Running head: MCDONALD’S CASE STUDY
1
MCDONALD’S CASE STUDY
4
McDonald’s CASE STUDY
Dawn Buxton
Dr. Daniel Frost
HRM532
January 20, 2019
Introduction
The success of any company is determined by the effort which is made by all the stakeholders to see its activities flourish. More importantly are the programs that are put in place by the management as they strive to be profitable and achieve their missions and attain their vision. The strategies which are put in place vary depending on the management, and they are often very successful. McDonald’s like other companies were founded with the goal of being successful and have an impact on the community surrounding it and society at large (McDonald’s, 2019). To reach their goal, the company put in several programs which were profit focused as well as community enhancement. It was seeking to improve customer trust in its products while still making profits. This paper will be focusing on discussing the program in detail looking at several aspects which it relates. Some areas of focus will be strengths of the program, how it led to success, areas which it may be improved and providing two other programs which may help the company to more profitability in future.
Talent Managing Program
The program was started by the early management which was in a bid to increase performance while maintaining quality. The early years were dedicated to improving the skills of the workers in other fields of their choice which would make them proficient. Once they achieved the required skill, they would transition to what they had chosen to do and quit their job at the company. In this strategy, the company was aiming to improve how people viewed the products it offered. The workers who worked at the different branches before moving on to other careers had knowledge and admiration for the products which assured that they would return as customers and bring colleagues from their new work environment. In a way, the program was a marketing strategy which would successfully market the company without putting in more investment to keep on advertising. The main feature and aim of the program are to equip more people with the necessary information on the products and taste of its products before they move on to their careers (McDonald’s, 2019).
Working at a place leads to developing a sense of belonging which is essential and keeps a person glued to products of the working environment. Another essential quality which the program sought to create was gratitude among the people is equipped with skills for their jobs and general career-path. When one is grateful for something you have done for him or her, they always give back by supporting your activities and ventures as a mean of repaying the goodness you have done them. The graduates of the program were spread among different localities, and that offered an avenue for growth and development of more branches of the company. Generally, the program.
For most of its fifty-four years of existence, McDonald’s has been.docxrhetttrevannion
For most of its fifty-four years of existence, McDonald’s has been quite successful growing its business while utilizing a decentralized approach to managing its global workforce. As the size, complexity, and global character of the business have continued to grow (to more than thirty-thousand restaurants in 118 countries serving fifty-five million customers per day), however, it became increasingly apparent that sustained success requires the development of more consistent and disciplined approaches to talent management and development. In response to this recognized need, McDonald’s has taken a number of steps, starting in 2001, that have enhanced its capabilities for developing local leadership talent and ensuring management continuity throughout its global system. This chapter will provide an overview of how McDonald’s system for developing its management talent throughout the world has evolved over the past eight years and will focus on describing the design, roll-out, initial impacts, and continued refinement of five major initiatives that have been introduced to enhance this system since 2001.
A number of factors led the organization to the conclusion that enhancements in its talent management and development system were needed. First, after many years of outstanding business results and growth, business performance began to falter. For the fourth quarter of 2002, in fact, the company declared the first loss in its history. In contrast to the significant problems surfacing in the company’s business results, however, the ratings of managers in McDonald’s performance management system were incredibly high and suggested that everyone was doing an outstanding job. More specifically, more than 90 percent of the managers were rated either “outstanding” or “excellent,” and over 75 percent were assessed as having the potential to advance to take on greater responsibilities. Senior management recognized that “something was wrong with this picture.” It was clear that the bias toward inflated ratings of both performance and potential did not align with the overall performance of the business. Furthermore, senior management noted that, despite the very high ratings of employees’ potential throughout the system, when key leadership positions actually needed to be filled, the company was frequently having difficulty finding individuals everyone could agree were truly ready for these roles.
These factors led senior management of the company to begin to take significant actions to upgrade the company’s talent management systems and processes on a global basis. (Note: While the initiatives to enhance talent development that are described in this paper were well under way at the time, the urgency for them was painfully validated when in April of 2004, McDonald’s CEO Jim Cantalupo died suddenly and unexpectedly. Fortunately, due to the heightened attention that was being given to talent management at this time, his successor, Charlie Bell, was quickly an.
Assignment 1 Bank of America or McDonald’s Case StudyDue Week 3.docxtrippettjettie
Assignment 1: Bank of America or McDonald’s Case Study
Due Week 3 and worth 150 points
From the Goldsmith & Carter textbook, select either the Bank of America (Chapter 2) or McDonald’s (Chapter 9) case study for this assignment.
Write a five to seven (5-7) page paper in which you:
Outline the talent management program that led to success for the company.
Identify strengths of the program and how they led to goal accomplishment.
Describe opportunities for improvement in the talent management planning process.
Create at least two (2) more effective approaches to meet the talent management challenges in the future.
Use at least five (5) quality academic resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not quality as academic resources.
Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:
Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.
The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:
Examine the process of linking talent management to organizational goals to gain a competitive advantage.
Analyze the process for crafting a talent brand and accessing talent channels.
Use technology and information resources to research issues in talent management.
Write clearly and concisely about talent management using proper writing mechanics.
CHAPTER 9
MCDONALD’S
JAMES INTAGLIATA AND NEAL KULICK
This chapter describes five separate initiatives that have been introduced in the past eight years to strengthen the areas of performance development, succession planning, and leadership development. For each initiative we describe how and why the changes were introduced, how they have been refined, and the multiple positive impacts they have had on the business over time.
• Context for Global Talent Management Initiatives
• The Need for Change
• Business and Global Workforce Strategy
• Striking the Right Global/Local Balance
• Customer and Employee Focus
• Evolution of the Talent Management System: Key Initiatives and Enhancements
• Initiative 1: Performance Development System Enhancement
• Initiative 2: Global Succession Planning and Development Process
• Initiative 3: The Leadership at McDonald’s Program (LAMP)
• Initiative 4: The McDonald’s Leadership Institute
• Initiative 5: The Global Leadership Development Program
• Overall SummaryCONTEXT FOR GLOBAL TALENT MANAGEMENT INITIATIVESThe Need for Change
For most of its fifty-four years of existence, McDonald’s has been quite successful growing its business while utilizing a decentralized approach to managing its global workforce. As the size, complexity, ...
Running headREWARD AND PERFORMANCE PRACTICES 1PAGE 5RE.docxagnesdcarey33086
Running head:REWARD AND PERFORMANCE PRACTICES
1
PAGE
5
REWARD AND PERFORMANCE PRACTICES
Coca Cola Company: Reward and Performance Practices
John A. Gnanaranjan
Davenport University
January 19, 2014
Coca Cola Company: Reward and Performance Practices
The Coca Cola Company is a large international beverage branch that comprise of more than 800,000 employees. The company sets very unique practices that ensure that its employees are motivated in order to deliver their best at the same time feel like they possess an important part in the future of the organization (Kent & Ignatius, 2011).
Friedman (2009) asserts that reward management is a fundamental tool in any organization that is striving at achieving its company’s mission, vision and objectives. When we talk of reward and performance practices, we put into consideration the formulation and execution of strategies as well as policies with the aim to reward people in a fair, equitable and consistent manner in agreement with the company’s worth to assist the company attain its strategic objectives. Moreover, it entails the design, execution and maintenance of reward and performance systems, which aim to meet both the company and its stakeholder’s needs.
Reward refers to special payment for outstanding work. It may be in the form of monetary and non-monetary returns and services received as part of an employment good relationship (Friedman, 2009). The Coca Cola Company, being an international company, ensures that fairness is included in the process of reward allocation as this is key in maintaining and retaining proper workforce in the organization. The company’s reward systems are not limited to monetary but also include other non-monetary practices that aim at enhancing stakeholder’s morale as well as productivity. In addition, the Coca Cola Company gives these perks at any given time, particularly at the beginning and at the end of the organization's goal, simply as long as they are in accordance with the organizations goals and mission.
Open Communication
When Coca Cola workforces are asked to give their opinions, they rest assured that they are listened to. Each year, the company employs a global insight survey for their employees, which seek employee insight on ways to run or improve the company. The surveys come in the form of private blogs or websites that are open for a certain period. Employees respond to their ideas as well as criticism to the management. Eventually, the company tracks all of these responses, which result in improvement.
Training and Mentoring
One of the biggest focuses at Coca Cola is providing employees the chance to be trained and grow their skills. The company provides a couple of developing programs that motivate and encourage employees. In addition, the Coca Cola Company created an online university where they provide teaching environment to its stakeholders. Employees are offered short-term projects that aim at helping them to train on different .
Running head DELTA PACIFIC CASE STUDY 1DELTA PACIFIC CASE S.docxsusanschei
Running head: DELTA PACIFIC CASE STUDY 1
DELTA PACIFIC CASE STUDY 7
Delta Pacific Case Study
Author Note
This paper is being submitted on October 20, 2016, for Leading Change course.
Delta Pacific Case Study
The Delta Pacific Company has an extensive success history. The company has always been at the fore front in the information technology development since the 1970s and directed the market in technology manufacturing, development and sales all through the 1980s to the mid-1990s. Delta Pacific Company was a success story.
They constantly met or surpassed their profit targets, effectively incorporated new expertise into their products, and they were regarded as one of the best workers in the country. With kind benefit packages, a superior quality of work life, industry foremost salaries, and an organizational culture that considered its workers to be part of a family, prospective employees were lined up for chances to join Delta Pacific Company.
Nevertheless, with the introduction of globalization, low price overseas labor and freer trade, Delta Pacific Company found itself gradually losing market share for its main product: computer hardware. Delta Pacific Company had took pride on manufacturing and selling the best products and teaching its sales team to develop enduring relationships with customers that brought them back year in and year out for their technology.
Along with hardware, Delta Pacific Company also sold service deals and training lessons for the consumers of their products. By the end of 1990s it became obvious to the management at Delta Pacific Company that they could not compete any more with less costly products being manufactured overseas. Delta Pacific Company realized that they required making a change in their business model and they supposed they had a new image for their company.
The current global environment does not allow companies to utilize traditional factors if they aim at maintaining a competitive advantage over other businesses. For this reason, firms have to restructure their operations to ensure that modern factors are utilized as seen in the case of Delta Pacific. Alongside the shift to product-oriented to knowledge-oriented line of operation, Delta Pacific requires a change model that ensures the success of this shift.
Initial review of the contingency plan that could help assist within this case study would have been the Situational Leadership model, however after further research, The Robert House’s path-goal contingency model can be used to affect the organizational change in Delta Pacific. The theory is based on the idea that goals are achieved when some effort is put in, and a reward is given after achievement (Lipman-Blumen, 2014).
The Delta Pacific case study demonstrates challenges that take place in a business modifying its business model. Initially, the business used a traditional model in which the customer relationships were put up through the products and services suppli ...
Organizational Reflection and Integration at
McDonald’s Corporation ,academic projects,academic writing professionals,dissertation assistance,dissertation help,organizational reflection and_integration,thesis help,uk dissertation help,, www.sparklessoft.com
Skype sparkles.soft
sparklessoft@gmail.com
1. Introduction
Beginning with Burgers in 1954, McDonald’s corporation is one of biggest chain of fast food restaurants with its specialty of hamburger, operating in more than 58 (fifty eight) Million customer on daily basis (Mieth, H. 1999:3). Today, McDonald has more than 32,000 branches in more than 117 countries with more than 1.7 million of employees serving about sixty (60) million people (McDonald, 2011). With its unique symbol of the “golden arches” McDonalds operates through franchisee selected through very tough training procedure. Further, commencement of business in foreign environment, corporation has to focus on multiple dimension both in introducing its products and services and engages people to work for them.
Research has shown that consumers increasingly want organisations to demonstrate a purpose beyond profit. And so after decades during which the dominant dogma focused on maximising shareholder value and short-termism, many CEO’s are now trying to achieve more. This article explores the business case for purpose and discusses a methodology for CEO’s to activate purpose within their organisation and profit in the process.
For most of its fifty-four years of existence, McDonald’s has been.docxrhetttrevannion
For most of its fifty-four years of existence, McDonald’s has been quite successful growing its business while utilizing a decentralized approach to managing its global workforce. As the size, complexity, and global character of the business have continued to grow (to more than thirty-thousand restaurants in 118 countries serving fifty-five million customers per day), however, it became increasingly apparent that sustained success requires the development of more consistent and disciplined approaches to talent management and development. In response to this recognized need, McDonald’s has taken a number of steps, starting in 2001, that have enhanced its capabilities for developing local leadership talent and ensuring management continuity throughout its global system. This chapter will provide an overview of how McDonald’s system for developing its management talent throughout the world has evolved over the past eight years and will focus on describing the design, roll-out, initial impacts, and continued refinement of five major initiatives that have been introduced to enhance this system since 2001.
A number of factors led the organization to the conclusion that enhancements in its talent management and development system were needed. First, after many years of outstanding business results and growth, business performance began to falter. For the fourth quarter of 2002, in fact, the company declared the first loss in its history. In contrast to the significant problems surfacing in the company’s business results, however, the ratings of managers in McDonald’s performance management system were incredibly high and suggested that everyone was doing an outstanding job. More specifically, more than 90 percent of the managers were rated either “outstanding” or “excellent,” and over 75 percent were assessed as having the potential to advance to take on greater responsibilities. Senior management recognized that “something was wrong with this picture.” It was clear that the bias toward inflated ratings of both performance and potential did not align with the overall performance of the business. Furthermore, senior management noted that, despite the very high ratings of employees’ potential throughout the system, when key leadership positions actually needed to be filled, the company was frequently having difficulty finding individuals everyone could agree were truly ready for these roles.
These factors led senior management of the company to begin to take significant actions to upgrade the company’s talent management systems and processes on a global basis. (Note: While the initiatives to enhance talent development that are described in this paper were well under way at the time, the urgency for them was painfully validated when in April of 2004, McDonald’s CEO Jim Cantalupo died suddenly and unexpectedly. Fortunately, due to the heightened attention that was being given to talent management at this time, his successor, Charlie Bell, was quickly an.
Assignment 1 Bank of America or McDonald’s Case StudyDue Week 3.docxtrippettjettie
Assignment 1: Bank of America or McDonald’s Case Study
Due Week 3 and worth 150 points
From the Goldsmith & Carter textbook, select either the Bank of America (Chapter 2) or McDonald’s (Chapter 9) case study for this assignment.
Write a five to seven (5-7) page paper in which you:
Outline the talent management program that led to success for the company.
Identify strengths of the program and how they led to goal accomplishment.
Describe opportunities for improvement in the talent management planning process.
Create at least two (2) more effective approaches to meet the talent management challenges in the future.
Use at least five (5) quality academic resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not quality as academic resources.
Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:
Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.
The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:
Examine the process of linking talent management to organizational goals to gain a competitive advantage.
Analyze the process for crafting a talent brand and accessing talent channels.
Use technology and information resources to research issues in talent management.
Write clearly and concisely about talent management using proper writing mechanics.
CHAPTER 9
MCDONALD’S
JAMES INTAGLIATA AND NEAL KULICK
This chapter describes five separate initiatives that have been introduced in the past eight years to strengthen the areas of performance development, succession planning, and leadership development. For each initiative we describe how and why the changes were introduced, how they have been refined, and the multiple positive impacts they have had on the business over time.
• Context for Global Talent Management Initiatives
• The Need for Change
• Business and Global Workforce Strategy
• Striking the Right Global/Local Balance
• Customer and Employee Focus
• Evolution of the Talent Management System: Key Initiatives and Enhancements
• Initiative 1: Performance Development System Enhancement
• Initiative 2: Global Succession Planning and Development Process
• Initiative 3: The Leadership at McDonald’s Program (LAMP)
• Initiative 4: The McDonald’s Leadership Institute
• Initiative 5: The Global Leadership Development Program
• Overall SummaryCONTEXT FOR GLOBAL TALENT MANAGEMENT INITIATIVESThe Need for Change
For most of its fifty-four years of existence, McDonald’s has been quite successful growing its business while utilizing a decentralized approach to managing its global workforce. As the size, complexity, ...
Running headREWARD AND PERFORMANCE PRACTICES 1PAGE 5RE.docxagnesdcarey33086
Running head:REWARD AND PERFORMANCE PRACTICES
1
PAGE
5
REWARD AND PERFORMANCE PRACTICES
Coca Cola Company: Reward and Performance Practices
John A. Gnanaranjan
Davenport University
January 19, 2014
Coca Cola Company: Reward and Performance Practices
The Coca Cola Company is a large international beverage branch that comprise of more than 800,000 employees. The company sets very unique practices that ensure that its employees are motivated in order to deliver their best at the same time feel like they possess an important part in the future of the organization (Kent & Ignatius, 2011).
Friedman (2009) asserts that reward management is a fundamental tool in any organization that is striving at achieving its company’s mission, vision and objectives. When we talk of reward and performance practices, we put into consideration the formulation and execution of strategies as well as policies with the aim to reward people in a fair, equitable and consistent manner in agreement with the company’s worth to assist the company attain its strategic objectives. Moreover, it entails the design, execution and maintenance of reward and performance systems, which aim to meet both the company and its stakeholder’s needs.
Reward refers to special payment for outstanding work. It may be in the form of monetary and non-monetary returns and services received as part of an employment good relationship (Friedman, 2009). The Coca Cola Company, being an international company, ensures that fairness is included in the process of reward allocation as this is key in maintaining and retaining proper workforce in the organization. The company’s reward systems are not limited to monetary but also include other non-monetary practices that aim at enhancing stakeholder’s morale as well as productivity. In addition, the Coca Cola Company gives these perks at any given time, particularly at the beginning and at the end of the organization's goal, simply as long as they are in accordance with the organizations goals and mission.
Open Communication
When Coca Cola workforces are asked to give their opinions, they rest assured that they are listened to. Each year, the company employs a global insight survey for their employees, which seek employee insight on ways to run or improve the company. The surveys come in the form of private blogs or websites that are open for a certain period. Employees respond to their ideas as well as criticism to the management. Eventually, the company tracks all of these responses, which result in improvement.
Training and Mentoring
One of the biggest focuses at Coca Cola is providing employees the chance to be trained and grow their skills. The company provides a couple of developing programs that motivate and encourage employees. In addition, the Coca Cola Company created an online university where they provide teaching environment to its stakeholders. Employees are offered short-term projects that aim at helping them to train on different .
Running head DELTA PACIFIC CASE STUDY 1DELTA PACIFIC CASE S.docxsusanschei
Running head: DELTA PACIFIC CASE STUDY 1
DELTA PACIFIC CASE STUDY 7
Delta Pacific Case Study
Author Note
This paper is being submitted on October 20, 2016, for Leading Change course.
Delta Pacific Case Study
The Delta Pacific Company has an extensive success history. The company has always been at the fore front in the information technology development since the 1970s and directed the market in technology manufacturing, development and sales all through the 1980s to the mid-1990s. Delta Pacific Company was a success story.
They constantly met or surpassed their profit targets, effectively incorporated new expertise into their products, and they were regarded as one of the best workers in the country. With kind benefit packages, a superior quality of work life, industry foremost salaries, and an organizational culture that considered its workers to be part of a family, prospective employees were lined up for chances to join Delta Pacific Company.
Nevertheless, with the introduction of globalization, low price overseas labor and freer trade, Delta Pacific Company found itself gradually losing market share for its main product: computer hardware. Delta Pacific Company had took pride on manufacturing and selling the best products and teaching its sales team to develop enduring relationships with customers that brought them back year in and year out for their technology.
Along with hardware, Delta Pacific Company also sold service deals and training lessons for the consumers of their products. By the end of 1990s it became obvious to the management at Delta Pacific Company that they could not compete any more with less costly products being manufactured overseas. Delta Pacific Company realized that they required making a change in their business model and they supposed they had a new image for their company.
The current global environment does not allow companies to utilize traditional factors if they aim at maintaining a competitive advantage over other businesses. For this reason, firms have to restructure their operations to ensure that modern factors are utilized as seen in the case of Delta Pacific. Alongside the shift to product-oriented to knowledge-oriented line of operation, Delta Pacific requires a change model that ensures the success of this shift.
Initial review of the contingency plan that could help assist within this case study would have been the Situational Leadership model, however after further research, The Robert House’s path-goal contingency model can be used to affect the organizational change in Delta Pacific. The theory is based on the idea that goals are achieved when some effort is put in, and a reward is given after achievement (Lipman-Blumen, 2014).
The Delta Pacific case study demonstrates challenges that take place in a business modifying its business model. Initially, the business used a traditional model in which the customer relationships were put up through the products and services suppli ...
Organizational Reflection and Integration at
McDonald’s Corporation ,academic projects,academic writing professionals,dissertation assistance,dissertation help,organizational reflection and_integration,thesis help,uk dissertation help,, www.sparklessoft.com
Skype sparkles.soft
sparklessoft@gmail.com
1. Introduction
Beginning with Burgers in 1954, McDonald’s corporation is one of biggest chain of fast food restaurants with its specialty of hamburger, operating in more than 58 (fifty eight) Million customer on daily basis (Mieth, H. 1999:3). Today, McDonald has more than 32,000 branches in more than 117 countries with more than 1.7 million of employees serving about sixty (60) million people (McDonald, 2011). With its unique symbol of the “golden arches” McDonalds operates through franchisee selected through very tough training procedure. Further, commencement of business in foreign environment, corporation has to focus on multiple dimension both in introducing its products and services and engages people to work for them.
Research has shown that consumers increasingly want organisations to demonstrate a purpose beyond profit. And so after decades during which the dominant dogma focused on maximising shareholder value and short-termism, many CEO’s are now trying to achieve more. This article explores the business case for purpose and discusses a methodology for CEO’s to activate purpose within their organisation and profit in the process.
Is your organization aligned to a common direction?
For more white papers and webinars, go to http://www.sldesignlounge.com
Or visit us at http://www.sld.com
Dale Carnegie Training starts by asking, “What are the gaps in desired performance for the client organization, teams in that organization, and for individual team members? What are the barriers to achieving performance objectives? What new competencies must participants develop for the organization to breakthrough to new levels of effectiveness?” By doing this we better serve the needs of our client organizations and participants.Second, we do our best to help participants improve their attitudes toward the training programs.We provide a supportive, positive environment that focuses on strengths and getting win-win results for individuals, teams, and organizations. We move participants from seeing that not only do they need to be in the training program; they want to be there because they believe they can gain the additional skills necessary to be
more successful. We also insure the attitude continuum is fully cycled by helping them commit to changing their
behaviors, applying new processes, and encouraging the “slightest improvement and every improvement.”
The third step is to insure they get the right knowledge, methods, and principles so they know what to do to reach their goals and the goals of their organizations. The knowledge is practical, useful sooner than later, and founded on proven strategies for success.
Knowing what to do is not enough. To cement knowledge and understanding into new habits for improved effectiveness, we help participants practice the skills with positive, honest coaching. Once the participants have success in class, they commit to applying the new skills and techniques back in their work environments. To insure that they turn good intentions into good deeds, we hold them accountable to one another and their organizations by having them make commitments and keep those commitments in a friendly, competitive atmosphere. This leads to successes which encourage a continued cycle of setting new, more challenging goals. In this way, the individual and the organization see significant returns on their investments for their investment in time and training dollars.
Adding velocity and alignment to your leadership development efforts. Too much of leadership effort is about throwing seeds and hoping that a strong plant will grow. We dont need one plant. We need many plants
NTHEMIND OF GREATCOMPANIESBy Scott BlanchardThe.docxhenrymartin15260
NTHE
MIND OF GREAT
COMPANIES?
By Scott Blanchard
T
he old saying, "money isn't
everything," rings hollow in
today's business world.
where rninute-by-minute
stock quotes scroll across
our computer monitors, and
careers are won or lost based
on Wall Street's analysis of a
company's perforniance. Throw in giob-
al competition, outdated products and
services, increased costs, corporate silos
and other business challenges, and it's
no wonder that tnatiy of today's compa-
nies focus solely on their bottom line,
ofteti at the expense of customer service
and employee satisfaction.
It need not be this way. Great compa
nies focus on more than one bottom
line when gauging their perforniance.
Ttiey choose to be not only the invest-
ment of choice, but also the provider of
choice for their products or services, as
well as the employer of choice for work-
ers in their industry. By looking beyond
immediate, short term results and focus-
ing on strategies to make their compa-
nies successful for the long-term, they
recognize challenges sooner, identify
solutions more quickly and deliver re-
sults ahead of their competitors. In short,
they learn to lead at a higher level.
A clear warning sign that your busi-
ness is trapped in a short-term mindset
is the presence of an "either/or" philoso-
phy. Managers either believe they can
achieve profitability or they can develop
a great workplace, but not both. These
leaders don't always take morale and job
satisfaction into consideration. Their
focus is only their financial bottom line.
From there, it's a short leap to the false
notion tlrat making money is the sole
reason to be in business.
A NEW APPROACH
Contrary to the either/or philosophy,
leading at a higher level requires man-
agers to embrace a "both/and" approach.
In great companies, the development of
people is of equal importance to finan-
cial performance. As a result, the focus
is on long-term results and human satis-
faction. Accordingly, great companies
begin by both creating and nurturing a
vision of the future, and then measuring
progress against that vision.
There are three questions to ask,
which represent the main components
of a corporate vision. By focusing on
these questions, companies are more
likely to ensure they don't lose sight of
their path to success. They are:
• What business are you in? This will
help you identify your company's signif-
icant purpose.
• What will the future look like if you
are successful?
• What guides your behavior and deci-
sions on a daily basis? This will help
you identify clear values.
Great companies keep al! three of
these ideas clearly in mind and make
necessary course corrections when they
realize they are off track.
The next step is to create a corporate
culture that both reflects and reinforces
the corporate vision. The culture con-
sists of the values, attitudes, beliefs,
behaviors and practices of the organiza-
tion's members. Culture is an organiza-
tion's personality, and it can help or hin-
.
Running head PROPOSAL 1PROPOSAL4Proposal .docxjeanettehully
Running head: PROPOSAL 1
PROPOSAL4
Proposal for Organizational Learning Issues
Penny Williams
HRM 562: Developing a Learning Organization
Dr. Allan Beck
August 26, 2019
Proposal for Organizational Learning Issues
All firms tend to face a wide range of challenges. These challenges hinder the effective delivery of services and objectives. In the organization transition management, some specific concerns in ABC Company have risen threatening the existential integrity of the organization. It is important to note that all firms have goals that determine the courses of their operations. It is also critical to observe that within the organization and among the different ranks of the workers in ABC there are different levels of understanding when it comes to the organizational goals. A good example to illustrate this disparity is the fact that the executives and the top management may understand or have a clear sight of the destination while the junior workers have a hazy blurred sight of the target. In fact, some might not even goals at all. As a result, these workers will operate like rudderless ships and consequently there is a loss of focus and poor productivity in general (Cameron & Green, 2017).
Secondly, different firms have different training systems tasked with the primary role of preparing the workers to tackle their tasks and enhance the achievement of the firm’s objectives r goals. In the case of ABC Company, it is vividly clear that the organization has a sophisticated training system that is preventing the firm from achieving human resource demands. In such circumstances, employees and staff fail to come to terms with the goals of training that the organization is championing for. This has had a tremendous impact on the quality of production. Finally, the is the lack of teamwork amongst workers. This is further fueled by the lack of understanding the importance as well as the value of teamwork which presents a concern with the best interest of the organization at heart. For ABC to develop and serve the proper functions and goals that are set out to be achieved, there must be an assessment of the concerns addressed to set up an avenue for better and prosperous organizational future.
With regard to the issues raised, it is recommended that the organization pioneers and invests in helping its workers understand the organizational goals of the workers across the different ranks. Most importantly the junior workers must show a clear understanding of the direction that the organization is striving to take as well as a pre-conceived destination or direction. The best approach to accomplish this is to improve communication channels and standards among the leaders of the firm and the employees. When leaders create a communication barrier between the administration and the workers which can be characterized as a one-way communication or a top to bottom type of communication, it becomes difficult for the provision of the reverse type o ...
Running head TALENT MANAGEMENT STRATEGY .docxtoltonkendal
Running head: TALENT MANAGEMENT STRATEGY 1
TALENT MANAGEMENT STRATEGY 9
Talent Management Strategy
An HR team without a talent management strategy and plan fails to perform its role. In fact, an organization with such an HR team does not give talent management activities the importance they require (Khatri, Gupta, Gulati, & Chauhan, 2010). The hardest part in designing a talent management is getting started with the plan. An effective talent management strategy should map out the goals and priorities of an organization and tie them to its strategic plan. The current analysis will formulate a six step talent management approach to encompass an organization with two hundred people in which twenty are identified leaders. The talent management strategy will include identifying organizational goals, identifying organizational drivers and challenges, identifying gaps, defining HR priorities and goals, conducting an inventory of the talent management processes, and measuring the results and communicate success.
The first step is to identify organizational goals and priorities. The organization should identify its strategic high-level goals and priorities. The leaders should examine whether there are any upcoming changes, initiatives, or directions for the company. In the case of any new directions, the leaders should identify and list each one of them. The second step is identifying the organizational drivers as well as its challenges. Every business has both internal and external challenges. The challenges could include a highly competitive job market, results from an employee satisfaction survey, new or changed regulations and legislation, and new technology.
Thirdly, the organization required to conduct a gap analysis. Here, business leaders should compare where the organization is today with where they want it to be. Besides, it is essential to consider the risk and address the gaps in the company. For example, an organization that wishes to be ranked first in the industry for customer satisfaction needs to identify its current rating on customer satisfaction. It is only then that the business will identify the gap between its current rating and the kind of rating required to make it the leader in customer satisfactions. The risk of failing to improve the customer satisfaction rating might be a drop in sales or the market share.
Fourthly, business leaders should define the HR priorities and goals of the company. The HR goals should be based on the goals, challenges, and gaps that were identified in the previous steps. The identified goals ought to be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound (SMART). Additionally, the HR goals should be linked to the applicable corporate goals. The HR team should introduce measures in the implementation stage to determine the effectiveness of the strategy. It is critical to ensure t ...
Running head PHD IT 1PHD IT 5Written Interview Qu.docxtodd581
Running head: PHD IT 1
PHD IT 5
Written Interview Questions: PhD IT
Student’s name
Professor’s name
Course title
Date
Phd IT
Q 1: Information technology research interests, importance, and inspiration
Information technology must not be underestimated. Organizations now recognize information technology as a first mover advantage over the competitors. The increased desire for smart cities, sophisticated robotics, and now that the society is in the information age requires technology wizards to help in the transition. Notably, increased cyber attacks reports need more research. I am interested in finding out the emerging threats and safety precautions to lend a hand in reducing losses as a result the threats. The other is data breaching. The wide embrace of electronic commerce and storage of information electronically has led to the breach of sensitive information. Studying information technology in-depth will grant insights on how to govern information. Big data is common today. I would wish to know about the analytics of big data and its applications to make sound decisions. Risk is a fact. Knowledge on enterprise risk management is essential for the management of risks. Information technology varieties reflect the need to research about the technologies for a global world. Data is becoming more complex, calling for data science knowledge.
Q 2: Reasons for selecting PhD in information technology including University of the Cumberlands
Now that the world is driven by information technology is a sign of growth. To a student, this implies increased job opportunities which is a plus if one has a doctorate degree. A doctorate person can fit in careers that require high technology such as information technology consultant, strategist, architect, director, and chief information officer over a master’s person. A PhD will therefore, grant me the theories and strategies important to become a leader in technology management. University of the Cumberlands was chosen because it has been certified by the National Security Agency as well as Homeland Security as a center of excellence in the prevention of cyber threats (University of the Cumberlands, 2018). The university also offers the chance to study online and takes into account the student’s schedule to have time for work and home.
Q 3: Strengths verses weaknesses including impacts
More research is expected of a PhD student. The ability to research and write well will be beneficial in delivering the needed content. A thinker is also required to present substantive knowledge. Sacrifice in terms of time and effort is a must to graduate within the allocated duration. I am well-prepared to pursue this study because of the focus that I have. Additionally, I have shared about my interests and goals with my mentor therefore, assured that I am in the correct field. The selected mentor is knowledgeable about information technology and will get to this person when faced by any challenge. I a.
Running head PERSONALITY INVENTORIES1PERSONALITY INVENTORIE.docxtodd581
Running head: PERSONALITY INVENTORIES 1
PERSONALITY INVENTORIES 9
Personality Inventories as Evidence of Personality
Matthew M. Rosario
University of the Rookies
May 15, 2018
Abstract
It can be difficult to understand law in relations to psychology and the way behavior can be explained in a more practical application. Unfortunately, the advancement of psychology and the perception of law are at a constant struggle with each other because law is specific and psychology is changing. Understanding how juror verdict come to be not from a lawyer standpoint by a psychological one can be beneficial as far a juror selection. Juror selection is the most important part during pre-trial services. Being able to use science to investigate juror personality in regards to personality evidence can create a new theory in psychology and law once the research begins and the length and understanding of the topic is better. This paper will outline information of my research topic.
Personality Inventories as Evidence of Personality
It can be difficult to understand law in relations to psychology and the way behavior can be explained in a more practical application. Unfortunately, the advancement of psychology and the perception of law are at a constant struggle with each other because law is specific and psychology is changing. Law does not change in theory, but psychology does which enhances psychological understanding of the world. Being able to identify juror in favor of a particlar postion during “Voir Dire” can be beneficial during legal preceedings. Voir dire is the ability to rehabilitate the jury by allowing the judge and attorney to observe and ask questions to eliminate bias jurors before selecting the final 12 jurors who will preside over the case (Erik, Marek, 2016). Unfortunately, this method can be used in order to evaluate which juror would be most benefical for a particlar lawyer during a trial. In other words, lawyers have the ability to munapluate the selction process in order to gain juror in their favor. According to Schuller, Erentzen, Vo, and Li (2015) it is the right for one to be tried by an impartial and independent jury from one’s peers, but this can be difficult when peers can be prejudice or possibly chosen by attorneys to benefit their position. At this time there is mininal psychological assessement being conducted in order to understand the jurors position outside of their biases. Because this is a new topic emerging in studies, more research needs to be conducted in order to understand the bases of trial science and the annotation of using trial consultant to create mock trials for juror selection for their advantage. Due to trial science being a new specialty this lead to the research topic can personality inventories indicate a juror verdict during trial? Many researchers concluded that juror background demographic information, education and personality could influence a juror verdict, but did not con.
More Related Content
Similar to Running head MCDONALD’S CASE STUDY 1MCDO.docx
Is your organization aligned to a common direction?
For more white papers and webinars, go to http://www.sldesignlounge.com
Or visit us at http://www.sld.com
Dale Carnegie Training starts by asking, “What are the gaps in desired performance for the client organization, teams in that organization, and for individual team members? What are the barriers to achieving performance objectives? What new competencies must participants develop for the organization to breakthrough to new levels of effectiveness?” By doing this we better serve the needs of our client organizations and participants.Second, we do our best to help participants improve their attitudes toward the training programs.We provide a supportive, positive environment that focuses on strengths and getting win-win results for individuals, teams, and organizations. We move participants from seeing that not only do they need to be in the training program; they want to be there because they believe they can gain the additional skills necessary to be
more successful. We also insure the attitude continuum is fully cycled by helping them commit to changing their
behaviors, applying new processes, and encouraging the “slightest improvement and every improvement.”
The third step is to insure they get the right knowledge, methods, and principles so they know what to do to reach their goals and the goals of their organizations. The knowledge is practical, useful sooner than later, and founded on proven strategies for success.
Knowing what to do is not enough. To cement knowledge and understanding into new habits for improved effectiveness, we help participants practice the skills with positive, honest coaching. Once the participants have success in class, they commit to applying the new skills and techniques back in their work environments. To insure that they turn good intentions into good deeds, we hold them accountable to one another and their organizations by having them make commitments and keep those commitments in a friendly, competitive atmosphere. This leads to successes which encourage a continued cycle of setting new, more challenging goals. In this way, the individual and the organization see significant returns on their investments for their investment in time and training dollars.
Adding velocity and alignment to your leadership development efforts. Too much of leadership effort is about throwing seeds and hoping that a strong plant will grow. We dont need one plant. We need many plants
NTHEMIND OF GREATCOMPANIESBy Scott BlanchardThe.docxhenrymartin15260
NTHE
MIND OF GREAT
COMPANIES?
By Scott Blanchard
T
he old saying, "money isn't
everything," rings hollow in
today's business world.
where rninute-by-minute
stock quotes scroll across
our computer monitors, and
careers are won or lost based
on Wall Street's analysis of a
company's perforniance. Throw in giob-
al competition, outdated products and
services, increased costs, corporate silos
and other business challenges, and it's
no wonder that tnatiy of today's compa-
nies focus solely on their bottom line,
ofteti at the expense of customer service
and employee satisfaction.
It need not be this way. Great compa
nies focus on more than one bottom
line when gauging their perforniance.
Ttiey choose to be not only the invest-
ment of choice, but also the provider of
choice for their products or services, as
well as the employer of choice for work-
ers in their industry. By looking beyond
immediate, short term results and focus-
ing on strategies to make their compa-
nies successful for the long-term, they
recognize challenges sooner, identify
solutions more quickly and deliver re-
sults ahead of their competitors. In short,
they learn to lead at a higher level.
A clear warning sign that your busi-
ness is trapped in a short-term mindset
is the presence of an "either/or" philoso-
phy. Managers either believe they can
achieve profitability or they can develop
a great workplace, but not both. These
leaders don't always take morale and job
satisfaction into consideration. Their
focus is only their financial bottom line.
From there, it's a short leap to the false
notion tlrat making money is the sole
reason to be in business.
A NEW APPROACH
Contrary to the either/or philosophy,
leading at a higher level requires man-
agers to embrace a "both/and" approach.
In great companies, the development of
people is of equal importance to finan-
cial performance. As a result, the focus
is on long-term results and human satis-
faction. Accordingly, great companies
begin by both creating and nurturing a
vision of the future, and then measuring
progress against that vision.
There are three questions to ask,
which represent the main components
of a corporate vision. By focusing on
these questions, companies are more
likely to ensure they don't lose sight of
their path to success. They are:
• What business are you in? This will
help you identify your company's signif-
icant purpose.
• What will the future look like if you
are successful?
• What guides your behavior and deci-
sions on a daily basis? This will help
you identify clear values.
Great companies keep al! three of
these ideas clearly in mind and make
necessary course corrections when they
realize they are off track.
The next step is to create a corporate
culture that both reflects and reinforces
the corporate vision. The culture con-
sists of the values, attitudes, beliefs,
behaviors and practices of the organiza-
tion's members. Culture is an organiza-
tion's personality, and it can help or hin-
.
Running head PROPOSAL 1PROPOSAL4Proposal .docxjeanettehully
Running head: PROPOSAL 1
PROPOSAL4
Proposal for Organizational Learning Issues
Penny Williams
HRM 562: Developing a Learning Organization
Dr. Allan Beck
August 26, 2019
Proposal for Organizational Learning Issues
All firms tend to face a wide range of challenges. These challenges hinder the effective delivery of services and objectives. In the organization transition management, some specific concerns in ABC Company have risen threatening the existential integrity of the organization. It is important to note that all firms have goals that determine the courses of their operations. It is also critical to observe that within the organization and among the different ranks of the workers in ABC there are different levels of understanding when it comes to the organizational goals. A good example to illustrate this disparity is the fact that the executives and the top management may understand or have a clear sight of the destination while the junior workers have a hazy blurred sight of the target. In fact, some might not even goals at all. As a result, these workers will operate like rudderless ships and consequently there is a loss of focus and poor productivity in general (Cameron & Green, 2017).
Secondly, different firms have different training systems tasked with the primary role of preparing the workers to tackle their tasks and enhance the achievement of the firm’s objectives r goals. In the case of ABC Company, it is vividly clear that the organization has a sophisticated training system that is preventing the firm from achieving human resource demands. In such circumstances, employees and staff fail to come to terms with the goals of training that the organization is championing for. This has had a tremendous impact on the quality of production. Finally, the is the lack of teamwork amongst workers. This is further fueled by the lack of understanding the importance as well as the value of teamwork which presents a concern with the best interest of the organization at heart. For ABC to develop and serve the proper functions and goals that are set out to be achieved, there must be an assessment of the concerns addressed to set up an avenue for better and prosperous organizational future.
With regard to the issues raised, it is recommended that the organization pioneers and invests in helping its workers understand the organizational goals of the workers across the different ranks. Most importantly the junior workers must show a clear understanding of the direction that the organization is striving to take as well as a pre-conceived destination or direction. The best approach to accomplish this is to improve communication channels and standards among the leaders of the firm and the employees. When leaders create a communication barrier between the administration and the workers which can be characterized as a one-way communication or a top to bottom type of communication, it becomes difficult for the provision of the reverse type o ...
Running head TALENT MANAGEMENT STRATEGY .docxtoltonkendal
Running head: TALENT MANAGEMENT STRATEGY 1
TALENT MANAGEMENT STRATEGY 9
Talent Management Strategy
An HR team without a talent management strategy and plan fails to perform its role. In fact, an organization with such an HR team does not give talent management activities the importance they require (Khatri, Gupta, Gulati, & Chauhan, 2010). The hardest part in designing a talent management is getting started with the plan. An effective talent management strategy should map out the goals and priorities of an organization and tie them to its strategic plan. The current analysis will formulate a six step talent management approach to encompass an organization with two hundred people in which twenty are identified leaders. The talent management strategy will include identifying organizational goals, identifying organizational drivers and challenges, identifying gaps, defining HR priorities and goals, conducting an inventory of the talent management processes, and measuring the results and communicate success.
The first step is to identify organizational goals and priorities. The organization should identify its strategic high-level goals and priorities. The leaders should examine whether there are any upcoming changes, initiatives, or directions for the company. In the case of any new directions, the leaders should identify and list each one of them. The second step is identifying the organizational drivers as well as its challenges. Every business has both internal and external challenges. The challenges could include a highly competitive job market, results from an employee satisfaction survey, new or changed regulations and legislation, and new technology.
Thirdly, the organization required to conduct a gap analysis. Here, business leaders should compare where the organization is today with where they want it to be. Besides, it is essential to consider the risk and address the gaps in the company. For example, an organization that wishes to be ranked first in the industry for customer satisfaction needs to identify its current rating on customer satisfaction. It is only then that the business will identify the gap between its current rating and the kind of rating required to make it the leader in customer satisfactions. The risk of failing to improve the customer satisfaction rating might be a drop in sales or the market share.
Fourthly, business leaders should define the HR priorities and goals of the company. The HR goals should be based on the goals, challenges, and gaps that were identified in the previous steps. The identified goals ought to be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound (SMART). Additionally, the HR goals should be linked to the applicable corporate goals. The HR team should introduce measures in the implementation stage to determine the effectiveness of the strategy. It is critical to ensure t ...
Running head PHD IT 1PHD IT 5Written Interview Qu.docxtodd581
Running head: PHD IT 1
PHD IT 5
Written Interview Questions: PhD IT
Student’s name
Professor’s name
Course title
Date
Phd IT
Q 1: Information technology research interests, importance, and inspiration
Information technology must not be underestimated. Organizations now recognize information technology as a first mover advantage over the competitors. The increased desire for smart cities, sophisticated robotics, and now that the society is in the information age requires technology wizards to help in the transition. Notably, increased cyber attacks reports need more research. I am interested in finding out the emerging threats and safety precautions to lend a hand in reducing losses as a result the threats. The other is data breaching. The wide embrace of electronic commerce and storage of information electronically has led to the breach of sensitive information. Studying information technology in-depth will grant insights on how to govern information. Big data is common today. I would wish to know about the analytics of big data and its applications to make sound decisions. Risk is a fact. Knowledge on enterprise risk management is essential for the management of risks. Information technology varieties reflect the need to research about the technologies for a global world. Data is becoming more complex, calling for data science knowledge.
Q 2: Reasons for selecting PhD in information technology including University of the Cumberlands
Now that the world is driven by information technology is a sign of growth. To a student, this implies increased job opportunities which is a plus if one has a doctorate degree. A doctorate person can fit in careers that require high technology such as information technology consultant, strategist, architect, director, and chief information officer over a master’s person. A PhD will therefore, grant me the theories and strategies important to become a leader in technology management. University of the Cumberlands was chosen because it has been certified by the National Security Agency as well as Homeland Security as a center of excellence in the prevention of cyber threats (University of the Cumberlands, 2018). The university also offers the chance to study online and takes into account the student’s schedule to have time for work and home.
Q 3: Strengths verses weaknesses including impacts
More research is expected of a PhD student. The ability to research and write well will be beneficial in delivering the needed content. A thinker is also required to present substantive knowledge. Sacrifice in terms of time and effort is a must to graduate within the allocated duration. I am well-prepared to pursue this study because of the focus that I have. Additionally, I have shared about my interests and goals with my mentor therefore, assured that I am in the correct field. The selected mentor is knowledgeable about information technology and will get to this person when faced by any challenge. I a.
Running head PERSONALITY INVENTORIES1PERSONALITY INVENTORIE.docxtodd581
Running head: PERSONALITY INVENTORIES 1
PERSONALITY INVENTORIES 9
Personality Inventories as Evidence of Personality
Matthew M. Rosario
University of the Rookies
May 15, 2018
Abstract
It can be difficult to understand law in relations to psychology and the way behavior can be explained in a more practical application. Unfortunately, the advancement of psychology and the perception of law are at a constant struggle with each other because law is specific and psychology is changing. Understanding how juror verdict come to be not from a lawyer standpoint by a psychological one can be beneficial as far a juror selection. Juror selection is the most important part during pre-trial services. Being able to use science to investigate juror personality in regards to personality evidence can create a new theory in psychology and law once the research begins and the length and understanding of the topic is better. This paper will outline information of my research topic.
Personality Inventories as Evidence of Personality
It can be difficult to understand law in relations to psychology and the way behavior can be explained in a more practical application. Unfortunately, the advancement of psychology and the perception of law are at a constant struggle with each other because law is specific and psychology is changing. Law does not change in theory, but psychology does which enhances psychological understanding of the world. Being able to identify juror in favor of a particlar postion during “Voir Dire” can be beneficial during legal preceedings. Voir dire is the ability to rehabilitate the jury by allowing the judge and attorney to observe and ask questions to eliminate bias jurors before selecting the final 12 jurors who will preside over the case (Erik, Marek, 2016). Unfortunately, this method can be used in order to evaluate which juror would be most benefical for a particlar lawyer during a trial. In other words, lawyers have the ability to munapluate the selction process in order to gain juror in their favor. According to Schuller, Erentzen, Vo, and Li (2015) it is the right for one to be tried by an impartial and independent jury from one’s peers, but this can be difficult when peers can be prejudice or possibly chosen by attorneys to benefit their position. At this time there is mininal psychological assessement being conducted in order to understand the jurors position outside of their biases. Because this is a new topic emerging in studies, more research needs to be conducted in order to understand the bases of trial science and the annotation of using trial consultant to create mock trials for juror selection for their advantage. Due to trial science being a new specialty this lead to the research topic can personality inventories indicate a juror verdict during trial? Many researchers concluded that juror background demographic information, education and personality could influence a juror verdict, but did not con.
Running head: PHASE 2 1
PHASE 1 16
GenY Xploit Implementation Plan
Ken Wiechert
Robert Varela
Lakisha Trammel
Grand Canyon University: ENT-435
06/9/2019
GenY Xploit Implementation Plan
Innovation is a team activity that involves the intersection of different fields, bringing together diverse ideas, abilities, and/or methods that result in a physical product, a process, or a service that impacts society in a timely manner (National Academy of Engineering, 2015). It is imperative to influence innovation in an organization to stay in existence with other competitors. Before Team B can embrace the final phase of implementing a plan that will captivate the audience buy-in power there are two other phases that need to take place. Phase 1 has already been established and that is to purpose several innovative ideas to nominate for our new product along with a description of the models used to circulate an extensive evaluation of each product. Team B evaluated several innovation ideas mainly using the NOMMAR model which evaluated the customer needs, technology options, potential market, business model, realistic approach, and the relevancy (Miller Competition Series, n.d.). Phase 2 will finalize the name of a product, provide a description of the GenY Xploit gaming console, what value will it provide to our customer needs, utilizing the NOMMAR model a detailed implementation plane that that will include contingency, risks, budget, time frame, target market and visuals to increase readability and professional exploits.
GenY Xploit Gaming Console
Team B unanimously nominated the GenY Xploit gaming console for our new product. Introducing the new GenY Xploit gaming console into the market arena will give gamers a whole new jolt of gaming experience. The gaming console will introduce a unique design of software compatibility that will allow gamers to perform cross-platform gaming to compete with each other online no matter what gaming console they are using.
According to Karlsson, & Nystrom (2003), “The introduction of a new product on the market can basically be made in two different ways. A product can be either totally new to the market or it can be the result of a major change in an existing product” (p 136). The Gen Y Xploit is totally a new gaming console product that has the potential to revolutionize the gaming industry all over the world. Team B is excited and ready to establish this new gaming console to the gaming community world which we feel is hungry and ready for a new gaming console to take center stage. If that is not enough, we are confident that GenY Xploit will fulfill all their desires and needs for centuries to come. Presently, the latest marketing model for the gaming industry consists between two competitors, Microsoft Xbox One X and the Sony PlayStation 4 (PS4), even though the Nintendo Switch is a gaming system they are not equally comparable. It is time to beef up the competit.
Running head PERSONAL MISSION STATEMENT1PERSONAL MISSION ST.docxtodd581
Running head: PERSONAL MISSION STATEMENT
1
PERSONAL MISSION STATEMENT
4
Personal Mission Statement
Name
PSY/699
Instructor name
date
Personal Mission Statement
To begin with, I have set my eyes on becoming a social worker. Further, through my involvement in the realm of social work, I hope to help as many individuals as I can. For a long a time, I have exhibited immense passion and the need to come to the assistance of individuals who are grappling with a vast array of unsavory circumstances. My passion is as a result of my experiences of the suffering of many people whom I have interacted with throughout my life. Notably, the majority of these people had to contend with abuse and neglect for a long time. Moreover, my need is as a result of my comprehension of the fact that transforming the globe commences with the assistance of a just a single individual and having the ability to empathize with individuals. Having witnessed so much suffering throughout my life, I feel that it is right for me to do whatever I can to bring smiles to faces of individuals who have faced diverse challenging situations in their life. In this way, I believe that I will be able to bring much-needed positive contributions to my preferred profession.
Further, I bring various positive and unique qualities to social work, the most prominent of which include empathy, active listening, and persuasion. Firstly, empathy relates to the capability of an individual to identify with the situation in which another individual is. Undoubtedly, empathy is immensely critical in the realm of social work owing to the fact that it aids those partaking in the field to not only comprehend but also assist others in ascertaining solutions to their problems. Apart from this, active listening is equally critical in social work because it helps in establishing trust, opening doors, and coming to the discovery of important details regarding the people seeking the assistance of social workers. In this way, their unique circumstances can be understood. Additionally, the value of persuasion cannot be stressed enough, as it aids in influencing, coaxing, or inviting individuals to take action, for instance, when it comes to the transformation of client behavior.
With respect to how I see my role in the profession evolving through time, I hope that I will start working as a child welfare social worker in a hospital. I intend to offer services to children who are grappling with abuse and neglect owing to the actions of their parents. On top of this, I intend to assist children coming from families that do not earn enough income. In addition, I hope that I will become a hospital manager of child welfare five years after starting my practice of social work. Following the attainment of two to three years’ experience as child welfare social worker, on top of undergoing additional management training, I hope that I will be able to land the position. In addition, I intend to start a non-profit communit.
Running head PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENTPERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT.docxtodd581
Running head: PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT
PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT 6
Personality development
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Introduction
The purpose of this paper is to explain the concepts and theories of personality development. People tend to think widely about personality at the workplace, in schools, and in other social events. People place immediate focus on the personality and make judgments about shyness, helpful people. (Davis & Panksepp 2018) Personality makes each individual the way they are. Researchers in psychology and other fields have overtime in history researched how the personality of individuals developed. The development of personality refers to the organization of human behavior patterns, which brings uniqueness amongst various individuals. Many factors can result in personality changes such as the genetic factors, the environment one is living, styles of parenting, and other very important variables. The development of personality allows individuals to adopt an impressive personality and makes one be unique. Various psychologists have developed various theories that explain the development of human personality. Some of the theories of personality development include the psychodynamic theory, neural biological theory, the traits theory, and cognitive theory. (Rohsenow & Pinkston-Camp 2016)
Psychodynamic theory
The development of personality takes place through a certain series of stages. Each of these stages has unique conflict features in psychology. The development of human personality is developed from a number of components of the human mind. Feud believed that the three components include the id, the ego, and the superego. The id is concerned with the question "want to do that now," it is characterized by the gratification of certain basic needs and has an aspect of urgency. The superego places focus on some essential rules and morals in society. This is closely related to the commonly referred to as the human conscience. The development happens as individuals grow from childhoods to adulthood. The ego is mainly rational and part of our inner personality. A number of psychologists have criticized the feuds ideas about personality development and have rather applied the effect that the child's environment and their culture affect the development of their personality. (Rohsenow & Pinkston-Camp 2016)Alfred explored and developed a very comprehensive theory of psychodynamic personality.
The psychologists focused on the strong drive, which compensates for inferiority feelings. He developed the idea of an inferiority complex which described a situation where an individual lacks their worth and perceive themselves below the standards of other people in the society. Erickson was another psychologist who was very instrumental in the development of psychological development theory. (Brandes 2019) He argued that the development of the human personality was based on t.
Running Head PERSONAL NURSING PHILOSOPHY 1PERSONAL NURSING P.docxtodd581
Running Head: PERSONAL NURSING PHILOSOPHY 1
PERSONAL NURSING PHILOSOPHY 2
Personal nursing philosophy
Student name
Professor
Course
Date of submission
This paper focuses more on nursing paradigms that are comprised of four key elements. These factors include persons/clients, health, environment, and nursing, where each is subjected to own theoretical connotation and has an essential role in enhancing and promoting healthcare. In this regard, the paper outlines and contrast approaches and is in line with these four approaches in efforts to attain modern health care. Various theories in this regard try to give a vivid description of the environment and critical role in healthcare. All the stakeholders are therefore supposed to collectively work together as one of attaining a competitive advantage, healthcare and create a conducive work plan that total defense potential alignment of healthcare. This theory creates a personal definition that applies to the scenario in an exemplifying the applicability in the nursing processes (Warren W. Tryon, 2019).
In my analysis and interpretation, Person metaparadigm focuses more on recipient care and the patient. This facet extends and encompasses factors such as culture, personal spiritual aspects, family friends, and the associate economic status. This fact has been proved by a research hat outlined that the current world view of nursing has existentialism and humanism transcendence, which are based on their own interpretation and perception. The nature of intensive care that is acceded to a patient in some cases is based on the personal attribute and predetermined forces that surround one self. The third part is always crucial in attaining healthcare through could and proviso of essential secondary services that help in the healing processes. This is a closely associated environment metaparadigm; it deals with both external and external factors that relate to competent and reliable patient care. Some of the factors that are defined in this phase include interacting with patients, which changes the cognitive perspective of the subject. Visitors, as well as surrounding, are vital factors that can be used to determine and offer the best services to a patient (Saul McLeod,, 2015).
Am sure that nurse and the integrated practices of theories have established s scope and level of abstraction that has developed a proper framework through the nursing situation. Through capacity building a convinced that nurse intervention is the road map of attaining all phenomena and goals of universal healthcare. In this case, the use of cognitive theory appliance is predominating, arguing that intellectual structure and processes must be followed. The nurse must, therefore, attain a high degree of competency through the use of one's thought, interpretation of the environment, and correct assumption. In my opinion, this is the most critical aspect that requires professional input to attain effective, effi.
Running Head PHILOSOPHICAL WORLDVIEW1PHILOSOPHICAL WORLDVIEW.docxtodd581
Running Head: PHILOSOPHICAL WORLDVIEW 1
PHILOSOPHICAL WORLDVIEW 2
Philosophical Worldview
Kathy Greggs
Liberty University
05/27/2020
1. Which philosophical worldview most closely aligns with your perspective and the way that you view problems in the world? How so?
The approach in which we view greatly affects the approach in which we take for research purposes. I did not have that idea until I read the philosophical worldview and gained a detailed comprehension of that it involves. From this knowledge, I have found out that from the four philosophical worldview one that closely aligns with my perspective and my view of problems in the world is the pragmatic technique. This is because my approach of viewing and handling issues is based on the experience of the vice theory. Based on pragmatic view, reality exist as physical realities, psychological and social realities that involve subjective experience and perception, language, and culture. Knowledge is based on reality of the world and our experiences (Petersen, & Gencel, 2013).
2. How does understanding the connection between philosophical worldview and research methodology assist in your research approach?
The capability to associate philosophical world views to various research methodologies is essential to me. It aids in making it easier to focus on main issue of research thus making the right decision on the type of data collection methods to be used and the type of data analysis to be used. It is essential to note that the connection between the philosophical worldview and the research approach available since it will aid in defining if I implement the quantitative method or the qualitative approach. Based on the research carried out by Robson and McCarran (2016), the quantitative approach is basically focuses on the natural sciences and numerical data; as the qualitative approach is based majorly on non-numerical data and believed to be better suited for social research on individuals. Nevertheless, as pragmatist both approaches could be implemented based on my perspective or basic consensus.
3. Compare/contrast research philosophical worldview with that of a Christian worldview. Are there any areas that are problematic, or do most philosophical worldviews appear to be congruent with a Christian worldview?
A world view is a way in which we comprehend life and the world as well as the reality. The Christian worldview is a great conceptualization of the world based on a Christian view. Based on the philosophical worldviews, positivism according to me of the only one that is problematic to a Christian word view since it disclaims invisible theoretical concepts (Robson & McCarran, 2016). Post-positivism is a new worldview that tends to replace positivism and it is in line to the Christian worldview since it takes into consideration the uncertainties that positivism rejects. The other approaches are inline to the Christian world view since they are more open to the social n.
Running Head PHIL WORKSHOP1PHIL WORKSHOP 2.docxtodd581
Running Head: PHIL WORKSHOP 1
PHIL WORKSHOP 2
Phil Workshop
Name:
Institutional Affiliation:
Phil Workshop
One
According to Kant’s theory, the wrongness or rightness of actions do not rely on their outcomes but on if they tend to fulfill our responsibilities. Kant believed that there has to be a supreme guideline when it comes to morality which he mentioned to be the categorical imperative. Kant mentioned that when looking at categorical imperative, he believed that whether actions are wrong or right relies not on their consequences although on if an individual fulfils their duties (Bowie, 2002). In the philosophy according to Kant, there are diverse aspects that we learn up to date. These include: ethics, utilitarianism, among others (Winch, 2015). The limitations of this aspect are however somewhat severe. According to research, most philosophers tend to know much about several topics although they do not have any tangible mastery of a particular subject in a thorough way (Hossieni, et.al, 2016).
Both Aristotle and Kant argued that an action was classified to be moral it got to be partaken with a moral result in mind. Aristotle breaks with Kant and believes that there are not such things as the Forms or Eidos which are permanent and eternal and real. Whatever feelings one is subjected to, determines how they develop. It is better that we understand the definition of personifications.
Two
FGM, that is, female genital mutilation is a concept which denotes all the processes that involve total or partial removal of parts of the exterior female genitalia or maybe causing other injuries to the organs for non-medical or cultural reasons. According to a report by the World Health Organization on 31st January, 2018, FGM has no health benefits for women and girls. In addition, it is a violation of the women’ and girls’ violation (Reisel & Creighton, 2015). When it comes to the morals and ethical aspects of FGM, there ought to be a reasoned public dialogue regarding how well to get rid of harmful aspects of the mutilation of female genitals via laws, policies and education.
Also, debate is supposed to get encouraged in diverse academies dealing with bioethics on how medical specialists could fulfil both their moral and ethical duties in the acknowledgement of the religious traditions when it comes to their patients. Goodness is whatever promotes the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people. This is because not all actions are morally acceptable despite the positive consequences attained. John Mill explained that the greatest happiness is the pleasure and lack of pain. Happiness is the end desirable thing that either brings pleasure or is a means of pleasure. In that case, FGM is clearly an unethical issue.
When looking at ethical relativism, the theory tends to hold a morality which is relative towards the norms of an individual’s culture. That is, if an action is wrong or right relies upon the moral norms of the c.
Running head PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION-EXISTENCE OF GOD .docxtodd581
Running head: PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION-EXISTENCE OF GOD 1
PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION-EXISTENCE OF GOD 2
Student's name: Emmanuel Domenech
Professor's name: Dr. Tina Wood
Topic: Stage 1: Choosing your Philosophical Question
Institution: University of Maryland University College
Date: April 14, 2019
Final Project Stage 1: Choosing your Philosophical Question
Week Four: Philosopher: Thomas Aquinas, Primary Text: Summa Theologica, Part 1, Question 2, Article 1-3
Q1. Does God really exist?
I am highly interested in supporting the philosophy because it has been a debate that has existed for some millennium. God has been the cause of conflict and the reason for peace in some parts of the world. People who find a reason not to believe in him have always been secluded from the rest. Also, those who trust in him have been seen as hypocrites since their mistakes judge them. This is a philosophy that is interesting since it brings about the relationship between socioeconomic and political aspects of human beings in relation to the influence of a supernatural being. I would like to know that God exists in our world and this starts with the materials presented by the Philosophy of Aquinas. I would not want to choose a side and sound bias, but I would like to use facts to present my findings.
.
.
RUNNING HEAD PERSONAL BRANDING ACTION PLANPERSONAL BRANDING ACT.docxtodd581
RUNNING HEAD: PERSONAL BRANDING ACTION PLAN
PERSONAL BRANDING ACTION PLAN 2
PERSONAL BRANDING ACTION PLAN
NAME
MAY 2019
I) Keywords that best describe myself
a) Strategist
b) Motivator
c) Fitness Consultant
d) Talent enabler
II) Passions and Values
a) Passions
i) Community Service
ii) Healthy and mental fitness living
iii) Mentorship
b) Values
i) Commitment
ii) Integrity
iii) Resilience
III) Value Proposition
I am a servant to my clients. I am entrusted with a task that is vital in personality development. It is paramount that my deeds and speech emulate my training. I am open to criticism and take up challenges easily. This position carries a responsibility to be a custodian of values as well as instill them to those I rub off shoulders with.
IV) Personal Branding/Networking Goals
Develop a blog and post tips twice a week.
Attend organized empowerment talks and apply to become one of the speakers.
Engage in online forums and social media chat rooms.
V) Elevator Pitch
Did you know it takes the average person just two seconds to look at a company logo and decide if they like it? Being a personal trainer, I can tell you for a fact that people judge you as fast as they would with a logo. I am interested in building inter-personal skills as well as maintaining one’s mental fitness. My passion is coming up with unique ways to help my clients express themselves by what they say, do and wear. I would be thrilled to help you achieve your personal goals.
References
How to Give an Elevator Pitch (With Examples). (n.d.). Retrieved from Indeed Career Guide: https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/interviewing/how-to-give-an-elevator-pitch-examples
The Definitive Guide to Personal Branding. (n.d.). Retrieved from Brand Yourself: https://brandyourself.com/definitive-guide-to-personal-branding
.
Running head PERFORMANCE1PERFORMANCE2Case Scena.docxtodd581
Running head: PERFORMANCE 1
PERFORMANCE 2
Case Scenario
Case Scenario
The most striking point in this scenario is that the union’s collective bargaining covenant has “decoupled compensation from performance” (Hale, 2007). This means that the worker performance cannot be incentivized through benefits and compensation. This results to the assumption that without anything to gain it would be meaningless to appraise the performance of the workers. Besides, even from the union’s perspective, having performance metrics in hand, especially if they are trending up, can only strengthen their position at the next negotiation of the collective bargaining agreement.
However, it is also clear that the HR director erred in deciding to evaluate the effectiveness of the performance appraisal process by indexing that supposed effectiveness to the number of managers who adopted the process. That metric is useful only if the frequency of adoption is a proxy for gains in performance, a line of reasoning in need of clarification and exposition. One way for the HR director to flesh this out would be to obtain an understanding of why some managers were adopting the new performance appraisal process and why some were not. If the municipality’s managers are in fact concerned with the performance of their units, the survey would presumably point to ways the managers think the new process helps or does not help them get a handle on the productivity of their employees. The advantage of this would be that the survey would provide invaluable feedback, with which the performance appraisal process could be tweaked to address the concerns of the non-adopters and build upon the positives as seen by the adopters. The takeaway is that it is not entirely correct to assert that “the number of managers using the form has no bearing on productivity” (Hale, 2007) – the number of managers adopting the new process could serve to evaluate the process’ effectiveness, but only with some auxiliary development.
As Hale points out, the most straightforward metric for determining the value of the new appraisal process would be to measure “whether performance had improved” (Hale, 202). But, perhaps just as clearly, there seems to be something wrong with the reasoning implicit in that response. It seems shortsighted to apply the broad desideratum of improved performance to the seemingly more fundamental prerequisite initiative of becoming better able to measure performance (Hale, 2007).
Assuming many additional criteria are required to evaluate the value of the HR director’s new appraisal process. Given that the ‘industry’ in question is a municipality, relevant productivity and people performance metrics are to be found in, for example, time-at-task, attainment of objectives, and rework. For example, if the municipality receives a call about a broken water line, the time-at-task involved in repairs, the successful repair, any need for rework, plus response time, all repr.
Running Head PERTINENT HEALTHCARE ISSUE1PERTINENT HEALTHCAR.docxtodd581
Running Head: PERTINENT HEALTHCARE ISSUE 1
PERTINENT HEALTHCARE ISSUE 2
Analysis of Pertinent Healthcare Issue
Students Name:
Institutional Affiliation:
Impact of increasing cost in a health organization
Introduction
The cost of receiving healthcare service is becoming a serious national healthcare concern. It has been established that the United States spend more on healthcare, in relation to the national income than any other industrialized nation. However, achieving minimum cost means having to make certain hard compromises which have never been easy. For example, low expenditure on research and development, limitation in terms of the choices of health coverage or healthcare providers and having to wait for long before using new technologies. The health system has gone through a series of transformational changes that has seen the cost of healthcare provision sky-rocket. The most affected are among the 41 million uninsured Americans who are unable to cater for the cost of insurance as well as the underinsured whose coverage program cannot cater for their overall health needs. The major catalyst behind the rising cost of healthcare has been; the rising number of aging population that take great benefit from the technologies created for lengthening life span, lifestyle choices like adoption of sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy eating habits resulting to obesity and cardiovascular disorders among others.
Cost impact on health organization.
Increasing cost has impacted the national health organization/system in so many ways. The impacts are not only experienced by the patients but the providers, employers, payers (insurance bodies) and even other employees within the health organization. Firstly, an array of transformational changes has been made i.e. payment transformation where a shift has been made from volume-based (fee-for service payment) which has high cost implications to value-based models and also the development of primary care in attempt to counter increasing cost. The turnover of healthcare providers has also faced a fair share of cost impact. The providers burdened by the feeling of denying patients services due to inability to cater for cost or lack of insurance loses meaning of services and morale to continue with the service. Consequently, advancement in training and education improve the providers’ patient service and more enhanced application of Evidence-Based practice appears costly and unaffiliated hence promoting low morale. Morbidity and mortality cases has been on the rise. Advanced technology used in diagnosis/treatment of serious medical conditions has become expensive and some of them are not covered by the insurance (core payments) hence late interventions taken after serious damage. The is also an indication of lowered patient engagement as far healthcare decision making is concerned since patients with financial challenge have limited options and are sometimes forced to comply with the physici.
Running head Patient Safety and Risk Management in Dental Pra.docxtodd581
Running head: Patient Safety and Risk Management in Dental Practice: Are There Enough
Guidelines? An Evaluative Study on The Existing System in a Dental College of Riyadh 1
Patient Safety and Risk Management in Dental Practice: Are There Enough Guidelines? An
Evaluative Study on The Existing System in a Dental College of Riyadh
Introduction
While it is essential to the practice of healthcare professionals to concern about patient
safety, it is relatively current that it has been transformed into a specific body of knowledge and
therefore patient safety may be considered as a relatively ‘innovative’ discipline. Its core ideas
are to prevent the occurrence of avoidable adverse events (errors, complications and accidents)
accompanying the practice of healthcare and to reduce the impact of unavoidable adverse events.
This is a simple definition for the multifaceted, complexed nature and many key elements in the
practice of patient safety. There are economic, financial, social, cultural and organizational
matters of a patient safety environment that makes it unpractical to simply define it as the
practicing safe health care or protecting patients from harm by health care professionals. It is
essential for all health care professionals and health care organizations to become more
acquainted with the overall framework of patient safety, to dynamically contribute in hard work
to apply patient safety procedures in everyday practice and to create a culture of patient safety
culture (Yamalik & Perea Pérez, 2012).
There is a constant concern and interest in dentistry for matters related to patients and
practicing safe and quality care in the everyday dental practice. Yet, like other health
professions, more attention is given to patient related matters and safety-related matters
(Yamalik & Dijk, 2013).
Furthermore, there is an emerging professional consideration of risk management, patient
safety and handling errors. Rather than hiding them, errors are now understood as learning
material and by that, the number of publications on dental errors are increasing. As an example,
Patient Safety and Risk Management in Dental Practice: Are There Enough Guidelines? An
Evaluative Study on The Existing System in a Dental College of Riyadh 2
prescribing errors in dental practice is a potential ground for development in the medication
management process and patient safety (Yamalik & Dijk, 2013).
An empirical data on the attitudes of dental professionals and dental auxiliaries about the
reporting of medical errors was collected in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia by Al-Nomay et al., (2017),
most respondents (94.4% of them) expressed that medical errors should be reported. Yet, insights
of the norm, personal preferences and existing practices regarding which type of error should be
reported were inconsistent. Only 17.9% of respondents perceived that reporting errors that results
in.
Running head PayneABUS738001PayneABUS738001.docxtodd581
Running head: PayneABUS738001
PayneABUS738001
Human Resource Management and Employee Turnover
BUS-7380 Qualitative Business Research Design and Methodology
Week 1
Amenia Payne
Dr. Lawrence Ness
May 17, 2020
Introduction to Problem
How an organization along with its performance is affected by human resource management (HRM) policies that play an important role in the organization for performance and growth of employees and organization is a widely discussed topic (Boudreau 1991; Jones& Wright, 1992; Kleiner 1990). Different sources contend that work rehearses that advance superior, for example, exhaustive representative enrollment and choice methods, motivator pay, and execution the executives frameworks, and broad worker inclusion and preparing, will in general upgrade the capacities of a company's present and future representative's information, aptitudes, inspiration, just as the maintenance of value workers (Jones and Wright, 1992; U.S. Division of Labor, 1993). The human asset strategies of the association will be in general assistance +7. The year 2006 was the year when HR managers noticed that were approximately 46% and considered employee turnover their top post priority in workforce and organization and that took the peak from 2012 that was 25% in that year.
Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) explained that it has different causes for lessening employee turnover ought to be imperative for any association that involves (1) employee turnover can turn out to be exorbitant rapidly, (2) undesirable turnover influences the presentation of any association, (3) as the accessibility of talented representatives diminishes, it will turn out to be progressively hard to hold looked for after workers. According to a study, it was analyzed that employee turnover can be too costly that annually it can shoot up to 200% of annual salaries that is a great loss for organizations caused mainly due to turnover. Now with these staggering figures, it is very difficult for organizations today to fully understand the concept of employee retention and turnover and how to decrease the overall process and how to handle turnover (Mayhew, 2019). Similarly, trained employees and loyal workforce of the organization get replaced with new employees that take additional time to get trained hence organizations face a loss of time along with loss of resources and money (Iqbal, 2010). Employee turnover should only be done when it is essential for any organization to replace existing employees with new talent and that will only be done when organizations know that this turnover will give benefit and growth to the organization (Meyer, 2011). Employee turnover has termed as a risky choice as it involves the major risks in any organization for current and future project implications by human resource management (Iqbal, 2010).
An organization’s business strategic plans for execution should be contingent on current and potential employees. Throu.
Running head NURSING RESEARCH 1NURSING RESEARCH 7.docxtodd581
Running head: NURSING RESEARCH 1
NURSING RESEARCH 7
Nursing Research
Student's Name
Institutional Affiliation
Nursing research
Obesity and Weight Management Programs
Introduction to the Problem
The problem under investigation in this research is the issue of obesity and weight management. This topic was selected because it the issues is affecting many people today around the world and most significantly in the United States. Thousands of people worldwide are dying from obesity and overweight related illnesses such as diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure among many others (Obesity & weight control: Health risks, weight loss & bariatric surgery, n.d.). Therefore, it has a huge impact on the healthcare system since it has increased the problems that healthcare professionals and facilities are facing. Hospitals are now congested mainly due to diet related illnesses, obesity being at the top of the list, which causes short staffing due to the increasing patients numbers relative to providers’ numbers. The providers, especially nurses, may then suffer from burnout and thus affecting the quality of care that they provide. Several weight management programs have then been created in order to tackle the serious problem of obesity. Therefore, conducting a proper research on obesity and weight management programs is very crucial since it will help in providing in-depth understanding of the whole issue and thus useful in developing and implementing ways that can curb the problem by proper implementation of these programs. This will improve the conditions of healthcare facilities and eventually the quality of care provided.
The Problem
The problem is obesity and weight management programs. Obesity is a medical condition that occurs when an individual has excess body fat or weight that might have some significant effect on his or her health (Hu, 2008). On the other hand, weight management is the process of embracing long-term lifestyle modification to keep a healthy body weight on depending on the age, gender, and height of an individual. They include methods such as eating heathy food and increasing the levels of physical activity. Weight management programs are then the initiatives that are created in controlling the weight of individuals in order to control such conditions as obesity. Managing one’s weight through these programs is very important part of their health because they avoid being overweight and obese to reduce the risks of medical conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and stroke. The intake of diet considered unhealthy, lack of physical exercise and practicing unhealthy lifestyles such as too much intake of alcohol, smoking may lead to increase in weight, and thus a person is considered overweight. This is when the body contains too much body fat above the required amount. Obesity then occurs after being overweight when the calorie intake of a person goes higher than the amount of energy that .
Running head PERCEIVED BENEFITS AND BARRIES ON MMR VACCINE 1 .docxtodd581
Running head: PERCEIVED BENEFITS AND BARRIES ON MMR VACCINE 1
Perceived Benefits and Barriers about the MMR Vaccine among the Parents of a Pediatric
Population in South Florida
Florida International University
PERCEIVED BENEFITS AND BARRIES ON MMR VACCINE 2
Background
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 1 in 4 people
in the United States will be hospitalized and one out of every 1,000 people with measles will
develop brain swelling that could lead to brain damage. Given the possible severity when
obtaining Measles, the CDC recommends to protect children against measles by obtaining a
vaccine that provides enduring insurance against all strains of measles (Measles, 2018). The
Measles, Mumps, and Rubella vaccine (MMR) is administered in two doses in order to prevent
an individual from obtaining one of those diseases. The first dose was given to children when
they are about 13 months old, which offers 90 to 95% protection against those diseases. The
second dose increases those protection odds to become 99%, which is administered before a
child turns five years old. In order for the vaccine to be immune in our system, we need to
achieve at least 95% of immunity to those diseases (Gardner, 2010).
Side effects of MMR vaccine
There is for all intents and purposes no medication without reactions. Gentle symptoms of MMR
vaccine include the following: fever, mild rash, and swelling of the glands in the cheeks or neck.
Moderate reactions include: febrile seizures, brief joint inflammation, and impermanent
thrombocytopenia. Serious side effects of MMR vaccine are amazingly uncommon, but can
include serious allergic responses. Other serious side effects are rare to the point that it is
difficult to recognize whether they are caused by the vaccine, which includes: deafness, long-
term seizures, coma, lowered consciousness, and lasting brain damage (Mahmić-Kaknjo, 2017).
PERCEIVED BENEFITS AND BARRIES ON MMR VACCINE 3
Barriers
Obtaining immunization has been viewed as one of the best general wellbeing accomplishments
of the twentieth century for their job in killing smallpox and controlling polio, measles, rubella,
and different irresistible ailments in the United States. Regardless of their adequacy in
forestalling and destroying illness, routine youth vaccine take-up remains problematic. Parent
refusal of immunizations has added to flare-ups of vaccine preventable infections, for example,
measles and pertussis (Maglione, 2014). Late episodes of measles in the United Kingdom and
United States have awoken reestablished worry about vaccination dismissal. The rate of
vaccination take-up has fallen. Individuals' view of vaccine protection and effectiveness has
appeared to be an imperative factor for immunization take-up that, in the meantime, can spread
between people (Medus, 2014).
Research has shown that guardians' frames of mind .
Running Head PATHOPHYSIOLOGY 1PATHOPHYSIOLOGY5.docxtodd581
Running Head: PATHOPHYSIOLOGY 1
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY 5
Pathophysiology
Student name
School
Instructor
Date
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a joint inflammatory disorder that can, at times, extend the effects to other body organs like lungs and blood vessels; The condition complicates the body's immune system with the advancement of the symptoms( explain types of symptoms) and citation needed(>>>>>>>>) Patients suffering from RA are prune to severe conditions that may arise as the condition matures. patients have distinct symptoms expressed outwardly based on the level and stage of the inflammatory disorder, some of which are similar to those expressed by the patients in the case study. The condition is not hereditary or family born but thought to result from genetic risk factors such as…… (citation needed) The patient in the case study was aware that increased inflammatory could result in the highlighted symptoms and thus presented them to identify whether they were emanating from the condition or any other source of infection.
Identify the genes that may be associated with the development of the disease.
A variety of gene pairs are associated with the RA condition as significant risk factors. The causative genes to the condition are suspended in the immune system function ( citation). Change in human Leukocyte antigen genes (HLA) in the significant contributor to Rheumatoid Arthritis ( citation needed). The genes, RLA-DRB1, are highly associated with triggering the Rheumatoid Arthritis condition. It is associated with the production f body proteins. The HLA proteins assist the immune system in distinguishing immune proteins and those proteins produced by body invaders like viruses (Soo P, n.d). Variation in other genes has a little impact on the condition ( citation needed).
Explain the process of immunosuppression and the effect it has on body systems.
Immunosuppression is a process that subdues the human immune system to individuals undergoing organ transplants or those with autoimmune conditions like Rheumatoid Arthritis(>>>>>>>>). The process involves administering drugs to ensure that the immune system does not repel the organs being transplanted (McCance & Huether, 2019). The physicians must first carry an examination of different body organs them makes a prescription to the patient. After the examination, a strict medical plan or therapy session is created, which patients should stickily follow. During the process, the doctor monitors the patients effectively on a close observation. Immunosuppression has different side effects in the body, some of which arise due to the drugs ( citation needed). The effects include; decrease in bony density, a decrease in muscle functioning, effect on the operation of muscle fiber, which reduces muscle protein production and cases of hyperglycemia and severe diabetes. The effects get controlled through regular exercise. This paragraph should lead to the 4th or next paragraph this p
Invasiv.
Running head PASTORAL COUNSELLING ON MENTAL HEALTH1PASTORAL .docxtodd581
Running head: PASTORAL COUNSELLING ON MENTAL HEALTH 1
PASTORAL COUNSELLING ON MENTAL HEALTH 36
Pastoral Counseling on Mental Health
Student’s Name
Course
Institutional Affiliation
Pastoral Counseling on Mental Health
Chapter 4 Results4.1 Introduction
In this chapter, the researcher is going to present the results and findings obtained from the research. The primary objective of the study was to find out the effects of pastoral counseling on mental health. The researcher conducted a research survey to obtain the relevant data that was required to achieve the research objective. The data collection tool that was used in this study was a survey questionnaire that contained a total of 21 questions. The design of the questionnaire was in line with the specific objectives of this study. This chapter will present the respondents' background information, and the findings obtained from the analysis in line with the research objectives.
4.2 Data Analysis
Descriptive statistics were used in the discussion of the findings of the research. The results were explained using percentages. The target respondents of the study were sampled using simple random sampling. However, the primary target sample was that of people who had experienced some form of mental health at a certain point in their lives. The primary criterion for sampling was that the individual participant must have attained the age of 18 years and above.
4.3 Response Rate
Herein the response rate is the total number of people who completed the survey correctly and met the requirements of the researcher. In this study, a total of 106 participants completed the study. Before the survey was conducted, the respondents were taken through the details of the survey before they could give consent or decline. The reason they were chosen to take part in the study was that they were members of the Deliverance Center for all Nations Church and that they were of 18 years and above.
Further, they were informed of the candidate undertaking the research. Additionally, the researcher told the respondents that the objective of the study was to find out whether the church members sought pastoral counseling as a remedy for addressing mental health issues and whether pastoral counseling had a positive impact on the organization. The respondents were made aware that there was no benefit whatsoever of taking part in the research, and it was voluntary. The potential risks that the respondents would experience in the study were made known to them, which were the same risks one would encounter in their daily lives. The participants were informed that the information they gave would be confidential, and no one else will access them apart from the researcher. Possible contacts were availed to the respondents in case they intended to contact a third party regarding the research.
Once the participants had been taken through the details, they were asked whether they were willing to proceed with the survey or .
The Roman Empire A Historical Colossus.pdfkaushalkr1407
The Roman Empire, a vast and enduring power, stands as one of history's most remarkable civilizations, leaving an indelible imprint on the world. It emerged from the Roman Republic, transitioning into an imperial powerhouse under the leadership of Augustus Caesar in 27 BCE. This transformation marked the beginning of an era defined by unprecedented territorial expansion, architectural marvels, and profound cultural influence.
The empire's roots lie in the city of Rome, founded, according to legend, by Romulus in 753 BCE. Over centuries, Rome evolved from a small settlement to a formidable republic, characterized by a complex political system with elected officials and checks on power. However, internal strife, class conflicts, and military ambitions paved the way for the end of the Republic. Julius Caesar’s dictatorship and subsequent assassination in 44 BCE created a power vacuum, leading to a civil war. Octavian, later Augustus, emerged victorious, heralding the Roman Empire’s birth.
Under Augustus, the empire experienced the Pax Romana, a 200-year period of relative peace and stability. Augustus reformed the military, established efficient administrative systems, and initiated grand construction projects. The empire's borders expanded, encompassing territories from Britain to Egypt and from Spain to the Euphrates. Roman legions, renowned for their discipline and engineering prowess, secured and maintained these vast territories, building roads, fortifications, and cities that facilitated control and integration.
The Roman Empire’s society was hierarchical, with a rigid class system. At the top were the patricians, wealthy elites who held significant political power. Below them were the plebeians, free citizens with limited political influence, and the vast numbers of slaves who formed the backbone of the economy. The family unit was central, governed by the paterfamilias, the male head who held absolute authority.
Culturally, the Romans were eclectic, absorbing and adapting elements from the civilizations they encountered, particularly the Greeks. Roman art, literature, and philosophy reflected this synthesis, creating a rich cultural tapestry. Latin, the Roman language, became the lingua franca of the Western world, influencing numerous modern languages.
Roman architecture and engineering achievements were monumental. They perfected the arch, vault, and dome, constructing enduring structures like the Colosseum, Pantheon, and aqueducts. These engineering marvels not only showcased Roman ingenuity but also served practical purposes, from public entertainment to water supply.
Welcome to TechSoup New Member Orientation and Q&A (May 2024).pdfTechSoup
In this webinar you will learn how your organization can access TechSoup's wide variety of product discount and donation programs. From hardware to software, we'll give you a tour of the tools available to help your nonprofit with productivity, collaboration, financial management, donor tracking, security, and more.
Ethnobotany and Ethnopharmacology:
Ethnobotany in herbal drug evaluation,
Impact of Ethnobotany in traditional medicine,
New development in herbals,
Bio-prospecting tools for drug discovery,
Role of Ethnopharmacology in drug evaluation,
Reverse Pharmacology.
Unit 8 - Information and Communication Technology (Paper I).pdfThiyagu K
This slides describes the basic concepts of ICT, basics of Email, Emerging Technology and Digital Initiatives in Education. This presentations aligns with the UGC Paper I syllabus.
2024.06.01 Introducing a competency framework for languag learning materials ...Sandy Millin
http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/iateflwebinar2024
Published classroom materials form the basis of syllabuses, drive teacher professional development, and have a potentially huge influence on learners, teachers and education systems. All teachers also create their own materials, whether a few sentences on a blackboard, a highly-structured fully-realised online course, or anything in between. Despite this, the knowledge and skills needed to create effective language learning materials are rarely part of teacher training, and are mostly learnt by trial and error.
Knowledge and skills frameworks, generally called competency frameworks, for ELT teachers, trainers and managers have existed for a few years now. However, until I created one for my MA dissertation, there wasn’t one drawing together what we need to know and do to be able to effectively produce language learning materials.
This webinar will introduce you to my framework, highlighting the key competencies I identified from my research. It will also show how anybody involved in language teaching (any language, not just English!), teacher training, managing schools or developing language learning materials can benefit from using the framework.
Model Attribute Check Company Auto PropertyCeline George
In Odoo, the multi-company feature allows you to manage multiple companies within a single Odoo database instance. Each company can have its own configurations while still sharing common resources such as products, customers, and suppliers.
Operation “Blue Star” is the only event in the history of Independent India where the state went into war with its own people. Even after about 40 years it is not clear if it was culmination of states anger over people of the region, a political game of power or start of dictatorial chapter in the democratic setup.
The people of Punjab felt alienated from main stream due to denial of their just demands during a long democratic struggle since independence. As it happen all over the word, it led to militant struggle with great loss of lives of military, police and civilian personnel. Killing of Indira Gandhi and massacre of innocent Sikhs in Delhi and other India cities was also associated with this movement.
Students, digital devices and success - Andreas Schleicher - 27 May 2024..pptxEduSkills OECD
Andreas Schleicher presents at the OECD webinar ‘Digital devices in schools: detrimental distraction or secret to success?’ on 27 May 2024. The presentation was based on findings from PISA 2022 results and the webinar helped launch the PISA in Focus ‘Managing screen time: How to protect and equip students against distraction’ https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/education/managing-screen-time_7c225af4-en and the OECD Education Policy Perspective ‘Students, digital devices and success’ can be found here - https://oe.cd/il/5yV
The Indian economy is classified into different sectors to simplify the analysis and understanding of economic activities. For Class 10, it's essential to grasp the sectors of the Indian economy, understand their characteristics, and recognize their importance. This guide will provide detailed notes on the Sectors of the Indian Economy Class 10, using specific long-tail keywords to enhance comprehension.
For more information, visit-www.vavaclasses.com
1. Running head: MCDONALD’S CASE STUDY
1
MCDONALD’S CASE STUDY
4
McDonald’s CASE STUDY
Dawn Buxton
Dr. Daniel Frost
HRM532
January 20, 2019
Introduction
The success of any company is determined by the effort which
is made by all the stakeholders to see its activities flourish.
More importantly are the programs that are put in place by the
management as they strive to be profitable and achieve their
missions and attain their vision. The strategies which are put in
place vary depending on the management, and they are often
very successful. McDonald’s like other companies were founded
with the goal of being successful and have an impact on the
community surrounding it and society at large (McDonald’s,
2019). To reach their goal, the company put in several programs
which were profit focused as well as community enhancement.
2. It was seeking to improve customer trust in its products while
still making profits. This paper will be focusing on discussing
the program in detail looking at several aspects which it relates.
Some areas of focus will be strengths of the program, how it led
to success, areas which it may be improved and providing two
other programs which may help the company to more
profitability in future.
Talent Managing Program
The program was started by the early management which was in
a bid to increase performance while maintaining quality. The
early years were dedicated to improving the skills of the
workers in other fields of their choice which would make them
proficient. Once they achieved the required skill, they would
transition to what they had chosen to do and quit their job at the
company. In this strategy, the company was aiming to improve
how people viewed the products it offered. The workers who
worked at the different branches before moving on to other
careers had knowledge and admiration for the products which
assured that they would return as customers and bring
colleagues from their new work environment. In a way, the
program was a marketing strategy which would successfully
market the company without putting in more investment to keep
on advertising. The main feature and aim of the program are to
equip more people with the necessary information on the
products and taste of its products before they move on to their
careers (McDonald’s, 2019).
Working at a place leads to developing a sense of belonging
which is essential and keeps a person glued to products of the
working environment. Another essential quality which the
program sought to create was gratitude among the people is
equipped with skills for their jobs and general career-path.
When one is grateful for something you have done for him or
her, they always give back by supporting your activities and
ventures as a mean of repaying the goodness you have done
them. The graduates of the program were spread among
different localities, and that offered an avenue for growth and
3. development of more branches of the company. Generally, the
program was a success, but it went through more than meets the
eye before it picked up and became profitable (McDonald’s,
2019).
How and why did the program start?
The company experienced losses and a period of no growth.
What was peculiar about the losses was the fact that the top
management was very competent and experienced in running the
business. This raised questions on where they were going
wrong, but the answer could not be found easily. As a result, the
leaders held an all-encompassing stakeholders meeting which
was tasked with coming up with ways to increase profits while
maintaining quality as well as benefiting the community at
large. The task was enormous, and several approaches had to be
instituted. The company had to ensure a balance between the
activities which were done globally and within the country. As
such, a balance had to be found to ensure that the quality
distributed across the world was the same, prices were not
different and that they were affordable to most of the target
population. Also, the company needed to train competent and
efficient leadership to ensure that the activities could be carried
out even better even though the current crop of leaders left due
to unforeseeable reasons or retired. The talent management
program necessitated the starting of different initiatives to boost
its performance (Goldsmith & Carter, 2009).
The company had to develop a plan which would see the
succession of all leaders to be smooth and affect the activities
of the company less. Between 2001 and 2005, the company
experienced a rough period because it was forced to change in
management three times due to the death of Chief Executive
Officer Jim Cantalupo, in 2004. Pre-existing talent and
identifying the gaps which were present the errors in the
program were identified, and measures were taken to counter
them. The need for advanced talent development and
identification was found. This necessitated the development of
the Leadership at McDonald’s Program (LAMP). It ensured the
4. strengthening of talent’s capabilities by giving extra training to
the employees who performed highly to boost business and help
them create a network within their peers (Goldsmith & Carter,
2009).
Moreover, a performance enhancement program which stressed
the differentiation of employees based on how they performed
their openness and tolerance to change as well as being able to
account for the results they posted. A 4-metric scale for the
grading was developed and the higher the rank one was in, the
higher credits they would get and compensation due to their
service. Also, education of leaders to lead the company was
very important. It led to the creation and running of the
McDonald’s Leadership Development Institute which was aimed
at boosting leadership. Top level leaders were cultured in this
institution which offered a place for networking. The company
also sponsored the activities of Hamburger University where
some of the employees and leaders were to be cultured and
given more knowledge on how to best run the company.
Strengths
The program succeeded due to various reasons. To begin with, it
was focused on boosting employee performance by rewarding
good results and training them to utilize their capabilities
better. Building a school to improve networking helped continue
the services and quality delivered. The leadership program
developed was not only focused on delivering leaders for the
company but a global network for rolling out leaders for a
variety of companies and focus on changing customer needs and
specific commodity requirements across different regions (Stahl
et al., 2012). Training employees and leaders ensured
McDonald’s that they would never compromise on the quality
offered. At no time did the push for success seen as an
encouragement for offering lesser quality or quantity
(Goldsmith & Carter, 2009).
Areas where improvement can be made
5. One of the significant features of the program is based on
grading of employees based on performance. The measures are
predefined by the management. However, that often
discriminates against those who are considered as lesser
performers and they may at times fail to work on bettering their
output. Suppose measures to boost their input are put in place
while still rewarding the best. Also, the leadership development
program is concerned with top performers who are the small
population in the company. The effect the program has can be
increased by making sure more employees are assimilated into
the platform. That guarantees more leaders and consequently
better services and performance.
Methods to encounter talent managing challenges
The most important aspect about talents management is not only
identification but the retention of what is identified as essential
personnel and may be offering a prospective brighter future
(Hancock et al., 2013). A proactive approach is the best way to
retain most of the talent. The rewarding scheme for employees
should be overhauled to reward the best while still encouraging
the rest to do better in their performance. The practice of
praising the best performers only could lead to loss of the
others who may feel they are not well appreciated for their
efforts to see the activities of the organization to prosper.
Recently a technique known as talent mapping has been
introduced and implemented with a lot of success in the field. It
involves the identification of current talent and matching it with
assumed future company needs to ensure the progress of its
business processes (Garavan et al., 2012). As of now, the
company has only been investing in current needs while
ignoring what it may require in the future. It limits the growth
of the company because the employees are not future-oriented
for they only focus on current profitability. Focusing on the
future gives an edge over the competition because one is
already prepared for what may happen and future trends of the
business and the ever-changing needs of the consumers.
6. Conclusion
McDonald’s has experienced vibrant growth over the years to
one of the best organisations which offers quality services and
ever-changing efforts to achieve customer satisfaction. The
programs offers a platform for growth and continued investment
in sustainability.
References
McDonald’s. (2019). Talent management: a foundation of
success. Retrieved from
https://corporate.mcdonalds.com/mcd/sustainability-
old/library/policies_programs/employee_exp/foundations_for_s
uccess.html
Garavan, T. N., Carbery, R., & Rock, A. (2012). Mapping talent
development: definition, scope, and architecture. European
Journal of Training and Development, 36(1), 5-24.
Goldsmith, M., & Carter, L. (2009). Best practices in talent
management: how the world's leading corporations manage,
develop, and retain top talent. John Wiley & Sons.
Hancock, J. I., Allen, D. G., & Pierce, C. A. (2013). A meta-
analytic review of employee turnover as a predictor of firm
performance. Journal of Management, 39(3), 573-603.
Stahl, G., Björkman, I., Farndale, E., Morris, S. S., Paauwe, J.,
Stiles, P., & Wright, P. (2012). Six principles of effective
global talent management. Sloan Management Review, 53(2),
25-42.
This page intentionally left blank
7. Explication
• The Use of Conventional
Metaphors for Death in John
Donne’s “Death Be Not Proud”
(draft, outline, and
fi nal paper) Ch. 30, p. 958
• A Reading of Emily Dickinson’s
“There’s a certain Slant of light”
Ch. 30, p. 962
Paper-in-Progress
• Explication: The Use of
Conventional Metaphors
for Death in John Donne’s
“Death Be Not Proud”
(draft, outline, and
fi nal paper) Ch. 30, p. 958
Research Paper
• How William Faulkner’s
Narrator Cultivates
a Rose for Emily Ch. 32, p. 987
bedfordstmartins.com/rewritinglit
Check out our free and open visual
tutorials, reference materials, and support
for working with sources.
• VirtuaLit Tutorials for close reading
8. • AuthorLinks for research
• LitGloss for literary terms
• LitQuizzes for self-testing
• Sample Papers for MLA-style models
• Research and Documentation Online
for research
• The Bedford Bibliographer for research
bedfordstmartins.com/videolit
Explore our growing collection of
video interviews with today’s writers —
on what they read, where they get their
ideas, and how they refi ne their
craft. Featured authors
include T. C.
Boyle, Chitra
Banerjee
Divakaruni,
Ha Jin, and
Anne Rice.
This page intentionally left blank
Literature to Go
9. This page intentionally left blank
Literature to Go
MICHAEL MEYER
University of Connecticut
BEDFORD / ST. MARTIN’S BOSTON ◆ NEW YORK
For Bedford/St. Martin’s
Executive Editor: Ellen Thibault
Developmental Editor: Christina Gerogiannis
Production Editor: Lindsay DiGianvittorio
Production Supervisor: Jennifer Peterson
Senior Marketing Manager: Adrienne Petsick
Editorial Assistants: Sophia Snyder, Mallory Moore
Production Assistant: Alexis Biasell
Copyeditor: Hilly van Loon
Senior Art Director: Anna Palchik
Text Design: Claire Seng-Niemoeller
Cover Design: Donna Lee Dennison
Cover Art: Wisconsin and N Street, by Joseph Craig English.
Used with permission. Original
illustration altered with permission of the artist.
Composition: Glyph International
Printing and Binding: Quad/Graphics Taunton
President: Joan E. Feinberg
12. of Wil-
liam and Mary. In addition to being an experienced teacher,
Meyer is a
highly regarded literary scholar. His scholarly articles have
appeared in
distinguished journals such as American Literature, Studies in
the American
Renaissance, and Virginia Quarterly Review. An internationally
recognized
authority on Henry David Thoreau, Meyer is a former president
of the
Thoreau Society and coauthor (with Walter Harding) of The
New Thoreau
Handbook, a standard reference source. His fi rst book, Several
More Lives to
Live: Thoreau’s Political Reputation in America, was awarded
the Ralph Henry
Gabriel Prize by the American Studies Association. He is also
the editor of
Frederick Douglass: The Narrative and Selected Writings. He
has lectured on a
variety of American literary topics from Cambridge University
to Peking
University. His other books for Bedford/St. Martin’s include
The Bedford
Introduction to Literature, Ninth Edition; The Compact Bedford
Introduction to
Literature, Eighth Edition; Poetry: An Introduction, Sixth
Edition; and Think-
ing and Writing about Literature, Second Edition.
Preface for Instructors
Literature to Go is the long-trusted anthology, The Bedford
13. Introduction to
Literature, sized and priced to go. Created in response to
instructors’ re-
quests for an essential version of the full-length book — with a
selection of
literature that refl ects the classic canon and the new —
Literature to Go is a
brief and inexpensive collection of stories, poems, and plays,
supported by
class-tested, reliable pedagogy and unique features that bring
literature to
life for students. The hope is that the engaging selections and
accessible
instruction in Literature to Go will inspire students to become
lifelong read-
ers of imaginative literature, as well as more thoughtful and
skillful writers.
The text is designed to accommodate many different teaching
styles
and is fl exibly organized into four parts focusing on fi ction,
poetry, drama,
and critical thinking and writing. Creative chapters on the
elements of litera-
ture appear at the beginning of each genre section and cover
such concepts
as character, setting, confl ict, and tone, along with plenty of
examples. Addi-
tionally, case studies on major authors, including Flannery
O’Connor and
William Shakespeare, reveal writers as real people and
literature as a living
art form. And a unique, in-depth chapter on poet Billy Collins,
created in
collaboration with the poet himself, gives students an intimate
look into the
creative process of one of America’s most popular
14. contemporary poets.
In addition to offering literature from many periods, cultures,
and
diverse voices, including today’s wittiest writers, the book is
also a surpris-
ingly complete guide to close reading, critical thinking, and
thoughtful writ-
ing. Following the genre sections, the fourth part of Literature
to Go provides
detailed instruction on these crucial skills. Sample student
papers and hun-
dreds of assignments appear in the text, giving students the
support they
need. And two new online resources — Re:Writing for
Literature, with lots of
help for reading and writing about literature; and VideoCentral:
Literature,
a growing collection of exclusive interviews with today’s
authors — offer
even more options for teaching, learning, and enjoying
literature.
FEATURES OF L ITER ATURE TO GO
A wide and well-balanced selection of
literature — sized and priced to go
34 stories, 202 poems, and 12 plays represent a variety of
periods, nation-
alities, cultures, styles, and voices — from the serious to the
humorous,
and from the traditional to the contemporary. Each selection has
been
vii
15. viii preface for instructors
chosen for its appeal to students and for its effectiveness in
demonstrat-
ing the elements, signifi cance, and pleasures of literature.
Canonical
works by Ernest Hemingway, John Keats, Susan Glas pell, and
many others
are generously represented. In addition, there are many
contemporary
selections from writers such as Nilaja Sun, Ian McEwan, and
Tim O’Brien,
as well as a rich sampling of works by writers from other
cultures. These
selections ap pear throughout the anthology.
Many options for teaching and learning about literature
In an effort to make literature come to life for students, and the
course a plea-
sure to teach for instructors, Literature to Go offers these
innovative features:
Perspectives on literature Intriguing documents — including
critical
essays, interviews, and contextual images — appear throughout
the book
to stimulate class discussion and writing.
Connections between “popular” and “literary” culture The
poetry and
drama introductions incorporate examples from popular culture,
effectively
introducing students to the literary elements of a given genre
through what
16. they already know. For example, students are
introduced to the elements of poetry through
greeting card verse and song lyrics by Bruce
Springsteen and to elements of drama through
a television script from Seinfeld. Lively visuals
throughout the anthology present images that
demonstrate how literature is woven into the
fabric of popular culture and art. These images
help students recognize the imprint of literature
on their everyday lives.
Case studies that treat authors in depth Each
genre section includes a chapter that focuses
closely on a major literary fi gure. Chapters on
Flannery O’Connor, Billy Collins, and William
Shakespeare are complemented by biographi-
cal introductions (with author photographs),
critical perspectives, cultural
documents (such as letters
and draft manuscript pages),
and images that serve to con-
textualize the works. A vari-
ety of critical thinking and
writing questions follow the
selections to stim ulate stu-
dent responses. All these sup-
plementary materials engage
From Chapter 9: “A Study
of Flannery O’Connor.”
preface for instructors ix
17. students more fully with the writers
and their works.
An in-depth chapter on
Billy Collins — created
with Billy Collins
Collins presents fi ve of his own
poems in Chapter 20 alongside his
own insights — written specifi cally for
Michael Meyer’s anthologies — into
each work, and shares photographs
and pages from his notebooks. This
case study reinforces Meyer’s empha-
sis on poetry as a living, changing art
form. Students will enjoy the oppor-
tunity to have a major poet speak
directly to them, in Collins’s one-of-a-
kind style, about how he writes, why
he writes, and the kinds of surprises
that occur along the way.
Plenty of help with reading, writing, and research
Critical reading* Advice on how to read literature ap pears at
the begin-
ning of each genre section. Sample Close Readings of
selections, in cluding
Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” (Fiction), William
Hathaway’s
“Oh, Oh” (Poetry), and Susan Glas pell’s
Trifl es (Drama), provide analyses of the
language, images, and other literary
elements at work in these selections.
Interpretive an notations clearly show
18. students the pro cess of close reading
and provide examples of the kind of
critical thinking that leads to strong
academic writing.
Later in the book, Chapter 28, “Reading and the Writing
Process,”
provides more instruction on how to read a work closely,
annotate a
text, take notes, keep a reading journal, and develop a topic into
a the-
sis, with a section on arguing persuasively about literature. An
Index of
Terms appears at the back of the book, and a glossary provides
thorough
explanations of more than two hundred terms central to the
study of
literature.
Kate Chopin (1851–1904)
The Story of an Hour 1894
Knowing that Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with a heart trouble,
great care was taken to break to her as gently as possible the
news of her husband’s death.
It was her sister Josephine who told her, in broken sen-
tences; veiled hints that revealed in half concealing. Her hus-
band’s friend Richards was there, too, near her. It was he who
had been in the newspaper office when intelligence of the rail-
road disaster was received, with Brently Mallard’s name lead-
ing the list of “killed.” He had only taken the time to assure
himself of its truth by a second telegram, and had hastened to
forestall any less careful, less tender friend in bearing the sad
message.
19. Sh did h h h h d h
The title could point
to the brevity of the
story — only 23 short
paragraphs — or to the
decisive nature of what
happens in a very
short period of time.
Or both.
Mrs. Mallard’s first
name, (Louise) is not
given until paragraph
17, yet her sister
Josephine is named
immediately. This em-
phasizes Mrs. Mal-
lard’s married identity.
Given the nature of the
cause of Mrs. Mallard
death at the story’s
end, it’s worth noting
the ambiguous
description that she
“was afflicted with
a heart trouble.” Is
this one of Chopin’s
A Sample Close Reading
From Chapter 20, “A Study
of Billy Collins: The Author
Refl ects on Five Poems.”
20. *A reference chart on the book’s inside front cover outlines all
of the book’s help for
reading and writing about literature.
x preface for instructors
The writing and research process Five
chapters (28–32) cover every step of the
writing pro cess — from generating topics
to documenting sources — while sample
student papers model the results.
Of these chapters, three — “Writing
about Fiction” (29), “Writing about Poetry”
(30), and “Writing about Drama” (31) — focus
on genre-specifi c writing assignments.
Six sample student papers — all with
MLA-style documentation — model how
to analyze and argue about literature and
how to support ideas by citing examples.
The papers are integrated throughout
the book, as are “Questions for Writing”
units that guide students through par-
ticular writing tasks: reading and writing
responsively, developing a topic into a
revised thesis, and writing about multiple
works by an author.
Chapter 32, “The Literary Research
Paper,” offers detailed advice for fi nding, evaluating, and
incorporating
sources in a paper and includes current, detailed MLA
documentation
guidelines.
Questions for critical reading and writing Hundreds of
21. questions
and assignments — “Considerations for Critical Thinking and
Writing,”
“Connections to Other Selections,” “First Response” prompts,
and “Cre-
ative Re sponse” assignments — spark students’ interest,
sharpen their
thinking, and improve their reading, discussion, and writing
skills.
Literature to Go e-Book: The fi rst
electronic anthology for literature
Bedford/St. Martin’s is pleased to introduce the Literature to Go
e-Book,
the fi rst electronic anthology for the literature course. Are you
moving
away from print books? Or perhaps want to supplement your
course
with digital material? The e-Book for Literature to Go includes
all of the
print book’s instruction and nearly all of the literature. It’s easy
to use,
environmentally sound, and nicely priced.
• To order the e-Book, packaged for fi ve dollars with the
student
edition of the print book, use package ISBN-10: 0-312-55777-9
or
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-55777-5.
Bonnie Katz
Professor Quiello
English 109–2
22. October 26, 2010
A Reading of Emily Dickinson’s
“There’s a certain Slant of light”
Because Emily Dickinson did not provide titles for her poetry,
editors
follow the customary practice of using the first line of a poem
as its title.
However, a more appropriate title for “There’s a certain Slant of
light,” one
that suggests what the speaker in the poem is most concerned
about, can be
drawn from the poem’s last line, which ends with “the look of
Death” (Dickin-
son, line 16). Although the first line begins with an image of
light, nothing
bright, carefree, or cheerful appears in the poem. Instead, the
predominant
mood and images are darkened by a sense of despair resulting
from the
speaker’s awareness of death.
In the first stanza, the “certain Slant of light” is associated with
“Win-
23. ter Afternoons” (2), a phrase that connotes the end of a day, a
season, and
even life itself. Such light is hardly warm or comforting. Not a
ray or beam,
this slanting light suggests something unusual or distorted and
creates in the
speaker a certain slant on life that is consistent with the cold,
dark mood that
winter afternoons can produce. Like the speaker, most of us
have seen and felt
this sort of light: it “oppresses” (3) and pervades our sense of
things when we
encounter it. Dickinson uses the senses of hearing and touch as
well as sight
to describe the overwhelming oppressiveness that the speaker
experiences.
The light is transformed into sound by a simile that tells us it is
“like the Heft
/ Of Cathedral Tunes” (3–4). Moreover, the “Heft” of that sound
-- the slow,
solemn measures of tolling church bells and organ music--
weighs heavily on
our spirits. Through the use of shifting imagery, Dickinson
evokes a kind of
24. spiritual numbness that we keenly feel and perceive through our
senses.
By associating the winter light with “Cathedral Tunes,”
Dickinson lets
us know that the speaker is concerned about more than the
weather. What-
ever it is that “oppresses” is related by connotation to faith,
mortality, and
Katz 1
Thesis
providing
overview of
explication
Line-by-line
explication of
first stanza,
focusing on
connotations
of words and
imagery, in
relation to
mood and
meaning of
poem as a
whole;
supported
with refer-
ences to the
text
25. A sample student explication on
Emily Dickinson’s “There’s a
certain Slant of light” includes
parenthetical citations and a
Works Cited page.
preface for instructors xi
• To purchase the e-Book as a standalone item (without the print
book), use ISBN-10: 0-312-55242-4 or ISBN-13: 978-0-312-
55242-8.
• To order the e-Book in CourseSmart format (as a PDF), use
ISBN-
10: 0-312-55240-8 or ISBN-13: 978-0-312-55240-4.
YOU GET MORE DIGITAL CHOICES FOR
LITER ATURE TO GO
Literature to Go doesn’t stop with a book. Online, you’ll fi nd
plenty
of free and open resources to help students get even more out of
the
book and your course. You’ll also fi nd convenient instructor
resources,
and even a nationwide community of teachers. To learn more
about or
order any of the products below, contact your Bedford/St.
Martin’s
sales representative, e-mail sales support ([email protected]
.com), or visit the Web site at bedfordstmartins.com/meyertogo/
catalog.
26. xii preface for instructors
New! Re:Writing for Literature:
Free and open resources
Send students to our best free and open resources (no codes
required),
or upgrade to an expanding collection of premium digital
resources at
bedfordstmartins.com/rewritinglit.
Students will fi nd easy-to-access visual tutorials, reference
materials, and
support for working with sources.
• VirtuaLit Tutorials for Close Reading (Fiction, Poetry, and
Drama)
• AuthorLinks and Biographies
• Quizzes on Literary Works
• A Glossary of Literary Terms
• MLA-style sample student papers
• Help for fi nding and citing sources, including Diana Hacker’s
Research and Documentation Online
New! VideoCentral: Literature:
Interviews with today’s writers
VideoCentral: Literature — a Bedford/St. Martin’s production
created with
writer and teacher Peter Berkow — is a growing collection of
more than
fi fty video interviews with today’s writers, talking about their
craft. Your
students can hear from Ha Jin on how he uses humor and
tension in his
27. writing, Anne Rice on how she advances plot through dialogue,
Chitra
Banerjee Divakaruni on how she writes from experience, and T.
C. Boyle
on how he creates memorable voices. Related assignments and
activities
preface for instructors xiii
help students get the most out
of these instructive videos and
apply what they learn to their
own thinking and writing.
To package VideoCentral: Litera-
ture, free with student copies
of Literature to Go, use pack-
age ISBN-10: 0-312-54620-3 or
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-54620-5.
Instructor Resources:
bedfordstmartins.com/
meyertogo/catalog
You have a lot to do in your course. Bedford/St. Martin’s wants
to make
it easy for you to fi nd the support you need — and to get it
quickly.
Resources for Teaching Literature to Go is available as a print
manual or as
a PDF that can be downloaded from the Bedford/St. Martin’s
online
catalog. This manual supports every selection in the book and
28. has
something to offer new and experienced instructors. Resources
include
commentary, biographical information, additional writing
assign-
ments, further connections among the selections, and tips from
instruc-
tors who have taught with Michael Meyer’s anthologies. For the
PDF,
go to bedfordstmartins.com/meyertogo/catalog. To order the
print
edition, use ISBN-10: 0-312-66697-7 or ISBN-13: 978-0-312-
66697-2.
Teaching Central offers the entire list of Bedford/St. Martin’s
print and
online professional resources in one place. You’ll fi nd
landmark refer-
ence works, sourcebooks on pedagogical issues, award-winning
collec-
tions, and practical advice for the classroom — all free for
instructors and
available through the Student Center or at
bedfordstmartins.com/
meyertogo/catalog.
Literature Aloud is a two-CD set of audio recordings featuring
celebrated
writers and actors reading stories, poems, and selected scenes
included
in Michael Meyer’s anthologies. This resource is free to
instructors who
adopt Literature to Go. To order the CD set, use ISBN-10: 0-
312-43011-6
or ISBN-13: 978-0-312-43011-5.
29. The Bedford/St. Martin’s Video & DVD Library offers selected
videos
and DVDs of plays and stories included in Literature to Go, and
is avail-
able to qualifi ed adopters of the anthology. To learn more,
contact your
Bedford/St. Martin’s sales representative or e-mail sales support
(sales_
[email protected]).
xiv preface for instructors
Literary Reprints Titles in the Case Studies in Contemporary
Criti-
cism series, Bedford Cultural Edition series, and the Bedford
Shake-
speare series can be shrink-wrapped with Literature to Go for
instructors
who want to teach longer works in conjunction with the
anthology.
(For a complete list of available titles, visit
bedfordstmartins.com/
meyertogo/catalog.)
TradeUp
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This book has benefi ted from the ideas, suggestions, and
corrections of
scores of careful readers who helped transform various stages of
an evolv-
ing manuscript into a fi nished book and into subsequent
editions. I
remain grateful to those I have thanked in previous prefaces,
30. particularly
the late Robert Wallace of Case Western Reserve University. In
addition,
many instructors who used the eighth edition of The Bedford
Introduction
to Literature responded to a questionnaire for the book. For
their valuable
comments and advice I am grateful to Sandra Allen-Kearney,
Lincoln Park
Academy; Jon W. Brooks, Okaloosa-Walton College; David
Brumbley,
Salisbury University; Robert Caughey, Torrey Pines High
School; S. Elaine
Craghead, Massachusetts Maritime Academy; Robert W. Croft,
Gaines-
ville State College; Allen Culpepper, Manatee Community
College; Samir
Dayal, Bentley College; Cheryl DeLacretaz, Dripping Springs
High School;
Janice Forgione, Salisbury University; Bernadette Gambino,
University of
North Florida; Sinceree Renee Gunn, University of Alabama in
Hunts-
ville; Cathy Henrichs, Pikes Peak Community College; Susan
Hopkirk,
TradeUp
Get 50% off all trade titles when packaged with your textbook!
Add more value and choice
to your students’ learning
experiences by packaging
their Bedford / St. Martin’s
textbook with one of a
thousand titles from our
sister publishers such as
31. Farrar, Straus and Giroux
and St. Martin’s Press — at
a discount of 50% off the
regular price.
preface for instructors xv
Middle Tennessee State University; Mary Lee Stephenson
Huffer, Lake
Sumter Community College; Michelle Green Jimmerson,
Louisiana Tech
University; Sharon Johnston, Spokane Virtual Learning/Spokane
Public
Schools; Tamara Kuzmenkov, Tacoma Community College;
Catherine
Shanon Lawson, Pikes Peak Community College; Manuel
Martinez, Santa
Fe Community College; Sarah McIntosh, Santa Fe Community
College;
Jim McKeown, McLennan Community College; Julie Moore,
Green River
Community College; Larry Moss, Young Men’s Academy for
Academic
and Civic Development at MacArthur South; Angelina Northrip-
Rivera,
Missouri State University; David Pink, Rock Valley College;
Deidre D.
Price, Okaloosa-Walton College; Katharine Purcell, Trident
Technical Col-
lege; Karin Russell, Keiser University; Holly Schoenecker,
Milwaukee Area
Technical College; Beth Shelton, Paris Junior College; Karen
Stewart,
Norwich University; John A. Stoler, University of Texas at San
32. Antonio;
James D. Suderman, Okaloosa-Walton College; Becky Talk;
Gregory J.
Underwood, Pearl River Community College — Forrest County
Center; and
Marva Webb, Clinton High School.
I would also like to give special thanks to the following
instructors
who contributed teaching tips to Resources for Teaching
Literature to Go:
Sandra Adickes, Winona State University; Helen J. Aling,
Northwestern
College; Sr. Anne Denise Brenann, College of Mt. St. Vincent;
Robin
Calitri, Merced College; James H. Clemmer, Austin Peay State
University;
Robert Croft, Gainesville College; Thomas Edwards, Westbrook
College;
Elizabeth Kleinfeld, Red Rocks Community College; Olga
Lyles, Uni-
versity of Nevada; Timothy Peters, Boston University;
Catherine Rusco,
Muskegon Community College; Robert M. St. John, DePaul
University;
Richard Stoner, Broome Community College; Nancy Veiga,
Modesto
Junior College; Karla Walters, University of New Mexico; and
Joseph
Zeppetello, Ulster Community College.
I am also indebted to those who cheerfully answered questions
and
generously provided miscellaneous bits of information. What
might
have seemed to them like inconsequential conversations turned
out to
be important leads. Among these friends and colleagues are
33. Raymond
Anselment, Barbara Campbell, Ann Charters, Karen Chow, John
Chris-
tie, Eleni Coundouriotis, Irving Cummings, William Curtin,
Patrick
Hogan, Lee Jacobus, Thomas Jambeck, Bonnie Januszewski-
Ytuarte,
Greta Little, George Monteiro, Brenda Murphy, Joel Myerson,
Rose Qui-
ello, Thomas Recchio, William Sheidley, Stephanie Smith,
Milton Stern,
Kenneth Wilson, and the dedicated reference librarians at the
Homer
Babbidge Library, University of Connecticut. I am particularly
happy to
acknowledge the tactful help of Roxanne Cody, owner of R. J.
Julia Book-
sellers in Madison, Connecticut, whose passion for books
authorizes
her as the consummate matchmaker for writers, readers, and
titles. It’s a
wonder that somebody doesn’t call the cops.
I continue to be grateful for what I have learned from teaching
my
students and for the many student papers I have received over
the years
xvi preface for instructors
that I have used in various forms to serve as good and
accessible mod-
els of student writing. I am also indebted to Stefanie Wortman
for her
extensive work on Resources for Teaching literature to go.
34. At Bedford/St. Martin’s, my debts once again require more
time to ack-
nowledge than the deadline allows. Charles H. Christensen and
Joan E.
Feinberg initiated The Bedford Introduction to Literature and
launched it
with their intelligence, energy, and sound advice. This book has
also ben-
efi ted from the savvy insights of Denise Wydra and Steve
Scipione. Ear-
lier editions were shaped by editors Karen Henry, Kathy Retan,
Alanya
Harter, Aron Keesbury, and Ellen Thibault; their work was as fi
rst rate
as it was essential. As development editor for Literature to Go,
Christina
Gerogiannis expertly kept the book on track and made the
journey a
pleasure to the end; her valuable contributions richly remind me
of how
fortunate I am to be a Bedford/St. Martin’s author. Stephanie
Naudin,
associate editor, energetically developed the book’s instructor’s
manual,
and Sophia Snyder, editorial assistant, gracefully handled a
variety of
editorial tasks. Permissions were deftly arranged by Kalina
Hintz, Arthur
Johnson, Martha Friedman, and Susan Doheny. The diffi cult
tasks of
production were skillfully managed by Lindsay DiGianvittorio,
whose
attention to details and deadlines was essential to the
completion of this
project. Hilly van Loon provided careful copyediting, and Laura
Dewey
35. and Arthur Johnson did meticulous proofreading. I thank all of
the
people at Bedford/St. Martin’s — including Donna Dennison,
who designed
the cover, and Adrienne Petsick, the marketing manager — who
helped to
make this formidable project a manageable one.
Finally, I am grateful to my sons Timothy and Matthew for all
kinds
of help, but mostly I’m just grateful they’re my sons. And for
making all
the difference, I thank my wife, Regina Barreca.
Brief Contents
Resources for Reading and Writing about Literature inside front
cover
Preface for Instructors vii
Introduction: Reading Imaginative Literature 1
FICT ION 7
The Elements of Fiction 9
1. Reading Fiction 11
2. Plot 44
3. Character 64
4. Setting 115
5. Point of View 135
6. Symbolism 178
7. Theme 199
8. Style, Tone, and Irony 223
36. Fiction in Depth 255
9. A Study of Flannery O’Connor 257
A Collection of Stories 277
10. Stories for Further Reading 279
POETRY 339
The Elements of Poetry 341
11. Reading Poetry 343
12. Word Choice, Word Order, and Tone 375
13. Images 399
14. Figures of Speech 412
15. Symbol, Allegory, and Irony 428
xvii
xviii brief contents
16. Sounds 447
17. Patterns of Rhythm 464
18. Poetic Forms 481
19. Open Form 507
Poetry in Depth 523
20. A Study of Billy Collins: The Author Refl ects on Five
Poems 525
21. A Thematic Case Study: Humor and Satire 550
A Collection of Poems 559
22. Poems for Further Reading 561
DR AMA 589
37. The Study of Drama 591
23. Reading Drama 593
24. Sophocles and Greek Drama 632
25. William Shakespeare and Elizabethan Drama 687
26. Henrik Ibsen and Modern Drama 788
A Collection of Plays 849
27. Plays for Further Reading 851
CRIT ICAL THINKING AND WRIT ING 927
28. Reading and the Writing Process 929
29. Writing about Fiction 942
30. Writing about Poetry 950
31. Writing about Drama 965
32. The Literary Research Paper 973
Glossary of Literary Terms 991
Index of First Lines 1019
Index of Authors and Titles 1023
Index of Terms 1034
Contents
Resources for Reading and Writing about Literature inside front
cover
Preface for Instructors vii
Introduction: Reading Imaginative Literature 1
The Nature of Literature 1
38. Emily Dickinson • A NARROW FELLOW IN THE GRASS 2
The Value of Literature 3
The Changing Literary Canon 5
FICT ION 7
The Elements of Fiction 9
1. Reading Fiction 11
Reading Fiction Responsively 11
Kate Chopin • THE STORY OF AN HOUR 13
A young woman reacts to news of her husband’s death. “She
had loved him —
sometimes. Often she had not. What did it matter!”
a sample close reading
An Annotated Section of Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”
15
a sample student paper
Differences in Responses to Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an
Hour” 18
Explorations and Formulas 22
A Comparison of Two Stories 28
Karen van der Zee • FROM A SECRET SORROW 28
“Shut up and listen to me! . . . He was still breathing hard and
he looked at
her with stormy blue eyes.” A young couple debates their
future, Harlequin
romance style.
Gail Godwin • A SORROWFUL WOMAN 37
39. What happens when you’re a wife and mother — but it turns out
that’s not
what you really wanted?
xix
xx contents
2. Plot 44
Edgar Rice Burroughs • FROM TARZAN OF THE APES 46
Two wild creatures battle over a woman. “Against the long
canines of the ape was
pitted the thin blade of the man’s knife.”
Alice Walker • THE FLOWERS 53
A young girl gathers fl owers, farther from home than usual. “It
seemed gloomy in the
little cove. . . . The air was damp, the silence close and deep.”
William Faulkner • A ROSE FOR EMILY 55
In a tale that Faulkner called a ghost story, a woman breaks
from traditions of the old
South — mysteriously and gruesomely.
3. Character 64
Charles Dickens • FROM HARD TIMES 65
“Facts alone are wanted in life.” No one can take the joy out of
learning like Dickens’s
Mr. Gradgrind.
May-lee Chai • SAVING SOURDI 69
In the Killing Fields of Cambodia, Sourdi saves her sister Nea.
Now in the U.S., Nea
wants to save her sister’s happiness.
40. Herman Melville • BARTLEBY, THE SCRIVENER 85
“I would prefer not to.” The classic story of the most resistant
offi ce worker in
literature.
4. Setting 115
Ernest Hemingway • SOLDIER’S HOME 117
A young man comes home from war, detached from emotion and
the values of those
who want him to make something of himself.
Fay Weldon • IND AFF, OR OUT OF LOVE IN SARAJEVO
124
“I love you with inordinate affection!” A graduate student and
her married professor
travel to the Balkans to make a decision.
A. S. Byatt • BAGLADY 131
A morning of shopping in a luxurious mall in the Far East does
not go well for
Daphne Gulver-Robinson.
5. Point of View 135
Third-Person Narrator 136
First-Person Narrator 137
Anton Chekhov • THE LADY WITH THE PET DOG 139
“Anna Sergeyevna and he loved each other. . . . Fate itself had
meant them for one
another, and they could not understand why he had a wife and
she a husband.”
Alice Munro • AN OUNCE OF CURE 168
A teenage girl’s fi rst experience with a broken heart leads to
catastrophic
41. consequences.
contents xxi
6. Symbolism 178
Ralph Ellison • BATTLE ROYAL 184
A young black man is humiliated, bloodied, and awarded a
scholarship as he sets out
on a path toward identity and equality in a racist society.
Peter Meinke • THE CRANES 196
People make many promises to the ones they love. Sometimes,
there is no turning
back.
7. Theme 199
Guy de Maupassant • THE NECKLACE 202
All Mathilde Loisel wants is a pretty necklace for the ball.
When she borrows one from
a friend, however, things do not go as expected.
Stephen Crane • THE BRIDE COMES TO YELLOW SKY 209
In this commentary on the Wild West, things change with the
marriage of the lone
marshal of a gunslinging town.
Dagoberto Gilb • LOVE IN L.A. 219
A man driving an unregistered, uninsured ’58 Buick dreams and
deceives on the
Hollywood Freeway.
8. Style, Tone, and Irony 223
Style 223
42. Tone 225
Irony 225
Raymond Carver • POPULAR MECHANICS 227
With extreme economy, Carver tells the story of a troubled
family’s tug-of-war.
Susan Minot • LUST 229
“The more girls a boy has, the better. . . . For a girl, with each
boy it’s as though a petal
gets plucked each time.” A woman chronicles her early sexual
encounters.
T. Coraghessan Boyle • CARNAL KNOWLEDGE 237
How far will a man go for love? “The turkeys must have sensed
that something was
up — from behind the long white windowless wall, there arose a
watchful gabbling.”
Fiction in Depth 255
9. A Study of Flannery O’Connor 257
A Brief Biography and Introduction 258
Flannery O’Connor • A GOOD MAN IS HARD TO FIND 261
A southern grandmother weighs in on the “goodness” of one of
literature’s most
famous ex-convicts.
xxii contents
perspectives on o’connor
Flannery O’Connor • On the Use of Exaggeration and Distortion
274
43. Josephine Hendin • On O’Connor’s Refusal to “Do Pretty” 274
Claire Katz • The Function of Violence in O’Connor’s Fiction
275
Time Magazine • On A Good Man Is Hard to Find 276
A Collection of Stories 277
10. Stories for Further Reading 279
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni • CLOTHES 280
A young Indian woman sees her marriage, her move to America,
and even her
wardrobe (and a California 7-Eleven) in terms of possibility.
Nathaniel Hawthorne • THE BIRTHMARK 289
An eighteenth-century scientist seeks to obliterate imperfection.
James Joyce • EVELINE 302
How much should an obedient daughter sacrifi ce to fulfi ll her
duty to her family and
home?
Jamaica Kincaid • GIRL 306
“Always eat your food in such a way that it won’t turn someone
else’s stomach.” A
critical mother subjects her daughter to a long list of advice.
Ian McEwan • THE USE OF POETRY 308
When a science major meets a beautiful English student, he
decides poetry might have
some use after all.
Tim O’Brien • HOW TO TELL A TRUE WAR STORY 318
“If a story seems moral, do not believe it. . . . You can tell a
true war story by its abso-
lute and uncompromising allegiance to obscenity and evil.”
44. E. Annie Proulx • 55 MILES TO THE GAS PUMP 329
A brief, startling story of a rancher and his wife.
Mark Twain • THE STORY OF THE GOOD LITTLE BOY 330
Obedience is not exactly celebrated in this story about being too
good.
John Updike • A & P 334
“In walks these three girls in nothing but bathing suits.” A
teenaged Sammy makes a
gallant move that changes his life.
POETRY 339
The Elements of Poetry 341
11. Reading Poetry 343
Reading Poetry Responsively 343
Lisa Parker • SNAPPING BEANS 344
Robert Hayden • THOSE WINTER SUNDAYS 345
John Updike • DOG’S DEATH 346
contents xxiii
The Pleasure of Words 347
William Hathaway • OH, OH 348
a sample close reading
An Annotated Version of William Hathaway’s “Oh, Oh” 348
Robert Francis • CATCH 350
45. a sample student analysis
Tossing Metaphors Together in Robert Francis’s “Catch” 351
Elizabeth Bishop • THE FISH 355
Philip Larkin • A STUDY OF READING HABITS 357
Robert Morgan • MOUNTAIN GRAVEYARD 358
E. E. Cummings • l(a 359
Anonymous • WESTERN WIND 360
Regina Barreca • NIGHTTIME FIRES 361
suggestions for approaching poetry 362
Billy Collins • INTRODUCTION TO POETRY 364
Poetry in Popular Forms 364
Helen Farries • MAGIC OF LOVE 366
John Frederick Nims • LOVE POEM 366
Bruce Springsteen • YOU’RE MISSING 368
Poems for Further Study 369
Alberto Ríos • SENIORS 369
Li Ho • A BEAUTIFUL GIRL COMBS HER HAIR 370
Peter Pereira • ANAGRAMMER 371
Robert Frost • DESIGN 372
Mary Oliver • THE POET WITH HIS FACE IN HIS HANDS
373
46. 12. Word Choice, Word Order, and Tone 375
Word Choice 375
Diction 375
Denotations and Connotations 377
Randall Jarrell • THE DEATH OF THE BALL TURRET
GUNNER 378
Word Order 380
Tone 380
Katharyn Howd Machan • HAZEL TELLS LAVERNE 380
Martín Espada • LATIN NIGHT AT THE PAWNSHOP 381
Paul Laurence Dunbar • TO A CAPTIOUS CRITIC 382
Diction and Tone in Four Love Poems 382
Robert Herrick • TO THE VIRGINS, TO MAKE MUCH OF
TIME 383
Andrew Marvell • TO HIS COY MISTRESS 384
xxiv contents
Ann Lauinger • MARVELL NOIR 387
Sharon Olds • LAST NIGHT 388
Poems for Further Study 389
Thomas Hardy • THE CONVERGENCE OF THE TWAIN 389
47. David R. Slavitt • TITANIC 391
Gwendolyn Brooks • WE REAL COOL 391
Joan Murray • WE OLD DUDES 392
Louis Simpson • IN THE SUBURBS 393
Emily Dickinson • SOME KEEP THE SABBATH GOING TO
CHURCH — 393
John Keats • ODE ON A GRECIAN URN 394
Poets at Play 396
Billy Collins • TAKING OFF EMILY DICKINSON’S
CLOTHES 396
Joan Murray • TAKING OFF BILLY COLLINS’ CLOTHES 397
postcard: Billy Collins • TO JOAN MURRAY 398
13. Images 399
Poetry’s Appeal to the Senses 399
William Carlos Williams • POEM 400
Walt Whitman • CAVALRY CROSSING A FORD 400
Theodore Roethke • ROOT CELLAR 401
Matthew Arnold • DOVER BEACH 402
Jimmy Santiago Baca • GREEN CHILE 404
Poems for Further Study 405
48. Amy Lowell • THE POND 405
William Blake • LONDON 405
Emily Dickinson • WILD NIGHTS — WILD NIGHTS! 406
Wilfred Owen • DULCE ET DECORUM EST 407
Sally Croft • HOME-BAKED BREAD 408
John Keats • TO AUTUMN 409
Ezra Pound • IN A STATION OF THE METRO 411
14. Figures of Speech 412
William Shakespeare • FROM MACBETH (ACT V, SCENE V )
413
Simile and Metaphor 414
Margaret Atwood • YOU FIT INTO ME 414
Emily Dickinson • PRESENTIMENT — IS THAT LONG
SHADOW —
ON THE LAWN — 415
contents xxv
Other Figures 416
Edmund Conti • PRAGMATIST 416
Dylan Thomas • THE HAND THAT SIGNED THE PAPER 417
Janice Townley Moore • TO A WASP 418
49. J. Patrick Lewis • THE UNKINDEST CUT 420
Poems for Further Study 420
Gary Snyder • HOW POETRY COMES TO ME 420
Ernest Slyman • LIGHTNING BUGS 421
Judy Page Heitzman • THE SCHOOLROOM ON THE SECOND
FLOOR
OF THE KNITTING MILL 421
William Wordsworth • LONDON, 1802 422
Robert Frost • FIRE AND ICE 423
John Donne • A VALEDICTION: FORBIDDING MOURNING
423
Linda Pastan • MARKS 425
Kay Ryan • HAILSTORM 425
Elaine Magarrell • THE JOY OF COOKING 426
15. Symbol, Allegory, and Irony 428
Symbol 428
Robert Frost • ACQUAINTED WITH THE NIGHT 429
Allegory 431
Edgar Allan Poe • THE HAUNTED PALACE 431
Irony 433
Edwin Arlington Robinson • RICHARD CORY 433
Kenneth Fearing • AD 434
50. E. E. Cummings • NEXT TO OF COURSE GOD AMERICA I
435
Stephen Crane • A MAN SAID TO THE UNIVERSE 436
Poems for Further Study 437
Bob Hicok • MAKING IT IN POETRY 437
Kevin Pierce • PROOF OF ORIGIN 437
Carl Sandburg • BUTTONS 438
Wallace Stevens • ANECDOTE OF THE JAR 438
Jim Tilley • RICHTER 7.8 439
William Stafford • TRAVELING THROUGH THE DARK 440
Alden Nowlan • THE BULL MOOSE 441
Julio Marzán • ETHNIC POETRY 442
James Merrill • CASUAL WEAR 443
xxvi contents
Robert Browning • MY LAST DUCHESS 444
William Blake • THE CHIMNEY SWEEPER 445
16. Sounds 447
Listening to Poetry 447
51. John Updike • PLAYER PIANO 448
May Swenson • A NOSTY FRIGHT 449
Emily Dickinson • A BIRD CAME DOWN THE WALK — 450
Galway Kinnell • BLACKBERRY EATING 452
Rhyme 453
Richard Armour • GOING TO EXTREMES 453
Robert Southey • FROM “THE CATARACT OF LODORE” 454
Sound and Meaning 457
Gerard Manley Hopkins • GOD’S GRANDEUR 457
Poems for Further Study 458
Lewis Carroll (Charles Lutwidge Dodgson) • JABBERWOCKY
458
Emily Dickinson • I HEARD A FLY BUZZ — WHEN I DIED
— 459
Robert Frost • STOPPING BY WOODS ON A SNOWY
EVENING 460
John Donne • SONG 461
Paul Humphrey • BLOW 462
Robert Francis • THE PITCHER 462
Helen Chasin • THE WORD PLUM 463
17. Patterns of Rhythm 464
Some Principles of Meter 464
52. Walt Whitman • FROM “SONG OF THE OPEN ROAD” 465
William Wordsworth • MY HEART LEAPS UP 468
suggestions for scanning a poem 469
Timothy Steele • WAITING FOR THE STORM 470
William Butler Yeats • THAT THE NIGHT COME 470
Poems for Further Study 471
Alfred, Lord Tennyson • BREAK, BREAK, BREAK 471
Alice Jones • THE FOOT 472
Rita Dove • FOX TROT FRIDAYS 473
Robert Herrick • DELIGHT IN DISORDER 474
Ben Jonson • STILL TO BE NEAT 474
William Blake • THE LAMB 475
William Blake • THE TYGER 476
contents xxvii
Carl Sandburg • CHICAGO 477
Robert Frost • “OUT, OUT — ” 478
Theodore Roethke • MY PAPA’S WALTZ 479
18. Poetic Forms 481
53. Some Common Poetic Forms 482
A. E. Housman • LOVELIEST OF TREES, THE CHERRY NOW
482
Robert Herrick • UPON JULIA’S CLOTHES 483
Sonnet 484
John Keats • ON FIRST LOOKING INTO CHAPMAN’S
HOMER 485
William Wordsworth • THE WORLD IS TOO MUCH WITH US
486
William Shakespeare • SHALL I COMPARE THEE TO A
SUMMER’S
DAY? 487
William Shakespeare • MY MISTRESS’ EYES ARE NOTHING
LIKE
THE SUN 487
Edna St. Vincent Millay • I WILL PUT CHAOS INTO
FOURTEEN
LINES 488
Molly Peacock • DESIRE 489
Mark Jarman • UNHOLY SONNET 489
X. J. Kennedy • “THE PURPOSE OF TIME IS TO PREVENT
EVERYTHING
FROM HAPPENING AT ONCE” 490
Villanelle 491
54. Dylan Thomas • DO NOT GO GENTLE INTO THAT GOOD
NIGHT 491
Sestina 492
Florence Cassen Mayers • ALL-AMERICAN SESTINA 492
Epigram 493
Samuel Taylor Coleridge • WHAT IS AN EPIGRAM? 494
A. R. Ammons • COWARD 494
David McCord • EPITAPH ON A WAITER 494
Paul Laurence Dunbar • THEOLOGY 494
Limerick 495
Anonymous • THERE WAS A YOUNG LADY NAMED
BRIGHT 495
Laurence Perrine • THE LIMERICK’S NEVER AVERSE 495
Haiku 496
Matsuo Bash–o • UNDER CHERRY TREES 496
Carolyn Kizer • AFTER BASH
–
O 496
Sonia Sanchez • C’MON MAN HOLD ME 496
Elegy 497
55. Theodore Roethke • ELEGY FOR JANE 497
Brendan Galvin • AN EVEL KNIEVEL ELEGY 498
xxviii contents
Ode 499
Percy Bysshe Shelley • ODE TO THE WEST WIND 499
Baron Wormser • LABOR 502
Parody 503
Blanche Farley • THE LOVER NOT TAKEN 503
perspective
Elaine Mitchell • Form 504
Picture Poem 505
Michael McFee • IN MEDIAS RES 505
19. Open Form 507
E. E. Cummings • IN JUST- 507
Walt Whitman • FROM “I SING THE BODY ELECTRIC” 508
Louis Jenkins • THE PROSE POEM 510
Galway Kinnell • AFTER MAKING LOVE WE HEAR
FOOTSTEPS 511
Kelly Cherry • ALZHEIMER’S 512
56. William Carlos Williams • THE RED WHEELBARROW 513
Marilyn Nelson Waniek • EMILY DICKINSON’S DEFUNCT
513
Julio Marzán • THE TRANSLATOR AT THE RECEPTION FOR
LATIN
AMERICAN WRITERS 514
Anonymous • THE FROG 515
Julia Alvarez • QUEENS, 1963 515
Tato Laviera • AMERÍCAN 517
Peter Meinke • THE ABC OF AEROBICS 519
Found Poem 520
Donald Justice • ORDER IN THE STREETS 520
Poetry in Depth 523
20. A Study of Billy Collins: The Author Refl ects
on Five Poems 525
A Brief Biography and an Introduction to His Work 526
introduction: Billy Collins • “HOW DO POEMS TRAVEL?” 531
poem: Billy Collins • OSSO BUCO 532
essay: Billy Collins • ON WRITING “OSSO BUCO” 533
poem: Billy Collins • NOSTALGIA 534
57. essay: Billy Collins • ON WRITING “NOSTALGIA” 535
poem: Billy Collins • QUESTIONS ABOUT ANGELS 537
essay: Billy Collins • ON WRITING “QUESTIONS ABOUT
ANGELS” 538
poem: Billy Collins • LITANY 539
essay: Billy Collins • ON WRITING “LITANY” 540
contents xxix
poem: Billy Collins • BUILDING WITH ITS FACE BLOWN
OFF 541
perspective (interview)
On “Building with Its Face Blown Off ”: Michael Meyer
Interviews Billy
Collins 542
facsimile: Billy Collins • DRAFT MANUSCRIPT PAGE OF
“BUSY DAY” 546
suggested topics for longer papers 547
questions for writing about an author in depth 548
21. A Thematic Case Study: Humor and Satire 550
Fleur Adcock • THE VIDEO 551
John Ciardi • SUBURBAN 552
Howard Nemerov • WALKING THE DOG 552
Linda Pastan • JUMP CABLING 553
58. Peter Schmitt • FRIENDS WITH NUMBERS 554
Martín Espada • THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE REVISES ITS
CURRICULUM
IN RESPONSE TO CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS 555
Thomas Lux • COMMERCIAL LEECH FARMING TODAY 555
X. J. Kennedy • ON A YOUNG MAN’S REMAINING AN
UNDERGRADUATE FOR TWELVE YEARS 557
A Collection of Poems 559
22. Poems for Further Reading 561
William Blake • INFANT SORROW 561
Robert Burns • A RED, RED ROSE 561
George Gordon, Lord Byron • SHE WALKS IN BEAUTY 562
Lucille Clifton • THIS MORNING (FOR THE GIRLS OF
EASTERN
HIGH SCHOOL) 563
Samuel Taylor Coleridge • KUBLA KHAN: OR, A VISION IN
A DREAM 563
Emily Dickinson • BECAUSE I COULD NOT STOP FOR
DEATH — 565
Emily Dickinson • HE FUMBLES AT YOUR SOUL 565
Emily Dickinson • I FELT A FUNERAL, IN MY BRAIN 566
Emily Dickinson • I STARTED EARLY — TOOK MY DOG —
566
59. Emily Dickinson • MY LIFE HAD STOOD — A LOADED GUN
— 567
John Donne • THE APPARITION 568
John Donne • THE FLEA 568
T. S. Eliot • THE LOVE SONG OF J. ALFRED PRUFROCK
569
Robert Frost • MENDING WALL 573
Robert Frost • THE ROAD NOT TAKEN 574
Thomas Hardy • HAP 574
Gerard Manley Hopkins • PIED BEAUTY 575
A. E. Housman • TO AN ATHLETE DYING YOUNG 575
xxx contents
Langston Hughes • HARLEM 576
Ben Jonson • TO CELIA 577
John Keats • LA BELLE DAME SANS MERCI 577
John Keats • WRITTEN IN DISGUST OF VULGAR
SUPERSTITION 579
Emma Lazarus • THE NEW COLOSSUS 579
60. John Milton • WHEN I CONSIDER HOW MY LIGHT IS
SPENT 580
Christina Georgina Rossetti • SOME LADIES DRESS IN
MUSLIN FULL
AND WHITE 580
Siegfried Sassoon • “THEY” 581
William Shakespeare • THAT TIME OF YEAR THOU MAYST
IN ME
BEHOLD 581
William Shakespeare • WHEN, IN DISGRACE WITH
FORTUNE AND
MEN’S EYES 581
Percy Bysshe Shelley • OZYMANDIAS 582
Alfred, Lord Tennyson • ULYSSES 582
Alfred, Lord Tennyson • TEARS, IDLE TEARS 584
Walt Whitman • WHEN I HEARD THE LEARN’D
ASTRONOMER 585
William Carlos Williams • THIS IS JUST TO SAY 585
William Wordsworth • A SLUMBER DID MY SPIRIT SEAL
586
William Wordsworth • THE SOLITARY REAPER 586
William Wordsworth • MUTABILITY 587
William Butler Yeats • LEDA AND THE SWAN 587
61. DR AMA 589
The Study of Drama 591
23. Reading Drama 593
Reading Drama Responsively 593
Susan Glaspell • TRIFLES 595
Did Mrs. Wright kill her husband? While the men investigate,
Mrs. Peters and
Mrs. Hale reach their own conclusions.
a sample close reading
An Annotated Section of Susan Glaspell’s Trifles 606
Elements of Drama 607
Joan Ackermann • QUIET TORRENTIAL SOUND 612
Two sisters in their thirties order at a café: one a hot fudge
sundae and a Diet Coke,
the other a decaf. In short order, the conversation turns to
appetites.
Drama in Popular Forms 619
Larry David • “THE PITCH,” A SEINFELD EPISODE 622
Are our lives just a series of insignifi cant, mundane events? Of
episodes in which
nothing happens?
contents xxxi
24. Sophocles and Greek Drama 632
Theatrical Conventions of Greek Drama 633
Tragedy 636
62. Sophocles • OEDIPUS THE KING 639
In the greatest of the surviving Greek tragedies, a hero sets out
to discover the truth
about himself.
25. William Shakespeare and Elizabethan Drama 687
Shakespeare’s Theater 689
The Range of Shakespeare’s Drama: History, Comedy,
and Tragedy 693
A Note on Reading Shakespeare 696
William Shakespeare • OTHELLO, THE MOOR OF VENICE
698
Jealousy proves to be the downfall of a Moorish general in this
tragedy of love,
betrayal, friendship, and race.
26. Henrik Ibsen and Modern Drama 788
Realism 788
Theatrical Conventions of Modern Drama 790
Henrik Ibsen • A DOLL HOUSE 792
“Yes, whatever you say, Torvald.” Can a nineteenth-century
wife break from her
dominating husband?
A Collection of Plays 849
27. Plays for Further Reading 851
Sharon E. Cooper • MISTAKEN IDENTITY 852
A Hindu lesbian and a clueless American go on a blind date.
David Henry Hwang • TRYING TO FIND CHINATOWN 857
“What — you think if I deny the importance of my race, I’m
nobody?” Two young men
63. have very different ideas about what makes us who we are.
Jane Martin • RODEO 864
When a closely knit community is corrupted in the name of
progress and profi t, can
it recover?
Jane Anderson • THE REPRIMAND 868
Mim and Rhona work through their professional power struggle.
Sort of.
Nilaja Sun • NO CHILD . . . 905
When Ms. Sun arrives to direct a play with the worst class in
school, her funny and
frank students are more than a little skeptical.
xxxii contents
CRIT ICAL THINKING AND WRIT ING 927
28. Reading and the Writing Process 929
The Purpose and Value of Writing about Literature 929
Reading the Work Closely 930
Annotating the Text and Journal Note Taking 930
Annotated Text 931
Journal Note 931
Choosing a Topic 932
Developing a Thesis 933
Arguing about Literature 934
Organizing a Paper 935
Writing a Draft 936
64. Writing the Introduction and Conclusion 937
Using Quotations 937
Revising and Editing 939
questions for writing: a revision checklist 939
Types of Writing Assignments 941
29. Writing about Fiction 942
From Reading to Writing 942
questions for responsive reading and writing 943
Analysis 945
a sample student analysis
John Updike’s “A&P” as a State of Mind 945
30. Writing about Poetry 950
From Reading to Writing 950
questions for responsive reading and writing 951
Explication 952
A Sample Paper-in-Progress 953
Mapping a Poem 953
John Donne • DEATH BE NOT PROUD 954
Asking Questions about the Elements 954
a sample fi rst response
First Response to John Donne’s “Death Be Not Proud” 954
Organizing Your Thoughts 955
65. a sample informal outline
Proposed Outline for Paper on John Donne’s “Death Be Not
Proud” 956
contents xxxiii
The Elements and Theme 957
fi nal paper: a sample explication
The Use of Conventional Metaphors for Death in John Donne’s
“Death Be Not
Proud” 957
A Sample Student Explication 961
A Reading of Emily Dickinson’s “There’s a certain Slant of
light” 961
Emily Dickinson • THERE’S A CERTAIN SLANT OF LIGHT
961
31. Writing about Drama 965
From Reading to Writing 965
questions for responsive reading and writing 966
Comparison and Contrast 968
32. The Literary Research Paper 973
Choosing a Topic 974
Finding Sources 975
Electronic Sources 975
Evaluating Sources and Taking Notes 976
Developing a Thesis and Organizing the Paper 977
Revising 978
66. Documenting Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism 978
The List of Works Cited 980
Parenthetical References 985
a sample student research paper
How William Faulkner’s Narrator Cultivates a Rose for Emily
986
Glossary of Literary Terms 991
Index of First Lines 1019
Index of Authors and Titles 1023
Index of Terms 1034
This page intentionally left blank
1
THE NATURE OF LITER ATURE
Literature does not lend itself to a single tidy definition because
the mak-
ing of it over the centuries has been as complex, unwieldy, and
natural
as life itself. Is literature everything that has been written, from
ancient
prayers to graffiti? Does it include songs and stories that were
not written
down until many years after they were recited? Does literature
include the
68. lovers, routed despair, and can perhaps . . .
save the world.
— JOHN CHEEVER
2 reading imaginative literature
way: “The whale is a mammiferous animal without hind feet.”
Cuvier’s
description is technically correct, of course, but there is little
wisdom in
it. Melville under stood that the reality of the whale (which he
describes
as the “un graspable phantom of life”) cannot be caught by
isolated facts.
If the full meaning of the whale is to be understood, it must be
sought
on the open sea of experience, where the whale itself is, rather
than in
exclusionary definitions. Facts and definitions are helpful;
however, they
do not always reveal the whole truth.
Despite Melville’s reminder that a definition can be too
limiting and
even comical, it is useful for our purposes to describe literature
as a fiction
consisting of carefully arranged words designed to stir the
imagination.
Stories, poems, and plays are fictional. They are made up —
imagined — even
when based on actual historic events. Such imaginative writing
differs from
other kinds of writing because its purpose is not primarily to
transmit facts
69. or ideas. Imaginative literature is a source more of pleasure than
of infor-
mation, and we read it for basically the same reasons we listen
to music
or view a dance: enjoyment, delight, and satisfaction. Like other
art forms,
imaginative literature offers pleasure and usually attempts to
convey a
perspective, mood, feeling, or experience. Writers transform the
facts the
world provides — people, places, and objects — into
experiences that suggest
meanings.
Consider, for example, the difference between the following
factual
de scription of a snake and a poem on the same subject. Here is
Webster’s
Eleventh New Collegiate Dictionary’s definition:
any of numerous limbless scaled reptiles (suborder Serpentes
syn. Ophidia)
with a long tapering body and with salivary glands often
modified to
produce venom which is injected through grooved or tubular
fangs.
Contrast this matter-of-fact definition with Emily Dickinson’s
poetic
evocation of a snake in “A narrow Fellow in the Grass”:
A narrow Fellow in the Grass
Occasionally rides —
You may have met Him — did you not
His notice sudden is —
The Grass divides as with a Comb — 5
70. A spotted shaft is seen —
And then it closes at your feet
And opens further on —
He likes a Boggy Acre
A floor too cool for Corn — 10
Yet when a Boy, and Barefoot —
I more than once at Noon
Have passed, I thought, a Whip lash
Unbraiding in the Sun
the value of literature 3
When stooping to secure it 15
It wrinkled, and was gone —
Several of Nature’s People
I know, and they know me —
I feel for them a transport
Of cordiality — 20
But never met this Fellow
Attended, or alone
Without a tighter breathing
And Zero at the Bone —
The dictionary provides a succinct, anatomical description of
what
a snake is, while Dickinson’s poem suggests what a snake can
mean. The
defi nition offers facts; the poem offers an experience. The
dictionary
would probably allow someone who had never seen a snake to
71. sketch
one with reasonable accuracy. The poem also provides some
vivid subjec-
tive descriptions — for example, the snake dividing the grass
“as with a
Comb” — yet it offers more than a picture of serpentine
movements. The
poem conveys the ambivalence many people have about snakes
— the
kind of feeling, for example, so evident on the faces of visitors
viewing
the snakes at a zoo. In the poem there is both a fascination with
and a
horror of what might be called snakehood; this combination of
feelings
has been coiled in most of us since Adam and Eve.
A good deal more could be said about the numbing fear that
under-
cuts the affection for nature at the beginning of this poem, but
the point
here is that imaginative literature gives us not so much the full,
fac-
tual proportions of the world as some of its experiences and
meanings.
Instead of de fining the world, literature encourages us to try it
out in our
imaginations.
THE VALUE OF LITER ATURE
Mark Twain once shrewdly observed that a person who chooses
not to
read has no advantage over a person who is unable to read. In
industri-
alized societies today, however, the question is not who reads,
because
nearly everyone can and does, but what is read. Why should
72. anyone
spend precious time with literature when there is so much
reading
material available that provides useful information about
everything
from the daily news to personal computers? Why should a
literary art-
ist’s imagination compete for attention that could be spent on
the firm
realities that constitute everyday life? In fact, national best-
seller lists
much less often include collections of stories, poems, or plays
than
they do cookbooks and, not surprisingly, diet books. Although
such
fare may be filling, it doesn’t stay with you. Most people have
other
appetites too.
4 reading imaginative literature
Certainly one of the most important values of literature is that
it
nourishes our emotional lives. An effective literary work may
seem to
speak directly to us, especially if we are ripe for it. The inner
life that
good writers reveal in their characters often gives us glimpses
of some
portion of ourselves. We can be moved to laugh, cry, tremble,
dream,
ponder, shriek, or rage with a character by simply turning a
page instead
of turning our lives upside down. Although the experience itself
73. is imag-
ined, the emotion is real. That’s why the final chapters of a
good adven-
ture novel can make a reader’s heart race as much as a 100-yard
dash or
why the repressed love of Hester Prynne in The Scarlet Letter
by Nathaniel
Hawthorne is painful to a sympathetic reader. Human emotions
speak a
universal language regardless of when or where a work was
written.
In addition to appealing to our emotions, literature broadens
our
perspectives on the world. Most of the people we meet are
pretty much
like ourselves, and what we can see of the world even in a
lifetime is
astonishingly limited. Literature allows us to move beyond the
inevitable
boundaries of our own lives and culture because it introduces us
to
people different from ourselves, places remote from our
neighborhoods,
and times other than our own. Reading makes us more aware of
life’s
possibilities as well as its subtleties and ambiguities. Put
simply, people
who read literature experience more life and have a keener
sense of a
common human identity than those who do not. It is true, of
course,
that many people go through life without reading imaginative
literature,
but that is a loss rather than a gain. They may find themselves
troubled
by the same kinds of questions that reveal Daisy Buchanan’s
74. restless,
vague discontentment in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby:
“What’ll
we do with ourselves this afternoon?” cried Daisy, “and the day
after
that, and the next thirty years?”
Sometimes students mistakenly associate literature more with
school
than with life. Accustomed to reading it in order to write a
paper or pass
an examination, students may perceive such reading as a chore
instead of
a pleasurable opportunity, something considerably less
important than
studying for the “practical” courses that prepare them for a
career. The
study of literature, however, is also practical because it engages
you in
the kinds of problem solving important in a variety of fields,
from phi-
losophy to science and technology. The interpretation of literary
texts
requires you to deal with uncertainties, value judgments, and
emotions;
these are unavoidable aspects of life.
People who make the most significant contributions to their
profes-
sions — whether in business, engineering, teaching, or some
other area —
tend to be challenged rather than threatened by multiple
possibilities.
Instead of retreating to the way things have always been done,
they bring
freshness and creativity to their work. F. Scott Fitzgerald once
astutely
described the “test of a first-rate intelligence” as “the ability to
75. hold two
opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the
ability
to function.” People with such intelligence know how to read
situations,
the changing literary canon 5
shape questions, interpret details, and evaluate competing points
of view.
Equipped with a healthy respect for facts, they also understand
the value
of pursuing hunches and exercising their imaginations. Reading
literature
encourages a suppleness of mind that is helpful in any
discipline or work.
Once the requirements for your degree are completed, what
ultimately
matters are not the courses listed on your transcript but the
sensibili-
ties and habits of mind that you bring to your work, friends,
family, and,
indeed, the rest of your life. A healthy economy changes and
grows with
the times; people do too if they are prepared for more than
simply filling a
job description. The range and variety of life that literature
affords can help
you to interpret your own experiences and the world in which
you live.
To discover the insights that literature reveals requires careful
reading and sensitivity. One of the purposes of a college
introduction
to literature class is to cultivate the analytic skills necessary for
76. reading
well. Class discussions often help establish a dialogue with a
work that
perhaps otherwise would not speak to you. Analytic skills can
also be
developed by writing about what you read. Writing is an
effective means
of clarifying your responses and ideas because it requires you to
account
for the author’s use of language as well as your own. This book
is based
on two premises: that reading literature is pleasurable and that
reading
and understanding a work sensitively by thinking, talking, or
writing
about it increases the pleasure of the experience of it.
Understanding its basic elements — such as point of view,
symbol,
theme, tone, irony, and so on — is a prerequisite to an informed
appre-
ciation of literature. This kind of understanding allows you to
perceive
more in a literary work in much the same way that a spectator at
a ten-
nis match sees more if he or she understands the rules and
conventions
of the game. But literature is not simply a spectator sport. The
analytic
skills that open up literature also have their uses when you
watch a tele-
vision program or film and, more important, when you attempt
to sort
out the significance of the people, places, and events that
constitute
your own life. Literature enhances and sharpens your
perceptions. What
77. could be more lastingly practical as well as satisfying?
THE CHANGING LITER ARY CANON
Perhaps the best reading creates some kind of change in us: We
see more
clearly; we’re alert to nuances; we ask questions that previously
didn’t
occur to us. Henry David Thoreau had that sort of reading in
mind when
he remarked in Walden that the books he valued most were
those that
caused him to date “a new era in his life from the reading.”
Readers are
sometimes changed by literature, but it is also worth noting that
the life
of a literary work can also be affected by its readers. Melville’s
Moby-Dick,
for example, was not valued as a classic until the 1920s, when
critics res-
cued the novel from the obscurity of being cataloged in many
libraries
6 reading imaginative literature
(including Yale’s) not under fiction but under cetology, the
study of
whales. In deed, many writers contemporary to Melville who
were impor-
tant and popular in the nineteenth century — William Cullen
Bryant,
Henry Wads worth Longfellow, and James Russell Lowell, to
name a
few — are now mostly unread; their names appear more often
on elemen-
78. tary schools built early in this century than in anthologies.
Clearly, liter-
ary reputations and what is valued as great literature change
over time
and in the eyes of readers.
Such changes have steadily accelerated as the literary canon —
those
works considered by scholars, critics, and teachers to be the
most impor-
tant to read and study — has undergone a significant series of
shifts.
Writers who previously were overlooked, undervalued,
neglected, or stu-
diously ignored have been brought into focus in an effort to
create a more
diverse literary canon, one that recognizes the contributions of
the many
cultures that make up American society. Since the 1960s, for
example,
some critics have reassessed writings by women who had been
left out of
the standard literary traditions dominated by male writers. Many
more
female writers are now read alongside the male writers who
traditionally
populated literary history. Hence, a reader of Mark Twain and
Stephen
Crane is now just as likely to encounter Kate Chopin in a
literary anthol-
ogy. Until fairly recently, Chopin was mostly regarded as a
minor local
colorist of Louisiana life. In the 1960s, however, the feminist
movement
helped to establish her present reputation as a significant voice
in Ameri-
can literature owing to the feminist concerns so compellingly
79. artic ulated
by her female characters. This kind of enlargement of the canon
also
resulted from another reform movement of the 1960s. The civil
rights
movement sensitized literary critics to the political, moral, and
aesthetic
necessity of rediscovering African American literature, and
more recently
Asian and Hispanic writers have been making their way into the
canon.
Moreover, on a broader scale the canon is being revised and
enlarged to
include the works of writers from parts of the world other than
the West,
a development that reflects the changing values, concerns, and
complexi-
ties of recent decades, when literary landscapes have shifted as
dramati-
cally as the political boundaries of much of the world.
No semester’s reading list — or anthology — can adequately or
accurately
echo all the new voices competing to be heard as part of the
mainstream
literary canon, but recent efforts to open up the canon attempt
to sensi-
tize readers to the voices of women, minorities, and writers
from all over
the world. This development has not occurred without its urgent
advo-
cates or passionate dissenters. It’s no surprise that issues about
race, gen-
der, and class often get people off the fence and on their feet.
Al though
what we regard as literature — whether it’s called great, classic,
80. or canoni-
cal — continues to generate debate, there is no question that
such con-
troversy will continue to reflect readers’ values as well as the
writers they
admire.
F I C T I O N
This page intentionally left blank
9
1. Reading Fiction 11
2. Plot 44
3. Character 64
4. Setting 115
5. Point of View 135
6. Symbolism 178
7. Theme 199
8. Style, Tone, and Irony 223
The Elements
81. of Fiction
9
This page intentionally left blank
READING FICT ION RESPONSIVELY
Reading a literary work responsively can be an intensely
demanding
activity. Henry David Thoreau — about as intense and
demanding a
reader and writer as they come — insists that “books must be
read as
deliberately and reservedly as they were written.” Thoreau is
right about
the necessity for a conscious, sustained involvement with a
literary work.
Imaginative literature does demand more from us than, say,
browsing
through People magazine in a dentist’s waiting room, but
Thoreau makes
the process sound a little more daunting than it really is. For
when we
respond to the demands of responsive reading, our efforts are
usually
rewarded with pleasure as well as understanding. Careful,
deliberate
reading — the kind that engages a reader’s imagination as it
calls forth
the writer’s — is a means of exploration that can take a reader
outside
whatever circumstance or experience previously defi ned his or
83. ticular ways, the more likely we are to be imaginatively
engaged in our
reading.
In a very real sense both the reader and the author create the
liter-
ary work. How a reader responds to a story, poem, or play will
help to
determine its meaning. The author arranges the various elements
that
constitute his or her craft — elements such as plot, character,
setting,
point of view, symbolism, theme, and style, which you will be
examin-
ing in subsequent chapters — but the author cannot completely
control
the reader’s response any more than a person can absolutely
predict
how a remark or action will be received by a stranger, a friend,
or even
a family member. Few authors tell readers how to respond. Our
sympa-
thy, anger, confusion, laughter, sadness, or whatever the feeling
might
be is left up to us to experience. Writers may have the talent to
evoke
such feelings, but they don’t have the power and authority to
enforce
them. Because of the range of possible responses produced by
imagina-
tive literature, there is no single, correct, defi nitive response or
inter-
pretation. There can be readings that are wrongheaded or
foolish, and
some readings are better than others — that is, more responsive
to a work’s
details and more persuasive — but that doesn’t mean there is
84. only one possible
reading of a work.
Experience tells us that different people respond differently to
the
same work. Consider, for example, how often you’ve heard
Melville’s
Moby-Dick described as one of the greatest American novels.
This, how-
ever, is how a reviewer in New Monthly Magazine described the
book when
it was published in 1851: It is “a huge dose of hyperbolical
slang, maudlin
sentimentalism and tragic-comic bubble and squeak.” Melville
surely did
not intend or desire this response; but there it is, and it was not
a singu-
lar, isolated reaction. This reading — like any reading — was
infl uenced by
the values, assumptions, and expectations that the readers
brought to
the novel from both previous readings and life experiences. The
reviewer’s
refusal to take the book seriously may have caused him to miss
the boat
from the perspective of many other readers of Moby-Dick, but it
indicates
that even “classics” (perhaps especially those kinds of works)
can generate
disparate readings.
Consider the following brief story by Kate Cho-
pin, a writer whose fi ction (like Melville’s) sometimes
met with indifference or hostility in her own time.
As you read, keep track of your responses to the cen-
tral character, Mrs. Mallard. Write down your feelings about her
in a
substantial paragraph when you fi nish the story. Think, for
85. example,
about how you respond to the emotions she expresses
concerning news
of her husband’s death. What do you think of her feelings about
mar-
riage? Do you think you would react the way she does under
similar
circumstances?
WEB Explore contexts
for Kate Chopin and
approaches to this story
at bedfordstmartins.com/
rewritinglit.
chopin / the story of an hour 13
Kate Chopin (1851–1904)
The Story of an Hour 1894
Knowing that Mrs. Mallard was affl icted with a heart
trouble, great care was taken to break to her as gently as
possible the news of her husband’s death.
It was her sister Josephine who told her, in broken
sentences; veiled hints that revealed in half concealing.
Her husband’s friend Richards was there, too, near her.
It was he who had been in the newspaper offi ce when
intelligence of the railroad disaster was received, with
Brently Mallard’s name leading the list of “killed.” He had only
taken
the time to assure himself of its truth by a second telegram, and
had
hastened to forestall any less careful, less tender friend in
86. bearing the
sad message.
She did not hear the story as many women have heard the same,
with a paralyzed inability to accept its signifi cance. She wept
at once,
with sudden, wild abandonment, in her sister’s arms. When the
storm of
grief had spent itself she went away to her room alone. She
would have
no one follow her.
There stood, facing the open window, a comfortable, roomy
arm-
chair. Into this she sank, pressed down by a physical exhaustion
that
haunted her body and seemed to reach into her soul.
She could see in the open square before her house the tops of
trees
that were all aquiver with the new spring life. The delicious
breath of
rain was in the air. In the street below a peddler was crying his
wares. The
notes of a distant song which some one was singing reached her
faintly,
and countless sparrows were twittering in the eaves.
There were patches of blue sky showing here and there through
the
clouds that had met and piled one above the other in the west
facing her
window.
She sat with her head thrown back upon the cushion of the
chair,
quite motionless, except when a sob came up into her throat and
shook
her, as a child who has cried itself to sleep continues to sob in
its dreams.
She was young, with a fair, calm face, whose lines bespoke
87. repression
and even a certain strength. But now there was a dull stare in
her eyes,
whose gaze was fi xed away off yonder on one of those patches
of blue
sky. It was not a glance of refl ection, but rather indicated a
suspension of
intelligent thought.
There was something coming to her and she was waiting for it,
fearfully. What was it? She did not know; it was too subtle and
elusive
to name. But she felt it, creeping out of the sky, reaching
toward her
through the sounds, the scents, the color that fi lled the air.
Now her bosom rose and fell tumultuously. She was beginning
to
recognize this thing that was approaching to possess her, and
she was
5
10
14 reading fiction
striving to beat it back with her will — as powerless as her two
white slen-
der hands would have been.
When she abandoned herself a little whispered word escaped
her
slightly parted lips. She said it over and over under her breath:
“free,
free, free!” The vacant stare and the look of terror that had
followed it
88. went from her eyes. They stayed keen and bright. Her pulses
beat fast,
and the coursing blood warmed and relaxed every inch of her
body.
She did not stop to ask if it were or were not a monstrous joy
that
held her. A clear and exalted perception enabled her to dismiss
the sug-
gestion as trivial.
She knew that she would weep again when she saw the kind,
tender
hands folded in death; the face that had never looked save with
love upon
her, fi xed and gray and dead. But she saw beyond that bitter
moment a
long procession of years to come that would belong to her
absolutely.
And she opened and spread her arms out to them in welcome.
There would be no one to live for her during those coming
years; she
would live for herself. There would be no powerful will bending
hers in
that blind persistence with which men and women believe they
have a
right to impose a private will upon a fellow-creature. A kind
intention or
a cruel intention made the act seem no less a crime as she
looked upon it
in that brief moment of illumination.
And yet she had loved him — sometimes. Often she had not.
What
did it matter! What could love, the unsolved mystery, count for
in face
of this possession of self-assertion which she suddenly
recognized as the
strongest impulse of her being!
89. “Free! Body and soul free!” she kept whispering.
Josephine was kneeling before the closed door with her lips to
the
keyhole, imploring for admission. “Louise, open the door! I
beg; open
the door — you will make yourself ill. What are you doing,
Louise? For
heaven’s sake open the door.”
“Go away. I am not making myself ill.” No; she was drinking
in a
very elixir of life through that open window.
Her fancy was running riot along those days ahead of her.
Spring
days, and summer days, and all sorts of days that would be her
own. She
breathed a quick prayer that life might be long. It was only
yesterday she
had thought with a shudder that life might be long.
She arose at length and opened the door to her sister’s
importunities.
There was a feverish triumph in her eyes, and she carried
herself unwit-
tingly like a goddess of Victory. She clasped her sister’s waist,
and together
they descended the stairs. Richards stood waiting for them at
the bottom.
Some one was opening the front door with a latchkey. It was
Brently
Mallard who entered, a little travel-stained, composedly
carrying his grip-
sack and umbrella. He had been far from the scene of accident,
and did
not even know there had been one. He stood amazed at
Josephine’s pierc-
ing cry; at Richards’ quick motion to screen him from the view
of his wife.
90. But Richards was too late.
15
20
chopin / the story of an hour 15
When the doctors came they said she had died of heart disease
— of
joy that kills.
A SAMPLE CLOSE READING
An Annotated Section of “The Story of an Hour”
Even as you read a story for the fi rst time, you can highlight
passages,
circle or underline words, and write responses in the margins.
Subse-
quent readings will yield more insights once you begin to
understand
how various elements such as plot, characterization, and
wording build
toward the conclusion and what you perceive to be the story’s
central
ideas. The following annotations for the fi rst eleven paragraphs
of “The
Story of an Hour” provide a perspective written by someone
who had
read the work several times. Your own approach might, of
course, be
quite different — as the sample paper that follows the annotated
passage
amply demonstrates.
91. Kate Chopin (1851–1904)
The Story of an Hour 1894
Knowing that Mrs. Mallard was affl icted with a heart
trouble, great care was taken to break to her as gently as
possible the news of her husband’s death.
It was her sister Josephine who told her, in broken
sentences; veiled hints that revealed in half concealing.
Her husband’s friend Richards was there, too, near her.
It was he who had been in the newspaper offi ce when
intelligence of the railroad disaster was received, with
Brently Mallard’s name leading the list of “killed.” He
had only taken the time to assure himself of its truth by
a second telegram, and had hastened to forestall any less
careful, less tender friend in bearing the sad message.
She did not hear the story as many women have
heard the same, with a paralyzed inability to accept its
signifi cance. She wept at once, with sudden, wild aban-
donment, in her sister’s arms. When the storm of grief
had spent itself she went away to her room alone. She
would have no one follow her.
There stood, facing the open window, a comfort-
able, roomy armchair. Into this she sank, pressed down
by a physical exhaustion that haunted her body and
seemed to reach into her soul.
The title could point
to the brevity of the
story — only 23 short
paragraphs — or to
the decisive nature
of what happens in
a very short period
of time. Or both.
92. Mrs. Mallard’s fi rst
name (Louise) is
not given until para-
graph 17, yet her
sister Josephine is
named immediately.
This emphasizes
Mrs. Mallard’s
married identity.
Given the nature of
the cause of Mrs.
Mallard’s death
at the story’s end,
it’s worth noting
the ambiguous
description that she
“was affl icted with
a heart trouble.” Is
this one of Chopin’s
(rather than Jose-
phine’s) “veiled
hints”?
When Mrs. Mallard
weeps with “wild
abandonment,”
the reader is again
confronted with
an ambiguous
phrase: she grieves
in an overwhelming
manner yet seems
to express relief at
being abandoned by
93. Brently’s death.
16 reading fiction
She could see in the open square before her house the
tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life.
The delicious breath of rain was in the air. In the street
below a peddler was crying his wares. The notes of a dis-
tant song which some one was singing reached her faintly,
and countless sparrows were twittering in the eaves.
There were patches of blue sky showing here and
there through the clouds that had met and piled one
above the other in the west facing her window.
She sat with her head thrown back upon the cush-
ion of the chair, quite motionless, except when a sob
came up into her throat and shook her, as a child who
has cried itself to sleep continues to sob in its dreams.
She was young, with a fair, calm face, whose lines
bespoke repression and even a certain strength. But now
there was a dull stare in her eyes, whose gaze was fi xed
away off yonder on one of those patches of blue sky. It
was not a glance of refl ection, but rather indicated a sus-
pension of intelligent thought.
There was something coming to her and she was
waiting for it, fearfully. What was it? She did not know;
it was too subtle and elusive to name. But she felt it,
creeping out of the sky, reaching toward her through the
sounds, the scents, the color that fi lled the air.
Now her bosom rose and fell tumultuously. She was
beginning to recognize this thing that was approaching
to possess her, and she was striving to beat it back with
her will — as powerless as her two white slender hands
would have been.
When she abandoned herself a little whispered word
94. escaped her slightly parted lips. She said it over and over
under her breath: “free, free, free!” The vacant stare and
the look of terror that had followed it went from her
eyes. They stayed keen and bright. Her pulses beat fast,
and the coursing blood warmed and relaxed every inch
of her body. . . .
Do you fi nd Mrs. Mallard a sympathetic character? Some
readers think
that she is callous, selfi sh, and unnatural — even monstrous —
because
she ecstatically revels in her newly discovered sense of freedom
so soon
after learning of her husband’s presumed death. Others read her
as
a victim of her inability to control her own life in a repressive,
male-
dominated society. Is it possible to hold both views
simultaneously, or
are they mutually exclusive? Are your views in any way infl
uenced by
your being male or female? Does your age affect your
perception? What
These 3 paragraphs
create an increas-
ingly “open”
atmosphere that
leads to the
“delicious” outside
where there are
inviting sounds
and “patches of
blue sky.” There’s
a defi nite tension
between the inside
95. and outside worlds.
Though still stunned
by grief, Mrs.
Mallard begins to
feel a change come
over her owing
to her growing
awareness of a world
outside her room.
What that change
is remains “too
subtle and elusive to
name.”
Mrs. Mallard’s
confl icted struggle
is described in pas-
sionate, physical
terms as if she is
“possess[ed]”
by a lover she is
“powerless” to
resist.
Once she has “aban-
doned” herself (see
the “abandonment”
in paragraph 3),
the reader realizes
that her love is to
be “free, free, free.”
Her recognition
is evident in the
“coursing blood
96. [that] warmed and
relaxed every inch of
her body.”
5
10
Brought to you by LibraryPirate...
chopin / the story of an hour 17
about your social and economic background? Does your
nationality,
race, or religion in any way shape your attitudes? Do you have
particular
views about the institution of marriage that inform your
assessment of
Mrs. Mallard’s character? Have other reading experiences —
perhaps a
familiarity with some of Chopin’s other stories — predisposed
you one
way or another to Mrs. Mallard?
Understanding potential infl uences might be useful in
determin-
ing whether a particular response to Mrs. Mallard is based
primarily on
the story’s details and their arrangement or on an overt or a
subtle bias
that is brought to the story. If you unconsciously project your
beliefs
and assumptions onto a literary work, you run the risk of
distorting it
to accommodate your prejudice. Your feelings can be a reliable
guide
97. to interpretation, but you should be aware of what those feelings
are
based on.
Often specifi c questions about literary works cannot be
answered
defi nitively. For example, Chopin does not explain why Mrs.
Mallard
suffers a heart attack at the end of this story. Is the shock of
seeing
her “dead” husband simply too much for this woman “affl icted
with a
heart trouble”? Does she die of what the doctors call a “joy that
kills”
because she is so glad to see her husband? Is she so profoundly
guilty
about feeling “free” at her husband’s expense that she has a
heart
attack? Is her death a kind of willed suicide in reaction to her
loss
of freedom? Your answers to these questions will depend on
which
details you emphasize in your interpretation of the story and the
kinds of perspectives and values you bring to it. If, for example,
you
read the story from a feminist perspective, you would be likely
to pay
close attention to Chopin’s comments about marriage in
paragraph
14. Or if you read the story as an oblique attack on the
insensitivity of
physicians of the period, you might want to fi nd out whether
Chopin
WEB
more help with
98. close reading
Close readings of Kate Chopin’s
“The Story of an Hour,” Nathaniel
Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman
Brown,” and Jamaica Kincaid’s “Girl”
are available at Re:Writing for Litera-
ture (www.bedfordstmartins.com/
rewritinglit). Each story is annotated
with critical interpretations and
explanations of the literary elements
at work.
www.bedfordstmartins.com/rewritinglit
www.bedfordstmartins.com/rewritinglit
18 reading fiction
wrote elsewhere about doctors (she did) and compare her
comments
with historic sources.
Reading responsively makes you an active participant in the
pro-
cess of creating meaning in a literary work. The experience that
you and
the author create will most likely not be identical to another
reader’s
encounter with the same work, but then that’s true of nearly any
experi-
ence you’ll have, and it is part of the pleasure of reading.
Indeed, talking
and writing about literature is a way of sharing responses so
that they
can be enriched and deepened.
A SAMPLE STUDENT PAPER