A Christmas Carol Essay -- English Literature

A Christmas Carol In a Christmas Carol, Dickens uses some of his past childhood experiences to show us that Christmas is very important and many messages come across in this book. It is split up into five ‘staves.’ The reason that they are staves instead of chapters as staves are used in music and it is called a Christmas ‘carol.’ In most cases, when people hear the word ‘Christmas’, we think of a time for giving and sharing with people less fortunate, a time for being thankful for everything we have no matter how little or how big, a chance to spend time with the people we love, joking, laughing and smiling. Generally a good time is had by all. Possibly the only exception is Scrooge. Scrooge is a cruel, cold, heartless, unwelcoming character who changes his heart and mind at Christmas. What messages were given by Dickens about Christmas? Can we change our hearts and ourselves just like Scrooge? Scrooge is an elderly miser. He’s living in the Victorian times when it was quite different to how we live nowadays, especially at Christmas. When we wake up on Christmas morning, the first thing we want to do is open our presents hoping someone has remembered what we asked for, watch others open gifts we’ve bought, cram as much turkey down our throats as possible and have parties with friends and family. In the Victorian times, they celebrated the birth of Christ. Even the poor who had hardly anything thanked God for all that they had, even though it was so little. Most people spent time with their family, singing songs and eating lovely dinners. It was usually the best dinner of the year. Scrooge did none of this. He hated Christmas. Whenever anything was mentioned about the event, he usually replied ... ...the same as any other day. I like how Dickens used the repetitiveness of the word ‘melancholy,’ as it just highlights how sad, depressed and boring his evening is. You can just imagine the street at which he lives. People in all the houses are laughing, enjoying themselves, singing, spending time together, apart from one man. All Christmas decorations are put up and the rooms are all bright, cheery and warm apart from in one home – Scrooge’s! After reading the final part, Stave 5, our feeling towards Scrooge changes dramatically and we start to feel empathetic because of his changes. Just the first sentence in the 5th Stave shows something has changed. A Holophrastic phrase is exclaimed and it is a total change from the 1st Stave. It says ‘Yes!’ Although Scrooge doesn’t actually say it, it is a positive comment which we rarely saw in the first Stave.

Look Not Only at The Now Essay

Shinichi Hoshi tells a great tale of irony and human stubbornness in the short story, â€Å"He-y, Come on Ou-t†. A great storm that hits a small town and destroys their shrine which leaves a gaping hole where it once stood; the villagers quickly figure out that the bottom of the hole cannot be found. A concessionaire buys the hole and people pay to dump very terrible things into it such as nuclear waste and incriminating evidence, but in the end it all ends up getting dumped on the village from the sky. Humans like to and tend to throw away future worries and enjoy the immediate benefits of a situation regardless of how dire the future situation may be, Hoshi expresses this by using symbolism and irony in his short story â€Å"He-y, Come on Ou-t†. Humans have caused and will cause dire circumstances for themselves by overlooking potential future threats in any given situation; this is conveyed in the short story through symbolism. When the hole is first found a young man says, â€Å"‘I wonder if it’s a fox’s hole’† (Hoshi 1). The fox symbolizes the villagers because foxes are seen as sly and the villagers think they are sly when they make a scheme to dump everything in the hole and profit from it without consequence, there is further symbolism when it is technically the village at the bottom of the hole. Soon after the people, â€Å"cut down some trees, [tie] them with rope and [make] a fence which they put around the hole† (2). Sbrocchi 2 This symbolizes that the villagers already know the hole is a bad thing and they need to protect people from it by building a fence around it, much like a pit bull or Rottweiler; also this is foreshadowing because the hole ends up being a dangerous th ing. Perhaps greatest moment of symbolism in the story comes at the last line, when it is revealed to the reader that all that is dumped in the hole is going to rain down on the city, because a builder is taking his break when, â€Å"a small pebble skimmed by him and fell on  past. The man however, was gazing in idle reverie at the city’s skyline growing evermore beautiful, and he failed to notice (4). The theme of the whole story is explained in the builder’s actions, the builder symbolizes humans as a whole, they ignore the future threat that the pebble symbolizes and look out at the â€Å"success† that they have created. Irony is a powerful tool in literature that is used to get a message through to the reader. In this story it is used in many ways to show the stubbornness of mankind to only focus on the today not the tomorrow. Near the beginning of the story before the young man is about to throw a pebble in the hole an old man warns him by saying â€Å"‘you might bring down a curse on us. Lay off,’ [†¦] but the younger one energetically [throws] the pebble in.†(2). This is so ironic because in the end the older man was right, it did bring down a curse on them, all that garbage came right back down on them. This is so important because it is exactly the theme of the story, the young man failed to recognize the threat in front of him, he set it aside so he could have his fun right now regardless of what the future may bring and the future brought evil, which was self-inflicted. The panicle of irony in the story that really throws the theme at the reader is when the narrator says â€Å"Everyone disliked thinking about the eventual consequences† That is Sbrocchi 3 literally the theme of the story, it is ironic because the eventual consequences that everyone thought would come many years later ended up right at the doorstep of the village in not long at all, and these consequences came in a form much worse than what anyone could have ever expected. There is a lesson to be learned from this story and it is that if a situation arises for something good to come in the now, in the today, but it raises problems for the tomorrow, those problems must be dealt with in the today and not pushed aside because they are unpleasant to think about. No matter how great a success something may bring it could all be in vein if the same thing will also bring pain and suffering in the future; it will not be a success at all, it will be a giant failure. In the story, something fictional happens to the villagers, but things just as bad or worse will come from actions in real life, they just may not be as obvious or come as  fast. Humans like to focus on the good in situations not in the possible bad, this has to change.

nutrient deficiences on fescue essays

nutrient deficiences on fescue essays In our experiment, different combinations and rates of Nitrogen, Potassium, and Phosphorus were applied to Festuca arundinaceae, or tall fescue. The goal was to determine which rate and combination would result in the highest rate of shoot growth. Tall fescue is a cool season perennial. It is used in areas with cold winters and mild to hot summers. General uses of tall fescue include as pastureland in some of the southern states and also as lawns, athletic fields and roadsides in certain areas. It is a coarse bunch-type grass that can have rhizomes that spread slowly. Tall fescue can handle soils that are wet, but also has good drought tolerance. Some of this drought tolerance can be attributed to the relatively deep root system it has. Besides drought tolerance, tall fescue tends to have a relatively good tolerance for heat and medium cold tolerance. Shade is tolerated by tall fescue as well. The ideal pH for tall fescue is from 5.5 to 6.5, but will survive under pHs that range from 4.7-8.5 (Beard, 1982-p594). Tall fescue has a medium cultural intensity. Mowing height of two to three inches is relatively high compared to most turf grasses (Collins, 1999-p 76). The high mowing height allows for more photosynthetic area than other commonly used turf-grasses. Nitrogen is a mobile macronutrient that is mostly available in pHs of 6 to 8 (Dole, 1999-p 68). Beyond the given range, it can be difficult or impossible for the plant to receive and utilize the nitrogen. Water is also necessary in order for nitrogen to be used by the plant. Nitrogen functions in leaf greenness, ability of the plant to recover from stress, quantity of grass clippings, root and shoot growth, resistance to disease, and cold, heat, and drought tolerance. The result of a nitrogen application is a sudden spurt of growth that depletes available nitrogen in two to six weeks. To keep growth at a steady rate, light and frequent fertilizer applications s...

Free Essays on Aristotle Virtue Ethics

Aristotle was a great philosopher during the forth century B.C. Throughout his article â€Å"Virtue Ethics†, he concentrates upon the concepts of virtue and happiness. â€Å"happiness is an activity of soul in accordance with perfect virtue(p. 394).† Both virtue and happiness are related to one another, for happiness is achieved through virtues. Aristotle defines happiness as the â€Å"highest of all practical goods†. It is agreed by the masses that happiness is associated with living well. â€Å"For happiness we always desire for its own sake and never as a means of something else(p. 392).† The purpose of happiness is not to gain anything, but to seek for the sake of being happy. All actions focus primarily on the achievement of happiness; honor, pleasure, and intelligence may seem like they are desired as means to themselves, but all amount in an achievement of some kind of happiness. There are two different kinds of virtues: intellectual, which is taught directly, and moral, which is gained through self-experience. Aristotle views virtues as â€Å"traits that enable us to live well in communities(p. 389)† He holds the better good of the community higher than that of the individual. Each person has a purpose to excel in their community, while at the same time adding to the greater good of their community. â€Å"consider virtue, as this will perhaps be the best way of studying happiness(p. 396).† Virtue and happiness are directly related, for virtues are the way of achieving happiness. Aristotle defines a virtue as moral excellence, or goodness. In order to achieve this excellence the mean between two extremes must sought. One extreme can be distinguished as too much, or an excess, and the other as too little, or a deficiency. By these vices and virtues are we judged, Aristotle says. In most cases, one extreme opposes the virtue more than the other does. For example, courage seems less opposed to foolhardiness tha... Free Essays on Aristotle Virtue Ethics Free Essays on Aristotle Virtue Ethics Aristotle was a great philosopher during the forth century B.C. Throughout his article â€Å"Virtue Ethics†, he concentrates upon the concepts of virtue and happiness. â€Å"happiness is an activity of soul in accordance with perfect virtue(p. 394).† Both virtue and happiness are related to one another, for happiness is achieved through virtues. Aristotle defines happiness as the â€Å"highest of all practical goods†. It is agreed by the masses that happiness is associated with living well. â€Å"For happiness we always desire for its own sake and never as a means of something else(p. 392).† The purpose of happiness is not to gain anything, but to seek for the sake of being happy. All actions focus primarily on the achievement of happiness; honor, pleasure, and intelligence may seem like they are desired as means to themselves, but all amount in an achievement of some kind of happiness. There are two different kinds of virtues: intellectual, which is taught directly, and moral, which is gained through self-experience. Aristotle views virtues as â€Å"traits that enable us to live well in communities(p. 389)† He holds the better good of the community higher than that of the individual. Each person has a purpose to excel in their community, while at the same time adding to the greater good of their community. â€Å"consider virtue, as this will perhaps be the best way of studying happiness(p. 396).† Virtue and happiness are directly related, for virtues are the way of achieving happiness. Aristotle defines a virtue as moral excellence, or goodness. In order to achieve this excellence the mean between two extremes must sought. One extreme can be distinguished as too much, or an excess, and the other as too little, or a deficiency. By these vices and virtues are we judged, Aristotle says. In most cases, one extreme opposes the virtue more than the other does. For example, courage seems less opposed to foolhardiness tha...

Communication strategy for Audi Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Communication strategy for Audi - Essay Example What is meant by this is application of the appropriate media and messages with the aim of communicating the information to the targeted UK market successfully. There are basic things that may be needed by customers from different places in the UK. Despite their needs their preferences and tastes of a product always vary from one customer to another. The explanation for the difference lies in geographic, culture and socioeconomic environments. These are state in which the goods are consumed. The sociological and location factors influence the consumer’s behavior and directly apply to communication. Audi has got many customers in UK market inclusive of billionaires, and others are aged below 30 years. The statistics have been pointed out specifically to show that customers in this market change. Studies done in the past have revealed that decision making, purchasing criteria and channels of communication are different with the younger customers than the generation of the past w ho got wealth in the post cultural revolution. Although the currently rich customers in their 50’s make major targets for Audi products, a marketer should be in a position to forecast future developments. The main purpose of this report is to establish the targeted customers, their ways of processing information, how they use their personal and mass communication and their attitude to Audi products. Discussion The significance of implication of good strategies in communication marketing strategies by Audi is essential. Effective communication to the targeted market will grow into a critical state. The behavior of a consumer can be narrowed down to how the customers process information, the process of making a decision and their culture (Kotler & Armstrong, 2004). Due to the difference in consumers, there must be a difference in marketing communication. Marketing communication is a process of management whereby the consumers communicates with an organization. It incorporates p ersonal and mass communication at various levels of the process. Personal communication is communication in marketing on how information is relayed to a consumer by the sales person. In addition to that, it is concerned with how media information is interpreted. Mass communication is communication in the market on different means through which firms convey information via mass media directed towards a large portion of the population. Based on Audi, the main reason for this report is to help understand Audi’s behavior on the grounds of its purchase, which defines a perfect strategy in marketing communication. This report will be divided into five. These are the Audi market, behavior of the consumer, market differences, market communication and the findings which to recommendation. Audi brand Horch one of the starters of Audi is also a founder of the automotive industry in German. This firm was situated in Saxony which is town well known of technology. In 1989, this firmâ€℠¢s yearly sales exceeded 100 for the first moment. In 1909, due to the misunderstandings between the supervisor and the board, Horch resigned from this firm and instantly started another company. Horch being the initial firm’s name was changed to Audi which was a Latin word having the same meaning as Horch. The development of Audi as a brand cannot be separated from the hard work and operations of Horch. From the time Audi came into existence, Horch made his point of attraction, which is the production of high quality. As his firm’s appearance, technology and performance improved Audi also earned a name. In 1969, the Volkswagen group under Audi with the support of finance by the

Analysing the industrial relations pressure in an industry or Research Paper

Analysing the industrial relations pressure in an industry or organisation in Australia - Research Paper Example The paper tells that the latter half of the twentieth century saw a progression of elite sports in Australia from the amateur and weekend pursuits towards the full time multi-million dollar enterprises. Along with the increasing professionalism in this industry the labour and industrial relations too has begun to resemble the traditional industries in various sectors. The sector has faced constant pressure to provide high wages to these elite players as they have taken up a more serious attitude towards negotiating and bargaining industrial relations issues. Sports are regarded as a lucrative business in which the players’ lifestyles can be determinant of the financial contracts that they can negotiate. Development of the enterprise bargaining (EB) in Australian sports bears relevance to bargaining in Australia. Negotiation occurring between the different parties occurs at the individual as well as the enterprise levels. However, the position of players’ associations as well as the sporting leagues in the bargaining process remains week and demands attention. The professional sporting players associations or unions have a chequered history. Out of thirty three attempts to form the players associations in the professional sports team in Australia only six remain in existence till date. Another important issue in the professional sports sector in Australia is that it is found to be very oppressive in terms of the employees’ labour rights. It is seen that players belonging to the major professional team sports remain strictly restricted by the league mandated labour regulations or industrial relations regulations.... Mobilising of members actually provides unions with the power to use their voice collectively to influence their employers and actions of institutions to benefit the cause of employees (Brooks, Callen, Singh, Felman & Thimann). The players associations particularly use such industrial actions in the same way and have successfully strengthened their positions in the industry which poses threat to this sector. Literature reveals that these associations capacity to engage in such industrial actions actually determines their success in the industry in terms of wages and salaries. These have yielded positive gains for these players in terms of their wages and other conditions of employments (Hanley & Rogers, 2004, p.4). There has been the generation of organizational conflicts in this industry. Common causes of conflicts identified are in terms of revenue sharing, refusal to compromise, welfare of players, and administrative incompetence. The failure to arrive at common objectives by the negotiating parties for the IR processes coupled with the reluctance of such parties to compromise on self interests are identified as two of the major reasons for organizational conflicts in this industry (Hanley & Rogers, 2004, p.5). Industry/ organisation The Australian sports industry has proceeded a long way since the last fifteen years. There are great entry of funds via such avenues as coaching, facility development, sports sciences, national sporting schemes, institute establishments, sport management and talent identification program. Being a relatively new industry in the market, this sector is quite unregulated and is yet to define its boundaries completely. Lack of minimum salary structures, dispute resolution procedures or