Free Essays on Short Term Choices, Long Term Repercussions

Most people can pinpoint one or two times in their lives when the choices they made had long term repercussions. Such is the case for Briony Tallis in Ian McEwan’s book, Atonement. In the book, the concept of maturity is treated masterfully by the shift of a character’s perceptions, belief systems and social realities. Bryony Tallis is the younger sister whose literary skills are often belittled by her older sister Celia. As the book opens, she creates a play for her cousins and herself to perform. The family’s dynamics are at once set as the reader finds the mother remote and as distant as the father, who seems to spend most of his nights in London, rather then at home. As the evening’s events unwind, the small details and insignificant happenings of the day are spoken about, but the undercurrent of tension is building. Later, one of the cousins is assaulted on the grounds of the house and Briony, still stinging from an insult earlier, tells the authoriti es that it was Robbie, their childhood friend and Cecilia’s boyfriend. Briony witnesses her sister strip down to her undergarments and dive into a family fountain with Robbie looking on. Not comprehending what was going on between the two, she goes down to the fountain after the two have left. It is at this point that she begins to glimpse a bit of her future, and cleverly, McEwen foretells the tale. Briony had her first, weak intimation that for her now, it can no longer be fairy-tale castles and princesses, but the strangeness of the here and now, of what passed between the people that she knew. Though she does not understand what has happened, her imagination fills in what she supposes to be the gaps. It is this assumption that leads to the terrible culmination of events which destroys them all. Briony decides she has witnessed a scene that is sinister; that Robbie has somehow forced her sister to get naked. In this first section of the book, the reader is treated to the s ... Free Essays on Short Term Choices, Long Term Repercussions Free Essays on Short Term Choices, Long Term Repercussions Most people can pinpoint one or two times in their lives when the choices they made had long term repercussions. Such is the case for Briony Tallis in Ian McEwan’s book, Atonement. In the book, the concept of maturity is treated masterfully by the shift of a character’s perceptions, belief systems and social realities. Bryony Tallis is the younger sister whose literary skills are often belittled by her older sister Celia. As the book opens, she creates a play for her cousins and herself to perform. The family’s dynamics are at once set as the reader finds the mother remote and as distant as the father, who seems to spend most of his nights in London, rather then at home. As the evening’s events unwind, the small details and insignificant happenings of the day are spoken about, but the undercurrent of tension is building. Later, one of the cousins is assaulted on the grounds of the house and Briony, still stinging from an insult earlier, tells the authoriti es that it was Robbie, their childhood friend and Cecilia’s boyfriend. Briony witnesses her sister strip down to her undergarments and dive into a family fountain with Robbie looking on. Not comprehending what was going on between the two, she goes down to the fountain after the two have left. It is at this point that she begins to glimpse a bit of her future, and cleverly, McEwen foretells the tale. Briony had her first, weak intimation that for her now, it can no longer be fairy-tale castles and princesses, but the strangeness of the here and now, of what passed between the people that she knew. Though she does not understand what has happened, her imagination fills in what she supposes to be the gaps. It is this assumption that leads to the terrible culmination of events which destroys them all. Briony decides she has witnessed a scene that is sinister; that Robbie has somehow forced her sister to get naked. In this first section of the book, the reader is treated to the s ...

Top 10 Confused Words in English [E-F]

Top 10 Confused Words in English [E-F] Top 10 Confused Words in English [E-F] Top 10 Confused Words in English [E-F] By Maeve Maddox The words in the following list represent misunderstanding of the words’ meanings and not simply an inability to spell them correctly. This post covers words starting with the letters e and f (the a-b list is here, and the c-d one here). 1. economic / economical Both adjectives are related, but have distinct meanings. Economic refers to economics or the economy: â€Å"Reagans  economic policies  came to be known as ‘Reaganomics.’ † Economical means, â€Å"giving good value in relation to the resources used†: â€Å"Buying in bulk is an economical way to shop.† 2. ensure / insure To ensure is to guarantee: â€Å"The librarian held his passport to ensure that he would return the book before leaving.† To insure is to enter into an agreement to assure against future loss: â€Å"The Joneses decided to insure their house against flood as well as fire.† 3. envelop / envelope The word without the final e is a verb meaning â€Å"to surround†: â€Å"Come, let me envelop you in my arms.† The word with the final e is a noun, meaning â€Å"container for a letter†: â€Å"She placed the letter in the envelope and sealed it with a kiss.† The verb is pronounced with stress on the second syllable. For the noun, the stress falls on the first syllable. As for the pronunciation of the noun’s first syllable, both EN and ON are heard. For an extended commentary on the pronunciation of envelope, see The Big Book of Beastly Mispronunciations by Charles Elster. 4. famous / infamous Many bloggers seem to be unaware that these two words are not interchangeable. Not only have I seen people like Hitler and Al Capone referred to as â€Å"famous,† I’ve recently seen infamous used in reference to people who, as far as I know, are not noted for doing bad things. Both adjectives mean â€Å"well known,† but famous means well known for admirable qualities, whereas infamous implies despicable behavior. Princess Diana is famous for her work in ridding the world of landmines. The gangster John Dillinger was an infamous bank robber. 5. farther / further A great deal of ink, real and virtual, is spilled insisting that further must never be used in reference to physical distance. According to this argument, we may say, â€Å"I walked farther than you,† but not, â€Å"I walked further than you.† This is one of those prissy distinctions that has found its way into stylebooks, but is belied by centuries of usage. Either farther or further is acceptable in the context of physical distance. However, as Paul Brians (Common Errors in English Usage) puts it, â€Å"Some people get really testy about this.† Further, on the other hand, is the preferred form in abstract and figurative senses: â€Å"This office will be closed until further notice.† Further is the only choice as a verb: â€Å"Mr. Smith’s generous donation will enable us to further our plans for expanding the homeless shelter.† 6. flaunt / flout â€Å"To flout† is to express contempt for something. If you’re showing something off, you’re  flaunting  it. If you’re disregarding a law, a rule, or a social convention, you’re  flouting  it. For example: â€Å"I unfriended Charlie because he was constantly flouting civil behavior with his vulgar language.† â€Å"She is unbelievably wealthy, but she doesn’t flaunt it.† 7. flounder / founder Used as verbs, these two words are often confused. Literally, to flounder means â€Å"to struggle†: â€Å"The cat floundered desperately in the water.† Literally, founder may be used in any of the following senses: [of a building] to fall down [of a horse] to fall helplessly to the ground [of a ship] to fill with water and sink Figuratively, flounder retains the meaning of â€Å"to struggle† with the added connotations of ineptness, confusion, or embarrassment: â€Å"He floundered  for a bit,  trying  to figure out how to rephrase the question.† Figuratively, founder means â€Å"to fail†: â€Å"Even with that money, there’s no guarantee the daycare wouldn’t founder later.† 8. forbear / forebear The first, forbear, is a verb meaning â€Å"to refrain from†: â€Å"Prince Charles will forbear from making political pronouncements when he becomes king, The Observer reported yesterday.† The second, forebear, is a noun meaning ancestor: â€Å"The British must rediscover the boldness and ambition of their Victorian forebears, say the politicians.† 9. forward / foreword The confusion between these words is understandable. The adjective forward describes something that is in front of or ahead of something else. The noun foreword is a preface, a brief essay that stands at the front of a book. An easy way to keep them straight is to pay attention to the word in foreword. A foreword is made up of words. 10. fortuitous / fortunate Both words derive from Latin fortuna, â€Å"luck or chance.† Fortuna could be either good or bad; it was what happened to a person. In modern English, fortunate has the connotation of good fortune only: â€Å"It was fortunate for him that someone heard his cries for help.† Fortuitous, on the other hand, retains the notion of happenstance or accident. â€Å"A fortuitous meeting† is an accidental meeting. However, because of the similarity of fortuitous to fortunate, the expression â€Å"a fortuitous meeting† is most commonly understood to mean a meeting that was lucky as well as coincidental. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Has vs. HadPeople versus Persons20 Names of Body Parts and Elements and Their Figurative Meanings

Top 10 Confused Words in English [E-F]

Top 10 Confused Words in English [E-F] Top 10 Confused Words in English [E-F] Top 10 Confused Words in English [E-F] By Maeve Maddox The words in the following list represent misunderstanding of the words’ meanings and not simply an inability to spell them correctly. This post covers words starting with the letters e and f (the a-b list is here, and the c-d one here). 1. economic / economical Both adjectives are related, but have distinct meanings. Economic refers to economics or the economy: â€Å"Reagans  economic policies  came to be known as ‘Reaganomics.’ † Economical means, â€Å"giving good value in relation to the resources used†: â€Å"Buying in bulk is an economical way to shop.† 2. ensure / insure To ensure is to guarantee: â€Å"The librarian held his passport to ensure that he would return the book before leaving.† To insure is to enter into an agreement to assure against future loss: â€Å"The Joneses decided to insure their house against flood as well as fire.† 3. envelop / envelope The word without the final e is a verb meaning â€Å"to surround†: â€Å"Come, let me envelop you in my arms.† The word with the final e is a noun, meaning â€Å"container for a letter†: â€Å"She placed the letter in the envelope and sealed it with a kiss.† The verb is pronounced with stress on the second syllable. For the noun, the stress falls on the first syllable. As for the pronunciation of the noun’s first syllable, both EN and ON are heard. For an extended commentary on the pronunciation of envelope, see The Big Book of Beastly Mispronunciations by Charles Elster. 4. famous / infamous Many bloggers seem to be unaware that these two words are not interchangeable. Not only have I seen people like Hitler and Al Capone referred to as â€Å"famous,† I’ve recently seen infamous used in reference to people who, as far as I know, are not noted for doing bad things. Both adjectives mean â€Å"well known,† but famous means well known for admirable qualities, whereas infamous implies despicable behavior. Princess Diana is famous for her work in ridding the world of landmines. The gangster John Dillinger was an infamous bank robber. 5. farther / further A great deal of ink, real and virtual, is spilled insisting that further must never be used in reference to physical distance. According to this argument, we may say, â€Å"I walked farther than you,† but not, â€Å"I walked further than you.† This is one of those prissy distinctions that has found its way into stylebooks, but is belied by centuries of usage. Either farther or further is acceptable in the context of physical distance. However, as Paul Brians (Common Errors in English Usage) puts it, â€Å"Some people get really testy about this.† Further, on the other hand, is the preferred form in abstract and figurative senses: â€Å"This office will be closed until further notice.† Further is the only choice as a verb: â€Å"Mr. Smith’s generous donation will enable us to further our plans for expanding the homeless shelter.† 6. flaunt / flout â€Å"To flout† is to express contempt for something. If you’re showing something off, you’re  flaunting  it. If you’re disregarding a law, a rule, or a social convention, you’re  flouting  it. For example: â€Å"I unfriended Charlie because he was constantly flouting civil behavior with his vulgar language.† â€Å"She is unbelievably wealthy, but she doesn’t flaunt it.† 7. flounder / founder Used as verbs, these two words are often confused. Literally, to flounder means â€Å"to struggle†: â€Å"The cat floundered desperately in the water.† Literally, founder may be used in any of the following senses: [of a building] to fall down [of a horse] to fall helplessly to the ground [of a ship] to fill with water and sink Figuratively, flounder retains the meaning of â€Å"to struggle† with the added connotations of ineptness, confusion, or embarrassment: â€Å"He floundered  for a bit,  trying  to figure out how to rephrase the question.† Figuratively, founder means â€Å"to fail†: â€Å"Even with that money, there’s no guarantee the daycare wouldn’t founder later.† 8. forbear / forebear The first, forbear, is a verb meaning â€Å"to refrain from†: â€Å"Prince Charles will forbear from making political pronouncements when he becomes king, The Observer reported yesterday.† The second, forebear, is a noun meaning ancestor: â€Å"The British must rediscover the boldness and ambition of their Victorian forebears, say the politicians.† 9. forward / foreword The confusion between these words is understandable. The adjective forward describes something that is in front of or ahead of something else. The noun foreword is a preface, a brief essay that stands at the front of a book. An easy way to keep them straight is to pay attention to the word in foreword. A foreword is made up of words. 10. fortuitous / fortunate Both words derive from Latin fortuna, â€Å"luck or chance.† Fortuna could be either good or bad; it was what happened to a person. In modern English, fortunate has the connotation of good fortune only: â€Å"It was fortunate for him that someone heard his cries for help.† Fortuitous, on the other hand, retains the notion of happenstance or accident. â€Å"A fortuitous meeting† is an accidental meeting. However, because of the similarity of fortuitous to fortunate, the expression â€Å"a fortuitous meeting† is most commonly understood to mean a meeting that was lucky as well as coincidental. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Has vs. HadPeople versus Persons20 Names of Body Parts and Elements and Their Figurative Meanings

Top 10 Confused Words in English [E-F]

Top 10 Confused Words in English [E-F] Top 10 Confused Words in English [E-F] Top 10 Confused Words in English [E-F] By Maeve Maddox The words in the following list represent misunderstanding of the words’ meanings and not simply an inability to spell them correctly. This post covers words starting with the letters e and f (the a-b list is here, and the c-d one here). 1. economic / economical Both adjectives are related, but have distinct meanings. Economic refers to economics or the economy: â€Å"Reagans  economic policies  came to be known as ‘Reaganomics.’ † Economical means, â€Å"giving good value in relation to the resources used†: â€Å"Buying in bulk is an economical way to shop.† 2. ensure / insure To ensure is to guarantee: â€Å"The librarian held his passport to ensure that he would return the book before leaving.† To insure is to enter into an agreement to assure against future loss: â€Å"The Joneses decided to insure their house against flood as well as fire.† 3. envelop / envelope The word without the final e is a verb meaning â€Å"to surround†: â€Å"Come, let me envelop you in my arms.† The word with the final e is a noun, meaning â€Å"container for a letter†: â€Å"She placed the letter in the envelope and sealed it with a kiss.† The verb is pronounced with stress on the second syllable. For the noun, the stress falls on the first syllable. As for the pronunciation of the noun’s first syllable, both EN and ON are heard. For an extended commentary on the pronunciation of envelope, see The Big Book of Beastly Mispronunciations by Charles Elster. 4. famous / infamous Many bloggers seem to be unaware that these two words are not interchangeable. Not only have I seen people like Hitler and Al Capone referred to as â€Å"famous,† I’ve recently seen infamous used in reference to people who, as far as I know, are not noted for doing bad things. Both adjectives mean â€Å"well known,† but famous means well known for admirable qualities, whereas infamous implies despicable behavior. Princess Diana is famous for her work in ridding the world of landmines. The gangster John Dillinger was an infamous bank robber. 5. farther / further A great deal of ink, real and virtual, is spilled insisting that further must never be used in reference to physical distance. According to this argument, we may say, â€Å"I walked farther than you,† but not, â€Å"I walked further than you.† This is one of those prissy distinctions that has found its way into stylebooks, but is belied by centuries of usage. Either farther or further is acceptable in the context of physical distance. However, as Paul Brians (Common Errors in English Usage) puts it, â€Å"Some people get really testy about this.† Further, on the other hand, is the preferred form in abstract and figurative senses: â€Å"This office will be closed until further notice.† Further is the only choice as a verb: â€Å"Mr. Smith’s generous donation will enable us to further our plans for expanding the homeless shelter.† 6. flaunt / flout â€Å"To flout† is to express contempt for something. If you’re showing something off, you’re  flaunting  it. If you’re disregarding a law, a rule, or a social convention, you’re  flouting  it. For example: â€Å"I unfriended Charlie because he was constantly flouting civil behavior with his vulgar language.† â€Å"She is unbelievably wealthy, but she doesn’t flaunt it.† 7. flounder / founder Used as verbs, these two words are often confused. Literally, to flounder means â€Å"to struggle†: â€Å"The cat floundered desperately in the water.† Literally, founder may be used in any of the following senses: [of a building] to fall down [of a horse] to fall helplessly to the ground [of a ship] to fill with water and sink Figuratively, flounder retains the meaning of â€Å"to struggle† with the added connotations of ineptness, confusion, or embarrassment: â€Å"He floundered  for a bit,  trying  to figure out how to rephrase the question.† Figuratively, founder means â€Å"to fail†: â€Å"Even with that money, there’s no guarantee the daycare wouldn’t founder later.† 8. forbear / forebear The first, forbear, is a verb meaning â€Å"to refrain from†: â€Å"Prince Charles will forbear from making political pronouncements when he becomes king, The Observer reported yesterday.† The second, forebear, is a noun meaning ancestor: â€Å"The British must rediscover the boldness and ambition of their Victorian forebears, say the politicians.† 9. forward / foreword The confusion between these words is understandable. The adjective forward describes something that is in front of or ahead of something else. The noun foreword is a preface, a brief essay that stands at the front of a book. An easy way to keep them straight is to pay attention to the word in foreword. A foreword is made up of words. 10. fortuitous / fortunate Both words derive from Latin fortuna, â€Å"luck or chance.† Fortuna could be either good or bad; it was what happened to a person. In modern English, fortunate has the connotation of good fortune only: â€Å"It was fortunate for him that someone heard his cries for help.† Fortuitous, on the other hand, retains the notion of happenstance or accident. â€Å"A fortuitous meeting† is an accidental meeting. However, because of the similarity of fortuitous to fortunate, the expression â€Å"a fortuitous meeting† is most commonly understood to mean a meeting that was lucky as well as coincidental. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Has vs. HadPeople versus Persons20 Names of Body Parts and Elements and Their Figurative Meanings

CORPORATE STRATEGY (INDIVIDUAL ACADEMIC REPORT) Essay

CORPORATE STRATEGY (INDIVIDUAL ACADEMIC REPORT) - Essay Example The strategy of any business observes an organisation from the viewpoint of their internal strengths and weaknesses and its opportunities and threats that are present in the business environment (James, 2004). Strategies are developed by the management by considering the business environment to gain competitive advantage from the current situation and look for the future growth and development that will benefit the organisation in the long run. There were many schools of thoughts that developed the basics of business strategy that guided the management to develop the strategies based upon these principles. The classical school of thought provided the strategy fundamentals that were based upon the managers’ ability and organisational hierarchy. The processual school of thought provided the fundamentals of business strategy that were based upon continuous development. The philosophy was that the strategy is a continuous process. The evolutionary school of thought provided the fundamentals of strategy that were based upon the concept of business environment (Harfiel, 2011). The business cycle compels the organisations to accept and amend their strategies as the market expands or contracts and any other changes takes place. The management directs the organisations in such business situation through mix business strategies and operational policies to earn revenues and market share along with meeting customers’ needs by means of efficient and effective business operations (Walden University, 2010). Operational strategy is important and organisations need to identify their operations to determine the strategies to gain success. Finding different solutions for operations of the company with different models will allow the management to access the benefit of progression in the business cycle through efficient operations (Walden University, 2010). Cadbury

SMEs Entrepreneurship and Ethnic Distinctions Assignment

SMEs Entrepreneurship and Ethnic Distinctions - Assignment Example According to the research findings, today, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are the major source economic growth in the countries. According to International Finance Corporation, SMEs contribute to 90% of businesses in the world and accounts for approximately 50% of employment. Considering the global financial crisis, SMEs are the foundation of creating more jobs and economic growth, particularly in the developing countries. Hence, generating opportunities for SMEs is a major approach to encourage development and diminish poverty. Due to the global financial crisis, most of the emerging markets have constrained the right to use various financial services for SMEs. They are not given the complete access to financing as yet, however, the liquidity is brought back to financial institutions, and lending activities are reported to be lower than before. Around 17 million SMEs in developing countries have not met the credit needs, which is the reason to broaden up the gap. This gap has r eached in between $900 billion to $1.1 trillion in the developing markets. International Finance Corporation (IFC) has formulated the policies to foster the SMEs financing across the world so that to encourage business support for such enterprises. The obstacles in the development of SMEs and access to finance are due to the various ethnic groups positioned in the country. The differences between diverse ethnic groups make it more challenging to set policies with reference to SMEs ethnic minority finance. An ethnic minority group is referred to as a business which comprises of owner and managers or large numbers of partners from a specific ethnic group that exists in minority. These are particular non-white people who start their own small business. There are five major ethnic minority communities who start up their small business to the greater extent, include Pakistani, Black Caribbean, Indian, Black African and Bangladesh.

Humor in Chaucers The Millers Tale Essay examples -- Comic Effect in

Chaucer's "The Miller's Tale" should be tragic, because a lot of horrible things happen to the characters. The carpenter's wife is disloyal to him, sleeping with others and making fun of him with Nicholas. Also, he is depicted as a fool. However, readers get a humorous feeling from the story, rather than feeling sorry for the carpenter's unfair life. Chaucer makes the whole story come across as comic rather than tragic. This humor is created by the Miller's narration, the use of irony, the cartoon-like characters, and the twists of plot. These elements combine to produce an emotional distance which enhances the comic effect. The narrator is the first element of humor Chaucer uses in his story. The Miller is rude and drunk but generally a jolly fellow. This sets the tone of story as being fun and even a bit coarse, just like the Miller himself. He tells a few jokes before he tells his story: "One shouldn't be two inquisitive in life? / Either about God's secrets or one's wife. / You'll find God's plenty all you could desire"(53). As well, the Miller wants to punish the Reeve, a ...