Analysis Of The Poem The Man Fly Send Rain Clouds By...

â€Å"The Man to Send Rain Clouds† by Leslie Marmon Silko: This story tells of the death of a tribal elder (Teofilo). Upon his death, his grandsons, Leon and Ken, secure his body and proceed to apply their cultural rituals for a burial. â€Å"Before they wrapped the Oldman, Leon took a piece of string out of his pocket and tied a small gray feather in the old man’s long white hair. Ken gave him the paint. Across the brown wrinkled forehead, he drew a streak of white and along the high cheekbones he drew a strip of blue paint.† (Silko, 439) Not knowing much about Native American beliefs I do know that feathers and face painting is a large part of their culture. This is the first clue given that the characters in this work are Native American. After gathering his body they proceed to bring him back to they have an interaction with the local Catholic priest, Father Paul. During this interaction, the family members don’t tell Father Paul that their grandfather has passed when he asks did they locate him. At once I could tell that there is a rift of some nature because the ritual they just performed on the body would be in stark contrast/opposition to a Catholic burial. The author of this novel is describing the encroachment of religion on Native American culture. This is again shown when Ken and Leon stop by the church to ask Father Paul to use holy water to the graveyard. The reasoning for the sprinkling of the holy water is so that Teofilo could send big thunderclouds from the

The Handmaid s Tale By Margaret Atwood - 1330 Words

Sarah Tyrrell AP Literature Summer Reading September 11, 2015 The Handmaid’s Tale In her book, â€Å"The Handmaid’s Tale†, Margaret Atwood describes a dystopian society in which all of the progress in the feminist movement that was made during the twentieth century is reversed and the nation is reverted back to its traditional patriarchal ways. The story is told from the point of view of Offred, a woman who was separated from her husband and child and forced into the life of a handmaid. In this book, Atwood explores the oppression of women through her use of literary tools such as figurative language, symbols, and literary allusions. Throughout the book, the author uses figurative language, specifically similes, to explain the maltreatment and abuse of women in the Republic of Gilead. In describing the conditions at the red center, the narrator explains that Aunt Lydia said to â€Å"think of it as being in the army† (7). By this she meant that every woman in the center would wear the same clothes, use the same blan kets and pillows, adhere to strict regulations, and have no personal items. The center was tough to get through but even harder to get out of. The women were not allowed to be exposed to anything that could potentially harm them because the â€Å"Aunts† and the â€Å"Eyes† know that they would take the chance. If the women are being sent to a place where they would rather kill themselves than continue on or try to escape, then it leads one to believe that they are being horriblyShow MoreRelatedThe Handmaid s Tale By Margaret Atwood1357 Words   |  6 PagesOxford definition: â€Å"the advocacy of women s rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes† (Oxford dictionary). In the novel The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood explores feminism through the themes of women’s bodies as political tools, the dynamics of rape culture and the society of complacency. Margaret Atwood was born in 1939, at the beginning of WWII, growing up in a time of fear. In the autumn of 1984, when she began writing The Handmaid’s Tale, she was living in West Berlin. The BerlinRead MoreThe Handmaid s Tale By Margaret Atwood1249 Words   |  5 PagesDystopian Research Essay: The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood In the words of Erika Gottlieb With control of the past comes domination of the future. A dystopia reflects and discusses major tendencies in contemporary society. The Handmaid s Tale is a dystopian novel written by Margaret Atwood in 1985. The novel follows its protagonist Offred as she lives in a society focused on physical and spiritual oppression of the female identity. Within The Handmaid s Tale it is evident that through the explorationRead MoreThe Handmaid s Tale By Margaret Atwood1060 Words   |  5 Pagesideologies that select groups of people are to be subjugated. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood plays on this idea dramatically: the novel describes the oppression of women in a totalitarian theocracy. Stripped of rights, fertile women become sex objects for the politically elite. These women, called the Handmaids, are forced to cover themselves and exist for the sole purpose of providing children. The Handmaid’s Tale highlights the issue of sexism while also providing a cruel insight into theRead MoreThe Handmaid s Tale By Margaret Atwood1659 Words   |  7 Pagesbook The Handmaid s Tale by Margaret Atwood, the foremost theme is identity, due to the fact that the city where the entire novel takes place in, the city known as the Republic of Gilead, often shortened to Gilead, strips fertile women of their identities. Gilead is a society that demands the women who are able to have offspring be stripped of all the identity and rights. By demeaning these women, they no longer view themselves as an individual, but rather as a group- the group of Handmaids. It isRead MoreThe Handmaid s Tale By Margaret Atwood1237 Words   |  5 Pages The display of a dystopian society is distinctively shown in The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood. Featuring the Republic of Gilead, women are categorized by their differing statuses and readers get an insight into this twisted society through the lenses of the narrator; Offred. Categorized as a handmaid, Offred’s sole purpose in living is to simply and continuously play the role of a child-bearing vessel. That being the case, there is a persistent notion that is relatively brought up by thoseRead MoreThe Handmaid s Tale By Margaret Atwood1548 Words   |  7 PagesIn Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, The theme of gender, sexuality, and desire reigns throughout the novel as it follows the life of Offred and other characters. Attwood begins the novel with Offred, a first person narrator who feels as if she is misplaced when she is describing her sleeping scenery at the decaying school gymnasium. The narrator, Offred, explains how for her job she is assigned to a married Commander’s house where she is obligated to have sex with him on a daily basis, so thatRead MoreThe Handmaid s Tale, By Margaret Atwood1629 Words   |  7 Pages Atwood s novel, The Handmaid s Tale depicts a not too futuristic society of Gilead, a society that overthrows the U.S. Government and institutes a totalitarian regime that seems to persecute women specifically. Told from the main character s point of view, Offred, explains the Gilead regime and its patriarchal views on some women, known as the handmaids, to a purely procreational function. The story is set the present tense in Gilead but frequently shifts to flashbacks in her time at the RedRead MoreThe Handmaid s Tale By Margaret Atwood1256 Words   |  6 Pageshappened to Jews in Germany, slaves during Christopher Columbus’s days, slaves in the early 1900s in America, etc. When people systematically oppress one another, it leads to internal oppression of the oppressed. This is evident in Margaret Atwood’s book, The Handmaid’s Tale. This dystopian fiction book is about a young girl, Offred, who lives in Gilead, a dystopian society. Radical feminists complained about their old lifestyles, so in Gilead laws and rules are much different. For example, men cannotRead MoreThe Handmaid s Tale By Margaret Atwood1540 Words   |  7 Pages Name: Nicole. Zeng Assignment: Summative written essay Date:11 May, 2015. Teacher: Dr. Strong. Handmaid’s Tale The literary masterpiece The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, is a story not unlike a cold fire; hope peeking through the miserable and meaningless world in which the protagonist gets trapped. The society depicts the discrimination towards femininity, blaming women for their low birth rate and taking away the right from the females to be educated ,forbidding them from readingRead MoreThe Handmaid s Tale By Margaret Atwood1667 Words   |  7 Pagesrhetorical devices and figurative language, that he or she is using. The Handmaid’s Tale, which is written by Margaret Atwood, is the novel that the author uses several different devices and techniques to convey her attitude and her points of view by running the story with a narrator Offred, whose social status in the Republic of Gilead is Handmaid and who is belongings of the Commander. Atwood creates her novel The Handmaid’s Tale to be more powerful tones by using imagery to make a visibleness, hyperbole

Principals Of Financial Markets Assignment â€Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Principals Of Financial Markets Group Assignment? Answer: Introduction Economy of Australia is developed consisting of largest mixed market economy with a GDP of AUD$1.69 trillion in 2017(Australia, 2010). Australia though a small nation is second wealthiest economy post Switzerland. Australia is rated as 14th largest economy according to its GDP. It has had stable GDP since a prolonged period of time and comprises of 20th largest exporter. In recent years Australia had experienced negative growth associated with slowing down of its housing sector and service sector growth. Primary contributor of Australian GDP are Services 61.1%, Mining 6.9%, Construction 8.1%, Agriculture 2.2% and Manufacturing 6.0%. Inflation recorded for the country is at 1.9% for its June quarter 2017(Atkinson, 2007). The country has a stable currency Australian Dollars and a stable financial market. The country has approximately a labor force comprising of 12.6 million and unemployment rates are at 5.6%. Australian airline industry is vast sector that is dominated by two f its gia nt airlines Virgin and Qantas Airways. The industry is rapidly growing with growth in tourism segment and has attached several endeavors for customers for creating greater sphere of services. The Australian economy Business has provided various fundamental economic factors that has allowed growth and development in this segment of business(Ravenhill, 2007). The scope of the current study analyses industry prevalent conditions in airline industry and two ASX listed companies namely Virgin Airlines and Qantas Airways. Several micro and macro factors are considered within the economy that provides directional changes to it and also create value in its hare prices. Virgin Airlines Virgin Australia Airlines Pty Ltd was earlier known as Virgin Blue Airlines, which was founded in 1999. It is considered second largest airline in Australia and is largest according to its current fleet size(www.virginaustralia.com, Retrieved on 14th September 2017). The Company was co-founded by Richard Branson and was previously based in Bowen Hills, Brisbane. Mission statement for the Company is to become Australias favorite airline. At The Company has several hubs spread across Australia, it primarily focuses on Adelaide Airport, Perth Airport and Gold Coast Airport with fleet size of over 115 covering 52 destinations. Current revenue earnings for the Company is AUD$ 4.7 billion whereas operating income is AUD$ - 49 million. The Company competes with Qantas Airlines and also several other airline operators from worldwide that operates in Australia. Qantas Airways Qantas Airways is the flagship carrier of Australia, which was founded in 1920 in Winton, Queensland, Australia(www.qantas.com, Retrieved on 14th September 2017). The airline covers multiple destinations across Australia and globally and its hubs are based in Australia. Mission of Qantas Airlines is lead being Australias premium airline and being always dedicated to the best. It has over 122 operating fleets covering 85 destinations globally. Its current headquarters is at Mascot in Sydney. The Company earned a revenue of AUD$15.8 billion in 2015, whereas its operating income was AUD$975 million. It has a large base of employees 28,622. Top-down Analysis Overall economic situation prevailing is bound to impact on a firms business growth and related activities. Top-down approach within an economy analyses larger picture by taking into consideration smaller elements(Bhringer, 2008). Investors, with a broader view of the economy, often select this process. It allows picking of stocks from emerging markets or from economic situations that are more prevalent to growth for companies. It diagnoses broader economic aspects for generating a worldview. The approach is focused on analysing macroeconomic picture at first then analyses industry specific condition. Australia offers a potentially attractive market with stable parameters that are conducive to its growth. In this approach GDP, trade balance, currency movements, interests rates and inflation along with other economic specific factors for analysis of trends in the economy. GDP The gross Domestic Product (GDP) for Australia is at 1204.62 billion US dollars, which comprises of 1.94% of the world economy(Dwyer, 2010). The sectors that contribute to the GDP of Australia has already been discussed above, which is expected to rise annually. Figure 1: Australia GDP Source: (tradingeconomics.com, Australia GDP, Retreieved on 14th Septemeber 2017) Nominal GDP of Australia is $1.258 trillion and PPP adjusted GDP is at $1.187 according to IMF. Its GDP growth rate is at 1.8% annually and its per capita GDP is at $51,850 nominal with PPP adjusted GDP being at $48,899. It has gained per capita GDP rank of 12th world over. Primary dominance in the Australian sector is by services which occupies a 61.1%(Li, 2013). The stock exchange in the country is 16th largest in the whole world. It has some of the largest interest rate traded derivatives. Recently the GDP of the country has dipped which has resulted in low purchasing power amongst consumers. This has affected tourism sector in a large manner, especially the airline industry. Airline constitutes a large part of the service industry, which has been affected, leading to lowering of GDP(Garnett, 2008). Rising unemployment, rising population, lowered production in the country has tremendously affected output leading to drop in GDP. With rising of people losing job, less number of peop le now have purchasing power to fly by airline, which has in turn impacted airline industry in general. Currency Movement Australian Dollar is relatively a stable currency, which is traded almost globally. Earlier trends depicts that Australian currency had a fairly fluctuating trend as compared to other countries but recently it has been able to stabilize its currency scenario. It is though valid only in Australia and some parts of New Zealand(Borenstein, 2014). The currency trades at quite stable rates and rising exports with lowering of loans have made the currency stronger. Figure 2: Australian Currency Rate Source: (www.rba.gov.au, Retrieved on 14th Sepetember 2017) Recent trends depict the currency growing weaker as compared to USD which has led to large number of passengers purchasing tickets from the airlines(Baker, 2015). Due to airline ticket becoming more affordable as compared to tickets of other airlines, more passengers are willing to buy tickets of Virgin and Qantas to fly to various locations. Similarly when the currency emerges o be stronger, then sales of ticket for the airline drops significantly. Interest Rates Interest rates are a predetermining factors for economic growth and stability. Interest rates in Australia are determined by its Reserve Bank which has targets for its cash rate for overnight funds. It is used as an instrument in the monetary policy which exerts control over cash rate and financial market operations(Oxenbridge, 2010). RBB in Australia makes decision regarding cash rate target for maintaining adequate liquidity in the market. Interest rate in Australia is maintained at levels to maintain liquidity and control rates of inflation. Though in the past Australia had experienced high rates of interest rates in recent years it has been psychology. Interest rates in Australia had been significantly higher in the past compared to recent trends(De Neufville, 2008). Current trends in Australia depicts interests rates of the country to be around spread of 1.2%. - 1.7%. Figure 3: Australia Interest Rates Source: (www.businessinsider.com, Retreived on 14th Spetember 2017) At such low interest rates, companies are able to raise capital in debt form more easily as compared to equity capital(Wiedmann, 2009). Low levels of interest rates are conducive to economic growth, stability and prosperity. Higher interest rates on the other hand reflect a debt-ridden economy. The scope of the current analysis depicts that Virgin and Qantas Airlines can easily raise debt capital at lower costs of capital, with lower servicing rates for their expansion or other endeavors. Inflation Inflation determines purchasing power of consumers and needs to be assessed for determining relative effectiveness of the economy(Shahiduzzaman, 2014). Inflation is a determinant factor in the Australian economy that encompasses and assesses purchasing power. Australia has had tremendous number of immigrants in the past, but currently its population trends are declining and ageing population have relatively lower purchasing power as compared to younger generation. Unemployment has also seriously affected the economy leading to low purchasing power in peoples hands. Consumer prices is rising constantly in Australia to 1.9 %, which markets an era of a 2 year high range. Earlier inflation was around 2.2 %, market conditions as lowering demand in housing market and transport has led to such declining rates. Figure 4: Australian Inflation Rate Source: (tradingeconomics.com, Australia Inflation, Retreived on 14th September 2017) Increase in consumer inflation has been significantly lower in recent years with rise in job losses and outsourcing in the economy. Large amounts of Australian economy is facing significant run-down due to outsourcing of job offshore(Thurlow, 2007). With lowering of purchasing power in hands of consumers with similar outlook for the future, the economy is further expected to suffer. With low levels of purchasing power demand associated with airline ticket and associated businesses are expected to fall in the future. There is a negative outlook in the Australian economy for the future, especially in regards to consumer related demands. Macro-economic conditions are deterrent for any growth related factors in any sector especially in the service. As both the companies in analysis Virgin and Qantas airlines are present in Australia, within similar specific conditions both companies are estimated to be impacted in a similar manner. Australian markets are conducive for growth and developm ent of airline industry and its businesses. Bottom-up Analysis In a bottom-up analysis fundamental analysis for the Company is taken into consideration. It encompasses financial statements, security prices and other prospects for the company(Forsyth, 2008). As against top-down approach, in bottom-up approach it is assumed that companies will perform well. Bottom-up approach identifies industry related aspects as against those of the company for arriving at a recommendation. Australia airline industry has been through turbulent times with steady decline in international tourists. Post terrorists attacks international tourists has declined leading to traffic loss from all airlines globally. The industry has also undergone tremendous amounts of structural changes since 1990s with opening of Australian markets to international players. Earlier there were two airlines in the industry one being Qantas airways and another being Ansett Australia but with Virgin Blue and Impulse Airlines emerging, the industry has changed immensely. Qantas remains a domi nant player in the market with Virgin having less than one third of the market share. Domestic airline industry in Australia largely remains unregulated with Australias International airline being regulated from Federal level. International airlines have capacity controls with long-established system of bilateral air service agreements (ASAs). The framework allows smooth and easy functioning of operations scheduled in international air service. The Commonwealth government has also adopted a series of measures in an attempt to rapidly develop low-cost airline segment at competitive rates. These policy changes have affected existing airlines and new airlines. Passenger share in the aviation industry largely remains affected with emergence of large number of carriers and international fleet in the market. Industry analysis according to bottom-up approach for airline industry in Australia with that of Qantas and Virgin Airlines is taken into consideration. Current market capitalization for Virgin Airlines is at AUD $1,565M with equivalent share 8,458 M. current price at which the stock trades is $0.185. Figure 5: Virgin Airline Stock Price Source: (investsmart.com.au, Retreived on 14th September 2017) The Company has Earnings of 1.80 as against sector scenario of 1.06, its P/E Ratio is 0 as against sector ratio of 18.40 and P/B ratio is .00 against sector average of 1.82. It P/E growth ratio is 0 as against sector growth rates of 3.63(Nimark, 2009). These data reflects that Virgin is though an established airline, it has barely been able to meet up with the standards prevalent within the industry. The Company neither has a P/E ratio, implying that it has not been able to deliver significant return on its share capital. The Company has not been able to generate earnings for its shareholders. The Company in order to establish and grow within the current industry needs to strive or extend several competitive advantages. The Company needs to expand its core advantages and provide more offering to its customers in order to attract more passengers. The airline industry is extremely competitive hence, in order to become competitive the airline needs to develop several advantageous prices or discounts or offers to generate more amount of sales as against its competitors. Qantas Airways on the other hand has a market capitalization of AUD $10,470 M with equivalent shares of 1,808 M(Hazel, 2012). The Company has an Earning of 1.08 as against sector average of 1.06. It has a P/E ratio of 10.94 as against sector average of 18.40, its P/B ratio is 2.96 as against 1.82 sector average. Its P/E growth rate is 2.01 and sector average is 3.63. Figure 6: Qantas Airlines Share Price Source: (https://www.investsmart.com.au, Retreived on 14th September 2017) Qantas Airways is a more profitable airline as compared to that of Virgin with more customer base. The Company has a relatively stable P/E ratio meaning that it can easily attract large investor base in case it wants to expand it company functions. Though the industry remains competitive, the airline needs to devise more strategies for attracting new customers and creating competitive advantages. The competitive ambience and atmosphere of international airlines have led to airlines adopting low cost structures. For an airline company to remain competitive, it needs to adopt cost competency and also exert core competence by tie-up with online booking portals, hotels and travel agents. But analysis of stocks of Virgin and Qantas airlines has been conducted in bottom-up analysis and also top-down analysis manner. As both the airlines have hubs and are operating from Australia that offers stable atmosphere for conducting its business, bottoms-up analysis for both will be preferred. According to bottom-up analysis it can be deduced that Virgin is an emerging company whereas Qantas already have an established business. for the purpose of investment Qantas offers more lucrative opportunity as compared to Virgin airlines. Summary and Recommendation Following discussion from analysis of macro-economic factors as well as industry specific factors, it can be said that it asserts immense influence on share prices and economic situation of the company. As Australias GDP is currently slowing, Airline companies are raising less capital from debt market for adding to their fleet size. Returns from stock prices of these companies are gradually declining. Inflation and currency though has been significantly stable in these markets providing substantial benefits to their businesses. Stability in interest rates and other macro factors has been conducive to growth and development of these business in the Australian markets. As scope of tourism industry is gradually expanding, it is offering more diversified opportunities to these companies who are making tie-ups with hotels, taxis and other facilities to provide their customers with a complete satisfaction experience. Micro factors as analysed form the companies reflect that Virgin and Qant as Airlines both have been operating at substantial profitability. However, current fluctuations in fuel prices has led to diminishing of their operational profitability leading to operational losses. These airlines are trying to hedge against such situations to provide profitability situation to the company. However, they are not able to cover their basic costs which are adding to significant burden. In order to overcome to current prevailing situations in the market and remain profitable, the airlines needs to adopt the following recommendations; These airlines needs to make tie-up with several global airlines and create flyer schemes that will allow reduce costs. Global carriers that do not operate in Australia can be made tie-up with these airlines for generating larger customer base. Airlines can have hedging for fuel prices such that they are able to tolerate any fluctuation in fuel prices that might affect their profitability. Planning ahead for tolerating any fluctuations will allow to undertake rapid strategic planning procedure. Low cost carrier is the new norm for airline industry to generate more sales volume, Sales is the key to generate more volumes and create continuous profitability by maintaining at par facility. Along with its luxurious segments, these airlines can operate in the low costs segment, which will allow it to develop more cost advantageous operations. Online booking facility has been adopted for most airlines globally. Such online bookings allow reducing costs related to operations and make extraordinary profits. These airlines can make tie-ups with several online travelling portals that offers lucrative deals to travelers by booking with them to generate more number of passengers Reference Lists Atkinson, A. B. (2007). The distribution of top management in Australia. Economic Record, 247-261. Australia, . S. (2010). Australia to 2050: Future Challenges: the 2010 Intergenerational Report. Commonwealth of Australia. Baker, D. M. (2015). Regional aviation and economic growth: cointegration and causality analysis in Australia. Journal of Transport Geography, 140-150. Bhringer, C. . (2008). Combining bottom-up and top-down. Combining bottom-up and top-down, 574-596. Borenstein, S. . (2014). How airline markets work or do they? Regulatory reform in the airline industry. In Economic Regulation and Its Reform: What Have We Learned? University of Chicago Press, 63-135. De Neufville, R. (2008). Low-cost airports for low-cost airlines: flexible design to manage the risks. Transportation planning and Technology, 35-68. Dwyer, L. F. (2010). Estimating the carbon footprint of Australian tourism. Journal of Sustainable tourism, 355-376. Forsyth, P. (2008). Airport policy in Australia and New Zealand: privatization, light-handed regulation, and performance. Trabajo presentado en el encuentro Economa de las infraestructuras: un anlisis comparativo de los principales aeropuertos del mundo. Madrid, Fundacin Rafael del Pino, 18. Garnett, S. T. (2008). Future options for north Australia. Charles Darwin University Press (CDU Press). Hazel, B. S. (2012). airline economic analysis. Oliver Wyman. https://www. oliverwyman. com/media/OW_Raymond_James_2012_FINAL. PDF. https://www.investsmart.com.au. (Retreived on 14th September 2017). Qanats Accounting Information. https://www.investsmart.com.au/shares/asx-qan/qantas-airways-limited. investsmart.com.au. (Retreived on 14th September 2017). Virgin Accounting Information. https://www.investsmart.com.au/shares/asx-vah/virgin-australia-holdings-limited. Li, S. . (2013). Evaluating economic impacts of major sports eventsa meta analysis of the key trends. Current Issues in Tourism, 591-611. Nimark, K. P. (2009). A structural model of Australia as a small open economy. Australian Economic Review, 24-41. Oxenbridge, S. W. (2010). A comparative analysis of restructuring employment relationships in Qantas and Aer Lingus: different routes, similar destinations. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 180-196. Ravenhill, F. J. (2007). Australia and the global economy. In Trading on Alliance Security: Australia in World Affairs 2001-2005. Oxford University Press. Shahiduzzaman, M. . (2014). Information technology and its changing roles to economic growth and productivity in Australia. Telecommunications Policy, 125-135. Thurlow, C. . (2007). National pride, global capital: A social semiotic analysis of transnational visual branding in the airline industry. . Visual Communication, 305-344. tradingeconomics.com. (Retreieved on 14th Septemeber 2017). Australia GDP. https://tradingeconomics.com/australia/gdp. tradingeconomics.com. (Retreived on 14th September 2017). Australia Inflation. https://tradingeconomics.com/australia/inflation-cpi. Wiedmann, T. (2009). Carbon footprint and inputoutput analysisan introduction. www.businessinsider.com. (Retreived on 14th Spetember 2017). Australian marketing Rates. https://www.businessinsider.com.au/why-australian-interest-rates-are-unlikely-to-return-to-pre-gfc-levels-2017-2. www.qantas.com. (Retrieved on 14th September 2017). Qantas Company Details. https://www.qantas.com/travel/airlines/company/global/en. www.rba.gov.au. (Retrieved on 14th Sepetember 2017). Australia Exchange Rate. https://www.rba.gov.au/mkt-operations/ex-rate-rba-role-fx-mkt.html. www.virginaustralia.com. (Retrieved on 14th September 2017). Virgin Australia. https://www.virginaustralia.com/uk/en/_cookiesAcceptance/.

Reflective Journal Entry Click To Get Complete Solution

Question: What went right (or wrong) during your placement? Note that reflecting on issues which go wrong may be even more valuable than reflecting on the positive experiences. Answer: Introduction: A reflective journal is basically the reflection of thoughts and experiences of an individual in a certain context. A reflective journal basically includes the experiences and feelings of a person regarding a certain position or condition. The main aim of this reflective journal is to present my experiences and what I learnt during my internship with Townsend Associates. I worked as an intern with the Townsend Associates from 4th December 2014 till 7th January. Townsend Associates is a nationally recognised recruitment and staffing firm that is established in 1999. The organisation has a reputation to comply with and go beyond the expectations of the clients and they are diversified. The organisation has achieved the competitive advantage in the industry with the help of quality service that is provided by the organisation to its clients. The company is diversified in a various industries and they learn about the business of their clients and then take various actions for the prov ision of a better service (Townsend-associates.com, 2015). The organisation evaluates the processes, environment and the culture of the clients and then it offers them the talent that is high calibre. The main aim of this company is to become the staffing firm that will be selected by the professionals and the clients first. There are several core competencies of the organisation and these are the continuous improvement in full time placements and project staffing (Ptai.com, 2015) Now some of the key staff or members of the organisation and their position can be stated here. Phillip Townsend (Chairman and Founder) Barjor M. Dastur (CEO the President) Dave Bohmbach (Vice President) Kevin p.ODonnell (Managing Director) Kathleen Blumenthal (Chief Administrative Officer) Jennifer Welch, (Chief Information Officer) Daniel Compte (Division Manager) (Fdtownsend.com, 2015) The internship started with the induction programme that was conducted by the organisation. The induction programme was conducted by the division manager and in that induction programme, the information about the organisation and its achievements were provided. In the introductory session, the operations of the company, their role and position in the industry were discussed along with the type of services that are provided to the clients. After that we were addressed to give our introduction and the services that we were interested in. Now the entries can be provided covering each day. The Entries Covering Each Day: Day 1: The first day was the introduction day. The induction programme was conducted on the first day. The managing director of the company greeted us. After that the manger started the induction programme where the details about the organisation were given. The operations of the company and the kind of services that are provided by the company were discussed in the programme. After that we were addressed to provide our introduction and educational background. I informed them about my area of interest and the expertise that I required. They had given us the introduction about the staff members of the organisation and how the organisation maintained the core competencies within the organisation. After that we were given a tour of the organisation. I saw how the organisation was operating and learnt the roles and responsibilities of the staff members. Day 2: On the second day, I learn about personal tax system and how the company provides services to the clients in this department. Townsend Associates provide the personal tax service to its clients. It is known that the company has the efficinecy in the provision of the service to the clients. I had knowledge regarding the personal tax system and how it is imposed on the income of an individual. I knew about the tax structure that exists in the economy and the tax bases as well. During the internship programme, I learnt other information about the personal income tax like the exemption conditions and also how to process the legal documentation. The application processes and procedures for the individuals and how they can be processed by the organisation. I also learnt about the issues that can be faced by the clients and how they can be dealt with as a professional. Day 3: On the third day more information was given on handling the personal income taxes of the clients. On this day, a practical application of the system and how the issues were dealt with were discussed. I learnt about the entry of tax bases for the clients and also gained more knowledge and expertise about various softwares that can be used by the organisation for the accounting practices. Here I learnt about using the excel function and advanced excel options that are used for the personal tax system. The managers and the staff in the organisation were very helpful. They shared with us their practical experiences and how they deal with the clients. They also informed me regarding the issues that can be occurring with the clients and how they need to be dealt with. The staffs were very cooperative and they also answered the queries that I had raised regarding the process. Day 4: On the fourth day I learnt about the company tax and how the company provides services to the clients in this department. Townsend Associates provide the services related with the company or corporate tax to its clients. I had knowledge regarding the corporate tax system and how it is imposed on a company. I had knowledge about the tax structure that exists in the economy for the corporate entities and the tax bases as well. During the internship programme, I learnt other information about the tax like the exemption conditions and also how to process the legal documentation. The application processes and procedures for the companies and how they can be processed by the organisation. I also learnt about the issues that can be faced in terms of dealing with the clients by the organisation. On the fourth day I also gained the practical knowledge regarding the corporate tax laws and the implication of these laws for the companies. The staffs were very cooperative and they answered to al l my queries that I had regarding the operations. Day 5: On the fifth day I gained experience of the quick book system. This was a unique experience for me as I only had the knowledge and some information about the QuickBooks. I knew that the QuickBooks are accounting software that is used by many organisations. It can be said that quick books are very important for increasing the efficiency of the accounting system in an organisation (Quickbooks.intuit.com, 2015). The QuickBooks can help in managing the finances and it can also perform several daily tasks like invoicing, billing and bookkeeping. The taxes can be estimated by tracking the sales and the expenses with the help of the QuickBooks system. How the QuickBooks can help an organisation in managing their accounting process was also shown. The application of the QuickBooks system was very new for me and I learnt a lot from the organisation and its existing staff. Day 6: On the sixth day I continued to learn about the application of the QuickBooks system and how it can be used for increasing the efficiency of the clients organisation. On the sixth day I learnt to use the system and also performed some random tasks that can be conducted in the QuickBooks. I also learnt that these systems can also be operated by using the mobile devices like iPad, iPhone and Android. How the data is entered in the software system and how the data is managed was also shown by the staff. The application can be used for knowing the where the business stands. It was also learnt that the profit loss, the balance statement and other financial reports can be created in the QuickBooks. The staff helped with every process and answered my queries. While operating the system, I made a mistake regarding the entry process but they quickly rectified the mistake and resolved it. They also elaborated on the common mistakes that can be conducted in this system and the ways to rectify the mistake. It was a good experience of learning the system as it can benefit in my future. Day 7: On the 7th day I learnt about the payroll system. I had the theoretical knowledge about the payroll system before. Payroll is basically the sum of all financial records for the wages and the salaries of all the employees in an organisation. In the payroll system, the deductions and the bonuses of all the employees are also included and after accounting all these information, the wages are paid to the employees. In the internship programme, I learnt to use the software that can be used for managing the payroll system in an organisation. The payroll and the HRMS software operations were also shown in the organisation. I learnt the importance of the software and how this can provide the simple and effective solution for an organisation. The payroll management software can help in delivering the advantages to the clients and I also learnt that the software is flexible and thus it can also incorporate various changes in the policies for the payment system of the staff. I performed some co mmon and basic tasks with the software system after watching the human resource personnel at work. He helped me immensely during the entire process. It was a bit difficult and confusing at the beginning but after watching the professionals for several hours operating the system, I understood the process. Day 8: On the 8th day, I worked at the accounting administration department of the company. It is known that accounting management is one of the crucial and important functions of an organisation. In the administration department of accounting basically helps in achieving the financial goals of an organisation by focusing on the management planning and by controlling. I experienced how the financial information are collected and by planning and controlling various decisions are made within the organisation. There were four people in the administrative department and I saw them perform various duties and activities. I also learn how to work with the finance for competing daily tasks within the organisation. I had initial knowledge about managerial accounting principles and activities related with the process. During the internship programme, I had difficulty initially but the staffs at the organisation were helpful and they helped in learning about the process. Day 9: On the ninth day, I learnt to prepare basic documentation for the clients. There are various services that are provided by the organisation to the clients. The job functions that are provided by the organisation include administration, auditor, chemists, business analytics, logistics, marketing, project management etc. The organisation provides the staffing opportunities to all the clients. There are some office work especially documentation process is related with the task. On the ninth day I learnt how the documentation process is conducted for the business unit. It is evident that documentation process is very important for operational process. The documentation process can be different for different organisations but the documentation process is very important for the operations of an organisation. I also learnt the importance of the process as a single mistake can lead to grave consequences. Thus it is necessary that the documentation is carefully conducted. The team working in the documentation department helped me learn the system and I also performed some tasks at the end of the day. The staff also complemented me on my performance. Day 10: On the tenth day I learnt to respond to phone calls in the organisation. It was an intense learning experience. It is known that in the service industry, the customers are very important and thus it is necessary that they are provided quality services. The organisation basically provides the staffing service to the clients and they have deal directly with the clients. On the tenth day I was given the instructions about dealing with the customers on the phone. At first I heard at the conversations of the professionals over there while they were conversing with the clients. I learnt how they answered particular queries and dealt with certain issues. They also gave me suggestions regarding the tone of speech that must be maintained while conversing with the clients. I also attended a few phone calls afterwards. I tried to deal with the clients as smoothly as I could but during certain queries I could not come up with a reply and the team helped me in that situation. After that I success fully answered some other calls and the team also praised me for my performance. It was a very good experience to directly deal with the customers. Day 11: On the 11th day I learnt to work on the spread sheet and data entry. It is evident that there are various services that are provided by the company and data entry and working on the spreadsheet is one of the necessary tasks that need to be conducted. I already had some experiences with the data entry and spreadsheet at the initial stage of the internship programme. On the 11th day I worked under the guidance of the professionals over there. I worked with the payroll, income tax, and corporate tax department with the worksheet. The team praised me for my performance with the spreadsheet and data entry. I also learnt advanced excel functions. Day 12: On the twelfth day I learnt more about the accounting process and how the professionals work in the accounting policies. On this day I learnt more about the book keeping and the accounting process from the professionals. On this day my shadowing for the accountant was completed. This helped me with my professional development process and it was very interesting and I also gained knowledge from the process. Extra Days: I visited the organisation again in January for some extra experience and I also enquired about the queries that I had during the internship programme. The managers gave me additional information and suggestions in the professional domain. They also gave me feedback on my work and provided recommendations for performing better in a professional domain. They told me that I was very hard working and they were impressed by my interest in the line of work. Summary and Conclusion: I liked various things while taking internship in Townsend and associates. The personnel in this organization with whom I am directly or indirectly related, all assisted me immensely during my internship. The best part of this organization is their ability to go beyond their clients expectations. They work depend on their clients requirements or I can say their service is customer oriented. The organization works in a diversified way in different industries and understands that the clients business practices are supreme to their performance and this guided them to be in the top places in the market. All professionals spend necessary time to assess the process, clients culture, environment to offer the clients immediate access to superior quality talent. The core competencies of this organization are full time placement and project staffing and that are incessantly improved to maintain their superior status in the market. All the professionals are committed, motivated and passionate t o offer the best experience to the clients. Microsoft Excel is a main program which is very much relevant in my field that is accounting administration, finance tasks etc. I was not well aware of this particular program, hence I have asked for assistance to learn more about the program apart from my internship project. The internal personnel were very much helpful that besides their respective job they have helped me enough that I have obtained confidence to work in Microsoft excel sheet. Initially my mentor use to send me to them to clarify my queries and I use to feel that he might be busy to properly guide me. But later I have understood that my mentor wanted to grow the capacity of teamwork inside me. Each personnel of this organization are very good at building strong relationships with their clients. Though people were very much helping in this organization, I have received negligence from few of the associated, as to them I am just an intern and asking for their help is a stu pid thing. Nevertheless, overall I was very much happy while pursuing my internship in this organization. I am agreeing with the fact that I have taken immense help from the internal associates of this company and also I have helped them in small projects that includes personal tax, company tax, accounting administration, basic documentation, spread sheet and data entry. I use to come first in the office and started attending the phone calls, I use to take notes and the important messages that I need to share with the respective internal associates. I have earned good amount of appreciation. These made me feel proud that I have not only obtained their help but also serve them as much as it was possible for me. I am pretty good in all the financial and accounting calculations. One of my senior associate once stuck in a finance calculation and I helped him to solve the problem that helped that person to a greater extent. I felt good by helping the person. My mentor assigned me each days homework and scheduled me a date on which I had to submit the tasks. There was not a single day I have d elayed in my task submission. I am very much punctual for what I have obtained immense appreciation. I always wish to work in a competitive environment. There were other peer mates, who were also pursuing internship along with me. I use to maintain proper work filing and a neat submission to my mentor. When my task was compared with others I always gained appreciation than my peer group mates. I already had a good theoretical knowledge on personal tax, company tax, accounting administration, basic documentation; spread sheet and data entry and while pursuing this internship I have learnt the practical application of these theoretical knowledge. I have tremendously encouraged because of my punctuality, neat task submission and helping nature to others. I thank my principal immensely for arranging such a nice internship opportunity for me. I could have not learnt so deeply from my classroom, as these experiences can only be gained from practical experiences. I do understand the fact that classroom can never bring such opportunities to each and every individual students but can just provide general guiding information. It is the students responsibility to properly comprehend what the teachers are teaching us. It should be a mutual effort from the mentors as well as the students to get a chance to pursue such internship courses outside the classroom. This immensely helps individuals to gain experience in various areas that require for professional development, like: leadership quality, teamwork, ability to comprehend, implementing good innovations and improvement strategically and so on. Each and every classroom is assigned to contain certain number of pupil and the teachers are responsible to take classes within certain time frame. B ut in case of internship, individual come in contact with various people from different part of this world and have no such time restriction to gain practical knowledge. There is no as such teacher to teach us but teaching is present from daily experiences. Both in classroom and in an organization we may get good guides, but in an organization, one individual should take the responsibility to choose in what way or how he/she can obtain knowledge on a particular factor. I can say that classroom is a book but organization is a knowledge bank. I have understood the importance of building good quality inside us. For example: maintaining punctuality or finishing a task with proper responsibility has helped me immensely while pursuing the internship from this organization. I have also agreed on this fact that practical knowledge has much more efficiencies than theatrical knowledge in professional development though theoretical and practical knowledge are two inseparable elements. The most important and final aspect I would like to mention that in a classroom environment I have learnt to deal with friends in a friendly or informal manner but in a organization I have learnt to deal with my colleagues in a friendly way but with much formal manner, which is an important and required element for individuals professional development. So, it can be said that it was a very good experience for me to complete my internship in the organisation. References Fdtownsend.com, (2015).Floyd D. Townsend Associates: A professional tax and accounting firm in Newark, New Jersey: Services. [online] Available at: Ptai.com, (2015).Phillip Townsend Associates: About Us. [online] Available at: Quickbooks.intuit.com, (2015).How To Use QuickBooks Easy to Use Features. [online] Available at: Townsend-associates.com, (2015).Townsend Associates Is Leading NJ Staffing Recruiting Firm | Townsend Associates. [online] Available at:

Basketball Essays (1174 words) - Ball Games, Team Sports

Basketball Basketball is a simple and fun sport. Any number can pplay, up to the full complement of ten, and basketball is as satisfying, half court as much as full court, pavement as much as hardwood or Tartan. The invention and spread of basketball is a story of fortunate circumstances and coincidences. With in a few years basketball had caught on in many places throughout the country, largely under the auspices of the YMCA and through the game's immediate appeal to spectators, until by the turn of the century the colleges had begun to dominate the game for both men and women. The rules have evolved in a complex and dynamic way over the years. In another irony there have been many attempts to curb the advantages of height but each antitall rule has forced big men to learn the full range of basketbvall skills. There remain some rules discrepancies particulary in the varied use of a time clock for forcing teams to shoot. Here are some basic skills needed to play basketball. First im going to start out with passing. The idea is to get the ball to a teammate, the shooter, when and where he wants to shoot. Thius the pass receiver should have his hands in shooting position when he gets the ball, and its a shame if he has to move his hanfs more then a few inches from ready shooting position ro recieive a pass and then come back again to shoot. The key thing is to be in the ready position when receiving the ball, ready to pass, dribble or shoot. Efficieny is the point. Another kind of pass is the chest pass, the chest pass is a two hand pass used when there is no obstacle between the passer and the receiver. It is usually a perimeter pass. The ball is grasped in both hands with spread fingers in a relaxed position. The ball is held at the chest and released with a flick of wrists pointing at the targget. Another simple type of pass is the Overhead Pass. This is a thow hand pass thrown from hands extended f ully overhead. The ball is held as in a chest pass with both hands relaxed. Usually there is a fake down with the ball then a quick extension of the arms overhead and a quick release. Dribbling is a very very important skill to play this game corectly. Dribbling has become overemphasized. Overdribbling is a common by product of too much one on one play and it is a difficult habit to break in organized team play. You should have command of the ball with the body. The floor is flat and the ball is round so it will come back to you so u dont have to look for it. The high dribble is used to get quick;lly from one point on the floor to another. The ball is oushed down hard out in front so that you can run as fast as you can while maintanining minimal control of the ball. The head should be up so that you have visual command of the floor. The closer you get to congestion the closer the ball should be dribbled to the floor. Although dribbling is a valuable basketball skill it is probably the most abused of all the skills. Shooting is another really important skill needed to play basketball and win. All moverment in physical activities can be examined for efficiency, balance and rhythm but especially those movements that require the highest degree of coordination. The power for the shot originates from the floor is exerted rhythmically fluidly up through the toes fett ankels flexion of knees hips upper body all the way through the arm hand and fingertips to the release. It should be a snake like motion uncoiling from the feet on the floor through the release. Most great shooters will say aim for the hole. A jump shot should be no diffrent from a set shot. Merely raise the platform from which the shot is launched with increased flexion of the knees and the jump. Free throw is a foul shot basicallt the same as a set shot. You can use any technique to

Uncle Vanya analysis essays

Uncle Vanya analysis essays 1. The Protagonist: Yelena, 27 year old wife to Alexander Serebriakov, a retired professor. 3. Antagonist: Mikhail Lvovich Astrov, a doctor, drunkard and ecologist. 4. Unconscious: Yelena is a woman afraid of her true feelings. She cannot recognize them to act upon them. As a result of playing life safely, boredom is a constant, unwelcome companion. 5. Super Objective: Yelena yearns to break free and fly away. 6. Inciting Event: At the beginning of act three, Sonya confesses her love of Astrov to Yelena. Yelena agrees to find out from Astrov his feelings for Sonya. 7. Rising Action: Sonya admits her love of Astrov to Yelena, who offers to find out from Astrov his feelings for Sonya -> Astrov and Yelena discuss Sonya's affections, but the conversation turns around when Astrov becomes certain Yelena using Sonya as an excuse to see him -> Astrov grabs her by the waist and she nearly gives into him, resting her head on his chest -> Vanya walks in on them at that moment and becomes upset -> The Professor calls a meeting and implores the family for advice on a scheme in which the farm would be sold and the proceeds invested in managed funds and a small vacation home in Finland -> Vanya, upset over a great many things attempts to murder the professor by shooting him, but misses -> Vanya is sequestered in his room as Astrov and Sonya talk him out of killing himself -> He gives back the morphine he stole from Astrov and Sonya takes him to speak with The Professor so they may make amends -> Yelena parts, giving Astrov a last intense embrace -> Astrov l eaves -> The play ends with Sonya telling Uncle Vanya they will have a better next life. 8. Climax: When Yelena rests her head on Astrov's chest, giving into her yearning to break free, but is interrupted by Uncle Vanya walking in. 9. Resolution: The Professor and his wife leave, as does the Doctor, leaving Uncle Vanya and Sonya in a ...

B4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

B4 - Essay Example Ordinal and interval variables collect measurements. Interval data is actually measured on a continuous scale (actual quantities of some quality like height or age) while ordinal data is numerical form of classification, where whole numbers are used to denote order but the numbers themselves are not measures but a form of classification (GraphPad.com). Table 1: Variables Measured in the Survey Interval variables Ordinal variables Categorical variables Age Age category Gender Distance travelled Distance category Reason 1 Regularity of visits Reason 2 Satisfaction with: price Department Number of items Purchase Service Payment Quality Follow up Overall Store Contact The variables in the top row are italicized to indicate that they are independent variables. In this survey, it was hypothesised that demographic factors such as age and gender (pre-existing qualities or ‘independent variables) might influence opinions and behaviour of respondents (dependent variables). For men and wo men might differ in the distance they are prepared to travel to a store. Description of the Data Table 2 shows the number of women and men in the sample and various measures of their age profile. Table 2: Demographics of the Sample Gender All Women Men Number of people 582 373 (64%) 209 (26%) Mean age 42.6 42.8 42.3 Minimum age 17 17 17 Median age 42 42 42 Maximum age 75 75 74 The sample comprises 582 shoppers between the ages of 17 and 75, nearly two-thirds of who are women and just over third men. The age profiles of the men and women are very similar. Analysis of the distance travelled by respondents to the store where they were interviewed revealed a wide disparity. The modal distance (the most common length or trip) was less than a mile, but many had travelled much further, up to 53 miles. The median distance travelled was 5 miles and the mean just under 10. This indicates a positively skewed distribution where it is difficult to say what is the ‘typical’ distance travelled to the company’s stores. Inferential Statistics Table 3 shows the results for all shoppers, with men and women grouped separately. Separating women’s and men’s responses in this way allows a preliminary assessment of whether the independent variable (in this case gender) is influencing the dependent variable (distance travelled to the store). Table 3: Distance Travelled to the Store where Interviewed Distance travelled Less than 1 mile 1-5 miles 5-10 miles 10-30 miles Over 30 miles Total Women 49 (13%) 149 (40%) 83(22%) 69 (19%) 23 (6%) 373 Men 23(11%) 74 (35%) 51 (24%) 52 (25%) 9 (4%) 209 Total 72 223 134 121 32 582 The message is mixed: a higher proportion of the women than of the men travelled the shortest distances, but at the other end of the scale women were also more likely than men to have travelled the longest distances. A possible means of determining whether there is a difference between the distances men and women are prepared to travel to the company’s shops is to compare the mean raw distance (using the actual mileages rather than the categories) travelled by respondents of each gender. The mean distance travelled by the female respondents was 9.54 miles compared with 10.26 miles by the men. The standard deviations of the two samples are similar (11.1 and 10.6), so it is appropriate to conduct a ‘type 2’ test, but since the samples are independent and of different sizes we use an independent t-test

A Review of the Human Resource blogs in the Hospitailty Industry Essay

A Review of the Human Resource blogs in the Hospitailty Industry - Essay Example My research stretched to deeper view and analysis of a Human Resource blog that aimed at having â€Å"Human† back in Human resource. This is criticizing the replacement of labor by technology that ends up giving less meaning to the term Human Resource in various workforces. As per this blog, it is evident that when the job market comes to question, the words Human Resource end up influencing whether one gets hired or fired. The blog highlights that companies indulge in tough decision making difficult choices. Majority of these choices involve their employees: this however does not mean that these choices are precisely to the advantage of these employees. The main discussion in this blog was to criticize the replacement of humans in human resource with other media. It is discussed that when companies decide on the fate of its human personnel, the decision arrived at is vital and important as it dictates whether there is boost in morale and whether there is availability of visible talent rendition that helps evaluate each and every individual contributor in that particular organization (Barrows, 2009). It is unfortunate though, when human workers are replaced by technology. Decisions evaluated change from matters concerning human skills to for instance, discussion of line items on spreadsheet software, computer tabulations and more technology terms that vividly show to what extent humans have been replaced. This replacement in the so-called human resource workforce in the tourism and associated industries in an effort to portray ingenuity in the tourism industry by machinery and other upcoming personnel media has had diverse effect. Bloggers who participated in this tourism blog by posting views and comments have a view that this trend should come to an instant stop. Humans should take back their role in human resource. The first step to take is seeing to it that the roles

Discussion Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Discussion Questions - Essay Example Moreover, in some cases, business process changes are modified that are considered the root cause of the issues. Employees related to management should be well aware of various approaches for removing the weaknesses and select the best-suited method, according to the nature of business, resources and the control required over the process. Hence, all stakeholders must participate and show their interest in the selection process. Answer 2 In order to reduce cost on system development, organization purchase fourth generation tools or software packages. As the in-house ‘software development’ cost is high, organizations prefer to buy them from external software houses. Organizations may purchase the software from the vendors, outsourcing organization or application service providers. As business nature of the departments do not change at a rapid pace and are common in almost every organization including inventory control, general ledger, payroll processing and account receiva bles do not change over a long period of time. Applications that are purchased from external sources can be adjusted to the similar in nature business process of an organization. This is a cost saving factor, as applications are purchased from external sources along with customization and maintenance support, which is a responsibility of vendors. These factors conclude that the application software packages reduce the system development cost.

Possible Factors In Underachievement Of Males Within Education Education Essay

Possible Factors In Underachievement Of Males Within Education Education Essay Sociological studies with regard the underachievement of males, throughout the British education system, appear to be dominated by the analysis of three central phenomena; the idea of bias and inequality which flaws the educational system, the prevalence of a modern day, laddish anti-learning culture (Byers, S. 1998, Never mind theories, under-achieving boys need practical help, _The Independent_, 5th January 1998.) and lastly, the psychology of the male mind. Each of these three interlinked themes will be reviewed within this document, which will focus solely upon the reasons which may held accountable for the identified underachievement of young men, most notably, at a General Certificate of Secondary Education Level (G.C.S.E) throughout the British education system, and internationally, around the world. The use of the term underachievement is widespread throughout educational discourse, and is predominately used in explaining a perceived failure to reach a given potential. Scott .J. Marshall .G. (2005:3). Sociologists, whose area of expertise lies within this particular field, tend to view low academic attainment in terms of factors such as prior attainment or socio-economic disadvantage, however in doing so, they acknowledge the danger of pathologising the underachiever, when in fact, responsibility may lie within the educational system itself. The term underachievement although widely used, appears to be problematic; masking ideological assumptions that concern socially constructed, subjective and relative matters, which concern the group understudy. The underachievement of young men within the education system is undoubtedly an immensely complex and contested field. Irrespective of these issues, the British education system has continued to make use of the term with a combinatio n of ubiquity and confidence. Gillies, D. (2010). Educational potential underachievement and cultural pluralism. Available: http://www.abdn.ac.uk/eitn/display.php?article_id=39. Last accessed 16th Feb 2011. Historical Background The underachievement of young men within the education system has appeared as a continual problem throughout the last decade. Dramatic illustrations from the media and speeches gave by the relevant government bodies have created in a sense a moral panic which has came to characterise many of the debates that surround the complex issue. Evidence from newspaper articles would suggest the underachievement of boys began in 1995. During this time the main professional newspaper, The Times Educational Supplement carried headlines declaring school work was Not for wimps Haigh, G. 1995, Not for wimps,_ The Times Educational Supplement_, 6th October 1995 and later asked Where did we go wrong? Bleach, K. 1997, Where did we go wrong?,_ The Times Educational Supplement_, 14th February 1997. Education correspondents for broadsheet newspapers similarly headlined articles which discussed The Failing Sex and called for schools to provide a Classroom rescue for Britains lost boys. Foster et al. (2001 ) What about the boys? An overview of the debates, in Martino .W. Meyenn .B. What About The Boys, Issues of Masculinity in Schools. Open University Press. Acknowledgement of the underachievement of boys within the education system can also be seen in Stephen Byers 1998 speech. The School Standards Minister, said: We should not simply accept with a shrug of our shoulders that boys will be boys. Speaking at the 11th International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement in Manchester, Mr Byers warned: Failure to raise the educational achievement of boys will mean that thousands of young men will face a bleak future in which a lack of qualifications and basic skills will mean unemployment and little hope of finding work. He disclosed new statistics on the standards of education at the time that had been reached by boys and girls. For example, in addition to girls far outperforming boys at a General Certificate Secondary Education level (G.C.S.E), National Curriculum assessments at seven, eleven and fourteen years of age also highlighted boys underperforming, within English Language in particular. Byers then went on to make an att ack on what he described as the prevailing laddish anti-learning culture. (Byers, S. 1998, Never mind theories, under-achieving boys need practical help, _The Independent_, 5th January 1998.) In response to Stephen Byers identification of male underachievement, Ted Wragg also published an article in the Times Educational Supplement, The Times Educational Supplement Editorial. 1997, Keeping Balance on the Gender Agenda, _ the Times Educational Supplement_, 23rd May 1997. Within this article Professor Ted Wragg warned unless the achievement of boys was improved significantly society would witness immense problems that would continue throughout the 21st century. The then Chief Inspector for Schools, Chris Woodhead too believed the failure of boys, in particular working class boys to be one of the most disturbing problems faced within the entire education system. As a result of such media hype education ministers called for all academic institutions to challenge the laddish anti-learning culture, (Byers, S. 1998, Never mind theories, under-achieving boys need practical help, _The Independent_, 5th January 1998.) which had been allowed to develop. Taking such media build up and government vocalizations into consideration, it would appear something significant entered public consciousness during this time. Despite media and government claims of boys underachievement being a recent phenomenon, problems concerning boys and academic schooling has, in fact, been a longstanding priority with regard to educational studies. In particular the English philosopher John Locke, among others expressed great concern with regard the problems boys faced in language and literacy, in the 17th century. Similarly literature on schooling throughout the 1960s and 1970s cautioned teachers against grouping boys according to their academic ability as it resulted in less academic boys developing negative attitudes towards education and schools. Foster et al. (2001) What about the boys? An overview of the debates, in Martino .W. Meyenn .B. What About The Boys, Issues of Masculinity in Schools. Open University Press. The introduction of the National Curriculum alongside the induction of complex assessment and reporting procedures, many believe, was what initially highlighted the problem of male underachievement in todays society. From 1991 onwards students have been made to complete Standard Assessment Tasks (S.A.T.s) at the ages of seven, eleven and fourteen. Responsibility lies with the educational institutions at this time to ensure pupils achieve the expected standards. Additionally schools undergo rigorous inspection; such inspections appear to be central to the Educational Schools Act 1992, which introduced the implementation of National League Tables. These tables rank schools according to their pupils performance in the Standard Assessment Tasks (S.A.T.s). Many believe such a procedure was what set the scene for the emergence of the boys underachievement debate. In order for schools to survive they had to attract clients in the form of parents, and they could only attract parents if they were able to demonstrate they provided and delivered a high standard of education. Schools were judged to be efficient by the national league tables according to their success in getting pupils to reach the required standards at the ages of seven, eleven and fourteen. In 1996 the Equal Opportunities Commission and the Office for Standards in Education produced a joint report on performance differences between boys and girls in school. Their findings included girls being more successful than boys or broadly as successful in almost all major subjects. They reported girls tended to be more reflective than boys and also better at planning and organising their work. Reactions to these findings that boys are doing less well in school and are also suffering in other respects, such as the disproportionate degree of unemployment, as mentioned previously have varied. Some have identified what they see to be a crucial social problem of the 21st century. Others see it as solely a symptom of a male backlash, creating a sense of moral panic, aimed at clawing back the gains made by women in recent years. In light of such diverse view points, when researching this area for myself it would appear necessary to mantain a sense of balance before finishing upon any su ch conclusion. Official statistics on the academic performance of pupils in Northern Ireland, England and Wales indicate girls have been performing increasingly well compared to boys in terms of their attainment at General Certificate of Secondary Education (G.C.S.E) level examinations in most subjects. As mentioned previously, this development has been the focus of considerable debate in both the popular media and the academic press, with regular pronouncements from politicians and government policy makers. The obvious heated debate over boys underachievement throughout the 1990s and into the 21st century is not solely connected to Britain, figures suggest male underachievement is a problematic issue in Australia, Canada, The United States of America, parts of Western Europe and Japan. Epstein. D. Et al. (1998) Educating Boys, Learning Gender. Open University Press. Focusing upon the underachievement of boys within the context of the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland in particular, I plan to focus upon Symbolic Interactionism as the basis of my own theoretical research. I plan to consider Symbolic Interactionist debates over Britains Lost Boys and the undoubtable underachievement of boys compared to girls in certain subjects, predominately at General Certificate of Secondary Education level (G.C.S.E). Symbolic Interactionists, unlike functionalists and conflict theorists, tend to limit their analysis of education to what they directly observe happening within the classroom. Their main focus is on teacher, pupil relationships and the interaction processes that occur within the classroom. Symbolic Interactionists see the education system as playing a vital role in shaping the way students see reality and themselves. Interactionists such as Howard Becker see school settings as creating serious difficulties for students who are labelled as less academically able than their peers. He believed such students may never be able to see themselves as good students and move beyond such labels. Teacher expectations play a huge role in student achievement from an interactionists point of view and this is a point I would be interested in investigating further with regard to my own research. Labelling theory, was developed predominately by Howard Becker who in Outsiders 1963 argued underachievement to be created by society, in the sense social groups create underachievement by making the rules whose infraction constitutes low attainment and by applying those rules to particular persons and labelling them as such Scott .J. Marshall .G. (2005:341) Becker and Lermert initially developed Labelling Theory, Hargreaves et al showed how it could apply within school settings and Rosenthal and Jacobson suggested that it could create a Self Fulfilling Prophecy in school, such that children defined as bright would in fact live up to such expectations. In education, despite the Rosenthal and Jacobson study, labelling-based self-fulfilling prophecies usually operate to the disadvantage of students. Specific categories of students, based on gender, ethnicity or indeed social background, may be written off as incapable of achieving, setting up a frame of reference in which their failings are noticed and their achievements discounted. Individual students may also be labelled by being told they will never amount to anything, or for example they are no good at a particular subject. Internalised, these labels are carried into new situations, including further and higher education, as a result many believe the failure of the student to be inevitable. Robert Rosenthal and Lenore Jacobson conducted a land mark study for this approach in 1968. Firstly, they examined a group of students in accordance with standard IQ tests. The researchers then identified a number of students who they said would likely show a sharp increase in abilities over the coming year. They informed the teachers of these results, and asked them to watch and see if this increase did occur. When the researchers repeated the IQ tests at the end of the year, the students identified by the researchers did indeed show higher IQ scores. The significance of this study lies in the fact that the researchers had randomly selected a number of average students. The researchers found that when the teachers expected a particular performance or growth, it occurred. This phenomenon, where a false assumption actually occurs because someone predicted it, reinforces the notion of a self-fulfilling prophesy. Rosenthal .R. Jacobson .L. (1992) Pygmalion in the Classroom, Teachers Ex pectations and Pupils Intellectual Development. Crown House: Publishing Limited. Ray Rist conducted research similar to the Rosenthal and Jacobson study in 1970. In a kindergarten classroom where both students and teacher were of African American origin, the teacher assigned students to tables based on ability; the so called better students sat at a table closer to her, the average students sat at the next table, and the weakest students sat at the farthest table. Rist discovered that the teacher assigned the students to a table based on the teachers perception of the students skill levels on the eighth day of class, without any form of testing to verify such a placement. Rist also found that the students the teacher perceived as better learners came from higher social classes, while the weak students were from lower social classes. Monitoring the students through the year, Rist found that the students closer to the teacher received the most attention and performed better. The farther from the teacher a student sat, the weaker that student performed. Rist continu ed the study through the next several years and found that the labels assigned to the students on the eighth day of kindergarten followed them throughout their academic journey. Rist, Ray (1970). Student Social Class and Teacher Expectations: The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy in Ghetto Education. Harvard Educational Review 40, 3, 411-451. While Symbolic Interactionists have undoubtedly analysed this self fulfilling process, they have yet to find the exact way in which teachers form such expectations of students. Irrespective of such an issue I feel the Self Fulfilling Prophecy may be a crucial determining factor with regard to answering my own research question. The real importance of Rosenthal and Jacobsons findings at Oak School relates to the potential long-lasting effects of teachers expectations on the scholastic performance of students. It is of interest to explore some later research that examined the ways in which teachers unconsciously communicate their higher expectations to the students whom they believe possess greater potential. A study conducted by Chaiken, Sigler, and Derlega (1974) involved videotaping teacher-student interactions in a classroom situation in which the teachers had been informed that certain children were extremely bright (these bright students had been chosen at random from all the students in the class). Careful examination of the videos indicated that teachers favoured the identified brighter students in many subtle ways. They smiled at these students more often, made more eye contact, and had more favourable reactions to these students comments in class. These researchers go on to report that students for whom these high expectations exist are more likely to enjoy school receive more constructive comments from teachers on their mistakes, and work harder to try to improve. What this and other studies indicate are those teacher expectancies, while their influence is not the only determinant of a childs performance in school, can affect more than just IQ scores. Due in large part to Rosenthal and Jacobsons research, the power of teachers expectations on students performance has become an integral part of our understanding of the educational process. Furthermore, Rosenthals theory of interpersonal expectancies has exerted its influence in numerous areas other than education. In 2002, Rosenthal himself reviewed the literature on expectancy effects using meta-analysis techniques. He demonstrated how the expectations of psychological researchers, classroom teachers, judges in the courtroom, business executives, and health care providers can unintentionally affect the responses of their research participants, pupils, jurors, employees, and patients (Rosenthal, 2002, p. 839). Martino .W. Meyenn .B. (2001) What about the Boys, Issues of Masculinity in Schools. Open University Press. What about the Boys, Issues of Masculinity in Schools is a book which attempts to develop further understandings about masculinity. Such a piece of literature is timely given the continued moral panic that persists about boys disadvantaged status in comparison to girls. Throughout this book the view boys are victims and are attributed with a disadvantaged status remains throughout. Research undertaken with boys spanning Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States is brought together in this collection. The focus for each of the contributors is addressing issues of what about the boys in relation to their own research and informed perspectives on boys and schooling. Many focus on what boys (and girls) themselves say about their experiences of schooling and sexuality and use their voices as a basis for drawing out what the implications might be for those working in schools. In this regard the chapters are written with a broader audience in mind particularly teachers and administrators in schools with the view to using research to illuminate the effects of masculinity in the lives of boys and girls at school. All of the contributors are concerned to highlight the impact and effect of certain forms of masculinity on the lives of boys at school, but locate their research and/or discussion within the context of the boys education debates outlined by Foster, Kimmell and Skelton in the introductory chapter. Many have also indicated what the implications of their research are for daily practice in schools and classrooms. In this sense, the research documented here has major implications for the professional development of teachers in schools and for st udent teachers in tertiary institutions. Sociologists like Bob Connell (1987, 1995) have been particularly influential in drawing attention to how social, cultural and historical factors have influenced the various ways in which masculinity comes to be defined and embodied by boys and men. We see the contributors of this book building on this work. They highlight that there are many forms of masculinity that are played out in the context of a complex set of power relations in which certain types of masculinity are valued over others. Many also draw attention to the role of a dominant form of masculinity, which comes to be defined in opposition to femininity, and highlight that association with the feminine for boys can often lead to other boys questioning their sexuality (see also Frank,1987, 1993). Other factors such as race, class, ethnicity and geographical location are also taken up to develop an understanding of the various ways in which boys learn to relate and behave in certain social situations and within particular educational institutions. In this sense feminist educators and theories also inform the perspectives on boys and schooling elaborated in this book. Such perspectives have contributed significantly to producing valuable insights into the links between gender and power (Davies 1993; Steinberg et al. 1997), specifically in terms of illuminating boys social practices and ways of relating at school. All contributors recognize that schools are important arenas of power where masculinities and femininities are acted out on a daily basis through the dynamic processes of negotiation, refusal and struggle (Giroux and McLaren 1994). In other words, these papers illustrate that there are indeed social constraints and power imbalances in educational sites, but that gender regimes are more shifting and contradictory than theorists supposed in the seventies and eighties (Jackson and Salisbury 1996; Kenway et al. 1997). In this sense, each chapter included in this collection builds on studies into boys at school which have been undertaken by Kessler et al. (1985), Walker (1988), Mac an Ghaill (1994) and Epstein (1994). The contributors also suggest ways forward and beyond the popular and simplistic views which stress the need for boys to reclaim lost territory. There is a powerful discourse of neglect informing many of the popularist debates about the boys which continue to assert that provision for the educational needs of girls has been at the expense of boys (Yates 1997). Moreover, the idea or assumption that boys are somehow victims or losers now competing with girls who have suddenly become the winners is also refuted strongly by the various positions that are taken up in this book. Compounding such a position is the view that biology needs to be given equal consideration in developing an understanding of boys behaviours and learning orientations. This argument continues to be promulgated within the context of these debates about the boys (see submissions to Australian inquiry into boys education at http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/eewr/Epfb/sublist.htm) as if appeals to biological sex differences and essentialism are somehow outside the effects of certain power relations (see Fausto-Sterling 2000). As Peterson (2000) has illuminated, appeals to biological determinism have been used historically to enforce a binary categorization of gendered behaviours always within the context of and in response to the perceived power gained by women. Moreover, as Lingard and Douglas (1999) have lucidly illustrated, the debates about the boys in the nineties have been characterized by a strong backlash against feminism and this continues to be the case as we enter the new millennium. If we are indeed to encourage diversity and citizenship in multicultural societies it is crucial that issues of opportunity, access and distributed success before grounded in debates about gendered educational outcomes. Collins et al. (2000) have addressed this in a recent governmental report on the factors influencing the educational performance of males and females in school and their post-school labour destinations. In line with the positions taken up in that report, we believe that policy formulation and curriculum development in schools must avoid the popularist tendency to assert a binary oppositional and competing victims perspective on the factors impacting on the social and educational experiences of boys and girls. This will only lead to homogenizing and normalizing boys and girls on the basis of biological sex differences and, hence, reinforce the very versions of masculinity which the research shows have detrimental consequences for both the former and the latter. This book, therefore, is offered as an attempt to provide a more informed perspective on the social practices of masculinity impacting on boys lives at school. We hope that it will have the effect of moving the debates beyond the feminist backlash rhetoric which persists in casting boys as the new victims. If anything, as the contributors of this book argue, the issue that needs to be addressed is the investment that many boys, men and schools have in promoting a particular version of masculinity which is to their detriment in the sense that it limits them from developing a wider repertoire of behaviours and ways of relating. Until a commitment is made, particularly by men and boys themselves, to addressing the role that sexuality, homophobia and misogyny continue to play in how many of them define and negotiate their Masculinities, we believe that very little will change. Connolly .P. (2004) Boys and Schooling in the Early Years. Routledge Falmer Press. Boys underachievement in education has now become a international concern, prioritised highly b government bodies around the world. Boys and Schooling in the early years represents the first study of its kind to focus solely upon young men and their achievement within the education system. Throughout this book this is a powerful argument for the need to begin tackling the problem of boss lower educational performance in the early years. This proved entirely beneficial as it includes one of the most detailed analyses of national statistics regarding gender differences in educational achievement from the early years right through until compulsory schooling. Together with original and in depth case studies which vividly capture the differing experiences and perspectives of 5-6 year old boys, this book sets out the nature of the problems facing young boys in education and highlights a number of practical ways in which they can begin to be addressed. This is entirely relevant as i am conc erned about boys lower levels of achievement. This book follows the sandwich model: for the filling, juicy case studies of two contrasting schools in Northern Ireland; and, around the outside, nourishing chapters of theorizing, a critical review of the rhetoric and reality of the problem, and a detailed discussion of the strategies needed to sort everything out. Of these, probably the most useful is the chapter that sets the factual record straight, dismissing some current explanations of boys under-achievement: its not their brains, neurons or testosterone that are to blame; it isnt a question of girls holding boys back, or the feminization of schools, or an epidemic of laddish behavior. Rather, Connolly argues, the key factor in boys poor educational performance relative to girls is masculinity itself or, rather, masculinities. This is the rationale for the case studies that follow: one school in an affluent, peaceful, middle-class area, and another in a seriously disadvantaged working-class area, riven by sectarian violence. It is also the starting point for the authors research questions: what are the dominant forms of masculinity in the early years, and how do they influence boys attitudes towards schooling? Between October 2001 and June 2002, Connolly spent a day a week in each of the two primary schools, observing five and six-year-old boys, and interviewing boys, teachers and parents. In the middle-class school, dinosaurs are cool but reading is rubbish, while, on the other side of the tracks, resistance to school reaches dizzy heights. Boys in this school are not without enthusiasms, but these appear to be football, fighting, wrestling, pulling down girls trousers and marching with the local loyalist flute band. The chapter on home-school relations in this school is even more depressing, as parents describe how the teachers discourage their children from even entering for the 11-plus. Bad news all round then, including the research process itself: in particular, there are some dodgy interview questions that virtually invite the boys, across the class divide, to assert their innate superiority: If you had a choice, would you want to be girls or boys?; Would either of you like to be a girl? The boys answers fall smoothly into the stereotyped trap prepared for them. Nevertheless, this book asks some serious questions, not least of which is: why do we worry so much about gender differences when social class has a much greater impact on achievement? Furthermore, why are so many teachers apparently so willing to accept their pupils low levels of achievement on entry as a sure and certain guide to the future? And, lastly, when are we going to learn what Bronwen Davies tried to teach us long ago (in Frogs and Snails and Feminist Tales) about the need to go beyond male-female dualism, so that we can position ourselves, and our pupils, as neither male, nor female, but human. Im yet to be convinced that studies such as Connollys are going to help us take this tremendous step forward. Head .J. (1999) Understanding the Boys, Issues of Behavior and Achievement. Falmer Press. Attention is given to general aspects of learning and assessment before examining the response of boys to specific subjects within the curriculum. Personal, social and health education concerns are addressed. http://www.dropshippers.co.za/ This text aims to increase understanding of the potential causes of underachievement, violence and even suicide amongst teenage boys. Suicide has dramatically increased among young males and academic underachievement is common. The author argues that it is therefore important to understand the young male psyche. The text addresses questions such as: has male behavior in school worsened, or has media hype inflated the proportions of a good story; what is at the root of male violence; and are biological or social explanations telling the whole story? The author shows that it is only by engaging boys in arenas of thought and feeling that we can understand and help overcome the difficulties faced by boys today. The issue of boys work and behavior in school has created considerable public interest and has undoubtedly polarized opinion, with some claiming it is the greatest social problem of our time, while other asserts it is merely an expression of male backlash intended to divert attention and resources from the need of girls and women. The first of the two sections within this book contains a review discussion of the various explanatory models biological, social and psychological. Emerging message is schools and teachers matter in academic performance can be made and we need not see the failing or difficult boys as inevitably trapped in their current position. Head believed the key to successful intervention was in understanding the boys and attempting to see things from their perspective. Martino .W. et al. (2003) so whats a boy, addressing the issues of masculinity and schooling. Open University Press. So whats a bay? is a timely volume. It comes at a critical point in the expanding debate regarding boys and schools. Juxtaposed against an increasingly strident and often times stark mass media, this book offers a sober and contemporary view of boys and their place in that confused environment called school. However, not content to simply cite data and/or repeat refrains found elsewhere, the authors have avoided the boy crisis trap and raised the debate by taking an appealing, narrative approach. One can hear and appreciate the voices of boys (all kinds of different boys) through this volume! More Articles of Interest MALE TEACHERS AND THE BOY PROBLEM: AN ISSUE OF RECUPERATIVE EDUCATING BOYS: TEMPERING RHETORIC WITH RESEARCH EDITORIAL WHATS TO FEAR: CALLING HOMOPHOBIA INTO QUESTION Real Men or Real Teachers: Contradictions in the lives of men elementary http://dw.com.com/redir?tag=rbxira.2.a.10destUrl=http://www.cnet.com/b.gif The book is divided into three, roughly equal sections. Part 1, Normalization and Schooling, sets the general scene and brings the reader into the lives of boys with discussions regarding body image, emerging masculinities, bullying/harassment, and friendships. The second part, Diverse Masculinities, delves into the central issue of how boys see themselves, their developing sexuality, cultural/home conditions, how they are seen by others, and how

The Signalman by Charles Dickens Essay -- Charles Dickens Signalman Es

The Signalman by Charles Dickens 'Halloa! Below there!' †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ A small expression that once understood strikes you with an essence of alarm, fear and intrigue. Throughout the short story of The Signalman, this quote was used several times and was repeated by several characters. Coincidence? Charles Dickens invites you to decide. This dissertation from www.coursework.info For the duration of this half term we have studied numerous short stories from the book Telling Tales. Throughout this period, we have developed our skills of assessing characters (characterisation), identifying language style and structure plus various others, and I will try to use my newly developed skills to answer our assigned question. Ultimately, we came round to The Signalman. The Signalman is a grim but well sustained story about an alleged encounter with something not of the natural world. This dissertation from www.coursework.info Throughout his story, Charles Dickens uses a variety of methods to create an atmosphere of tension, mystery and suspense. Suspense is created through supernatural horror and ambiguity. I will explore these qualities, which make this a good suspense story. The methods of creating tension include leaving characters anonymous, using similar gesticulation and supposed 'coincidences,' plus many others. Throughout this essay, I will explain all of these methods.cogd gdr segdgdw orgd gdk ingd fogd gd; The author of this short story was a man named Charles Dickens who wrote during the 19th century. The motivation for Charles Dickens writing this story was a terrible train wreck at Staplehurst, Kent, on 9 June 1865, in which several passengers died. Dickens was a passenger, and although he was fond of ra... ...ies entertaining; I think this is due to the twist at the end of the stories. To me this shows that an unexpected twist makes a good short story. It is evident that Dickens creates a lot of suspense throughout the story with the opening words and as he descends the cutting, looking at the signalman whose actions are very strange, plunging you immediately into the setting. Suspense is created as the signalman tells the gentleman of the strange happenings recently. Mystery surrounds the settings, which are even prone to something like this happening; the mystery also surrounds the two main characters, the Signalman and the narrator. They remain anonymous throughout so the mystery stays with them constantly. I feel that due to Dickens' ability to bring mystery and suspense to life are the main reasons behind what makes this story so fluent and mind initiating The Signalman by Charles Dickens Essay -- Charles Dickens Signalman Es The Signalman by Charles Dickens 'Halloa! Below there!' †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ A small expression that once understood strikes you with an essence of alarm, fear and intrigue. Throughout the short story of The Signalman, this quote was used several times and was repeated by several characters. Coincidence? Charles Dickens invites you to decide. This dissertation from www.coursework.info For the duration of this half term we have studied numerous short stories from the book Telling Tales. Throughout this period, we have developed our skills of assessing characters (characterisation), identifying language style and structure plus various others, and I will try to use my newly developed skills to answer our assigned question. Ultimately, we came round to The Signalman. The Signalman is a grim but well sustained story about an alleged encounter with something not of the natural world. This dissertation from www.coursework.info Throughout his story, Charles Dickens uses a variety of methods to create an atmosphere of tension, mystery and suspense. Suspense is created through supernatural horror and ambiguity. I will explore these qualities, which make this a good suspense story. The methods of creating tension include leaving characters anonymous, using similar gesticulation and supposed 'coincidences,' plus many others. Throughout this essay, I will explain all of these methods.cogd gdr segdgdw orgd gdk ingd fogd gd; The author of this short story was a man named Charles Dickens who wrote during the 19th century. The motivation for Charles Dickens writing this story was a terrible train wreck at Staplehurst, Kent, on 9 June 1865, in which several passengers died. Dickens was a passenger, and although he was fond of ra... ...ies entertaining; I think this is due to the twist at the end of the stories. To me this shows that an unexpected twist makes a good short story. It is evident that Dickens creates a lot of suspense throughout the story with the opening words and as he descends the cutting, looking at the signalman whose actions are very strange, plunging you immediately into the setting. Suspense is created as the signalman tells the gentleman of the strange happenings recently. Mystery surrounds the settings, which are even prone to something like this happening; the mystery also surrounds the two main characters, the Signalman and the narrator. They remain anonymous throughout so the mystery stays with them constantly. I feel that due to Dickens' ability to bring mystery and suspense to life are the main reasons behind what makes this story so fluent and mind initiating