The Psychology of the Employment Relationship Free Essay Example, 1750 words

As per the meaning of the term, psychological contract, it is the implicit contract of understandings between the organization and the workers as they relate to both the expectations of the employees and the obligations of the employer (Emott, 2006). When employees are being selected for the leadership programme the psychological contract is bound to be affected in some way. Guest (2004) takes an even wider view of the contract in such situations where new bonds are being formed and firmly recommends that the full understanding of the psychological contract should incorporate fairness to both parties and mutual trust. This was difficult to achieve in this case because the takeover was still fresh and managers and employees from both the companies had little time to create implicit bonds. As Hendry and Jenkins (1997) suggest since the contract is implicit, it is difficult to judge how it will be impacted with changes in the company, but at the same time, it is important to consider t he psychological contract before any change is announced to the workers. Impact on the Psychological ContractThe first case of employees who wanted to and have been selected is easy to explain in terms of the psychological contract. We will write a custom essay sample on The Psychology of the Employment Relationship or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page The company displayed its trust in the employee; the employee expected the trust to be shown and that employees can be further expected to act at a higher performance level than before. The employee can be expected to show a greater amount of commitment to the company, be more satisfied with the new position and have a stronger intention of staying on with the company despite all the changes which were coming. However, there is one case in which the psychological contract might be affected negatively i. e. if the employee considers inclusion in the program to be only a reward for their previous performance.

Literature Review on Dreams Sigmund Freuds Psychoanalysis

Literature Review on Dreams: Sigmund Freud’s Psychoanalysis Freud initiated a therapy called psychoanalysis towards helping patients overcome mental problems, using an in depth analyze of a patient’s dream. Freudian psychoanalysis assumes that dreams fulfill a certain function. Freud considers dreams as a mental activity also experienced by our ancestors. The mind begins to disconnect from the external world during sleep but remains in an instinctual state. The mind protects the sleeper from disturbances by manufacturing dreams that satisfy unconscious desires (Freud, 1900:  §V, C, p.234). Therefore unconscious content becomes conscious even though the content is distorted. Dreams allow for the id’s satisfaction without causing†¦show more content†¦Freud also believed there were two parts that dreams are composed of, the manifest and latent content. The manifest content to the individually can be emotionally painful rather than fulfillment. Freud suggests that the individual would wake if it were too disturbing ther efore dreams can operate contrarily from allowing the sleeping individual to divert from the id’s true desires. Therefore the manifest content possesses no meaning due to its disguised representation. This is the content that an individual would remember when awake. On the other hand the latent content is the true meaning of the dream. Repressed thoughts and unconscious desires are contained and released during sleep but will be disguised and unrecognizable. Latent content goes through a process known as the ‘dream work’ where manifest content is transformed into disguised and distorted latent content. The first defense mechanism is condensation, when two or more latent thought are combined into one unambiguous image or situation. The second defense mechanism is displacement, where an emotion or desire is directed to an unrelated object rather then towards a certain individual in the manifest dream. The third defense mechanism is symbolism where similar content a rise due to the conversion of complex ideas. The last defense mechanism is the final part of the dream work. This is secondary revision where the dreamShow MoreRelatedSigmund Freud Essay1721 Words   |  7 Pageswolf to man.† These are the words that surprised millions when Freud first opened the discussion of human nature (Freud). Sigmund Freud, born in 1856 and died in 1939, was known to be the father of psychoanalysis (Jones). He lived his whole life trying to reach into the human unconsciousness and unravel the puzzle of life, human personality, and human nature (Chiriac). 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Freud often emphasized that the study of the human mind is a complicated, arduous, and ever-changing field of attempts at empirically examining an intangible concept that often result in very small gains. His work has placed him into a distinct place in history that has been given countless courses of retrospection by academics alike. Sigmund Freud, born MayRead More The Psychology of Sigmund Freud Essay2210 Words   |  9 PagesSigmund Freud is one of the most controversial psychologists in history to this day, yet his theories and ideas are widely known. Freud made a crucial contribution to the study of understanding hidden human motivation (Lippman, 1996). â€Å"Hardly any discipline of thought has remained unaffected by the Freudian revolution but the impact has also been uncertain† (Pollack, 1984). Freud was also known as too important to ignore, but too impossible to digest (Pollack, 1984). 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The contents of this essayRead MoreCounselling Psychology (Description and Evaluation of the Psychoanalytic Theories of Counselling and Techniques Using the)4628 Words   |  19 PagesRunning head: Therapeutic Techniques and Counselling Description and Evaluation of the Psychoanalytic Theories of Counselling and techniques using the Theorist Sigmund Freud During the history of psychology and counselling a wide range of attitudes and approaches have been developed in order to provide individuals with the ability to explore his or her inner world through varied strategies and modes of interaction. The aim was toRead MoreKaren Horney : Pioneer Of Feminine Psychology By Susan Tyler Hitchcock3647 Words   |  15 Pagesthroughout her life. Karen began to keep a detailed diary at the age of 13. Her diary tells the tales of her journey through happiness, love, despair and her desires. She would write out everything she had wanted for herself in live and her ultimate dream of becoming a Doctor and how nothing would get in her way. Horney devoted herself to school and believing that, â€Å"If I couldn’t be pretty, I decided I would be smart.† When it was time to further her education and go to high school, Karen argued withRead MorePsychoanalytic Criticism on Emily Dickinson Essay1086 Words   |  5 PagesPsychological criticism is known as the type of criticism that analyses the writer’s work within the realms of Freud’s psychological theories. Such approach can be used when trying to reconstruct an author’s position throughout their literary writings, as well as understanding whom the author was and how their mind created such works. When considering the work of Emily Dickinson, psychoanalytic criticism comes into play with the role of explaining the many meanings behind her poetry, as to make the

Women Suffrage in the 1920’s Free Essays

The 1920’s was a huge struggle for women around the U. S. Huge rallies were formed and outrageous furry was spread city to city. We will write a custom essay sample on Women Suffrage in the 1920’s or any similar topic only for you Order Now All this drama and series of strikes was caused by the women that were eager to have the same rights as everyone else, without and racial or gender profiling against them. But late in that time period, that wasn’t the cause. After numerous protests and the creating of the women’s national party, little did they know but it would soon become a huge success for all women around the globe. The 19th amendment guaranteed women the right to vote, and it went into effect in 1920.It had begun settling rates at levels intended to ensure the industries profits full woman suffrage before 1920, eighth date granted partial woman suffrage before 1920. No woman suffrage until ratification of 19th amendment. Elizabeth caddy staton becomes president of the national women’s suffrage association. Women also began appearing on the political scene and in elected offices. Winifred mason huck of representatives in 1922 was the first. The woman suffrage movement got off to a slow start. Some people threatened women suffragrates, and sold they were unfeminine and immoral. Many if its supports were abolitionists as well.In the years before the civil war abolishing slavery took priority. Many job opportunities were available for women. One of them being the biggest company at the time. They worked as operators at telephone companies. It was a great and easy job and didn’t involve doing much. It was better than staying home completing the daily tasks taken place at what was called, â€Å"A women’s place†, in the 1920’s. Now it was not only at home but also in their workplace. Suffragists march in a 1912 rally in New York City. In 1920, after decades of struggle for the right to vote, the Nineteenth Amendment’s ratification granted female suffrage. How to cite Women Suffrage in the 1920’s, Papers

Common Core free essay sample

Common Core for the Greater Good? Everyone says they can handle change but the reality is not many people do well with change. Changing something can cause massive tribulations and uncertainty in how people react and respond to the change. Altering the way we learn or the way we were taught can decrease someones potential to strive for more because of they may feel lost. The change in education system that is not broken may create decreased test scores rather than the hopes of the common core that it will increase scores. Kids are not Just a test score number they are the future. The Common Core State Standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers. We will write a custom essay sample on Common Core or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page With American students fully prepared for the future, our communities will be best positioned to compete successfully in the global economy. (Common core state standards initiative) The new common core standards are doing Just that making people believe it is a great system. Throwing out the old standards of learning to adapt to this new common core without anyones knowledge of what this new way is actually. The people have lost their voice on this matter because it was decided without parents being aware of new standards that would take place in every school. Many teachers were taken out of classes last year and this year to give them extra teachings and education to help them prepare for these new standards of learning. Continuous substitutes to take over the classrooms so teachers would be up to speed but substitutes needed this training as well. It is said that the government had othing to do with the common core standards. It was created by groups of teachers in different states that decided new standards were best for the children. The federal government was not involved in the development of the standards. Local teachers, principals, and superintendents lead the implementation of the Common Core. (Common core state standards initiative) Although findings suggest that the government had involvement in this idea of standards. The presidents Race to the Top program description sounds similar to the mission of the common core. Adopting standards and assessments that prepare students to succeed in college nd the workplace and to compete in the global economy; Building data systems that measure student growth and success, and inform teachers and principals about how they can improve instruction; Recruiting, developing, rewarding, and retaining effective teachers and principals, especially where they are needed most; and Turning around our lowest-achieving schools. (Race to the Top Fund) The government can say they are not involved but they seem to lie over many effects it is simply a people think that there is not much they can do to get this new system out of the schools. (Montana Adopts Common Core State Standards) Common core will turn the new generation into tiny little robots that say and do as told. There is no opportunity for creativity, there is no motivation to learn more, and there is no more creati ve thinking. Kids are supposed to get something out of school like enjoying what they read so it will encourage them to read more. This new education limits what kids can read. With the new program teachers are being told what the children can read and limits on fiction books are becoming a new plan. Instruction in reading has focused primarily on fiction; your school will need to shift to a balance between fiction and informational reading. (Common Core Standards The Reading Writing Project) The idea that kids will develop minds of their own and decide what they want to be based on books that let them dream will soon be gone. Kids will be expected to meet expectations of standardized test while teachers will not be able to focus on those kids that need more time and direction. Not all kids learn the same way this may make finishing school more difficult for struggling children. If everyone allows common core to take over and replace the way kids should be taught no one will be there to advocate for these kids. Some questions have been arising for kids with disabilities. Since every child will be required to learn a standard way how will this work for kids who are unable to learn in these ways? Many children all over have different limits and disabilities on how they can learn not all will be able to perform well. Will all CCSS states use standards-based IEPs? When new state tests are developed to assess students knowledge and skills, which accommodations will be provided to students with IEPs? (Stanberry 2) It will be difficult to apply individual education plans when everyone is suppose to learn the standards the same way. It is

Pardoners Tale Essays - The Canterbury Tales, The Pardoners Tale

Pardoner's Tale The Pardoner's Tale: Deception and Foolishness There are several types of foolishness being described in the Pardoner's Tale itself. He describes gluttony in general, then specifically wine. He talks of gambling, taking bets and the like, and of swearing. The exemplum of his sermon describes three fools who go foolishly seeking death, then find it in a large amount of gold. Deception is another topic addressed by the Pardoner: he comes right out and says that he is a con artist, and that he is out to take people's money. In his tale, deception by the rioters leads to the death of all three. These are good points, but there is another deception the Pardoner plays, and gets caught: his sermon is a direct chastisement of the Host, who is not pleased by this. As a whole, Chaucer effectively uses this character of The Pardoner to point out some of the more foolish and deceptive aspects of other characters in the Tales as well. In the beginning, the Narrator describes The Pardoner in some quite undesirable terms. His is the characterization that comes closest to making a judgement call - in most cases, the judgement is left to the reader. Yet, I trowe he were a gelding or a mare, is hardly non-judgmental (97.693). The Narrator also spends a bit of time describing the different relics and showing the truth of what each relic really is; however, there is a point in his negative description of both the physical and moral aspects of this character. The Pardoner represents the Ugly Truth. The Knight is grand, the Wife is pretty, but the Pardoner is downright ugly. He is also the only pilgrim to acknowledge his shortcomings - he knows he is a con artist and liar, and in his tale's prologue freely admits this in both words and actions. The Pardoner then proceeds with the tale itself, which is a deception as well. In the sermon, he describes gluttony in detail, and defines it as not just overeating, but the intense pleasure of doing so. He also denounces wine, with graphic examples of drunkenness. He discusses the negative merits of swearing and cursing. Then, he closes the sermon itself with a condemnation of gambling. There are several things going on here. The first, most obvious hypocrisy is that before telling this tale, the Pardoner insisted on stopping at an inn for food and beer. He is also partaking in a bet - he who tells the best story wins. However, there is another level. This sermon is retaliation to the Host, who just before asking the Pardoner to speak has been cursing and talking about using beer as medicine to mend his broken heart. It can be suspected that the Host is drunk, as well. However, when addressing the Pardoner, the Host intentionally insults him: 'Thou bel ami, thou Pardoner,' he saide, / 'Tel us som mirthe or japes right anon (165.30-31). The Pardoner, being of rather quick wit, replies: 'It shal be doon,' quod he, 'by Saint Ronion?' (165.33). The reference to St. Ronion is a possible play on runnion, which is possibly defined as a sexual joke (165, footnote 8). Thus, the Host has rather offended the Pardoner, who calls a stop at an inn to think upon som honeste thing whil that I drinke (165.40). This exchange is picked up once again after The Pardoner's Tale is done. Several things from the Tale upset the Host. He is the owner of a tavern, encouraging food and drink. He himself likes to partake of these things. He also swears quite readily, and from the General Prologue, we know the Host was the one to propose the storytelling game in the first place. So, at the end of the Pardoner's Tale, when the Pardoner suggests ?that our Hoste shal biginne, / For he is most envoluped in sinne (178.653-654), it is in direct response to the insult at the beginning of the Pardoner's turn to tell a Tale. This nearly starts a physical fight - the intervention of the Knight prevents this infighting from progressing further. The Pardoner's sermon, while perhaps aimed at the Host, also describes much of the rest of the pilgrimage. After all, Pardoners Tale Essays - The Canterbury Tales, The Pardoners Tale Pardoner's Tale Love and betrayal are two major themes that appeared often in the works selected for this semesters reading. A theme that is seen in both the story of Joseph and Chaucer's The Pardoner's Tale is betrayal with a blend of greed and selfishness. The story of Joseph involved a boy named Joseph and his brothers. Joseph appeared to be his father's favorite and always treated him the best. Joseph's brothers seemed to be angry and mad at the fact that he was getting all the attention and so they plotted a scheme to get rid of Joseph by killing him. Rather than killing Joseph, they sought profit in him. The brothers acted selfishly and so they betray him by selling him to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver. The Pardoner's Tale is a good example of a story containing these elements. In this story, readers see a group of rioters at a local tavern inn drinking and having a good time. As they look behind them they see a coffin being carried away. The rioters soon find out that it the person in the coffin was a very good friend of theirs. As sad and angry as they are, they set off to find out who has killed their companion. An old man directs the three rioters to a tree down the road and tells them that Death killed their friend. The rioters set out to find Death and kill him in revenge. When they reach the tree, they spot a treasure. They decide to wait until dark to take the findings. While they all wait, one rioter decided to go to town to get them all food. This rioter comes up with an idea that he should kill the other two men and take the treasure for himself. The other two rioters think likewise. They devise a plan to kill the other friend and split the treasure in two parts instead of three. As it is seen in the story of Joseph, his brothers betray him. Because they are jealous of Joseph, their own flesh and blood, they acted selfish and greedy. They wanted to kill him, but selling him for money would benefit them more. The rioters acted similarly. They are all friends who set out on a mission. Once money is brought into the picture, everyone has different feelings. They all plot to kill one another and betray each other because they want a bigger share of the profit. In this case, everyone ends up dead. The one sent to town decides to put poison in the drinks and the rioters left by the tree plot to stab him. When they finally do stab him, they think they are home free. They continue to feast and when they drink they too end up dead. In this case no one was successful. Everyone ends up with nothing. Their greed led them to their death. Unlike the rioters, the betrayal of Joseph by his brothers benefited him in the long run. He ends up interpreting dreams for the Pharaoh of Egypt. The Pardoner's Tale is a good work to incorporate into the syllabus because it teaches a valuable lesson about the relationship of friends and what limits friends go to in order to betray each other. Greed and jealousy are key elements that make someone betray another person. An example of what people are usually greedy about is money. Money is a materialistic item in which everyone wants. When given the right opportunity, one will do anything for it even if it means betraying friends or especially family members. A question that this story raises is How far will people go in order to make themselves happy? In this case the rioters went a far as they possibly could. They plotted to kill each other for something that was not even rightfully theirs. If they had not found the treasure, they would of still been alive. The Pardoner's Tale can easily be connected to the course assignments because although there is betrayal, there is an element of love in it also. Although it is not easily seen, love is shown. The rioters showed love and compassion when they found out that their friend had died. At once they got together to find the person that had killed him. If they did not love or care about this person they would not have even bothered to ask who had gotten killed. This story contradicts the story of Joseph somewhat because although

The History of Public Relations

The History of Public Relations The history of public relations dates back to the revolutionary war in the history of the United States. This was a component of great significance to the development of public relations. Another great input to the development of public relations came from the Creel Committee that was in place during the First World War.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The History of Public Relations specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Edward L. Barneys who was a committee member and was later considered by many as the father of public relations. He was part of an intensive verbal and written communications in an effort to gain support for the war. This was rather unusual as information was first time used as weapon of war (Litwin, 2000, 2). There have been a number of personalities who have contributed to the development of public relations. These persons include Ivy Lee who has also been referred by many as the father of publ ic relations. He is known for promoting the slogan ‘’ The public must be informed always’’. Edward Barney was the first to teach a public relations course at the NYU in 1923. Doris Fleisch, the wife of Edward Barney, made great contributions to the industry by encouraging the entry of women into the industry (Letwin, 2000, 2). Public relations can be defined as a function of management that helps to establish and maintain mutual lines of communication between an organisation and the public (Watson, 2002, 2). It involves the cultivating of favourable relations for corporate and its products and public perception. Public relations as an industry is a very complex one involving aspects of detailed research, publicity exercises, aspects of strategic management, development fundraising, management of emerging issues, member or employee relations, organisation of special events and the participation of the public ( Seitel, 2011, 20). An organisation in todayâ₠¬â„¢s business world cannot operate in a vacuum. Maintaining a favourable relationship with the communities in which the organisation works in is crucial. A company that engages in public relations has a lot to gain. For instance, it is a form of promotion that is held in high regard. A company that engages in public relations ensures that the targeted market gets adequate information than would be offered in any other form of promotion (Information centre, 2009, 2). Tobacco Companies Public Relations Tobacco companies in the United States seem to have engaged in a series of   corporate sponsorship and advertising initiatives. These are aimed direct at the sale of tobacco product. The intention of these drives was to cultivate a favourable image in the eyes of the public and especially to the consumers and to the society in general.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn Mo re Following the Master Settlement agreement of 1988 corporate public relations has become of an increasing importance to Tobacco companies not just in America but in the world over (cancer control center, 2010, 179). These companies are interested in influencing public perception to their advantage as well as encourage public interest in the companies’ operations. This helps to increase corporate brand visibility among the targeted consumers and to the market at large. Corporate social responsibility as a strategy by the tobacco companies involve a number of initiatives. These initiatives include involvement in activities where communities are set to benefit, donating to a worthy cause, as well as supporting causes for the minority. This in today’s world has been referred to as ‘’Corporate Social Conscience’’ (Litwin, 2000, 4). Websites of these tobacco companies intentionally seek to address a number of issues with regard to corpora te social responsibility. In the marketplace today, companies that intend to stay in business and make profits should realize that public relations is a necessity. Corporate advertising for the tobacco industry has been practiced for many years although in the recent past corporate image campaigns have been integrated more extensively (Watson, 2002, 3). In October of 1999, Philip Morris, a tobacco company in the United States of America, began its first campaign with the slogan ‘’Working to make a difference. The people of Philip Morris’’. This initiative portrayed the company as one that provides contributions for a big cause to community based organisations and also portrayed the image of a company that puts in an extra measure to stop the sale of cigarettes to the underage (Litwin, 2000, 4). In  2003 the company directed the public to its website on information about preventing smoking in minors, the effects of smoking and help for those who wanted to drop the habit  Corporate advertising has   been used increasingly   by  Philip Morris than another competitor, Marlboro. In the recent past, there has been a call for increased research with more insight with regard to the public image of tobacco companies. A  number of issues   have to be addressed that includes:Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The History of Public Relations specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Improving of public perception of tobacco companies Effects o corporate social responsibility on the jury perceptions Effects on the sales of quitting tobacco products based on the public’s perception Public Perception of Tobacco Companies In the past, the public has had a negative attitude towards the tobacco industry, although after a close analysis the public opinion of individual Tobacco companies is not a uniform one with all the players in the industry. The four largest cig arette manufacturers in the United States include Philip Morris, R.J Reynolds, the Lonllard company and the famous Liggett Group. Very few Americans can directly link the companies to their products in the market. Litigation that is continually increasing in the last couple of years this coupled with the general negative attitude by the public towards the tobacco industry players. This is a challenge that the industry players have to deal with. A number of multibillion lawsuits have been filed against these companies that has led to a dent in the effort to change the public’s attitude towards the companies (cancer control center, 2010, 182). In general, the public tend to develop a negative attitude towards these companies and see the companies as providing the public with wrong information about their products.  This has been due to the lack of awareness by the public in general, about the tobacco industry players and linking one company to its products in the market (Canc er control centre, 2010, 183). Jurors have in the past slapped tobacco companies with damages awards that has affected the performance of the companies and also damaged its reputation. With this background of this, unfavorable aspects of the industry corporate have sought to build a corporate brand image. This is an effort to strengthen as well as to influence the corporate image through the eyes of the public. In order to achieve   this a number of tools that have to be used, which includes press releases, events sponsorship, lobbying, public interest activities and media, releases. Using market media to not only promote positive image of the product but to also enhance and seek to improve the corporate image. Corporate Sponsorship Sponsoring social causes such as sports events, arts exhibitions and galleries, entertainment events and so on is a communication tool often used by corporate   world over. This is often referred to as event marketing used by corporate to build brand equity. Companies invest in this initiatives to increase brand equity. Sponsorship as a tool for communication is generally perceived by the public favourably especially in relation to the product. In the last couple of years, tobacco companies have spent millions of dollars to sponsor social causes in an effort to build brand equity. Corporate  sponsorship is encouraged as companies believe that:Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The public is encouraged to show interest in the company as well as the company’s products Promote  beneficial associations with other companies as well The public can identify a company and the company’s products in the market, for a tobacco company, the company’s name is popularized amongst among those in attendance Strengthen the corporate entity as being identified with a particular market The public perceives the company as being aware of social issues affecting communities Companies have a forum to provide support for community development. Corporate sponsorship increase opportunities to promote the companies products Generate exposure by the events being covered by the media, which indeed leads to an even larger audience beyond only those who attended the sponsored event (Cancer control centre, 2010, 185). Corporate brand image association are strengthened when corporate openly engage the public by sponsoring social events. In the past decade, tobacco company sponsorship has been in the interest of educational youth programs and community events. Tobacco Companies Sponsorship and Consumers Attitudes Corporate sponsorship especially tobacco companies, has been an interest of many researchers. It has been discovered that sponsorship in other related industries has had the effect of creating a positive feedback in relation to consumer trends. Social responsibility gives a company a competitive edge because of its good reputation in the eyes of the public (cancer control centre, 2010, 187). This has been used in many markets to set companies apart. Once the public views the public as a pioneer and a trendsetter in its social responsibility policies and this is integrated in the company’s marketing strategy it works in the company’s favor. Just as corporate social responsibility is viewed as a positive thing for a company, the reverse has the opposite effect. Tobacco companies face the challenge that some organisations do not wish to be associated with them. Such organisations cite two reasons: one, the companies would not want to be associated with a tobacco company because it is perceived to undermine its objective to improve overall general health. Two, the organisations are concerned about their reputation if it is involved publicly with a tobacco company will damage the organisations reputation. Corporate Advertising In an effort to improve, the company’s image companies engage in corporate advertising. Unlike corporate sponsorship, corporate advertising aims to enhance the company’s reputation as a great law abiding citizen, influence public opinion of the organisation (Cancer control centre, 2010, 189). This takes the approach of a clear and well directed persuasive deal that intend to show that sponsorship is positively but it affect the public at large. Indirect advocacy employed in corporate advertising and seeks to characterize the organisation as one that is serving publi c interest and its activities are aimed at providing solutions. Various campaigns of tobacco companies such as youth smoking advertisement ( Cancer controls centre, 2010, 192). Conclusion Public relations as a function of management is an important component of any company that seeks to stay in business in today’s market. Public relation as a discipline is continually evolving and shaping the face of corporate America. References Cancer Control Centre. (2010). Tobacco companies’ Public Relations Efforts:  Corporate Sponsorship and Advertising. P. 172_189. Information centre. (2009).  History of Public Relations. Web. Litwin, L. (2002).  The Practice of Public Relations. Web. Seitel, F. P. (2010).  The Practice of Public Relations: New Jersey. Prentice Hall-Pearson. Watson, T. (2002).  History of public Relations. Web.

Organizing Function at Exxon Mobil Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Organizing Function at Exxon Mobil - Essay Example Organizing Function at Exxon Mobil Specifically, the essay aims to proffer an evaluation of Exxon Mobil’s organizing function of management, as it relates to physical assets and human resources. The discourse would likewise discuss an evaluation and justification of whether Exxon has optimized these organization resources for effectiveness and efficiency, as required. Company Profile Considered as one of the world’s leader in the gas and oil industry is Exxon Mobil that boasts of being â€Å"the world's largest publicly traded international oil and gas company, providing energy that helps underpin growing economies and improve living standards around the world†. Its roots are traced 125 years ago with the drilling of the first oil well in Titusville, Pennsylvania. The company is globally entrenched â€Å"holding exploration and production acreage in 38 countries and conducting production operations in 23 countries around the world† . Human Resources According to Higgin (1994), the organizing function is â€Å"establishing the internal organizational structure of the organization. The focus is on division, coordination, and control of tasks and the flow of information within the organization. It is in this function that managers distribute authority to job holders†. Exxon Mobil’s organizational structure is designed according to a grouping of segments from units, sections, divisions, and departments that work harmoniously towards the accomplishment of organizational goals. The management team at Exxon is comprised of the chairman and chief executive officer, as well as four senior vice presidents, with one assuming the basic responsibility as treasurer. A total of eleven members of the board of directors, where 10 were considered â€Å"independent as defined by New York Stock Exchange guidelines, and all directors stand for election at our Annual Meeting of Shareholders† (Exxon: Our board of d irectors, n.d., par. 1). The global workforce that compose the organization’s executive and staff positions are revealed as â€Å"nearly 80,000 employees, of which about 37 percent were located within the United States and 63 percent internationally† (Exxon: Our diverse workforce, n.d., par. 1). Of this number, more that 3,600 collaborately form the management and professional group who were hired from diverse countries all over the world. Exxon’s organizing strategy in terms of its human resources is â€Å"to increase the number of national employees over the life span of a project and to train them in technical and professional skills necessary for working on existing and future projects and operations† (Exxon: Our diverse workforce, n.d., par. 3).The strategy is applicable to human resources functions of recruitment, selection, training, maintenance and development of personnel. As indicated, the long term goal of the strategy is to hone the skills of talented personnel who are deemed competent and highly qualified to meet global demands of future needs of the organization. 2. Physical Assets Exxon Mobil has recognized the crucial importance of securing the physical assets of the organization. The organizing function required management to design a comprehensive inventory of all

The Values in the Pharmaceutical Line of Business Case Study

The Values in the Pharmaceutical Line of Business - Case Study Example The key opportunities and challenges that AstraZeneca faces in this day and age include the fact that it has to have a globally competitive strategy which can counter the pressures that it receives at the hands of the players which are already thriving big time within the related market domains. This would mean that the competition is cut throat and there is absolutely no room for leniency at any cost. It faces immense competition from Pfizer, Johnson and Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, Merck and Co., and Sanofi-Aventis – all of which are globally accepted players. However, it also faces rivalry as far as its pertinent business undertakings are concerned from the local players that are thriving on the word of mouth realms and hence are penetrating strongly within the related markets (Kassirer 2005). The key challenges would be to make its basis strong so that AstraZeneca does not fall back at its infancy stage in the future. Also there must be proper e mphasis on the factor that is related with its business strategy, which relies heavily on growing the business through strengthening of the already developed products and the ones that are in the pipeline, the delivery of what has been promised, the re-shaping of the business from time to time, and lastly the promotion of a culture that is socially responsible and accountable at the same time (Hosking 2002). AstraZeneca has to prepare a business strategy that is coherent, encompasses quite a few significant areas of business and undertakes measures to resolve disputes that have a long-lasting effect and consequence for the sake of the organization. AstraZeneca must know how to take care of its customers because this is an important yardstick when it wants to establish areas where it could build upon its basis in the long run. More than anything else, there is a need to discern the exact methodology behind AstraZeneca’s policy towards attracting new customers and thus retainin g them for longer periods of time. All these points are very essential as AstraZeneca tries its best to uphold its strengths and cash in upon the opportunities that come its way.

Media analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Media analysis - Essay Example They often perceive that marriage is the only way that a man and woman may get to know each other sexually (MacQueen, 2003). That was God’s wish. However, today, it is not hard to see even married couples looking for pleasure outside their marriage. That is the aim of this poster. It is not fair to assume that it is promoting promiscuity rather trying to find a safe way in which people engaging in sex, have the safest method to do this. From a gender perspective, it is likely to hear very many judgemental things about this poster. The first thing that will be talked about will be the girl’s willing nature to get to the point of getting in the poster. Society has a mentality about how women or girls should behave. They do this not knowing that they have a part to play in the growing of society as much as the male species (Nelson, 1999). A gender perspective can be termed as the analysis of a situation, mostly sociological, based on the sex of the parties involved. In the above poster, there is the presence of both sexes. The male position in such a poster is considered as being normal (Nelson, 2001). However, the female role is looked at as being wrong. When a woman is seen to appear in such poster and/or advertisements, it is often attributed to where she is coming from. It is often understood that they are as a result of broken homes. For example, an alcoholic and abusive father, a mother who does not pay attention to her and all sorts of things (Okely, 1996). This is a common misconception that many people in society have. It is otherwise known as stereotyping. Not all people who appear in such advertisements came from such homes. Some people appear in them due to the feeling of creating change among their peers. It is some of these thoughts that are often misconstrued. Society thinks that they are out to benefit themselves or to make their parents feel guilty for something. The generation present now is referred to as the microwave

The Problems in International Marketing Communication

The Problems in International Marketing Communication Whether its a manufacturing company or service company,Communication is a very crucial element its marketing process. This is clear in the definition of Marketing: the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large [1]. Marketing communication is also considered as one of the four most important elements in every marketing process, the 4 Ps of the Marketing Mix. The 4 Ps are: Product, place, price, promotion. . Every company specifies the product or service it wants to sell product, where these products are delivered place , how to set a price price, and how to promote its products promotion. Marketing Communication falls under the promotion category. Three vitals roles fall under it: providing needed information and elaboration on a product, persuading target customers of a specific brand, and encouraging them to take actions and buy their products. It serves both types of customers: existing customers, and prospective (potential) customers. It serves the existing customers by maintaining relationships with them. This can be done by database systems for customers and direct selling. Marketing communication serves the prospective customer by communicating the information and advice this customer needs. Such information are like: cost of the product or service, specific features, benefits and functions [4]. Elements of the communication mix: Below are some ways to communicate information: Medium Explanation Advertising A paid insertion of a message in a medium Public relations the planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain goodwill and mutual understanding between the organization and its publics( users, potential users, and employees) Sales Promotions Activities done to attract customers and boost temporary sales. Examples: the buy one get one offer, distribution of free samples. Personal Selling Face-to-face communications between buyers and sellers Telemarketing Taking orders by phone (inbound), Selling through phone or teleselling (outbound) Ambient Advertising Messages places on items such as bus tickets, stamp franking, till receipts, petrol pumps, and so forth. Any message that forms part of the environment Press Advertising Any paid message that appears in a newspaper or magazine TV Advertising Commercial messages shown in breaks during and between TV programs Database Marketing Profiling customers on to a database and sending out personalized mailings or other communications to them. Example: Sukar.com sends emails with pictures of products and price offers. E commerce Use of websites to promote and sell products Corporate Identity The overall image that the company projects; the companys personality Branding The mechanism by which marketing communications are coordinated Off-the-screen selling Using TV adverts linked to inbound telephone operations (taking orders by phone). Also, home shopping channels such as QVC. Figure 1 Source: Blythe J. (2006) Essentials of Marketing Communications, 3rd edition Figure 2 Message channel Advertising media and/or personal sales force Encoding: Message translated into Appropriate meaning Noise Competitive activities, other salespeople, confusion, and so on Decoding Encoded message interpreted into meaning Information source Marketer with a product Feedback Evaluation of communications process and measure of action by receiver Receiver Action by consumer responding to decoded message The senders culture (A) The receivers culture (B) Source:Cateora P, Graham J. (2008) International Marketing [ 3 ] The Challenges of International Marketing: Cultural Diversity: Marketers need to develop understanding and empathy with their target audiences. Marketers need to assure that customers receive their messages without any altering of the meaning intended in the first place. Meanings of words can be denotative or connotative. Denotative means: having the same meaning for everybody. Connotative means: having a meaning which is unique to the individuals. The customers opinion of the advertisement is subjective. Strawberries mean the red small fruits. For some people, which are allergic to strawberries, it means allergy and disease. This is easy when the marketer and audience share the same background and outlook. [2]. In international marketing, , the audience customers are diverse, the same message can be understood differently from one to another. So, the message has to be clear enough to be understood by almost all types of receivers. Only 30% of communication used words. Examples are: numbers, space, artifacts, and kinetics. If the company is international, then their audiences are from diverse cultures. A message might resemble a meaning in a country and a very different meaning in another country. For example: the sign of the thumb and index finger circle means OK in America. In Brazil, on the other hand, it is considered a rude gesture. So, if a marketer is targeting Brazil and America at the same time, he/she should use unique advertisements for each country. Toyota introduced the Prado SUV in China. The names sounded the Chinese word for Rule by Force. It reminded the Chinese people of invasion by Japan 1937. It was not a nice memory at all. [3] Production and Cost Limitation: A challenge that faces international marketers is that they have to be as creative as possible, especially when there are severe production limitations. Some magazine papers in some countries are made of severely poor quality. A product like a shampoo might have to depart from the print media if it is of low quality. In Egypt, the poor quality billboards and poor-quality televisions have led big companies like Coca-Cola to advertise their products on boats that sail along the river. Direct Mail In Southeast Asia, printed press is not widely used. Thus, Direct mailing databases form a basis mean of advertising. Any international company that wants to market in Southeast Asia needs to use the Direct Mailing pattern. The problem about it is that the sender has to pay only a part of the mailing fee. The receiver has to pay the rest. The Challenges on the Marketing Message: An information source an international marketing executive that has a product message to communicate. Encoding converting the message from the source to the receiver. The message is transmitted to effective clear symbols. Themessage channel the sales force and/or the media that transfers the coded message to the intended receiver. Decoding The interpretation and understanding by the receiver. Receiver The targeted customers. Feedback The customers opinion on the message. He gives it back to the information source. Noise any external obstacles that hinder the communication process: physical and non-physical competitors, other salespeople, and confusion) What is obvious from the above figure is that the message starts from a point and ends in it. The message is produced by the information source the sender. Then it is encoded into an appropriate meaning. After that, it goes through a message channel: advertising media, personal sales force. Later, it is interpreted into meaning. Then, the receiver responds to it. Afterwards, the receiver evaluates the communication process feedback. Finally, the feedback is transferred to the information source. This is the flow of the international communication process. The noise is any external obstacles that come in the way of any of these steps. It hinders the transfer of the message. Any problem that affects any of these steps will affect the correct understanding of a message. A problem with the information source: The marketer is supposed to know the needs of the international target market ex: The whole world , and not limit them to the needs of the national market ex: USA. A good example is the mobile phone industry. If a company is doing well with selling luxurious mobile phones, it doesnt necessarily mean that it has to do well in selling the same phones in another country. The first countrys market need is luxury Ex: Qatar, while in the other country is it only communication Ex: Syria. Such problem can happen if the information source or the marketer relies on the self-reliance criterion (SRC). The information source might depend onhis own markets success and assumes it will succeed in marketing to other countries. If it sells well in one country, it will sell in another [3].Clearly, this assumption is definitely wrong. Also, general lack of knowledge of the target markets need will result in sending a wrong message through media or personal selling to the existing of prospect consumers. Encoding A marketer for certain relaxing drug chooses the white color for an advertisement, assuming that it has a relaxing effect. Patients might relate it to hospitals this will have a negative effect on buying the medicine. Thus, to transfer the correct message, all factors relating to the target market have to be taken into consideration. In the United States and Canada, Toothpaste is important because healthy teeth are perceived as important. In European countries, on the other hand, it is mainly used for breath control. So, an advertisement of toothpaste for European citizens has to stress breath control instead of healthy teeth. 3-Â ­The Message Channel The channel has to be carefully chosen to assure the message is delivered and understood by customers. Sending messages through internet means, there has to be a reading role from the receivers side. If the medium internet is used for an intended market in which there is a lot of illiteracy, the message will certainly not be understoodby those intended customers. The language For advertising for a product on TV for instance, the language of the audience have to be considered. If the advertisement reaches countries in the Middle East, they have to be translated to the Arabic language to assure proper understanding. This is not applicable on all products. For instance, Arabic is the spoken language in the Middle East in a lot of industries. At the same time, English is used in the technical industries in the Middle Eastern countries. So an advertisement in the technical field requires using the English language, even if it is intended for Middle-Eastern customers. Decoding Chevrolet launched a brand name for a car model called Nova. It means New Star. According to the Spanish language, on the other hand, Nova means It doesnt go. Another similar example is Coca Colas Come alive slogan being decoded as Come out of the grave. [3] Although Europeans and American speak the same language, but their perception and way of thinking is different. An ad transferred from the United States with an American Celebrity standing atop a mountain with a Lipton teas mug didnt make sense for East Europe citizens. [3] So, Errors at the receivers side are mainly due to: Improper message because of improper knowledge of use patterns Poor encoding (building a messages meaning) Poor media selection. The wrong mean for the wrong message. Poor decoding by the receiver Least possible bad luck Ex: When The Paris government didnt get along with the attack in Iraq in 2003. A lot of French products were boycotted. Frenchs Mustard was mistaken for being French, while it was named so after its founder Robert French. It was accidently boycotted along the other French products. Feedback As much as delivering the message correctly is important, acquiring feedback is important. Companies have to do surveys and research on how effective was the responding to its marketing messages to decide whether to carry on with them or not. If the feedback of receivers was not taken into consideration, this will allow the same mistakes to be carried on again and again. A detailed research with causes and effects of factors regarding the marketing messages on the customers is very essential and important. It will assure success in the future messages. Media Limitations and Personal Selling: An international marketer might be forced to use other promotional means if he/she is exposed to media limitation. In Italy, a television commercial for instance is limited only to 10 showings a year, and with no exposures closer than 10 days. [3] This will definitely hinder the use of advertising and the marketer is forced to look for other promotional means. In Latin America because of media limitations, Coca Cola and Pepsi-Cola shifted to carnival trucks. Carnival truck make frequent trips to rural villages to promote their products. The carnival truck stops in a village, gives a TV show about them for a low admission price. The price is an unopened bottle that is exchanged for a cold bottle and also for a coupon for another bottle! These kinds of promotions attract customers widely, and are considered aw ways to deal with media limitations. Studying of the behavioral habits of an intended market produces positive results. This strategy was done by Nestle in France. A lot of French take off for a long vacation in the summer time, taking all their family members in the car heading to campgrounds. Nestle, as a result, provided rest stops along highway for changing and feeding babies. This strategy allowed the French people to be aware of the samples of Nestle diapers and food products. By that, it branded its name by sampling and promotion. Local Laws: -May not permit premiums or free gifts be distributed. Some countries may control the amount of discount given at retails -Permits for all sales promotions. A waste of all the promotional strategies that are undertaken in other countries in which it is legal it will affect personal selling negatively Challenges for international emailing marketing: Message form: The amount of message that works in one country doesnt necessarily work in another. In USA, it is common to post main headlines of articles with the links to the full article. In other countries, like the Middle East, customers expect to see the full article. This depends on how the consumer is used to receive knowledge. -Personalization and salutations: Examples: Dear John, Dear Saraetc. In US, the use of salutations has a positive effect on the recipients. On the contrary, other countries consider it as invasion of privacy and people of this country dont feel comfortable receiving emails with salutation. -Local norms: There are many norms that cant be predicted if you are unaware of local norms. For example, in the U.S. its quite common to post prices exclusive of tax. In some other countries, this is simply not done and may even be not allowed by local law. In France, its common to ask recipients to print out a form and fax it back, whereas in many other countries this would be considered absurd. -Local laws: The most obvious laws that apply to international e-mail are anti-spam requirements, some countries may have additional laws and requirements for doing business electronically, especially related to privacy and use of personal information. -Send time: When to send is another important question. Countries have different time zones depending on their geographical location. While 3 pm Canada timing is an appropriate time to send emails for customers, it is a very inappropriate time in countries on the other side of the world. [4] -Stereotypes and marketing communication: First to define stereotypes: It is a commonly held popular belief about specific social groups or types of individuals. The concepts of stereotype and prejudice are often confused with many other different meanings. Stereotypes are standardized and simplified conceptions of groups based on some prior assumptions. Sometimes, there are certain perceptions or ideas people relate to a specific country, and these ideas might be wrong. For example: If an Egyptian company is advertising for a perfume with a drawing of the Egyptian flag. Egypt is not considered as a leading country in producing perfumes. France, on the other hands is considered so. So, European citizens might assume that this perfume is not worth buying. Hence, they will not respond positively to the commercials of perfume from USA. [5] Country of Origin Effect The issue about international marketing products, whether by personal selling, TV Advertising, or even off the screen selling, is that marketing the product outside its home country is not as easy as marketing it inside it. This is due to the many factors that need to be known about the consumers in countries the company is intended to export to. Such factors are like consumer behavior. [5] Consumer behavior dictates when, why, what, and where a consumer buys or doesnt buy a product. Conclusion If any company doesnt last for three years, this means the company is a failure. To assure success for a company, the marketing mix have to be well designed whether its a service or a manufacturer company. A very important and crucial aspect of the marketing mix is promotion, which is understated under Marketing Communication. To Assure proper communication of a message, all the above factors have to be taken into strict consideration: The message, the means, the market, the external legal and local factors. The message have to well-designed before it is sent. Thus, being aware of legal and local restrictions of countries is essential for giving green and red lights to marketing communication strategies. The marketing strategies have to be tested on the various markets, to prospect the outputs. Then, proper knowledge of the market needs is studied. Then, the right routes of communication are chosen to assure transferring of the message. The message has to be matched with the receiver s point of views. The major problem facing international advertisers is designing the best messages for each market served.[3] Taking some factors in consideration and neglecting some cause big problems, because in international marketing everything is related to one another.Since the sales amount depend largely on Marketing Communication, the sales department depend largely on the marketing department. Thus, The effective Marketing Communication is one of the keys to success of two departments in a company. Hence, no one in a company can deny the effective outcomes of effective commination.

Is Homeschooling a Better Choice? Essay -- Education School Essays

Is Homeschooling a Better Choice? He is up with the sun, ready to go. He waits patiently for his brothers and sisters, but today is the first day of school and he is eager to start on his studies. All of the children are assembled in the front foyer as the big, yellow school bus zooms past their house. None of the children seem to notice. Instead, the group of eager students proceeds into their "schoolroom" to greet their teacher, also known as "Mom." Even as early as the turn of the century, children were often taught at home by their parents. Most often, this was because of the need of help on the family farm, location, or the lack of money. The description above, however, is one of a modern family. Home schooling is the fastest growing idea in education in the United States and beyond, in such countries as England, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. (Blumenfeld 1) Probably the most asked question of homeschooling is, "Why?" Many parents feel the guardians of homeschooled children have deprived those children of social intelligence. They may feel that the children are taken away and are isolated for all their childhood years. This idea couldn’t be more far from the truth. Parents homeschool their children because they care about the education they receive. They know the public school system is in trouble. So much so, things such as becoming intellectually crippled and seriously handicapped are effective for 40 to 60 percent of schoolchildren. This academic problem is due to the educational means and methods public schoolchildren are brought up on. Reading disabilities diagnosed later on in life, such as dyslexia and attention deficit disorder can be caused by these teaching methods. ADD is often treated by the drug R... ...oses. (Blumenfeld 112-116) Homeschooling isn’t just an idea; it’s a way of life. The parents know their children, and kids learn naturally, with out any help, so continuing their interests through one on one interaction could only be good on them. Children learn so much more about the world around when they can be active participants in it. This is an idea that is long overdue. Works Cited Blumenfeld, Samuel L. Homeschooling: A Parent’s Guide to Teaching Children. Secaucus, N.J.: Carol Publishing Group, 1997. Dobson, Linda. The Homeschooling Book of Answers. Rocklin, CA: Prima Publishing, 1998. "How to Get Started Homeschooling." Home School House. 1998. www.geocities.com/~perkinshome/page54.html. Indiana Department of Education. Shackelford, Luanne, and Susan White. A Survivors Guide to Home Schooling. Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Books, 1988. Is Homeschooling a Better Choice? Essay -- Education School Essays Is Homeschooling a Better Choice? He is up with the sun, ready to go. He waits patiently for his brothers and sisters, but today is the first day of school and he is eager to start on his studies. All of the children are assembled in the front foyer as the big, yellow school bus zooms past their house. None of the children seem to notice. Instead, the group of eager students proceeds into their "schoolroom" to greet their teacher, also known as "Mom." Even as early as the turn of the century, children were often taught at home by their parents. Most often, this was because of the need of help on the family farm, location, or the lack of money. The description above, however, is one of a modern family. Home schooling is the fastest growing idea in education in the United States and beyond, in such countries as England, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. (Blumenfeld 1) Probably the most asked question of homeschooling is, "Why?" Many parents feel the guardians of homeschooled children have deprived those children of social intelligence. They may feel that the children are taken away and are isolated for all their childhood years. This idea couldn’t be more far from the truth. Parents homeschool their children because they care about the education they receive. They know the public school system is in trouble. So much so, things such as becoming intellectually crippled and seriously handicapped are effective for 40 to 60 percent of schoolchildren. This academic problem is due to the educational means and methods public schoolchildren are brought up on. Reading disabilities diagnosed later on in life, such as dyslexia and attention deficit disorder can be caused by these teaching methods. ADD is often treated by the drug R... ...oses. (Blumenfeld 112-116) Homeschooling isn’t just an idea; it’s a way of life. The parents know their children, and kids learn naturally, with out any help, so continuing their interests through one on one interaction could only be good on them. Children learn so much more about the world around when they can be active participants in it. This is an idea that is long overdue. Works Cited Blumenfeld, Samuel L. Homeschooling: A Parent’s Guide to Teaching Children. Secaucus, N.J.: Carol Publishing Group, 1997. Dobson, Linda. The Homeschooling Book of Answers. Rocklin, CA: Prima Publishing, 1998. "How to Get Started Homeschooling." Home School House. 1998. www.geocities.com/~perkinshome/page54.html. Indiana Department of Education. Shackelford, Luanne, and Susan White. A Survivors Guide to Home Schooling. Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Books, 1988.

Frostbite Chapter 2

TWO DIMITRI MADE ONE PHONE CALL, and a veritable SWAT team showed up. It took a couple of hours, though, and every minute spent waiting felt like a year. I finally couldn't take it anymore and returned to the car. Dimitri examined the house further and then came to sit with me. Neither of us said a word while we waited. A slide show of the grisly sights inside the house kept playing in my mind. I felt scared and alone and wished he would hold me or comfort me in some way. Immediately, I scolded myself for wanting that. I reminded myself for the thousandth time that he was my instructor and had no business holding me, no matter what the situation was. Besides, I wanted to be strong. I didn't need to go running to some guy every time things got tough. When the first group of guardians showed up, Dimitri opened the car door and glanced over at me. â€Å"You should see how this is done.† I didn't want to see any more of that house, honestly, but I followed anyway. These guardians were strangers to me, but Dimitri knew them. He always seemed to know everybody. This group was surprised to find a novice on the scene, but none of them protested my presence. I walked behind them as they examined the house. None of them touched anything, but they knelt by the bodies and studied the bloodstains and broken windows. Apparently, the Strigoi had entered the house through more than just the front door and back patio. The guardians spoke in brusque tones, displaying none of the disgust and fear I felt. They were like machines. One of them, the only woman in the group, crouched beside Arthur Schoenberg. I was intrigued since female guardians were so rare. I'd heard Dimitri call her Tamara, and she looked about twenty-five. Her black hair just barely touched her shoulders, which was common for guardian women. Sadness flickered in her gray eyes as she studied the dead guardian's face. â€Å"Oh, Arthur,† she sighed. Like Dimitri, she managed to convey a hundred things in just a couple words. â€Å"Never thought I'd see this day. He was my mentor.† With another sigh, Tamara rose. Her face had become all businesslike once more, as though the guy who'd trained her wasn't lying there in front of her. I couldn't believe it. He was her mentor. How could she keep that kind of control? For half a heartbeat, I imagined seeing Dimitri dead on the floor instead. No. No way could I have stayed calm in her place. I would have gone on a rampage. I would have screamed and kicked things. I would have hit anyone who tried to tell me things would be okay. Fortunately, I didn't believe anyone could actually take down Dimitri. I'd seen him kill a Strigoi without breaking a sweat. He was invincible. A badass. A god. Of course, Arthur Schoenberg had been too. â€Å"How could they do that?† I blurted out. Six sets of eyes turned to me. I expected a chastising look from Dimitri for my outburst, but he merely appeared curious. â€Å"How could they kill him?† Tamara gave a small shrug, her face still composed. â€Å"The same way they kill everyone else. He's mortal, just like the rest of us.† â€Å"Yeah, but he's †¦ you know, Arthur Schoenberg.† â€Å"You tell us, Rose,† said Dimitri. â€Å"You've seen the house. Tell us how they did it.† As they all watched me, I suddenly realized I might be undergoing a test after all today. I thought about what I'd observed and heard. I swallowed, trying to figure out how the impossible could be possible. â€Å"There were four points of entry, which means at least four Strigoi. There were seven Moroi†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The family who lived here had been entertaining some other people, making the massacre that much larger. Three of the victims had been children. â€Å"†¦ and three guardians. Too many kills. Four Strigoi couldn't have taken down that many. Six probably could if they went for the guardians first and caught them by surprise. The family would have been too panicked to fight back.† â€Å"And how did they catch the guardians by surprise?† Dimitri prompted. I hesitated. Guardians, as a general rule, didn't get caught by surprise. â€Å"Because the wards were broken. In a household without wards, there'd probably be a guardian walking the yard at night. But they wouldn't have done that here.† I waited for the next obvious question about how the wards had been broken. But Dimitri didn't ask it. There was no need. We all knew. We'd all seen the stake. Again, a chill ran down my spine. Humans working with Strigoia large group of Strigoi. Dimitri simply nodded as a sign of approval, and the group continued their survey. When we reached a bathroom, I started to avert my gaze. I'd already seen this room with Dimitri earlier and had no wish to repeat the experience. There was a dead man in there, and his dried blood stood out in stark contrast against the white tile. Also, since this room was more interior, it wasn't as cold as the area by the open patio. No preservation. The body didn't smell bad yet, exactly, but it didn't smell right, either. But as I started to turn away, I caught a glimpse of something dark redmore brown, reallyon the mirror. I hadn't noticed it before because the rest of the scene had held all of my attention. There was writing on the mirror, done in blood. Poor, poor Badicas. So few left. One royal family nearly gone. Others to follow. Tamara snorted in disgust and turned away from the mirror, studying other details of the bathroom. As we walked out, though, those words repeated in my head. One royal family nearly gone. Others to follow. The Badicas were one of the smaller royal clans, it was true. But it was hardly like those who had been killed here were the last of them. There were probably almost two hundred Badicas left. That wasn't as many as a family like, say, the Ivashkovs. That particular royal family was huge and widespread. There were, however, a lot more Badicas than there were some other royals. Like the Dragomirs. Lissa was the only one left. If the Strigoi wanted to snuff out royal lines, there was no better chance than to go after her. Moroi blood empowered Strigoi, so I understood their desire for that. I supposed specifically targeting royals was simply part of their cruel and sadistic nature. It was ironic that Strigoi would want to tear apart Moroi society, since many of them had once been a part of it. The mirror and its warning consumed me for the rest of our stay at the house, and I found my fear and shock transforming into anger. How could they do this? How could any creature be so twisted and evil that they'd do this to a familythat they'd want to wipe out an entire bloodline? How could any creature do this when they'd once been like me and Lissa? And thinking of Lissathinking of Strigoi wanting to wipe out her family toostirred up a dark rage within me. The intensity of that emotion nearly knocked me over. It was something black and miasmic, swelling and roiling. A storm cloud ready to burst. I suddenly wanted to tear up every Strigoi I could get my hands on. When I finally got into the car to ride back to St. Vladimir's with Dimitri, I slammed the door so hard that it was a wonder it didn't fall off. He glanced at me in surprise. â€Å"What's wrong?† â€Å"Are you serious?† I exclaimed, incredulous. â€Å"How can you ask that? You were there. You saw that.† â€Å"I did,† he agreed. â€Å"But I'm not taking it out on the car.† I fastened my seat belt and glowered. â€Å"I hate them. I hate them all! I wish I'd been there. I would have ripped their throats out!† I was nearly shouting. Dimitri stared at me, face calm, but he was clearly astonished at my outburst. â€Å"You really think that's true?† he asked me. â€Å"You think you could have done better than Art Schoenberg after seeing what the Strigoi did in there? After seeing what Natalie did to you?† I faltered. I'd tangled briefly with Lissa's cousin, Natalie, when she became a Strigoi, just before Dimitri had shown up to save the day. Even as a new Strigoiweak and uncoordinatedshe'd literally thrown me around the room. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Suddenly, I felt stupid. I'd seen what Strigoi could do. Me running in impetuously and trying to save the day would have only resulted in a quick death. I was developing into a tough guardian, but I still had a lot to learnand one seventeen-year-old girl couldn't have stood against six Strigoi. I opened my eyes. â€Å"I'm sorry,† I said, gaining control of myself. The rage that had exploded inside me diffused. I didn't know where it had come from. I had a short temper and often acted impulsively, but this had been intense and ugly even for me. Weird. â€Å"It's okay,† said Dimitri. He reached over and placed his hand on mine for a few moments. Then he removed it and started the car. â€Å"It's been a long day. For all of us.† When we got back to St. Vladimir's Academy around midnight, everyone knew about the massacre. The vampiric school day had just ended, and I hadn't slept in more than twenty-four hours. I was bleary-eyed and sluggish, and Dimitri ordered me to immediately go back to my dorm room and get some sleep. He, of course, looked alert and ready to take on anything. Sometimes I really wasn't sure if he slept at all. He headed off to consult with other guardians about the attack, and I promised him I'd go straight to bed. Instead, I turned toward the library once he was out of sight. I needed to see Lissa, and the bond told me that was where she was. It was pitch-black as I walked along the stone walkway that crossed the quad from my dorm to the secondary school's main building. Snow completely covered the grass, but the sidewalk had been meticulously cleared of all ice and snow. It reminded me of the poor Badicas' neglected home. The commons building was large and gothic-looking, more suited to a medieval movie set than a school. Inside, that air of mystery and ancient history continued to permeate the building: elaborate stone walls and antique paintings warring with computers and fluorescent lights. Modern technology had a foothold here, but it would never dominate. Slipping through the library's electronic gate, I immediately headed for one of the back corners where geography and travel books were kept. Sure enough, I found Lissa sitting there on the floor, leaning against a bookcase. â€Å"Hey,† she said, looking up from an open book propped up on one knee. She brushed a few strands of pale hair out of her face. Her boyfriend, Christian, lay on the floor near her, his head propped up on her other knee. He greeted me by way of a nod. Considering the antagonism that sometimes flared up between us, that was almost on par with him giving me a bear hug. Despite her small smile, I could feel the tension and fear in her; it sang through the bond. â€Å"You heard,† I said, sitting down cross-legged. Her smile slipped, and the feelings of fear and unease within her intensified. I liked that our psychic connection let me protect her better, but I didn't really need my own troubled feelings amplified. â€Å"It's awful,† she said with a shudder. Christian shifted and linked his fingers through hers. He squeezed her hand. She squeezed back. Those two were so in love and sugary sweet with each other that I felt like brushing my teeth after being around them. They were subdued just now, however, no doubt thanks to the massacre news. â€Å"They're saying†¦they're saying there were six or seven Strigoi. And that humans helped them break the wards.† I leaned my head back against a shelf. News really did travel fast. Suddenly, I felt dizzy. â€Å"It's true.† â€Å"Really?† asked Christian. â€Å"I figured that was just a bunch of hyped-up paranoia.† â€Å"No †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I realized then that nobody knew where I'd been today. â€Å"I†¦ I was there.† Lissa's eyes widened, shock coursing into me from her. Even Christianthe poster child for â€Å"smartass†looked grim. If not for the horribleness of it all, I would have taken satisfaction in catching him off guard. â€Å"You're joking,† he said, voice uncertain. â€Å"I thought you were taking your Qualifier†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Lissa's words trailed off. â€Å"I was supposed to,† I said. â€Å"It was just a wrong-place-and-wrong-time kind of thing. The guardian who was going to give me the test lived there. Dimitri and I walked in, and†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I couldn't finish. Images of the blood and death that had filled the Badica house flashed through my mind again. Concern crossed both Lissa's face and the bond. â€Å"Rose, are you okay?† she asked softly. Lissa was my best friend, but I didn't want her to know how scared and upset the whole thing had made me. I wanted to be fierce. â€Å"Fine,† I said, teeth clenched. â€Å"What was it like?† asked Christian. Curiosity filled his voice, but there was guilt there toolike he knew it was wrong to want to know about such a horrible thing. He couldn't stop himself from asking, though. Lack of impulse control was one thing we had in common. â€Å"It was †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I shook my head. â€Å"I don't want to talk about it.† Christian started to protest, and then Lissa ran a hand through his sleek black hair. The gentle admonishment silenced him. A moment of awkwardness hung between us all. Reading Lissa's mind, I felt her desperately grope for a new topic. â€Å"They say this is going to mess up all of the holiday visits,† she told me after several more moments. â€Å"Christian's aunt is going to visit, but most people don't want to travel, and they want their kids to stay here where it's safe. They're terrified this group of Strigoi is on the move.† I hadn't thought about the ramifications of an attack like this. We were only a week or so away from Christmas. Usually, there was a huge wave of travel in the Moroi world this time of year. Students went home to visit their parents; parents came to stay on campus and visit their children. â€Å"This is going to keep a lot of families separated,† I murmured. â€Å"And mess up a lot of royal get-togethers,† said Christian. His brief seriousness had vanished; his snide air was back. â€Å"You know how they are this time of yearalways competing with each other to throw the biggest parties. They won't know what to do with themselves.† I could believe it. My life was about fighting, but the Moroi certainly had their share of internal strifeparticularly with nobles and royals. They waged their own battles with words and political alliances, and honestly, I preferred the more direct method of hitting and kicking. Lissa and Christian in particular had to navigate some troubled waters. They were both from royal families, which meant they got a lot of attention both inside and outside of the Academy. Things were worse for them than for most Moroi royals. Christian's family lived under the shadow cast by his parents. They had purposely become Strigoi, trading their magic and morality to become immortal and subsist on killing others. His parents were dead now, but that didn't stop people from not trusting him. They seemed to think he'd go Strigoi at any moment and take everyone else with him. His abrasiveness and dark sense of humor didn't really help things, either. Lissa's attention came from being the last one left in her family. No other Moroi had enough Dragomir blood in them to earn the name. Her future husband would probably have enough somewhere in his family tree to make sure her children were Dragomirs, but for now, being the only one made her kind of a celebrity. Thinking about this suddenly reminded me of the warning scrawled on the mirror. Nausea welled up in me. That dark anger and despair stirred, but I pushed it aside with a joke. â€Å"You guys should try solving your problems like we do. A fistfight here and there might do you royals some good.† Both Lissa and Christian laughed at this. He glanced up at her with a sly smile, showing his fangs as he did. â€Å"What do you think? I bet I could take you if we went one on one.† â€Å"You wish,† she teased. Her troubled feelings lightened. â€Å"I do, actually,† he said, holding her gaze. There was an intensely sensual note to his voice that made her heart race. Jealousy shot through me. She and I had been best friends our entire life. I could read her mind. But the fact remained: Christian was a huge part of her world now, and he played a role I never couldjust as he could never have a part of the connection that existed between me and her. We both sort of accepted but didn't like the fact that we had to split her attention, and at times, it seemed the truce we held for her sake was paper thin. Lissa brushed her hand against his cheek. â€Å"Behave.† â€Å"I am,† he told her, his voice still a little husky. â€Å"Sometimes. But sometimes you don't want me to†¦.† Groaning, I stood up. â€Å"God. I'm going to leave you guys alone now.† Lissa blinked and dragged her eyes away from Christian, suddenly looking embarrassed. â€Å"Sorry,† she murmured. A delicate pink flush spread over her cheeks. Since she was pale like all Moroi, it actually sort of made her look prettier. Not that she needed much help in that department. â€Å"You don't have to go†¦.† â€Å"No, it's fine. I'm exhausted,† I assured her. Christian didn't look too broken up about seeing me leave. â€Å"I'll catch you tomorrow.† I started to turn away, but Lissa called to me. â€Å"Rose? Are you†¦are you sure you're okay? After everything that happened?† I met her jade green eyes. Her concern was so strong and deep that it made my chest ache. I might be closer to her than anyone else in the world, but I didn't want her worrying about me. It was my job to keep her safe. She shouldn't be troubled about protecting meparticularly if Strigoi had suddenly decided to make a hit list of royals. I flashed her a saucy grin. â€Å"I'm fine. Nothing to worry about except you guys tearing each other's clothes before I get a chance to leave.† â€Å"Then you better go now,† said Christian dryly. She elbowed him, and I rolled my eyes. â€Å"Good night,† I told them. As soon as my back was to them, my smile vanished. I walked back to my dorm with a heavy heart, hoping I wouldn't dream about the Badicas tonight.

Great War Assignment

This letter collection tell us about their bittersweet personal love story. The collected letters from Murray are addressed to his fiance Margaret who he was engaged to be married to. The tone in his letters are affectionate and loving. In the letters, he refers to her as â€Å"dear girl†2 â€Å"Honey girl†3 or â€Å"Girlie†4, and often tells how much he † dream[s] of [the] days†5 that they had together. For Murray, the existence of his sweet fiance Margaret was probably an emotional support on the war front. Letters from her perhaps gave him sense of certainty about their delightful future that eased his loneliness.Wellington Murray Dennis and Margaret Munroe letter, June, 1917, WWW Collection, www. Contraindicates. Ca ! Elongation Murray Dennis and Margaret Munroe letter, 20 May, 1917, WWW Collection, ! Elongation ! Elongation ! Elongation Murray Dennis and Margaret Munroe letter, July, 1917, WWW Collection, Matura's 3 The contents of his letters ex tend from everyday life on the battlefield to discussion on their relationship. He did not tell Margaret about the detailed hardships or horrors he experienced on the battlefield; this is, probably, because he did not want to make her worried or scared of losing him.Instead of sounding so concerned, he tries to think of something pleasant; â€Å"Instead of coming home to you tonight dear (as we had figured) I come â€Å"home† to a tent and in place of having you pouring out my tea and passing me delicious cakes across a clean white table cloth I get a certain issue of tea in a mess tin and I eat bread and cheese seated on the grass. â€Å"6 In this note, Murray combines reality, nostalgia, and fantasy. Together, they work as an escapism for him. In his mind, the reality of the battlefield somehow exists in parallel to happy memories and a spotless dream image.As he sipped â€Å"tea in a mess in† and eats â€Å"bread and cheese on the grass† after his duty, he remembers of going to â€Å"picnic parties†7 with Margaret back in Canada. As for nostalgia, he flashes back to her gentle way when she would pour his tea and pass him the delicious cake she made. Then fantasy plays a role in the memory. The phrase â€Å"coming home to you† represents his dream future of being married to Margaret, and â€Å"a clean white table cloth† is one example of details in his idealistic image. His daydream alters bitter ! Elongation ! Wellington Matura's 4 reality; â€Å"a tent† into the dream home, â€Å"bread and cheese seated on the grass† to delicious cakes†, and a â€Å"mess tin† to † a clean white table cloth†, believe it or not. Writing a letter to his fiance provided Murray a comforting time that he can live apart from the reality for a little while. It perhaps was a escapism for him; however, he might not had been necessary wanted to escape from the reality he was placed. Regarding the discu ssion about their relationship, it seems like Murray was having a debate in his head whether if he should have gotten married before he left Canada.In the first letter in this collection, written on May 4th, 1917, he noted it was a good session not to be married; â€Å"Still we were wise that we did not marry, no matter what our hearts prompted. â€Å"8 Perhaps, Murray thought he was saving her from having to live a lonely life by choosing not to marry her. Thus, Margaret is not forced to wait for him to be back to Canada, in addition, she would have a better chance to be marrying to another man and not live a lonely life, when Murray does not survive the war.Despite the rational decision in the beginning, he started to have mixed feeling about it because he realizes how â€Å"my[his] love [towards Margaret] has matured. 9 On July 5th 1917, he admits that he â€Å"thought it would have been better to have married [with Margaret]†10 because she might find â€Å"someone els e to help you[her] ease the burden. † 1 1 Clearly, Murray was faced with a dilemma; he wanted to establish an unshakable ! Elongation Murray Dennis and Margaret Munroe letter, 4 May, 1917, WWW Collection, ! 9 ! Elongation ! Elongation Matura's 5 connection with Margaret but Just could not let her to live a lonely life if he could not manage to survive. Not a single letters from Murray suggests that he supported or liked the war although he rarely expressed his dissatisfaction towards the warfare he was involved in. On May 4th, 1917, he reassuringly wrote in the letter â€Å"I'm [ He is] not lonesome nor downhearted†12 but he also tells Margaret that he's thinking about â€Å"what[their happy marriage] might have been had[happened] [if] this war [did] not intervened†13 in the same letter.Murray said he is not downhearted to give her sense of safety about him at the war, however, at the same time, he did not hide frustration about the war holding them back from the happy marriage. About 2 months later, he expressed his personal reflection about the war n the letter: â€Å"We had thought to be living our lives together in piece F[f]ann. how fate plays tricks with human plans. â€Å"14 Murray was amazed how the war derailed his future plans they had in mind in such an unpredictable way.As suggested in the beginning, he was an implement dealer not a career soldier; and, he probably had never thought he'd be a soldier nor supported the war. Everything 112 ! Littleton ! Eliminating ! 14 ! Elongation Matura's 6 that seemed to be real and going smoothly sank out of his sight, then his life changed dramatically. The war relocated him in a grim battlefield in an unknown country. There is no doubt that Murray was excited about what the future holds for him and Margaret.Perhaps, he tried the very best he could to survive on the battlefield, so that he can be back to his â€Å"Honey Girl†1 aback in the country. The following shows how he ended t he letter written on the letter written on July 7th, 1918; â€Å"The way you showed yourself so all mine honey girl is one of the sacred memories I have taken to France †¦ L loved you with my whole heart†¦ N[n]owe kisses and all love and honor to the mother of our children. Your faithfully Murray'16. This quote shows Murray strong love towards Margaret and it also his want to settle down and raise a family.The ending of the letter â€Å"all love and honor to the mother of our children† shows his idealistic perspective about domestic pleasure as a father and husband. This specific written on July 7th, 1918 is interesting because Murray strong feeling as never before is enclosed into the writing. Perhaps, he was afraid if he can survive as the war went on for a long time, so he tried to convince himself to live by feeling hopeful about the future. Sadly, Murray could not raise a loving family with Margaret as he desired, more pathetic still, he was killed in action o n August 9th, 1918.On November 1 lath same year, only three months later his death, the WWW ended. II 51 Elongation ! Eliminating Murray Dennis and Margaret Munroe letter, 7 July, 1918, WWW Collection, Matura's 7 After his death in France, many letters from family and friends were delivered to Margaret but not from her fiancee anymore. It seems her family and friends were teary about Murray death, at the same time, also trying to cheer her up: Oh Margaret I hardly know what to write but I want you to feel you have my sympathy despite my own feelings as yet it seems impossible to realize the truth.I have had no further correspondence but seen his dear name in the list†¦ Yours affectionately Murray Mother†17 † You know How Sorry I am for you I cannot tell you You will Just know and I know how Brave you are going to be†¦ Heaps of Love Sorrowing P[? ]e† â€Å"Only today did I hear of your great sorrow,When any one I love is in sorrow it makes my heart ache O h Dear†¦ Lovingly Elsie†18 Many of her friends and family almost immediately wrote to Margaret when they eared the sad news. This shows how much Murray was loved by people around him and the strength of their bond between family and friends.The letters were filled with thoughtful expressions of sympathy. However, it also sounded like they got used to write letter of sympathy on the death on young soldiers as there were many killed and wounded soldiers; â€Å"This is a sad time for the Wellington Murray Dennis and Margaret Munroe letter, 4 September , 1918, WWW Collection, www. Contraindicates. Ca Wellington Murray Dennis and Margaret Munroe letter, 7 September , 1918, WWW Matura's 8 people of Canada such long lists of killed & wounded coming in every day' 19.Some of the letters praised his braveness fighting his last breath for the war effort: â€Å"l know you will be proud as we are for the one who is so grand for he is not dead but sleepers†¦ Your loving niece Ge orgia†20 â€Å"Mingled with your sorrow there must – be a feeling of pride that your friend gave his life for such a noble cause†¦ Yours sincerely Ethel Radcliff†21 It appears people who lived during WWW considered being sacrificed for the war is noble and honorable. This is a twisted convention because what Murray wanted on the battlefield is to being back home and live in piece with Margaret.Battles fought, invented efficient weapons, numbers of soldiers killed or treaty that ended everything after such turbulence; those are the â€Å"facts† I learned in history or social classes. Reading the letter collection of Murray expanded brought me a different perspective to wars. Wars are not only about those â€Å"facts† and their cause and effect; there are plethora of personal stories behind them. Murray was a soldiers but, at the same time, he was young. He had a bright future ahead of him, and it has just started to shape itself.There is no reas on for me to demur at this statement. But then, there are wars still going on around the world. I wonder why, after 14 years from the beginning on 21st century, violence is still used as a last resort. I wonder if there is such a thing as ending of the use of violence. I was grown in Japan where all children receive peace education, and always thought, as a child, starting a war had disappear from options. It is sad that there are parts in the world where people are forced to live under the tension and straining situations.

Cultural Criticism in Mark Twain s Life on the Mississippi Essays

Cultural Criticism in Mark Twain s Life on the Mississippi Essays Cultural Criticism in Mark Twain s Life on the Mississippi Essay Cultural Criticism in Mark Twain s Life on the Mississippi Essay amounts of goods hipped, but these facts, though they demonstrate useful information about the river, do not show how knowledge ought to be used. The way knowledge ought to be used is part of the cub pilots training, a knowledge that becomes intuitive, almost instinctual and unconscious. -The new river that Twain explores has changed so much so that modern technology has knocked the romance out of piloting. Lamps have been installed along the river; snag boats clear the river from hazard. -The knowledge required in 1882 to be a riverboat pilot now lies in charts devised by Horace Boxy and George Ritchie, ND not in the memory banks of the pilot. Uncle uniforms monologue: They wanted the water to go one way, the water wanted to go another -fear of disappearance of the noble landmarks -Knowledge that ass been stored has become useless -Changes that have occurred along the river since the Civil War: Twain intents to explain the corruption of the South before the Civil War and the decay of the Southern culture, still dependent on that form of knowledge, after the great War between the States C] Most of these changes have been economic -Clearly, L Mississippi is a record of the destruction of the South, even if it remises to be a remembrance of the life that Twain Once had on the banks of the river -Since the moment Hernandez De Sotto and his party of conquistadores first arrived at the banks of the Mississippi in 1 541 m travelers of every variety have flocked to and along this representative river to better comprehend the country thorough which it flows. Both as a conduit for trade and travel, and a destination in its own righ t, the rivers role in national life has changed dramatically over the centuries. It no longer commands the social and economic powers of its antebellum zenith. Nevertheless, it mutinous to occupy a unique place in American travel writing and the American consciousness. -T. S. Eliot appreciated the rivers powers even William Least Heat-Moon, a child of the Missouri who has attempted in his own eatable to testify to the capital allure Of rivers other than the Mississippi, has conceded its encompassing mystique that still hold us in a grand cultural thrall. The Mississippi remains a vital location in the symbolic geography of America. -Mark Twain understood the rivers symbolic nature. He was taught the lesson while learning to pilot a steamboat on the Mississippi; what he learned remains fundamental for successfully piloting a course through the rivers manifold representations. He came to understand that there were to rivers: The physical Mississippi of the imagination, meandering through the mind. For a steamboat pilot, the imagined Mississippi rook precedence. Horace Boxy Twains piloting mentor, instructed him: you can always steer by the shape thats in your head, and never mind the one thats before your eyes The story of Mississippi travel writing can, in one sense , quickly be told in an apparently circular list of its hanging modes Of transport. The canoes Of those attempting to navigate the rivers course today. If each eras travel writing had been defined by a mode of transport, its concomitant relationship with the river has been profoundly different. The river has also been an enigma and an emblem of imperialism. The essential highway of a young nation moving west; the real of profit, increasing arbitration, slavery, and war; a limbo of lost splendor and increasing dismissal; the scene of imaginative resurrection; an escape route to a forgotten America; and, today, an arena in which to test personal limits. The most significant accounts of the Mississippi have been able to assess the river with a profound awareness of its history, and yet still see it with acute, contemporary eyes -The early travel accounts that resulted severe a double role: they fueled imperial desire, and the established certain paradigmatic relationships between the travelers and the river. Broken dreams and ruined fortunes soon littered its banks -Charles Dickens was disappointed expected more -The river, already under serve pressure from the railroads in the sass, was arced to close its waters at the advent of the Civil War. Travel writing was displaced by military dispatch -When the river was again opened for freight a nd passenger traffic, it flowed through a very different landscape. Slavery was gone, the railroads Were dominant, and the steamboat trade was suffering from mortal wounds -The rivers cultural life was about to begin anew: all because the Civil War forced a young steamboat pilot in the trades last flush years. Then he headed West and became Mark Twain -He was the only one back then who wrote about the Mississippi -first 3 chapters deal with geography and the rivers history; after those follow the chapters of the pilot- memories.