Saturday, January 25, 2020

Great Gatsby Research Paper

Great Gatsby Research Paper The Great Gatsby is a prime example of traditional American Literature. Explaining the life in one of the most roaring cities of the 1920s, New York, the novel is a great interpretation of American life in that time. Taking place during the story, there is an economic boom, coupled with the new American lifestyles being formed. Scott Fitzgerald, the author, shares many traits that can be found in both Gatsby and Carraway. Jay Gatsby is a very important and impressive character in the plot of the story, serving his role as the protagonist. Nick Carraway plays the role of the neutral party as he was influenced by his father to just remember that all the people in this world havent had the advantages that youve had. Daisy Buchanan, the wife of Tom and long lost lover of Gatsby, is the main source of foil in the novel. If The Great Gatsby is really a great American novel, then perhaps we will find evidence of the personalities and ideals that suit the era. In the 1920s things were evolving and there were many radical views. There was a sense of optimism and aspiration. People believed that they could be whoever they wanted to be, no matter how difficult it may be. For instance, Gatsby, he got to where he wanted by means of bootlegging. This is a prime example of the attitude the population had in the time. During the 1920s an economic boom was in progress. All over the country, people were having their American Dreams come true with little effort. The name Wolfshiem is a familiar name of the time, as he was involved in fixing the World Series of 1919. This sets the ideals that money can buy anything one desires. All of this fun and happiness soon comes to an end for the American People, with the stock market crash in 1929. Everyone lost the feelings of hedonism and materialism, and shifted into survival mode. F. Scott Fitzgerald is a character all to himself. He experienced the 1920s first hand, born September 24, 1896 as an only child. Like the character Gatsby in the novel, he went to school, dropped out, and went into the army. For grade school he attended St Paul Academy and Newman School. When it came time for college, he resided in Princeton, a very prestigious school of the time. Fitzgerald lived a life similar to that of his characters. He and his wife, Zelda, had the fun, rich parties with the illegal and expensive liquors coupled with lavishing entertainment. The party was over when Zelda was hospitalized for schizophrenia in Switzerland. From this moment on, Fitzgerald spiraled downward into personal depression. At the same time, the Great Depression of 1929 happened to be taking effect. With the aid of his long addiction of alcohol, he suddenly died of a heart attack on December 21, 1940. Jay Gatsby, also known as James Gatz, is the central title character of the novel. He is a young man from a rural city in North Dakota. Raised in poverty, he aspired to advance and become wealthy. Eventually, this goal of wealth was reached, but was ill-attained through illegal means such as bootlegging and trading in stolen securities. Everything Gatsby does is in one way, shape, or form, for daisy. After meeting her, he quickly fell into a deep love for her. This is when Daisy meets and marries Tom Buchanan. After this, Gatsby devotes his life to winning back Daisys love. Stopping at nothing, he buys his mansion on West Egg to be close to her, and throws parties every weekend, in an attempt to lure her back into his arms. Gatsby genuinely believed that he could relive the past. This was not so, and is realized with his murder. The narrator of the novel, Nick Carraway, is a temperamental man that plays a very major role in the novel while. He was born in a little Minnesota town in 1892, into a well maintained family. Education was very important in his family; he attended middle school and high school in the mid-west. After grade school, his parents sent him to Yale University. Just as all the other young men of the time, he was pulled into the war in 1917. Coming back from the war, he moved to New Yorks West Egg and rented a small house that was neighboring Gatsby. Nick is the cousin of Daisy, which enables him to be of assistance to Gatsby and play the middle man in the situation. His view of everyone is unbiased as he does not pass judgment. He is a very nice person, and just wants to help his friends to see the world they are living in. Known as the careless lover Daisy plays the center of corruption in the novel. She is from Louisville, Kentucky, and a second cousin of Nick Carraway. All she wants is love, as she cannot live without it, which is the main factor that caused her to marry Tom while Gatsby was in the war and attending oxford. Furthermore, Daisy is a lackadaisical character, as most of the women in the time. Having no regard to true feelings, she is very materialistic, as Tom bought her love with a $300,000 necklace. She has a daughter, named Pam. Treated as an afterthought; one can really see how shallow and un-affectionate Daisy can be. As said in Sparknotes, daisy represents the amoral values of the aristocratic East Egg set. There are many different ways to view The Great Gatsby, and views vary from crowd to crowd. For instance, men may critique the book as a good read and a good story, but some women may not like the roles that the women play in the novel. The book is a harsh reality for both sides. Most critics concur that The Great Gatsby is Fitzgeralds Crown Jewel. I believe that the book is a good read and a good example of life in the 1920s. The most relevant theme is the ideal of the American Dream. Fitzgerald does a good job at keeping the western and eastern influences in the character traits. There is definitely an underlying theme at work in this novel that gets it so much attention. I believe the underlying theme is the idea that America has been tainted by material possessions and riches. In conclusion, The Great Gatsby is a great book and there are many reasons for it. If The Great Gatsby is the Great American novel it is said to be, then the evidence is evident. Such as the character Daisy Buchanan, she is the walking representation of a careless lover and with her lackadaisical mood. A good example of her materialism is when she says, It makes me sad because Ive never seen such such beautiful shirts before. Nick Carraway, is the good man of the novel, he is trying to help people see the reality of things with his temperamental attitude. Jay Gatsby is a very mysterious man, who we dont learn much about till the end of the novel. He, being the titled character, is a man who will stop at nothing to get his desires. Scott Fitzgerald is much like the characters of Nick and Gatsby. Each character represents a side of Fitzgerald, one good and one partially corrupted. Taking place in the 1920s the novel does a good job of showing us what things were like in the Jazz Age. The movie is nothing like the book, as there are a lot more underlying plots and themes that are not expressed in movie. Therefore, I believe that The Great Gatsby is the greatest American Novell yet to be released.

Friday, January 17, 2020

Game Theory †21 flags winning strategy Essay

There were 21 flags and each player had the opportunity to remove 1,2, or 3 flags. The player that removes the last flags will be the winning team. By applying the backwards induction theory, think backwards in time and the optimal winning strategy is to leave the opponent player 4 flags by each step to remove the flags so that the remaining number is divisible by 4. The player that has the first attempt to remove the 1st flag will control the 100% of whole situation. This is the unbeatable strategy that will lead the whole situation by leaving the opponent player with a multiple of 4 flags. This apply when both player understand the trick of this 21 flags game. By leaving the opponent player with 20 flags at the first attempt, no matter how many flags the opponent player remove, the player that in control could then remove the flags and leave the opponent with 16 flags, then 12 flags, then 8 flags and finally 4 flags which forces the opponent in to a situation where no matter how many flags the opponent player remove, the in charge player will be able to take the last flag. The key of this game is the target number you arrange it so you leave your opponent player with. Then whatever amount of flags the opponent player take, you can remove the remaining 1 to 3 flags that sum up to 4. The first attempt to remove the 1st flag of this 21 flags game has the upper hand. However, if you lost the first attempt to remove this game, you better hope the opponent player do not know the trick of 21 flags. By this, you may still stand a chance to get back the control of this game by playing randomly to confuse the opponent player and try to get back the target number of 4. Unless the opponent understand well the strategy of this game else they most probably will go to make a mistake and allow you to control back the situation by getting back the situation where flags number able to be divide by 4 before ending the game.

Thursday, January 9, 2020

How the Qin Dynasty Unified Ancient China

The Qin dynasty surfaced during China’s Warring States period. This era spanned 250 years—475 B.C. to 221 B.C. During the Warring States period, the city-state kingdoms of ancient China’s Spring and Autumn period consolidated into larger territories. The feudal states fought each other for power during this era characterized by advances in military technology as well as education, thanks to the influences of Confucian philosophers. The Qin dynasty came to prominence as the new imperial dynasty (221-206/207 B.C.) after conquering rival kingdoms and when its first emperor, the absolute monarch Qin Shi Huang (Shi Huangdi or Shih Huang-ti) unified China. The Qin Empire, also known as Chin, is likely where the name China originates. The Qin dynasty’s government was Legalist, a doctrine developed by Han Fei (d. 233 B.C.) [source: Chinese History (Mark Bender at Ohio State University)]. That held the power of the state and its monarchs interests paramount. This policy led to a strain on the treasury and, ultimately, the end of the Qin dynasty. The Qin Empire has been described as creating a police state with the government holding absolute power. Private weapons were confiscated. Nobles were transported to the capital. But the Qin Dynasty also ushered in new ideas and inventions. It standardized weights, measures, coinage—the bronze round coin with a square hole in the center—writing and chariot axle widths. Writing was standardized to permit bureaucrats throughout the land to read documents. It may have been during the Qin Dynasty or late Han Dynasty that the zoetrope was invented. Using conscripted farm labor, the Great Wall (868 km) was built to keep out northern invaders. Emperor Qin Shi Huang sought immortality through a variety of elixirs. Ironically, some of these elixirs may have contributed to his death in 210 B.C. Upon his death, the emperor had ruled for 37 years. His tomb, close to the city of Xi’an, included an army of more than 6,000 life-size terracotta soldiers (or servants) to protect (or serve) him. The first Chinese emperor’s tomb remained undiscovered for 2,000 after years his death. Farmers unearthed the soldiers as they dug a well near Xi’an in 1974. â€Å"So far, archaeologists have uncovered a 20-square-mile compound, including some 8,000 terracotta soldiers, along with numerous horses and chariots, a pyramid mound marking the emperor’s tomb, remains of a palace, offices, storehouses, and stables,† according to the History Channel. â€Å"In addition to the large pit containing the 6,000 soldiers, a second pit was found with cavalry and infantry units and a third containing high-ranking officers and chariots. A fourth pit remained empty, suggesting that the burial pit was left unfinished at the time the emperor died.† Qin Shi Huang’s son would replace him, but the Han Dynasty overthrew and replaced the new emperor in 206 B.C. Pronunciation of Qin Chin Also Known As Chin Examples The Qin dynasty is known for the terracotta army put in the emperor’s tomb to serve him in the afterlife. Sources: Minnesota State University Qin DynastySarah Milledge Nelson, Brian M. Fagan, Adam Kessler, Julie M. Segraves China The Oxford Companion to Archaeology. Brian M. Fagan, ed., Oxford University Press 1996.Cultural China: Kaleidoscope Science and InventionHistory Channel: The Terra Cotta Army

Wednesday, January 1, 2020

The War Of The Great Depression - 1335 Words

The post 1945 period was an interesting time to live in America. It is during this period that the American dream became a reality for most Americans. Years of intensive wartime sacrifice were over and gone was the poverty borne out of the Great Depression. The American dream was being redefined and here stood a chance to own a house in your own land, a car and a dog. Families that had put on hold getting another child finally put away their worries and the country experienced a post war baby boom. Despite all the positives, it was also during this period that racial fears were ripe. This coupled with the desire to vacate the decaying cities is what prompted a huge number of white Americans to move to the suburbia area. Within a very short time, suburbs had become very popular and they created an illusion of a perfect traditional family. They became the latest glamorous countryside and every rich individual wanted to be part of this perfection. There was however difficulties that was experienced in the suburbs as a swelling population was experienced. The three novels White house, Revolutionary road and parts of Mrs. Browns The hours all show the plight of Suburban American both in comic and tragic lights. In Revolutionary road, there is possibly no other novel that perfectly captures the uneasiness of the middle class American Suburban Community in the post war period. The book shows what it is like to try and lead a revolutionary life in the American suburb. During theShow MoreRelatedThe War Of The Great Depression1019 Words   |  5 PagesWWI was a war that devastated millions. The causes of this war, and any war, are important to study because they greatly impact the future. Studying the war al lows the future generations to learn from mistakes. The nations that fought in the war include: Russia, Great Britain, France, and Austria-Hungary. The nations were affected by the cost of war, and the deaths. WWI launched the great depression. WWI started in 1914 and ended in 1918. The effects of the war had a tremendous affect on the nationsRead MoreWorld Wars And The Great Depression Essay1608 Words   |  7 Pagesthe scapegoats during times of crises and socioeconomic turmoil, validating the injustices performed against them. This strategy of garnering cooperation throughout the masses through prejudice allowed them to survive events such as the Great Depression, World Wars and insidious campaigns all while maintaining morale, but there has been overwhelming evidence that any type of nationalism, despite the intention, is detrimental. Unfortunately, in constituting love for one’s nation through hate, one wouldRead MoreWorld Wars And The Great Depression1262 Words   |  6 PagesI’m not alone. Millions of Americans have the same questions. So, what happened? Were so many of our families separated in the westward expansion that we lost our connections to the past? Were families in such crisis during the World Wars or the Great Depression that mere survival was their only focus? Was there a generation that just wanted to forget the past? Was it the â€Å"live for today† mentality of the ‘60s that deemed it â€Å"old fashioned† to have any roots or history? It was probably a combinationRead MoreThe Global War to the Great Depression627 Words   |  2 Pages A horrific global war led to an equally heinous economic recession, triggering global fear and lack of guidance. World leaders stood to the challenge of mending the shattered 100 year peace and economy in Europe. America, it seemed, desired no part in this scramble for order, turning its back to the international world. Through the Great War to the Great Depression, the transforming world not only caused America to withdraw from the world, bu t also allowed Franklin Delano Roosevelt an opportunityRead MoreThe Civil War And The Great Depression1655 Words   |  7 Pagesto make America seem superior and as if they had not taken part in any failure. More importantly, textbooks have a duty to present accurate information to allow the readers to appreciate the transformation that took place from the Civil War to the Great Depression. This could be achieved by sharing more personal narratives about people such as women, African Americans, Japanese, and poor immigrants, all of which cover issues of race, class, gender, and social justice. If the authors would provideRead MoreWorld Wars And The Great Depression1059 Words   |  5 Pagesscene† (1977, 6.) Basically, Polanyi wants economists to give due acknowledgement to the role of politics and other kinds of social interactions. This is best seen in The Great Transformation, where Polanyi explained the chaotic disruptions in the first half of the twentieth century colonialism, world wars and the Great Depression—by pointing to the â€Å"self-regulating market† established in Britain in the nineteenth century. The general orientation was that the market had become the prime institutionRead MoreWorld War II And The Great Depression1658 Words   |  7 Pages The highly numbered risks of war have rigorous effects on societies around the world. World War II had positive and negative effects during and after the war. After the war, the formation of the United Nations helped negotiate and maintain peace, and during the war more jobs helped get the United States out of its biggest economic crisis, the Great Depression. Although, some economists argue that by creating more jobs during World War II, put America into even more debt than the country was alreadyRead MoreWorld War I And The Great Depression1131 Words   |  5 Pageswas booming and the people were relishing in the modern society. When the Great Depression hit Americans co ntinued to hold an isolationist stance as they focused on the deteriorating situation going on at home. Throughout this time period of 1920 to 1941, America dealt with major events, such as the end of World War I to the Roaring Twenties turning into the Great Depression in 1929, and then the beginning of World War II, along with the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. As these events took placeRead MoreThe Great Depression And World War II Essay1391 Words   |  6 Pagescatastrophes occurred: the Great Depression and World War II. American political leaders established a cause-effect relationship between economic collapse and total war, based on these two events, which defined their policy approach in the post-war period. In the 1930s, American leadership, and most importantly, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, came to view economic decline, political radicalization, and instability as forming a vicious cycle that led to utter chaos and war. Although FDR did not knowRead MoreWorld War II : The Great Depression1543 Words   |  7 PagesGentry Gary Damon American History II 10:00 MWF 25 April 2016 World War II Two decades after the first World War happen another world war occurred known as World War II. There were many causes that led up to this war. The Treaty of Versailles ended World War I, but Germany had to accept the responsibility of the war. Therefore, Germany economy went downhill and people were starving because of war debt. The Great Depression had a big effect on a lot of countries; therefore, countries started adopting

Tuesday, December 24, 2019

The Segregation Of Black Soldiers - 996 Words

While the emancipation proclamation was created to mainly announce the solidarity of the Union against slavery, it also became a symbol of hope for black people, who for many years were subjected to the maltreatment and prejudices by their fellow man. This was evident in the inequalities of black soldiers within the Union army, in which it was still commonly complacent during the Civil War. The Union’s practices of denying black soldiers the opportunity of a commission as an officer, paying them less than their fellow white counterparts, allowing them to face harsher treatment as prisoners of war and most profoundly was the segregation of black soldiers from the rest of the Army; were just a few incidents that gave proof that African Americans were still not considered an equal. During the Civil War, inequalities of black soldiers within the Union army were still commonly complacent. Even though the emancipation Proclamation was signed, the Union army still engaged in the discriminative practices of denying black soldiers their equal rights. One such practice was the denial or refusal to allow a black soldier the opportunity to lead fellow black soldiers as a commissioned officer. During this epic time of history, several requests were made by prominent black and white officials to the Union government to disband the practice of barring African Americans to becoming officers and allowing them to lead an all-black regiment. One such request, was a petition to theShow MoreRelatedThe Gilded Age1542 Words   |  7 Pagesinequality and discrimination. Many groups and individuals attempted to make changes for black Americans but few were successful. Though it was not until the Progressive Era that racial segregation started gaining attention and African America ns, as well as those who wanted them to be treated equally, began making changes and their fight against racial segregation began to improve. The Niagara movement was a black civil rights organization founded in 1905 made up of the intellectual elite of the AfricanRead MoreThe Problem We All Live with (1964)1114 Words   |  5 Pagesthe violence of the Segregation. Norman Rockwell, an American illustrator, was involved in the desegregation and by this painting, aimed at make Americans aware that Segregation is based on wrong ideas such as the superiority of whites on blacks. His most famous masterpiece, which is here, is entitled The problem with all live with. The word problem means Segregation. Thus, it deals with the issue of school racial integration. We are obviously chocked by the way the Segregation is embodies. Read MoreThe Tuskegee Airmen Movie Analysis942 Words   |  4 PagesUnited States during World War II. Hannibal Lee is on a train ride to Tuskegee Air Base in Alabama. He meets two passengers, Walter and Leroi, who are going to join the 99th Fighter Squadron as fight cadets. One example of segregati on occurs on the train because these three black airmen are forced to give up their seats for German prisoners because there was no more room to sit. Lieutenant Glenn was the first man they met when they got to Tuskegee. He was the man in charge along with other people inRead MoreI Have A Dream Allusion Essay700 Words   |  3 Pageswar to gain equality for all, while King uses an allusion mentioning to protest peacefully instead of using violence. In the speech â€Å"I Have a Dream† after Martin Luther King Jr. invoked how blacks are still being mistreated by their fellow Americans. He proclaims, â€Å"This note was the promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.† Furthermore, as King advises his audience to show dignity and disciplineRead MoreThe Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s Essay550 Words   |  3 Pagesstate laws segregating black people and white people with its decision concerning the Plessey v Ferguson case. The decision stated that black and white should be separate but equal, meaning the same standard of facilities for both. In reality it legally enforced a state of affairs that assured that blacks would never be equal, and couldn’t get equal treatment, status or opportunity in their own country. During the Second World War, the black American Gi’s realised that Read Morehow far do you agree that the years 1945-55 saw only the limited progress in improving the status of african americans?1356 Words   |  6 PagesAfrican Americans? Life had only improved to a small extent. There was only limited progress in solving the problem of segregation, the violence continued, new employment opportunities and voting rights were not readily available and whilst there was de-jure change in the areas of transport and education, de-facto change was lacking. One of the areas that changed were segregation, Truman established a committee to investigate race relations and to safeguard the rights of minorities. The report ofRead MoreSuffrage of African Americans in Red Summer written by Cameron McWhirter1113 Words   |  4 Pagesafter World War 1. At this time, blacks had been searching for peace and equality. Historian Cameron McWhirter in his book says, â€Å"many people—including black families with returning soldiers—fervently hoped 1919 would usher in a new epoch of peace, prosperity, and freedom.† Instead of getting what they wished for however, there was a series of violence such as lynchings and anti-black riots that swept around the country. World War 1 had a big effect on the life of blacks. McWhirter says that â€Å"the war’sRead MoreEssay on The Civil Rights Movement1708 Words   |  7 Pagesguaranteed to American citizens in the Constitution. The key players in succeeding with the civil rights movement were the soldiers returning from the war, Martin Luther King Jr, Malcolm X, The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and the anti-Vietnam War activists. During the civil rights movement, nearly every African American had experienced segregation at lunch stands. In a Journal by Melvin Small, she stated, â€Å"Just as with the segregated buses in Montgomery, Alabama the African-AmericanRead MoreHow Racial Minorities Found Hope for Improvement1167 Words   |  5 Pageshope of political equality was given to racial minorities when the 15th Amendment was passed in 1870, allowing citizens to vote regardless of race. This was beneficial to the Republican Party since majority of their members were black voters. The amendment allowed black men to hold power and more than 2000 African Americans were elected to political offices over the next 7 years. Unfortunately, the amendment was unsuccessful in preventing individual states from enacting their own voting laws. AfricanRead MoreThe Black Renaissance And The Great Depression971 Words   |  4 PagesThroughout history African Americans have not had it easy. Blacks in America have had a long struggle to gain equality and freedom, which still exists to this day. The years 1917 to 1945 were particularly tough for African Americans. Racial discrimination was at a high and segregation laws enforced the idea that blacks were inferior to the whites. African Americans desired to escape the unfair treatment and obtain equal rights, but found themselves stuck. The two World Wars drew African Americans

Monday, December 16, 2019

The Devil Wears Prada Free Essays

The novel â€Å"The Devil Wears Prada† by Weisberger is about a girl named Andrea moved to New York and found a job as a junior assistant of a fashion magazine editor. However, Andrea has a hard time on her job. Furthermore, her relationships with her family and friends get very bad because she is too hard-working. We will write a custom essay sample on The Devil Wears Prada or any similar topic only for you Order Now However, at the end of this novel Andrea makes her own way out by her careful and wisdom. After reading the novel, I found myself and the protagonist of the novel, Andrea are both too hard-working and careful. Andrea and I are both so hard working that we forgot our families and friends. In the novel, Andrea is working very hard that she put all her time and energy into her job, so Andrea does not have any time for her family and friends. For example, in the novel Andrea promise to call her boyfriend at three o’clock, but she was very busy at her work that she never gets to call her boyfriend the whole day. I was very busy at work once, and I totally forgot to tell my mother that I will be getting off from work one hour later than usual. My mother was waiting for me at the supermarket one hour. Furthermore, I found myself and Andrea are both very careful that we notice or remember small things that others do not. Andrea finally made her boss approve with her ability because Andrea is very careful and she notices and remembers things that her boss does not. For instance, Andrea and her boss went to a big fashion party in Paris, and there were so many famous fashion designers. Many people came and greet to Andrea’s boss, but her boss does not recognize any of them. However, Andrea memorizes all guests name by flipping through guests list. After that her boss was very impress on Andrea’s careful. I found myself is very similar to Andrea. I always remember to check the address of the place we are going to, when all of my friends forgot to check. I enjoy reading this book very much because I have the same personality characteristic, too hard-working and careful, with the protagonist, Andrea. I will recommend this novel to English-second language readers because the novel is easy to understand and interesting. How to cite The Devil Wears Prada, Papers The Devil Wears Prada Free Essays string(26) " the right place for you\." Office-Politics lessons from â€Å"The Devil Wears Prada† Think you have the world’s worst boss? How does your boss measure up against the Boss-from-Hell? By Franke James, MFA The Devil Wears Prada will no doubt fuel some hot, haute water-cooler chat. Based on the novel by Lauren Weisberger, the film is a wickedly funny tale about working for a boss who is a tyrant (rumor has it that the book was inspired by Weisberger’s stint at Vogue Magazine working for Anna Wintour). Meryl Streep stars as Miranda Priestly, Editor-in-Chief of Runway Magazine. We will write a custom essay sample on The Devil Wears Prada or any similar topic only for you Order Now Think Cruella de Ville with Medusa eyes. While the movie is an entertaining romp about the travails of working for a tyrannical boss, it raises some important questions: If you work for a Boss-from-Hell how do you cope? Is your boss a Boss-from-Hell? Is your boss bullying you or simply delivering a tough-love message? Are you a victim or just paying your dues? Does your boss thrive on chaos? Does your boss make impossible demands? Does your boss play the office politics game 1. Is your boss a Boss-from-Hell? Miranda quickly established her role as the ‘Master’ over her ‘Slave’ employees. She lived, ate, and breathed her career. Work and life had merged into one unified and indivisible whole. She expected everyone to have the same devotion to Runway Magazine. Employees time with family and friends was an expendable commodity, a frill. Miranda refused to address her new assistant Andy (Anne Hathaway) by her proper name, and substituted the name of her other assistant. She demanded that Andy be on call 24/7 (without adequate compensation) She gave a long list of demands without allowing any questions and expected employees to know the details of each task, but did not provide any training. She sent Andy on multiple errands, without clear instructions, and an impossibly short time-frame under threat of being fired if she did not deliver. She insulted her intelligence and mocked her style of dress, publicly and privately She forbade any employees from riding in the elevator with her, which further underlined a Master/Slave relationship. While some of these incidents, if taken alone, could be dismissed as ‘minor irritations’, collectively they amounted to psychological warfare. All of these ‘power-plays’ shared one thing in common: a lack of respect by the boss for the employee. How to cope: Stand up for yourself You have to stand up for yourself to get what you want with a Boss-from-Hell. Remember that they are more concerned about themselves than you. They are the ‘center of the universe’. So don’t take it personally that your boss can’t remember your name, or won’t take the time to delegate tasks properly. Your best strategy is to be quietly persistent and firm. Repeat back what tasks have been requested, and the expected timeline. If the boss is too impatient to listen, then send them a summary email or memo, before and after the task. Document everything. 2. Is your boss bullying you or simply delivering a tough-love message? No one likes to be ‘dressed-down’, especially in public. Miranda routinely demeaned Andy in front of the other employees by calling her insulting names, mocking her style of dress, her level of intelligence, and her ability to handle the job. The funny thing was that there was a grain of truth to Miranda’s criticisms. You can’t expect to work for a fashion magazine if you don’t know the product. The belligerent delivery was inexcusable but the underlying truth was that Andy was ignorant of fashion and she would not survive without changing, learning and growing. Miranda’s criticisms (but not her bullying tactics) could be viewed positively as a tough-love approach. How to cope: Share the company values (or exit) Miranda was setting up a challenge to Andy and every employee: conform to my standards or you are fired! This is not as unreasonable or evil as it appears at first glance. It raises a question that every employee should ask themselves. Am I not fitting in because I don’t share the company values? An extreme example: if you wanted to join the Hell’s Angels, you know that you’d have an easier time being accepted if you rode a motorcycle, dressed in leather, adorned your body with multiple tattoos, drank a two-four daily, and (perhaps) had some illegal activities on your record. Clearly if you are working in the fashion field then it is a safe assumption that you share the value that fashion is important. Andy rejected that value. She did not fit in because she did not wear the uniform. She knew it, but she didn’t care. She thought her brains were what really counted, not the surface decoration. Showing up for work in outfits that look like she rescued them from a thrift store was akin to waving a red flag in front of a bull. Unkempt hair, shapeless argyle blend polyester sweaters, frumpy plaid skirts, and clumpy clogs labeled Andy as an ignoramus of the fashion world. Andy needed to embrace the fashion culture in order to survive, and ultimately to be accepted. Not knowing that a Manolo Blahnik is a brand of shoe is like a carpenter not knowing what a hammer is. Dumb, dumb, dumb. But it does make for good comedy in the film. (Just don’t make the same mistake in your career. ) Since the product in this case was fashion, it was elementary logic that Andy should show respect by following the dress code. She was part of the Runway brand, as surely as the clothes-hanger models and glossy pages of their magazine. Andy’s career turned around in the second half of the movie after a fashion makeover. She finally accepted that she needed to ‘be the brand’ in order to excel at her job. She accepted the ‘shared value’. Miranda won a battle that should never have been an issue. If you don’t accept the shared values of a company then that company is not the right place for you. You read "The Devil Wears Prada" in category "Papers" 3. Are you a victim or just paying your dues? In the movie Andy frequently told her boyfriend (whose birthday party she missed), that she had no choice. She whined constantly, â€Å"But I had no choice! Miranda called! † You don’t have to be a tyrannical boss to want to wallop Andy with a big designer purse and yell, â€Å"Don’t answer the phone! Turn it off. † Andy was a willing victim. She chose to put her boss’ needs (and her career) ahead of her boyfriend. She decided that to climb the ladder she needed to work 24/7. Was that wrong? Not necessarily (besides the boyfriend is about as exciting as a heap of half-eaten mashed potatoes). But for Andy, whose true dream was to be a ‘serious’ journalist, the pain was not worth the gain. How to cope: Decide if it is a reasonable price To cope with a tyrannical boss, the most basic question you should ask yourself is whether the price in aggravation and stress in exchange for your weekly paycheque is worth it. If it’s not worth it, then you have two choices. #1. Create an action plan that will change the aspects of your job you find most difficult. #2. Ask yourself what better job you could move to — and what skills you need to acquire before you make the leap. 4. Does your boss thrive on chaos? Miranda did not have a well-oiled system. Things were constantly springing leaks. Tyrannical bosses need help — and not just psychiatric. At Miranda’s company there was a crisis every hour. Employees were running around in a frenzied panic. Sadly, Miranda demanded perfection but was unwilling to develop a system to train her employees. Although many people admired her ability to run a fashion magazine, she was a poor manager of people. At the end of the movie she expressed relief that she would still be at the helm — saying under her breath that no one else could handle the job. Which was probably very true. She was irreplaceable because she ran the business on fear and chaos, and it would have imploded on her exit. How to cope: Create a well-ordered system To cope with the Boss-from-Hell, realize their shortcomings and compensate accordingly. In Miranda’s case, the company lurched from mini-crisis to mini-crisis. A smart employee could have created systems to help run the place efficiently, smoothly and to minimize crisis. And then that employee would have been highly valued, and very marketable. 5. Does your boss make impossible demands? Miranda was forever making impossible demands of her employees. One hilarious example was when Miranda’s plane was grounded by a hurricane. Andy’s dinner with her out-of-town Dad was interrupted, while Andy tried valiantly to schedule another flight. Of course, the only thing that flew that night was the s–t hitting the fan when Miranda’s request for a flight was not met. How to Cope: Can you think two steps ahead of the boss? Putting aside the truly impossible demands, how do you stay two steps ahead of the boss? Anticipate what the boss will need, before they’ve even thought of it. That was the key to Andy’s turnaround success. When Miranda asked for the impossible, a copy of an unpublished Harry Potter manuscript, Andy pulled strings to get it. But she proved herself to be a proactive thinker by getting the manuscript duplicated and bound (just in time for Miranda’s twin daughters to read it on the train-ride to Grandma’s). The coping strategy in this is not to take your boss’ requests at face value. Think further down the road to what the next logical step is going to be. That devil-boss will be eating out of your hand. 6. Does your boss play the office politics game? Miranda is an expert office politics player. The climax of the movie occurs when Miranda becomes aware of an imminent coup that threatens to topple her (the magazine owner wants to give Miranda’s job to his sexy new mistress). But Miranda checkmates the move very effectively by threatening to steal ‘her’ high-profile fashion designers away to a rival publication. The owner grudgingly allows her to keep her Editor-in-Chief job, and offers his mistress an alternate, if largely titular, job. An unlucky pawn caught in the crossfire is Nigel, Miranda’s loyal design assistant. His ambitions get decimated, prompting Andy to virtuously claim that she could never backstab someone like that. Miranda corrects her and says, â€Å"Oh, but you already have. You did it to Emily. † This uncomfortable truth forced Andy to look in the mirror and make a decision as to what she wanted out of life, and how far she was willing to go to get it. How to Cope: Learn to play the office politics game To cope with the Boss-from-Hell, employees need to learn how to play office politics, whether they want to or not. Burying your head in the sand will not make it disappear. It is in your best interests to be aware of the shifting agendas, imbalances of power, hidden motives, and swift-moving unseen forces that are shaping your workplace. You need to become a student of human nature, which is ultimately what office politics is all about. Oh yeah, and to survive the Boss-from-Hell, document everything†¦ You never know when you may be able to turn it into a best-selling book or a hit movie starring an Oscar-winning actress. About the author: Franke James, MFA is the site founder of Office-Politics. com, and inventor of the Office-Politics Game. Office-Politics lessons from â€Å"The Devil Wears Prada†  © copyright 2006 Franke James. First publication: July 2006 ICFAI University Press, Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts of India. All photographs: The Devil Wears Prada – 2006 copyright 20th Century Fox. The Devil Wears Prada starring Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Stanley Tucci, Simon Baker, Emily Blunt. Directed by David Frankel. Based on the novel by Lauren Weisberger. How to cite The Devil Wears Prada, Papers

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Alfred Hitchcock Essay Example For Students

Alfred Hitchcock Essay The suicide scene begins quite cheerfully. Max and his wife are holding a ball at Manderley for the first time since Rebecca died, and Mrs. Dewinter is trying to look as glamorous as possible for what is her chance to show off herself as the lovely young Bride of Maxim Dewinter. At the front door, Max is greeting Giles and Beatrice, friends of his. Beatrice asks Where is the child? to which Max replies Oh, shes upstairs. The way they look upon Mrs. Dewinter is not with contempt, but as if she is a commodity of a wife who is organising the ball just to have a few hours of child-like fun. Beatrice goes upstairs to see how Mrs. Dewinter is getting on with her costume, but is politely refused entry into the chambers of Mrs. Dewinter to add to effect and surprise when Mrs. Dewinter enters the great hall. The lady in waiting puts the final touches to the dress, and comments on how lovely it looks upon Mrs. Dewinter. Mrs. Dewinter leaves her chambers, and daintily runs down the hallway to see where Max is. For a brief moment, Mrs. Dewinter pauses by a picture in the family art gallery, but unbeknown to her, she is wearing an exact copy of a dress previously worn by Rebecca only a year before. She does not know this because Mrs. Danvers told her that it was a portrait of one of Maxs Aunts, not of his late wife. This was a plan hatched by Mrs. Danvers to try and oust this new blood from her carefully organised and well run house. According to her, Mr. Dewinter was in no need of a new wife, for no-one could ever replace Rebecca, who was thought by everyone to have been worshipped and adored by Max. As Mrs. Dewinter approaches the stairs, she calms herself and puts on a very regal feel about herself. As if playing a game like a child, she gingerly and daintily meanders down the grand staircase. Mrs. Dewinter has her shoulders uncovered, as if she had let her guard down and was dangerously vulnerable to attack, which was actually about to happen. As Mrs. Dewinter comes to the bottom of the staircase, Max is laughing and joking with his friends. Mrs. Dewinter taps Max on the shoulder, saying Good evening, Mr. Dewinter. Max turns around with a broad smile on his face that soon turns into a face that looks frightened, like hed seen a ghost. Max gets extremely angry, and demands that she goes and gets changed immediately into anything but a dress that would remind him of Rebecca like that one. Rebecca runs up the staircase, sobbing, when her hat comes off just as she spies Mrs. Danvers haughtily heading towards the wing of the house that previously was lived in by Rebecca, but was off-limits to everyone else now. As the hat comes off, anger comes over Mrs. Dewinter, and she goes for Mrs. Danvers and in a distraught state asking her why she should do such a cruel and spiteful thing to her. Mrs. Danvers then tells her exactly what she thinks of her once they reach the bedroom, telling her how Rebecca was such a strong woman, and how She was beaten in the end. But it wasnt a man, it wasnt a woman, it was the sea. She tells Mrs. Dewinter how Max strode the corridors night after night at Manderley, he was that upset over his wifes death. As far as Mrs. Danvers knew, that was the truth as she didnt know the true story between Max and Rebecca, and what she interpreted as sorrow was guilt and personal conflict inside Max. .udd7a72116e76eaba526626c3c9311d27 , .udd7a72116e76eaba526626c3c9311d27 .postImageUrl , .udd7a72116e76eaba526626c3c9311d27 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .udd7a72116e76eaba526626c3c9311d27 , .udd7a72116e76eaba526626c3c9311d27:hover , .udd7a72116e76eaba526626c3c9311d27:visited , .udd7a72116e76eaba526626c3c9311d27:active { border:0!important; } .udd7a72116e76eaba526626c3c9311d27 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .udd7a72116e76eaba526626c3c9311d27 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .udd7a72116e76eaba526626c3c9311d27:active , .udd7a72116e76eaba526626c3c9311d27:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .udd7a72116e76eaba526626c3c9311d27 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .udd7a72116e76eaba526626c3c9311d27 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .udd7a72116e76eaba526626c3c9311d27 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .udd7a72116e76eaba526626c3c9311d27 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .udd7a72116e76eaba526626c3c9311d27:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .udd7a72116e76eaba526626c3c9311d27 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .udd7a72116e76eaba526626c3c9311d27 .udd7a72116e76eaba526626c3c9311d27-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .udd7a72116e76eaba526626c3c9311d27:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Consider the character of Juliet EssayAs the verbal barrage of abuse continues, Mrs. Dewinter collapses in tears onto the bed with such irony, because that was the bed where Rebecca laughed and looked at the beautiful sea views. You are overwrought madam. I shall open a window, declares Mrs. Danvers, and with a very smug look on her face opens the windows which were like prison bars to Mrs. Dewinter, offering her an escape from a life which she so obviously doesnt want to carry on with. Mrs. Dewinter verges on the edge of the windowsill, with Mrs. Danvers stood right behind her, reminding her how easy it would be to just fall into the foggy night and take the easy way out. As the suspensary music becomes louder, and Mrs. Danvers shadow seems to get bigger with the more Mrs. Dewinter crumbles, it really does look as if Mrs. Dewinter was about to jump. At the very minute it looked that she would end it all, large explosions come from the night sky; flares being fired from a ship that had ran aground, and would inadvertently find the body of Rebecca. The woman who had spiritually haunted her successor as wife of Maxim seemed to have saved her at the last moment. The music cuts out with the explosions, and Mrs. Dewinter runs down to find Maxim, casting Mrs. Danvers aside, and ruining her big chance to keep Manderley exactly as she wanted it, as a tribute to the life of Rebecca. The black and white presentation of these two scenes made very effective cinematography, as it added to emotion and suspense. Alfred Hitchcock used shadows and props to aid the conveyance of emotion a lot in these two key scenes, and it worked very well indeed.