The Glass Menagerie Essay Example for Free

The Glass Menagerie Essay Throughout â€Å"The Glass Menagerie† Tennessee Williams creates an intricate dynamic between the three main characters, as well as symbols and symbolic language in order to exemplify the fragility of livelihood. Without a single one of the members of the Wingfield family the other’s lives would be dramatically different. Much as the collection of glass menagerie would not be the same collection without one of its pieces. As many collectors know the presence or absence of one item can drastically change the value of the whole collection. So also is a family unit, as one member affects the others, they form an identity they become accustomed to and often cling to. Amanda exemplifies how vital it is that a family unit stay loyal. After Mr. Wingfield disappeared her life has become a constant struggle in order to survive, a far cry from the Blue Mountain setting she idolizes in her past. Amanda symbolizes a downfall, but she also symbolizes drive for her children, encouraging Laura to blossom into something that they can both be proud of and encouraging Tom to keep his job and support his family until they can fend for themselves at least. Laura symbolizes fear and instability through the first five acts. She failed out of her class, that was a hope for a better future, because of her fear and doesn’t let herself actually try to engage in social interactions for fear that she will be inadequate in another’s eyes. Without Laura to feel sorry for and take care of Tom most likely would have left Amanda on her own in Mr. Wingfield’s footsteps a long time ago. Tom represents unrest and boredom, but he also provides the money and stability for the family to keep living in its present state. Though Tom is uneasy he still gets up in the morning and performs his duties knowing that he is a key member of their family unit, or the most valuable piece in the collection. When Tom and Amanda’s fight breaks some of the pieces of the Glass menagerie it symbolizes the breaking of a family unit, making it less valuable. As the pieces are easy to break so is the bond that holds the  family together as Mr. Wingfield showed how easy it was to separate this bond. As Tom distances himself the strength of the bond becomes less and less strong and it is only a matter of time before it breaks if it is not mended.

Essay --

There is an old saying that claims that it is better to risk saving a guilty person than to condemn an innocent one. While many choose to follow unjust traditions, others choose to pursue the path of justice. In Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, the mockingbird is a symbol of innocence that should never be killed; It is harmless and provides a song for the enjoyment of others. Furthermore, three characters from the novel are considered symbolic mockingbirds. Boo Radley, not convicted of any real charges, has fallen into a trap of rumors that have gone around the town. Tom Robinson is accused of raping a white woman with no substantial evidence proving him guilty. He is shot down while trying to escape prison. Lastly, Scout, the narrator of the book, is an innocent five-year-old girl. As the novel progresses, she starts to witness racial prejudice; which is something that no minor should come in contact with during her childhood. By exposing their innocent natures, we see how Boo, Tom Robinson and Scout are the mockingbirds in this novel. In reality, Boo has done nothing wrong. His confinement began when he, along with some other people, had played a prank and gotten into some trouble with the law. Later in his life, a rumor is spread that he had stabbed his father with scissors. Forced to stay in the house for his behavior, Boo becomes the center of gossip and rumors that spread throughout the town. He did not do did any of the things of which he was accused; instead, all he wanted to accomplish was to befriend Jem and Scout. He left them gifts in the oak tree. Scout complains to Jem, â€Å"I’ve been chewin’ it all afternoon and I ain’t dead yet, not even sick† (45). Jem is completely astonished when he discovers that Scout took the ... ... newspaper editor, despises negroes yet supports Tom Robinson: â€Å"Mr. Underwood simply figured it was a sin to kill cripples, be they standing, sitting or escaping. He likened Tom’s death to the senseless slaughter of songbirds by hunters and children†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (323). Even though it is obvious that Mr. Underwood does not like negroes, he writes about the injustice done upon Tom Robinson. Similar to killing a mockingbird, Tom is killed for a crime he had never committed and harm that he had never brought. Scout is one of the most innocent people in this book. During the course of this book, she goes through events and experiences, that no child should ever witness at a young age. On one hand, her father Atticus, is trying to teach her to live moral life and make the right decisions. On the other hand however, she is open to influences of a town filled with racism and prejudice.

Total Rewards

The first advantage of a total rewards approach is self fulfillment so that people are recognized for what they do and encouraged to reach their potential through effective learning and development processes and given feedback on their performance. The second advantage is an organization culture where roles are clear and organizational and personal values are in alignment so that employees engage and enjoy work.Another way to consider the necessary components of rewarding people is to view them as individuals, within their team, in the organization and generally in the workplace. The fourth advantage is recognition, you must make sure that the employees are being appreciated, and not taken for granted. The last one is Organizational culture which is being able to engage and fit with the organization in terms of its values and how things are done. Describe five (5) common ways a total rewards strategy can go astray.The five common ways a total rewards strategy can go astray is simply copying another organization’s reward practices can lead to disaster, It would be harmful for either firm to adopt the reward practices of the other, Not implanting an effective award strategy, No considering the employees communication strategy, and Not following the strategy the way is was implemented. Describe the six (6) steps in designing a total rewards program. Developing a total rewards strategy specific to your institution’s needs requires some initial homework to establish a baseline of what you already offer and to develop a more strategic approach to rewards.The first step is Inventory rewards, it will conduct a full, detailed, and accurate inventory of the rewards currently offered by your institution. This inventory should include both formal programs and informal practices. Some of this information is readily available but some of it will require investigation, particularly in large, decentralized institutions. To be effective, a total rewards strategy s hould reflect your institution’s strategy and goals for attracting, retaining, and engaging qualified talent.The second step is Measure investment, this is where you calculate the current level of investment in each element to establish a baseline and to track changes. The third step is Increase information because through clear communication, it helps employees understand the full suite of rewards available to them. The fourth step is Implement improvements, this implementation and execution is essential to a fully realized total rewards strategy. Vague practices, inconsistent implementation, and unclear communication will contribute to a less-than-effective strategy.Setting priorities for developing or enhancing rewards and communicating these improvements will demonstrate an institutional commitment to employees. The fifth step is Measure impact, which is a total rewards strategy that constitutes a vibrant plan. Maintaining the plan’s relevance requires regular revi ew of your institution’s initiatives and external influences. Lastly the sixth step is Involve the community. Involve leadership, faculty, and staff in understanding the total rewards strategy and how it supports the institution’s overall strategic direction. Describe the eight (8) steps in the communication process.Communication plans can be prepared for a variety of activities – internal and external. Interestingly, though, many companies overlook the value of creating formal communication plans to outline their overall internal communication objectives – and to provide a framework for activities, with measures to help determine whether the tactics used are really making a difference. The eight steps in the communication process is Situation analysis/background, Quantifiable objectives/goals, Target audience, Key messages, Strategies and tactics to meet objectives/goals, Responsibility/accountability for completing tactics, Budget, and Measurement.The s ituation analysis or background section of your communication plan should provide a high level overview of the situation or communication need with sufficient detail that someone not directly involved would understand the issue driving the need for communication and the desired outcome. The next step in developing your communication plan is to identify objective/goal statements that indicate the â€Å"end state† you hope to achieve. It’s critical that each of your objectives/goals has a specific, targeted â€Å"end point† or outcome.This both helps you determine the amount of resources that must be allocated to achieve the goal and also provides an indicator of success. The next step is to target your audience because you will need to remember that your challenge will be finding a balance between exerting more effort than is required to communicate to various audiences and not exerting enough effort to impact the appropriate audiences. A good starting point in i dentifying target audiences is to consider the various stakeholders that the message impacts. Each identified target audience has different communication needs.The content, order and number of key messages are likely to vary by group. The fewer and more specific your key messages can be, the better. Three key messages are a good number to aim for more than that will broaden your focus and minimize the impact of your communication. Objectives/goals identify the end points you hope to achieve. You will have to go beyond these broad objectives to identify specifically how you will achieve those end points. This involves developing strategies and tactics. Strategies are broad statements of activity.Tactics are more specific statements of activity that are actionable. When identifying strategies and tactics, it’s important to be realistic. Assigning accountability for the accomplishment of that plan is critical. Unless specific areas of the organization – and individuals wi thin those areas recognize that they are being held responsible and accountable for completing specific tactics that drive your ability to achieve your strategies and objectives. You have to achieve your communication plan objectives, you may also need to address the budget resources needed.While some communication plans will require no additional budget and can be accomplished with existing staff within standard work hours, other plans will require additional staff or the development of communication materials. To be effective, communication needs to be part of a carefully considered process, focused on achieving clearly identified, measurable results. It is not difficult to communicate effectively, but it does take some thought, a clear focus on objectives, an understanding of the tools available to communicate your messages and a strong partnership between you and your internal customer.

The Homeric Odyssey By Christopher Mcquarrie And Directed...

The Homeric Odyssey is a timeless work that shadows the adventures of Odysseus. The main story involves Odysseus’ journey to return home after the Trojan War. Specifically in scrolls 8-12 of the Homeric Odyssey, Homer skips around the journey occasionally to show the audience the construction of the hero of the epic, namely, Odysseus. The events in Homer’s epic are not in chronological order; however, the events are effective on guiding Odysseus as a storyteller. Scrolls 8-12 of the Homeric Odyssey demonstrate that Odysseus escapes the dangers of his journey through the skill of metis. The skill of metis is demonstrated through a mystery-thriller film The Usual Suspects (1995). In addition, the mystery thriller is written by Christopher McQuarrie and directed by Bryan Singer. Similar to Odysseus’ tales to the Phaeacians, the character Verbal Kint allows his audience to adjust to the form and content of a story. Kint has the ability to create a thriller story insi de of a thriller story and shows the talent of storytelling. The classical Odyssey and modern example The Usual Suspects (1995), both employ a strategy where the narrator has the ability to weave a story to save their own lives through the skill of metis. Scrolls 8-12 of the Homeric Odyssey are crucial to the construction of the hero Odysseus in order to display metis. In a variety of events within the Odyssey, Odysseus shows cleverness in such a way that other characters will not be tempted to prevent