distances can often be a hindrance to a company looking to collect information from overseas branches or partners. Firms have combated this problem by utilizing contemporary technology such as phones and videoconferences (Bovee 2008). This will help firms operating at an international level, collect information from overseas subsidiaries or clients more effectively. Additionally, by keeping these relationships close, manager’s gain the ability to access new technologies developed overseas (Han et al. 2007). The ability to forecast overseas trends and harness new technologies is another competitive advantage gained by having effective cross-cultural communication channels established. Proper market research, where communication aspects such as culture are taken into account, will help the firm in this regard. By establishing these effective channels, a firm can more readily anticipate particular changes in tastes and technologies of other countries (Han et al. 2007). This will allow thereby the firm to strike a balance with regards to price and availability, which, in turn, will give them a competitive advantage (Hodgets 2003). Managing operations will be much more efficient once cross-cultural communication issues have been dealt with. Many cultures employ a hierarchical approach to communication, but often this method of results in important issues being dodged. This problem is highlighted in an (Nakamoto 2008) article on Japanese companies. In the article it is reported that many of the Japanese companies employ a very rigid communication structure, and overseas managers were hired to create a more efficient method of  communication. An open exchange or direct method of communication is much more effective as ideas can be garnered from different levels of the organisation. Overcoming various linguistic issues is another operational benefit experienced when an effective communication channel is established. Due to the legal issues of each country, language differences do not only affect face o face interaction, but written communications as well (Bovee 2008). Through proper planning and research, however, a business is able to preempt such a problem from occurring, possibly by arranging for an interpreter to translate. Failing to establish an effective means for communication when an ethical issue arises can be detrimental to the stability of a workplace. This problem is particularly pertinent, when you consider the fact that globalization has diversified workplace cultures. This can lead to what Huntington (cited in Eunson 2005) described as a ‘clash of civilizations’, due to the different perspectives on morality in the western and eastern countries. Neglecting this issue can create permanent dissention or dissatisfaction between co-worker, which, as highlighted earlier, leads to low productivity levels and high staff turnover rates. Only by establishing a means of communication where ethical issues are taken into account, can prevent such an implosion from taking effect. Effective communication channels can only be effective when the moral views of other cultures are taken into account. Contemporary management in western society, for example, attempts to find practical solutions while more conservative nations seek more ‘foundational’ ones (Parzhiger 2002). Cross-cultural communication is also valuable to firm looking to establish good marketing systems. The aim of marketing is to try and link business with customers and the ability to understand the unique traits of a particular culture can help give a firm an edge over its competitors. This point was illustrated in a communication video (Balnave 2006), where a lack of an ineffective channel of communication with a particular culture was a  cause for their advertising campaign to be viewed as inappropriate. Establishing effective communications, however, will allow a firm to capitalize on local markets through support of their local culture (Han et al. 2007). As the evidence compiled in this essay has shown the importance of effective cross-cultural communication should never be diminished. It is one of the most important aspects to consider when trying developing an international brand. Through the establishment of communication training and relevant policies, employees will be better equipped to interact with their foreign counterparts. It will also assist the firm in understanding foreign cultures, and markets, which ultimately improves their strategic planning. However the biggest benefit experienced by communicating effectively is internal. It creates a more harmonious work environment, a more efficient way of relaying information, and more productive staff. Bibliography Caddy, I Cull, M Tibbits, G 2008, Business Academic Skills, 1st edn, Pearson Education Australia, Sydney’Communicating Effectively in the Global Workplace’, 2008, in Bovee, C(ed), Communication Today ,9th edn, Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle Rivee, New Jersey. Eunson, B 2005, Communicating in the 21st century, John Wiley and Sons Australia ltd., QLDHan, J, Wild, J, Wild, L 2007, International business: the challenges of globalization, Pearson Prentice Hall, New JerseyHodgets, RM Luthans, F 2003, International management: culture, strategy, and behaviour, 5th edition, McGraw-Hill/Irwin, New YorkNakamoto, M 2008, ‘Modernisers span a cultural divide’, Financial Times, 22 May, Parhizgar, KD 2002, Multicultural behaviour and global business environments, International Business Press, New York

21st Century Capitalism Essay - 1485 Words

21st Century Capitalism 21st Century Capitalism. By Robert Heilbroner. (New York: Norton, 1993. 175pp., $17.95) The Work of Nations: Preparing Ourselves for 21st Century Capitalism. By Robert Reich. (New York: Vintage, 1992. 339pp., $14.00) Undoubtedly, the 20th century has witnessed some of the most significant economic events in modern history. For example, the Great Depression saw capitalism come close to its end, and the principles of laissez-faire repudiated as the New Deal was enacted to rehabilitate the economy. More recently, the downfall of the Soviet Union represented a major victory for capitalism over the now-defunct communist system, which is nearing extinction even in the land of Mao, as China reluctantly and†¦show more content†¦Command necessitates orders from some authority and is based on some enforcement mechanism. Some examples of peoples who lived in Command societies are the Romans under the emperors, the Egyptians under the pharaohs, and Stalinist Russia. The purpose of this analysis is to arrive at the concept of the Market, fundamental to the workings of capitalism. The Market system involves each individual doing what he or she pleases, without any instructions or directions from above. The theory goes that any shortages or excesses will be alleviated since the market is above all, self-correcting. Central to capitalism is the drive for capital, to which Heilbroner devotes an entire chapter. He goes to great lengths to differentiate between capital and wealth. â€Å"Capital is wealth whose value does not inhere in its physical characteristics but in its use to create a larger amount of capital†. (Heilbroner 46) Thus, capital is valued because of its ability to increase itself, while wealth is relatively static. 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