Point Of View In Grendel And Beowulf Essay -- Epic of Beowulf Essays

Contrasting points of view in Grendel and Beowulf significantly alter the reader’s perception of religion, good and evil, and the character Grendel. John Gardner’s book, Grendel, is written in first person. The book translated by Burton Raffel, Beowulf, is written in third person. Good and evil is one of the main conflicts in the poem Beowulf. How is Grendel affected by the concepts of good and evil? Grendel is an alienated individual who just wants to be a part of something. His desire to fit in causes him to do evil things. Grendel is fascinated by the Shaper’s poetry. He often returns to the mead hall to listen to it. One night while he is listening, he hears the story of Cain and Abel, including the Danes explanation of Grendel. His reaction to this leads to one of his most dramatic emotional reactions: â€Å"I believed him. Such was the power of the Shaper’s harp! Stood wriggling my face, letting tears down my nose, grinding my fists into my elbow the corpse of the proof that both of us ere cursed, or neither, that the brothers had never lived, nor the god who judged them. ‘Waaa!’ I bawled. ‘Oh what a conversion’†(Gardner 51)! Grendel then cries for mercy from the Danes. He wants their forgiveness as well as unification with them, which represents the good in him. The Danes reject him by confusing his outburst of sorrow as an attack. After visiting with a dragon who tells Grendel a fictional version of the Shaper’s tale, Grendel continues to believe the Shaper’s story. He searches for the goodness in human beings, which was mentioned in the story. He eats people only because it provides a place for him in society, even if it is a negative position (The Two Faces of Grendel, 2). Good and evil is one of the main conflicts in the poem Beowulf, and ultimately both wipe each other out. Good, is portrayed by God, and evil seems to be what fate has in store for the hero. Beowulf occasionally talks to God and asks God to give him strength before the battle and to give him the valor he needs to overcome his enemy. Evil seems to always get the bad side of things since it always gets conquered by God’s good side. Even though this is true, evil lives the high life for a long time. Grendel, Beowulf’s first opponent, killed thousands and thousands of men before he met his match. Evil comes from the monsters. They attack the good side by killing innocent men because they ... ...rs have a sense of alienation and just want to fit in. The point of view of the book Grendel allows the reader to see another side of Grendel. In Beowulf, Grendel is viewed as the antagonist and the evil villain. Grendel is both feared and hated in Beowulf. Upon reading Beowulf, the reader discovers Grendel as seen through the eyes of his terrified victims. King Hrothgar, leader of the Danes, fears his visits: â€Å"The renowned ruler, the prince of long famous, sat empty of joy; strong in might, he suffered, sorrowed for his men when they saw the track of the hateful monster, the evil spirit.† Hrothgar would dread the fatal nights when Grendel would dine on human flesh. The ruler understands that Grendel attacks his men out of spite and jealousy (The Two Faces of Grendel, 1). In reading Grendel and Beowulf, one can find many similarities in the way the events occur in the books, however because of contrasting points of view, the reader gets insight on the entire picture from two different sides. This allows the reader to better understand each book and its contents, such as their beliefs and the concept of good and evil, and acknowledge the ways the character Grendel can be described. Point Of View In Grendel And Beowulf Essay -- Epic of Beowulf Essays Contrasting points of view in Grendel and Beowulf significantly alter the reader’s perception of religion, good and evil, and the character Grendel. John Gardner’s book, Grendel, is written in first person. The book translated by Burton Raffel, Beowulf, is written in third person. Good and evil is one of the main conflicts in the poem Beowulf. How is Grendel affected by the concepts of good and evil? Grendel is an alienated individual who just wants to be a part of something. His desire to fit in causes him to do evil things. Grendel is fascinated by the Shaper’s poetry. He often returns to the mead hall to listen to it. One night while he is listening, he hears the story of Cain and Abel, including the Danes explanation of Grendel. His reaction to this leads to one of his most dramatic emotional reactions: â€Å"I believed him. Such was the power of the Shaper’s harp! Stood wriggling my face, letting tears down my nose, grinding my fists into my elbow the corpse of the proof that both of us ere cursed, or neither, that the brothers had never lived, nor the god who judged them. ‘Waaa!’ I bawled. ‘Oh what a conversion’†(Gardner 51)! Grendel then cries for mercy from the Danes. He wants their forgiveness as well as unification with them, which represents the good in him. The Danes reject him by confusing his outburst of sorrow as an attack. After visiting with a dragon who tells Grendel a fictional version of the Shaper’s tale, Grendel continues to believe the Shaper’s story. He searches for the goodness in human beings, which was mentioned in the story. He eats people only because it provides a place for him in society, even if it is a negative position (The Two Faces of Grendel, 2). Good and evil is one of the main conflicts in the poem Beowulf, and ultimately both wipe each other out. Good, is portrayed by God, and evil seems to be what fate has in store for the hero. Beowulf occasionally talks to God and asks God to give him strength before the battle and to give him the valor he needs to overcome his enemy. Evil seems to always get the bad side of things since it always gets conquered by God’s good side. Even though this is true, evil lives the high life for a long time. Grendel, Beowulf’s first opponent, killed thousands and thousands of men before he met his match. Evil comes from the monsters. They attack the good side by killing innocent men because they ... ...rs have a sense of alienation and just want to fit in. The point of view of the book Grendel allows the reader to see another side of Grendel. In Beowulf, Grendel is viewed as the antagonist and the evil villain. Grendel is both feared and hated in Beowulf. Upon reading Beowulf, the reader discovers Grendel as seen through the eyes of his terrified victims. King Hrothgar, leader of the Danes, fears his visits: â€Å"The renowned ruler, the prince of long famous, sat empty of joy; strong in might, he suffered, sorrowed for his men when they saw the track of the hateful monster, the evil spirit.† Hrothgar would dread the fatal nights when Grendel would dine on human flesh. The ruler understands that Grendel attacks his men out of spite and jealousy (The Two Faces of Grendel, 1). In reading Grendel and Beowulf, one can find many similarities in the way the events occur in the books, however because of contrasting points of view, the reader gets insight on the entire picture from two different sides. This allows the reader to better understand each book and its contents, such as their beliefs and the concept of good and evil, and acknowledge the ways the character Grendel can be described.

Corrections Trends Evaluation Paper Essay

Corrections have existed throughout society for many years and continued to change and evolve in the United States reflecting society’s values and ideals throughout the centuries. In the criminal justice system, corrections exist in more than one form. Not only do corrections refer to jails and prison systems but they also pertain to community-based programs, such as probation, parole, halfway houses, and treatment facilities. Past, present, and future trends in regard to the development and operation of institutional and community-based corrections vary between states but corrections have grown immensely since the early 1800s and have continued to expand over time. Corrections are adamant to continue to expand into the future because crime is not slowing down so there will remain a strong need for corrections throughout society. The subject of this paper pertains to research of past, present, and future trends in the development and operation of corrections. In some ways corrections are similar to the operation trends of two decades ago. In other ways the development of corrections has come far compared to corrections in the beginning. Other subjects of the paper include current and future issues for prisons and prison administrators and an explanation for why these issues overwhelm corrections. A last topic for discussion is the roles of alternate corrections as a developing trend. Conditions in the early era were inhumane because of prisoners starving, and trends of punishment were in the form of physical punishment. Examples of this were punishments, such as prisoners hanged, tortured, beheaded, or mutilated. This punishment was popular in England, but it had an effect on its American predecessors. Although the conservative e trend that emerged in the 1970s continued to dominate justice system policy the debate between punishment and treatment brought new questions about (Muraskin & Roberts, 2009, pp. 263). Over the years and into the future many still wonder the dominate method in reducing the number of criminals in the department of corrections. The American colonies used means of a corporal punishment just as the motherlands (Gaines & Miller, 208, pp. 313). The system brutally executed citizens who had violated any law. However, not all colonial administrators adhered to a brutal punishment, such as the death penalty. â€Å"The Great Law† ensured any victim a restitution of property or goods, given by the felon (pp. 313). This code, based on Quaker ideals and humanity and rehabilitation, by William Penn was introduced. Although â€Å"The Great Law† still allowed the death penalty, most felons who could not pay restitution to their victims were not executed but were sent to prison where they worked. This exceptional code, in William Penn’s case gained attention by other American colonies. After Penn’s death, Pennsylvania, The center of prison reform, opened its very first penitentiary in Philadelphia (Johnston, 2011). This initiated a chain reaction and other states looked to Pennsylvania as an example for reform. They looked to the penitentiary as a hope of rehabilitating the criminal spirit. It helped to treat and discipline prisoners rather than physically harm them. The silence in a penitentiary was meant to force prisoners to think about their crimes, and weigh the benefits against the consequences. Although the silence treatment was successful, many inmates brought into the penitentiaries and had to share rooms as a result of crowded conditions. This happened at the Walnut Street Prison Penitentiary, and it ended with overcrowded conditions and excessive cost. The prison eventually shut down. Although the prison was shut down, many states continued to use the penitentiary system. If overcrowding occurred it just meant building new penitentiaries. The penitentiary system was important because it influenced later concepts. Such as the idea of separate confinement, which kept inmates separated in individual cells (Gaines & Miller. 2008, pp. 314). These prisoners had contact with religious instructors known as clergy or prison officials only. Another concept introduced was the idea of reform and progress. Inmates who behaved well and followed rules climb a ladder and once at the top may qualify for early release from confinement. The history and structure of prisons and prison administrators has changed immensely over the years. Society today faces the increased probability of incarceration for offenders and inmates serve more time for crimes in the present-day compared to the length of incarceration several years ago. This is in part because of the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984, which caused the length of time served by federal convicts for their crimes to rise significantly (Gaines & Miller, 2008, pp. 316). With more offenders going to prison for longer stays many prisons face overcrowding conditions. The prison overcrowding problem contributes to several issues currently facing prisons and prison administrators. Prison overcrowding is a current issue that without some extreme solutions will continue to plaque the entire department of corrections well into the future. Over the past decade the prison population continues to rise sharply. Stricter laws, harsher punishment, high rates of recidivism, and higher levels of drug related crimes contribute to the rapid growth of incarcerated offenders. Prison overcrowding almost always has a negative effect on inmates and prison administration or staff. Overcrowding leads to higher rates of illness, so in turn prison administrators see an increase in health care costs. Limited more are resources and the likelihood of recidivism rates is higher when prisons reach a maximum capacity population. Another current and future issue of concern for prisons and prison administrators stemming from overcrowding is prison violence. Prison researcher Stephen C. Light found that when conditions such as overcrowding worsen. Inmate misconduct often increases (Gaines & Miller, 2008, pp. 340). Prisoners often use violence as a way to show power or to control other inmates. Prison violence is a means of surviving for some inmates who think of violence as a deterrent against victimization or violence to acquire money or sexual favors. The correctional officers also have to resort to violence as a form of discipline or controlling prison gangs and riots. Funding is another major issue facing prisons and prison administration currently and will continue into the future. The operational cost to house inmates must stay with the limits of an assigned budget. Currently a majority of prisons operate under state and federal governments, unlike the past when private prisons were more common. Private prisons were often more cost-efficient because of labor costs, competitive bidding, and less red tape involved with private prisons. Prison administration and staff place themselves at risk daily for a paycheck; therefore wages must be in a prison budget. Operating costs for electric and water is essential and rises as the inmate population increases. Prisoners have rights to three meals a day and prison budgets must provide these rights. Another necessity in the budget for prisons and prison administrators is the need to rehabilitate and reform inmates. Counselors, doctors, and teachers are necessary inside prisons to attempt to reduce the number of repeat offenders in the prison system. Several alternate correction systems play a role as developing trends in society today. With many issues facing correctional institutions today the developing trends and roles of community-based corrections are becoming more common. Community corrections are being framed in terms of alternative sanctions but a slow pace (Muraskin & Roberts, 2009, pp. 263). The emphasis of community corrections is on controlling punishment and retribution potential (263). The main reason for community-based program is that the cost to place an offender on probation is less than the cost to house an offender in prison. The goal of probation is to give an offender the opportunity to stay out of trouble as opposed to prison. In a sense probation is a second chance for offenders to stay in the community and maintain freedom under supervision. Day reporting centers, half way houses, and electronic monitoring are other examples of community-based corrections that prevent an offender from incarceration in a prison. The goals of these corrections are to allow offenders to stay in the community and maintain employment with special conditions. Community-based programs save funding and space in correctional facilities while recognizing that offenders do need some supervision and discipline to remain in the general population of the community. Corrections have existed throughout society for many years in one form or another. Several types of corrections exist today from jails and prisons to community-based corrections such as probation, halfway houses, and electronic monitoring. Corrections and trends are much different today than in the past and years from then as society evolves changes in corrections are sure to occur. Issues facing corrections, including funding shortages, prison overcrowding, and violence in correctional facilities have worsened over the years and will continue into the future. Community-based programs will continue to make some progress in the correction institutions by improving alternative programs for offenders, but society will never be crime free and therefore corrections will always be necessary.

The Libyan Revolution

We are living through a revolution, right now, and we don't even know it. While we're all sitting around chatting on facebook, complaining about how much homework we have, and stressing about whether or not we're going to that party on the weekend, the people of the Middle East are staging a rebellion against their dictators. Sometime in the future, this revolt will be in history books, so perhaps we should know something about it, while it's actually happening. In December 2010, Tunisia reared up against President, Ben Ali, in a bid for their undeniable human rights. Major demonstrations took place in Egypt, Djibouti, Iraq, Kuwait, Iran, Algeria, Morocco, Yemen, China, Bahrain, and Libya, with minor demonstrations and suicidal protests spreading across almost every country in the Middle East. Dubbed the ‘Jasmine Revolution' by media sources, the conflict across the area is a cry for the abolition of the oppressive dictatorships in place, and the introduction of some form of democracy. With the ousting of President Ben Ali of Tunisia and President Mubarak of Egypt, other leaders have stated that they will not be running for re-election, including the presidents of Yemen and Sudan, while the King of Jordan has named a new Prime Minister. In the people's fight for their rights, this is a huge step forward; Though not without a price. Over the 3 months of protest, over 1600 people have died. Awareness of this has been widely spread by the internet, with images of the violence and terror of the riots, coming to light. Startling images of the military executing civilians at peaceful protests, and mass murder of military members who refused to follow their orders, are among the more disturbing. These images are showing to the rest of the world just how important these riots are to the peace of the Middle East, and the rights of its peoples. While there has been huge success in regime change in Egypt especially, Libya is in the middle of a horrifically violent revolution. Over 1000 of the dead are Libyan, and there seems to be no end in sight. President Gadaffi is refusing to step down, while the people become more focused and empowered, which spells an ongoing, violent revolution, even more so than the riots that toppled Egypt in early February. It is vital that the rest of the world be aware of what is happening in these countries, and with word of mouth, I for one, hope that the world will continue to see progress being made, but also the horror of the sacrifices being made. The internet has been vital in spreading the word, but also in spreading the support for the people, and so with the sentiments of John Green (via twitter) â€Å"Our thoughts and prayers are with you all. Be Safe. Except you Gadaffi. You can go to hell. †, I urge you to take a look around, think about the people of the Middle East, and find out what's happening with this history-making event, because we are right now, living through what our children will be learning in history class.

Human resources management Essays

Human resources management Essays Human resources management Essay Human resources management Essay This research outline addresses efficiency in the health system from a human resource point of view. The paper highlights the importance of human resources management (HRM) in enhancing general patient health outcomes and the delivery of health care services. Many key factors emerge, especially pertaining to nurse managers among others that clearly impact on health care practices and HRM. The paper reveals how human resources management is fundamental to any health care organization, to use HRM practices to improve health care delivery. Challenges in the health care systems of top ten hospitals in Asia are examined, with suggestions provided for solving these problems through the a proper application of human resources management practices. Defining human resources in health care Health care systems globally are increasingly focusing their attention is on human resources management (HRM) (Jones, D, A (1996). In particular, human resources are one of the core inputs of health systems. Therefore, human resource in healthcare is defined as an input element (WHO 2000). Human resources practices and hospitals The practice of having nurses doubling up as managers in the top ten Asian hospitals is creating a series of problems in the hospitals. These hospitals need a reform in their human resources practices. The approaches adopted should seek to improve the quality of services and customer (patients) satisfaction. Quality in healthcare consists of : technical quality-this is from medical practitioners, it impacts on the conditions of health for populations; and socio-cultural quality-from the administration, measures the degree at which the services offered by the hospitals are accepted as having the ability to satisfy patients needs (Malat, 2001). It is clear that human resource practitioners (whether nurses, doctors or generalists) are faced with many obstacles in attempting to deliver high-quality health service to patients. These problems include budgets constraints, lack of smooth interoperability between various stakeholders, equipment breakdowns, absenteeism, and low morale of hospital personnel among (Aiken et al. , 2002). Many other professionals, beside doctors and nurses are involved in the health care process. These include pharmacists, nutritionists, social workers and case managers inter alia. While there is much focus on doctors and nurses, there is a myriad of challenges that these other providers face in delivering health services (Anson, 2003). Furthermore, the health care system is becoming more technologically advanced. Hence there is need to increase the supply of specialized and skilled technicians (Guo 2003). Solutions The solution of separating patient care from managerial functions is a good solution to some extent since it allows the nurses ample time to attend to patients. Moreover, nurses are technically well versed with specific hospital operations. On the other side, hiring administrative managers is a good solution since the managers will do what they know best-ensure schedules are adhered to and efficiency is maintained. However, the better solution is the utilization of the broad spectrum of health care providers and improved coordination of health services through multidisciplinary teamwork (Barney 1997). This is because, health care is basically delivered by people, best human resources practices will be vital in the success of health service delivery (Zurn et al. , 2004). Alternative solution Alternatively, the hospitals could out-source non core functions and leave the nurses to concentrate on what they know best-taking care of patients. Outsourcing of services will allow for conversion of fixed labor expenses into variable costs thus enhancing efficiency. Contracting-out, performance contracts and internal contracting are also examples of measures employed

Learn About the Von Thunen Model

Learn About the Von Thunen Model The Von Thunen model of agricultural land use (also called location theory) was created by the farmer, landowner, and amateur economist Johann Heinrich Von Thunen (1783–1850) in 1826 in a book called The Isolated State, but it wasnt translated into English until 1966. Von Thunens model was created before industrialization and is based on the following limiting assumptions: The city is located centrally within an Isolated State that is self-sufficient and has no external influences.The Isolated State is surrounded by an unoccupied wilderness.The land of the State is completely flat and has no rivers or mountains to interrupt the terrain.The soil quality and climate are consistent throughout the State.Farmers in the Isolated State transport their own goods to market via oxcart, across the land, directly to the central city. Therefore, there are no roads.Farmers act to maximize profits. In an Isolated State with the foregoing statements being true, Von Thunen hypothesized that a pattern of rings around the city would develop based on land cost and transportation cost.   The Four Rings Dairying and intensive farming occur in the ring closest to the city. Because vegetables, fruit, milk, and other dairy products must get to market quickly, they would be produced close to the city. (Remember, people didnt have refrigerated oxcarts!) The first ring of land is also more expensive, so the ag products would have to be highly valuable ones and the rate of return maximized. Timber and firewood would be produced for fuel and building materials in the second zone. Before industrialization (and coal power), wood was a very important fuel for heating and cooking. Wood is very heavy and difficult to transport, so it is located as close to the city as possible. The third zone consists of extensive field crops such as grains for bread. Because grains last longer than dairy products and are much lighter than fuel, reducing transport costs, they can be located farther from the city. Ranching is located in the final ring surrounding the central city. Animals can be raised far from the city because they are self-transporting. Animals can walk to the central city for sale or for butchering. Beyond the fourth ring lies the unoccupied wilderness, which is too great a distance from the central city for any type of agricultural product because the amount earned for the product doesnt justify the expenses of producing it after transportation to the city is factored in. What the Model Can Tell Us Even though the Von Thunen model was created in a time before factories, highways, and even railroads, it is still an important model in geography. The Von Thunen model is an excellent illustration of the balance between land cost and transportation costs. As one gets closer to a city, the price of land increases. The farmers of the Isolated State balance the cost of transportation, land, and profit and produce the most cost-effective product for market. Of course, in the real world, things dont happen as they would in a model.

Business marketing report (imptoving quality service and crafting the Essay

Business marketing report (imptoving quality service and crafting the service environment) - Essay Example Major issues explored are the differentiation, managing the human resources and automation element. Suggested solutions are provided to allow the company redesign its service processes and better them. Use of diagrams and graphs has been made to anchor the understanding of the reader. Bunzl vending services boasts of 25 years of glorious experience in providing vending services of all sizes and complexities across UK. With organizational culture of efficiency and detailed attention, it leads the home refreshment services industry by continually incorporating innovation and quality in its services assortments. The company is ISO 14001 and 19001 certified which shows its quality-oriented business proposition. The company provides all sorts of vending services namely coffee, water, snacks and others for both commercial and industrial purposes. Its environment friendly initiative puts in place the objective of proper cleaning of vending machines through harmless chemicals, recycling of waste and minimizing transportation and storage costs of stocks by contracting with local suppliers (Bunzl Vending Services n.d). As already remarked, Bunzl vending services are ahead of their competitors in the service quality level. Identification of shortcomings in the service processes and delivery obviate strategic hiccups in the service designing of the company. Vending services are common to all that they are more technology and automation oriented, yet the success of these services rely on how well the service components are distinguished and differentiated from the traditional aspects (Lovelock & Wirtz 2007). For Bunzl vending services, its own employees are only technical facilitators while its customers are the actual employees because they themselves operate the machines, manage the vending area and are responsible for other facility issues arising. In this regard, it becomes essential that the

Haiti Research Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Haiti Research - Assignment Example Later on, the Haitians had an election and Duvalier rose to power as their president but unluckily, he turned out to be a great dictator an a ruthless leader (Cerda et al. 4). His reign was characterized by massive killings, embezzlement of funds, and corruption in every sector of the government. Due to this kind of leadership, the citizen suffered a lot as they became poorer with time. Development projects could not start, nor continue, since the government of Haiti could not afford the finances required. Unfortunately, in the year 2010, a high magnitude earthquake struck the country and led to massive destruction of property, death of many people and left a great number of Haitians homeless (Cerda et al. 7). This research paper shows the relationship between what happened during the early days in Haiti, and the aftermath of the great earthquake, connecting it to the current situation of this country. Haiti and France had a settlement deal in 1928, which demanded Haiti to repay a large amount of money to the French Government (Cerda et al. 11). Haiti was a very poor country by then and could not afford the money as demanded. The France however demanded that it had to be repaid this money it in order for it to identify the country’s independence, which it had attained in the year 1804 (Cruise 2). Additionally, the French government required Haiti to compensate it since it had lost a very important slavery colony, and most of their soldiers had died in the wars. Haiti government found trouble repaying this large amount of money (which amounted to 150 million francs) as it had no finances left (Cerda et al. 6). Fortunately, the France Government reduced the amount to 60 million francs, which had to be repaid in a period of thirty years. Boyer, who was the president of Haiti by then, made a very large first payment to France in order for them to recognize Haiti’s indepe ndence (Cruise 5). The payment led to economic problems in Haiti during