The Canterville Ghost Essay Example for Free

The Canterville Ghost Essay The story begins when Mr Otiss family shifted to Canterville Chase, despite warnings from Canterville that the house is haunted. Mr. Otis says he will take furniture as well as ghost at valuation. The Otis family includes Mr. and Mrs. Otis, their daughter Virginia, twin boys (often referred to as Stars and Stripes) and their eldest son Washington. At first, none of the members of the Otis family believes in ghosts, but shortly after they move in, none of them can deny the presence of Sir Simon (The Ghost). The family hears clanking chains, they witness re-appearing bloodstains on the floor just by the fireplace, which is removed every time it appears in various forms(colors). But, humorously, none of these scare the Otises in the least. In fact, upon hearing the clanking noises in the hallway, Mr. Otis promptly gets out of bed and pragmatically offers the ghost Tammany Rising Sun Lubricator to oil his chains. Despite Sir Simon’s attempts to appear in the most gruesome guises, the family refuses to be frightened, and Sir Simon feels increasingly helpless and humiliated. When Mrs. Otis notices a mysterious red mark on the floor, she simply replies that she does â€Å"not at all care for blood stains in the sitting room. † When Mrs. Umney, the housekeeper, informs Mrs. Otis that the blood stain is indeed evidence of the ghost and cannot be removed, Washington Otis, the oldest son, suggests that the stain will be removed with Pinkerton’s Champion Stain Remover and Paragon Detergent: A quick fix, like the Tammany Rising Sun Lubricator, and a practical way of dealing with the problem. Wilde describes Mrs. Otis as â€Å"a very handsome middle-aged woman† who has been â€Å"a celebrated New York belle. † Her expression of modern American culture surfaces when she immediately resorts to using the commercial stain remover to obliterate the bloodstains and when she expresses an interest in joining the Psychical Society to help her understand the ghost. Mrs. Otis is given Wildes highest praise when he says: Indeed, in many respects, she was quite English The most colourful character in the story is undoubtedly the ghost himself, Sir Simon, who goes about his duties with theatrical panache and flair. He assumes a series of dramatic roles in his failed attempts to impress and terrify the Otises, making it easy to imagine him as a comical character in a stage play. The ghost has the ability to change forms, so he taps into his repertoire of tricks. He takes the role of ghostly apparitions such as a Headless Earl, a Strangled Babe, the Blood-Sucker of Bexley Moor, Suicide’s  Skeleton, and the Corpse-Snatcher of Chertsey Barn, all having succeeded in horrifying previous castle residents over the centuries. But none of them works with these Americans. Sir Simon schemes, but even as his costumes become increasingly gruesome, his antics do nothing to scare his house guests, and the Otises succeed in failing him every time. He falls victim to trip wires, pea shooters, butter-slides, and falling buckets of water. In a particularly comical scene, he is frightened by the sight of a â€Å"ghost,† rigged up by the mischievous twins. During the course of the story, as narrated from Sir Simons viewpoint, we come to understand the complexity of the ghost’s emotions. We see him brave, frightening, distressed, scared, and finally, depressed and weak. He exposes his vulnerability during an encounter with Virginia, Mr. Otiss fifteen-year-old daughter. Virginia is different from everyone else in the family, and Sir Simon recognizes this fact. He tells her that he has not slept in three hundred years and wants desperately to do so. The ghost reveals to Virginia the tragic tale of his wife, Lady Eleanor de Canterville. Unlike the rest of her family, Virginia does not dismiss the ghost. She takes him seriously; she listens to him and learns an important lesson, as well as the true meaning behind a riddle. Sir Simon de Canterville says that she must weep for him for he has no tears, she must pray for him for he has no faith and then she must accompany him to the angel of death and beg for Deaths mercy upon Sir Simon. She does weep for him and pray for him, and she disappears with Sir Simon through the wainscoting and goes with him to the Garden of Death and bids the ghost farewell. Then she reappears at midnight, through a panel in the wall, carrying jewels and news that Sir Simon has passed on to the next world and no longer resides in the house. Virginia’s ability to accept Sir Simon leads to her enlightenment; Sir Simon, she tells her husband several years later, helped her understand â€Å"what Life is, what Death signifies, and why Love is stronger than both. †

Transaction And Translation Exposure In International Finance Essay

Transaction And Translation Exposure In International Finance Essay Foreign exchange exposure is a measure of the potential for a firms profitability, net cash flow, and market value to change because of a change in exchange rates. Types of Foreign Exchange Exposure Transaction exposure measures changes in the value of outstanding financial obligations due to a change in exchange rates. Translation exposure deals with changes in cash flows that result from existing contractual obligations. Operating (economic, competitive, or strategic) exposure measures the change in the present value of the firm resulting from any changes in future operating cash flows of the firm caused by an unexpected change in exchange rates [via changes in sales volume, prices and costs.] Impact of Hedging MNEs possess a multitude of cash flows that are sensitive to changes in exchange rates, interest rates, and commodity prices. These three financial price risks are the subject of the growing field of financial risk management. Many firms attempt to manage their currency exposures through hedging. Hedging is the taking of a position that will rise (fall) in value and offset a fall (rise) in the value of an existing position. While hedging can protect the owner of an asset from a loss, it also eliminates any gain from an increase in the value of the asset hedged against. The value of a firm, according to financial theory, is the net present value of all expected future cash flows. Currency risk is defined roughly as the variance in expected cash flows arising from unexpected exchange rate changes. A firm that hedges these exposures reduces some of the variance in the value of its future expected cash flows. However, is a reduction in the variability of cash flows sufficient reason for currency risk management? Opponents of hedging state (among other things): Shareholders are much more capable of diversifying currency risk than the management of the firm. Currency risk management reduces the variance of the cash flows of the firm, but also uses valuable resources. Management often conducts hedging activities that benefit management at the expense of the shareholders (agency conflict), i.e., large FX loss are more embarrassing than the large cost of hedging. Proponents of hedging cite: Reduction in risk in future cash flows improves the planning capability of the firm. Reduction of risk in future cash flows reduces the likelihood that the firms cash flows will fall below a necessary minimum (the point of financial distress) Management has a comparative advantage over the individual shareholder in knowing the actual currency risk of the firm Management is in better position to take advantage of disequilibrium conditions in the market. Transaction Exposure Transaction exposure arises when a firm faces contractual cash flows that are fixed in a foreign currency. Whenever a firm has foreign-currency-denominated receivables or payables, it is subject to transaction exposure, and the eventual settlements have the potential to affect the firms cash flow position. Since modern firms are often involved in commercial and financial contracts denominated in foreign currencies, management of transaction exposure has become an important function of international financial management. Measurement of Transaction Exposure Transaction exposure is simply the amount of foreign currency that is receivable or payable. Since MNCs commonly have foreign subsidiaries spread around the world, they need an information system around the world, they need an information system that can track their currency positions . Identifying Net Transaction Exposure Before an MNC makes any decisions related to hedging, it should identify the individual net transaction exposure on a currency-by-currency basis. The term net here refers to the consolidation of all expected inflows and outflows for a particular time and currency. The management at each subsidiary plays a vital role in reporting its expected inflows and outflows. Then a centralised group consolidates the subsidiary reports to identify, for the MNC as a whole, the expected net positions in each foreign currency during several upcoming periods. The MNC can identify its exposure by reviewing this consolidation of subsidiary positions. One subsidiary may have net receivables in Mexican Pesos three months from now, while a different subsidiary has net payables in Pesos. If the Peso appreciates, this will be favourable to the first subsidiary and unfavourable to the second. However, the impact on the MNC as a whole is at least partially offset. Each subsidiary may desire to hedge its net currency position in order to avoid the possible adverse impacts on its performance due to fluctuations in the currencys value. The overall performance of the MNC, however, may already be insulated by the offsetting positions between subsidiaries. Therefore, hedging the position of each individual subsidiary may not be necessary. Although it is difficult to predict future currency value with much accuracy, MNCs can evaluate historical data to at least assess the potential degree of movement for each currency Standard Deviation The standard deviation statistic is one such possible way to measure the degree of movement for each currency. Notice that within each period, some currencies clearly fluctuate much more than others.

Ritual Communication And The Transmission Communication Model Cultural Studies Essay

Ritual Communication And The Transmission Communication Model Cultural Studies Essay Communication is a process of transferring information from one entity to another, thus the reason most of us spend about 75 percent communicating our knowledge, thoughts, and ideas to others. The communication process is sign mediated interactions between two or more people. The James Carey article discerns between two alternative models of communication that were dominant at one point or another in the history of western civilization. These two views were characterized as transmission and ritual. Both these views exist in everyday communication; however it is not always clear which one is in operation since communication is such a mundane thing. This essay will attempt to help in distinguishing between the two through analysis of the James W. Carey article A Cultural Approach to Communication. The transmission model of communication is the one that is most prominent both in our society, and most industrial cultures. The transmission model of communication focuses on the transportation of a message from a sender to a receiver in hopes of disseminating information. Moreover this model of communication attempts to influence others across space. From day one humans have been trying to enable sending information from one entity to another instantly; however it wasnt until the telegraph that this was possible. Motives for this instantaneous transmission through space was due to the need for political governance and the supply and demand factors of economics. The fact that a motive for instantaneous transmission was for political governance shows the underlying truth behind the transmission model of communication was to attempt control of distance (i.e. close the gap between space) and people. Furthermore we see the transmission model of communication as a way to spread knowledge beyond geographical boundaries and educate others. Therefore if one were to further analyse the motives behind instantaneous movement in space the church/religious reasons become evident key players. For instance Carey states that this movement in space was an attempt to establish and extend the kingdom of God, to create the conditions under which godly understanding might be realized, to produce a heavenly though still terrestrial city (Carey 39)Thus the vast movement through space was to establish and extend Gods kingdom on earth. If we were to look at society today it is clear that the most dominant religion today is the Christian and Catholic faith. In my opinion the control of space through instantaneous transmission was exceptionally successful, further emphasizing religious reasons were a major motive. Supplementary evidence of this comes from the invention of the telegraph. This is because when it was first invented and used the first thing that was transmitted was what hat h God wrought (Carey 39) this showed a strong religious connection. The transmission view of communication was seen as the sending of information between sender and receiver for the goal of dissemination of knowledge over space. Therefore if one were to look at the newspaper under the transmission view, it would be seen as a medium seeking to inform, not to integrate us in the national and worldwide events. In my opinion examining the newspaper under the transmission view desensitizes the events around us, since we are not taking on the personalities in the news but merely being informed. Without integration one could argue that we become without emotion when reading the newspaper under the transmission view. This view of communication is the one the truly dominates our capitalistic culture. On the other hand the ritual view of communication is the older of the two views and is the one that has the lesser effect on our society today. As basic metaphor for the ritual view of communication is considered ceremony, where the participants roles are actually participants not sender receiver like in the transmission view. The ritual view of communication focuses on the sharing of information and the preservation across time. In addition the ritual view of communication is not concerned with disseminating messages over space. In the opinion of James Carey in a ritual definition, communication is linked to terms such as sharing, participation, association, fellowship, and the possession of a common faith (Carey 40) Therefore this view of communication calls for integration of the participants since it draws people together in fellowship and commonality, much like church for certain religions. One would not simply go to church and not participate in the singing, praying, and joyo us clapping that takes place. An argument against the ritual view of communication could be that since it is culturally biased, there could be some ethnocentric problems. This is because not everyone shares the same beliefs, so some rituals may offend others or they might misunderstand. When examining the newspaper under the ritual view, you are not intended to gain information from it, but to become one with the stories within the paper. Like the definition of ritual views says you become a participant. Under the ritual view medias are not used for social interaction, i.e. discussing television show with friends during conversation, but are instead forms of social integration. With all the reality TV shows around us nowadays there is some evidence that the ritual view of communication is making a slight comeback. This is because reality TV shows try to integrate the audience with the events in the show to form social connection. Reality TV shows are able to facilitate a sense of be longing, refuge and community even if the audience isnt directly interacting, for instance the, The Biggest Loser had a huge effect on many people. Therefore under the ritual view of communication people are more inclined to take on vicarious roles depending on the media used. From reading the Carey article I would tend to say that he prefers the ritual view of communication because he feels that the transmission view is over used in todays society. In addition Carey feels that the transmission view of communication can no longer keep up with technology or the social change of modern time, Although it led to solid achievement it could no longer go forward without disastrous intellectual and social consequences (Carey 42) My interpretation of this is that Carey feels that with the transmission model of communication it will fail to keep up with technology and will lose its control over space. For example nowadays the government is having trouble controlling peer to peer file sharing, which in a sense follows the transmission model. Therefore the social consequence of this is damage to intellectual property. Carey doesnt hate the transmission model; he would just rather see more of the ritual view of communication, since there is an influx of transmission co mmunication around us. Everywhere we look transmission communication has a hold/control of us. Transmission communication is analogous to the hypodermic needle effect. Meaning whatever we see in the mass media through transmission communication has a direct and powerful effect upon the audience. An excellent example of this is advertisements; commercials for trucks are made to control our thoughts and beliefs about the product in a positive way, which eventually leads to us going to buy the product. However under the ritual view this commercial would have helped us in connecting with a certain group or role. In conclusion, models of communication are, then, not merely representation of communication but representations for communication. (Carey 47) Therefore different models of communication allow us to communicate effectively depending on the situation, if we were advertising we would definitely want to communicate through the transmission model.

The Sublime Savage: Caliban on Setebos Essay -- Caliban on Setebos Ess

The Sublime Savage: Caliban on Setebos "Caliban my slave, who never / Yields us kind answer." (The Tempest, I.ii.310-1) "Caliban on Setebos" was one of Robert Browning's more popular poems among the Victorians, for its presumed satire of orthodox Calvinism, Puritanism, and similarly grim Christian sects. And Browning as Shakespeare's savage does indeed seem to hurl a few barbs in that direction, but the poet's exercise seems to be as much one in alternative theology. Caliban's bog-bound conjectures, in their significant departures from standard religious doctrine, serve as both an interesting repudiation of Archdeacon Paley's attempts to rationalize God, and as an entertaining 'science-fiction' tale, if you will, of religious thought under alternate circumstances. Caliban is, of course, the "salvage and deformed slave" of Shakespeare's dramatis personae in The Tempest, son of the deceased witch Sycorax, servant of the mage Prospero, consort of and bootlicker for Stephano and Trinculo, failed plotters and drunken buffoons. "As disproportion'd in his manners / As in his shape" (V.i.290-1), he has tried to ravish Prospero's daughter Miranda before being exiled to his cave, and in the course of the play attempts to overthrow Prospero himself and install Stephano on the throne of the island. At last, though, Duke Prospero comes to pardon even Caliban -- "This thing of darkness I / acknowledge mine" (V.i.275-6), and his drudge promises to "be wise hereafter, / and seek for grace" (V.i.294-5) or favor with his master. Browning certainly did his research in crafting the poem: near the end of the work, Caliban cowers under Setebos' "raven that has told... ... in a way, / Taketh his mirth with make-believes" (ll. 168-9). Caliban's easy acceptance of a capricious, often cruel deity, and his willingness to abase himself in penance for irrational divine anger, serves as a satiric reproof to both Paley and the Calvinists, and eloquent support for Browning's more palatable God of love. Shakespeare's Prospero claims that, without his help and education, Caliban "didst not, savage, / Know thine own meaning, but wouldst gabble like / A thing most brutish" (I.ii.357-9). Some of Browning's detractors considered "Caliban on Setebos" still to be brutish, for its harsh language and unpleasant philosophy. Yet the poem is successful in its aim: it is an effective purgative to complacent religious theory, and an entertaining glimpse into a putative religion based on quite different tenets from Victorian Christianity.

Analysis of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury Essay -- Literature Fahrenh

Analysis of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury Imagine living in a world where you are not in control of your own thoughts. Imagine living in a world in which all the great thinkers of the past have been blurred from existence. Imagine living in a world where life no longer involves beauty, but instead a controlled system that the government is capable of manipulating. In Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, such a world is brought to the awareness of the reader through a description of the impacts of censorship and forced conformity on people living in a futuristic society. In this society, all works of literature have become a symbol of unnecessary controversy and are outlawed. Individuality and thought is outlawed. The human mind is outlawed. All that is left is a senseless society, unaware of their path to self-destruction, knowing only what the government wants them to know. By telling a tale of a world parallel to our own, Bradbury warns us of a future we are on a path to -- a future of mind manipulation, misused technology, ignorance, and hatred. He challenges the reader to remain open-minded by promoting individualism, the appreciation of literature, the defiance of censorship and conformity, and most importantly, change. Bradbury's inspiration to convey the themes involved in the novel resulted mainly from the social situation of the time. First of all, the novel was written shortly after World War II and increasing numbers of authors began writing about serious topics. Also, the invention of the atom bomb had aroused the Cold War and the use of technology as a form of destruction (Touponce 124). Seeing technology as a potential threat to the well-being of mankind, Bradbury uses Fahrenheit 451 to state his distrust for it in the novel, which explains why the devices are depicted as "chilling, impersonal gadgets of mechanized anti-culture,'; (Mogen 141). Also, as the television was becoming the main form of communication in the 50's, Bradbury believed that it was "reducing society to very mediocre tastes'; (Touponce 125). As a defense against the degradation of literature (as well as peoples' minds), Bradbury intended to teach us of the importance of books by showing us the misery involved in a w orld that lacks them. Another social consequence leading to the writing of Fahrenheit 451 was that, at the time, the country was going through what was ... ...is one must "crash'; some time. In Bradbury's society, all communication to the disturbing outside world had been cut off in order to keep the citizens from worrying. Yet, the society had been living in blind happiness, oblivious to the war raging outside their "world'; and the bomb that finally destroyed them. The horrific society that Bradbury had depicted had been intended to be parallel to our own in order to provide us with a warning. He is warning us of the consequences of censorship and conformity. He is warning us of a future of ignorance. He is warning us of a path we may take if we are not careful. He incites us to remain open-minded and to take on our own quests for self-improvement through knowledge. He teaches us to value books in order to gain that knowledge. He pushes us to fight the censorship that suppresses great minds and hides this knowledge, of which without, we may never know the problems of our culture. Our future depends entirely upon the truth and intelle ctual freedom, and if we do not rise from the ashes of our present like the Phoenix, we may fall victim to self-destruction and ultimately put an end to ourselves, much like Bradbury's fictional society.

Gain credibility as a writer Essay

Any writer who is looking to build a successful career must gain an authority within the writing/publishing industry. Credibility assures customers that a writer is an established and respected professional. If you are searching for ways to gain credibility as a writer, consider the following steps. The best way to become a credible writer is to be a better writer, and the best way to improve your writing is to write everyday. Use whatever mediums are available to you, the Internet, local newspapers and magazines. A credible writer is someone who knows as much about writing as possible. Understanding the technicalities, writing rules and styles is imperative in this industry. For this reason, you should take writing classes and workshops in various areas of writing, and specifically in your own genre of writing, as well as attend conventions and conferences. Have an established writer provide some additional content for your site. Once you build your own reputation, ask that credible writer if you can submit an article. If you are a skilled writer, you will be invited to write for other blogs. Write for as many as you can and expand your readership. This in turn will build your writing integrity and reputation If you write a blog that is focused on the art of writing, then you will build credibility with every entry. Potential clients will read your work. A blog is better than a resume because it demonstrates your skill of writing. Just make sure that every entry you write is edited. Just like a blog can build your credibility as a great writer, it can damage it with a single typo.

Ethical Issues in International Business

Ethical refers to the approved right or wrong in doing and especially in making a decision for the business. Businesses focus on profit maximization drops ethical practices in their daily doing mostly for the long term effect. Ethical involved in business are like, bribery and corruption, environment regulations and human rights.The use of ethical minimizes legal problems to business. Business which avoids law compliance to its operation incurs huge loses when caught in erroneous. This may results to sanctions, high legal fee charges or heavy fines. Due to public awareness and publicity the business damages its reputation which highly affects it than fees and fines. Business that maintains ethical, experiences conducive environment and has no law suit challenges (Wolf, R., & Issa, T. (2015). Ethical creates high morale to the employee by good and respectful treatment. This is passed through to the customers by employees, bringing in repeat business. These good morals improve market share. A business that observes ethical has high chance of winning a competitive advantage in a client. Any shareholder feels satisfied in investing in such business structure where their shares are not at risk of unethical activities.The business objective is a better world, this can be achieved ethically .Promoting strong public image. A business observing ethical is advantaged to growth, earning customer royalty, conducive working environments thus building an organization of high value to all stakeholders. Such a business observes the environmental and contributes towards community projects. This ethical enhances growth of business and moreover betterment of the world class. Ethical in business can be achieved and improve both profit and world betterment. ReferencesIn Wolf, R., & In Issa, T. (2015). International business ethics and growth opportunities.Rothlin, S., & McCann, D. (2016). International Business Ethics: Focus on China. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg