Friday, January 24, 2020
50s Essay examples -- essays research papers
Rebellious characters lead to various actions      The 1950’s in Great Britain was a post-war era of vastly different experiences. For many, it was a time of hope, victory and promise. For others it was a time of depression and healing. And for some it was a time of rebellion. Various literary characters of the decade represented each of these emotions. Three of these characters, including Nancy Hawkins of Muriel Spark’s A Far Cry from Kensington, Jim Dixon of Amis Kingsley’s Lucky Jim, and Jimmy Porter of John Osborne’s A Look Back in Anger, represent the rebellious side of civilization in the 1950’s.      Each of these drastically different characters takes a different approach to their personal rebellion. Jim Dixon can arguably be considered an anarchist in many of the traits he exhibits throughout the text. Whether it be drinking the night away as a means of rebellion or burning the bed sheets of an over-night host, Dixon lacks certain social abilities that lead to a normal existence. Jimmy Porter on the other hand takes an extremely passive-aggressive approach to his personal rebellion. Though he complains frequently he is hard pressed to affect any kind of social evolution. In other words, he dreams of a better existence but strives to achieve none of it. Nancy Hawkins is much more active in her rebellion as she                                         von Metzke 2 subconsciously works towards social change in terms of personal happiness in the 50’s. She is free with advice and always willing to help another in need. Because of these traits, Nancy Hawkins is perhaps the best spokeswoman for her generation of these three characters.      Jim Dixon, the protagonist of Lucky Jim, is quite arguably an anarchist in the ways he acts towards others. He is considered a Cinderella in a Cinderella story as it relates to the various things that happen to him throughout the course of the text and yet he continues his private rebellion against certain aspects of life that are socially expected such as common courtesy when he burns the table and bed sheets of the Welsh’s and hides them rat... ...hange her life for the better. When she decides she is out of shape and overweight, she makes strides by only eating half of everything. This results in her rapid loss of weight. Nancy also determines she needs a change in her personal religious beliefs. She abruptly stops saying her Hail Mary’s at noon as she sees it as nothing more than a silly superstition. Regardless of the obstacle, Nancy seems ready for the challenge in this story. This is the major quality that separates her character with that of Jim Dixon and Jimmy Porter. Nancy Hawkins above all else believes in herself and that is her true rebellion against society. Nothing can keep her down if she doesn’t let it.      The greater picture being examined by these authors is how these characters relate to the era in which they are set. The 1950’s was an optimistic time filled with hope and promise for a better life than the previous decade. More so than Jim Dixon or Jimmy Porter, Nancy represents this optimism in the way she advises others, takes positive action to better her reality, and truly believes in her own potential. She greatly defines the era in question.     Â
Wednesday, January 15, 2020
Regret by Kate Chopin Essay
In the short story â€Å"Regret†by Kate Chopin, a woman named Mamzelle Aurelie has to watch a neighbor’s four children for two weeks. Mamzelle is an old and lonely woman who never believed in love or marriage. She has never had a man, nor been married, and lives alone on her farm with some animals. She also has African Americans, or â€Å"negroes†, who work around her house for maintenance. Because of a dangerous illness that her mother acquired, the younger neighbor had to leave, and could no longer watch after her children. This is where Mamzelle comes in, who has never had children before. In the beginning, she has great problems managing the children. However, after a short period of time, she begins realizing that humans need more than just food and a place to sleep. This is when she really starts to develop a relationship with the children. Once the children return to their mother, Mamzelle cries very heavily in remorse. In the beginning, Mamzelle is described as â€Å"a good strong figure, ruddy cheeks†and â€Å"a determined eye†. She wears â€Å"a man’s hat†and â€Å"a blue army overcoat†. and even sometimes â€Å"top-boots†. From her brief description, it is clear that there is no femininity, nor does there appear to be any desire to become more feminine. Before meeting the children, there was no desire to become more feminine, until realizing what she had been missing out on. She is forced to play a feminine role, by cooking, sewing, and telling the children bedtime stories to fall asleep. She softens to the point in which she cries, and carries a regret in her heart from never having her own children. The main theme of the story, which is the title of the poem, is regret. The woman in the story has lived a lonely life, and she thought that she was happy with the life she had. It wasn’t until taking care of her neighbor’s children did she realize what she was missing out on by being alone. For the first time, while caring for those children, she began to realize all the joys and sadness that life brings. She has regret that she didn’t live life to its fullest, regret that she didn’t want that priceless joy in her life, and regret that she was too old to try and acquire it.
Tuesday, January 7, 2020
The Role Of Identity In Ralph Ellisons Invisible Man
Allowing the perception of others concerning your own identity to influence how you see yourself is a tribulation young adolescents face. In the novel, Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison, Ellison highlighted the struggles the main character, the â€Å"Invisible Man (IM)†, faced when it came to the division between how he distinguished himself and how the people in his life distinguished him. This caused a lack of self-established identity within the Invisible Man and throughout the course of the novel, various factors caused the Invisible Man to rethink his own identity. Ellison made a point about how racism went hand and hand with the identity of the Invisible Man and that this was an aspect of the Invisible Man’s life that posed the largest†¦show more content†¦I want you to overcome ’em with yeses, undermine ’em with grins, agree ‘em to death and destruction, let ‘em swoller you till they vomit or bust wide open†(16), the Invisi ble Man did not use the knowledge his grandfather was passing down about how to survive systematic racism and play the system by outsmarting the white people around him. Instead, he allowed himself to be played. He got played because he did not comprehend the connection between his identity and the identity of the college. A prime example of this was when a trustee visited the school and the Invisible Man was asked to give him a tour of the best aspects the college had to offer. Taking the trustee to the outskirts of the college where the poor black sharecroppers lived in ransacked cabins, the Invisible Man did not know that it was wrong to bring a white trustee there. Jim Trueblood was a resident of these cabins and a figure who the college found distasteful because he impregnated his own daughter; the white trustee got told the backstory of this event while at the cabins. Unable to function due to his shock, the trustee got back into the car, scarred. The Invisible Man believed that he had a sense of freedom within the college, but the tour that he took the trustee on depicted that he was still tied to his ancestry of slavery by being bound to the dreams of trustees like the one he toured, who thought they are helping African Americans butShow MoreRelatedThe Role Of Identity In Ralph Ellisons Invisible Man1304 Words  | 6 Pages Though many characterize their identity with others’ perception of themselves, sincere identity is rather an internal set of beliefs and values that shape a person’s behavior--inside out, not outside in. In the modern world of technology, identity increasingly has become the image of someone created online, put on display for the internet. The era of interconnectivity, technological social interactions, and instant feedback develops an insecure, outward-looking society that forms their socialRead MoreMetaphors In Ralph Ellisons Invisible Man1235 Words  | 5 PagesMetaphors in Invisi ble Man Ellison uses many examples of metaphors in his novel to convey invisibility, especially with references to music, imagery, and the use of a nameless character. With literature that challenged the accepted ideals surrounding that time period, Ellison expresses his thoughts by comparing an invisible man to various relatable subjects in life. When the narrator firsts starts on his journey and gets constantly bumped, he states that â€Å"You constantly wonder whether you aren’tRead More Invisible Man Essay: Searching for Black Identity in a White World1229 Words  | 5 PagesInvisible Man: Searching for Black Identity in a White World       Ralph Ellisons Invisible Man was published at a time when America was racially divided. The novel presents the theme of the lack of black identity – a theme supported by the fact that the protagonist, Invisible Man, has no name. The reader knows the names of Dr. Bledsoe, Ras-the-Exhorter, Brother Jack and others - but the reader does not know the name of the main character. Ellisons leaves it to the reader to decide whoRead MoreCritical Analysis: Ralph Ellisons Invisible Man Essay1651 Words  | 7 PagesIn Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man, we are presented with an unnamed narrator whose values and potentials are invisible to the world around him. Throughout the entirety of the novel, we see the unnamed narrator, also known as the Invisible Man, struggle in an attempt to uncover his identity buried beneath African American oppression and an aggregation of deception. Ellison shows us how lies and deceit may serve as a grave but invaluabl e obstacle to one’s journey to find their identity. Through theRead More Invisible Man Essay: Values of the Invisible Man1267 Words  | 6 PagesValues of the Invisible Man     Ralph Ellisons Invisible Man is the story of an educated black man who has been oppressed and controlled by white men throughout his life. As the narrator, he is nameless throughout the novel as he journeys from the South, where he studies at an all-black college, to Harlem where he joins a Communist-like party known as the Brotherhood. Throughout the novel, the narrator is on a search for his true identity. Several letters are given to him by outsiders thatRead MoreRalph Ellison’S Novel, Invisible Man Serves As A Cultural1408 Words  | 6 PagesRalph Ellison’s novel, Invisible Man serves as a cultural ethnography of the African American condition in the 1950s. Flooded with issues of signifyin(g), African American folklore, and trickster figures, Ellison’s main theme for the novel is for the narrator to find his own identity in a world defined by whiteness. Specifically, Ellison’s employment of the trickster, a figure that generally bends normal rules and conventional behavior, acts as a cultural â€Å"gift-bearer†that is essential to the readingRead More Essay on Race in Invisible Man and Black Boy1153 Words  | 5 PagesThe Question of Race in Invisible Man and Black Boy    In the early twentieth century black American writers started employing modernist ways of argumentation to come up with possible answers to the race question. Two of the most outstanding figures of them on both, the literary and the political level, were Richard Wright, the most important voice in black American literature for the first half of the twentieth century (Norton, 548) and his contemporary Ralph Ellison, one of the mostRead MoreThe Symbolic Function of the Sambo Doll in Ralph Ellisons Invisible Man999 Words  | 4 PagesIn 1952, Ralph Ellison published the only novel of his career: Invisible Man; telling the story of an unnamed â€Å"invisible†narrator. Early on, the narrator delineates his invisibility to â€Å"people refus[ing] to see [him];†society neglects to see him as a result of his black lineage (Ellison 3). Ellison incorporates several objects, frequently appearing and reappearing throughout the novel, to expose social and intellectual issues imposed on the black community. Amid the â€Å"procession of tangible, materialRead More Essay on the Genius of Ralph Ellison2041 Words  | 9 PagesThe Genius of Ralph Ellison    I am an invisible man. With these five words, Ralph Ellison ignited the literary world with a work that commanded the respect of scholars everywhere and opened the floodgates for dialogue about the role of African-Americans in American society, the blindness that drove the nation to prejudice, and racial pluralism as a forum for recognizing the interconnection between all members of society regardless of race. I am invisible, understand, simply becauseRead More Invisible Man Essay: Invisible Man and the Pre-Made Identity1559 Words  | 7 PagesInvisible Man and the Pre-Made Identity  Society forms definitions, or stereotypes, of people according to the color of their skin, their economic status, or where they live. Stereotypes define how society believes these people should act and how they should be treated. These stereotypes are, in effect, a pre-made identity. There are three options an individual must face when presented with this pre-made identity. The individual can accept this identity as his/her own. This would maximize The Role Of Identity In Ralph Ellisons Invisible Man Though many characterize their identity with others’ perception of themselves, sincere identity is rather an internal set of beliefs and values that shape a person’s behavior--inside out, not outside in. In the modern world of technology, identity increasingly has become the image of someone created online, put on display for the internet. The era of interconnectivity, technological social interactions, and instant feedback develops an insecure, outward-looking society that forms their social media platforms into â€Å"highlight reels†of their life, posting perfectly filtered and angled masterpieces of their most exciting activities. Rather than try to compare their genuine life with these seemingly vastly superior profiles, most create†¦show more content†¦Online users put in massive amounts of thought to match their social media platforms to their changing identities in social interactions depending on the present group. This ultimately creates a sense that they have no true identity, giving them a sense of liberty to behave without a constricting perception of them or mold to fit into. Similarly, in Invisible Man, Rinehart maintains vastly different identities to suit him in any given scenario. When the narrator realizes the amorphous identity of Rinehart, he falls â€Å"into a morbid fascination with the possibilities†(509). Rinehart has, through careful social interaction and reputation management, maintained the ability to behave exactly as he wishes in every situation without behaving â€Å"out of character.†The narrator’s enthrallment with this potential lifestyle displays his desire to be without any one identity to rule his life. Along with most, the narrator sees a single identity as an unnecessarily constricting social construct, rather preferring to maintain the opportune identity for any scenario. While wearing the glassesShow MoreRelatedThe Role Of Identity In Ralph Ellisons Invisibl e Man1236 Words  | 5 Pagesyour own identity to influence how you see yourself is a tribulation young adolescents face. In the novel, Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison, Ellison highlighted the struggles the main character, the â€Å"Invisible Man (IM)†, faced when it came to the division between how he distinguished himself and how the people in his life distinguished him. This caused a lack of self-established identity within the Invisible Man and throughout the course of the novel, various factors caused the Invisible Man to rethinkRead MoreMetaphors In Ralph Ellisons Invisible Man1235 Words  | 5 PagesMetaphors in Invisible Man Ellison uses many examples of metaphors in his novel to convey invisibility, especially with references to music, imagery, and the use of a nameless character. With literature that challenged the accepted ideals surrounding that time period, Ellison expresses his thoughts by comparing an invisible man to various relatable subjects in life. When the narrator firsts starts on his journey and gets constantly bumped, he states that â€Å"You constantly wonder whether you aren’tRead More Invisible Man Essay: Searching for Black Identity in a White World1229 Words  | 5 PagesInvisible Man: Searching for Black Identity in a White World       Ralph Ellisons Invisible Man was published at a time when America was racially divided. The novel presents the theme of the lack of black identity – a theme supported by the fact that the protagonist, Invisible Man, has no name. The reader knows the names of Dr. Bledsoe, Ras-the-Exhorter, Brother Jack and others - but the reader does not know the name of the main character. Ellisons leaves it to the reader to decide whoRead MoreCritical Analysis: Ralph Ellisons Invisible Man Essay1651 Words  | 7 PagesIn Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man, we are presented with an unnamed narrator whose values and potentials are invisible to the world around him. Throughout the entirety of the novel, we see the unnamed narrator, also known as the Invisible Man, struggle in an attempt to uncover his identity buried beneath African American oppression and an aggregation of deception. Ellison shows us how lies and deceit may serve as a grave but invaluabl e obstacle to one’s journey to find their identity. Through theRead More Invisible Man Essay: Values of the Invisible Man1267 Words  | 6 PagesValues of the Invisible Man     Ralph Ellisons Invisible Man is the story of an educated black man who has been oppressed and controlled by white men throughout his life. As the narrator, he is nameless throughout the novel as he journeys from the South, where he studies at an all-black college, to Harlem where he joins a Communist-like party known as the Brotherhood. Throughout the novel, the narrator is on a search for his true identity. Several letters are given to him by outsiders thatRead MoreRalph Ellison’S Novel, Invisible Man Serves As A Cultural1408 Words  | 6 PagesRalph Ellison’s novel, Invisible Man serves as a cultural ethnography of the African American condition in the 1950s. Flooded with issues of signifyin(g), African American folklore, and trickster figures, Ellison’s main theme for the novel is for the narrator to find his own identity in a world defined by whiteness. Specifically, Ellison’s employment of the trickster, a figure that generally bends normal rules and conventional behavior, acts as a cultural â€Å"gift-bearer†that is essential to the readingRead More Essay on Race in Invisible Man and Black Boy1153 Words  | 5 PagesThe Question of Race in Invisible Man and Black Boy    In the early twentieth century black American writers started employing modernist ways of argumentation to come up with possible answers to the race question. Two of the most outstanding figures of them on both, the literary and the political level, were Richard Wright, the most important voice in black American literature for the first half of the twentieth century (Norton, 548) and his contemporary Ralph Ellison, one of the mostRead MoreThe Symbolic Function of the Sambo Doll in Ralph Ellisons Invisible Man999 Words  | 4 PagesIn 1952, Ralph Ellison published the only novel of his career: Invisible Man; telling the story of an unnamed â€Å"invisible†narrator. Early on, the narrator delineates his invisibility to â€Å"people refus[ing] to see [him];†society neglects to see him as a result of his black lineage (Ellison 3). Ellison incorporates several objects, frequently appearing and reappearing throughout the novel, to expose social and intellectual issues imposed on the black community. Amid the â€Å"procession of tangible, materialRead More Essay on the Genius of Ralph Ellison2041 Words  | 9 PagesThe Genius of Ralph Ellison    I am an invisible man. With these five words, Ralph Ellison ignited the literary world with a work that commanded the respect of scholars everywhere and opened the floodgates for dialogue about the role of African-Americans in American society, the blindness that drove the nation to prejudice, and racial pluralism as a forum for recognizing the interconnection between all members of society regardless of race. I am invisible, understand, simply becauseRead More Invisible Man Essay: Invisible Man and the Pre-Made Identity1559 Words  | 7 PagesInvisible Man and the Pre-Made Identity  Society forms definitions, or stereotypes, of people according to the color of their skin, their economic status, or where they live. Stereotypes define how society believes these people should act and how they should be treated. These stereotypes are, in effect, a pre-made identity. There are three options an individual must face when presented with this pre-made identity. The individual can accept this identity as his/her own. This would maximize
Monday, December 30, 2019
Franklin Delano Roosevelt s Accomplishments - 1215 Words
Franklin Delano Roosevelt is usually thought of as one of the United States’ most impactful presidents. Whether Roosevelt s accomplishments were truly great or his effectiveness was just a product of the time-period in which he served as President is still debated. However, one thing that no one can deny is that Roosevelt took a different route to becoming the leader of our nation. Whether he was coping with the death of a loved one or fighting an illness, Roosevelt never strayed from the path that he had to take. Most people remember him for his actions during the Great Depression and World War II, but those periods came after his many struggles through his obstacle filled life before his Presidency. President Roosevelt was born on†¦show more content†¦In April, Roosevelt contracted Scarlet Fever which forced him to leave his studies. Determined to finish his education he returned, and on June 25, 1900, Roosevelt graduated and received the Latin prize. In September, he started to attend Harvard University, where he would stay until 1903. while he was there, he met Eleanor, and was motivated to become president by his cousin Theodore. In 1904, Roosevelt graduated and immediately enrolled at the Columbia University School of Law, and passed the bar three years later, and he became a junior clerk at a law firm in New York City. Their second son, Franklin Delano, Jr., was born only two years later. However, he died the following year which was another significant setback in Roosevelt’s life. On November 8, Roosevelt was nominated for State Senator of New York’s 26th District. Roosevelt was elected to the New York State Senate in 1910. FDR continued furthering his career, even when his family was going through a hectic part of their life. In July of 1912, FDR organized The Empire State Democracy. In August, Roosevelt contracted typhoid fever again. Despite his illness, he was re-elected to the state senate. Without campaigning he managed to return to the senate for another term. In March 1913, Roosevelt was appointed Assistant Secretary of the Navy, one month later he made a speech that stressed the need for a larger navy,
Sunday, December 22, 2019
Fairness And Control Of Ceo Pay - 1781 Words
LITERATURE REVIEW Introduction The first challenge addressed by this dissertation is ‘fairness’, which necessarily involves relativity. Shareholders may consider fairness in terms of company value added but employees may look at pay distribution. CEO’s may compare their compensation with other CEO’s and given recent increases in CEO pay, also over time. The second challenge is to understand the role that control may have in a fair pay system, what mechanisms are available and how likely they are to be effective. A substantial amount of literature was researched, and that chosen for inclusion in this review provides a broad range of views and information relating to these challenges. The themes of this review will therefore be fairness and control of CEO pay. Fairness Ground-breaking research (Hill, A., Mellon, L., Laker, B. and Goddard J., 2016) was conducted on the relationship between head teacher pay and performance in UK state schools and is relevant as its findings are applicable to CEO in general. British schools offer an excellent benchmarking opportunity as they generate standardised information in the same industry and country, therefore avoiding traditional benchmarking challenges. The study identified two particularly interesting styles of heads. ‘Surgeons’ act decisively, improving schools by removing poorly performing staff and students, ‘architects’ are slow-moving, meticulous planners who do things in sequence. In their first year, ‘surgeons’ targetShow MoreRelatedThe Integrative Model Of Human Resource1604 Words  | 7 PagesThe integrative model of human resource SHRM includes elements of both the control-based and the resource-based SHRM. Desired outcome dictates the elements that will b e employed. HR policies can employ elements of commitment, collaboration, traditional and paternal control as needed to support its business strategy. Commitment strategies seek and develop internal talents to meet skill needed. Employees are seen as business partners and competitive advantage agents. Traditional HR and collaborativeRead MoreCorporate Ceos Of Low Wage Employees1049 Words  | 5 PagesIn 1980, CEO s made 42 times the pay of an average worker. The disparity has grown so much that in 2013 the CEO to worker pay ratio was 744:1. America is supposed to be a land of opportunity, a country where hard work and playing by the rules would provide working families a middle-class standard of living. But in recent years, corporate CEO s have been taking a greater share of the economic wealth while wages have stagnated and employment has not fully recovered. Highly paid CEO s of low wageRead MoreExecutive Compensation and the Dramatic Increase in Corporate Accounting Scandals969 Words  | 4 PagesAccounting Scandals According to one estimate, the total median CEO pay at the nation’s 350 largest publicly-owned firms grew from $2.7 million annually in 1995 to $6.8 million in 2005. The overall increase in CEO pay has outstripped inflation and the growth in non-managerial pay over the same period. Equally important is the trend in the composition of CEO performance-based pay which includes stock and stock option grants. Median pay grew from $1.3 million in 1995 to $4.4 million in 2005 (LabonteRead MoreExecutive Compensation: the Ethical and Impact Challenge1629 Words  | 7 Pagesindustry. A CEO Compensation Survey study carried out by Mercer Human Resource Consulting, in 2006, found out that the median CEO base salary was $995,000 in 2006. Notably, this was only about 15% to 16% of a CEO’s total compensation. It also showed that executive salaries typically rose in both 2005 and 2006 by 7.1% whereas salaries of other employees rose by only 3.6% and 3.7% respectively (Encyclope dia of Management, 2009).       In addition to a base salary, executives’ receive variable pay, a compensationRead MoreAnalysis Of Mcdonalds Employee Compensation And Benefits Programs1569 Words  | 7 Pagesemployers despite controversies that have lately surrounded it. Furthermore, it is still the world’s second private sector employer worldwide with half of its revenue coming from foreign operations. Determining factors for rate of pay for McDonald’s new employees McDonald’s pay scale for new employees is determined by a couple of factors. They include: job title and description, location of the restaurant, the company’s annual sales, skills and experience of employees and certification. The number ofRead MoreQuestions On Ethics And Ethics Essay800 Words  | 4 Pagesin an organization to do what is right or accept other’s opinion. 1.8.4.3 Confidentiality and Privacy Practices A practice where members of an organization refrain from any rumours about other members private issues. 1.8.4.4 Self-Control Practices Employees who can control their emotions and actions exhibit behaviour in the workplace when challenging situations arise. 1.8.4 Ethical Approaches 1.8.5.1 Utilitarian Approach This approach is dealing with consequences where it tries to increase the goodRead MoreEffects Of A Preceptorship Program On Turnover Rate, Cost, Quality And Professional Development913 Words  | 4 Pagesorganizational change through performance improvement. Incentive Features in CEO Compensation in the Banking Industry In general I agree that incentive features in Chief Executive Officer (CEO) compensation will lead to optimal outcomes. However, this is assuming that the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is aware and taking actions to mitigate as much investment risk as possible. As the authors of, Incentive Features in CEO Compensation in the Banking Industry, explain, â€Å"alignment of the incentivesRead MoreSpeedster Athletics Case Study Essay1062 Words  | 5 Pagesawareness and often, and improved customer service. It serves as a fairly inexpensive platform for organizations to implement marketing campaigns as opposed to the traditional marketing paid platforms where traffic is generated by purchasing ads (i.e. pay-per-click) on search engines. Second difference is one on one marketing while traditional media is designed for mass consumption. Social media encompasses one on one marketing emphasizing on personalized interactions with customers to develop greaterRead MoreCorporate Leaders Are Responsible for Organizational Ethics1098 Words  | 4 Pagesenforce these values. Corporate Leaders are responsible for organizational ethics. In Sims Brinkman (2002), according to a report from the Business Roundtable, leadership is crucial to organizational ethics and to achieve these results the CEO and other leaders need to be openly and strongly committed to ethical conduct. They do this by giving constant leadership and renewing the values of the organization. I agree with Warren Buffett’s statement and believe that not a shred of an organization’sRead MoreExecutive Compensation Is A Controversial Issue1379 Words  | 6 PagesAccording to business dictionary (2014), Corporate Governance means â€Å"the framework of rules and practices by which a board of directors ensures accountability, fairness, and transparency in a company s relationship with its all stakeholders (financiers, customers, management, employees, government, and the community)†. Executive compensation contains the salary, bonuses, welfare, allowance and so on. It plays an important role in Corporate Governance. After reading some news about shareholders and
Saturday, December 14, 2019
Stefan’s Diaries The Craving Chapter 17 Free Essays
The reception was held in a different grand hall. My brother, Lydia, Bridget, and I formed a receiving line by the entrance to thank and greet our guests. Damon put it on a bit, bowing and pretending to know people he didn’t. We will write a custom essay sample on Stefan’s Diaries: The Craving Chapter 17 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Compelling them into thinking he was an old friend, no doubt. While Bridget showed off her ring, Lydia gave everyone warm kisses or handshakes or smiles, whatever their relationship dictated. She even laughed when Bram tried to snatch a â€Å"farewell†kiss. Bridget stood by her side, beaming with what looked like genuine joy. â€Å"Thank you for coming today,†I said time and time again, the words tasting like chalk on my tongue. â€Å"We’re so glad you could come celebrate with us. My thanks for being here today. Pleased to meet you, thank you so much for being here.†â€Å"Stefan Salvatore?†demanded a matron in an almost unmoving thick gray silk dress and pearls, holding on to my hand for longer than was strictly necessary. She pronounced the e at the end of my last name and fixed me with an eye as stony as her skirts. â€Å"Yes, ma’am,†I said, giving her as warm a smile as I could. â€Å"Of the Florentine Salvatores? Prince Alessandro?†â€Å"I’m not rightly sure, ma’am,†I answered, trying to keep my smile. â€Å"When my father came to this country he declared himself an American. He didn’t keep up with our old relations.†Her eyes widened and her grip on my hand became loose. â€Å"An immigrant. How charming.†She didn’t smile and pulled her hand out of my grasp, moving on. Several hundred people later we finally got to sit down. The bride and groom’s table was festooned with palm fronds and garlands of huge flowers, and was covered with every expensive delicacy you could want to eat – or show off that you could afford. There was a seafood appetizer of oysters and other delicacies including Scottish smoked salmon and Russian caviar. Then came a main course that consisted of an absolutely staggering number of dead animals: roast beef, quail, venison, pheasant, woodcock, duck, lamb, roast pork, hot and cold, braised and grilled, minced and sauteed, sliced and in pies. It was all crowned off by a wedding cake, five tiers of the finest fruitcake covered in fondant and decorated with scrolls, swoops, columns, and sugar birds. The black-jacketed waiters poured glass after glass of champagne, and everyone chatted gaily. But my muscles were tied in knots. The â€Å"wedding†was officially over. Damon and I were legally married into the Sutherland family. It was only a matter of time before he began the next phase of his plan – whatever that ended up being. â€Å"Darling, get me a glass of water, would you?†Lydia was asking my brother, touching him tenderly on the cheek. â€Å"In some ceremonies, it’s the lady’s place to love, honor, and obey. Shouldn’t you be getting one for me, little wife?†he smiled, but in a way I didn’t like. â€Å"Of course! Anything for you, dear,†Lydia said. â€Å"Water, wine†¦Ã¢â‚¬ â€Å"Blood?†Damon prompted. Lydia laughed. â€Å"If you wish, it’s my command.†Bridget didn’t eat any of the expensive repast, leaping up from the table constantly to talk to her friends, holding out her hand and showing off her ring. I spent most of dinner nervously pushing very expensive food around a very expensive plate with a very expensive, very heavy silver fork, never taking my eyes off Damon. As dessert came out, Bram took pity on me and sat down in Bridget’s place for a moment. â€Å"Congrats, old chap,†he said, shaking my hand. â€Å"You and Damon snagged two of the best New York has to offer.†I nodded miserably. â€Å"Mr. and Mrs. Sutherland are just terrific. And Margaret†¦ well, she’s a spitfire, but I trust you’ll be able to win her over eventually.†My head snapped up. â€Å"Have you noticed anything, er, odd about Margaret?†Bram had known the Sutherlands since he was born. Perhaps he had some insight into what made Margaret able to withstand Damon’s charms. Bram scratched his floppy black curls. â€Å"Odd?†â€Å"Yes, she’s different from the others. Stronger,†I said leadingly. Bram let out a rueful laugh. â€Å"That’s for sure. One time when we were younger, I stole her favorite doll to use it as a nurse in a war game with my brother. I swear, the look she gave me! She didn’t even have to touch me to send a painful shock through my entire body. Needless to say, I never played with her toys again.†â€Å"She was able to hurt you without touching you?†I pressed, trying to put the pieces together. But just then, Winfield tapped me on the shoulder and nodded toward a back room. Damon came with us, a mock-serious look on his face. As we quietly filed past the guests and down a side corridor, I strained to look out the windows. Through trees and towers I could see the mighty Hudson and the Palisades, a golden sun shining down on the sparkling river, the green forests, boats and barges parading slowly up and down the water. I almost did feel like a king surveying his countryside, since marrying into this family set me into the top of New York’s highest society. We entered a dark-paneled smoking room, and Winfield immediately set about pouring some ruby-red sherry. Damon pulled out a silver flask and right there in front of Winfield spiked his drink with blood. Human blood. â€Å"To marriage eternal,†Damon said, raising his glass. Winfield agreed energetically. â€Å"To marriage.†I just nodded and tossed back the drink, hoping the cool liquid would sate my thirst. â€Å"There’s a serious matter I need to talk to you lads about.†Winfield settled his frame into a large desk chair. Damon leaned forward expectantly. I tensed in my seat, ready for whatever would come next. â€Å"The matter of a dowry.†I squeezed my hands together. Damon grinned, exposing his gleaming canines. He threw himself on to a velvet couch. â€Å"Just what I was going to ask you about, Father. You don’t mind me calling you that, do you?†â€Å"Not at all, my boy,†Winfield said, offering Damon a cigar. My brother took it, carefully trimming and lighting the end in a matter so professional I wondered where he picked up the habit. The two sat puffing for a moment, releasing large clouds of smoke into the tiny room. I coughed. Damon, enjoying my discomfort, took the effort to blow a smoke ring my way. â€Å"Now here’s the thing. I want you two boys to be able to stand on your own two feet. My girls deserve real men, and if anything should happen to me, I want to make sure they’re taken care of.†â€Å"Of course,†Damon said, out the corner of his mouth, around the cigar. â€Å"I have several mines in Virginia; one is gold. They could use some managing. And then there are the railway shares I’ve bought into†¦Ã¢â‚¬ My brother widened his eyes. I looked away, unable to bear watching him compel this poor man. â€Å"I would prefer cash,†he said. â€Å"All right, that seems reasonable,†Winfield said without pause or even blinking. â€Å"An annuity, then? A living salary?†â€Å"Up front. All of it,†Damon said pleasantly. â€Å"One twentieth of my estate, capital, and holdings, then?†Winfield asked politely. â€Å"More like a quarter.†An automaton, Winfield mindlessly agreed to everything Damon suggested. But I couldn’t figure it out – would this keep Winfield safe? Would Damon just keep him around, ordering whatever he pleased out of him? â€Å"I’m glad you’re so concerned about taking care of my girls in the manner to which they have been accustomed,†Winfield said, but his voice sounded hollow, as if somewhere some tiny part of his mind knew something was terribly wrong. The poor man drew out some checks and a pen. In a moment it was done, and Winfield presented me with a check with so many zeroes on it, it was barely readable. Damon bared his teeth in something that was less a grin than a rictus of victory. He stood up, holding his glass of blood-laced sherry next to me. The smell was intoxicating. It took every ounce of my strength not to leap up and drain the cup. And then Winfield said the most amazing, banal thing in the world. â€Å"Those checks will take a while to clear,†he apologized, unaware of how those eight words might have just saved his life. Damon glowered, thunderheads in his eyes. It was a look of angry frustration that was famous in Mystic Falls, and something no one wanted to be responsible for causing. It was a dangerous thing to disappoint my brother. He crumpled the check in his hands. â€Å"You didn’t mention that before,†he growled, waving the sherry under my nose. I stiffened, my thirst making my fangs burn. â€Å"I’m going to have to sell a great deal of my estate, capital, and holdings to get the cash to back this,†Winfield answered so plaintively it made me sick. â€Å"So do it!†Damon ordered. But I was no longer paying attention. I had to get out of the room. My Power reacted to my hunger – to my anger – and I felt the beginnings of a change. â€Å"I have to†¦Ã¢â‚¬ I didn’t even bother making up an excuse. I pushed my way out of the room, past my evil brother and our sad father-in-law, out of the castle, and into the black night where I belonged. How to cite Stefan’s Diaries: The Craving Chapter 17, Essay examples
Friday, December 6, 2019
Cell Structure and Functions
Question: Describe about the Cell structure and function? Answer: Definition: Lysosomes are tiny vesicles filled with hydrolytic enzymes (proteins which are catalyst for thousands of metabolic reactions that are required for life) which are required by cells to metabolize its nutrients and for removing dead cells from body by destroying them. They are the main site for digestion or breakdown of structures inside the cells [1]. Proteasome on the other hand works by the process of proteolysis (chemical reaction which cleaved peptide bonds) where its main function is to destroy damaged or unwanted proteins. Enzymes involved in process of proteolysis are known as proteases. Cells require proteasomes majorly to regulate and maintain concentration of properly folded proteins and remove those that are in excess or are misfolded [2]. Location: Lysosomes are membrane bound cell organelle found mostly in all animal cells except red blood cells but are rarely found in plant cells, whereas proteasomes are present in all eukaryotes (inside nucleus and in cytoplasm), archaea and in some bacteria as well [3, 4]. Comparison of Functions of lysosomes and proteasomes When food particle is taken up or absorbed by cells, lysosomes release enzymes in order to break those molecules (sugar or protein) into usable form of energy for cells to survive. Lysosomes carry the process of digestion/breakdown of macromolecules like carbohydrates, nucleic acids, proteins and lipids as they have acidic pH [3], whereas proteasomes only remove misfolded/abnormal proteins formed in cells [4]. Secondly lysosomes repair the membrane of cells, on the other hand, proteasome are responsible for differentiation of cells (work by degrading metabolic enzymes and transcription factors) and also for cell cycle regulation and cellular differentiation. Preotasomes are also helpful for cells to respond to stress, where the ubiquitin conjugated regulatory proteins are degraded. Whenever any pathogen enters human body, macrophages engulfs the pathogen and the vesicle containing pathogen is pinched off the macrophage, further this vesicle fuses with the lysosomal membrane and lysos omes respond to foreign pathogens like viruses, bacteria and some antigens which enter in cells, by digesting them using digestive/hydrolytic enzymes but proteasomes play essential role in immune system as they generate antigenic peptides which are further presented by the major histocompatibility complex I (MHC I) molecules to T cells and these T cells then clear off the pathogen and activate B cell to develop memory against those pathogens and thus the antigens are then cleared from the body [3,4]. Comparison of protein components of Lysosomes and Proteasomes Lysosomes are made up of proteins which are basically enzymes present on the lysosomal membrane consisting of lipids. Integral membrane proteins which are specific to lysosomes are called as Lysosome Associated Membrane glycoproteins (LAMPs) for which no such clear function is found. Considering their structure, these proteins have two internal lysosome-luminal domains that are homologous and are separated by hinge region that is rich in proline content. The proteins have transmembrane region at their C-terminal extremity which is followed by a short cytoplasmic tail [5]. As compared to lysosomes which have enzyme (protein) and an outer membrane, proteasomes subcomponents are denoted by their Svedberg sedimentation coefficient (S). In mammals, most exclusively used proteasome is 26S proteasome (~2000 kDa) which has single 20S subunit and two 19S subunits, acting as regulatory caps. The core of this proteasome is hollow which acts as an enclosed cavity where proteins are degraded. 19S subunits at each end of the core particle has many Ubiquitin binding and ATPase active sites. This portion identifies polyubiquitinylated proteins and sends them to catalytic core. An 11S particle can link with core particle in a similar way as of 19S and contribute in clearance of any foreign peptides. Image courtesy :- McNaught, K. S. P., Olanow, C. W., Halliwell, B., Isacson, O., Jenner, P. (2001). Failure of the ubiquitinproteasome system in Parkinson's disease.Nature Reviews Neuroscience,2(8), 589-594. In eukaryotes, 19S has 19 different proteins which are divided in two sub-assemblies, a 10-subunit lid and a 9-subunit base (of which 6 are ATPase subunits) which directly binds to 20S core particle at the -ring. This attachment of 19S and 20S units needs binding of ATP to ATPase subunit of 19S. In order to degrade ubiquitinylated and folded proteins using assembled complex, ATP hydrolysis is required in only one step and rest steps can work by just presence of bound ATP [6]. Thus we can conclude by saying that lysosomes are, protein (enzyme) containing vesicles which degrade pathogens or food particle to get rid of infection or release energy respectively and proteasomes on the other hand are responsible for removing improperly folded or ubiquitinylated proteins formed in our body failing which the bodys regular functions may be altered in a negative manner. References: 1. Aronson, N. N., de Duve, C. (1968). Digestive activity of lysosomes II. The digestion of macromolecular carbohydrates by extracts of rat liver lysosomes. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 243(17), 4564-4573. 2. Ding, W. X., Yin, X. M. (2008). Sorting, recognition and activation of the misfolded protein degradation pathways through macroautophagy and the proteasome. Autophagy, 4(2), 141-150. 3.https://www.boundless.com/biology/textbooks/boundless-biology-textbook/cell-structure-4/the-endomembrane-system-and-proteins-61/lysosomes-321-11457/ 4. Peters, J. M., Franke, W. W., Kleinschmidt, J. A. (1994). Distinct 19 S and 20 S subcomplexes of the 26 S proteasome and their distribution in the nucleus and the cytoplasm. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 269(10), 7709-7718. 5. https://www.ebi.ac.uk/interpro/entry/IPR002000 6. Wang, J., Maldonado, M. A. (2006). The ubiquitin-proteasome system and its role in inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Cell Mol Immunol, 3(4), 255-261.
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