Free Essays on Critical Analysis Of Albert Camuss

, and recognizing the voids they reveal, the reader sees Meursault as the stranger – a foreigner in an emotional, consequential world teaming with morality and sentiment. Society endures because of its own understood, furtive laws – laws which keep conformity, habit, and social harmony perpetually present – laws which Meursault cannot fathom. Religion, ambition, love – contempt, disapproval, sorrow – are all sensations by which people life – by which people are ruled; they are all sensations by which Meursault is never governed. Meursault’s rules to live by are hardly understandable to those of society. He is not ruled by emotion, he is not controlled by morals, and he is not bothered by decisions. Mersault is governed by absent fate, minimal satisfaction, and listless habit. He serves no God, no dream – no purpose. In the end, Meursault, living according to his own myriad of absurd rules, must welcome death as his only m eans to be in harmony with the indifferent universe. Meursault is aware of feelings and opinions in others, but he acknowledges few emotions in himself. Particularly in situations where one expects feelings, he professes to have none. Thus, he feels little sorrow at his mother’s death, little joy at Marie’s love, little pleasure at the boss’s offer of a promotion, little remorse for his crime. He expresses no anger and hardly any regret even at the loss of his freedom. He seems to feel no resentment toward Raymond, who drew him into the quarrel with the Arabs; nor toward his lawyer; who handles his case poorly; nor toward the court, which condemns him... Free Essays on Critical Analysis Of Albert Camus's Free Essays on Critical Analysis Of Albert Camus's Albert Camus was haunted with the notion that â€Å"our world exists in a universe which holds no place for us, where our life makes no sense.† In his novel, The Stranger, Monsieur Meursault is a man rendered in such a situation. He subsists from day to pointless day, morally deprived and socially detached. Holding Meursault to his words, and recognizing the voids they reveal, the reader sees Meursault as the stranger – a foreigner in an emotional, consequential world teaming with morality and sentiment. Society endures because of its own understood, furtive laws – laws which keep conformity, habit, and social harmony perpetually present – laws which Meursault cannot fathom. Religion, ambition, love – contempt, disapproval, sorrow – are all sensations by which people life – by which people are ruled; they are all sensations by which Meursault is never governed. Meursault’s rules to live by are hardly understandable to thos e of society. He is not ruled by emotion, he is not controlled by morals, and he is not bothered by decisions. Mersault is governed by absent fate, minimal satisfaction, and listless habit. He serves no God, no dream – no purpose. In the end, Meursault, living according to his own myriad of absurd rules, must welcome death as his only means to be in harmony with the indifferent universe. Meursault is aware of feelings and opinions in others, but he acknowledges few emotions in himself. Particularly in situations where one expects feelings, he professes to have none. Thus, he feels little sorrow at his mother’s death, little joy at Marie’s love, little pleasure at the boss’s offer of a promotion, little remorse for his crime. He expresses no anger and hardly any regret even at the loss of his freedom. He seems to feel no resentment toward Raymond, who drew him into the quarrel with the Arabs; nor toward his lawyer; who handles his case poorly; nor toward the court, which condemns him...

What Shapes External Competitiveness (Compensation Strategy) Essay

What Shapes External Competitiveness (Compensation Strategy) - Essay Example 2. The degree of competitiveness being intense, increases in product prices would correspond to lowering of revenues, if undertaken. Thus most judicious producers would adopt a wait-and -watch attitude rather than take up indiscreet steps of hiking prices to serve short-term monetary interests Finally, coming to organizational structure, it is believed that whether the business is labour or capital intensive, technology driven or market driven- all contribute towards the kind of wage or compensation strategy that would be enforced. As a usual practice, firms that are reputed, technology driven and well entrenched pay higher than start ups and growing business houses. In the sphere of external competitiveness, that is wage bargaining, there are several factors which make their mark. The â€Å"comparing of compensation rates of one organization with that of its competitors† is what determines compensation strategy. The relevant compensation strategy that needs to be pursued. It is believed that â€Å"the organization’s plan for how compensation decisions on the types and amount of pay are made, based on the interests of the employees and keeping with the organization’s mission and competitive position in the market.† (Compensation and internal & external equity, 2008, para.3). Besides this, the level at which compensation is payable to staff, executive or top management level is also important as is the kind of individual contributions made by employees at these levels. Quality and quantity of performance, work commitment, loyalty for the cause of the organization and the ability to work harmoniously in a Compensation and internal & external equity. (2008).One step Compensation Framework. Retrieved June 17, 2010, from

Accounting Theory and Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Accounting Theory and Policy - Essay Example GAAP and IFRS.The main reason for starting the debate was the series of corporate scandals in the U.S. where managers acted opportunistically to circumvent accounting rules to the detriment of investors, a result that accounting standards were supposed to help in preventing. Standards were established to ensure that financial reporting reflected the economic substance, not just the form, of transactions. However, auditors allowed different forms of reporting manipulation provided these were consistent with the interpretation of precise rules-based standards, allowing compliance with the "form" of financial reporting even as it failed to reflect the true economic "substance" of such transactions.Another reason for the debate is the move towards the need for convergence because of the number of accounting standards currently in force, which creates problems related to timeliness, compliance, comparability, and consistency. Accountants find rules-based (also called cookbook or checklist ) standards too detailed and time-consuming, causing delays in reporting, and unable to meet the challenges of a complex and fast-changing financial world. Rather than help accountants exercise professional judgment and objectivity, having too many rules provide specific benchmarks that makes it easy for auditors to fulfil compliance in form but not in substance. Therefore, since principles are more general than detailed rules, FASB is of the opinion that developing principles-based standards would make convergence easier and, at the same time, allow auditors to minimise the tendency of managers to engage in manipulations of reported financial results. Rules-based accounting standards-setting in the U.S. resulted from years of consultations regarding increasingly complex financial transactions. Companies and auditors asked for "bright line" rules, so-called because they contained precise numerical cut-off points supposedly to guide transactions reporting. However, as the example of accounting for capital leases showed, companies found a way to use professional expertise, creative arrangements, and over-liberal judgment to circumvent the rules contained in a 450-page FASB document to clarify the topic. Why do companies restructure transactions even in the face of "bright line" rules The main reason is that managing earnings can be beneficial for managers. Managers have incentives to look after their own best interests, leading them to manipulate transactions if the benefits outweigh the costs such as taxes, penalties from SEC enforcement, and balance sheet reclassifications. Minimising costs would maximise profits and, in most cases, benefits to managers. Auditors also have incentives to earn as much revenues from their services, which may be affected by reporting manipulation, so they sometimes allow debt to be classified as equity (some auditing fees depend on company asset size). By maximising profits, earnings manipulation also allows managers to keep their jobs, avoid shareholder lawsuits, and raise the share price so they can exercise stock options and earn higher salaries. Evidence shows that managers are more likely to manipulate financial reporting if there are precise (rules-based) accounting standards than when standards are flexible, and that auditors are more likely to allow this as long as the rules allow it. When there are no "bright line" rules, but only concepts-based standards, managers are less likely to engage in costly

Impact of Cultural Background on Domestic Violence

Impact of Cultural Background on Domestic Violence Domestic violence is an issue which occurs across all cultures, religions, ages, genders and in all countries. It affects many individuals and occurs in many various forms including physical, verbal, emotional and psychological abuse. Domestic violence has a range of definitions and there is no official globally agreed upon official definition to explain it, however in terms of the UK a commonly accepted definition of domestic violence provided by The Association of Chief Police Officers’ (ACPO) and The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) defines domestic violence as â€Å"Any incident of threatening behaviour, violence or abuse (Psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional) between adults aged 18 and over, who are or have been intimate partners or family members, regardless of gender or sexuality (family members are defined as mother, father, son, daughter, brother, sister and grandparents, whether directly related, in-laws, or step-family)† (ACPO, 2008a: 7). This research project will investigate and explore the different aspects of a victim’s cultural background which may offer knowledge and insight as to why women in a domestically abusive relationship choose to not leave or seek any help or advice. For the purpose of this study, a qualitative approach was carried out, using open ended interviews with former victims of domestic abuse as a method to gather and analyse data. By conducting open ended interviews, direct access was gained into the experiences and perspectives of the individuals whom were interviewed. It provided further use by assisting in understanding the topic and collectively gathering an in-depth exploration and depiction (Silverman, 2010). This particular topic is explored and researched since it has been a much neglected area of research within academic literature for a long time and has not been explored in much depth in relation to a cultural view and perspective. Literature on the cultural context of domest ic violence has been limited until recently (Kulwicki, 2002). Furthermore, this area is quite under researched and is hence a topic which needs broadening and developing upon in several ways and thus it may offer insight into the issues needed to be addressed and the implications this has for policy makers and practitioners. Rather than exploring other commonly researched aspects relating to domestic abuse, instead a different focus is researched into the exploration of the obstacles that prevent victims’ inaction and how cultural pressures affect this process. Factors such as religious beliefs, cultural traditions and attitudes, social networks, and help-seeking behaviours all affect how a victim will take action against domestic abuse (Shiu-Thornton, Senturia, Sullivan, 2005). In particular, the religious backgrounds in South Asian culture have been quite neglected and under researched, often overlooking Sikh and Hindu communities. The research relating to religious backgr ounds of victims of domestic abuse is quite limited, therefore more insight will be provided to address this issue and to shed some light on this focus. Although there has been much previous research carried out on domestic violence in the past, the work that has been carried out based on a cultural perspective is quite limited. In relation to research on domestic violence and South Asian culture, there has not been a lot of exploration or depth in this area, and the research that has been done in regards to this specific topic is mainly based on US context and on immigrant women of South Asian background. Therefore this is not as relevant to the UK and British Asian women, thus this research study will address this topic and expand upon the current literature and research. Furthermore, there are also no studies of domestic violence in UK South Asian communities that provide statistics of the occurrence of domestic violence within this community, which is a major limitation that needs to be addressed. Statistics and data on this area would be highly beneficial and would show what problems or issues need to be addressed and what the m ain concerns are so that policy makers and practitioners can do their best to solve any current issues. Also, there have been no current literature or studies that have been conducted in this topic to keep it updated in general. Most of the work that has been done is from a few years back and the statistics provided from studies in America on domestic violence in South Asian culture is from a decade ago or more which shows that statistics and data on this type of abuse in South Asian communities needs to be updated and kept current to contemporary times. Thus, this research study will provide a more contemporary exploration and analysis of domestic abuse in South Asian communities, which will be based on UK context. The research that has been carried out in this study is important as it will contribute to its field of research and expand and develop upon a more specific area of domestic abuse. It will better and improve upon the topic of domestic abuse in more depth relating to a cultural perspective, including religious aspects and perspectives as well. This research is thus important to the topic of domestic abuse since it engages in a more focused and specific view of the topic of domestic abuse. This research will show the perspectives of South Asian culture and the religions within this culture on the status and role of women and its views on domestic abuse. Furthermore, it will show how this culture may present obstacles to those in domestically abuse relationships to seek help or leave their violent situation. The research focus that has been conducted is interesting as it studies and delves into the cultural aspects of victims of domestic abuse and how this may prevent them from leaving or hesitating to seek help; hence this study will fill in the gaps of academic literature and research by exploring this specific approach and will offer more understanding and knowledge to its field of research. In this research study, religion in South Asian culture is also explored to see if it has any effect on women who are in domestically abusive relationships or to see if it plays a contributory role for women to take action in domestically abuse relationships. This research study includes qualitative data in the form of interviews which were mostly conducted at South Asian refuges for victims of domestic abuse, and by which access was successfully granted. These interviews were based on the experiences of three women of South Asian cultural background who were former victims of domestic abuse. The three women who were interviewed were of Sikh and Hindu religious backgrounds; two of the women were Sikh, whilst the other was Hindu. All three women voluntary consented to be a part of this study and thus provided details and a background of their individual experiences of their former situations and the barriers they faced when deciding to take action. They also provided an account of their cultural traditions and attitudes which may have played a contributing role in their situations and their experiences. This research study will include and provide a literature review of the topic of domestic abuse, focusing on South Asian cultural views and perspectives of the status of women and its perception of domestic violence. This will also encompass religious stances of domestic violence as well, focusing on both Sikh and Hindu religion. Next, it will provide information on the methodology that was carried out and adopted in this research study. This section will also include and discuss the advantages, weaknesses and limitations of the approach used and the research method that was implemented. Then, it will provide a summary and detail of the findings and analysis of the data, using thematic analysis to establish the common themes which have arisen in the interviews. Finally, there will be a conclusion to finish with, which will provide an overall summary of the findings of the research study. It will also discuss the implications of the findings and how this relates to policy makers and p ractitioners.

Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre: A reconsideration Essays -- Literary Ana

Few have looked into the different shades of "visibility" and "invisibility" and the "power of the gaze" in Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. A brief look at some of the critical literature on Jane Eyre shows that there has been more focus on the personal than on the textual aspect of the novel. Moreover, "visibility," and "invisibility" as well as "the power gaze" have rarely been the target of rigorous academic research. A number of earlier studies used "The Brontes" as a part of their titles.1 Others have busied themselves with matters of "plot," "too much melodrama" and "coarseness of language."2 In this study I propose to focus on some textual aspects that have been less at the center of critical attention. However, this is not the only vantage point that characterizes this research work. Indeed, the very selection of these textual aspects may shed some new light on the possibilities of future critical reception of Bronte's text. This study makes use of certain terms that draw the reader's attention to a new way of reading Bronte's Jane Eyre. The three key terms are "visibility," "invisibility," and "gaze." While "visibility" here stands for notions such as the "presence," "ability to see or to be seen, felt or noticed," "invisibility" stands just for the absence/lack of "visibility." By "the power of the gaze" I mean how most of the characters in this text fashion the world around them and are themselves fashioned by different ways of looking at things (i.e. in both the literal as well as the metaphorical senses of the word "looking": A more brilliant example here is Brocklehurst's accusations against Jane at Lowood). Indeed, the term "gaze" as I use it here is meant to subsume all senses of gazing, glancing, looking at,... ...slave or victim, and imparted strength in the transit (Ch. 7, p. 63) Despite her claim to have "mastered the rising hysteria," Jane's pain, to borrow her own words, "no language can describe." This girl's particular "gaze" seems to have surpassed all other gazes. The most pivotal incident in Bronte's text where the title of this study is evidenced is what Jane experiences in the red-room introduced as early as Chapter Two of the text. This is more likely an indication of the significance of the relationship between the power of the gaze and the question of visibility of petrifying scenes for such a young child like Jane. Of this experience, Jane tells us that she "never forgot the †¦ frightful episode of the red-room." For it was in this room her aunt locked her in the dark and even Jane's "wild supplications for pardon" were not listened to (Ch. 8, p. 67).

Minute Clinic Essay

1) There are four promotion strategies for the intangible services. The first one is stressing tangible cues. A tangible cue is a concrete symbol of the service offering. The facilities that customers visit or from which services are delivered, are a critical tangible part of the total service offering. Minute Clinic healthcare centers are open seven days a week with later hours than traditional doctors have. They don’t require appointments and can provide patients with a diagnosis and prescription within 15-45 minutes; in this way the long waits are avoided. They are located in convenient retail settings. The second promotion strategy is the use of personal information sources. A personal information source is someone consumers are familiar with or someone they admire or can relate to personally. Minute Clinic is an innovator in the â€Å"retailization of healthcare†. The company is expanding very quickly as there’s a need for cheaper and more accessible healthcare. In addition more than 80% of the patients are satisfied with the convenience of the retail clinic, and with the quality and the cost of services. The third promotion strategy is the creation of a strong organizational image. One way to implement it is to manage the evidence, including the physical environment of the service facility, the appearance of the service employees, and the tangible items associated with a service. MinuteClinic is staffed by nurse practitioners and physician assistants who specialize in family healthcare. It offers cheap and accessible healthcare. It provides basic medical services for common ailments, offers vaccines, physicals and electronic records. The last promotion strategy is the engagement in post purchase communication. It refers to the follow-up activities that a service might engage in after a customer transaction. For example in 2006 the Harris Interactive poll was held and in the end the response to the clinics has been positive. 2) Customized services are more flexible, respond to individual customers’ needs and usually command a higher price. The standardized services are more efficient and cost less. The mass customization instead uses technology to deliver customized services on a mass basis, which results in giving each customer whatever she or he asks for. MinuteClinic‘s services are standardized as they are efficient and cost less. Nevertheless they do incorporate elements of mass customization as they use the electronic medical records system for the needs of each single patient and on a mass basis. 3) Customers evaluate service quality by five components: reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy and tangibles. MinuteClinic demonstrated reliability and responsiveness during the flu outbreak in Minnesota by implementing a hub-and-spoke approach for better inventory control, offering the shots in only eight MinuteClinic locations. They hired supplemental nursing staff and administered up to 300 shots a day each. MinuteClinic performed the service dependably, accurately, consistently and promptly. During the flu outbreak the lines became very long so MinuteClinic created children’s areas, added televisions, videos and coloring books to keep kids entertained and make the wait easier for families. This was the technique MinuteClinic used to impress customers with tangible physical evidence that the clinics care about them. 4) Place (Distribution) strategies for service organizations must focus on such issues as convenience, number of outlets, direct versus indirect distribution, location and scheduling. Thanks to this strategy the company was successful among patients and expanded quickly. With its marketing mix MinuteClinic focuses on place, pricing and distribution. The fact that the clinic is located in convenient retail settings adds to its growing appeal. As the prices are affordable, the distribution is direct and fast the company expands very quickly.

The Portrayal Of Alfred The Great Of Shakespeare s Life...

When one approaches a movie or television show about historical events it is important to remember that the primary purpose of this media is to entertain. This does not mean however that there aren t kernels of truth which reflect aspects of what actually took place. For example in the television show The Last Kingdom, there are some liberties taken with the historical period. Some characters are complete works of fiction or events have been changed. Something that remains the same however is the attitude of Alfred the Great towards writing, specifically recording events as they occur. This aspect of Alfred s personality is on display in Asser s Life of King Alfred and thus when one compares the representations it is obvious that this portion of Alfred s character was transposed successfully to the television screen. While The Last Kingdom might take liberties with certain aspects of this time period, its emphasis on Alfred placing an importance on the written word, is undoubtedly a fair representation of the man s character. From the records that remain of Alfred s rule it is quite obvious that the man had an obsession with the written word, and the power associated with knowledge. Both Asser s Life of Alfred and the prose preface to Alfred s translation of the Pastoralis show glimpses of a man who is preoccupied with writing and its inherent worth. In Asser s Life of Alfred one section describing Alfred s youth makes the man out to be something innatelyShow MoreRelatedPortrayal of War in the Pre 1900 Poetry Essay3056 Words   |  13 PagesPortrayal of War in the Pre 1900 Poetry Before 1900, war was always seen as a glorious thing. People truly believed in the words of the ancient writer Horace, Dulce et decorum est, pro patria mori. This phrase can be translated, as It is a lovely and honourable thing; to die for ones country. Pre 1900 war poetry was strongly patriotic and glossed over the grim reality of death, preferring instead to display the heroic aspects of fighting. If death was mentionedRead More Promoting Family Values in Macbeth Essay2277 Words   |  10 PagesPromoting Family Values in Macbeth  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   The play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, was first printed in 1623, and is a play that is confrontational and disturbing to the values of the audience. Values such as truth, masculinity, security and goodness are all implied in the play, as their opposites are shown to be destructive and life shattering. Of all of Shakespeare’s plays, Macbeth is the one most obsessively concerned with evil. It is dark, brooding and bloodthirsty; by way of illustrationRead Morewisdom,humor and faith19596 Words   |  79 PagesTable of Contents (with links) Walter G. Moss 1 Table of Contents (with links) 1 Wisdom, Perspective, and Values 2 Humor’s Contribution to Wisdom 4 Humor and Wisdom in Europe: Some Highlights 5 Renaissance Humor: Erasmus, Rabelais, Cervantes, Shakespeare 5 Two European Russians: Anton Chekhov and Vladimir Soloviev 9 Reflections on Humor from Nietzsche to the Theatre of the Absurd 12 Humor and Wisdom in the United States: Lincoln, Beecher, Twain, Sandburg, and Buchwald 17 From The Times (of London)Read MoreAmerican Literature11652 Words   |  47 PagesChristian utopia Genre/Style: ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · sermons, diaries personal narratives captivity narratives jeremiads written in plain style Effect: ï‚ · ï‚ · instructive reinforces authority of the Bible and church Historical Context: ï‚ · ï‚ · a person s fate is determined by God all people are corrupt and must be saved by Christ Rationalism / Age of Enlightenment period of American Literature - 1750-1800 Content: ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · national mission and American character democratic utopia use of reason