Victorian era Essay Example for Free

Victorian era Essay The Hound Of The Baskervilles is an intricate crime detective novel, which is a part of the classic British detective genre. It is set in romantic landscapes surrounded by more land giving the tale the perfect setting for supernatural behaviour. In association with the required Victorian taste, justice prevails at the end of the novel where the detectives discover the true culprits of the crime showing the reader that wrong doings can be overcome as well as reassuring them morally and socially that they are safe. Chapter 14 is one of the most important chapters in the novel because all the unknown events finally become answered in a manner, which would be believable in the 18th century. In the climatic chapter Conan Doyle uses heavy atmosphere and mood to develop variable psychological effects from using devices like fear, shock, surprise or and unexpected twist in the plot from unsuspected occurrences. In this 18th century story, pathetic fallacy is used to accentuate the weather scenarios and environments, which is of the Victorian era, particularly at the time where ghostly mysterious tales were very popular. Any classic British detective always traditionally has a sidekick. In the case of Sherlock Holmes his sidekick is Dr Watson who is an incredibly intelligent character and is addicted to opium. The relationship between Watson and Holmes is a very strong one and is held together by a grand admiration on Watsons part. Watsons admiration is proven in the quote: He had never said as much before, and I must admit that his words gave me a keen pleasure. This shows us Watson is incredibly excited by the fact that Holmes had recognised him and that he has an extreme admiration for him that any accomplishments would be a pleasurable experience. Holmes thinks of Watson as a friend, companion and an assistant if not his conductor of light, this means that Watson is not a genius but he occasionally gives Holmes inspiration to see unseen factors. In Chapter 14 we see the character of Holmes to be very much a genius as he has completely unravelled the curse and has proved it to be physical so that he can actually deal with it, therefore it is definitely a murder case, and the idea of it been supernatural has been dismissed. This is proven in the quote, Its dead whatever it is, said Holmes, We laid the familys ghosts once and forever. Watsons character as the sidekick is shown immensely well in chapter 14, as he witness and tells of Holmess physical and mental superiority and Watson is shown average compared to Holmes. Never have I seen a man run as Holmes did that night. I am reckoned fleet of foot, but he out paced me as much as I out paced the little professor. But in the next instance Holmes had emptied five barons of his revolver into the creatures flank. These quotes illustrate that even though Watson is good physically and mentally quite sharp, more so even than the little professor, Lestrade, but compared to Holmes he is inferior. Holmes is proven to be an amateur detective shown to us by the presence of Lestrade, the actual police officer who is there to make lawful arrest. Are you armed Lestrade? The little detective smiled as long as I have my trouser, I have a hit pocket, and as long as I have a hit pocket I have something in it. This statement can also be interpreted to be a very inappropriate joke and clashes with the serious detective genre. The use of melodramatic speech in chapter 14 is of such an extent that to the modern era it would be out of place but for the Victorian era, which it was written for, it seems intricately placed relating to the strong beliefs of the Victorians. Watson clearly describes the use of melodrama in the quotation, As her beautiful head fell upon her chest I saw the clear red weal of a whiplash across her neck The brust! cried Holmes. This speech is very melodramatic and re-enforces how significant harming a women was in the time of the Victorian. Conan Doyle, in chapter 14 of the Hound of the Baskervilles uses a vast amount of melodramatic description of the hounds to create tension. For example, fire burst from its open mouth, its eyes glowing with a smouldering glare. This portrayal of the hound would be immensely alarming to the reader forcing them into the belief that it would almost be impossible for any man to defeat a beast with such fearsome characteristics. Conan Doyle generates atmospheric suspense by explaining how the facial expressions relate to exactly to what is happening to them. We see this in the quotation; Sir Henry looked back, his face white in the moonlight, his hands raised in horror, glaring helplessly at the frightful thing which was hunting him down. The melodramatic description used here explaining the fear that had amounted on Sir Henry as the hound was ready to pounce on him effectively shows us the horrific situation he is in and that the death, and the curse of the Baskervilles is finally coming to an end. Conan Doyle conveys the mood and atmosphere through using exceptionally detailed descriptions of the surrounds, and much usage of different weather patterns to set a certain ambience, all giving out a fairly tense and mysterious effect. In chapter 14, Dartmoor is described as having a glooming curve with jagged, and sinister hills these adjectives have connotations of depression, and not anything being smooth as if something is wrong. This description darkens the atmosphere and prepares the audience for bad forthcoming events, which makes the reader feel menacing atmosphere. One of the most important senses known to man is sight. As there is lack of light on the moor the detectives result in using their hearing to its full extent. Their hearing seems to be amplified somewhat making any sound that is heard become an eerie one of danger and supernatural behaviour. In the beginning of the chapter there is very heavy fog, which creates a dismal yet mysterious atmosphere, it states the fog to be so heavy that it might have impaired their vision when they were tracking down the hound. The fog in this chapter plays a key part because it stands for the ignorance of the characters, and acts as an excuse to explain what they do not fully understand. To Holmes the fog is, The one thing which could have disarranged my plans. As the story become less of a mystery when they find that they can explain the bizarre antics of the hound the fog dies out. Phosphorus. I said. A cunning preparation of it, Holmes said. This quote explains, using scientific reasons, for the hound behaviour. All the questions have become answered and in the Victorian era, the much-appreciated use of scientific knowledge helped to resolve them, leaving the reader feeling at ease and satisfied.

A Christian View of Suffering Essay -- The Value of Suffering

The concept of suffering plays an important role in Christianity, regarding such matters as moral conduct, spiritual advancement and ultimate destiny. Indeed an emphasis on suffering pervades the Gospel of Mark where, it can be argued, we are shown how to "journey through suffering" (Ditzel 2001) in the image of the "Suffering Son of Man" (Mark 8:32), Jesus Christ. Although theologians have suggested that Mark was written to strengthen the resolve of the early Christian community (Halpern 2002, Mayerfeld 2005), the underlying moral is not lost on a modern reader grappling with multifarious challenges regarding faith in the face of suffering. In his article "A Christian Response to Suffering", William Marravee (1987) describes suffering as an "experience over which we men and women continue to stumble and fall". The way we view God is crucial to the way we view suffering according to Marravee, who delineates the disparity between a view of God as an ‘outsider’ and the biblical image of God – where God is an ‘insider’ who suffers with us in our struggle. This essay seeks to explain the Christian view of suffering and the purpose suffering can have in our lives. Suffering is an individual's basic affective experience of pain or distress, often as a result of one’s physical, emotional or spiritual circumstance (Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy 2006). Suffering can be classified as physical; for example pain caused by a dislocated knee, emotional; for example one’s grief over the death of a loved one, or spiritual; which is described as the state of being separated from the blissful nature of your divine self (soul). To suffer physically or emotionally is often unavoidable; however it can be argued that spiritual liberation... ...s distributed in Theology 101 at the University of Notre Dame, Fremantle on 22 April 2008. Marravee. W, 1987, â€Å"A Christian Response to Suffering†, Review for Religious, no. 46, pp. 256-260. Mayerfeld. J, 2005, Suffering and Moral Responsibility. New York: Oxford University Press. Pope John Paul II (1984), Apostolic Letter: SALVIFICI DOLORIS, [Online], Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Available at: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_letters/documents/hf_jpapl_11021984_salvifici-doloris_en.html [27 April 2008]. Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy (2006), Suffering [Online], Metaphysics Research Lab, Available at: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/pleasure/ [3 May 2008]. Trip, D. (1999), â€Å"The Christian view of suffering† [Online], Exploring Christianity. Available from: http://www.christianity.co.nz/suffer4.htm [Accessed 18 April 2008].

Organization development Essay

This paper presents an overview of an article by Padraig Healy on training in Zimbabwean public sector organizations. It outlines the methods of organization development as detailed by Healy and offers a critique of the article produced as a report on the implementation of his own training program as an alternative to previously implemented ones. The paper then goes on to assess the company Petroleum Development Oman, offering insights into the company’s leadership structure, organizational culture, communication practices, and organizational structure. It also offers some analysis of these practices in light of organization development theory. Article Idea Summarized In the article by Padraig Healy, â€Å"Training and Public Sector Reform: An Integrated Approach,† the author defines organization development as a strategic method of defining and aligning companies underlying goals in an effort to increase its effectiveness within the sphere of its operation. Healy reminds his readers that one of the main goals of such development is to facilitate the organization’s ability to compete with rival companies, and such competition takes place at the levels of performance and output. He emphasizes that it is through carefully planned developmental strategies as well as through their proper execution that these goals can be met. He shows, also, that the ability to set and achieve these goals is of immense importance to managers in today’s work environments. Healy demonstrates his understanding of the need for training in building company capacity. Yet the article then gets more specific in addressing the limitations of training as a stand-alone method of organizational development. As a method of strengthening the capacity of an organization to handle all the aspects of its responsibilities, Healy offers an alternative that mixes capacity building with a top-down cultivation of trust between/among managers and employees (Lesmeister, 1992). It therefore goes without saying that the role of the manager is indispensable to the proper development of any organization, whose efforts are to be coupled with an thorough understanding of the organization’s culture in order to attain the general and specific developmental goals set forth for the company. Discussion of themes and arguments Healy begins his article with a discussion of organizational development. He stresses the fact that managers cannot afford to consider organization development as something that takes place spontaneously. Rather, he shows how it is generated through the orchestrated efforts of the stakeholders involved in a particular company. Planning is particularly necessary as such development involves a long range approach and a long-term commitment to the general course of action decided upon (CODL, 2004; Leadership and Organization Development, 2004). Such plans also involve detailed analysis of the organization’s cultural climate as well as its performance as it regards trends as well as alongside its competitors. This particular point made by Healy hits on an important aspect of management, as without a detailed understanding of the positive and negative aspects of the current organization’s performance, it becomes impossible for management to formulate and execute an effective plan for improvement of the company. Healy also correctly notes that such improvement can occur on more than one level, not the least of which is employee performance. This variable affects other important ones, such as organizational output and general performance (Packard, 2005). The article then demonstrates how organization development is considered to be organization-wide since it focuses on the total system. It explains OD as the method through which a system whose climate is managed from the top, so that the heads of the organization set examples concerning the methods of action to be taken at all lower levels of the company (Gallagher, 2000; Mindek, 2005). The ownership of the strategy by workers within the organization is thought to stem directly from this, as they are expected to take their cues from the executives. The article by Padraig Healy goes further by offering a practical application of the theory in a particular situation. It demonstrates how organization development was applied in the public sector and analyzes the success of the various approaches. The first step according to the organization development method is to implement a thorough analysis of and intervention into the performance of workers within that sector. Healy finds that that though most of the employed people are the natives within their working environment, the quality of much of the work done is substandard. In order to solve this problem, rigorous training has been undertaken in order to improve the quality of work, thus increasing the outputs and the level of performance from the workers (King & Colonies, 2006). According to this practical section of the article, training is implemented as a series of events, which includes various workshops, seminars and study visits (Healy, 2001; Lesmeister, 1992). It is significantly different from just adjusting the knowledge and skills of the employees in order to meet the demands of the organization; rather, it can be classified as action research that focuses on the implementation of proposed improvement plan and the charting of the results at each stage of the implementation. Training people in that context demonstrated how much of an investment employee development is, and shows the major requirement of time and money involved. Furthermore, the Healy article suggests reasons why such large-scale development might be a luxury that most developed countries would have difficulty achieving, though they would profit from it greatly (Healy 2001; McNamara, 1997). Strengths and Weaknesses In the article, Padraig Healy performs a good analysis in his consideration of the local situation as he shows himself able to highlight the fact that the organization development performed in the public sector is demonstrates benefits of (as well as the necessity for) rigorous planning. Showing how this is achieved through an in-depth visualization of the situation helps the reader understand not just the concept of organization development but its application to real life situations. Healy also demonstrates a commendable ability to highlight (within this specific Zimbabwean context) the need for astute, active, and honest CEOs that can identify and take ownership of problems and their causes. Since the organization that already existed within the nation had already been associated with weak organizational systems, the results of the application of the training to these leaders as well as to employees demonstrated the need for reforming the training models (Lesmeister, 1992). Healy’s article was also very adept at explaining the need to have key policy makers and leaders that are able to identify, re-examine and then redistribute the important roles involved in the organization. This proved more effective compared with its previous existence which was apparently at the district level (McCourt & Sola, 1999). In the Healy article, the concept of change is given great importance, emphasizing it all throughout the organization. This is in accordance with the theory of organization development, which is one that embraces change. Within the article, organization development is shown to be very important at the public sector level because it deals with various concerns, including human resources, changing the nature of the workplace, global markets and the overall acceleration of change. The fact that Healy gives a practical demonstration of the interplay of all these departments makes his argument for organization-wide development stronger (Kappeler, 2007). Furthermore, in the aspect of human resources, the article takes in consideration the most important player in the organization: the people who do the work. In demonstrating the importance of employee development and training, Healy represents this demographic as contributing the largest degree to the costs incurred by organizations. This approach is effective in demonstrating the dire need for training employees, which represent such a large portion of an organization’s investment and have the ability to determine the success or failure for the organization. The assessment of the areas in which the training program was successful and where it failed also served as a good method of demonstrating the effectiveness of the different types of training programs. Information from this article can therefore be synthesized with others in order to further refine the methods of training in the hope of finding or creating one that is most effective. The organization development weakness (as shown through the Healy article and his application of the concept in Zimbabwe) is its low level of efficacy in the short term. It can often prove self defeating that the real effect or outcome of organization development is most evident over a longer period of time—especially when organizational change is considered an expedient necessity. The paper demonstrates through its attempt to find an improved method of organization development, that even though more than one way exists, it is always best to have the luxury of time in which to implement any of the methods. However, one drawback of this paper is that it deals solely with methods of training, and does not mention other methods of organization development, such as employee promotion, merit-based pay, benefits attractive to already skilled personnel, and decrease of political control on public sector budgets (Besley & McLaren, 1993; Evans and Rauch, 1999; McCourt & Sola, 1999). Conclusion This article is essential in the field of organization development because it shows the various factors that are at play within public sector organizations and how they affect the different aspects of these companies. Healy’s Zimbabwe example presents a concrete look at the complexity of organization development, and how it requires the training of leaders, the careful planning of things, the setting of goals, and other concepts that interplay in the achievement of these goals. The article shows that organization development demands the totality of all the efforts beginning with the leaders (through management training) and then extending downward through the employees and into production. The Case of Petroleum Development Oman: Introduction Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) is considered to be the biggest oil explorer and producer in Oman. It is a national company that has the biggest share in the country’s oil production, accounting for about 90% of Oman’s crude oil and almost all of the country’s natural gas supply. PDO can be considered as a large organization, wherein other companies share in its interests, not only the country of Oman. Despite these strong points, the organization lacks unity in its management and leadership, and this disunity is funneled down to the level of employees. These problems are thought to contribute to a below-optimal production rate. Developmental Background In the Case of Petroleum Development Oman, it is managed and owned by separate entities which include the Government of Oman, having a 60% share of interest, Royal Dutch Shell which has a 34% interest, Total, who poses a 4% share of interest and Partex who has a 2% interest (PDO, 2007). Because of this, the leadership and management are not fully unified, and this disunity factor creates an important effect in the case of PDO’s organization development. First of all, the proper approach to (and implementation of) organization development could help usher in a renewal process, which PDO could encounter when and if it chooses to focus on the efficiency and collaboration of the administration. When ones speaks of efficiency, it is undeniable that PDO (like so many other organizations that are lacking in this aspect) just try to supplement this deficiency by increasing the size of the work force. Yet this has not solved the problem, but complicated it, as with the greater number of employees has come a larger responsibility for each managerial personnel. The difficulty of trying to manage a larger workforce with the limited amount of skill and unity has made the job of the manager that more difficult. In this, the company also demonstrates itself as being production oriented rather than employee focused. Yet the Islamic culture also plays a role in this set-up, where work teams are socialized to sacrifice their own comforts for the sake of the team objective. This is where organizational development has the opportunity to improve conditions at PDO. Leadership The leadership structure of the company is defined by a board of directors that control the different divisions of the company: North, South, and Gas divisions. This board consists of 12 members, and included in this number are the managing director and the deputy managing director. The managing director serves also as chairman of the board. The standard setters, as mentioned earlier, are directed or overseen by functional directors, who are also in charge of recruiting and allocating the staff under their jurisdiction. Presumably, they are also in charge of seeing to the capabilities of that staff, by means of training as well as other methods. These functional directors are also in charge of determining the production process, and are therefore termed â€Å"process owners† (PDO, 2007). The work of the Petroleum Development Oman’s board of directors is to devise and make available to the managing directors the objectives of the firm. This is therefore a direct allusion to the planning that takes place in the company’s organization development. The twelve-member board, which includes the Minister of Oil and Gas as chairman, are representatives of the country Oman’s government. This therefore points toward the inextricability of politics from the running of the company, and demonstrates that Petroleum Development Oman can be considered a definitively public-sector company. Therefore, the methods of training identified by the Healy study would appear to be applicable within this organization. Analyzing the situation from a developmental standpoint, one can see clearly that in several areas the principles of organization development are being properly applied in the case of this multinational company, Petroleum Development Oman. The notion of an organization is said to be a conglomeration of efforts from two or more people which are working together towards a common goal, and that is usually the issue of productivity and effectiveness. However, with management and leaders divided among governmental and private sectors, one might find some cause for alarm in the case of PDO. When it comes to the concept of leadership, the case of Petroleum Development Oman mirrors that of many other multinational organizations. PDO is headed by a number of leaders, since many owners exist within the corporation. The majority of the company’s shares is held by the government while the rest is divided up among several smaller companies. The divided nature of the ownership could give rise to the lack of unity regarding the decisions that must be made about the company’s management. However, the organization seems to have countered this through its representative board and the way it has chosen to structure its functionality division as the authors and directors of the company’s process.

Why Alexander the Great Was Great. - 1002 Words

It is quite common to go through life following the demands of society and refusing to be unique, allowing it to shape and characterise the lives within the society. In fact, society is even apt of delineating the lives amongst it. However Alexander III, King of Macedon, Pharaoh of Egypt, Supreme Commander in Chief of all Greeks and Emperor of Persia, was not a follower. He was the person leading society; the moulder, the shaper. Through his instantaneous reaction and actuation, he was able to make to important decisions, and it was evident that Alexander was a large influence on his people through the observations of his unconditional courage and bravery. The vicissitude he bequeathed to military tactics made it perceptible that he was†¦show more content†¦Stories of a celestial birth or omens of potential triumph had impacts on Alexander’s behaviour in both negative and positive aspects. Due to the fact that Alexander was so great, he charged head first into many ba ttles and won almost all of them. However, he forced his army into those battles, knowing that many would not come out alive. He risked so many lives for his own greater benefit because he thought he was so great and he thought that he was invincible. Despite this, he showed gratitude towards his men, paying off their debts as a gesture of thanks. Also, without the royal propaganda told to him, he may have never believed in himself as much as he did, he wouldn’t have conquered so much, he wouldn’t have been great. Therefore the royal propaganda benefited him more than it did weigh him down. Because of what he had achieved, what he had conquered, it was hard for many to believe that Alexander died in a drunken state. Despite the mistakes he made; neglecting his men’s wishes, executing anyone who disobeyed him, putting others at risk because of royal propaganda, Alexander had achieved so much which is why he is great. He founded seventy cities, and twenty-five are still substantiated which shows what a legend he was. He adapted his battle plans according to the environment he was in and the enemies he was facing showing that he learnt well and skilfully used his teacher’s, Aristotle, advice. Greatness is not a virtue that is obtained by everyone. It isShow MoreRelatedAlexander As A Man Of Greatness1434 Words   |  6 PagesAlexander III of Macedon also known as, Alexander the Great, made a name for himself many years ago but today his â€Å"greatness† is being questioned because of research conducted due to modern technology. In order for someone to be viewed as great, they would need lots of evidence supporting that they were a well-rounded person. I believe that alexander had rightfully earned this title because through my research I have only found evidence that Alexander was indeed a man of greatness. Although AlexanderRead MoreAlexander the Great Essay1358 Words   |  6 Pagesman named Alexander III of Macedon or more commonly known as, Alexander the Great. His father, King Phillip II, took the throne of Macedonia in 359 B.C.E and was able to turn Macedonia into the strongest military power in the entire Greek world. Macedonia was a state in the north eastern region of Greece. Alexander III of Macedon was born in 356 B.C.E in Pella; the ancient capital of Macedonia, Alexander grew up in the shadow of his father’s success in transforming Macedonia into a great militaryRead MoreWhat Made Alexander of Macedon Known as Alexander the Great?1114 Words   |  5 PagesWhy Alexander of Macedon is called â€Å"Alexander the great† and most successfully man in conquering the world known kingdoms? The answer is easy forward. 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While in reign from 336 to 323 B.C, he united the Greek city-states and led the Corinthian League. He also became the king of Persia, Babylon and Asia as well as created Macedonian colonies in the regionRead MoreAlexander the Great Summary 16861 Words   |  4 PagesAlexander the Great Alexander the Great was the king of Macedonia, conqueror of the Persian Empire, and one of the greatest military geniuses of all times. Even at an early age, Alexander had the promise to become a great leader. Through all his victories and conquests, he has become a great hero and has had a large impact on history. That is why I chose he book Alexander the Great, by J.R. Hamilton for my review. Hamilton does a very good job with the story of Alexander the Great. The bookRead MoreHow Great Was Alexander The Great?810 Words   |  4 PagesHow Great Was Alexander the Great? You are trudging through the desert. The sun is blazing and you are already very dehydrated. 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History has recorded that he was a man of many feats. Born in Macedonia he would later become an excellent solder, a great man and an intelligent politician. Many look to him as one of histories greatest leaders and greatest of men. Being the young man he was and the leader of a nation, it brought out a hunger for victory. Shown by his military tactics and the amount territory that he conquered. His wisdom and intelligent mind may have been due to the fact that his mentor