Brendon Gallacher and Medusa Essay

Loss is a key, reoccurring theme in my two poems of choice; ‘Brendon Gallacher’ and ‘Medusa. ’ ‘Brendon Gallacher’ is an affectionate elegy for an imaginary, eponymous childhood friend, ‘Medusa’ is a poem divided into stanzas of mostly equal length. Both poets use varying language to help the reader visualise the characters’ feelings and persona. Emptiness and loss are presented in both poems through numerous techniques including alliteration, imagery and refrain. There is a childlike quality to Jackie Kay’s elegy for the death of an imaginary friend. The persona uses simple language and a range of techniques such as colloquialism. Contrastingly, in Medusa, Duffy uses a sombre tone thought the poem which helps the poem flow naturally and contributes to the developing sorrow. In ‘Brendon Gallacher’, Jackie Kay’s use of a repetitive refrain gives a song-like quality; this is further reinforced by the interjections that show grief in the last lines: ‘Oh Brendon, Oh my Brendon Gallacher’. The passing of Brendon leaves an empty void, filled by the repetition of ‘Brendon Gallacher’, which demonstrates fixation and inability to let ones feelings pass – an emotional attachment; ‘Brendon’ as opposed to the full name previously used. The repetition of the possessive pronoun emphasizes the idea that Brendan belongs to the narrator, and emphasizes the theme of loss and longing for something that is gone. Similarly, Duffy uses evocative language immediately by beginning on the theme of obsession/mistrust. Duffy emphasises this by the list of three, â€Å"suspicion, doubt and fear† which â€Å"grew in her mind†, allowing the flow of thoughts through enjambment. This doubt and fear shows that Medusa is somewhat compulsive and has lost any freedom or ability to control her thoughts. Moreover in Brendon Gallacher, they meet ‘in the open air’, as if Brendon represents autonomy and journeying; he talks of ‘Some place far’, which offers a purpose for the narrator to live on. This is all lost with the ‘death’ of Brendon. A physical loss rather than emotional loss is demonstrated through the words â€Å"we’d been friends for years† and â€Å"he would hold my hand† which suggests there is an emptiness of physical intimacy. Similarly, Medusa was once a beautiful woman who was transformed into a horrible monster by the Greek goddess, Athena. Jealousy and paranoia transform the hair upon â€Å"Medusa’s† head, in the poem, into â€Å"filthy snakes. † Already the reader is aware of the change ‘turned the hairs’, giving the impression that she was not always like this and did at one point have beautiful hair. Both poets have used descriptive techniques and imagery to show the physical changes and loss each character has undergone. â€Å"One day when it was pouring and I was indoors†, this paragraph in Brendon Gallacher uses pathetic fallacy to make the mood evoke a loss of innocence which is reflected by the rainy weather. Immature language and description is used to help the audience visualise the narrator’s childhood, â€Å"He had six brothers and I had one† can be conveyed as quite childish and this might have been used to emphasise that the narrator is talking about her past when she was younger, her childhood emptiness and loss. Also, in Medusa the rhetorical questions, â€Å"Wasn’t I beautiful? Wasn’t I fragrant and young? † show insecurity due to the repetition of questions but also shows a side of innocence as is normally related to young people. Both poems show a loss of innocence, albeit in different ways. â€Å"Look at me now. † The single line in Medusa emphasises the final request that appears as a paradox, a plea for sympathy but also a threat. Another, loss, this time more mentally affecting, Medusa has lost control over her decisions, this is further enforced by her turning of others into stone; â€Å"bullet tears in my eyes†, â€Å"you were stone†, Medusa has lost her ability to even look at others, and much like her tears, her fate is set in stone. This varied sentence length is indulging and engrossing as it really questions the empathy of the reader. All in all, both poems have certain similarities when trying to present loss. Both ‘Brendon Gallacher’ and ‘Medusa’ use language to bring alive the thoughts of the characters. Duffy focuses more on the imagery and tone of the poem whereas Kay brings to life the exact detail to provide the full picture.

Balfour vs. Balfour Case Study

Law of contract BALFOUR vs. BALFOUR [1919] 2K. B. 571 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS 2. LIST OF CASES 3. FACTS OF THE CASE 4. ISSUES INVOLVED 5. CONTENTIONS 6. JUDGMENT 7. LAW POINT 8. BIBLIOGRAPHY LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS I. L. J. : Lord Justice II. AIR : All India Reporter III. QBD : Queen’s Bench Division IV. CBNS : Common Bench Report (New Series) V. AER :All England ReporterVI. CLR : Commonwealth Law Reports LIST OF CASES Cases referred to by the court of appeal in Balfour vs. Balfour: I. Eastland vs. Burchell (1878),3 Q. B. D. 432 II. Jolly vs. Rees (1864),15 C. B. N. S. 628 III. Debenham vs. Mellon (1880),6 App. Cas. 24 Cases having the same law point as Balfour vs. Balfour: I. Rose and Frank Co. vs. Crompton & Bros. Ltd. (1925) A. C. 445 II. Jones vs. Padavatton (1969) All E. R. 616 III. Meritt vs. Meritt (1970) 2 All E. R. 760 IV. S. V. R. Mudaliar vs. Rajababu AIR 1995 SC 1607. Some recent case laws having the same law point:I. Ermogenous v Greek Orthodox Community of SA Inc (2002) 209 CLR 95 Facts Archbishop Ermogenous made a claim for payments he thought due for annual and long service leave from the Greek Orthodox Community. He succeeded at first instance but the Full Court of the Supreme Court of SA found there was no intention to create legal relations between the parties. An appeal was made to the High Court. II. EDMONDS  v LAWSON  (2000) FACTS OF THE CASE After their marriage in August, 1900, the parties went to Ceylon, where the husband had a government post.In November, 1915, the wife came to England together with the husband, who was on leave. they both intended to return to Ceylon . In August,1916,the husband’s leave expired and he had to return to Ceylon ,but the wife ,on the advice of her doctor ,was to remain in England. On August 8, 1916, when the husband was about to sail, the wife alleged that the parties enter into an oral contract whereby the husband agreed to make an allowance of ? 30 a month. The parti es had not at that time agreed to live apart, but did so subsequently when differences arose between them.An action was taken by the wife against the husband to recover money which she claimed was due to her under the agreement, the alleged consideration for that agreement being a promise by her to support herself without calling upon him. ISSUES INVOLVED * Was there any legally enforceable contract? * Was there any intention to enter into a legal relationship? CONTENTIONS PLAINTIFF: In this case the wife said: â€Å"In august 1916, my husband’s leave was up . I was suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. My doctor advised my staying in England for some months, and not to go out till Nov. . I booked a passage for next sailing day in September. On august 8 my husband sailed. He gave me a cheque from august 8 to august 31 for 24 pounds, and promised to give me 30 pounds per month till I joined him in Ceylon. †She also showed some letters about which she said: â€Å"My husb and and I wrote the figures together on august 8 and 34 pounds were shown. Afterwards he said 30 pounds. † She wanted to recover money from her husband. DEFENDANT: The lower court entered judgment in favor of the plaintiff and held that the defendant’s promise to send money was enforceable.The court held that Mrs. Balfour’s consent was sufficient consideration to render the contract enforceable and the defendant appealed. JUDGEMENT At first instance, Sargant, J. , who was sitting as an additional judge of the King’s Bench Division took into account the points that the wife in this case sued her husband claiming that her husband had agreed to give her an allowance of ? 30 per month which he failed to give, she claimed that there was a binding legal contract and the husband shall in consideration of a promise by the wife pay her the sum of ? 0 a month . Sargant J. held that there was a binding agreement and gave the descion in the favor of the wife after thi s an appeal was filed by the husband. Warrington,L. J. a judge in the court of appeal noted that there was a valid consideration in this case and said that : â€Å"It seems to me on these letters that there was a definite bargain between the husband and the wife under which ,while the husband was in India and in a sufficient position and the wife was in England living separate from him ,she should be paid a definite sum of ? 0 a month ,and that agreement was made when the husband retuned to Ceylon ,and was reaffirmed on at least two occasions after unhappy differences had shown themselves ,at any rate on the part of the husband ,and when it was probable that their separation might last for some time. † Then he proceeded by saying that there was not exactly a valid contract because this agreement continued because of the circumstances which arose and this agreement cannot be termed as a legal contract because the intention to enter into a legal relation is missing.He observed that it was quite plain that no such contract was made in express terms, and there wasn’t any bargain on the part of the wife at all. All that took place was this; the two parties met in a friendly way and discussed what would be necessary for the support of the wife while she was in England,there wasn’t any proof that the wife wanted the sum of ? 30 as a compensation or in the satisfaction of the obligations of the husband towards her to maintain her. He said that â€Å"the husband expressed his intention to make the payment, and he was bound in honour to continue it so long as he was in a position to do so.The wife on the other hand, as far as I can see, made no bargain at all. †He concluded by saying that the judgment made by Sargant, J. , was wrong and the appeal should be allowed. DUKE,L. J. another judge in the court of appeal agreed with Warrington,L. J. and said that the only question in this case is whether the promise of the husband to the wife ,that w hile she was living absent from him he will make her a periodical allowance, is a promise which involves in law consideration on the part of the wife sufficient to convert the promise into an agreement.He said that according to him there wasn’t any legally enforceable contract and the basis of this agreement was the relationship of husband and wife and the proposition that the mutual promises made in the ordinary domestic relationship of husband and wife of necessity gives cause for action on a contract seems to go to the root of the relationship .He concluded by saying â€Å"I think that in point of principle there is no foundation for the claim which is made here ,and I am satisfied on the question of fact that there was no consideration moving from the husband to the wife or promise by the husband to the wife which was sufficient to sustain this action founded merely on contract . In my view ,the appeal must be allowed. † ATKIN,L. J. lso supported the judgment of th e other two judges and said that in the arrangements between husband and wife mutual promises are present but there is no consideration which is necessary for a legally enforceable contract, in addition to this the intention to be attended by legal consequences is also absent. Such cases can’t be sued upon because the parties in the inception of the arrangement never intended that they should be sued upon. He said : â€Å"I think that the parol evidences upon which the contract turns does not establish a contract .I think that the written evidences don’t evidence a contract . For this reason I think that the judgment of the learned judge in the court below was wrong ,and that this appeal should be allowed. LAW POINT The law point in this case is: Intention to create legal relationship. Intention to create legal relations is an essential element for creation of a contract. Intention to create legal relations is defined as an intention to enter a legally binding agreeme nt or contract. It consists of readiness of a party to accept the legal sequences of having entered into an agreement.Intention to create legal relations is a motion of every contracting party must have the necessary intention to enter into a legally binding contract. Promise in the case of social engagements is generally without an intention to create a legal relationship. Such an agreement therefore, cannot be considered to be a contract. Thus an agreement to go for a walk ,to go to a movie, to play some game, or entertain another person with with a dinner, cannot be enforced in a court of law.Sometimes the parties may expressly mention that it is not a formal or legal agreement, whereas in some other cases such an intention could be presumed from their agreement. Under UK law, an agreement supported by consideration is not enough to create a legally binding contract; the parties must also have an intention to create legal relations. Often, the intention to create legal relations is expressly stated by the contracting parties. In other situations, the law will readily imply the intention, because of the nature of the commercial dealings between the parties.Generally it is assumed that in social and domestic type of agreements this type of intention is absent, but parties do intend to create legal relations in commercial agreements. It is assumed that this doctrine was not clearly established until 1919. Alternatively, it can be said that the Doctrine is based upon public policy; that is to say that, as a matter of policy, the law of contract ought not to intervene in domestic situations because the courts would then be swamped by trifling domestic disputes.The test to know the intention of the parties is objective and not subjective merely because the promisor contends that there was no intention to create legal obligation would not exempt him from liability. It may be noted that although in the case of close relationship there may be generally no intention to create legal relationship but there is nothing which prevents these persons from agreeing to be bound by their promises thus if an arrangement clearly shows an intention to create legal relationship the parties become bound thereby.It is still an open question whether in the express provisions in the Indian Contract Act ,1872,the requirement of intention to contract is applicable in India. BIBLIOGRAPHY A. PRIMARY SOURCE [1918-19] All E. R. Rep. B. SECONDARY SOURCE Indian Contract Act –R. K. Bangia C. OTHER SOURCES www. indlaw. com www. indiankanoon. org http://www. australiancontractlaw. com

Batek Tribe of Malaysia Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Batek Tribe of Malaysia - Research Paper Example The paper tells that in our life we have â€Å"a web of values, meanings, and behavior† which is deeply infused in our everyday life. This is the essence of culture and it plays an important role in our lives. In a particular habitat where human beings stay they are considered to be the â€Å"ecologically dominant component.† Humans have always appropriated nature including the living and inanimate ambience to suit their purpose. One thing has to be kept in mind that a change occurs in humans over time which is both cultural as well as biological. However humans have always adapted to the change and progressed. Human beings have always selected established and refined modes of production so that there is an existence of long term coordination and settlement in a particular area. A change in the subsistence will not only bring about changes in conditions pertaining to food production but also in the socio- cultural base of a community. Thus we can say that a change in su bsistence is closely related to cultural changes. Subsistence mode differs among tribes in different places across the world. The pattern of the mode in turn also affects different aspects of the culture. The tribe selected here is the Batek of Malaysia and their chief mode of subsistence is foraging. Foraging, or hunting and gathering are considered to be the â€Å"oldest form of human society† and here survival was based on the exploitation of â€Å"flora and fauna.† People here mostly lived in small and independent communities. Nomadic lifestyle was followed here and goods produced were meant for self consumption. In this mode there is the strengthening of people’s obligations to each other because of continuous movement of goods through â€Å"kinship ties and residential proximity.† Here one cannot find the existence of personal wealth as there is the obligation to share and due to the nomadic life. Exercising authority over others on the basis of con trol over others is absent in this form and as a result there is the existence an â€Å"egalitarian structure in foraging societies† (Nowak & Laird, 2010). In this respect the paper seeks to examine the impact of subsistence mode and culture on the Batek tribe of Malaysia. One can see that there is a deep association between subsistence mode and culture. Culture is something that is inculcated by the Batek and it is often adapted to suit the changing subsistence mode. The Batek Tribe – basic characteristics and subsistence In the modern world people in order to keep pace with the ever changing world adopt new subsistence mode and move on in life. Even tribes often forced by circumstances abandon their traditional modes and adopts the latest to keep pace with the world in the name of development. Amidst this there is still the existence of the Batek tribe who has been foragers and they had been living like this for a long time. The Batek of Malaysia living in the penins ular region still follows foraging as their subsistence mode. At present most of them lives around Taman Negara, Peninsular Malaysia’s national park. Prior to this until 1970 most of them had been residing in the lowland rain forests which was field with ample flora and fauna was very much suitable for foraging type of subsistence. It is believed that both culturally and biologically the Batek are the descendents of the earliest human population found in the Malay Peninsula known as â€Å"Hoabinhians.† The Batek society follows the pattern of a nuclear family. So we find that the married couples in this tribe are independent in their decisions to live and to choose the kind of work they desire. â€Å"Personal autonomy† is very much valued by the Batek and any form of force is not seen over here. The authority of the parents over their children is found to be week. Orthodox views in case of marriages and divorces are not observed in this society. Men and women ar e free to choose their spouses and in

Carpe Diem in Poetry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Carpe Diem in Poetry - Essay Example Each path will take him to a very different destination, but from where he is standing at this point he doesn’t know the end result. He is pondering which road is his choice. Should he take the road most travelers take; or should he take the road a little different. He probably anticipates what his future holds, but will always wonder where the other road can carry him. However, if he takes the road expected of him and it doesn’t work out, â€Å"Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back;† he doubts if he will have the opportunity to make another choice. But yet in the last stanza he made his decision; he took the road that not many take, and apparently it worked out well. As time has moved on, he was not given a chance for another choice. However, he is happy with the outcome of his chosen path. Considering the line, â€Å"I shall be telling this with a sigh,† what does this mean? When the future comes, and I look back on my life and what could have been, did I make the right decision? How could my life have been different if I had taken another path? The fact remains you have to make a decision and no one knows what the outcome. When you come to the end of your life you realize that you don’t know what the right choice is until it’s all over. ... Looking at â€Å"To his Coy Mistress,† Andrew Marvell is truly taken by the beauty of this woman. â€Å"My vegetable love should grow,† he is comparing his love to how you grow to love vegetables. It’s a feeling that sustains the body, mind and soul. He adores this woman and wants to be with her, and he is telling her that he wants to show his heart. He, however, wants to make sure that everything is perfect for them. In the second paragraph, the mood changes a little and he is feeling that time is nearing and he wants to move things along a little quicker. He is afraid that if he waits too long he will not have the chance to be with her and show his love. In the third and final paragraph, he turns back to his feelings for the woman and how deeply he feels. â€Å"Our sweetness, up into one ball; And tear our pleasures with rough strife,† he wants to be with her in whatever life throws at them. In this paragraph Marvell shows â€Å"carpe diem,† to se ize the moment. He is saying that no one knows what life will bring, but that we can seize the present moment and make our own life together. We can grab the fire of life and move forward together. In Robert Herrick’s â€Å"To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time,† he puts it in a very simple form. â€Å"Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,† means to take advantage of youth while you have the chance, don’t wait until you are old and to much time has passed. The rose symbolizes life, and the bud virgins, the cycles of nature that represent the cycles of life. Just as life changes through cycles, youth, adulthood, marriage, children, and death; so does a rose. A rose sprouts buds and produces a flower, and eventually withers and loses it petals. He also states that with youth the, â€Å"blood

New Small Business Competes With Google, Bing and Yahoo Essay

New Small Business Competes With Google, Bing and Yahoo - Essay Example Gabriel Weinberg has established a mechanized that maximizes on the needs of its users, unlike the other search engines. A vast majority of search engines comprise of numerous ads that surround relevant pages, and personalized tracking. Gabriel Weinberg way was different from other search engines. He sought out to address the concerns of consumers that had queries while using these search engines. Gabriel Weinberg’s search engine proves to be a long time competitor to Google and other search engine. There is factual information to back this reasoning. Currently European and U.S officials have already begun criticizing practices that are considered to be monopolistic in nature. Google and other bigger search have been considered to be selective with regards to their star results. These are considered to favor some businesses and elbow out competitors. Additionally Gabriel Weinberg venture maintains that it will not track its users. A combination of these factors sheds light to the future. It is evident that this search engine will last and still be a long term foe to bigger search engines. As of late, the future holds good tidings for Gabriel Weinberg search engine over established ones. One major fact stands; it is a major threat to bigger search engines. Should Google not review their systems, facts prove that they may not be in

International Business Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

International Business Globalization - Essay Example Free zones have been set up in the UAE which are completely tax-free to attract investment (Zaman, 2011). The toy sales in UAE have been burgeoning recently with the rise in sales reaching the mark of 17% when the global sale has shrunk by 0.08% (Ligaya, 2009), as per the research of NSD, a US based Research firm. This has particularly raised the interest of Kids R Us to explore into the market of China. Kids R Us, a leading toy company, headquartered in Dubai is one of the largest in its category. The company has been largely successful in its line of products for children under the age of three, which has hugely contributed in the recent revenue earnings as per the company’s annual report. The company has recently been trying to enter the Chinese market with its new product called the â€Å"The Singing Piano† as a starter and wishes to expand with its other products after gaining a foothold in the Chinese toy market. Business Concept Kids R Us is an UAE toy company wi th its headquarters at Dubai. The company was small at its onset, but over the years, it has established itself as one of the largest in the toy making business. The company mainly specializes in the production of toys for children of all ages. However, it had started out with producing toys for infants and till date, the largest portion of the company’s revenue stems from the toys designed for infants. Mission The company pays huge attention to the corporate responsibilities. The mission of the company can be summarized as: Playing with integrity. Promoting the team spirit among the employees to increase the efficiency of the organizational structure. Promoting sustainability in its growth and reduce any toxic impacts on the environment. Playing for all, where it acts in a philanthropic... From the discussion it is clear that  globalization in the recent times has made the world a very small place. The positive impact of globalization has helped countries to attract more foreign investment into them to boost the overall growth. The eagerness of UAE to attract further foreign investments is evident from its policies since 2002. Owing to the easing polices taken since 2002 by the federal government, these restrictions are now relaxed to make the foreign firms invest in UAE. Free zones have been set up in the UAE which are completely tax-free to attract investment.This study stresses that Kids R Us is an UAE toy company with its headquarters at Dubai. The company was small at its onset, but over the years, it has established itself as one of the largest in the toy making business. The company mainly specializes in the production of toys for children of all ages. However, it had started out with producing toys for infants and till date, the largest portion of the company ’s revenue stems from the toys designed for infants. The company aims to establish itself as the most sustainable one in the business with the ambition of manufacturing in the most eco-friendly way. The slogan of the company aptly captures its vision statement which reads â€Å"Toys which makes the earth smile†.  Kids R Us aims to introduce its newest toy, â€Å"The Singing Piano† in the Chinese market. The toy was first launched in Dubai and met with stellar reviews. It has been observed that the sales of indoor games along with outdoor games have been on a rise.

Home Retail Group Financial Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Home Retail Group Financial Analysis - Essay Example The essay "Home Retail Group Financial Analysis" presents the financial analysis of Home Retail Group, one of the best home and general item retailers in the UK and provides its readers with financial, strategic and stock market information of Home Retail group. The information collected pertaining to above-mentioned areas would be manipulated into meaningful information so that the stakeholders of the company can analyze where the business is standing currently and where it should be in the future. Technological advancements are bringing rapid change in the style of business decision-making. Due to the rapid technological advancement, businesses have to be flexible in developing strategies to allow flexibility of operations. Moreover, the changing environment also causes a business to stay alerted while making decisions, which increases the efficiency of the business. The social scenario of UK further supports for retail businesses as the customers in the UK prefers to make purchasing from one place. Home Retail Group in this aspect is focusing on making its presence visible in every county and city of UK in order to make customers’ experience of shopping in a convenient and highly checked and balanced environment. Though Home Retail Group is facing intense competition from the likes of Tesco and Sainsbury’s but the presence of the business throughout the country and the increasing demand for its products and services allows Home Retail Group to incur less cost of production and earn more than its competitors.

McDonald's Corporation Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

McDonald's Corporation - Case Study Example Still, the organization has increasingly experimented with foods on the fringe of its menu, including health options such as salads and snack wraps, as well as regional specific restaurant items. Company History Founders Richard and Maurice McDonald in San Bernardino, California established McDonald’s in 1940 as a barbeque restaurant. In 1948 the brothers stopped serving barbeque and began a hamburger and fries based approach, implementing streamlined production methods (Sowell, 2009). While McDonald’s would ultimately experience the most long-lasting gains as a result of the implementation of these production methods, they was first established in 1928 by the White Castle food chain (Sowell, 2009). For McDonald’s the switch resulted in tremendous success for the small company and it was not long before they experienced demand for expansion. In 1955 Ray Kroc would join the company as the first franchise agent. Kroc would establish a McDonald’s in Des Plain es, Illinois and kick off the organization’s staggering growth numbers (Sowell, 2009). While Kroc was not an organization founder today he is perhaps most recognized as the revolutionizing organizational force. Building on the original restaurant model, Ray Kroc would establish many of the elements that continue to the present day. Most prominently Kroc would establish the rigid standards for franchises, ensuring that the McDonald’s experience was uniform throughout every restaurant. The 1960s would witness many of these innovations including the establishment of the iconic ‘Golden Arches’ logo in 1961 (Sowell, 2009). Kroc would go on to institute the first-large scale advertising campaign this year with the slogan â€Å"look for the Golden Arches† (Sowell, 2009). A year later the organization would introduce the Ronald McDonald character as an advertising spokesman. In large part these early advertising efforts, an approach that would come to be ch aracteristic of the McDonald’s empire, greatly contributed to the organization’s long-term success. In 1965 McDonald’s would go public on the New York Stock Exchange the ticker symbol MCD. Throughout the years small but significant contributions would be made to the organization, including the introduction of the now seminal Big Mac in 1968 and the Happy Meal in 1979 (Sowell, 2009). Organization There are a number of prominent organizational elements within McDonald’s Corporation. While McDonald’s is a multinational corporation they retain a centralized organizational structure, headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois. In terms of supply chain management procedures, all McDonald’s stores receive products from the same vendors, ensuring uniformity among supplier stores. All corporate decisions are made in the United States headquarters. The organization’s chief executive officer is Jim Skinner ("Organizational chart mcdonald's," 2011). Sk inner is responsible to McDonald’s board members, the chairman of whom is Andrew McKenna ("Organizational chart mcdonald's," 2011). Skinner oversees a number of structural divisions, including brand, cfo, human resources, legal and secretary, restaurant, supply chain and franchising, coo, Europe, and APAC and MEA ("Organizational chart mcdonald's," 2011). These organizations have further oversight on a variety of other prominent structural elements.

Great Style and Clarity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Great Style and Clarity - Essay Example g philosopher, thereby enabling the reader to accept his point of view, which otherwise may have been difficult, since it amounts to an accusation of the reader of barbaric impulses. Such a method of explication is suited to any exploration of the mind and any psychoanalytic reading of a phenomenon, since it has the potential to disturb the mind of the reader. While this in itself is not harmful, it may dull the analytic abilities of the reader. This may cause the writer to fail in conveying the message that he had taken upon himself to discuss in his paper. King’s ability to sustain a conversational style throughout his paper enables him to hold the interest of the reader till the very end of the essay. The end of the essay, however, reminds the reader that what the paper requires thought, rather than casual reading. The flourish at the end, which reminds the reader of the need to â€Å"keep the gators fed†, reminds the reader of the parts of the mind that he is not conscious of (King). King, thus, is able to weave into his narrative the very structure of the horror movie that he writes about and this enables the paper itself to have an eerie quality to

Annotated Bibliography and Structure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 3

Annotated Bibliography and Structure - Essay Example Since, it has yielded to poverty in some states whereas the influential continue enriching themselves in the name of interdependence especially through trade. Philippe in this broadcasting addresses the issue of global insufficiency and other critical issues regarding anti globalization. This is a reliable source meant to support current global arguments regarding their perception towards globalization and its effects. This is especially in India where presently, local activists are against the idea of globalization, which is contrary to the US. Thomas in this article highlights three key misrepresented aspects, which the movements have habitually evaded. They include economic liberalization, traditional economic function erosion and undying aspect of capitalism, which are detrimental to the third world regions. The study unveils how the movement despite attaining full support from its member states, instead results to evading their grievances. Consequently, this worsens its members’ economical conditions. The source’s content is essential especially in supporting arguments regarding the movement’s flaws and selective merits enjoyed by its few states. The source encompasses researches meant to test claims by diverse economists and world leaders regarding the end of globalization. In this reference, both Held and McGrew term these claims as â€Å"premature† owing to numerous systems, which global states share besides disagreements concerning whether to continue with the present interdependence. This source is extremely essential, whereby its diverse researches regarding international economic systems will support continual existence of globalization. Since, it acts as a source of global unity and interdependence that enable less privileged states to stabilize their wealth. Popescu and Costache highlight the key anti globalization movement’s grievances and

All Romances end in Marriage Essay Example for Free

All Romances end in Marriage Essay By this time Bathsheba was in love with Troy or believed she was. Troy also thought he was in love yet it was only infatuation. Bathsheba loved Troy in the way that only self-reliant women love when they abandon their self-reliance This shows that Bathsheba has given up her independence that she relied on in the past for the love of Troy. Hardy changes the character of Bathsheba slightly by falling in love with Troy as she now has given up one of her qualities that she relied on, her independence. Hardys readers can see that Bathsheba has changed for love as she is has wrongly fallen in love with Troy. Hardys readers know this is wrong and in time things will change, as this is not the cause of true love. Bathsheba and Troy eventually get married and that is when the romance begins to end. The two become less infatuated with each other and start to become bitter. When Troy, Bathsheba and her workforce are celebrating there marriage Troy gets rid of all the women and gets drunk with all the men. Meanwhile Gabriel is outside all night in the storm trying to save the harvest. Bathsheba is greatly thankful for what he has done Thank you for your devotion a thousand times Gabriel! Hardy shows yet again that Gabriel is the right man for Bathsheba through his loyalty, devotion and general good and decent nature. The reader knows that Bathsheba is with the wrong man and hopefully it is only a matter of time before her and Gabriel get together. When it is discovered that Fanny is dead, Gabriel is the first to look at the coffin and notices that it says Fanny Robbin and child Gabriel rubs out and child as he knows the child is Troys and he does not want her to get hurt as he cares for her. Liddy then informs Bathsheba that there is a rumour going about Weatherbury I mean that a wicked story is got to Weatherbury within this last hour-that-that theres two ofem in there Bathshebas curiosity overwhelms her and she decides to open the coffin. Hardy then uses poetry to tell the reader that there is a baby there A curious frame of natures work, A flow ret crushed in the bud, A nameless piece of babyhood, When Troy comes in and discovers that Fanny is dead he kisses her and the baby. Bathsheba begs Troy to kiss her which shows her insecurity as she gave up her independence for him and now she wants to rely on but she knows that he still loves her. After he says you are nothing to me she runs out. Hardy has finally shown the true character of Troy. He is an incredibly nasty person to say this to his wife and now the reader knows it. The way he has treated Bathsheba all this time is unforgivable. Although Hardy has portrayed him as this malicious character he has proved that he did love Fanny and did not just use her for sexual pleasure. Troy eventually decides to get away from everything and fakes his own death. This is where Boldwood comes in to play again. He is still obsessively in love with Bathsheba and in doing so his farm is doing very badly. He makes a proposal to Bathsheba of marrying him in six years after Troy is officially declared dead. Well then, do you know that without further proof of any kind you may marry again in about six years from the present- subject to nobodys objection or blame? Boldwood forces this offer upon Bathsheba and in the end she has to say that she will give him an answer at he Christmas party. Bathsheba. Although she believes her husband to be dead she does not have along time in which she would cease to do things due to bereavement, she carries on and is cool and level headed. This shows yet again how she is in comparison with other women in the 19th century. Normally she would be expected to bereave, it would be her role but not Bathsheba she is different and more modern than other women. During the Christmas party Boldwood asked Bathsheba for her answer and she reluctantly said yes Very well. Ill marry you in six years from this day if we both live, Boldwood was delighted and he then gave her a ring, which she was forced, to where for that night. Soon after they got back to the party Hardy brought a great thrill to the novel as Troy showed up to the party, cloaked. When Troy tried to grab Bathsheba, Boldwood shot him dead. With Troy dead and Boldwood in prison the reader now knows that Hardy has left a big opening for Bathshebas heart. The only man left and the most decent man is Gabriel Oak. Finally Hardy gives the readers what they have wanted through out the whole novel. Gabriel asks Bathsheba to marry her and she accepts, they are soon married and the novel ends happily. Throughout this novel Hardy has shown three different types of love, obsessive, infatuation and true love. Hardy is trying to say that there are many types of love, some are not real but there is one type that is real and that is true love. True love being the type of love where you love the person for who they are not just what they look like. Hardy also shows that Bathsheba resembles a 20th century woman more than a 19th century woman. She is modern and she is very independent. Her independence is one of her main qualities along with her vanity, which slowly faded away.

Analysis Of Operation: Market Garden

Analysis Of Operation: Market Garden On September 17, 1944, the Allied forces commenced an enormous airborne attack code named Market Garden from southern England airfields.The operation landed over 34,600 men of which 20,011 landed by parachute, 14,589 by glider. Gliders dropped a further 1,736 vehicles and 263 artillery pieces. The operation, 1st Allied Airborne Corps paratroopers, mainly consisted of the first British Airborne Division, the US 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions. The aim was to seize several strategic bridges over the Rhine River in the Netherlands and the 2nd British Army (led by General Dempsey), in particular, XXX Corps commanded by General Sir Brian Horrock to join the airborne units by ground. The intention was to create a by-pass or corridor to be used by the Allied armies to press forward and force the Wehrmacht out of Holland. The Allies army would then push further into Germany and attack Hitlers soldiers. For a nine-day period, the Allied forces engaged the remnants of a retreating Nazi army in and just about the towns of Eindhoven, Arnhem and Nijmegen, in Holland. The plan though backfired when Horrocks XXX Corps were not able to advance to support the airborne army and the Nazi in Arnhem decisively overpowered the paratroopers. The Allies eventually withdrew the remaining troops on September 26 after suffering about 17,000 casualties and having about 7,000 men captured. This paper analyses the Market Garden operations planning and capabilities and analyses the possible lessons that were learned and are to be learned for future military operations. Introduction Operation Market Garden, the largest airborne operation of its time  [1]  , was a joint military operation intended to end the World War II with a decisive strike in Holland and Germany. On 17 September 1944 thousands of paratroopers descended either using parachute or glider up to miles behind enemy lines. The tactical aim was to seize a succession bridges across the Meuse River and the Rhine (both the Waal and the lower Rhine) together with several canals and tributaries to enable swift movement by armored units. To Cross the Lower Rhine would enable the Allies to outflank the Siegfried Line and surround the Ruhr, Germanys industrial heart. The strategic idea was to enable the Allied forces to cross the Rhine River, the last major natural hurdle before advancing into Germany. If the operation were executed according to its plan, the Second World War II would have ended by the end of December 1944. The operation was a success in the initial stages with a good number of bridges between Eindhoven and Nijmegen being captured. Nonetheless, the advancement of the ground force was held up by the Wilhelmina Canal bridge demolition at Son hence delaying the seizure of the main road bridge over the Meuse seizure until 20 September. At Arnhem, the British First Airborne Division met a far stronger opposition than expected. In the subsequent combat, only a tiny force was able to hold one end of the Arnhem Bridge. After the failure by the ground force to help them, the Nazi overran them on 21 September. The reminder of the division that was ensnared west of the bridge in a small pocket had to be rescued 25 September. The Allies failed to go over the Rhine in adequate strength and the river continued being an obstacle to their advancement. This ended the operations hopes concluding the war in 1944. The operational level of the joint campaign Planning British General Montgomerys plan was to employ the use of four parachute divisions to grab hold of crucial bridges over various rivers in Holland. On achieving this, he would move armored ground forces up the road that connected the bridges. After going the Lower Rhine at Arnhem, Montgomery would then strengthen his forces and force into Germany, possibly concluding the war December. His senior, Major General Ike Eisenhower, agreed to the plan. He sought to defeat the Germans and these plans appeared to hold promise. The operation plan was for a joint attack by air and ground military forces along a constricted but extended battlefield so as to take control of strategic bridges at Son, Veghel, Grave, Nijmegen and, finally Arnhem. The assaults plan of action was made up of two operations. These were coded Market and Garden. Market, code name for parachute operations, was executed by the First Allied Airborne Army led by Lieutenant General Lewis H. Brereton and was to seize bridges and other terrain. These airborne attackers were under Lieutenant-General Frederick Browning led I Airborne Corps tactical command. Garden operations, code name for the ground operations, were carried out on the ground by the forces of the Second Army led by XXX Corps commanded by Lieutenant-General Brian Horrocks and were to move north  [2]  . Market From the six divisions of the First Allied Airborne Army, Market was to utilize four. Major General Maxwell D. Taylors, U.S. 101st Airborne Division was to drop in two locations. This was in order to seize the bridges at Son and Veghel (northwest of Eindhoven), situated north of XXX Corps. Brigadier General James M. Gavin was to lead The 82nd Airborne Division, as it dropped northeast of the first division to take control of the bridges at Grave and Nijmegen. The third division, comprising of the British First Airborne Division, commanded by Major-General Roy Urquhart and Polish 1st Independent Parachute Brigade led by Brigadier General StanisÅ‚aw Sosabowski would drop at the far north end of the route. This division was to capture the bridge at Arnhem (road) and the one at Oosterbeek (rail). The last Market division was the 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division. It was to be flown to the seized Deelen Airfield on D+5. The First Allied Airborne Army had been formed on August 16 following the British requests for a harmonized command center for airborne operations. On June 20, General Eisenhower approved the idea. The Britons had wanted a British officer, and in particular Browning be chosen the commander. Browning was appointed and brought his full staff with him on the operation. Together with his staff he was to institute his field Headquarters. For the reason that majority of both the troops and the airplanes were American, a U.S. Army Air Forces officer, Brereton, was appointed by SHAEF. Though Brereton was inexperienced in airborne operations, he had broad experience in air force command and this, which gave him a practical understanding of the IX Troop Carrier Command operations. Landing over 34,600 men, Market would turn out to be the hugest airborne operation ever. Market landed 20,011 troops by parachute and a further 14,589 by glider. Gliders dropped 1,736 vehicles and 263 artillery pieces. A further 3,342 tons of ammunition and extra supplies were dropped using glider and parachute  [3]  . Under its operations control, the First Allied Airborne Army had the command of the 14 groups of IX Troop Carrier  [4]  , the 16 squadrons of 38 Group, a converted RAF bomber group, and 46 Group, a transport outfit  [5]  . This was in order to enable it deliver its 36 battalions of airborne infantry and their support troops to the continent. The Market had 321 converted RAF bombers and 1,438 C-47/Dakota transports. After Normandy, the Allied glider force had been revamped so as it boasted 2,160 CG-4A Waco gliders, 64 General Aircraft Hamilcars and 916 Airspeed Horsas by September 16. Since the U.S. could only avail just 2,060 glider pilots, none of its glid ers would have a co-pilot. Instead, each would carry an additional passenger  [6]  . The C-47s were to serve as both the paratrooper transports and the glider tugs. For this reason, coupled with the fact that IX Troop Carrier Command would carry the two British parachute brigades, market could only transport 60% of the ground forces in one lift. This limit led to the decision to split the troop lift program into consecutive days. Ninety percent of the transports on day one would drop troops on parachute, with an equal percentage delivering gliders on day two. Brereton threw out the idea of having two airlifts on day one. This, though, had been achieved during Operation Dragoon  [7]  . 17 September fell on a dark moon; days following this day had the new moon set ahead of dark. Since the Allied airborne policies forbid major operations in total absence of light, this operation would have to be undertaken in daylight  [8]  . The possibility of Luftwaffe interception was calculated minute due to the cruising air supremacy of Allied fighters. Nevertheless, concerns rose about the escalating figure of flak units in the Netherlands, particularly around Arnhem. With his understanding of tactical air operations, Brereton evaluated that flak repression would be adequate to allow the troop carriers operate devoid of excessive loss. The offensive in the South of France had showed that large-scale daytime airborne operations were practicable. Day operations were judged to have the capability of enabling a greater navigational precision and time-compressed by the resulting waves of aircraft. This would triple the number of troops possibly delivered per hour. It would also cut the time required to assemble units after landing on the drop zone by two-thirds  [9]  . IX Troop Carrier Commands aircrafts were tasked with towing gliders and dropping paratroopers tasks that could not be executed simultaneously. Even though every division commander called for two drops on day one, Breretons staff only planned only one lift. This decision was based on the need to get ready for the first drop by attacking German flak positions for half a day and a forecast, which proved incorrect, that the area would be having clear weather conditions for four days, hence permitting drops during those days  [10]  . The preparations were declared complete just after one week. (Sicily and Normandy airborne drops took months to plan and prepare) Gavin, the U.S. 82nd Airborne Division commander, was skeptical of the strategy. In his diary he noted, It looks very rough. If I get through this one I will be very lucky. He criticized Browning highly claiming that he lacked the standing, influence and judgment that is obtained only from a proper troop experience. He labeled his staff superficial and claimed that the British units fumble along and their tops lack the competence, which they never get down to learn the hard way  [11]  . Garden The garden was primarily made up of XXX Corps. It was at first led by the Guards Armored Division, and the 43rd Wessex division in reserve alongside the 50th Northumbrian Infantry Division. They were projected, on the first day, to arrive at the south end of the 101st Airborne Divisions area, the 82nds by the second day and by the forth day latest to be at the 1sts. The airborne divisions were scheduled to the link with XXX Corps in the Arnhem bridgehead breakout  [12]  . To have the airborne force fight for four days unsupported was not wise. Furthermore, the Allied paratroopers did not have sufficient anti-tank weapons. Allied intelligence pointed out that the enemy had sparingly manned the front. It appeared to the allied high command that the German resistance had receded before Operation Market Garden started. The German Fifteenth Army occupying the area seemed to be running away from the Canadians. Further, they were known not to have Panzer groups. In truth, the Germans were re-arming and strengthening in the area. Two panzer divisions were furthermore placed in the Arnhem area. The high command imagined that XXX Corps would face limited opposition on their way up Highway 69 and little armor. In the contrary German units, though weaker both in manpower and equipment still had several tanks and were forces to reckon with. Seventeen days to the D Day By September 1, General Ike Eisenhower, after assuming the ground forces personal command from Montgomery, was faced with three problems. The first was the emergence of contradictory strategies on how best to attack the Nazi forces. The second problem was the overstretched Allied logistics and the broken lines of communication because of the hasty advances. The Allies were experiencing low supplies, especially the fuel whose supply was at critically low levels. Finally, Ike was faced with constant squabbling and opposition over strategy and resources that was the mark of his commanding Generals relations. Even though a general strategy for confronting the Germans had been discussed in the past by the operation leaders, the successful carrying out of Overlord had exposed a poor follow-on strategy. Victories in France had speeded up the operation; the pace of the Allied operations gave o room for the development of strategy. Montgomery presented Eisenhower with a strategy to overpower Hitler in mid August. He (Montgomery) had been mulling over how the Allies should be handled after breakout. The plan he suggested involved a single massive thrust through Belgium and Netherlands and finally terminating at the Ruhr Valley. With expansion and redeployment of supplies from Bradley and Patton, he suggested that his 21st Army Group carry out his plan. Additionally, he wanted three divisions of Eisenhowers extremely well skilled reserve paratroopers, to carpet several cities in Netherlands. The paratroopers would seize strategic bridgeheads over the Rhine forming a corridor which the British army could walk through. Once Ruhr was opened up, Montgomery reasoned, Germany would go down rapidly since the Allies would capture major German industries. General Ike did not like Montgomerys proposal of a single thrust. He favored a broad front attack similar to the one successfully used by Allied forces during the Normandy assault. Ike felt that one thrust as proposed by Montgomery would easily reveal the plans of the Allied forces. With a dual pronged approach, the Nazi would have to take a guess on where the next assault would be. The second problem for Eisenhowers, and perhaps more pressing was the logistical problem. Something had to be done about the long supply lines. The fuel shortages and insufficient transportation had to be dealt with first. The Allies were receiving supplies through the beaches of Normandy but there was a shortage of trucks to transport the necessities to the armies. The deteriorating weather was making unloading the supplies on the landing beaches almost impossible. Ike urgently required a deep-water port to move supplies to the battlefront. Additionally, as the Germans moved back they destroyed most of shipping infrastructure on the coastal harbors. The regular wrangling and competition amongst Ikes generals aggravated the situation. Other Generals profiled Montgomery as difficult. His pitch for a single thrust operation strengthened the animosity feelings. Montgomery ceaselessly complained to Ike about the quantity of supplies his soldiers received. He was constantly pressing for precedence on fuel and ammunition. After Ike assumed personal command of the ground operations in Europe, the state of affairs deteriorated. A divisive command problem arose out of this decision. Montgomery could not be appointed the Supreme Allied forces commander due to political reasons. This was despite the fact that he was a distinguished military leader with experience from not only North Africa but also in Overlord. Montgomery wanted to be appointed the ground armies commander and lobbied Ike hard for the same. Eisenhower chose to retain the duty and as such, he continually met open defiance from Montgomery and a few number of his British Generals. Montgomery imagined that he was a more qualified commander and for this together with the command and control issue, antagonistically opposed Eisenhower on almost all-tactical decisions. This explicit contempt created a lot more tension, distrust, and turmoil in the Allied camp. Up until now, a very patient Eisenhower never acted on Montgomery. It was after Market Ga rden commenced that he threatened to escalate the issue to Marshall and Churchill. Montgomerys Chief of Staff at last settled the matter before Ike escalated it hence sparing Montgomery the sack. General Eisenhower approved to the Montgomery plan on 4 September after review. This was in part an attempt to calm and tone down the belligerent Montgomery and chiefly as after realization that it was a chance for him to seize a deep-water port. The Market Garden plan was audacious and risky. It was uncharacteristic of the usually conservative Montgomery. After the approval, Ike provided General Montgomery with semi permanent fuel and ammunition supply priority. He then moved the US 1st Army commanded by General Hodges to the British southern line, until Antwerp was secured by the Allies. He wanted the remaining Nazi resistance on the ports of Antwerp and Le Havre cleared. This would give his forces the vital deep-water ports, hence considerably reducing the time of delivery for important war reserve resources to the front line forces. The sustainment essential for the next stage of the operations, that is, the march into Germany and the seizure of Berlin, had to be covered. This was dependent upon successful capture of a port with a capacity of supporting a force of over two million men. Antwerp was the only European port capable of that. Montgomery was incensed with the proposal of a double thrust, which incorporated the Saar valley. On September 4, Montgomery captured the port of Antwerp. Ike then, against the wishes of his staff, allowed Montgomery to move into Belgium without clearing the pockets of Nazi resistance in Scheldt Estuary. He was also convinced by Montgomery to permit Market Garden to go ahead as scheduled instead of delaying the operation to clear the port as was proposed by Bradley and Patton. The Operation On 17 September, in the afternoon, Operation Market Garden commenced. The American 101st airborne division parachuted on the southern end while the American 82nd Airborne dropped to the north and attacked the Waal River Bridge at Nijmegen. The British First Airborne division together with the Polish brigade attacked their target, the bridges at Arnhem, further north. After all the three airborne divisions were on the ground, the British XXX Corps embarked on their assault and drove up the road. It was estimated that the XXX Corps would take no more than 3 days to arrive at the British at Arnhem. For the previous Allied airborne operations, drop zones for the paratroopers and gliders were as a rule of thumb as close to the target as could be so to elicit maximum surprise and to allow the enemy less reaction time to recover. The American drop zones for this offensive were no different. However, the British 1st airborne drop zones were far away from the target, i.e., the crucial bridges . They wanted to circumvent taking casualties to their planes by flying over what they imagined might be anti-aircraft guns concentration in the area. The bridges were in built-up zones so gliders could of course not land. Additionally the ground to the south of the bridges was imagined by the British generals to be too soft for gliders entirely discounting the fact that the Polish paratroopers would be dropping in the very same zone later. The drop zone selections led to the landing of some paratroopers of the First Airborne on top of the Nazi 10th SS Panzer Division. After landing, divisional radio sets were found to be tuned into the wrong frequencies. This made radio communication between units impossible. A small part of the British troopers contingent took the main Arnhem highway bridge on the north end. However, intense battle barred reinforcement for this small force. On the southern end of the river, the ninth SS Panzer controlled the bridges other end. Finally, the small British army at the bridge gave way to the superior Nazi forces. The rest of the division resiliently hung on in a small pocket on the rivers north a few miles away from the bridge. The polish troopers who parachuted on the south side of the river could not provide any significant backing. They merely fought to save their lives against the now fully alerted Nazi forces. The first day was aeronautically splendid for an airdrop. As the days went on, the weather conditions deteriorated. The second wave was unable to drop for a further four more days. To the south, the first gains of the 82nd and 101st divisions Grave and Nijmegen seized bridges with minimal losses. The American 82nd Airborne took the Nijmegen Bridge the execution of an audacious river crossing in collapsible boats to assault and seize the bridge from the back. However, the XXX Corps joined them after number of days had passed. The highway connecting the bridges up to Arnhem steadily under counter attack by the Nazi forces and this caused many delays. Sections of this highway, to make matters worse, resembled an island on a dike and had with no maneuvering room. A single shot that took out the lead tank in a column could lead a delay going on for hours. Adequate infantry was not allocated to escort the tanks that were in the leading columns. It was taken that the American paratroopers w ould take up this task. However, the Americans had their own worries of keeping the corridor free of the Nazi attacks. This compromised the progress of XXX Corps after they crossed the Nijmegen Bridge and came to deal with the island road. More infantry was required; however, it was just not obtainable. As a result, XXX Corps assault stalled. The British First Airborne, on their part, just a few miles away across the river, was being chewed to bits. In time, the British First Airborne had to be withdrawn and evacuated from their front on the Lower Rhine through an audacious night rescue operation. The intention to oust the Nazi and perhaps end the Second World War by charismas had gone up in smoke. After nine days of fierce battle, the Allies withdrew. Incapable of rescuing their captured personnel, a large number of casualties and prisoners had to be forsaken. The Final Analysis The outcome rendered the Market Garden a nonviable operation. The objective was attainable but the strategy was full of flaws. For starters, the idea ended up to be hard one. The planners imagined that seizing the bridges would be as easy the seizure of the French bridges. Montgomery and the Allies, however, misjudged the incredible tenacity of Hitler and his Nazi army. Intelligence reports that Hitler soldiers along the Alhert Canal in Belgium, the Siegfried Line and in Arnhem had re-armed were received but disregarded by Montgomery. Additionally, Eisenhower was informed about the Nazi fortification; however, he did not personally challenge the plan on the bases of the intelligence reports. Alternatively, he opted to send Bedell Smith to Montgomery. Montgomery laughed of the idea of the aim was difficult simply for the reason that there were reports of Nazi tank potency at Arnhem. He would hear nothing about revising Market Garden  [13]  . Montgomery did not realize that there w as a terrain and topography variation between the lower Rhine and France. This meant the fact that a similar operation succeeded in France did not imply it would succeed in Holland. Roads were usually constricted and constructed on top of dikes. Road sections that were not raised flooded regularly slowing movements due to the clay mud. Additionally, the swampy, muddy land made maneuvering of the heavy gear hard. Ignoring his staffs counsel and Dempseys apprehension for a well-timed meeting with the paratroopers, Montgomery stubbornly pushed forward. Had intelligence report been paid attention to, the operation may perhaps have been discontinued or at least deferred. The narrow corridor did not afford Dempsey much room for maneuver and restricted his flexibility and ability to pull a surprise. In addition, the strategy was devoid of any air component except fighter escort and gliders transports. Modest coalition coordination was exercised in the preparation for operation Market Garden. Montgomery simply passed on the plan to his men for implementation. When Major General Maxwell Taylor voiced his oppositions to the landing zone for his men, Montgomery replied that was too late for the plan to be changed. Major Gen Roy Urquhart met the same lack of cooperation  [14]  . The strategy employed presumed that enough petroleum and ammunition would be available to carry out the plan. Montgomery was interested more in Bradley and Pattons fuel instead of taking the time to drive out the Nazi from the Scheldt Estuary. Seizing Scheldt wo uld have opened up Antwerp to supplies for the Allied. Further, Bradley and Pattons to the south could have diverted the Nazi manpower and resources and that would support Ikes extensive front approach. Not only was the strategy flawed, the resources were inadequate too. First, it was tactically naÃÆ' ¯ve and logistically erroneous to move through Antwerp without weakening pockets of Nazi resistance. The Nazi fight back proved heavy more so in the Scheldt Estuary, the key North Sea access. This barrier was not removed until November 1944. The failure to do so deprived the Allies of the badly required deep-water port. This reduced logistics lines and it was a blow to any more operations in Germanys interior. The inability to get rid of resistance also hindered Dempseys movement since he had to reroute combat troops to guard his flank. The airdrop was logistically hindered by having inadequate aircraft (transport and glider) to make a single jump as Montgomerys plan called for. The First Airborne even lacked sufficient radios for communication within themselves. When the second wave finally arrived, it was ill equipped to deal with the Panzer SS toughened threat. Bad weather caused the second wave delay foiling their plans of landing on D-Day. Though the weather conditions were fine for the first drop, it caused resupply and reinforcements delays for the Arnhem troops. The Germans took advantage of the poor weather exploiting the time to reinforce their manpower and other resources to respond to the Allies. As such, the aspect of Market Garden considered being the operation strength, the crack paratroopers, ended up limiting the Allied success severely. Montgomerys casual outlook toward the opposition meant the failure of the most effective tool available to the Operation. It is incomprehensible why Montgomery chos e to pay no attention to his brilliant and experienced men. He casually dismissed justifiable issues raised by experienced infantry and airborne officers. Major General Stanislaw Sosabowski articulated his fears to Montgomery that the plan to land his troops at Arnhem was catastrophic and that higher-ranking officers were culpable of reckless overconfidence  [15]  . Officers could do nothing to change his position and only sat in quiet frustration and follow orders. The only officer reputed to be capable of swaying Montgomery, Major General Freddie De Guingand, was outside Europe. It is important to point out that even though Montgomery was seen to be arrogant, it might have been with a good reason. He had been commanding ground forces during triumphant North African operation and Operation Overlord. To be fair to Montgomery, the Allies as a group exhibited this same overconfidence. They had been calmed into this joint cockiness and arrogance due to the swiftness with which their conquest came. The excitement of the operation led men to calm down extremely. Exhaustion and loss of focus started creeping on the mission. As evidenced by the consequent preparation and logistical shortfalls of the operation, the intelligence was misleading and gave the impression that the Nazi were severely weakened. With no sense of pressure, acute fatigue, and the consequent loss of focus, situations came up where troops moved with insufficient resources. The impetus and thrilling buoyancy by the Allied victories changed the force from what would have been a success, into an exag gerated and unfocused bunch thereby sustaining major and avoidable losses of gear and personnel. The strategy demanded the army to grab the initiative and hit speedily and surprise the worn out and inadequately prepared Nazi. Hitler, in hindsight, had correctly expected that Montgomery would head north to the Zuider Zee. He countered by placing Field Marshall Walter Model, his strongest general, in that front. Model at once lined up troops and started efforts to re-arm for the expected battle. He coordinated strategic barricading of highways and canals, and took the advantage of the weather and the Allies lack of the capacity to resupply and reinforce. He not only was able to hold the Arnhem Bridge, but also the city. His vigor and organizational brilliance were the reason the Nazi was able to hold off Market Garden. To sum up this misadventure, the timing required to scheme a speedy thrust was uncoordinated due to the unanticipated fight back by committed Nazi soldiers; the failure to drop the second batch of paratroopers owing to bad weather; the utter disregard with which intelligence reports were met with; and the poor communication. A combination of these factors created the worst Allied defeats of the time. Lessons from the defeat Operation Market Garden, without a doubt the biggest paratroop drop of its time, was also one of the most terrible operational failures. What strategy, or lack of it, could have resulted to such an unbelievable failure for the Allies? What lessons learned can apply to the contemporary and future military operations? Some timeless lessons are evident from the operations analysis: The first lesson applies at the strategic level. That it is necessary for military planners to stay focused on the political causes of a war. They must by no means lose sight of the political motivation of the primary conflict. The states political will and national interests will always play a major role in the coalition strategy development. For the reason that the US contributed the greater part of machinery, manpower, and finances to the Allied war effort, Eisenhowers appointment ahead of Montgomery as the ultimate Allied Commander was logical. He was always sensitive to political and higher-ranking milit

An Introduction Of Hrm And Shrm Business Essay

An Introduction Of Hrm And Shrm Business Essay A lack of clear direction prevails in global HR research which is expressed by scholars and practitioners across a wide front as a concern for the profession, including the resultant role personnel ought to play in organizations objective achievement (Goshal 2005; Hendry 2003; Holbeche 2006; Morris, Snell Lepak 2005; Meisinger 2005). Various researchers have pointed out during the last few years (Browning Edgar 2004; Becker, Huselid Ulrich 2001; Birchfield 2002; Brewster , Dowling , Grobler, Holland Warnich 2000; Mayrhofer Brewster 2005; Nel 2007; Ruona Gibson, 2004; Storey, 2001) that a revised approach to Human Resources Management (HRM) is evolving. This includes the strategic role and functions of the HR profession as business partners in organizations and the way they ought to direct personnel to optimize their contributions to the organization. Transformational leadership expressed in terms of the high-level capabilities and management skills are also assuming a significant place in the future of the HR profession in organizations as well as the ability to add value. Human Resource Management is an approach to the management of employees, it involves the process of employing people, developing their skills/capacity and utilizing their services. The traditional aspects of HRM methods are more towards the selection of recruitment process and imparting training. This HRM process does not have any specific riles for different areas like recruitment, training and utilizing the services. SHRM is defined by Little (2003) as the process of achieving the best possible alignment of personnel behavior with the organizations strategy and hence align with the profit and loss in the short and long term. The personnel behavior-strategy relationship is dynamic because it changes as the environment changes and as the precise goal and performance requirements of the strategy emerge. As the term itself denotes, Strategic HRM deals with strategic aspects of HRM. Unlike HRM, Strategic HRM mainly focuses on the programs with long-term objectives. Though HRM and Strategic HRM focus on increasing employee productivity, Strategic HRM uses many strategic methods. Unlike HRM, Strategic HRM uses a more sophisticated method for improving the overall employee motivation and production as well as it focuses on the sage of more systematic tools to achieve focus on partnerships with internal and external customers through the development of long term goals. Little (Little 2003) has argued that the organization is independent of personnel it then follows that the central questions are: First, since the organization is separate from personnel, then what are the factors intrinsic to the organization that can be identified as most influencing the behavior of personnel? Second, once the intrinsic organization factors have been identified, how do they link to influencing behavior? Third, once identified, how can the factors intrinsic to the organization that most influence behavior then be better managed to improve human performance and so improve alignment of personnel behavior with the goals and aim of the organization? Fourth, what are the intrinsic psychological factors personnel bring to the organization that will impact managements effort at improving the alignment of behavior with organization goals and aims? Introduction of how the role of HR in the 21st century is becoming increasingly vital. HR Departments are increasingly expected to operate as a business within a business rather than as a disconnected and isolated set of HR Practices. As such, like many business, the HR Department must have a vision of strategy that defines the way they are headed, a set of goals (objectives, outcomes and deliverables) that focus the priorities for the work and investment essential to carry out this vision and an organizational structure for the HR to accomplish these goals. The new focus for the HR department is to create value (Ulrich and Brockbank,2005) for the key holders. The goals and outcomes of the HR Department has been well documented, the value of HR contribution has traditionally been measured by the quantity of cost of activities (eg: How many people hired over period of time, training given to the employee or the financial cost of delivering employee benefits) Instead of focusing on the relatively easy to measure activities of staffing, training and other functional operations, HR departments are better assessed by the outcomes created that support the companies objectives. These outcomes generally may be defined as the capabilities an organization requires for its strategy to succeed on a sustained basis (Ulrich Smallwoord,2004) The diversification of the HR Departments role towards adapting to the 21st century can seen through the requirements of the organizations for competitive superiority and speed to market, collaboration, cultural exchange, efficiency, service, innovation, accountability or even leadership branding. These and other capabilities represent the organization for what it is known for and the identity of these practices can be enhanced by the HR practice is aligned to the desired focus of the company. With a HR vision of value and outcomes of capabilities, a HR Department can now focus its attention to how it can and should be organized to deliver the vision to reach the desired outcomes (Chirstensen,2005) The diversification from traditional HR practices is a major requirement for companies to adapt to the changes and be focused on the mimicking of the business organization on which it operates and from there it should focus on adopting a concept to reflect the vision and direction of the company in order to stay in line with the charter of the company itself. Introduction of the organization Duty Free Shop (DFS) in Malaysia are licensed under Section 65D, Customs Act 1967. DFS typically operates at international airports, seaports, downtown and at borders. DFS is set up for the purpose of promoting the tourism industry in Malaysia, especially to foreign tourists. Foreign tourists as well as eligible local tourists are able to purchase goods free of duty and GST at any DFS The QM Group of Companies offers a broad assortment of premier liquor, wines and spirits including prominent global brands. Its extensive variety of goods is gladly presented at its diverse duty-free outlets at Bukit Kayu Hitam, Padang Besar as well as in Langkawi. The QM Group of Companies also offers numerous other premier duty free products such as stylish apparels, perfumes, cosmetics, cigarettes, tobacco, confectionery, souvenirs etc as well as locally finished handicraft. The Qm Group of Companies has also diversified into private bonded warehousing operations with the inauguration of its first private bonded warehouse facility at Prai, Penang offering abundant storage, distribution and logistics services as well as other value adding activities. The QM Group of Companies, led by its main corporation QM Sdn Bhd is a fast growing stable of dynamic companies with its core focus involved in the duty-free business dealing in wholesale and retail. QM Sdn Bhd is today an recognized industry leader and key player in the country`s duty-free industry. The QM Group of Companies has been able to build its achievement upon its decades of industry knowledge, proven reliability and stringent vow to giving only the best quality products and services to both visiting tourists and business travelers to discover a truly new dimension in duty-free shopping. Evaluate how the HR practitioner should proceed in ensuring that alignment between business and HR strategies is effective. The HR professional has more challenging roles to perform under SHRM the emergent business partner model. Unlike the traditional HRM, which is transactional in nature and is concerned with administrative activities, SHRM is a value-added core responsibility that aligns the HR system, policies and practices with business strategy to gain sustained competitive advantage for the firm. In performing the new challenging roles, the HR professional must think outside the traditional organizational box of HRM and develop a more systematic and radically different approach to manage the human element to effectively support the firms business strategy formulation and implementation. For successful implementation of the business partner role, the HR manager needs to understand the companys business direction and its competitive position in the market place. Apart from this, to become a successful strategic partner, the HR manager must have competencies that have to do with the business issues i nvolved in strategy and strategy development, and ability to contribute to organizational design and change management (Lawler, III and Mohrman, 2003). The HR function, according to Rowden (1999) must change from a staff function that delivers prepackaged HR services to a service that helps managers create customized strategic plans to influence the effectiveness of company performance. The HR manager can play an important role in the formulation of strategy and providing the human resource required to support various strategies and strategic initiatives in the organization. He provides the leadership role in developing the human capital and the necessary capabilities to enact the st rategy and drive the implementation and change management processes to success (Lawler III Mohrman, 2003). Good human capital management is a prerequisite for successful execution of business strategies. According to Ulrich (1998), the modern HR professional must perform four complementary roles. The first role, administrative excellence, is important because it is an immediate way of contributing to the overall efficiency of the organization. As administration expert, he must rethink how work is done throughout the organization. The second role HR professionals must realize is that of employee champion. The HR manager must play the crucial role of employee advocate. He should be the employees voice in management discussion, offer employee opportunities for personal and professional growth; and provide resources that employees need to meet the demands put on them. The new role might also involve suggesting, that employees be given more control over their own work schedules. This is the issue of employee empowerment. Two additional roles the modern HR professional must realize are those of strategic partner and change agent. Being a strategic partner calls for an ongoing evaluation of the alignment between current HR practices and the business objectives of the firm, and a continuing effort to design policies and practices that maximize this alignment. HR practitioner should be held responsible for defining an organizational architecture that is, identifying the organizations way of doing business. Such framework as looking at the organizational components strategy, structure, rewards, processes, people, style and shared values may be adopted. This new knowledge will allow HR to add value to the executive team with confidence. Being a change agent the HR manager must play a key role in implementing and managing organization change, assessing potential, sources of resistance to change, and collaborating with line managers to overcome these barriers. The HR professionals role as a change agent is to replace resistance with resolve, planning with results and fear of change with excitemen t about its possibilities. These last two roles strategic partner and change agent are of particular interest to us because they represent the emerging strategic dimension of HR function SHRM. In addition to the above roles the HR practitioner needs to be a model and take on the specific role of integrating people strategies with business strategies in a way that advances the bottom line. Metzler (1998) adds that: the HR manager must play an active and guiding role in enabling the organization to choose its human resources well, invest in these people, support that growth and respect their needs, while fostering innovations needed to achieve the strategic business objectives. The HR professional operating under the SHRM system must chart roles that include early and active involvement in key strategic business choices. He must become the partner of decision makers in the organization, and sharing accountability for organizing and performing work. He must carry out effective monitoring to see that everyone in the organization, and at every organizational hierarchy, stay focused on share strategic priorities. He must challenge old ways and constantly promote innovation to enhance corporate performance and the firms competitiveness. Critically analyze how Human Resource Management achieves competitive advantage and what factors limit Human Resource Managements ability to act. Use the current organizational practices as reference. Johnson (2000) details, best practices or high performance work practices are described as HR methods and systems that have universal, additive, and positive effects on organizational performance. These practices maximize their influence on Companys performance through increased customer satisfaction, productivity, innovation and development of favorable reputation, HR planning, Recruitment Selection, Training and development, compensation, Performance management and employee relations are some such practices Why are employees in some companies happy to stick with the company while others look for a change? The reason is that some companies know how to take good care of their employees and provide a working environment that helps them retain their identity, while proving themselves and growing along with the company. HR practices encourage the growth of the organization as employees after all play a major role in the well-being of a company they deal with enhancing competencies, commitment and culture building Pfeffer (1998) proposed HR practices which according to the literature, can be expected to influence the firms performance. In his seminal work, Pfeffer (1998) proposed the following seven HRM practices:- (1) Employment Security (2) Selective Hiring, (3) Self-managed teams and Decentralization of Decision making (4) Comparatively high compensation contingent on Organizational performance, (5) Extensive Training, (6) Reduced status distinctions and barriers, including dress, language, office arrangements, and wage differences across levels, and (7) Extensive sharing of financial and performance information throughout the organization. A number of contemporary and good HR practices have resulted in effectively managing human resources, managing attrition problems and keeping them happy. Some of the best HR practices that are worth mentioning that have helped organizations in the creation of a highly satisfied and motivated work force may be identified as:- Selective Hiring- practice can ensure that the right people, with the desirable characteristics and knowledge, are in the right place.. Training and Development- may be related to firm performance in many ways. Firstly, training programmes increase the firm specificity of employee skills, which, it turn, increases employee productivity and reduces job dissatisfaction that results in decrease in employee turnover Job Security- creates a climate of confidence among employees which cultivates their commitment on the companys workforce. This develops a feeling of confidence and employees commit themselves to expend extra effort for the companys benefit. Flexi-time- Flexi-time is a practice, wherein an organisation gives its employees the opportunity of a flexible working hours arrangement. Performance-linked Incentives and Bonus- Every good performance is appreciated in the form of a pat on the back, bonuses or giving some other compensation for a job well done. The incentives can be implemented at the individual as well as the team level and it has been seen that this works wonders in getting the best out of the employees and boosts their morale. Performance Evaluation- A good evaluation and a fair evaluation system links the employees performance to the business goals and the priorities of an organization. Highlight Performers- High performers get better results, faster and closer to the targets. Organizations create profiles oftheir top performers and makethem visible through their intranet, display boards etc. Open House Discussions Rewarding Ideas- Employees are the biggest source of ideas. Successful organizations nurture ideas and they understand that employees who are actually working and know the business can provide the best ideas. Through this system, talented employees are identified and developed. DLF and Infosys have implemented the I4 Teams ( Ingenious, Idea, Incubation Implementation). Rewards and Recognition- recognition of talentis highly important, the primary goal of rewards and recognition is to improve performance of employees. Non-monetary recognition can be very motivating, helping to build feelings of confidence and satisfaction. Another importantgoal is increased employee retention and encourages others to give their best. Coaching and Mentoring Organisations use coaching and mentoring to train managers to address specific skill deficits, enhance performance and grow into expanded leadership roles. Cross-Functional Training- Organisations foster and harness talent by imparting in-house cross functional training to make their professionals multi-skilled and multitalented. Many organizations encourage their employees to be multi-skilled and add value to other functional aspects as well. Employees Assistance Programmes-These programmers are offered by many organizations in the corporate sector for the employees benefit. Every employee is challenged by personal problems and concerns. The EAPs are intendedto help employees deal with their personal problems that might adversely impact their work performance. Clearly Defined and Measurable KRAs- KRA is an acronym for `Key Results Area. Knowledge Sharing -Knowledge sharing sessions are periodically organized by the organizations to widen knowledge base of their employees and improve their effectiveness. Work Environment- A safe an]d happy workplace makes the employees feel good about being there. Each one is given importance and provided the security that gives them the motivation and incentive to stay. Providing equal employment opportunities for all, value of trained human resource, providing flexibility to employees especially to women at various life stages, sabbatical from corporate life, and extended maternity leave promoting practice of entrepreneurship by employees within the organization. Human Resource Management has taken a leading role in encouraging CSR activities at all levels. Companies like Wipro inculcate CSR values amongst its workforce right at the beginning during the induction process. The focus and attention of HRpractices today are on creating HR policies based on trust, openness, equity and consensus .Creating conditions in which people are willing to work with zeal, initiative and enthusiasm; make people feel like winners. Fair treatment of people and prompting redressal of grievances would pave the way for healthy work-place relations, prepare workers to accept technological changes by clarifying doubts External factors affecting Human Resource Planning Human resource planning can be defined as the process of identifying the number of people required by an organization in terms of quantity and quality. All human resource management activities start with human resource planning. So we can say that human resource planning is the principle/primary activity of human resource management. 1. Employment :- HRP is affected by the employment situation in the country i.e. in countries where there is greater unemployment; there may be more pressure on the company, from government to appoint more people. Similarly some company may force shortage of skilled labour and they may have to appoint people from other countries. 2. Technical changes in the society :- Technology changes at a very fast speed and new people having the required knowledge are required for the company. In some cases, company may retain existing employees and teach them the new technology and in some cases, the company have to remove existing people and appoint new. 3. Organizational changes :- Changes take place within the organization from time to time i.e. the company diversify into new products or close down business in some areas etc. in such cases the HRP process i.e. appointing or removing people will change according to situation. 4. Demographic changes :- Demographic changes refer to things referring to age, population, composition of work force etc. A number of people retire every year. A new batch of graduates with specialization turns out every year. This can change the appointment or the removal in the company. 5. Shortage of skill due to labour turnover :- Industries having high labour turnover rate, the HRP will change constantly i.e. many new appointments will take place. This also affects the way HRP is implemented. 6. Multicultural workforce :- Workers from different countries travel to other countries in search of job. When a company plans its HRP it needs to take into account this factor also. 7. Pressure groups:- Company has to keep in mind certain pleasure. Groups like human rights activist, woman activist, media etc. as they are very capable for creating problems for the company, when issues concerning these groups arise, appointment or retrenchment becomes difficult. Elaborate on what HR strategies can be implemented in this organization, to meet or exceed employees psychological contract in SOME (two or more) differing HR areas like HR planning, Reward Management, Performance Appraisals, Career Development, Recruitment, Training and Development and Industrial Relations. Psychological Contract A psychological contract represents the mutual beliefs, perceptions, and informal obligations between an employer and an employee. It sets the dynamics for the relationship and defines the detailed practicality of the work to be done. It is distinguishable from the formal written contract of employment which, for the most part, only identifies mutual duties and responsibilities in a generalized form Selective Hiring -The respondents were also asked to rank these practices in order of importance given to them by the organizations to each of them. 85% of the respondent agreed that Selective hiring was given most importance by their employers. Selectivity in recruitment is an important practice and is undertaken by almost every organization. This perhaps is the first step in achieving edge over others. Organisation follow the approach of selecting the right person with the right attitude and personality make up to provide the right kind of abilities and capabilities to take the organization toward higher growth. This is an aspect of talent retention as it implies matching a persons inherent skills, traits and personality to the jobs. Moreover when employees go through a rigorous selection process, they feel that their knowledge, experience, abilities and capabilities have got them the jobs in the organization. They feel valuable and high responsibility for performance is created , and the message i s that person matters. They are selected as they possess the desire to succeed and have the capacity for growth, learning and develop skills and capabilities beneficial to the organization. Reward Management 99% of the respondents agreed that good performance should be highlighted as it is motivating and leads to better performance.People are motivated by recognition and fair treatment. Higher the motivation higher will be the performance. When this performance is clubbed with adequate rewards employees are further motivated to perform. Such practices induce other employees to traverse on the same route of performance and reward, taking their firm on a path of growth and gaining competitive advantage. This dictates that people are responsible for enhanced levels of performance and profitability. However rewarding performance should be fair and equitable based on and linked to the performance of an employee Training Development 60% rated training and development as next important activity followed by knowledge sharing and job security in the order. However all the respondent agreed that training was extremely essential for their growth and development. 92% respondent that training should be need based and specific to the employees need and requirements. Worker autonomy, self managed teams, and even a high salaries are practices that equip and provide employees to make changes and improvements in products and processes . However, training will produce good resultsonly if the trained workers are permitted to employ their skills. If employees are to be given more information about operations, they need skills in employing that information to diagnose problems and suggest improvements. Training is an attempt to improve current or future employee performance by increasing an employees attitude or increasing their capabilities. Training provides the opportunity to raise the profile development activities in the organization. Training increases the commitment levels of employees and reduces the perceived growth inequality. Development reduces the turnover rate of employees provides advancement opportunities and also reduces absenteeism conclusion list of references

The Primal Scattering of Languages: Philosophies, Myths and Genders :: Philosophy Philosophical Papers

The Primal Scattering of Languages: Philosophies, Myths and Genders ABSTRACT: In After Babel, George Steiner recounts ‘two main conjectures’ in mythology which explain ‘the mystery of many tongues on which a view of translation hinges.’ One such mythic tale is the tower of Babel, which not only Steiner, but also Jacques Derrida after him, take as their starting point to approach the question of translation; the other conjecture tells of 'some awful error [which] was committed, an accidental release of linguistic chaos, in the mode of Pandora’s Box' (Steiner). This paper will take this other conjecture, the myth of Pandora, first woman of the Greek creation myth, as its point of departure, not only to offer a feminized version of the primal scattering of languages, but to rewrite in a positive light and therefore also toreverse the negative and misogynist association of Pandora with "man’s" fall. But, rather than exposing the entrenched patriarchal bias in mythographers’ interpretations of Pandora, my for emost aim is to pose, through her figure, questions about language and woman, and, by extension, the mother tongue and female sexuality. In After Babel George Steiner recounts "two main conjectures" in mythology which explain "the mystery of many tongues on which a view of translation hinges". One such mythic tale is the tower of Babel, which not only Steiner, but also Jacques Derrida after him, take as their starting point to approach the question of translation; the other conjecture tells of "some awful error [which] was committed, an accidental release of linguistic chaos, in the mode of Pandora's Box" (Steiner 1975:57). This paper will take this other conjecture, the myth of Pandora, first woman of the Greek creation myth, as its point of departure, not only to offer a feminized version of the primal scattering of languages, but to rewrite in a positive light and therefore also reverse the negative and misogynist association of Pandora with man's fall. Rather than adopting the patrilinear account Derrida or Steiner give as regards the origin of translation, I will use the figure of Pandora to combine, and rewrite, aspects both of the Babel myth and the Oedipus myth. This is because, whilst Babel is associated with loss, the loss of one tongue, and Oedipus is associated with lack, man's castration anxiety, Pandora's box has been associated with both: the threat of linguistic chaos, i.e. the loss of understanding, and the threat of woman's sexuality, i.