The Lost Duke of Wyndham Chapter Seven

And that, Jack decided, was his cue to leave as well. Not that he had any great love for the duke. Indeed, he'd had quite enough of his marvelous lordliness for one day and was perfectly happy to see his back as he left the room. But the thought of remaining here with the dowager†¦ Even Miss Eversleigh's delightful company was not enough of a temptation to endure more of that. â€Å"I believe I shall retire as well,† he announced. â€Å"Wyndham did not retire,† the dowager said peevishly. â€Å"He went out.† â€Å"Then I shall retire,† Jack said. He smiled blandly. â€Å"End of sentence.† â€Å"It's barely dark,† the dowager pointed out. â€Å"I'm tired.† It was true. He was. â€Å"My John used to stay up until the wee hours,† she said softly. Jack sighed. He did not want to feel sorry for this woman. She was hard, ruthless, and thoroughly unlikable. But she had, apparently, loved her son. His father. And she'd lost him. A mother shouldn't outlive her children. He knew this as well as he knew how to breathe. It was unnatural. And so instead of pointing out that her John had most likely never been kidnapped, strangled, blackmailed, and stripped of his (albeit paltry) livelihood, all in one day, he walked forward and set her ring – the very one he had all but snatched from her finger – on the table next to her. His own was in his pocket. He was not quite prepared to share its existence with her. â€Å"Your ring, madam,† he said. She nodded, then took it into her hands. â€Å"What is the D for?† he asked. His whole life, he'd wondered. He might as well gain something from this debacle. â€Å"Debenham. My birth surname.† Ah. It made sense. She'd have given her own heirlooms to her favorite son. â€Å"My father was the Duke of Runthorpe.† â€Å"I am not surprised,† he murmured. She could decide for herself if that was a compliment. He bowed. â€Å"Good evening, your grace.† The dowager's mouth tightened with disappointment. But she seemed to recognize that if there had been a battle that day, she was the only one who had emerged victorious, and she was surprisingly gracious as she said, â€Å"I shall have supper sent up.† Jack nodded and murmured his thanks, then turned to exit. â€Å"Miss Eversleigh will show you to your room.† At that Jack snapped to attention, and when he looked Miss Eversleigh's way, he saw that she had, too. He had been expecting a footman. Possibly the butler. This was a delightful surprise. â€Å"Is that a problem, Miss Eversleigh?† the dowager asked. Her voice sounded sly, a little bit taunting. â€Å"Of course not,† Miss Eversleigh replied. Her eyes were clouded but not entirely unreadable. She was surprised. He could see it by the way her lashes seemed to reach a little higher toward her brows. She was not used to being ordered to tend to anyone except the dowager. Her employer, he decided, did not like to share her. And as his eyes fell again to her lips, he decided that he was in complete accord. If she were his, if he had any right to her†¦he would not wish to share her, either. He wanted to kiss her again. He wanted to touch her, just a soft brush of hand against skin, so fleeting that it could only be deemed accidental. But more than any of that, he wanted use of her name. Grace. He liked it. He found it soothing. â€Å"See to his comfort, Miss Eversleigh.† Jack turned to the dowager with widening eyes. She sat like a statue, her hands folded primly in her lap, but the corners of her mouth were tilted ever so slightly up, and her eyes looked cunning and amused. She was giving Grace to him. As clear as day, she was telling him to make use of her companion, if that was his desire. Good Lord. What sort of family had he fallen into? â€Å"As you wish, ma'am,† Miss Eversleigh replied, and in that moment Jack felt soiled, almost dirty, because he was quite certain she had no idea that her employer was attempting to whore her off on him. It was the most appalling sort of bribe. Stay the night, and you can have the girl. It sickened him. Doubly so, because he wanted the girl. He just didn't want her given to him. â€Å"It is most kind of you, Miss Eversleigh,† he said, feeling as if he had to be extra polite to make up for the dowager. They reached the door, and then, before he forgot, he turned back. He and the duke had spoken only tersely on their outing, but on one matter they had been in accord. â€Å"Oh, by the by, should anyone ask, I am a friend of Wyndham's. From years gone by.† â€Å"From university?† Miss Eversleigh suggested. Jack fought back a grim chuckle. â€Å"No. I did not attend.† â€Å"You did not attend!† the dowager gasped. â€Å"I was led to believe you'd had a gentleman's education.† â€Å"By whom?† Jack inquired, ever so politely. She sputtered at that for a moment, and then finally she scowled and said, â€Å"It is in your speech.† â€Å"Felled by my accent.† He looked at Miss Eversleigh and shrugged. â€Å"Pommy R's and proper H's. What's a man to do?† But the dowager was not prepared to let the subject drop. â€Å"You are educated, are you not?† It was tempting to claim he'd been schooled with the local lads, if only to witness her reaction. But he owed his aunt and uncle better than that, and so he turned to the dowager and said, â€Å"Portora Royal, followed by two months at Trinity College – Dublin, that is, not Cambridge – and then six years serving in His Majesty's army and protecting you from invasion.† He cocked his head to the side. â€Å"I'll take those thanks now, if you will.† The dowager's lips parted with outrage. â€Å"No?† He lifted his brows. â€Å"Funny how no one seems to care that they still speak English and curtsy to good King George.† â€Å"I do,† Miss Eversleigh said. And when he looked at her, she blinked and added, â€Å"Er, thank you.† â€Å"You're welcome,† he said, and it occurred to him that this was the first time he'd had cause to say it. Sadly, the dowager was not unique in her sense of entitlement. Soldiers were occasionally feted, and it was true that the uniforms were quite effective when attracting the ladies, but no one ever thought to say thank you. Not to him, and especially not to the men who'd suffered permanent injury or disfigurement. â€Å"Tell everyone we shared fencing lessons,† Jack said to Miss Eversleigh, ignoring the dowager as best he could. â€Å"It's as good a ruse as any. Wyndham says he's passable with a sword?† â€Å"I do not know,† she said. Of course she wouldn't. But no matter. If Wyndham had said he was passable, then he was almost certainly a master. They would be well-matched if ever they had to offer proof of their lie. Fencing had been his best subject in school. It was probably the only reason they had kept him to age eighteen. â€Å"Shall we?† he murmured, tilting his head toward the door. â€Å"The blue silk bedroom,† the dowager called out sourly. â€Å"She does not like to be left out of a conversation, does she?† Jack murmured, so that only Miss Eversleigh could hear. He'd known she could not answer, not with her employer so close, but he saw her eyes dart away, as if trying to hide her amusement. â€Å"You may retire for the night as well, Miss Eversleigh,† the dowager directed. Grace turned in surprise. â€Å"You don't wish for me to attend to you? It's early yet.† â€Å"Nancy can do it,† she replied with a pinch of her lips. â€Å"She's an acceptable hand with buttons, and what's more, she doesn't say a word. I find that to be an exceptionally good trait in a servant.† As Grace held her tongue more often than not, she decided to take that as a compliment, rather than the rear-door insult it was meant to be. â€Å"Of course, ma'am,† she said, bobbing a demure curtsy. â€Å"I shall see you in the morning, then, with your chocolate and the newspaper.† Mr. Audley was already at the door and was holding out his hand to motion for her to precede him, so she walked out into the hall. She had no idea what the dowager was up to, giving her the rest of the evening off, but she was not going to argue further. â€Å"Nancy is her maid,† she explained to Mr. Audley once he reached her side. â€Å"I'd guessed.† â€Å"It's most odd.† She shook her head. â€Å"She – â€Å" Mr. Audley waited rather patiently for her to finish her sentence, but Grace decided the better of it. She had been going to say that the dowager hated Nancy. In fact, the dowager complained most bitterly and at painful length each time she had a day out and Nancy served as a substitute. â€Å"You were saying, Miss Eversleigh?† he murmured. She almost told him. It was strange, because she barely knew him, and furthermore, he could not possibly be interested in the trivialities of the Belgrave household. Even if he did become the duke – and the thought of it still made her somewhat sick to her stomach – well, it wasn't as if Thomas could have identified any of the housemaids. And if asked which ones his grandmother disliked, he'd surely have said, All of them. Which, Grace thought with a wry smile, was probably true. â€Å"You're smiling, Miss Eversleigh,† Mr. Audley remarked, looking very much as if he were the one with a secret. â€Å"Do tell why.† â€Å"Oh, it's nothing,† she said. â€Å"Certainly nothing that would be of interest to you.† She motioned toward the staircase at the rear of the hall. â€Å"Here, the bedchambers are this way.† â€Å"You were smiling,† he said again, falling in step beside her. For some reason that made her smile anew. â€Å"I did not say that I wasn't.† â€Å"A lady who doesn't dissemble,† he said approvingly. â€Å"I find myself liking you more with every passing minute.† Grace pursed her lips, eyeing him over her shoulder. â€Å"That does not indicate a very high opinion of women.† â€Å"My apologies. I should have said a person who does not dissemble.† He flashed her a smile that shook her to her toes. â€Å"I would never claim that men and women are interchangeable, and thank heavens for that, but in matters of truthiness, neither sex earns high marks.† She looked at him in surprise. â€Å"I don't think truthiness is a word. In fact, I'm quite certain it is not.† â€Å"No?† His eyes darted to the side. Just for a second – not even a second, but it was long enough for her to wonder if she'd embarrassed him. Which couldn't be possible. He was so amazingly glib and comfortable in his own skin. One did not need more than a day's acquaintance to realize that. And indeed, his smile grew jaunty and lopsided, and his eyes positively twinkled as he said, â€Å"Well, it should be.† â€Å"Do you often make up words?† He shrugged modestly. â€Å"I try to restrain myself.† She looked at him with considerable disbelief. â€Å"I do,† he protested. He clasped one hand over his heart, as if wounded, but his eyes were laughing. â€Å"Why is it no one ever believes me when I tell them I am a moral and upstanding gentleman, on this earth with the every intention of following every rule.† â€Å"Perhaps it is because most people make your acquaintance when you order them out of a carriage with a gun?† â€Å"True,† he acknowledged. â€Å"It does color the relationship, doesn't it?† She looked at him, at the humor lurking in his emerald eyes, and she felt her lips tickle. She wanted to laugh. She wanted to laugh the way she'd laughed when her parents were alive, when she'd had the freedom to seek out life's absurdities and the time to make merry over them. It almost felt as if something were waking up within her. It felt lovely. It felt good. She wanted to thank him, but she'd sound the veriest fool. And so she did the next best thing. She apologized. â€Å"I'm sorry,† she said, pausing at the base of the stairs. That seemed to surprise him. â€Å"You're sorry?† â€Å"I am. For†¦today.† â€Å"For kidnapping me.† He sounded amused, vaguely so. Perhaps even condescending. â€Å"I didn't mean to,† she protested. â€Å"You were in the carriage,† he pointed out. â€Å"I do believe that any court of law would brand you an accomplice.† Oh, that was more than she could take. â€Å"This would, I assume, be the same court of law that sent you to the gallows earlier that same morning for pointing a loaded gun at a duchess.† â€Å"Tsk tsk. I told you it wasn't a hanging offense.† â€Å"No?† she murmured, echoing his earlier tone precisely. â€Å"It ought to be.† â€Å"Oh, you think?† â€Å"If truthiness gets to be a word, then accosting a duchess with a gun ought to be enough to get one hanged.† â€Å"You're quick,† he said admiringly. â€Å"Thank you,† she said, then admitted, â€Å"I'm out of practice.† â€Å"Yes.† He glanced down the hall toward the drawing room, where the dowager was presumably still enthroned upon her sofa. â€Å"She does keep you rather silent, doesn't she?† â€Å"Loquaciousness is not considered becoming in a servant.† â€Å"Is that how you see yourself?† His eyes met hers, searching her so deeply she almost stepped away. â€Å"A servant?† And then she did step away. Because whatever it was he was going to find in her, she wasn't so sure she wanted to see it. â€Å"We should not loiter,† she said, motioning for him to follow her up the stairs. â€Å"The blue silk bedroom is lovely. Very comfortable, and with excellent morning light. The artwork in particular is superb. I think you will like it.† She was babbling, but he was kind enough not to remark upon it, instead saying, â€Å"I'm sure it will be an improvement over my current lodgings.† She glanced over at him with surprise. â€Å"Oh. I had assumed – † She broke off, too embarrassed to remark that she'd thought him a homeless nomad. â€Å"A life of posting inns and grassy fields,† he said with an affected sigh. â€Å"Such is the fate of a highwayman.† â€Å"Do you enjoy it?† She surprised herself, both by asking it and also by how very curious she was in the answer. He grinned. â€Å"Robbing coaches?† She nodded. â€Å"It depends on who is in the coach,† he said softly. â€Å"I very much enjoyed not robbing you.† â€Å"Not robbing me?† She turned then, and the ice, which had been cracked, was officially broken. â€Å"I didn't take a thing, did I?† he returned, all innocence. â€Å"You stole a kiss.† â€Å"That,† he said, leaning forward with great cheek, â€Å"was freely given.† â€Å"Mr. Audley†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I do wish you'd call me Jack,† he sighed. â€Å"Mr. Audley,† she said again. â€Å"I did not – † She looked quickly about, then lowered her voice to an urgent whisper. â€Å"I did not†¦ do†¦what you said I did.† He smiled lazily. â€Å"When did ‘kiss' become such a dangerous word?† She clamped her lips together because truly there was no way she would gain the upper hand in this conversation. â€Å"Very well,† he said. â€Å"I shan't torment you.† It would have been a kind and generous statement if he hadn't followed it with: â€Å"Today.† But even then, she smiled. It was difficult not to, in his presence. They were in the upper hall now, and Grace turned toward the family apartments where he would be staying. They moved along in silence, giving her ample time to consider the gentleman beside her. She did not care what he'd said about not completing university. He was extremely intelligent, unique vocabulary notwithstanding. And there was no arguing against his charm. There was no reason he should not be gainfully employed. She could not ask him why he was robbing coaches, however. It was far too forward on so short an acquaintance. It was ironic, that. Who would have thought she'd be worried about manners and propriety with a thief? â€Å"This way,† she said, motioning for him to follow her to the left. â€Å"Who sleeps down there?† Mr. Audley asked, peering in the opposite direction. â€Å"His grace.† â€Å"Ah,† he said darkly. â€Å"His grace.† â€Å"He is a good man,† Grace said, feeling she must speak up for him. If Thomas had not behaved as he ought, it was certainly understandable. From the day of his birth, he'd been raised to be the Duke of Wyndham. And now, with the flimsiest of fate twists, he'd been informed that he might be nothing more than plain Mr. Cavendish. If Mr. Audley had had a rough day, well then, surely Thomas's was worse. â€Å"You admire the duke,† Mr. Audley stated. Grace couldn't quite tell if this was a question; she didn't think so. But either way, his tone was dry, as if he thought she was somewhat naive for doing so. â€Å"He is a good man,† she repeated firmly. â€Å"You will agree with me, once you further your acquaintance.† Mr. Audley let out an amused little puff of breath. â€Å"You sound like a servant now, starched and prim and properly loyal.† She scowled at him, but he clearly did not care, because he was already grinning and saying, â€Å"Are you going to defend the dowager next? I should like to hear you do it, because I'm most curious as to how, exactly, one would attempt such a feat.† Grace could not imagine that he might actually expect her to reply. She turned, though, so he could not see her smile. â€Å"I could not manage it myself,† he continued, â€Å"and I'm told I have a most silver tongue.† He leaned forward, as if imparting a grave secret. â€Å"It's the Irish in me.† â€Å"You're a Cavendish,† she pointed out. â€Å"Only half.† And then he added, â€Å"Thank God.† â€Å"They're not so bad.† He let out a chuckle. â€Å"They're not so bad? That's your rousing defense?† And then heaven help her, she could not think of a single good thing to say except, â€Å"The dowager would give her life for the family.† â€Å"Pity she has not done so already.† Grace shot him a startled look. â€Å"You sound just like the duke.† â€Å"Yes, I'd noticed they had a warm and loving relationship.† â€Å"Here we are,† Grace said, pushing open the door to his chamber. She stepped back then. It could not be proper for her to accompany him into his room. Five years she'd been at Belgrave, and she'd never once stepped foot inside Thomas's chambers. She might not have much in this world, but she had her self-respect, and her reputation, and she planned to keep a firm hold on both. Mr. Audley peeked in. â€Å"How very blue,† he remarked. She could not help but smile. â€Å"And silken.† â€Å"Indeed.† He stepped inside. â€Å"You're not going to join me?† â€Å"Oh, no.† â€Å"Didn't think you would. Pity. I'm going to have to loll about all on my own, rolling in all this silken blue splendor.† â€Å"The dowager was right,† Grace said with a shake of her head. â€Å"You're never serious.† â€Å"Not true. I'm quite frequently serious. It's up to you to figure out when.† He shrugged as he wandered over to the writing desk, his fingers trailing idly along the blotter until they slid off the edge and back to his side. â€Å"I find it convenient to keep people guessing.† Grace said nothing, just watched him inspect his room. She ought to go. She rather thought she wanted to go, actually; all day she'd been longing to crawl into bed and go to sleep. But she stayed. Just watching him, trying to imagine what it was like to see all of this for the first time. She had entered Belgrave Castle as a servant. He was quite possibly its master. It had to be strange. It had to be overwhelming. She didn't have the heart to tell him that this wasn't the fanciest or most ostentatious guest bedchamber. Not even close. â€Å"Excellent art,† he commented, tilting his head as he regarded a painting on the wall. She nodded, her lips parting, then closing again. â€Å"You were about to tell me it's a Rembrandt.† Her lips parted again, but this time in surprise. He hadn't even been looking at her. â€Å"Yes,† she admitted. â€Å"And this?† he asked, turning his attention to the one underneath. â€Å"Caravaggio?† She blinked. â€Å"I don't know.† â€Å"I do,† he said, in a tone that was somehow both impressed and grim. â€Å"It's a Caravaggio.† â€Å"You are a connoisseur?† she asked, and she noticed that her toes had somehow crossed the threshold of the room. Her heels were still safe and proper, resting on the corridor floor, but her toes†¦ They itched in her slippers. They longed for adventure. She longed for adventure. Mr. Audley moved to another painting – the east wall was full of them – and murmured, â€Å"I would not say that I am a connoisseur, but yes, I do like art. It's easy to read.† â€Å"To read?† Grace stepped forward. What an odd statement. He nodded. â€Å"Yes. Look here.† He pointed to a woman in what looked like a post-Renaissance work. She was seated upon a lavish chair, cushioned in dark velvet, edged with thick, twisting gold. Perhaps a throne? â€Å"Look at the way the eyes look down,† he said. â€Å"She is watching this other woman. But she is not looking at her face. She's jealous.† â€Å"No, she's not.† Grace moved to his side. â€Å"She's angry.† â€Å"Yes, of course. But she's angry because she's jealous.† â€Å"Of her?† Grace responded, pointing to the â€Å"other† woman in the corner. Her hair was the color of wheat, and she was clad in a filmy Grecian robe. It ought to have been scandalous; one of her breasts seemed poised to pop out at any moment. â€Å"I don't think so. Look at her.† She motioned to the first woman, the one on the throne. â€Å"She has everything.† â€Å"Everything material, yes. But this woman† – he motioned to the one in the Grecian robe – â€Å"has her husband.† â€Å"How can you even know she is married?† Grace squinted and leaned in, inspecting her fingers for a ring, but the brushwork was not fine enough to make out such a small detail. â€Å"Of course she is married. Look at her expression.† â€Å"I see nothing to indicate wifeliness.† He lifted a brow. â€Å"Wifeliness?† â€Å"I'm quite certain it's a word. More so than truthiness, in any case.† She frowned. â€Å"And if she is married, then where is the husband?† â€Å"Right there,† he said, touching the intricate gilt frame, just beyond the woman in the Grecian robe. â€Å"How can you possibly know that? It's beyond the edge of the canvas.† â€Å"You need only to look at her face. Her eyes. She is gazing at the man who loves her.† Grace found that intriguing. â€Å"Not at the man she loves?† â€Å"I can't tell,† he said, his head tilting slightly. They stood in silence for a moment, then he said, â€Å"There is an entire novel in this painting. One need only take the time to read it.† He was right, Grace realized, and it was unsettling, because he wasn't supposed to be so perceptive. Not him. Not the glib, jaunty highwayman who couldn't be bothered to find a proper profession. â€Å"You're in my room,† he said. She stepped back. Abruptly. â€Å"Steady now.† His arm shot out and his hand found her elbow. She couldn't scold him, not really, because she would have fallen. â€Å"Thank you,† she said softly. He didn't let go. She'd regained her balance. She was standing straight. But he didn't let go. And she did not pull away.

On-Line Learning: An Innovation to Education Essay

In learning inside the classroom, there are many factors that are being taken into consideration so that the students will learn better. One of these considerations is the environment. It must be conducive for learning so that the students can concentrate and appreciate the lessons better. If they properly absorb what is being taught then they can apply these knowledge in their everyday life. However, if the environment is not conducive for learning, the tendency of students is to focus their mind on something else and not the lesson thus, their ability to grasp things correctly is affected. Learning is dependent on several factors such as motivation, perception and engagement of the learner. These factors in turn, are affected by the experiences of the learner, his learning style and the environment wherein learning is taking place (Hutchinson n. pag. ). Traditionally, learning takes place in the classroom with the teacher in front of the class. The classrooms are designed in such a way that the students will receive the least distraction from the discussion. The classroom setting is what most believes as the most conducive place for learning since the students are not distracted but outside sources. However, this belief has dramatically changed. Research and further studies indicate that classroom learning also has its negative consequences. These negative effects can be attributed to the way the teacher motivates the students to learn. The kind of motivation that the teacher employs is crucial in the absorption of the student of the lessons. However, learning does not only depend on the teacher as there are other factors which may affect the attention of the students to learning such as physical distractions and discomfort, physiological factors, safety and sense of belongingness. If these factors are not addressed to, most likely, the student will have difficulty absorbing the lessons (Hutchinson n. pag. ). A positive environment will make it easy for the student to learn and appreciate the lessons. If the teachers make the students feel that they are a part of something and their presence is important then they will be more encouraged to participate in the discussion. In addition, if the students feel safe then they can focus more on what the teacher is discussing. Another factor which can contribute to better learning is a positive environment wherein the students are encouraged to study and the people mentoring them provide the support that they need. With the developments that have been introduced, the learning environment now is not only limited to the school. The learning environment can be located anywhere, anyplace and at anytime. In every activity, there is always something that the individual learns. In addition, teachers now have transformed the traditional classroom approach to a multidisciplinary and problem based approach, incorporating technology in learning. The multidisciplinary approach allows students to have access to the lessons and through the internet. The new approach made classroom dynamics and rapidity in the change of curriculum obsolete. The tenets of learning now are more focused on problem solving, analyzing relationships and performing activities inside and outside of the classroom (Anstrand and Kirkbride n. pag. ). The multidisciplinary approach has prompted educational institutions to create virtual classrooms or a private online classroom that allows the teachers to interact with their students and assist them in their learning. It can be accessed at any time of the day and any day of the week. Just like an ordinary classroom setting, there are also many activities that take place in a virtual classroom. Among the features that a virtual classroom contains are class activities and class organizations. Class activities include individual and group learning activities, discussions or forums with students and teachers, home works, quizzes, modules and scavenger hunts. Class organizations on the other hand include timetables and the class calendar, overviews, information or announcements and the grade book of the students (the Learning place n. pag). A virtual classroom is a great aid for classroom learning because it tends to supplement what is being learned in the school. It also gives an avenue for the student to have continuous access to the lessons. They need not wait for the class hours before they can ask their teachers questions regarding the lessons. Another innovation to the traditional classroom setting is distance education. According to Schlosser and Simonson (3-4), distance education is a method of education wherein the learner is physically does not need to go to the classroom. He learns on his own using the modules that the teacher provides online. The student will be assessed and taught through the aid of the internet. The student and the teacher do not physically interact with each other. This process has not only made learning convenient but it also allows the students to apply what they are learning in real life settings. This also makes learning flexible because the students are not focused at a specific time for study. They can comply with the requirements of their subject at a time when they feel inspired to learn. They are not forced to do things and learning can yield to better results if the students get to enjoy what they are assigned to finish. This process also allows students who are located in distant places to gain access to the lessons of the teacher or professor without going to school. It saves time and energy both for the teacher and the students. However, this type of learning should not be employed to all students. Virtual classrooms and distance learning are ideally for those who are already in the higher levels of learning and not those who are still starting or are in their kinder school. These children need to be conditioned first and disciplined to perform school tasks. On-line learning is suited for students who possess the necessary study skills and self discipline, have access to internet and comfortable with computers (Kearsley n. pag. ). The effectivity of online learning will depend on the appreciation of the student of the system, the way the teacher prepares the lessons online as well as the learning environment of the student. Just like in the classroom setting, online learning is useless if the student is not able to appreciate it and apply his lessons in real world setting. The reason why these innovations to learning were created is to give the students more avenues to relate their lessons with their experiences. The student must remember that in any type of learning, participation is indispensable. Learning is a two-way process, not one way. There should be interaction between the parties in order to consider it effective. Learning can happen anywhere and at anytime, there need not be a specific place where the student should learn. What is important is the student can apply his experiences, things he has read and learned from educators and more mature individuals to improve the way he deals with life and the things around him. References Anstrand, D. and Kirkbride, E. (2002). â€Å"The Education Environment Program†. Design Share. Retrieved 31 August 2008 from Hutchinson, L. (n. d. ) â€Å"ABC of Learning and teaching Educational Environment†. BMJ. Retrieved 31 August 2008 from http://www. bmj. com/cgi/content/full/326/7393/810 Kearsley, G. (n. d. ). â€Å"Is online Learning for Everybody? † Retrieved 31 August 2008 from Schlosser, L. and Simonson, M. (2006). Distance Education. Charlotte, North Carolina: IAP â€Å"Virtual Classroom†. (n. d. ). The Learning Place. Retrieved 31 August 2008 from

Applied or practicing anthropology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Applied or practicing anthropology - Essay Example Within each of these two sectors, there is also much diversity when it comes to what is really being produced or sold by them. On the whole, the annual rate of growth of the consumer product industry for manufacturing has been estimated to be 11.5% whiles that of the sales sectors has been pegged at 18% (Domingos 66). This shows a very strong and formidable industry in consumer products. Writing on the differences in the growth rate of these two sectors of the same industry, Cho indicated the sales sector experiences higher growth rate because of the level of involvement in this sector (51). This is to say that there are so many people involved in the sale of consumer products than can be said of those involved in the manufacturing of consumer products. Certainly, it is common to find a person engaged in the sale of one form of one form of consumer product or the other, wherever a person may be found. The visibility with the consumer sales sector has been attributed as a response to the rapid needs of consumers for these products (Case and Shiller 33). In a typical market, the sales sector of consumer product industry can be subdivided into wholesale and retail, where the growth within the retail division has also been said to be ahead of the wholesale division (Hatzi and Otto 97). Again, this situation has been attributed to the extent of proximity between retailers and consumers. This is because whereas wholesalers sell consumer products to retailers and other professional businesses, the retailers sell directly to customers or consumers (Gwartney, Stroup and Sobel 121). For this reason, whenever there is discussion on consumer demand, the first point of call is the retail, who receives the pressure from consumers. As far as China and for that matter Shenzhen is concerned, the retail division of the consumer product sales sector can be widely divided into traditional retailers and lifestyle retailers.

Understanding business operations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Understanding business operations - Essay Example per will examine current models of business operations by considering how these organizations might theoretically gain a competitive advantage by drawing on the examples of two organizations. One of the presented models will be based on an organization which is volume intensive and second will be based on a business model which is margin intensive. There is little question that technology is evolving rapidly, and the impact that these technological advances have on our modern economy can be profound. In this regard, organizations who have made every attempt to be constant and consistent innovators in technological development and application in their business models have reached an unparalleled success. Technological advances in such areas as supply chain, inventory management, distribution, and business monitoring has significantly affected the bottom line of a number of different businesses. For the purpose of this essay the first business model that will be examined is that of Wal-Mart and how the implementation of technology in their business organization has affected the way that we as consumers may have shifted our buying procedures. The format for this discussion is to give a brief background on Wal-Mart followed by a discussion as to how their innovation has helped make this organization the company it is today. There is little question that Wal-Mart is a truly global company which according to Reuters (2010) has operations in over fourteen nations with both retail and online sales in their portfolio. Wal-Mart has a focus on regular household items however the company has recently diversified into membership format retail operations as well as diversifying their product offerings to include groceries. One could theoretically define their product offerings to be in the traditional household retail sector. When questioned as to how Wal-Mart’s business model has affected the goods we buy and the choices available one must make an examination of

Discussion Board 5-2 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion Board 5-2 - Research Paper Example It appears to have a more pronounced effect on the client as a matter of trustworthiness (R.Pearson & Herlihy, 2013 ). There are several examples of dual relationships for which these ethics would define as appropriate. According to Pearson (2013), the counselor is supposed to avoid all conflicts of interests in the work he is doing. Such relationships that are inappropriate are inclusive of intimate relationships which in most cases involve sexual relationships, physical contact, counseling a firmer lover and use of gestures that are considered intimate. The second dual relationship is that which involve personal benefit in forms of monetary gains, emotional dependency and provision of goods and services (R.Pearson & Herlihy, 2013 ). In this context it is clear that each association has its take on dual relationship. Definitive guidance on these helps a counselor to make a wise decision on whether to join these associations or not. This is dictated by how severely the counselor feels oppressed or exploited because dual relationships can be beneficial or harmful in their relationships (R.Pearson & Herlihy, 2013 ). For instance, NAADAC clearly forbids sexual relations with current or former client .ACA on the other hand discourages non professional relations with close family member’s .This way a counselor stands a better chance to make an informed decision that he or she will be comfortable with and that will make it easier for him or her to work in a challenging environment (University, 2013). University, G. C. (2013, 01 05). Ethical,Legal and Professonal issues in Counseling. Retrieved 04 01, 2013, from Digital Resourses,eBooks:

Final project part two Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Final project part two - Essay Example Data gathered will be analyzed and use this to assessed the hypothesis and prototype design. To be able to present clearly our hypotheses and aim of the project a new methodology will be presented that will involved the assessment of the prototype design. This interim report will also include details of the prototype testing, recommendations for linking full data collection and analysis with the final hypotheses or showing the objectives, review and assessment of project aims, methodology used conclusions, and further work and revision of the original planning timescales and stages. The project aims to develop an online shopping that will satisfy the buyers. In the first part of this project our objective is to be able to present the pros and cons of on-line shopping. Thru this we will be able to encourage the user to use the system. The effectiveness and safety of on-line shopping is one of the objectives. The two important things that we need to consider are the satisfaction and the privacy of the users. This interim report will provide additional support on online shopping. Another objective of this project is to create an agent based framework that will better enable shoppers to experience shopping online in a real space. One advantage of traditional shopping is that there is someone who assists you during your tour in the mall. While in online shopping you will do all the work such as checking the specification of the items you need, the selection of the colour that fits your items and others that can be done for you by merchandisers and salesperson. The prototype design will make shopping as convenient, easy and enjoyable as possible by collaborating with the customers and salesperson or among customers. This will make online shopping experience similar in real shopping environment. Advantages of the Design One of the advantages of this design is that it will make interaction between merchants and purchasers and between clients and visitors easier. This design will help storeowners to improve sales by giving real-time customer support, assistance on sales, cross selling, promotion and individualized care, the mentioned services has been proven to be effective in increasing the sales. The design is chosen to be able to help not only the buyer but the merchants and businesses as well. Since online shopping involves some information about the buyer, the design prototype will ensure that the protocols on on-line shopping are being followed and the identity of the person will not be sold or given to others. An opportunity to model intelligent agent behaviour along existing ethical and legal forms by applying a form of representation not currently applied in most existing e-commerce agents systems. Background Project Description A multi-agent architecture for collaborative e-commerce applications is one of the objectives of this project; this will enable shoppers to enjoy the social shopping experience offline and that respects ethical and legal notions such as personal privacy and protection. Increasing the sale is one of major objectives of E-commerce, to make this possible the prototype design will include E-commerce recommenders. Since gathering information about the products on-line are too large a personalized and customized browser will help the buyer to choose the item that suite

Doesn't Matter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Doesn't Matter - Essay Example ly problematic world is the main purpose of the poet who skilfully illustrates the universal characteristic of the human condition in the modern world through the geographically, historically, and linguistically wide variety of cultural, literary, and spiritual settings. Thus, the poem attains a universal appeal and nature which mainly worked in favour of the piece which is now considered as the most effective touchstone of modern literature. The poet resorts to a complex method of incorporating culturally, geographically, historically, spiritually, and linguistically distinct settings to deal with the most complex theme of the modern world. The essential method used by Eliot in The Waste Land, according to Cleanth Brooks, is â€Å"the principle of complexity. The poet works in terms of surface parallelisms which in reality make ironical contrasts, and in terms of surface contrasts which in reality constitute parallelisms.† (Brooks) The employment of such a wide variety of set ting can be best comprehended as part of the poet’s specific method of illustrating the complex nature of the modern world through a complex method. In The Waste Land, Eliot concentrates on dealing with the primary theme of the modern world situation and the particular settings, images, and symbols used by the poet help him in this attempt. Rather than demonstrating the thinner side of the modern situation of the world, offering a single, unambiguous meaning to the poem, the poet provides opportunity for multiple interpretations and meanings. The various symbols, which are drawn from a variety of settings, correspond to the dramatized instances of the theme, exemplifying in their own nature the basic paradox of the theme. Therefore, the manifold settings and symbols of the poem help in the development of the basic themes of the poem. Eliot’s themes are drawn from the various ages, settings, and contexts, and, hence, the use of various settings enhances the appeal of the themes.

Managing Across Organizational & Cultural Boundaries Essay

Managing Across Organizational & Cultural Boundaries - Essay Example One of the perspectives of power that Wal-Mart will use in dealing with the suppliers is the use of zero tolerance where all undesirable practices like subcontracting will be imposed to severe penalties without the company knowledge (Fishman, 2006). The penalties will start to be effective on March again all the companies that are not allowed to manufacture and supply clothes to Wal-Mart will be published on the website explaining that the company is not genuine. The second perspective is accountability and ownership of the supplier who must be certified to make sure that they are going to be accountable of what they are going to supply to Wal-Mart (Stern, 1969). The reason why Wal-Mart need accountability and ownership to a specific country is to ensure that compliance will be achieved making sure that third party agents are eliminated in the supply chain. Wal-Mart is open to any supplier who can supply clothing without subcontracting or use of third party agents who normally supply brands at expensive price as compared to those companies that are ordered to supply brands to Wal-Mart. Another perspective of power that Wal-Mart will consider is improved safety in the factories, for example, the suppliers from United States and Canada will have to meet so that the new policy change of improved safety can be deliberated upon (Buzzell, 1987). The local governments and suppliers will have to carry the safety precaution and measures need to boost factory safety. The reason is because employees in the factories are experiencing death that emanate from poor conditions from the factories and thus the reason as to why Wal-Mart is restricting the suppliers from subcontracting their orders. The expectation of Wal-Mart is that the known factory that have been given the orders will be the only one who will supply brands without involving third party agents who do not provide high quality clothing and within the stipulated time. One of the sources of power in Wal-Mart

Are Human Activities Contributing to Climate Change Research Paper

Are Human Activities Contributing to Climate Change - Research Paper Example Since then, man has been moving forward in terms of technological advancement but overlooking the damages it is causing to the Earth’s atmosphere. The greenhouse gases, which occur naturally, absorb the thermal infrared and warm the Earth’s temperature by 63 degrees Fahrenheit. This whole process is known as the Greenhouse Effect. The main greenhouse gases that are present in the Earth’s atmosphere are carbon dioxide, water vapour, methane, nitrous oxide and the ozone. (Maslin, 2007) Carbon dioxide and other green house gases such as methane are added to the earth’s atmosphere by the burning of fossil fuels. Previously, the carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere were in balance but today, human activities are releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere at an increasingly high level. The earth’s vegetation has not been able to take in and absorb the excess of carbon dioxide and thus, the atmospheric level of CO2 has increased. Fossil fuels are burnt to create energy for humans in the form of heat, electricity and gas. Apart from making our lives easier, it has also emitted enough carbon dioxide into the atmosphere to cause climate changes. Through the Earth’s natural cycle, large amounts of carbon dioxide are released in and out of the atmosphere annually and so the CO2 levels remained in balance throughout. However; scientists have confirmed that human activities add around 7 billion tonnes of CO2 into the earth’s atmosphere which ends up upsetting the balance. According to research, the trees and the oceans only absorb half of the carbon dioxide present in the atmosphere. The remainder stays in our environment for as long as 100 years. Carbon dioxide is created from fossil fuels through the form of heat and gas. It is also released in natural processes like decay of organic matter. Apart from that, trees release CO2 into the atmosphere but due to deforestation, the absorption of this gas has

Socrates said,The unexamined life is not worth living What did he mean Essay

Socrates said,The unexamined life is not worth living What did he mean - Essay Example 2). In Billy Eliot, the main character, Billy seems to live an unexamined life in terms of manifesting ambivalence in pursuing his dream. With his father restricting him to become a ballet dancer, his life exemplifies that led by Socrates: being prevented from exploring and maximizing his potentials to make it worth living. Again, from the film, one character that definitely examined her life and regarded it then as worth living was Mrs. Wilkinson, the ballet teacher. Her character was determined and strong as she knew that teaching ballet was the career for her. Likewise, she recognized the predicament that Billy was in and was therefore determined to give her support to make Billy realize the need to examine his life in terms of pursuing what he really wants and not what his father wants for him. Works Cited Mathoda.com. Philosophers are wrong to state the unexamined life is not worth living. 27 April 2008. Web. 30 June 2011 .

Products and services of the organization Essay Example for Free

Products and services of the organization Essay Talent Acquisition Integrated Project Solutions Upon winning a tender our recruitment team in the region is given a list of requirements from the client which they then have to fill within a given time frame. It is also done through recruitment campaigns is one specific nationality is needed for a project. Global Mobility This is a service that we provide for all placed candidates who are travelling abroad for an assignment which involved on and off boarding support, visa, flights and housing arrangements Identification of Main Customers There are two types of customers that the company serves, those who are looking for workforce (the companies) and those who are looking for employment (the individuals). It is not possible to distinguish the percentage of who the company is more focused on as it varies on the region. What differentiates them is that the Clients that looking for workforce either request our company to be used as the resource through a recommendation or through a tendering process. On the other hand the individuals that approach our business while looking for new opportunities mostly use the website as a platform for searching and applying for employment which is then saved on our data base for future reference and use. 3. The companies’ mission and vision is as follows: The above describe the companies’ overall goal that all its branches are working towards on an annual basis. Those vary depending on the region due to different obstacles, structures or legislation surrounding it. Within the Middle East the main short to medium term objectives is to ensure that the existing relationships that have been established over the years remain undisturbed by this such as low quality of work and untimely delivery of work gained through tenders. This is achieved by employing the right people on the right positions to ensure that what has been built overtime won’t be damaged through wrong communication channels. Moreover the company needs to explore possibly needed adjustments in its operations to be able to work  with companies that work on smaller projects besides those which are government driven or large privately run entities. Finally, the company needs to explore and establish whether it is worth expanding into different. Industries within the region due to the growth within Rail and Construction sectors, considering a lot of competition from abroad this needs extensive analysis and research. 4. An analysis of minimum 4 external factors and their impact on the business activities of the organization. Political This factor within the ME Region is very influential. Due to ongoing conflicts in Iraq our consultants have to go through extensive training in case of emergencies such as wars which not only includes very high rotational/ demobilization costs but also involves a number of measures that the company had to incorporate and take into account while setting up the entity in high risk location which are: a separate emergency phone line, a 24/7 emergency contact, amendments to existing employee contacts which do not consider political conflicts; safe transportation, security guards and special camp accommodation which comes at a very high price The economy in the middle east is very good, however it is only accessible to those who have the right contacts and relationships. Also it is very strongly affected by politics. Western Companies have to go through a very lengthy process of registration which requires wasta not only at the beginning but also for certain regular activities which slows down a lot of processes which in h West wouldn’t be an issue. Arab culture is very strong and rules the legislation and all processes and procedures within workplaces in the Region. Introducing the process of nationalisation has had a great influence on all companies operating in the region as a quota on nationals has to be employed by every company which meant that current employees had to be replaced with locals who unfortunately often aren’t keen to work, which creates a lot of issues in the workplace. While expanding in the ME Region the company had tapped into the Caspian Region a few years ago and set up 3 offices in Kazakhstan. However business development and tenders were a struggle due to very common bribery and corruption methods in doing business in this region. AS this is against the companies’ Code of Business Conduct the Board is now considering to sell the business within that region, as it is impossible to develop without breaking the company codes. 5. Structure of the organization The company structure within the ME region is Functional due to the business need. Each of the departments and all employees have a specific role and function that contributes towards the entire region functioning properly Activity B 12 Organizational Strategy The companies’ overall Regional Strategy is focused on growth and development in existing and new locations. This means that all delivery managers are focused on bringing in numbers and new business to ensure high profits which equals meeting their KPIs. This relays to all other departments which like recruiters are pressured to provide the highest level of service and ensure the business’s regular growth. The HR department is there to: Ensure that all incoming business which requires new staff or increased workload for existing staff is worth the effort – preparing PL Reports Ensuring that all departments are equally rewarded, not just the recruiters that are given regular bonuses for placements made. Initiatives for the finance and GM department have been developed. Policies and procedures have been developed to ensure that all employees who join or are currently working for the company adhere to the same standards and are treated equally. All of the above mentioned directly or indirectly ensure staff retention. Supporting manager and staff contribution to the overall success of the business Conflict and Dispute solving -When a conflict arises HR is there to be the mediator and the person that is objective towards both sides. The HR helps to solve the problem without involvement of personal opinions of either of the sides. Conflicts often grow to an extent where other departments get involved and it becomes a personal issue rather than a small work issues that absorbs everyone. This is very unhealthy as it absorbs time and energy of the entire team or within an office where it could be used for positive actions and development. HR is there to ensure that misunderstandings do not grow on such scale and help the teams refocus on their goals as well s the common aim of the office or the region that every employee is working towards. This is crucial to the business because a team that doesn’t work well together will never produce results which will mirro their full potential. Performance Management – HR Provides the platform, tools and expertise to ensure that each employee is assessed on a regular basis and has a chance to express and discuss any problems or issues that they might be facing. It also provides written proof for the managers when it comes to promotions and pay rises at the end of the year. It also provides a source of analysis for training needs and employee development plans which are used during budget setting time. Appraisals, even though for many managers seem like a chore are a very important part of the businesses success. Even when a team doesn’t meet on a regular basis to discuss any issues, the assessment time is when real performers and those who clearly underperform are identified. Having detailed written reviews help to distinguish whether a staff member is worth investing in and having his employment continued or whether he should be let go of at early stages – within the first 3 months when the probation period is over. Without the HR department prompting the managers to complete those above described assessments, the managers often do not realize the lack of someone’s potential until crucial, often costly mistakes are made. Guidance in terms of employee legislation As the legislation in the region changes on a regular basis, it is important that HR has the information and relays it to all employees, and also acts as  the person that is informed of any immigration or legal changes. It is crucial to the business that all laws are followed to avoid any issues not only with employees in case of disputes but also with governmental bodies such as immigration or the Municipality. Following those rules in any country can be a deciding factor during an internal or external audit and ensure that the business can continue trading rather than being fined or even closed down for not adhering to the rules and regulations. Fair treatment of employees To ensure fair treatment of employees and to avoid favouritism, policies procedures and guidelines are developed. All employees are bound by the same rules which create guidelines for their day to day behaviours and actions which if broken and referred to during disciplinary or performance assessment meetings. Having rules in place is crucial to the business as it avoids unnecessary conflicts and issues as well as helps employees to understand and follow the company culture which is reflected within its rules.

Proposed Roadmap for Cloud Adoption

Proposed Roadmap for Cloud Adoption 1. Chapter 8: Case Study based on the roadmap 1.1. Introduction This chapter focuses on the case study done by a privately owned company based in India. They were willing to adopt cloud for their IT Department. The proposed roadmap is being tested for the process they followed for the cloud adoption. This was done to know the significance of the proposed steps to be followed using the existing SDLC in chapter 6.The feedback is given by the team who worked on the proposed roadmap. The names have been kept anonymous for the confidentiality issues. 1.2. Project background The company who agreed to test the proposed system is a privately owned company with employee strength of 200-250 employees. The company deals in health care industry. The company is in a process of reshaping IT infrastructure and on its way of developing a cloud solution for the same. The reason for adopting cloud is the benefit it gives. It includes performance appraisal, resource utilization and scalable processes. The company wants to utilize the existing employee IT skills and resources. The company intends to do it by collaborating with the cloud service provider and customizing the cloud solution. It also intends to follow the different steps of the process to make sure that the requirement is met. 1.3. Framework walkthrough The roadmap is designed keeping in mind the challenges and best practices that are used while the cloud adoption of the project. It is believed that any project undertaking this roadmap with the highest score is more likely to succeed. The efficiency of the roadmap is tested based on a questionnaire designed for the different levels of process. The company will follow the steps of SDLC designed and customized especially for cloud adoption process given in Chapter 6. The five individual steps will have different set of questions. The IT manager will mark the question based on the importance of outcome by following the particular step in the entire process. Table 8.1 to 8.5 will represent the question for each stage. It will also contain the marks for each question. Table 8.6 will have the have the total marks for every stage based on the marking in table 8.1 to 8.5. Each phase has certain question that needs to be marked on a scale of 1-5 where 1 is least favorable and 5 a strongly favorable response. Each question is given weights (0.0-1) that are basically decided by the project team based on the nature of the project. The score for each question is then multiplied by weight given to it. The total of all the questions individual to each phase is done and then overall score adding the score of all the phases are done. The adding up of all the score adheres to the overall score of the project. The overall score represented how well the project adhered to the framework. Table 8.2: The questionnaire for the analysis phase Observation and comments for analysis phase: The successful implementation of the cloud adoption has made it a mandate step to do an intensive analysis and requirement gathering documentation. It is made a very necessary step as the process of cloud adoption is all in its early birth stages. The analysis phase requires the organization to closely analyze the future impact of cloud adoption on culture, politics, finances, procurement and in line work processes. Table 8.2: The questionnaire for the planning phase Observation and comments for planning phase: The use of standard tools and techniques based on organization’s standardizing tools for the planning phase was important. This helped to plan the right use of existing systems for the migration to cloud. The organizations benchmarks also helped to plan the performance standards for the systems that were moving on cloud. Based on the right planning it is also easy to chose appropriate cloud service provider. Table 8.3: The questionnaire for the design phase Observation and comments for design phase: This phase is majorly important in negotiating on the terms and conditions on the issues that were identified in the previous two phases that is analysis and planning. It is also realized that successes of design phase in entirely dependent on how efficiently the previous two phases are done. In other words design is basically a result of proper planning and analysis. Table 8.4: The questionnaire for the implementation phase Observation and comments for implementation phase: This is the phase where the actual movement of the application takes place to the cloud. This phase also deals with the end user participation and also the critical evaluation of the data involved. It was also found that the participation of the end users helps to address all the issues related to the new changes in the system. It helps to address the socio technical changes in the organization. Table 8.5: The questionnaire for the maintenance phase Observation and comments for maintenance phase: The phase basically makes sure the after implementation support that serves as a very critical indicator towards the success of cloud adoption. This phase is also important as this phase requires the team to address the best practices and also to document the lesson learned during the entire system development life cycle. This documentation serves as a building block for the future assignments. Table 8.6: Project phase totals It was observes that the analysis phase is the backbone of the entire project. It also serves as the building block of trust and understanding between the customer and the cloud vendor. The use of analysis phase as a part of SDLC was a positive point as the SDLC tool is familiar with mostly all the business managers. It also helps in selecting the appropriate infrastructure needed and the provider to provide them. The planning was observed as the most important and embarking step for the entire project. This is perceived as the most crucial step as this step interprets the result of analysis phase into the plan needed for design and then implementation phase. The design phase is successful only when the analysis and planning phase is done correctly. It is basically act as a result of the two previous phases. The implementation phase is the stage where all the issues are addressed related to social technical changes, resistance to change that occurs due to the result of the entire clo ud adoption. The last step of the maintenance acts as an additional advantage as this step provides the user support and monitoring control. This also serves as the important indicator towards the take off of the project. It also helps to improve for next coming projects as these steps requires the team to do the lesson learnt documentation and revive of all the best practices that were followed. 1.4. Conclusion A walkthrough of a case study is presented in this chapter. It was basically an illustration of how the proposed roadmap can be used in a cloud adoption project. It illustrates that how this proposed framework that can be used for a project. The each phase had questions to be answered by the project team using the framework. The individual phase had total score and that adds to the overall score to the project. The overall score represented how well the project adhered to the framework.

Impact of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in India

Impact of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in India Abstract NGO’s have grown in number over the past years in India and has been an important factor that has an impact on business, government and society. NGO’s work directly or indirectly with companies to ensure proper corporate behaviour especially when it has an impact on the society and environment. NGO’s have become an important stakeholder in business activities, government decisions by playing an important role in pointing out the shortcomings of government and Multi national corporations. The visibility of NGO’s has increased throughout the years. Many corporations are partnering with NGO’s to carry out their Corporate social responsibility related activities. So this paper aims at measuring the impact of NGO’s on Business, government and society through certain indicators and case study . Literature Review Hansen and Spitzeck.H (2010) in their paper â€Å"Stakeholder governance:An analysis of BITC Corporate responsibility index â€Å" have found that over the years NGO’s have become an integral stakeholder of a multinational corporation. Companies are partnering with NGO’s in order to address social and community needs . LaFrance and Lehmann(2005) in their paper â€Å"Corporate-Awakening why some corporations engage in Public –Private partnership† have found that the important factors why companies engage in CSR activities are to improve the community as a whole and companies provide the necessary finance , the NGO’s ensure that the right amount reaches the right people. Hess and Warren (2008) in their paper have indicated that it is important that both the company and the society benefits from CSR activities. This is on the impact of NGO’S on the business and society front. The impact of NGO’s on the functioning of the government has also increased over the years. Inger Ull in his paper â€Å"The role and impact of NGO’S in capacity development â€Å" found that NGOs have become the main service providers in functions where government lacks efficiency and over the years NGO’s have moved a step ahead from a mere â€Å"gap filling â€Å" role to a capacity building role. So this paper aims at answering the research question â€Å"In India are the NGO’s able to play a significant role in CSR activities of a company and inturn help in the transformation of the society â€Å" and â€Å" Is the government in India shunting the role of NGO’s in improving the society ?†. Method The research methodology is a case study based approach in which Procter and Gamble’s Shiksha program is taken to study how NGO’s and companies can work in a collaborative manner to bring about a change in the society. The case of Karnataka is taken to discuss the relationship between NGO’S and the government . Case Discussion CSR ACTIVITIES IN INDIA A 2011 KPMG report showed that of 100 earning companies in India only 16% of the companies have a proper CSR strategy . Even after the 2009 rule that all companies must set aside atleast 2% for CSR activities many companies struggle in putting that to use. This is mainly because companies often lack expertise on how to manage these funds. This brings a wide range of opportunities for NGO’s to step in . Major companies are relying on NGO’s to manage the CSR activities. One of the companies that has successful CSR activity in collaboration with NGO’s is Procter and Gamble through their Shiksha program PG’s CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY PROGRAM IN INDIA PG’s flagship CSR program is the shiksha program which was started in 2005 when PG found that education is the sector in which consumers were willing to contribute in their own little way. Shiksha enable consumers to contribute for education of under-privileged children through simple brand choices. Since inception Shiksha has gathered close to around 22 crores for helping children for a better education. The major pillars that help PG in this endeavor are the consumers and the NGO’s with which PG has partnered with. It has partnered with NGO’s like Save the children India, Army wives welfare association, Round Table India etc where these NGO’s help in building infrastructure, lay emphasis on education of girl child and differently abled children . Through this program PG along with the NGO’s have built SHIKSHA schools which gives children proper health and hygiene facilities at schools such as clean drinking water, advanced educational aids for chi ldren such as libraries and computer centres. Shiksha has also evolved into a national consumer movement with support from media, employees , consumers and celebrities . IMPACT ON THE SOCIETY The shiksha program now reaches around 385,000 children in across 200 schools in India. It has provided children with various facilities like digital library and schemes like mid-day meal and parivartan. In 2012 PG’s initiative brought about distance learning program at Government High schools through which children had access to listen to experts from various parts of the country. PG also partnered with IBTADA an NGO to adopt a girls high school in Rajasthan to encourage education of girl child. PG’s key partner a NGO called Round Table India, takes care of the maintenance and running of the RTI Shiksha schools . With the Motto of â€Å"Padhega India Toh Badhega India† PG believes that secret of brighter India lies in the future generation attaining good quality education. Through this program PG commits a minimum donation of 1 Crore every year. IMPACT ON BUSINESS CSR activities at PG had not only benefited the society , it has benefited the business activities of PG too. The shiksha program became a huge movement which was endorsed by top notch celebrities . This has increased the brand image of PG products among consumers. Moreover by making the consumers also contributors to their CSR program , PG has made the consumers also their major partners in the CSR activities and gives them the sense of giving back to the society by buying PG products. All this wouldn’t have been possible without proper partners who can make use of the funds appropriately and ensure that the money reaches the right hands. So major credit for the success of this program is owed to the NGO’s who ensure that all activities take place in a smooth manner. Therefore NGO’s indirectly contribute to the growth of a company by helping companies manage the CSR activities. Therefore from the above example of PG we can conclude that a collaboration between a company and NGO can have a significant impact on the business and society. IMPACT OF NGO’S ON GOVERNMENT Over the years NGO’s have become an integral part of the society they have become the main service providers in areas where government fails to achieve. They not only play the role of gap filling but they also help in capacity building . Unless government and NGO’s partner with each other capacity building initiatives will not be successful. But does the government in India really support NGO activities is a big question mark. Inorder to answer the question the case of relationship between government and NGO’s in Karnataka is taken. IMPACT OF NGO IN KARNATAKA In India there can be observed a pattern in the relationship between state and NGO’s pre independence NGO’s where silent partners . Post independence the relationship became antagonistic. The state sought to control the NGO’s by posing many restrictions and regulations. But in the present India most of the states work in a collaborative manner with NGO’s and the NGO’s have also become highly professionalized. Karnataka was one of the states which has an active collaboration with NGO’s. Karnataka has a fair amount of voluntary groups and they are majorly rural oriented NGO’s. One major factor for NGO development in Karnataka is the devolution of powers within the panchayathi raj. Decentralization of power makes the relationship between the government and NGO’s easier. The NGO’s in Karnataka are mostly rural oriented NGO’s but apart from these there are NGO’s who emphasize on growing importance on the alliance between the state and NGO’s . In 1990 when Infrastructure was lacking in bangalore CIVIC was started to address the issue of rapidly decaying infrastructure in Bangalore and to pressurize the government in taking necessary steps. Today Bangalore is one of the cities that has best infrastructure. Karnataka also has a strong formal networks which helps NGO’s to express solidarity, share experiences and help in identifying developmental problems. Another important factor that has helped in the collaboration of NGO’s and the state is the establishment of point of contacts. The government of Karnataka regulates and funds NGO’s . The government has also taken initiatives in setting up NGO’s or supporting existing NGO’s . An example of this is the establishment of MYRADA inorder to resettle Tibetean stay homes. The government of Karnataka has also attempted to establish institutional channels for communication with the NGO’s. In 1984 it set up a forum that consisted of NGO representatives and government heads and it was chaired by the development commissioner . This forum meets atleast twice a year inorder to discuss developmental problems and to resolve the procedural problems between the government and NGO’s . This has facilitated a better relationship between the two parties. Today Karnataka is one of the states that has active voluntary groups and the number has increased year on year. From the above case we can conclude that if NGO’s work in collaboration with the government they can have a huge impact on the government and the society Conclusion The number of NGOs in India has increased over years and they play an important role in the society. NGO’s can also have a huge impact on business and government. Through CSR activities NGO’s help companies in manging their funds and ensure that the money allocated for CSR purpose reaches the right hands. With proper collaboration with governments NGOs not only do the role of gap filling but they also help in capacity building. Therefore NGO’s have a significant impact on business, government and society. References Allard, Gayle. The Influence of Government Policies and NGOs on Capturing Private Investment. Diss. Instituto De Empressa, 2008. Web Home. PGIndia.com Social Responsibility Programs in India: Team Building, Employee Engagement. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2014. Hansen, and Spitzeck. Stakeholder Governance:An Analysis of BITC Corporate Responsibility Index. N.p., n.d. Web Lafrance, and Lehmann. Corporate-Awakening Why Some Corporations Engage in Public –Private Partnership. (2010): n. pag. Web

Cherokee Indians :: essays research papers

Out of the many Indian tribes of the past, none have been more interesting as the Cherokee. This interesting tribe was brutally forced out of their native land during the â€Å"Trail of Tears.† Here is the story of these remarkable Indians and their legacy left in the United States today. The Cherokee’s believed earth was a floating island suspended by four cords in the sky, which was made of solid rock. Before the island was created everyone lived above the rock sky, where it was very crowded. The tribe leader sent down a water beetle to explore the vast sea beneath the sky. The beetle came to find no land, but it dived below the water and surfaced with mud that began to grow until it formed the island of earth. The water beetle eventually returned to the sky and the buzzard went down to see if the island was dry enough for the animals. While the buzzard was flying he became tired, and his wings began to hit the ground. Everywhere his wings struck earth, which was still soft, there was a valley, and when he lifted them he made a mountain. At last the earth was dry enough for plants and animals to come down from the sky. (The Cherokee, Perdue) The first people were Kana’ti and Selu. They had only one son until a mysterious child whom they called â€Å"w ild boy† sprang from the river where Selu had washed game. They tried to tame him but he remained mischievous. Kana’ti provided meat for the family. One day the two boys followed their father to see how he was such a skilled hunter. They watched him climb a mountainside where he moved a large rock and a fat buck ran out, which he eventually killed. Several days later the boys tried to imitate their father. They lifted the rock and a deer ran out, and got away. The boys left the hole where the buck ran out unattended, and eventually all the game that was hidden inside the hole escaped, which explains all the game of the world. (Cherokee History, Page 1 of 3) The Cherokee lived in villages that sometimes stretched for several miles along river banks. Each village had a council house (or town house) and a plaza where the villagers met to socialize, make political decisions, and conduct religious ceremonies. The council house was a very large circular building that sometimes sat atop an earthen mound.

The Effects of Political and Demographic Variables on Christian Coalition Scores :: Christianity Christian Religion Essays Research

The Effects of Political and Demographic Variables on Christian Coalition Scores One of the most interesting phenomena in American politics is the recent rise of the Christian right. First termed the "Moral Majority" by Jerry Falwell in the late 1970s, the Christian Right has undergone a name and a leader change. The Christian Coalition is currently led by Pat Robertson who seeks to continue much of the early work pioneered by the Moral Majority. The Moral Majority sought to reintroduce Christian principles into the political sphere. The Christian Coalition focuses on continuing these efforts in an attempt to reverse "the moral decay that threatens our great nation" (Christian Coalition, 1996). The purpose of this research is to measure the political and demographic variables on House representatives' frequency of voting with the Christian Coalition agenda. This is measured by the Christian Coalition's Congressional Scorecard as the percentage a representative supports the position held by the Coalition. The independent variables used in this research include: party affiliation of the representative, how the district voted in the 1988 presidential election, the percent minority in the district of voting age, percentage of district who had attended some college, and the median household income of the district. These are examined to analyze their independent and collective effect on the representative's frequency of supporting the Christian Coalition (CC) agenda. The following hypotheses are the expected empirical patterns based upon logic and conventional wisdom. It is expected that party affiliation will be a major factor in the frequency of a representative voting with the CC agenda, regardless of the non-partisan claim made by the CC organization. Specifically, if a representative were a Republican, she or he would vote more consistently with the CC agenda than a Democrat. Additionally, it is hypothesized that the greater a district's vote for Republican George Bush in the 1988 presidential election, the higher their representative's support for the CC agenda. This assumption is based on the belief that a Republican vote for president would generally translate into the election of a Republican or at the least, a conservative Democrat representative. With regard to the percent minorities in a district, it is hypothesized that because high concentrations of minorities tend to live in urban areas, which tend to receive a large portion of social services and entitlements, the elected representative would not vote in favor of the CC agenda which often seeks to limit federal spending in these areas.

The Outsiders Essay

The Outsiders Critical Lens Essay The quote in question is  Ã¢â‚¬Å"All good is destined to be defeated. †Ã‚  The quote means,  for every good guy,  there is a bad guy. For every hero,  there is a villain. Everyone who has ever tried to do something good has been destined to be stopped. The quote not only speaks for literature,  but for everything. If you look from now, all the way back to ancient times, you will see examples of this in many works of literature. The book The Outsiders is a good representation of the quote. I agree with the quote â€Å"All good is destined to be defeated†. I can’t think of any good that hasn’t had an attempt to be stopped. In the story The Outsiders there are many examples of good being defeated. When Johnny went into a burning building to save kids, he ended up getting killed. When Darry was trying to give Ponyboy a better life, he ended up forcing him to run away. When Ponyboy attempted to make friends with Cherry and Marsha, he was jumped by their boyfriends. These are just a few of examples from the story. I feel that the story The Outsiders really showcased the quote â€Å"All good is destined to be defeated. † It was a story of how fun loving greasers turned to cold blooded killers after a gang of socs continue to attack them with violence. The story builds up to a climax, where there are many nail biting things are happening simultaneously. Johnny kills Cherry’s boyfriend Bob, The greasers are preparing for a big rumble with the socs, and Ponyboy and Johnny run away The Outsiders Essay The Outsiders Critical Lens Essay The quote in question is  Ã¢â‚¬Å"All good is destined to be defeated. †Ã‚  The quote means,  for every good guy,  there is a bad guy. For every hero,  there is a villain. Everyone who has ever tried to do something good has been destined to be stopped. The quote not only speaks for literature,  but for everything. If you look from now, all the way back to ancient times, you will see examples of this in many works of literature. The book The Outsiders is a good representation of the quote. I agree with the quote â€Å"All good is destined to be defeated†. I can’t think of any good that hasn’t had an attempt to be stopped. In the story The Outsiders there are many examples of good being defeated. When Johnny went into a burning building to save kids, he ended up getting killed. When Darry was trying to give Ponyboy a better life, he ended up forcing him to run away. When Ponyboy attempted to make friends with Cherry and Marsha, he was jumped by their boyfriends. These are just a few of examples from the story. I feel that the story The Outsiders really showcased the quote â€Å"All good is destined to be defeated. † It was a story of how fun loving greasers turned to cold blooded killers after a gang of socs continue to attack them with violence. The story builds up to a climax, where there are many nail biting things are happening simultaneously. Johnny kills Cherry’s boyfriend Bob, The greasers are preparing for a big rumble with the socs, and Ponyboy and Johnny run away

Ex-Basketball Player Essay

Life is like a circus. It has cyclic patterns of ups and downs. People celebrate the ups and struggle with the downs. Sometimes people are happy and there are times when they are not. Sometimes they are lucky, sometimes not. What is important is people learn from life’s experiences and survive its challenges. John Updike’s poem, â€Å"Ex-Basketball Player† (Updike 1993) is a simple portrayal of a man who experienced the ups in his youth and settled with the fall. The poem confirms that a person’s future depends solely on himself and how he wants it to be. This paper discusses this thesis with a thorough analysis of the poem â€Å"Ex-Basketball Player† (Updike 1993) based on the elements theme, characters and style and with reference to the poet’s life and works. Background John Updike (1932-) wrote the poem â€Å"Ex-Basketball Player† in 1954. (J. H. Updike (1932-) 2004) It is among his works that were based on real life situations. Updike wrote other legendary novels and short stories as well. Among them, â€Å"Centaur† (J. H. Updike (1932-) 2004) in 1963 which used legends and myths to depict the life and relationship of a father and a son; â€Å"Rabbit is Rich and Rabbit at Rest† (J. H. Updike (1932-) 2004) both won Pulitzer Prize in the ‘80’s and were about the plagues in society or the AIDS in America. (J. H. Updike (1932-) 2004) Though Updike’s poems were not his carrier, Ex-Basketball Player became very popular especially to students and young athletes. According to the article Inside Game, it was even read widely during the recent NCAA finals, more popular than Shakespeare. (Inside Game) Updike’s comment was: I am surprised it still speaks to young readers, since much of the imagery—ESSO gas pumps, small-town garages, lemon phosphates, Nibs, and Juju Beads—has become obsolete. The garage I had in mind (also found in my early novel The Centaur) has long since become a Turkey Hill Minimarket. But perhaps the curve of adolescent success and adult disappointment is still with us, and Flick’s failure to produce a second act in his life’s drama worthy of the first is still a useful American metaphor. (Inside Game) Indeed, the setting and the mood of the poem projects the era of the blue jeans, like that of the Westside Story where most teenagers work as gasoline boys or automotive repairmen. Updike also likened the poem to â€Å"Rabbit, Run† (Inside Game) and his short story â€Å"Ace in the Hole† (Inside Game) which were both written in the ‘50’s. All of these were influenced by the author’s life in Pennsylvania when he was growing up. He said that he used to watch a lot of basketball games because his father was a high school teacher and a ticket taker. These experiences made strong impression to him; â€Å"the glory of home-town athletic stars and their often anti-climactic post-graduation careers†. (Inside Game)

A Gathering Of Old Men: Importance Of Standing Up For Oneself

â€Å"If you fell down yesterday, stand up today†. This quote by H. G. Wells is seen in the novel A Gathering of Old Men. The novel, taking place in the 1970s, was in a time in which African-Americans still suffered heavy discrimination. After years of taking this abuse, when an incident comes in which a white man lays dead at the hands of a black man, which would eventually call for a lynching, the discriminated unite. They show that despite their tortured past, they still possess their bravery, power, and pride.This dramatic novel by Ernest J. Gaines, A Gathering of Old Men, written in a critical tone employs the use of characterization, flashbacks, and symbolism to express the theme that there comes a time one must stand up for him or herself. In the book, a character named Mathu is one who does not falter in up keeping his pride. From the very beginning, he never let anyone insult him because of his African-American heritage. He always stands up for himself, even facing a white man, and never faltered, even when he was sent to jail.Because of this attitude, Mathu was respected even by some white men like Mapes who â€Å"knowed Mathu had never backed down from anybody, either. Maybe that’s why he liked him† (Gaines 84). Mathu was like a strong rock, the attempts of others at making him submit were but pebbles against his overpowering pride and dignity. A character that Mathu attempted to instill some lessons on becoming a man was Charlie. Charlie, despite his mild character was a large man towering at 6feet 7inches and weighing 275 pounds.Beau Boutan, Charlie’s boss and some others often ridiculed him with names like â€Å"Big Charlie† and â€Å"nigger boy† because of his mild character (Gaines 187). Charlie however, after observing Mathu’s strong pride and refusal to let anyone step over that pride, eventually gained some courage to stand up for himself. After he killed Beau and ran away, he came back and was ready to atone for his deed. Gaines used this event in the novel to show that even though people might be insulted and beat down, they can still gain enough courage to stand up for themselves.When Charlie did stand up for himself, and became, in his eyes, a man, that eventually led to his death. Gaines’s killing off of Charlie after he started standing up for himself was alluding to the idea that when people make a stand, they must be careful not to overdo it, like Charlie did, or there might be unfavorable results. Another character of interest is Candy. Candy is the owner of the place in which all the men gather, and the organizer of the gathering. At first, Candy seems to be genuinely worried about the people in Marshall, saying â€Å"’No I won’t let them harm my people’†¦ ‘I will protect my people.’† (Gaines 19).However, as the story progresses Gaines shows that Candy’s motives may not have been as good-natured as firs tly suggested. It’s eventually revealed she does not care much for the other men gathered in Mathu’s yard, but only for Mathu himself. While she showed little emotion when the other men were called up to Mapes and hit, she was quick to react when Mathu was called. Gaines also showed Candy’s true nature in the event when Clatoo wanted to talk to the men inside Mathu’s house, without Candy.At this point, Candy threatened to have all the men who followed Clatoo kicked out of the Marshall place, their only home. Gaines portrayed Candy in this way to show in this time, the idea of oppressing people still existed in the minds of even those who seemed good-natured. Finally, Gaines creates a complex character out of Mapes. Mapes is a character who experiences a change during the story. When he first arrives at the site of Beau’s death, and the gathering of the old men, he acts with the same mindset of the Cajuns in that time.His first response to the scene is violence. He attempts to gain information from the old men by hitting them. Eventually, when he realizes violence will produce no results, he lets them tell their stories. The prominent change in Mapes is shown at the time Luke Will and his crew arrive with the intent of hanging Beau’s killer. Mapes attempts to protect Charlie and the rest of the men, saying â€Å"’Go home, Luke Will’† after Luke Will demanded he hands Charlie over to him (Gaines 195).When Luke Will ignored Mapes and started a shoot out between his crew and the old men, Mapes resigned control of the situation to the old men and Charlie. Gaines used this to show that the mindset of people can change for the better. In the instance that Mapes trusted the old men and Charlie with the situation, he recognized them not as people of a lesser racer, but respectable and trustable men, showing that old men’s attempt at standing for themselves was able to change a man.Gaines also employs the use of flashbacks in the novel. The main role the flashbacks play is to show the hardships and discrimination the African-Americans faced in that time. When Uncle Billy, one of the old men who gathered to finally stand up for himself after many years, was asked by Mapes the sheriff his reason for killing Beau, as all the old men claimed to have killed Beau, he recalled an event that happened years before. â€Å"’What they did to my boy’†¦ ‘The way they beat him.They beat him till they beat him crazy†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã¢â‚¬  (Gaines 80). Gaines introduced this flashback to show the brutality suffered by the blacks at that time, and that it spared no one, not even a child. Another flashback was by Johnny Paul, who remembered back to a time when they had all lived as a community, till Beau and his tractor came to plow it all up. Johnny Paul was referring to this time when he confused Mapes by saying â€Å"’But you still don’t see. Yes, sir, wh at you see is the weeds, but you don’t see what we don’t see. ’† (Gaines 89).Johnny Paul was talking about how the weeds and rotting houses had replaced what was once a place of happiness, and brotherhood among the black families living there. Gaines uses this flashback to show what was taken from the African-Americans in the novel, to better explain their need to stand up for themselves. Tucker, one of the old men, goes into a flashback of his own. He remembers a time his brother and two mules, beat a white man and a tractor. The white man and his friends however said Tucker’s brother had cheated, and beat him with canes.Gaines adds this flashback to portray the obvious distinction between whites and blacks in that time. African-Americans were thought to be less of people than the Cajuns, so for this lesser person, Tucker’s brother Silas, to beat the supposedly superior white man was unthinkable. Like Tucker said, â€Å"’†¦and b ecause he didn’t lose like a nigger is supposed to lose, they beat him’† (Gaines 97). In that situation a scared Tucker didn’t stand up for his brother, and they beat him to his death.Gaines uses this flashback to show the results of the old men being walked over by the Cajuns, and doing nothing about it. Gable also reminisces about his unfortunate past. He remembers the Cajuns sentencing his sixteen year old son to the electric chair, â€Å"on the word of a poor white trash† (Gaines 101). He remembers the indifference the Cajuns displayed in killing his son, watching his death, and leaving as though it was a â€Å"card game† (102). Through this flashback, Gaines shows again how the cruelty of the Cajuns didn’t spare any ages.He also shows how little the word of a black man counted over that of a white man or woman. When his son was being sent to electric chair, Gable couldn’t do anything but beg the Cajuns. Gaines then ties thi s back to the importance of the men standing up to their tormentors, hinting such events could possibly have been avoided if they had stood up to their oppressors. Finally, Gaines utilizes symbolism in his novel to express the theme. Throughout the novel, a constant symbol that repeatedly came up was the tractor.The tractor was what Beau Boutan was riding when he came after Charlie. The tractor was also what drove many of the African-Americans on the plantation out of work and away from their homes. Finally, the tractor was what the Cajun, Felix Boutan, rode when he was beat by Tucker’s brother, Silas, which led to Silas being beat to death. The tractor symbolizes one of the main tortures of the African-American community in Marshall. It drove them out of work, drove them out of their homes, and eventually led to their death, in the case of Charlie and Silas.Gaines added the tractor and all it symbolized to be another motivator to the old men to make a stand. Another symbol w as the shotguns that the old men had. The shotguns’ empty shells in the beginning symbolized the weakness and ineffectiveness the old men had at the start of the story. In letting themselves to be walked over, and offering no resistance, they were as useless as the shotguns with empty shells they held in their hands. However, as the story progressed, when it came time to fight, the men had fully loaded shells and were ready for war.This symbolizes the change they went through. From being old useless men with no impact, they were able to make a difference, and have an impact. By standing up for themselves, they displayed their power and pride, which eventually even affected Luke Will, who â€Å"looked worried, real worried† when he realized their conviction (Gaines 205). Concluding, with the use of characterization, flashbacks, and symbolism, Ernest J. Gaines expressed the theme that there comes a time one must stand up for him or herself throughout the book.This theme was expressed through the characters Mathu, who always stood up for himself, Charlie, who learned to, and Candy and Mapes who were characters that were a motivator to the old men standing up for themselves. Gaines used the flashbacks to better portray the importance of the African-Americans in the area standing up for themselves, and he used symbolism to show one of the major torments of the people, and the change the old men went through. By standing up for themselves, the old men not only displayed their power and pride, but also seized hold of their future for themselves and their generations to come. A Gathering of Old Men: Importance of standing up for oneself â€Å"If you fell down yesterday, stand up today†. This quote by H. G. Wells is seen in the novel A Gathering of Old Men. The novel, taking place in the 1970s, was in a time in which African-Americans still suffered heavy discrimination. After years of taking this abuse, when an incident comes in which a white man lays dead at the hands of a black man, which would eventually call for a lynching, the discriminated unite. They show that despite their tortured past, they still possess their bravery, power, and pride.This dramatic novel by Ernest J. Gaines, A Gathering of Old Men, written in a critical tone employs the use of characterization, flashbacks, and symbolism to express the theme that there comes a time one must stand up for him or herself. In the book, a character named Mathu is one who does not falter in up keeping his pride. From the very beginning, he never let anyone insult him because of his African-American heritage. He always stands up for himself, even facing a white man, and never faltered, even when he was sent to jail.Because of this attitude, Mathu was respected even by some white men like Mapes who â€Å"knowed Mathu had never backed down from anybody, either. Maybe that’s why he liked him† (Gaines 84). Mathu was like a strong rock, the attempts of others at making him submit were but pebbles against his overpowering pride and dignity. A character that Mathu attempted to instill some lessons on becoming a man was Charlie. Charlie, despite his mild character was a large man towering at 6feet 7inches and weighing 275 pounds.Beau Boutan, Charlie’s boss and some others often ridiculed him with names like â€Å"Big Charlie† and â€Å"nigger boy† because of his mild character (Gaines 187). Charlie however, after observing Mathu’s strong pride and refusal to let anyone step over that pride, eventually gained some courage to stand up for himself. After he killed Beau and ran away, he came back and was ready to atone for his deed. Gaines used this event in the novel to show that even though people might be insulted and beat down, they can still gain enough courage to stand up for themselves.When Charlie did stand up for himself, and became, in his eyes, a man, that eventually led to his death. Gaines’s killing off of Charlie after he started standing up for himself was alluding to the idea that when people make a stand, they must be careful not to overdo it, like Charlie did, or there might be unfavorable results. Another character of interest is Candy. Candy is the owner of the place in which all the men gather, and the organizer of the gathering. At first, Candy seems to be genuinely worried about the people in Marshall, saying â€Å"’No I won’t let them harm my people’†¦ ‘I will protect my people.’† (Gaines 19).However, as the story progresses Gaines shows that Candy’s motives may not have been as good-natured as firs tly suggested. It’s eventually revealed she does not care much for the other men gathered in Mathu’s yard, but only for Mathu himself. While she showed little emotion when the other men were called up to Mapes and hit, she was quick to react when Mathu was called. Gaines also showed Candy’s true nature in the event when Clatoo wanted to talk to the men inside Mathu’s house, without Candy.At this point, Candy threatened to have all the men who followed Clatoo kicked out of the Marshall place, their only home. Gaines portrayed Candy in this way to show in this time, the idea of oppressing people still existed in the minds of even those who seemed good-natured. Finally, Gaines creates a complex character out of Mapes. Mapes is a character who experiences a change during the story. When he first arrives at the site of Beau’s death, and the gathering of the old men, he acts with the same mindset of the Cajuns in that time.His first response to the scene is violence. He attempts to gain information from the old men by hitting them. Eventually, when he realizes violence will produce no results, he lets them tell their stories. The prominent change in Mapes is shown at the time Luke Will and his crew arrive with the intent of hanging Beau’s killer. Mapes attempts to protect Charlie and the rest of the men, saying â€Å"’Go home, Luke Will’† after Luke Will demanded he hands Charlie over to him (Gaines 195).When Luke Will ignored Mapes and started a shoot out between his crew and the old men, Mapes resigned control of the situation to the old men and Charlie. Gaines used this to show that the mindset of people can change for the better. In the instance that Mapes trusted the old men and Charlie with the situation, he recognized them not as people of a lesser racer, but respectable and trustable men, showing that old men’s attempt at standing for themselves was able to change a man.Gaines also employs the use of flashbacks in the novel. The main role the flashbacks play is to show the hardships and discrimination the African-Americans faced in that time. When Uncle Billy, one of the old men who gathered to finally stand up for himself after many years, was asked by Mapes the sheriff his reason for killing Beau, as all the old men claimed to have killed Beau, he recalled an event that happened years before. â€Å"’What they did to my boy’†¦ ‘The way they beat him.They beat him till they beat him crazy†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã¢â‚¬  (Gaines 80). Gaines introduced this flashback to show the brutality suffered by the blacks at that time, and that it spared no one, not even a child. Another flashback was by Johnny Paul, who remembered back to a time when they had all lived as a community, till Beau and his tractor came to plow it all up. Johnny Paul was referring to this time when he confused Mapes by saying â€Å"’But you still don’t see. Yes, sir, wh at you see is the weeds, but you don’t see what we don’t see. ’† (Gaines 89).Johnny Paul was talking about how the weeds and rotting houses had replaced what was once a place of happiness, and brotherhood among the black families living there. Gaines uses this flashback to show what was taken from the African-Americans in the novel, to better explain their need to stand up for themselves. Tucker, one of the old men, goes into a flashback of his own. He remembers a time his brother and two mules, beat a white man and a tractor. The white man and his friends however said Tucker’s brother had cheated, and beat him with canes.Gaines adds this flashback to portray the obvious distinction between whites and blacks in that time. African-Americans were thought to be less of people than the Cajuns, so for this lesser person, Tucker’s brother Silas, to beat the supposedly superior white man was unthinkable. Like Tucker said, â€Å"’†¦and b ecause he didn’t lose like a nigger is supposed to lose, they beat him’† (Gaines 97). In that situation a scared Tucker didn’t stand up for his brother, and they beat him to his death.Gaines uses this flashback to show the results of the old men being walked over by the Cajuns, and doing nothing about it. Gable also reminisces about his unfortunate past. He remembers the Cajuns sentencing his sixteen year old son to the electric chair, â€Å"on the word of a poor white trash† (Gaines 101). He remembers the indifference the Cajuns displayed in killing his son, watching his death, and leaving as though it was a â€Å"card game† (102). Through this flashback, Gaines shows again how the cruelty of the Cajuns didn’t spare any ages.He also shows how little the word of a black man counted over that of a white man or woman. When his son was being sent to electric chair, Gable couldn’t do anything but beg the Cajuns. Gaines then ties thi s back to the importance of the men standing up to their tormentors, hinting such events could possibly have been avoided if they had stood up to their oppressors. Finally, Gaines utilizes symbolism in his novel to express the theme. Throughout the novel, a constant symbol that repeatedly came up was the tractor.The tractor was what Beau Boutan was riding when he came after Charlie. The tractor was also what drove many of the African-Americans on the plantation out of work and away from their homes. Finally, the tractor was what the Cajun, Felix Boutan, rode when he was beat by Tucker’s brother, Silas, which led to Silas being beat to death. The tractor symbolizes one of the main tortures of the African-American community in Marshall. It drove them out of work, drove them out of their homes, and eventually led to their death, in the case of Charlie and Silas.Gaines added the tractor and all it symbolized to be another motivator to the old men to make a stand. Another symbol w as the shotguns that the old men had. The shotguns’ empty shells in the beginning symbolized the weakness and ineffectiveness the old men had at the start of the story. In letting themselves to be walked over, and offering no resistance, they were as useless as the shotguns with empty shells they held in their hands. However, as the story progressed, when it came time to fight, the men had fully loaded shells and were ready for war.This symbolizes the change they went through. From being old useless men with no impact, they were able to make a difference, and have an impact. By standing up for themselves, they displayed their power and pride, which eventually even affected Luke Will, who â€Å"looked worried, real worried† when he realized their conviction (Gaines 205). Concluding, with the use of characterization, flashbacks, and symbolism, Ernest J. Gaines expressed the theme that there comes a time one must stand up for him or herself throughout the book.This theme was expressed through the characters Mathu, who always stood up for himself, Charlie, who learned to, and Candy and Mapes who were characters that were a motivator to the old men standing up for themselves. Gaines used the flashbacks to better portray the importance of the African-Americans in the area standing up for themselves, and he used symbolism to show one of the major torments of the people, and the change the old men went through. By standing up for themselves, the old men not only displayed their power and pride, but also seized hold of their future for themselves and their generations to come.