This is a re-written story of Beowulf from Wiglafs point of view.

This is a re-written story of Beowulf from Wiglafs point of view. Beowulf's challenge would finally come, and would soon find out that heroism has a price. Beowulf had just become king. The days of Geatland had been smooth for the last fifty years, but one day things changed. A dragon had begun to jeopardize the security of the kingdom. Our overly prideful and pompous king considered the threats of the dragon somewhat of a personal challenge, as he had prided himself in maintaining the considerable comfort in the kingdom for the last half century. So it seems that Beowulf decided to attempt to slay the dragon. I was appalled at this decision, considering his age. Beowulf stated "I am old, now, but I will fight again, seek fame still. If the dragon hiding in his tower dares to face me. I'd use no sword, no weapon, if this beast could be killed without it, crushed to death like Grendel, gripped in my hands and torn limb from limb.English: An illustration of Beowulf fighting the d...But this breath will be burning hot; poison will pour from his tongue . I feel no shame, with shield and sword and armor, against this monster: when he comes to me I mean to stand, not run from his shooting flames, stand till fate decided which of us wins. My heart is firm, my hands calm: I need no hot words. Wait for me close by, my friends. We shall see, soon, who will survive this bloody battle, stand when the fighting is done. No one else could do what I mean to, here, no man but me could hope to defeat this monster. No one could try. And this dragon's treasure, his gold and everything hidden in that tower, will be mine or war will sweep me to a bitter death!" What a fool he was! This washed-up, has been, conceited...

Beloved by Morrison OR Gilead by Robinson OR Fugitive Pieces by Essay

Beloved by Morrison OR Gilead by Robinson OR Fugitive Pieces by Michaels OR Mornings in Jenin by Abulhawa - Essay Example The story centers upon the fictional character Sethe, who lives in a small â€Å"gray and white house on Bluestone Road† (Morrison 1) with her surviving daughter Denver. As the story opens, it is made clear that Sethe's two sons, Howard and Bugler, both ran away at some point prior to the story opening because they couldn't deal with strange, ghostly activities happening at the house. Baby Suggs, Sethe’s mother-in-law and the woman who taught Sethe how to live again after escaping slavery, also once lived with them but died. Soon after the reader is introduced to these characters, a new character comes in. Paul D was one of the slaves Sethe had worked with on Sweet Home, a Kentucky plantation where she, her husband and several others had been cruelly treated. Upon her escape, an event that happened many years earlier, Sethe murdered her youngest child, a girl, desperately attempting to keep her baby from experiencing the type of degradation and abuse Sethe experienced a t the hands of Schoolteacher when she thought she was about to fall back into slavery. It is this spirit who returns to haunt her family in later years, finally manifesting itself in the bodily form of Beloved. Morrison’s deliberate use of the ambiguous in her statement of the story that â€Å"was not a story to pass on† as well as the ambiguous nature of her narrative style allows her to say a great deal without saying much. This ability of authors to express the incomprehensible is behind Catherine Belsey’s theory of a ‘crisis in subjectivity’ or ‘split subject.’ â€Å"Entry into language inevitably creates a division between the subject of the enunciation and the subject of the enonce, the ‘I’ who speaks and the ‘I’ who is the subject of discourse. The Subject is held in place in the discourse by the use of ‘I,’ but the ‘I’ of this discourse is always a stand in, a substitute, for the ‘I’ who speaks.† Another theory by Julia Kristeva introduces the idea of a â€Å"divided subject, even a pluralized subject, that occupies not a place of enunciation, but permutable, multiple, and mobile places.† Morrison’s approach in Beloved is an experimental narrative approach that allows a variety of reading levels while still telling a difficult story. In this sense, narrative is both a primary technical resource and serves as a theme that illustrates how adjustment to a life free of slavery was perhaps as difficult as conforming to life as a slave. Regardless of how the story is interpreted, although Sethe had escaped to freedom with her children and her life, her husband was missing and fear remained permanently rooted in her heart. The merest thought that she and her children might be taken back into slavery was worse than death so she attempted to kill the children rather than allow them to live the same sort of life she'd experienced a s a slave. Despite the fact that she is free and safe, Sethe cannot escape the haunting memories of her past. The scene of possible recapture takes place just after she has had a chance to understand what it means to be free. She had followed Baby Suggs out to the clearing in the woods where Baby Suggs gave the children permission to run and the mothers permission to hear them laugh and the men permission to dance and

Service Quality for Retail Banking in the UK - Barclays, PLC Dissertation

Service Quality for Retail Banking in the UK - Barclays, PLC - Dissertation Example Responsiveness is a measure of the willingness to help customers and provide them with prompt service. Assurance measures the competence, courtesy, credibility and security of the service provided, while the empathy is about the caring and individualised service that the bank provides to its customers. This would help the bank in realising whether its customers are satisfied on all grounds and whether there are any gaps in their satisfaction level. We would follow the same standard set by the previously referred authors. A questionnaire survey method will be adopted to measure the service quality of the bank. The study is based on primary data from customers of Barclays and secondary data based on previous studies and shows the different dimensions of retail banking and issues related to service quality and customer satisfaction in case of UK banks. Although Barclays retail bank is considered as an example here, the thesis is to draw a general conclusion on retail banking and the service quality that would be appropriate for customer satisfaction. Several studies and published papers on banking and customer satisfaction and the associated service quality attributes are discussed here. Any research study should not only trace the existing parameters for the variables involved but also provide some future perspective of reference. Within this context, the levels of customer satisfaction could be found out from primary data in which customers are directly required to complete surveys and provide responses on what changes they expect in the future and what kind of services they have encountered in the banks. Their suggestions and recommendations from questionnaires form the basis for... This study is an assessment of how much this change has been implemented or is successful within the branches. The corporate strategy of Barclays has also been analyzed and showed how the bank strategy could or should change from an emphasis on sales to an emphasis on customer service. The attitudes and behaviors of customer service officials have also changed towards customers suggesting that changing of corporate strategy tend to have a direct impact on employee behavior and company functions and performance as well. In conclusion, there are several issues that have been highlighted through this study and shows that after an appraisal and interview and survey of customer attitudes and expectations. Some individuals, however, expressed their problems as seen in the qualitative dimension or analysis of the study and suggested that the bank should be more concerned with individualized attention and improve its services by being prompt and efficient. Improving certain online banking features and international banking features were also considered important for overall improvement of the bank’s functions. This study has shown that although Barclays has been largely known for poor customer services and focuses more on sales rather than customer services, it’s recent change of approach with greater emphasis on improving customer services than improving sales figures seem to have worked for positive results as customers seem to be more satisfied with the services offered by the banks.

Understanding Management Essay Example for Free

Understanding Management Essay 1. How can you prepare yourself to become an effective manager in an increasingly uncertain and global business environment? 2. Would the task environment for a cellular phone company contain the same elements as that for a government welfare agency? Discuss. 3. What do you think are the most important forces in the external environment creating uncertainty for organizations today? Do the forces you identified typically arise in the task environment or the general environment? 4. Contemporary best-selling management books often argue that customers are the most important element in the external environment. Do you agree? In what company situations might this statement be untrue? 5. Why do you think many managers are surprised by environmental changes and hence are less able to help their organizations adapt? 6. Why are interorganizational partnerships so important for today’s companies? What elements in the current environment might contribute to either an increase or decrease in interorganizational collaboration? Discuss. 7. Many companies are â€Å"going green† or adopting environmentally friendly business strategies. Clorox, for example, now offers an eco-friendly household cleaner called Green Works. How do companies benefit from going green? 8. Cultural symbols are usually noticed through sight, sound, touch, and smell. For example, Abercrombie retail stores use music, attractive models, and fragrance to communicate elements of its retail store culture. Why are symbols important to a corporate culture? 9. Both China and India are rising economic powers. How might your approach to doing business with Communist China be different from your approach to doing business with India, the world’s most populous democracy? In which country would you expect to encounter the most rules? The most bureaucracy? 10. General Electric is famous for firing the lowest-performing 10 percent of its managers each year. With its strict no-layoff policy, Valero Energy believes people need to feel secure in their jobs to perform their best. Yet both are high-performing companies. How do you account for the success of such opposite philosophies?

Essay --

THIS AGREEMENT is made effective December 31st, 2013 between the incorporated Town of Green Mountain Falls, hereinafter referred to as â€Å"Municipality† and Robert W. McArthur, hereinafter referred to as â€Å"Manager†. WHEREAS, the Board of Trustees desires to contract with Robert W. McArthur to serve as Town Manager, and Robert W. McArthur desires to accept the position as the Town Manager for the Municipality; and WHEREAS, the Board of Trustees, through a written employment agreement, desires to 1. Secure and retain the services of Robert W. McArthur and to provide inducement for him to remain in such employment 2. Establish employment and working conditions 3. Make possible full work productivity by assuring Robert W. McArthur’s morale and peace of mind with respect to future security 4. Act as a deterrent against malfeasance and dishonesty for personal gain on the part of Robert W. McArthur 5. Provide just means for termination of Robert W. McArthur’s services at such time as he may be unable to fully discharge his duties, or when Robert W. McArthur may otherwise desire to terminate his own employment; and WHEREAS, the Board of Trustees for the statutory Town of Green Mountain Falls in the State of Colorado, and Robert W. McArthur believe that a written employment agreement is desirable to serve as the basis of effective communication between them as they fulfill their governance and managerial functions in the operation of the business affairs of the municipality. NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual benefits to be derived, the parties hereby agree as follows: 1. Commencement of Services. The Board of Trustees agrees to employ Robert W. McArthur, and Robert W. McArthur agrees to accept the position of Town Manag... ...greement, shall not be construed as thereafter waiving any such terms and conditions, but the same shall continue and remain in full force and effect as if no such forbearance or waiver had occurred. h. This agreement may be executed in counterpart, and shall become effective upon execution by both parties. The municipality shall indemnify, hold harmless, and defend the Town Manager for any liability that may arise from acts or omissions committed by the Manager where said acts or omissions were made in good faith during the course of and within the scope of municipal employment or volunteer activity for the municipality, or while performing duties as a municipal employee. __________________________________________ Mayor or Mayor Pro-Tem __________________________________________ Town Manager (Robert W. McArthur) __________________________________________ Notary

Affordable Care Act and Its Controversies

On March 23, 2010 President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act (ACA); this date is when the growing debate began. The Affordable Care Act is also commonly known as Obamacare. A large issue between the opposing sides is the future of small business under this bill. â€Å"Many small businesses are going to be absolutely crushed by the provisions in Obamacare that require them to provide expensive health insurance coverage for their employees.† (Snyder, Michael) â€Å"3.2 million small businesses — employing 19.3 million workers nationwide — were eligible last year for tax credits worth $15.4 billion or $800 per employee.† (LOLGOP)These separate articles counteract each other, one claiming that small business is doomed while the other promises a happy future for small business. Another issue between the sides is the fact that neither has a full grasp of the bill and therefore only builds their opinions upon what they like versus dislike of the provisions. T his debate seems to be based between Republicans, who are stereotypically anti-Obamacare and Democrats, who are stereotypically pro-Obamacare. This essay will use different sources to describe the largest provisions and the varying stances on these provisions between the two sides.In Snyder’s article he destroys the ACA and shouts the predetermined catastrophic problems America faces with the ACA. His article is entitled â€Å"15 Reasons Why The Obamacare Decision Is A Mind Blowing Disaster For America.† Through this article, Snyder lists reasons as to why the ACA is a poor decision. Quotes from this article include the likes of, â€Å"It is hard to have any faith in the U.S. Supreme Court,† and â€Å"Supreme Court that is dominated by judges that have very little respect for the U.S. Constitution.†Snyder’s article lists reasons ranging from governmental power, new taxes, and possibly most extreme: decrease in life expectancy in the United States. Finally, this article ends on the note that â€Å"Obamacare will add more than a trillion dollars to government spending over the next decade. Considering the fact that the U.S. government is already drowning in debt, how in the world can we afford this?† The largest issue that people have with the bill is the mandate, which was described by Reddit poster CaspianX2 in a comment thread.The rough description of the mandate is that  it requires a person to have healthcare, and if any person who can afford healthcare chooses not to have it, they can be fined. The Supreme Court tested the constitutionality and through changing the words around a bit, the Court declared it constitutional. (CaspianX2) The biggest anti-Obamacare points include: the increase in governmental strength, the new taxes upon the American people it will impose, the mandate, and governmental spending.â€Å"A Harvard study found that 45,000 Americans die every year for lack of insurance.† (LOLGOP) Thi s shows that though the individual mandate is debated, it shows the pro-ACA viewpoint saves American lives. This article on eclectablog.com gave 18 reasons as to why the ACA is an achievement for the middle class. The healthcare reform puts a vast construct on the changes of insurance companies themselves. â€Å"Insurance companies can no longer cap the dollar amount of care you can receive in a lifetime,† and, â€Å"Health care insurers will no longer be allowed to charge women more than men for their coverage,† are two examples of the changes insurance companies will be facing with this bill.This bill makes insurance more accessible for more people, as the same eclectablog.com article states, â€Å"Up to 30 million Americans who are currently not insured will be covered, saving thousands of American lives.† (LOLGOP) A different article by Joshua Holland, titled â€Å"Up to 30 million Americans who are currently not insured will be covered, saving thousands of American lives,† highlights the concept that people can build different opinions of the bill, depending on how much they know about it. This article offers 10 things the common person may not know about the Affordable Care Act ranging from, the richest Americans will be paying more taxes, to how this bill benefits women, to people getting checks to help pay for their insurance. This article offers these points in a positive-bias perspective.Holland discusses how people with an income over a certain amount will be having a higher tax rate, rather than the lower-than-average rate they have now. This bill, similarly to the article by LOLGOP on eclectablog.com speaks to the idea that insurers can no longer charge women higher than men. Those with an income lower than a certain mark will be getting tax credits and subsidies to help pay for their insurance, is another point of Holland’s in this article. The largest pro-Obamacare points include: the newly regulated equality b etween insurers charging men and  women the same price, the raising or lowering of taxes depending on income, and how much more accessible healthcare is going to be with this bill.Many of the controversies between the sides seem to cancel each other out, where one side says something, and the other says something that directly refutes it. An example of this is with the effect the bill will have on young people. In an article by Brian Klonoski entitled, â€Å"13 Reasons Why Obamacare Sucks So Far,† he states, â€Å"Obamacare is more formally known as The Affordable Care Act, so it should make healthcare more affordable, right? Well, sorta. It definitely makes healthcare more affordable for some people, but it also raises premiums for others — most notably, young, healthy Americans.†In a different article, by Todd Essig, he discusses why Obamacare is good for the young and healthy. The three reasons he lists are as follows: they will have health insurance should catastrophe strike, they’ll get prescriptions for routine care, and they’ll have more skin in the game of self-care. (Essig)Both sides of healthcare reform has extremist opinions, one being that of the tea-party conservatives and the other that of the radical liberals. However, not republicans are anti-ACA and not all democrats are pro-ACA; though, most do fit the stereotype. Whether a person is anti-ACA or pro-ACA, they should learn the in-and-out of the bill, and not just pick and choose which issues to argue and make decisions about. Doing that will lead to well-rounded opinions and eventually, decisions made on this largely debated healthcare reform.

The Atomic Bomb Changed the World Forever Essay - 2523 Words

Introduction The development and usage of the first atomic bombs has caused a change in military, political, and public functionality of the world today. The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki revolutionized warfare by killing large masses of civilian population with a single strike. The bombs’ effects from the blast, extreme heat, and radiation left an estimated 140,000 people dead. The bombs created a temporary resolution that lead to another conflict. The Cold War was a political standoff between the Soviet Union and the United States that again created a new worldwide nuclear threat. The destructive potential of nuclear weapons had created a global sweep of fear as to what might happen if these terrible forces where unleashed again.†¦show more content†¦During the first minute of the explosion many injuries where caused by the instantaneous penetrating radiation from the nuclear explosion (3). Other casualties came from burning fires that had ignited throughout the cities from the tremendous heat of the blast (3). The pressure of the blast waves created flying debris, collapsed buildings, and forcibly hurled people to their death (3). Undoubtedly those who survived the initial effects of the blast were very lucky. The amount of deaths caused by the blast itself was incomparable to the number of lives lost to the other effects after the initial explosion (â€Å"Summary of Damages and Injuries† 3). The inferno created by the bomb wasn’t from the explosion itself, but the after effects of fires, collapsed buildings, and flying debris (3). â€Å"In Hiroshima fires sprang up simultaneously all over the wide flat central area of the city;† these fires combined to form immense fire storms which continued to destroy anything that had not already been destroyed by the blast. Buildings that had encountered considerable structure damage collapsed and continued to take even more lives (13). In the end both cities were left totally obliterated wi th nearly all of their residential districts and businesses flattened and most of their citizens dead (14). The technology that had built the atomic bomb helped the â€Å"world [get] a glimpse of its own mortality† (LanouetteShow MoreRelatedThe Atomic Bomb Of The United States Essay1748 Words   |  7 Pagesthe detonation of the first atomic bomb took place near Los Alamos, New Mexico. This atomic bomb testing would forever change the meaning of war. As the atomic bomb was detonated it sent shock-waves all over the world. There was endless research done on the bomb in the United States. The research was called The Manhattan Engineer District Project but it was more commonly known as The Manhattan Project. The Manhattan Project was brought by fear of Germany and its atomic research. On account of theRead MoreA Scientific Breakthrough That Changed The Face Of International And Domestic Warfare Forever1614 Words   |  7 PagesA scientific breakthrough that changed the face of international and domestic warfare forever was named the Manhattan Project (1942). The Manhattan Project (1942) was under the direction of physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer. Its focus was to create a bomb using the expulsion of atomic energy. This secret operation where they built and assembled the first atomic bomb was located in Los Alamos, New Mexico. With the creation of such a device of destruction no one imaged it would lead to the deaths ofRead MoreThe Atomic Bomb Of Hiroshima1701 Words   |  7 Pages‘The Atomic Bomb; a bomb which derives its destructive power from the rapid release of nuclear energy by fission of heavy atomic nuclei, causing damage through heat, blast, and radioactivity’. On A ugust 6 1945, at 8:15 am local time, the city of Hiroshima in Japan, home to 350 000 people, became the first victim of the destructive war weapon. As of this vicious and devastating day, world history was changed forever. The long and short-term significance of this event shaped the way in which peopleRead MoreThe Atomic Bomb Of The United States1610 Words   |  7 Pages It was the morning of July 16, 1945, a countdown for the detonation of the first atomic bomb took place near Los Alamos, New Mexico. The atomic bomb testing would forever change the meaning of war. However, the atomic bomb was detonated and it sent shock-waves all over the world. There was much research to be done on the bomb in the United States. The research was called â€Å"The Manhattan Engineer District Project† but it was known as The Manhattan Project. With the issues of theRead MoreEssay on Manhattan Project1664 Words   |  7 Pagesresearch for the first Atomic bomb was done in the United States, by a group of the best scientists; this research was given the name of amp;quot;The Manhattan Projectamp;quot;. On Monday July 16th, 1945, a countdown for the detonation of the first atomic bomb took place near Los Alamos, New Mexico. This atomic bomb testing would forever change the meaning of war. As the atomic bomb was detonated it sent shock-waves all over the world. There was endless research done on the bomb in the United StatesRead MoreThe United States And Japan s Involvement1687 Words   |  7 Pagesdropped the world’s first atomic bomb on his hometown. Three days later, while terror was still raging in Hiroshima, the US dropped a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki. While it may seem inhumane for the US to have used such powerful weapons on Japan, the US had many reasons to use such drastic measures. 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Three days later, the United States proceeded to drop an atomic bomb again on another city, Nagasaki, which was the last time that an atomic bomb has ever been used in the world till today. Soon after the de vastating bombings, with thousands of Japanese civilians dead, the Japanese emperor Hirohito surrendered, marking the official end of WWII. Consequently, whether or not dropping the atomic bomb was theRead MoreThe Threat Of The Atomic Bomb1131 Words   |  5 PagesStates of America have fought in since World War I to the ruthless naval sea battle in World War II with the Japanese. There is no question about it that war is a great catastrophe, which leads to death of soldiers, destruction, butchery, but the worst kind of all the atomic war. One only has to think of the havoc this nuclear war would cause Capio mentioned in the article Airpower Journal (68). Just like when the United States Air Force dropped the Atomic bomb in Hiroshima from a B-29 bomber planeRead MoreA Closer Look at the Bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki1485 Words   |  6 Pagesof history was changed. Two atomic bombs were dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima, and three days later, August 9, 1945, on Naga saki that ended World War II. Japan had already been a defeated nation from conventional bombs and World War II. Many innocent lives were lost, psychological scars were left on the lives of the bomb survivors, and thus many lives were changed forever. The atomic bombings caused many people to have genetic effects due to the radiation from the bombs. Revisionists