Religion and Practitioner Change Care Essay

Will the expectation of care vary based on the faith base of the patient involved? How can the practitioner change care practice based on the faith of the patient? Give an example MacKinlay (2006) as cited by Barber (2012) suggest that religion is an organized system of beliefs, practices, and rituals designed to facilitate closeness to the sacred through the understanding of one’s relationship and responsibility to others living together in a community. Therefore, in performing our duties as healthcare providers, we encounter patients of different faith and religious background. In my opinion, I do think that the expectation of care should vary based on the faith of the patient. Health care practitioners should plan their care with special consideration to patients’ spiritual or religious rituals because it is important to involved the patients, families, and caregivers in their plan of care. Also, it will increase patient compliance with their medical care. For example, in the facility where I work, every new admission has to fill out their religious beliefs this will enable the facility make adequate provision to accommodate them. On the average we have two major groups of believers: the Muslims and the Christians. For the Muslim patients we incorporate their plan of care into their Ramadan activities in such a way that they get all their treatment and medications before the start of fasting; we also respect their prayer time. Also, female nursing/medical team care for the female patients since Muslim women prefers female provider because they are more comfortable with them. As for the Christians, they usually have their church programs every Wednesdays and Sundays and as such we plan their care in such a way that it does not interfere with their prayer times or church activities. Reference Barber, C. (2012). Spirituality and religion: a brief definition. British Journal of Healthcare Assistants, 6(8), 378-381.

Does Khaled Hosseini’s Writing Matter?

Kevin Ortiz Ms. Meredith AP Literature and Composition 11/18/11 Does Khaled Hosseini's Writing Matter? Salman Rushdie is perhaps the most prolific foreign writer of modern times. As such, one can consider him a major voice in the criteria for what makes for a good expatriated writer. In his 1992 collection of essays, Imaginary Homelands, Rushdie sets forth multiple essential qualities the expatriated writer must possess. The most important three of these qualities are the ability to create universal subjects, must be daring, and encourage people to be open-minded. Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner mostly accomplishes these tasks, though coming short in one of Rushdie's major qualities. This is shown from the novel's subject matter, in conjunction with an article from online magazine Slate, which highlights the major flaw. Rushdie's first point is that an exiled writer should be able to â€Å"speak properly on a subject of universal significance and appeal. † Hosseini, in his many subjects pertaining to human nature that is present everywhere, accomplishes this task. One such topic in Kite Runner is loss. At some point or another, every human being has experienced loss. Whether it be the loss of a parent, like Amir losing Baba, the loss of a close friend, such as Amir's loss of Hassan, or loss early in life such as Sohrab's loss of Sanuabar, the reader can relate, regardless of race, place, or creed. The losses do not necessarily have to be physical, as the loss of innocence that occurs in the father-son tandem of Hassan and Sohrab is transferable to the everyday struggles one may face with beliefs, experience, or emotions. The easily acceptable nature of these topics as realities of the â€Å"normal† world, as well as being a clear burden on the characters in the universe set forth by Hosseini show that he is definitively able to accomplish the task of relating loss. Another such subject is that of redemption. Throughout the novel, Amir's conquest for the reconciliation of his deeds knows no bounds. This is very much the situation many people are in after a terrible mistake leaves them begging not only for forgiveness, but redemption. The people who are in these situations will often go to great lengths, risking their mental or physical well-beings in order to rest their conscience at the end of their journeys. For Amir, it meant the rescue of Sohrab, but for the common man, it can be as small as apologizing or as large as turning to an enemy in order for help. The ability of the themes, though being masterfully complex and unique, to be related to and associated with on a deep, connective level are clear indications that Hosseini has fulfilled the first task set out by Rushdie, to create universal subject matter. While performing extremely well in the area of creating a universally relatable subject matter, Hosseini falls short in one of the major tasks of Rushdie, being daring. While some may argue that Hosseini's depictions of rape and violence are edgy or daring, his presentation of them, is not. In fact, Slate argues that â€Å"the Hollywood elements of his story conduce to a view of Afghanistan and its dilemmas that is in the end more riddled with facile moralizing than even the author may realize. † The argument set forth by Slate's Meghan O'Rourke is that though Hosseini's novel does depict these brutal scenes, they are moralized. They are painted in a light where they are seemingly not allegorical or necessary, but simple tools for shock value or fear induction. It is because of this shortcoming, that he is firstly failing the task set forth by Rushdie, in being daring. He once more fails this task in the choice of writing style. Because Hosseini chose to write a book deeply engraved with Afghan culture, which is already a fine line for an English novel, one would hope that he would take the risk of writing with a style that mirrors the roots of the storyline. Instead, Hosseini chooses a cinematic approach, which mirrors that of American film, and American culture, which is a safe approach to the subject matter. He is not reflecting the risk that comes with changing between cultures for expatriates, therefore is not fulfilling the task set forth by Rushdie. Though Hosseini is able to mostly fill the requirements for what Rushdie defines as a great expatriated writer, the biggest flaw comes in his inability to take risks in his prose that reflect the risks taken by the exiles who preceded him. Though he does have flaws, the final task set forth by Rushdie, making the reader open-minded, is easily fulfilled by Hosseini and his subject matter. Hosseini’s use of the Hazara-Pashtun conflict is effective in that it creates a more in-depth look at how a place many generalize as having one ethnicity is actually diverse, but not without conflict. The conflict also humanizes both parties in showing that although societal standards separate them, Hazaras and Pashtuns are not always treated as less than equals. This concept works to make the reader aware that every Muslim that they may see, be it in America, France, or England, is more than simply a â€Å"potential terrorist,† but as many individuals with complex emotions and conflict, trying to create a new life. In addition, Assef’s introduction into the story further humanizes the Afghans. This is because, the concept of the Middle-Eastern groups bullying the world, the Afghan people are having their country destroyed by Assef, who is a neo-Nazi. His socially and morally despicable actions lead the reader to feel a sense of sympathy for the Afghan people. It is due to this feeling of sympathy that the standard Afghan is looked at as not only a human being, but an equal, with fears and oppression as great as that of a man from America to Japan. These two forms of humanization lead the reader to not only become more accepting of Afghan people, but all new people in general, showing that they could be as troubled and frightened as the person judging them. When judging an expatriated writer’s work, one often needs a guideline, or â€Å"measuring stick,† in order to truly gauge the significance of the writing. Salman Rushdie’s qualifications of the expatriated writer are extremely important in that they set that guideline for what an exiled writer should hope to achieve. Though Slate, and the reader, may find some fault with Hosseini’s novel, The Kite Runner’s ability to take risks, an amazing job is done at filling two massively important pieces of Rushdie’s philosophy in its universal appeal and ability to open one’s minds. In doing so, the clear answer to the titular question of this essay, â€Å"Does Khaled Hosseini’s Writing Matter? † is yes. Works Cited: Hosseini, Khaled. The Kite Runner. New York: Riverhead, 2003. Print. ORourke, Meghan. â€Å"Do I Really Have To Read The Kite Runner?. † Slate, 07/25/2005. Slate Magazine. Web. 20 Nov 2011. Rushdie, Salman. â€Å"Imaginary Homelands. † London Review of Books 4. 18 (1982): 18-19. 21 Nov. 2011 .

Psychological Effects on Subprime Mortgage Crisis Essay

The day of owning a home was a wonderful experience that Janet Wilson discovered after closing on her first home. She’s a single mother with two sons and when her loan officer explained that her mortgage loan would be approve and she felt her dream of homeownership will be reality. The closing costs were at a minimum due to the loan officer explained it would be an easy closing with low out of pocket costs. Janet worked for a healthcare organization for several years and was able to save enough money to buy needed furniture for her home. Janet enjoyed her new home and finally felt the independence and accomplishment in her life. At 45 years old, she waited a long time witnessing others in her family and friends reaching that goal of homeownership. Janet desperately wanted to reach that goal as well as experience the feeling of obtaining the American dream. In three years of homeownership she was able to pay her mortgage with no problem and was able to start to re-decorate her home. Her boys loved the neighborhood and had developed close friends their age. Ms.  Wilson forgot all her about her closing until one day she received in the mail a letter from her mortgage company that her interest rate is being increased. Janet saw her new adjusted mortgage payment and she almost fainted with disbelief. She was extremely concern of why she wasn’t informed of this possibility from her loan officer at the initial closing. Janet called the mortgage company and they showed no compassion that made the ordeal even more stressful. Janet did not know what to do and the fear of losing her dream home and not having a roof over her son’s head made the situation completely worse. After a couple of months passed with the increased mortgage payment in effect, Janet was unable to make the mortgage payment so then a barrage of letters was received about a pending planned foreclosure. Janet could not work, sleep, or eat due to the enormous stress about the horrible thought of having no place to live and becoming homeless. The thought of losing her home and turning her life upside down with the automatic backlash on her credit score brought psychological effects to her mentality. She knew it would be harder to get another residence to live with bad credit score and with her limited amount of income. According to Steve Berger’s article; â€Å"Legislators presiding over the subprime crisis hearings should look in the mirror and pose a few hard questions before assigning all blame to â€Å"predatory† lenders and mortgage brokers (Berger, 2007). Ms. Wilson experience was the fundamentals of many other in the mortgage meltdown. With limited regulations in place when Ms. Wilson took out the mortgage loan, the predatory lenders gain an opportunity to make money on the backs of someone else dream. There a great deal of pundits stating that many are to blame and that nearly three out of every four subprime mortgages originated by brokers were either fraudulent or misleading tactics used to trick borrowers and lenders (Bitner, 2008). In the meantime, Janet Wilson is facing foreclosure and in a difficult position to choosing what to do in her stressful crisis. She is torn between trying to save her home with a tight budget or to walk away due to the limited availability – to avoid paying the increased mortgage payment. Janet is listening to every news update on the government attempt to assist homeowners in the mortgage crisis as the investors were assisted. In addition, to the rise of foreclosures across the country similar to the situations like Janet Wilson, the financial industry must and will change in order to bring the United States economy back on track (Lee, 2003). In the meantime, the homeowner is stuck not knowing what tomorrow will bring or if their home will be taken away due to misleading practices.

Intergenerational Interview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Intergenerational Interview - Essay Example At this state, the psychological crisis as characterized by Erickson is â€Å"integrity† versus â€Å"despair† (Shaffer & Kipp, 2009). Individuals in this stage are more associated with wisdom. For Erickson, integrity brought out two meanings. The first meaning involves consistency of values, actions, measures, methods, expectations, principles, and outcomes. It entails the ability of an individual to achieve his or her goals. The second meaning is an immanent quality of truthfulness and honesty as the major motivators of an individual’s actions. Despair is as a result of lack of hope (Zastrow & Kirst-Ashman, 2009). On reflecting on her life, Catherine feels like she has achieved enough in terms of taking care of her family. Integrity associated with this stage of life is evident in relation to Catherine when she looks at both her daughters, who are all independent, and feels successful. However, despair steps in when Catherine feels like she failed to do enough to keep her husband alive, even though there was nothing she could do, as she is very lonely. In addition, she feels like she did not make enough financial achievements and that she is going to run out of money, when in real sense she is not poor. One of the most significant developmental life events that Catherine went through was marriage. It is important to note that young adults have a need for establishing loving, intimate relationships with other individuals. The success of her marriage was highly important in her young and middle adulthood as she built a strong relationship with her husband and children. This is evident in her loneliness and her memories of her husband who died. Also, the distance of her daughters has increased her level of loneliness as they have established their families and live independently. However, the presence of her grandchildren has enabled her to establish new

Korean history.President Pak Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Korean history.President Pak - Essay Example Despite the fact that the economy of the country experienced a significant growth during this period, the members of the public were subjected to allot of unjust treatments. For business people to do well in business, corruption was the order of the day. The government usually protected the business people in return for their payments. The government also made sure that the cost of labor remained low. With cheap labor, the Korean industry was able to export products cheaply, thus their good performance in the international markets during this period. The interesting bit about this regime is the fact that despite there being a lot of corrupt practices, the country’s economic experienced a significant growth. The main argument, in this case, is that being a host of the Olympics had both positive and negative effects. Most of the people of Korea would have expected a little bit democratic handling of the situation. This is intensified by the fact that the new regime had already given the people the impression that they would make sure that the injustices that they were subjected to during the previous regime would be a part of history that they will not go to at that moment. It can be understood that they wanted to give a good impression of the state of the country and the progress that it had made since the new regime took over. This would lead to the question: why did the government have to make the visitors comfortable at the expense of the local people?

The use of Derivatives markets and products by a company Essay

The use of Derivatives markets and products by a company - Essay Example Derivatives serve as ideal substitutes for complex investment strategies at a minimal cost. (Haugh and Lo 2001) Firms using derivatives have lesser risk exposure than which do not use.(Hentschel and Kothari, 2001) The banks who have used interest rate derivatives have shown higher growth in lending than those banks who do not use derivatives. (Brewer, Minton, and Moser 2000) From Micro-economic point of view, derivatives in different forms have the following functions. Swaps: These are mostly OTC contracts having longer period than options and futures and serve the purpose of meeting needs single client of a Bank or any institution. They afford firms to have new investment opportunities to hedge against any risks in currency rates, interest rates, and credit default etc. It is the periodical payments that represent the risks undertaken by these contracts and not their notional value. Futures: These are capable of increasing market efficiency and liquidity. Depending on national and international laws, this type of derivatives display very high transparency and are used to hedge and speculate in financial and commodity segments. Options: These are similar to futures but do not reflect clearly the underlying assets and do not give unique empirical results unlike options. The notional value does not represent the risk undertaken but the premium paid for opening and closing signify the extent of investment. Repos: These are unique to inter-banking transactions between RCB and European inter-bank system and are meant for finance liquidity rather than to hedge or speculate. The use of derivatives by a company is proposed to be demonstrated in this paper by the example of Glaxo Smithkline (GSK), world's one of the largest pharmaceutical giants. GSK uses derivatives among various finance instruments to finance its operations and manage market risks. The company's derivatives are mainly foreign currency contracts, interest rates and currency swaps. It uses them for swapping of its borrowings and liquid assets into currencies needed for the entire group of the plc. It uses derivatives to guard against changes in foreign exchange currency rates and interest rates. The derivatives are not used for speculation but only used to hedge against its own risks stemming from targeted business operations. It neither issues nor holds derivative financial instruments for trading purposes as a company policy. They are initially shown at cost in the Balance Sheet and revalued subsequently on the relevant reporting dates at fair value. The ones that are treated as hedges are designated as fair value hedges, cash flow hedges or net investment hedges. Changes in fair value of derivatives designated as fair value hedges are shown in the income s tatement with corresponding entries in the hedged asset or liability. Those designated as cash flow hedges are reflected in equity to the extent they are effective. The remaining portion that is not effective is reflected in profit and loss account at the same time. Those deferred in equity are later taken to income statement when the hedged asset results in

COMPARATIVE BUSINESS ETHICS AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY Essay

COMPARATIVE BUSINESS ETHICS AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY - Essay Example Many companies across the globe have attempted to adapt their social responsiveness and the way they relate to varied social responsibilities (Windsor, 2006, p. 95). Macdonald is one of the companies that have made significant efforts of adopting business ethics and corporate social responsibility in order to achieve competitive advantage in the global competitive business environment. Although MacDonald Inch have attempted to change their leadership and operational styles through employing effective organisational strategies, the corporate has faced numerous challenges including criticism from the public and also faced legal issues for manufacturing unhealthy foods; thus a failure to conduct business in ethically and socially responsible manner. Company Overview MacDonald Corporation has undergone varied leadership and operational changes since its inception, in 1937. The company has a long standing history and it has built customer loyalty because of its continued dedication to cus tomer services as being reflected in their customer focused approach. The business is among the leading and high competitive global food industries with more than 34, 000 restaurants serving over 70 million customers globally. The company employs unique business strategies of manufacturing what their customers wants; thus their marketing and operation strategies such as being committed in key success areas including cost efficiency, product promotion and product development have enabled the company to sustain their business in the competitive business world. Despite being able to obtain a position as the leader in the competitive food industries, the company has recently faced numerous issues due to managerial failure; thus posing the company into threats of sustaining a competitive advantage in the market. The company is faced with the issues of staying competitive in the fast food industry and the way it can take competitive advantage for varied opportunities available for them; t hus posing threats to effective business performance. Project Aims/ Objectives The aim of the research projects is to critically analyse the significant of comparative business ethics and social responsibility in the MacDonald Company. The objectives of the research include; The project attempts to analyse the significant of conducting business in a socially responsible and an ethical manner in MacDonald Company. To offer detailed analysis of the company in an attempt of employing comparative business ethics and social responsibility as way of achieving business advantage in a competitive business world. To examine or identify problems that has impacted MacDonald Company especially the failure to conduct their business in an ethical and socially responsible manner. To provide effective recommendations vital for enabling the company to continue sustaining their business in the competitive business world. Problem Identification The case for corporate scandals for dealing with manageri al failure has attracted public interest on social responsibility of the corporation towards society. MacDonald Inch is one of the companies that have attracted the government and public interest because of varied scandals especially the issue of manufacturing unhealthy

Written discussions and online discussions Personal Statement

Written discussions and online discussions - Personal Statement Example In the second written discussion, my involvement was in reading the comment on constructivist views of learning and weighing the contents of the post. Although I did not comment to it, my participation was intra-personal wherein I was weighing myself where I stood in the whole of things about skill and challenge and whether I was also getting bored; and if I was, how would I think in terms of rewards or promotions. I was also debating within myself about "enjoying if I reduced my skill" and when do I do that. I guess this means going down to the level of students, but not necessarily reducing my skill. The second point that came to my mind is how "the level of challenges would be increased for teachers." How is that going to happen By administration The post has greatly challenged my thinking. I have been a thinker rather than a talker in most discussions. I don't like speaking in front of many people. I learn the content I learn in class while listening to others verbalizes their ideas. Sometime, it's not clear whether I understand certain content, but after listening to others' personalized examples, it becomes clear. Explain: If there was a 4.5, my degree of enjoyment would be it. First, I cannot afford the face-to-face presence because of some concerns. Second, I don't very much like face-to-face set ups in conversing with other internationals where the language is not mine. c. the degree to which you felt the oral discussions contributed to your learning 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Contributed Contributed Contributed not at all somewhat greatly Explain: The contribution to my learning of oral discussions is only on the level of 4, considering what I had presented earlier. I don't have the luxury of time, and I am not given to mixing in set-ups with oral concerns. Section 2: For the next questions, consider the WRITTEN (bulletin board) discussions: 3. I am interested first in having you describe how you read and understand the written comments. In particular, describe what you typically do in terms of reading comments in a Blackboard discussion. With written discussions, I open to them and read all,

A Perky Way to Productivity Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

A Perky Way to Productivity - Case Study Example Having such an organized work setup gives rise to a culture in the organization that has a great impact on the psychology of the organizational personnel. The importance of employee benefits as a strategic component of fulfilling the goals of human resource management in either of the two companies cannot be overemphasized since employee benefits play a fundamental role in increasing employees’ satisfaction and keeping them motivated to use their optimal potential in the work. Achievement of the workers’ satisfaction is a pre-requisite for the obtainment of the strategic goals of Genentech and Zappos. By providing their employees with benefits, both companies generate this message to their workers that they do not just care for their workers, but they actually possess them. Especially when the benefits extend to include the families of the employees, it creates a dual-action on the employees to keep working in the same company in which, the company’s management a nd the family are the two motivating entities for the employees. Employee retention enables the companies to achieve their strategic goals since every employee that has worked with a company for some while understands the company’s culture and objectives, and the skills of the employee have been customized to the individualistic needs of the company, which is what makes the employee special for the company and a means of attaining its strategic goals. 2. Genentech and Zappos use employee benefits as a motivating tool in a variety of ways. They provide their respective employees with a wide array of benefits that include but are not limited to rewards for longevity, increments, bonuses, provision of free meals both to the workers and their families, free child care, and frequent leaves and vacations. Both companies have a strong organizational culture that places huge emphasis on equality among workers and easy flow of communication across all channels.

Macroeconomic Performance of China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Macroeconomic Performance of China - Essay Example The country's economic progress is visible in terms of all these factors - the huge jump in per capita incomes, the increased scope of activities for non - state sector enterprises, and its closer integration with the global economy. The Chinese economy grew at a healthy rate of 8% in the year 2000. The growth was stimulated by supportive macroeconomic policies, and a favorable external environment. PESTLE Analysis - an Introduction: PESTLE analysis is a useful tool for understanding the "big picture" of the environment, in which you are operating, and the opportunities and threats that lie within it. By understanding the environment in which you operate (external to your company or department), you can take advantage of the opportunities and minimize the threats (RAPIDBI). Specifically the PEST or PESTLE analysis is a useful tool for understanding risks associated with market growth or decline, and as such the position, potential and direction for a business or organization. Political Environment: Political forces influence the legislations and government rules and regulations under which the firm operates. Every company faces political constraints in the form of antitrust laws, fair trade decisions, and tax programs, minimum usage legislations, pollution and pricing policies, administrative activities and many other actions, aimed at protecting the consumers and the local environment. These laws, rules and regulations affect a company's profits. However, there are other political actions such as patent laws, government subsidies and product research grants that support business activities. Thus, political forces influence the organization both positively and negatively. Political activity also influences three additional functions, viz. the supplier function, the customer function and the competitor function. The customer function is influenced by the political activity when government demand for products and services can create, sustain, enhance or eliminate many market opportunities. Economic Environment: Economic factors clearly indicate the nature and direction of the economy in which a firm operates. Every market is unique and consumption patterns change along with the wealth of the consumers in various market segments. For strategic planning all the economic trends at national and international levels have to be considered. Prime interest rates, inflation rates and trends in the growth of the Gross National Product (GNP), general availability of credit, the level of disposable income and the propensity of people to spend are the economic trends that have to be analyzed. The potential economic impact of international forces appeared to be severely restricted and was largely discounted until recently. The focus of economic environmental forecasting was changed by the new international power brokers. The European Economic Community (EEC), the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and coalitions of lesser-developed countries (LDC) are three well known examples of influential international power brokers. Social Environment: The social environment is an important factor as changes in the values, beliefs, attitudes, opinions and lifestyles in society create potential opportunities for an organization. For a company to grow, it is necessary to take advantage of societal

Energy Essay Essay Example for Free

Energy Essay Essay However out of this whole trouble taken from these processes only 30%-35% of the potential energy stored is actually transformed to electricity. And if we sum up the advantages and disadvantages, we see the following: Advantage: Disadvantage: Produces a lot of energy Expensive to build Does not pollute the environment Expensive to maintain 2. Fossil Fuels: Fossil fuels are a type of power that has also caused a lot of controversy, because of the negative effects they have on the environment (e. g. global warming and green-house effect). Fossil fuel actually comes from the remains of Dead Sea animals that died millions of years ago. And actually what happened to them, is that their bones were crushed with each other and pressured by several of the earth piling on top of them until they finally formed fossil fuel but also the heat of the earths core, played a vital factor. The basic energy transformation that takes place in fossil fuel is that the potential energy stored, breaks down through to give heat energy, and that heat energy is transferred to kinetic energy, which drives a steam turbine that will generate electricity. The two very known fossil fuels are coal and oil. However out of this energy transformation process, only 40-45% of the potential energy stored is actually transferred to electricity. And if sum up the advantages and disadvantages, we see the following: Advantage: Disadvantage: Cheap to produce Not good for environment Is not hazardous to peoples health We are running out of them After discussing the non-renewable sources, I am now going to talk about the renewable sources, and to be exact I am going to talk about the following 3 sources: 1. Hydroelectric power: The main energy transformation that takes place in hydroelectric power is that the kinetic energy of the waves, forces generators, which function like a pendulum, swing to vibrate and once they vibrate, they generate electric energy. Out of this small process, the efficiency is only 35% out of the whole energy conversion. But this also however will depend on the wave velocity, because if it is greater, then more kinetic energy will be supplied, if we sum up the advantages and disadvantages, we see the following: Advantage: Disadvantage: Cheap to maintain Expensive to build Delivers a lot of energy. Changes the ecology of the area 2. Solar Power: We can use the power of sun in 2 ways. The first way is by using the sunlight itself into making electrical energy; this is done by the help of photovoltaic cells. And basically what happens is that the sunlight hits the cells which convert these light signals into electrical signals. The second type is done by using the heat of the sun to heat the water which can be used to heat up houses directly or to drive steam turbines which will generate electricity. Also one thing that must be taken into account, in this whole solar power issue. And that thing is the solar constant. The solar constant is the power collected at the top of the atmosphere by a unit area. But basically this can be summed up by saying that it describes the solar radiation, that falls on an area above the atmosphere at a certain angle. This constant, isnt much of a constant because it actually varies on earth with the time of day and year, as well as with the latitude and weather. The maximum values vary between 0. 8 and 1. 0 KW/m2. As for the efficiency of solar power, well it is disappointing to know that it is only 30% of the suns energy is actually transferred to electricity. And if we sum up the advantages and disadvantages, we see the following: Advantage: Disadvantage: Renewable The photovoltaic cells are very fragile Can supply the whole world on its own Useless if used in a place where there is no sun 3. Wind power: A wind generator works by having the blades rotated by the wind, which causes a dynamo (which is like a generator) to spin and then electric energy is produced. The power delivered by a wind generator, varies on the area with the rotor length being the diameter. This is given by the following formula: P=Ek/t And the efficiency of this wind generator is only 25% which is quiet poor really. And of we sum up the advantages and disadvantages, we see the following: Advantage: Disadvantage: Provides all the energy the world needs Expensive to maintain Renewable Rotor blades are extremely fragile After summarising, both renewable and non-renewable sources, it is time for me to chose the best type of energy resources to use for our homes. The energy resources I suggest are more than 1. First of all the energy resources should be renewable, so that we dont have to worry about the environment and peoples health (unlike fossil fuels and nuclear power). The second thing is that this renewable source, should not affect our environment or ecology (which means hydropower is dropped out! ). Also the energy resource should be efficient, so that we can meet our basic demands for energy, (which means that wind energy also drops out! ). After mentioning these three requirements (which seem essential in my own personal view), it is quiet obvious that the only energy source that I am talking about is Solar!. But however to improve this even more, would be if we insulate our homes well and do not waste our energy for no apparent reason(e. g.like leaving the lights of a room turned on, when no one is in the room. And also buying energy saving equipment). Because like I said at the beginning of this essay, without light we will become extinct. And we all know that we dont want to become extinct, so lets do something about it and try and save our planet. 1 U= Uranium N=Neutron X+Y= Elements Z= Number of Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our  GCSE Electricity and Magnetism  section. Download this essay Print Save Not the one?

Cultural hyrbidity Essay Example for Free

Cultural hyrbidity Essay The fusion of cultural and ethnic identities refers to hybridisation. Most people acknowledge that they can be affiliated with an individual culture. Banton (2000) notes that in the contemporary UK ethnicity is becoming increasingly recognised as something everyone has. 1 Common interests or shared values help form and develop cultural attachments (culture, descent, ancestry, religion, languages, food and traditional values) which in turn develops and forges ethnic identities. Migration of ethnic minorities has stirred some of the UKs population into feeling the British national identity is under threat. Hybrid identity can be attributed to the exchange of culture through globalisation. Sheila Patterson (1965) studied first generation migrants in Brixton, London during the 1950s. Her study involved interviews, observation and participant observation with 250 whites and 150 Afro-Caribbeans. Patterson (1965) believes the relationship between hosts and immigrants as not fixed but evolving all the time; Whilst adaption through socialisation and acculturation was difficult for immigrants, the hosts experience was a more passive form of acceptance. 2 Eriksen (2002) points out that no serious scholar today believes that hereditary characteristics explain cultural variations. 3 Patterson (1965) also states the incoming group as a whole adapts itself to permanent membership of the receiving society in certain major spheres notably economic and civil life. 4 Pattersons final stage of adaption is assimilation, where migrants or minority groups achieve complete acceptance in society. Patterson observed that physical amalgamation may lead to distinctive features of migrant groups and that of their hosts to be lost. Patterson found the progress of the West Indian migrants in Britain was limited, there was still opposition to the employment of West Indians by white workers. 5 Nick names and jocular references resulted in conflict. A rise in the number of West Indian landlords and the acceptance of West Indian tenants did however help alleviate housing problems. Racism existed with some shops refusing the custom of ethnic minorities due to the colour of their skin. Social relationships between migrants and hosts existed but only on a casual contact basis. Patterson (1965) noted that some of the West Indians had adopted the British way of life however, there were few inter-racial marriages. Paterson concluded over the next decades in Britain the West Indian migrants and their children will follow in the steps of the Irish and achieve almost complete assimilation into British Society.

Critiquing Cosmetic Progression

Critiquing Cosmetic Progression Part One: About a decade ago, Dove Corporation released a controversial video, which, quite successfully, was able to subliminally banter the modern fashion industrys notorious inclination of distorting physical complexion for increased product marketing. Perhaps even more impressively, they accomplished this in less time than it takes to re-heat a leftover plate of spaghetti. Enter Dove: Evolution. Clocking in at just over a minute in length, this advertisement has achieved widespread appraisal for its unparalleled ability to challenge contemporary plights related to self- esteem (particularly in women) as a result of the constant degrading stimuli being solicited through media outlets. Upon watching this clip myself, I experienced an array of emotions ranging from calm, to apprehension, and even mild bewilderment. As the brief video has no dialogue, the importance of background music is noticeably enforced. At the opening, were presented with soothing classical piano chords, as our female su bject takes a seat before the camera inside of the contextual production studio. Alarmingly, the tempo begins to quicken; introducing heavy pulses of bass rhythm while simultaneously, bright lights are introduced as a means of hastily diminishing the facial blemishes of the woman. Her initially optimistic demeanor begins to steer toward that of a nerve wracked teenager as the videos speed becomes digitally modified cosmetologists bustle about, enhancing her hairstyle at an inhuman pace, while a quick series of bright camera shots catches the viewer off guard with a semi-photo sensitive intensity. Never ceasing in its rapid course, the video transitions to a final still-frame of the physically enhanced woman, at which point an Adobe PhotoShop heads-up display is introduced. Following a painstakingly meticulous series of alterations lip saturation, eye widening, shadow exaggerations, and a neck extension, the camera angle slowly pans outward; causing the viewer to witness a suburban street with our main characters revised complexion strung upon a billboard. A pair of young women, observe this obstruction in passing prior to the screens final fade to black. Subsequently, a credit appears to company, along with a statement concerning warped bodily perceptions. Theres meaning in the text and images here beyond what may be immediately apparent: theres a rhetorical framework and a message that suggests something more significant and complex than what observers may see on a first look. Part Two: Breaking down the advertisement further, it becomes quite apparent that a pathodic appeal to personal emotions is invoked on multiple levels. From the outset, the music puts us at ease, before abruptly shifting to incorporate drums and additional rock-based instruments on a dual track layer. Personally, this technique, coinciding with the changing facial expressions the woman was undergoing, resonated a sense of alarm within me (as if I was about to witness a pending act of brutality). With that said, I think any viewer experiencing similar emotions at this point would have found it appalling how relentlessly the hairdressers went about their business, seemingly void of any compassion. Maybe this was the directors intention, because a resulting feeling of sympathy for this woman blossomed in my soul. By now, Dove has its audiences feelings on autopilot, and is able to orchestrate them befittingly for the duration of the editing sequences. Im inclined to deduce that the photo-shopping was revealed in an attempt to drive the hammer into the nail of what we already knew this entire time nobody is naturally that attractive! That isnt to say, though, that the closing act couldnt be reaming with hints of ethos in addition to the aforementioned rhetoric. I noticed that the billboard hosting the end product pointed to another popular brand in the skin care sector. Do we sense a conspiracy at work amongst the conglomerates? Im going to circle back to this revelation later, as I believe its important to factor into the grand scheme of whats transpiring. Part Three: In continuance to the closing statement I made in the previous paragraph, there are a number of admonishments Id like to point out to my readers, in order to address the more metaphorical aspects of this video (or what may potentially be interpreted as such). First, something that caught my attention early on, was that the correction of facial blemishes on the subjected woman were given utmost priority to any other items on the touch-up task list. I would infer that on a larger scale, this hints at a hierarchical approach the fashion industry adopts when evaluating beauty. Following that logic, we could conclude that a raw human face warrants correction prior to any makeup, hair, or airbrush modifications conducted by modeling agency experts. Bluntly theyre judging your primary feature with heightened scrutiny. Secondly, the overall pace of the advertisement, as I previously mentioned, was extremely swift. Coupled with the background tunes, this probably assisted in delivering the broadest possible range of emotionally triggering stimuli to target audiences in the designated timeframe undoubtedly a premeditated play. The objective of this ad was essentially to call out the elephant in the room, (or in this case, perhaps the one in Hollywood) and in order to do that, Dove knew that relying on a pathos-based approach would prove to be a strategic ally to influence viewers with the desired message. Finally, the billboard itself was placed in a neighborhood which appeared to be centered on either: working-class citizens, high-school youth, and/or single parents aspiring for more. I gleaned this demographical hypothesis by noting the surrounding environment composed exclusively of brick apartment complexes, wire fencing, and used cars. Suffice it to say that if this is indeed a factual theory, it would correlate nicely with the idea that Dove wants to spread its agenda like a wildfire throughout the general consumer populace; many of whom may have otherwise remained in blissful ignorance to the proceedings commencing behind closed doors. Part Four: Primarily, I fathom that women of Millennial and X generations would be the most heavily impacted audience after watching this advertisement. Furthermore, I would ascertain that those impacts have mostly positive connotations, superseding the manipulative (unethical?) bodily practices exposed therein. In support of this claim, I located a research study conducted by Stephanie L Quigg in 2010. The purpose was to identify how a brief ad could mitigate the negative effects imposed on self-esteem through traditional media propaganda. The study consisted of exposing groups of women to one of three variants: a music video padded with standard commercials, the same music video padded with intervention commercials, and TV with non-human focused commercials. The outcome determined that seeing the music videos ultimately led to lower levels of self-satisfaction in test subjects, in contrast to the group that didnt. Interestingly though, in her subsequent book titled Body Image, Quiggreveals e xposure to the intervention commercial counter-acted this effect. Demonstrating the extent which media portrayals of women are artificially enhanced can mitigate detrimental effects on female appearance satisfaction (135-142). Earlier, I mentioned Id be elaborating on the concept of concealed marketing loaded inside of well-intentioned messaging. Taking a tip from Bob Garfield, a journalist reviewing the Ogilvy Mather Agency, (who represent the film) I quickly uncovered another mind who shares my chilling proposition. Quoting his article specifically, the bonus is, if they stay with this message come what may, theyll also turn over lots of whatever it is apart from the uncomfortable truth theyre selling (Garfield). That statement really makes me wonder if any act of good nature is pure these days; or is everything simply a clever ruse to boost a bottom line? Part Five: To culminate my analysis, Id like to reiterate to my readers, the importance of executing caution in response to all sources of mainstream advertising, regardless of implied positive messages. In this discussion, Ive brought to light how what was formerly thought to be a feat of goodwill by Dove, might actually constitute as a turncoat for a corrupted motive, depending on the eye of the beholder. Its crucial that we embrace this somewhat harsher truth going forward. In order to be competent citizens, its dire that we examine each aspect of a message. Otherwise, we become vulnerable to intelligently situated reverse psychology governing our buying impulses. Works Cited Quigg, Stephanie L., Stephen C. Want. Highlighting Media Modifications: Can a Television Commercial Mitigate the Effects of Music Videos on Female Appearance Satisfaction? Body Image, vol. 8, Elsevier, 2011, pp. 135-42. Science Direct, Elsevier, 2011, doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2010.11.008.Accessed 6 Mar. 2017. Tackling Ugly Truth, Dove Effort Evolves Beautifully. Review of Dove: Evolution, by Bob Garfield, 2006. Advertising Age, revision 2015, Crain Communications, 29 Oct. 2006, www.adage.com/article/ad-review/tackling-ugly-truth-dove-effort-evolves-beautifully/112837/.Accessed 6 Mar. 2017. Unilever Group. Dove: Evolution. The Evolution Video: The Use of Photoshop and Airbrushing in the Media, Unilever, 11 Jan. 2016, www.dove.com/uk/dove-self-esteem-project/help-for-parents/media-and-celebrities/the-evolution-video.html.Accessed 6 Mar. 2016.

The Things that Make a House a Home :: Personal Narrative Writing

The Things that Make a House a Home There are many wonderful places in the world to explore and live. Some travelers and adventurers have even said that they can feel the soul of the place that they go to visit or explore. Although many people disagree with these ideas, I know that they are true. Every place has a soul, but sometimes it is just harder to find in certain areas than others. One such area is the place where I was born and raised. That very special place is the Phoenix metro area. Being more specific, the area in which I am talking about is the lovely house that I grew up in. This house has been my residence for the last eleven years and represents the heart of my childhood because of the events that I was a part of and the memories that I received while living there. Many things have happened while I have been living at the house. I’ve watched myself grow grade by grade in school until finally I graduated and moved on to college. There have also been many changes to the house itself over the course of time. But though the years my family and I have all gotten used to living at this house and the things that go with it. The country music artist John Denver said in one of his most famous songs, â€Å" There are many things that make a house a home†. That statement is true, a house isn’t a home without the people that live and exist inside if it. When I moved into the house on 58th street and Mountain View, I was in the second grade. My twin sister and I were moving schools and it was a big point in my life. Until then, I had only known one house, one neighborhood, and one set of friends at school. And although we were only moving about three miles, the move placed us in a different school district. So, scared and uncertain, we started out at a new school. Like it usually was, it was very hard for a kid like me to find friends. But I had my sister as a companion and it was alright. Many afternoons I spent playing in the backyard with my sister and dog, and I had a great time.

No Solutions Offered in There Are No Children Here :: There are No Children Here Essays

No Solutions Offered in There Are No Children Here  Ã‚  Ã‚      Does your home have a lock on your door, a telephone and working appliances and plumbing? Do you dodge bullets in your sleep, have 13 people living in one apartment or wash your dishes in the bathtub because the kitchen sink hasn’t worked for months? Do you wash your clothes in the bathtub because the laundry room is too dangerous to do your washing? Do you live in an environment with no role models, where the gangs control everything and you can’t trust anyone? You may think these are strange questions for people who live in America in the late 20th century, but some people’s answers to these questions may be very different from yours. Those people are the one’s living in the â€Å"other America†. Alex Kotlowitz tells us â€Å"the story of two boys growing up in the other America† in his book There Are No Children Here. The â€Å"other America† Kotlowitz describes in his book is the public housing complex at Henry Horner Homes in Chicago. By following the lives of two boys, Lafeyette and Pharoah Rivers, we are exposed to the misfortunes, turmoil and death that their lives are filled with. Lafeyette and Pharoah are faced with many hardships in their day to day activities. Their apartment, the once beautiful complex, now has broken appliances, poor plumbing, horrible security and from the basement come smells that one housing manager described as â€Å"foul odors† that â€Å"no equipment presently in use by staff could be used to withstand the odor beyond a minute† (p. 240). The boys wake up every morning in this horrible public housing that would most likely be condemned if it was located in any decent neighborhood. Lafeyette and Pharoah get ready for school, usually putting on clothes which have been washed the night before in the bath tub, and then leave for school. Pharoah, who loves school, is always in a hurry to get there, leaving the apartment before anyone else. School is the one place for Pharoah to stand out and get away from the neighborhood for a while. He even attended a summer school program that was supported by the University of Illinois. Lafeyette, on the other hand, isn’t into school very much; which explains why he has such a large number of tardies. Both boys are always careful as they walk through the streets to school to be alert for gunfire, they don’t want to die young like so many friends of theirs.

The Lord of the Rings :: essays research papers

In The Fellowship of the Ring, the Protagonist is Frodo Baggins, a hobbit from the Shire who becomes the Ring-bearer. The Antagonist is Sauron, the Dark Lord that forged the One Ring to take over Middle-Earth. In the fellowship, aside for the ring-bearer, are three other hobbits, Samwise Gamgee, Peregrin Took and Meriadoc Brandybuck, three of Frodo’s closest friends. There is also Gandalf, the wizard; Legolas Greenleaf, son of the Elf King of Northern Mirkwood; the dwarf Gimli, son of Gloin; Aragorn, son of Arathorn, and heir to the throne of Gondor; and Boromir, oldest son of the Steward of Gondor. They all have some talent or purpose in aiding Frodo in the quest. Gandalf is a powerful wizard, second to only Saruman the White. Legolas is an elven archer with a true aim. Gimli wields a powerful axe in battle and is a great craftsman. The true King of Gondor hasn’t yet re-claimed his throne but spends his time protecting and aiding the fellowship members. Boromir, next in line to be the Steward of Gondor, doesn’t always seem trustworthy. However, as time passes he forms a bond with the ‘Halflings’ (the hobbits) and is very protective of them. It is also quite useful for them to have two such humans, strong and tall, they both are a great help. The book takes place in different parts of Middle Earth during the â€Å"Third Age†. The mood is often quite tense with suspense and a sense of doom. They are in constant danger, always being watched or hunted. The hobbits leave their precious homes and travel through the Old Forest to get to Bree, where they meet Aragorn and he aids them in their journey. All five later leave for Rivendell and the mood is quite tense with the Black Riders hunting them down. On the way, they stop at Weathertop, where Frodo is, unfortunately, stabbed with a Morgul blade. Luckily, they all get to Rivendell safely with the help of Glorfindel, an elf. Once there, Frodo is given time to heal before Lord Elrond summons a council and the fellowship is formed with nine members. The fellowship continue on their quest to get rid of the ring and were forced to trudge through Caradhras in order to avoid ‘the dark and secret way’. However, they were forced to take that path, after being forced off Caradhras, through the Mines of Moria where it is believed that Gandalf had â€Å"fallen into shadow† in their escape.

Mansfield’s Short Stories Essay

This article discusses how emotions are depicted in two Katherine Mansfield’s short stories, †Bliss† and †Taking the Veil†. Emotions are mapped through linguistic markers such as adjectives and adverbs that imply a character’s emotional response to story events. The study focuses on narratorial discourse and distinguishes between verbalized speech and thought (free indirect discourse) and non-verbalised thought-processes (psycho-narration). The analysis is carried out by studying the deictic centre or the perspective in the short stories. The study shows that passages of psycho-narration and free indirect discourse are rich in emotional language, including such features as interjections, repetition and orthographic markers. 1. Introduction Emotions often play a significant role in depicting a literary character’s mind. This study discusses how characters’ emotions are depicted in two Katherine Mansfield’s short stories, †Bliss† and †Taking the Veil†.1 The focus is on those sections in Mansfield’s stories that depict characters’ psyches and feelings. The analysis maps the features that imply the presence of consciousness or perspective in Katherine Mansfield’s texts. The analysis is carried out by studying linguistic features such as adjectives, adverbs and orthography to find out whose consciousness and emotions are depicted in the text. Consciousness report is an umbrella term for several techniques that share some common features in depicting characters’ consciousness. This study focuses on the interplay between psycho-narration, the narrator’s rendering of characters’ psyches or their non-verbalised thought processes, and free ind irect discourse, the narrator’s indirect quotation of the words that the characters say or think, their verbalised speech or thought. Both free indirect discourse and psycho-narration depict character speech within the framework of third person narrative, and in Mansfield’s stories characters’ feelings are often filtered through the narrator’s discourse . 2 There are also feelings that the characters may be unaware of but that the narrator reports to the reader. For this reason, the focus of the study is on the narrator’s description of characters’ emotions, as psycho-narration and free indirect discourse are narrator’s discourse by nature. The differences between psycho-narration and free indirect discourse are illustrated in another example from Mansfield, a story called †The Doll’s House† (see subsection 2.3). In analysing characters’ emotions perspective plays an important role. Perspective tells the reader whose point of view is adopted in the text. Perspective is realised through visuo-spatial or temporal indicators that are also called deictic features (see subsection 2.1). The first aim of the analysis is to pinpoint the deictic features that imply the presence of consciousness or emotional involvement in †Bliss† and †Taking the Veil†. The second aim is to study consciousness report that is often marked by reporting devices such as evaluative adjectives and adverbs, or other perspective-building elements such as backshifting of tenses and orthographic markers. The analysis is based on linguistic evidence in sections of psycho-narration or free indirect discourse with reference to characters’ emotions and emotional changes. When a fictional character’s feelings change, the readers may also change their views of that character (Miall and Kuiken 2001: 291). Thus, changing emotions affect the reader’s interpretation of the story. The next section takes a closer look at the linguistic features that indicate characters’ emotions depicted in psycho-narration and free indirect discourse. 2. Linguistic Features in the Representation of Character Emotions This section discusses linguistic features that imply psycho-narration and free indirect discourse. In the first subsection, the connection between the deictic centre and emotions is explained. The second subsection takes a look at specific reporting devices and features that indicate a deictic centre. In the third part, psycho-narration and free indirect discourse are d iscussed with examples from Mansfield’s †Doll’s House†. 2.1 Deixis and Deictic Centre Emotions are an essential part of depicting a literary character’s consciousness. In analysing emotions or characters’ consciousness deixis is a useful tool. Deixis means †features of language which fasten utterances temporally or spatially: ‘here’, ‘now’† (Hawthorn 1994: 37). Consciousness presentation becomes apparent through many indicators, most clearly through orthographic markers such as quotation marks or words in italics. Orthographic markers are especially used in direct discourse where quotation marks show the beginning and ending of a dialogue. Parentheticals or brackets indicating the speaker and his or her act of speaking or thinking within a sentence, for example, †she said† or †he thought† are also used in direct discourse to indicate the speaking or thinking person. As these markers seldom occur in consciousness report, however, there are other markers like expressive elements that help to ide ntify the consciousness and emotions in an extract. Thus, linguistic analysis helps to find out which features refer to which character. Studying linguistic features is a key element in analyzing the deictic centre of the short stories in this paper. In the English language, deixis consists of features that indicate a subjective deictic centre (Fludernik 1993: 6). The features include personal pronouns, for example I, you,it; spatial and temporal adverbs such as left, in front of, ten years ago; verbal categories indicating distance like come and go; relational designations implying emotional involvement, for instance the enemy or darling; and terms of endearment, such as sweetheart and mummy, which also suggest that the speaker’s feelings are involved. Another way to trace a perspective is to study lexical, pragmatic, syntactic and morphological features indicating consciousness report. Deixis and subjective elements play a crucial role in analysing the material of this paper. The two other types of deixis are discourse/text deixis and social deixis (cf. Levinson 1983). Discourse deixis or text deixis refers to parts of unfolding discourse in which the utterance is located, for instance that in the following example: †Puff puff puff: That is what it sounded like.† Social deixis encodes the social status and aspects of socia l relationships between speakers and addressees: †My husband and I are both teachers, and so is my father† (Levinson 1983: 62-63). Deixis is usually organised in an egocentric way. The deictic context is speaker-based and centred upon the speaker’s †here-and-now† (Lyons 1981: 230). People are more apt to refer to their own viewpoint in discussions and prefer proximal personal expressions, such as the pronoun I, or place indexicals, such as here, to distal expressions like he or there. We can also talk about a deictic centre, meaning the perspective of the discourse participant from which utterances are delivered (Levinson 1983: 63-64, Yule 1996: 9). There are five unmarked anchorage points that constitute the deictic centre (Levinson 1983: 64). They consist of the speaker who is the central person – in literature usually the protagonist, the narrator or some other character – and of the central place which refers to the speaker’s location at utterance time. The third anchorage point of the deictic centre is the central time, the time when the speaker produces the utterance. Fourth, the discourse centre is the speaker’s current point during the production of his or her utterance. Thus, the discourse centre changes from one person to another when the producer of the utterance changes. And last, the social centre is the speaker’s social status and rank to which the addressee or referent’s status is relative (Yule 1996: 10). Another common deictic phenomenon in language is the transference of human body orientation (Fludernik 1993: 49). This method is used extensively in literature to create the illusion of naturalness. When an author uses this technique in a literary text, he or she describes an event, a phenomenon or space from a certain physical viewpoint that demands the reader’s body orientation, as in the sentence †There was a chair to the left† (Fludernik 1993: 49). To sum up, literary texts create a world of their own, including their own deictic structure. In good narratives, the reader has the impression of experiencing the fictional world directly, because he or she adopts the deictic centre as his or her own (cf. Banfield 1982, Zubin and Hewitt 1995: 131). 2.2 Reporting Devices This section introduces other linguistic features that are used in creating deictic centres in narratives. The devices consist of backshifting of tenses and other perspective-building elements, such as adjectives and adverbs, orthographic markers and textual coherence. The first device, backshifting of tenses, is connected with the †was-now† paradox, an especially interesting feature in literature. The †was† encodes the narrator in the process of narrating, introducing the fictional world mode to the reader. The †now† encodes the protagonist for whom the story world events are part of the current experience (cf. Adamson 1994). Mansfield sometimes uses the present tense in her stories, which attracts the reader’s attention and raises the question of why the †was-now† principle is violated. The change in tenses suggests a change in perspectives, including a change in the feeling experience of the story’s characters. The impl ications of these linguistic devices for the characters’ emotional world are discussed in section 3. In the analysis of the deictic centre and literary figures’ emotions, adjectives and adverbs sometimes have a significant meaning. I apply Biber, Conrad and Leech’s (2002) classification of adjectives and adverbs in this study. Descriptive adjectives or descriptors often imply consciousness report when they co-occur with other deictic elements such as place and time deixis. Evaluative/emotive (dreadful) and miscellaneous descriptors covering many kinds of characteristics (sudden) suggest consciousness report in narratives and need to be studied to trace the source of emotions in a literary text. Descriptive adjectives give personal flavour to the text, but the reader has to decide whether descriptors refer to the narrator’s or some character’s emotions. Sometimes it may be very difficult to distinguish different sources of emotion from each other, as examples from Mansfield’s stories show (see section 3) . In the analysis of Mansfield’s texts, degree adverbs and stance adverbs receive special attention. Degree adverbs like amplifiers/intensifiers (generously) and diminishers/downtoners (somewhat) as well as stance adverbs, such as attitude (unfortunately), epistemic (probably) and style stance adverbs (simply) are discussed in the analysis of the material, as are place, time and process adverbials. Of place adverbials, those of distance (a long way), direction (from within) and position (up there) often imply whose perspective is adopted in the story. Additionally, such time adverbials as point in time (tomorrow night), duration (for fifteen years), frequency (sometimes) and time relationship (after this) indicate the source of consciousness. The process of action described in stories provides the reader with valuable information on the events and characters. Manner adverbials (carelessly) are often used especially by modern authors to describe characters’ behaviour. Degree adverbials (e.g. very much, completely) are often used to amplify characters’ emotions and to describe their emotional response to story events. Adjectives and adverbs are elements in constructing perspective in a narrative. They help the reader to respond to the feeling experiences of a character that are embodied in the stylistic and linguistic devices of a text (Miall and Kuiken 2001: 292). The following subchapter discusses the connection between linguistic features and feeling experiences in psycho-narration and free indirect discourse. 2.3 Psycho-narration and Free Indirect Discourse In this section the features of psycho-narration and free indirect discourse are discussed with examples from Mansfield’s story †The Doll’s House†. Special attention is paid to linguistic devices that support the interpretation of psycho-narration or free indirect discourse in a textual passage. Psycho-narration is the narrator’s presentation of a character’s psyche. Its main focus is on a character’s thoughts and feelings and it is defined in terms of deictic qualities (Fludernik 1993: 304).3 Psycho-narration reports those feelings or states of consciousness that the character may be unaware of. Psycho-narration †has almost unlimited temporal flexibility† (Cohn 1978: 32), so it can occur both in the present and the past tense. The analysis of Mansfield’s works shows the temporal varieties of psycho-narration. Free indirect discourse consists of expressions or utterances that could be produced by the characters as such or with minor alterations, like the use of the preterite instead of the present tense.4 In free indirect discourse the narrator quotes the speech or thought of the protagonist or other characters. Direct discourse and free indirect discourse have common features such as deictics, word order in questions and lexical elements including vocatives, interjections, or dialectal features (cf. Fludernik 1993: 261). In order to retain proximity, proximal deictics likehere, now and today occur in free indirect discourse. The question word order remains direct in free indirect discourse. This narrative technique also favours expressive lexical elements from characters’ idiolects to give the narration personal flavour. McHale (1978: 269) aptly remarks that formal signs are not the only means to trace free indirect discourse, since semantic signs such as the †content† of utterances, and a character’s †thoughts† or †intended meanings† also contribute to the reader’s interpretation of free indirect discourse. The terms psycho-narration and free indirect discourse overlap to some extent. The former borrows elements from the speech of ch aracters, but a character could hardly use the (narrator’s) syntax as such. To demonstrate the difference between the various consciousness report techniques, I have chosen an extract from Katherine Mansfield’s story †The Doll’s House†. It is a story about middle-class life and the Burnell children, and how they invite classmates of the same social class to see their new doll’s house. Lower-class children are not invited, until one of the daughters, Kezia, defies her parents and asks the Kelvey girls, the daughters of a washerwoman, to see the house. The following extract depicts Kezia’s aunt’s reaction when she sees the unwelcome children in the garden. (1)†Wicked, disobedient little girl!† said Aunt Beryl bitterly to Kezia, and she slammed the doll’s house to. The afternoon had been awful. A letter had come from Willie Brent, a terrifying, threateningletter, saying if she did not meet him that evening in Pulman’s Bush, he’d come to the front door and ask the reason why! But now that she had frightened those little rats of Kelveys and given Kezia a good scolding, her heart felt lighter. That ghastly pressure was gone. She went back to the house humming. (†The Doll’s House†, 265; emphasis added) Example (1) is a description of Aunt Beryl’s consciousness presentation after she has scolded her niece and her friends in the courtyard. After the quotation in direct discourse, Aunt Beryl’s perspective (in bold type) is introduced in the first sentences as a flashback, the past perfect verb form had come implying a movement towards Aunt Beryl, come being a verb suggesting proximal activity. Even though Beryl’s name is not mentioned in the whole paragraph, she is the subject of the sentence starting the quotation and the most recent character mentioned earlier in the text. Aunt Beryl and the third person reference to her (she) in the quotation can be seen as an example of referential linking which is an important factor in maintaining textual cohesion in the depiction of characters’ emotions (cf. Ehrlich 1990). Descriptive adjectives likeawful, terrifying and threatening, and noun phrases like those little rats of Kelveys depict Beryl’s feelings, the distal demonstrative pronoun those and the descriptive noun phrase little rats of Kelveys underlining the contempt of upper classes towards lo wer-class people and the social distance between Beryl and the Kelveys. The distal demonstrative determiner that and the proximal temporal adverb now illustrate how proximal and distal linguistic features are mixed in psycho-narration, suggesting a transition from Aunt Beryl’s earlier emotional turmoil caused by her lover’s letter to her present state of mind (†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦her heart felt lighter. That ghastly pressure was gone†). There is also Willie Brent’s perspective occurring in the extract (in italics). It has elements of free indirect discourse including past tense verb forms, third person pronouns, orthographic markers and a colloquial tone. The past perfect verb form changes into the past tense did not meet, which is followed by he’d come. An exclamation mark finishes the free indirect discourse passage which is reflected through Beryl’s consciousness in the memory of the letter. The final sentence is the narrator’s neutral report of the narrative events. 3. Emotional Features in Mansfield’s Stories Psycho-narration and free indirect discourse are ways of presenting characters’ emotions to readers. In this section, Katherine Mansfield’s stories †Bliss† and †Taking the Veil† are analysed in order to find linguistic features that suggest a character’s emotional involvement. Mansfield uses psycho-narration and free indirect discourse in †Bliss† and †Taking the Veil†. In the analysis of the texts, underlined words point out subjective features and fragments of characters’ idiom. Some quotations from Mansfield’s short stories are integrated into the analysis for a more convenient discussion of the context. †Bliss† is a story of a wealthy young couple, Bertha and Harry, and their social life. In †Bliss†, psycho-narrative description is reserved for Bertha’s feelings of bliss, her relationship with Harry-the-husband, and her feelings towards their friends. The paragraphs th at include psycho-narration often start with impersonal narratorial description. The shift from the narrator’s perspective to that of the character takes place within paragraph boundaries, as the following examples show. The first paragraph of †Bliss† introduces society’s expectations of 30-year-old women’s behaviour. The narrator implies that Bertha’s thoughts and feelings are quite exceptional for her age: (2) Although Bertha Young was thirty she still had moments like this when she wanted to run instead of walk, to take dancing steps on and off the pavement, to bowl a hoop, to throw something up in the air and catch it again, or to stand still and laugh at – nothing – at nothing, simply. (†Bliss†, 91; emphasis added) The narrator adopts an omniscient perspective: she knows exactly how Bertha is feeling and what she feels like doing. The reader’s attention is directed towards the protagonist’s perspective through the use of the demonstrative this, symbolising the here-and-now narrative present, Bertha’s present state of mind. The italicised words imply Bertha’s wishes. The narrator’s speech presents societ y’s expectations at the beginning of example (2) (although,still) and Bertha’s own thoughts at the end of it (nothing – at nothing, simply). The phenomenon of Ansteckung is apparent in the fragments of Bertha’s idiom. Ansteckungmeans the narrator’s empathetic or ironic borrowing of characters’ idioms or expressions (cf. Fludernik (1993) for examples of Ansteckung or †contamination†). Fragments of Bertha’s consciousness are not complete thoughts or words uttered by her. When it comes to Bertha’s psyche, the narrator seems to be aware of it, depicting elements of Bertha’s thoughts at the end of example (2) (see the words in bold). It is obvious in the last sentence of example (2); dashes evoke Bertha’s consciousness. She is incapable of finding suitable words for the peculiar feeling; the impression is increased by the repeated words at nothing. The effect of immediacy is created by hints of Bertha’s psyche within narratorial discourse, suggesting that after the first part of the sentence the writer resorts to free indirect discourse at the end of the passa ge. There are two longer paragraphs of psycho-narration in †Bliss†. They discuss Bertha’s situation in life and her relationship with Harry. The first paragraph reads as follows: (3) Really – really – she had everything. She was young. Harry and she were as much in love as ever, and they got on together splendidly and were really good pals. She had anadorable baby. They didn’t have to worry about money. They had this absolutely satisfactory house and garden. And friends – modern, thrilling friends, writers andpainters and poets or people keen on social questions – just the kind of friends they wanted. And then there were books, and there was music, and she had found a wonderful little dressmaker, and they were going abroad in the summer, and their new cook made the most superb omelettes †¦ (†Bliss†, 96; emphasis added) Example (3) starts in free indirect discourse and shows many syntactic markers that imply consciousn ess report, such as the epistemic stance adverb really, the proximal deictic thisindicating Bertha’s spatial perspective, and the frequent use of and acting as a clause-initial co-ordinating conjunction and creating the illusion of Bertha’s happy thoughts. Other features include pragmatic indicators, such as dashes, and lexical features, for example idioms (really good pals), phrases or descriptive adjectives (absolutely satisfactory, adorable, modern, thrilling, wonderful little etc.) borrowed from Bertha. As Fludernik (1993: 117) suggests, referential positions are often shifted into the third person in heterodiegetic narratives, excluding second person narratives. This extract is a good example of such a referential shift in personal pronouns, as it contains only the third person she instead of the first person I. Example (3) describes a happy woman counting her blessings. Another paragraph reflects the problems Bertha encounters in her marriage: (4) Oh, she had loved him – she’d been in love with him, of course, in every other way, butjust not in that way. And equally, of course, she’d understood that he was different. They’d discussed it so often. It had worried her dreadfully at first to find that she was so cold, but after a time it had not seemed to matter. They were so frank with each other – such good pals. That was the best of being modern. (†Bliss†, 104; emphasis added) The extract leads readers into Bertha’s consciousnes s with the clause-initial interjection ohsuggesting free indirect discourse. Repetitive elements, such as of course and the intensifierso, emphasise the impression of Bertha rationalising her marriage to Harry. The sentence-initial and helps her to articulate her understanding of Harry and his different feelings on the topic, as she is negotiating the good and bad things about her marriage in her mind. There are also some lexical indications of consciousness report, such as just, the intensifier such, anddreadfully, a colloquialism only to be attached to Bertha’s consciousness. These emotive features create an impression of Bertha’s inner conflict and the suppression of her feelings, which is evident throughout the story.5 †Taking the Veil† is a story about Edna and her lover Jimmy, and Edna’s dreams of becoming a nun. In †Taking the Veil†, psycho-narration is reserved for Edna’s internal debate and her memories of the crisis of her life. A typical example is a theatre scene, where Edna goes through the happenings of the previous night: (5) The play had begun fairly cheerfully. That was at the chocolate almond stage. Then the hero had gone blind. Terrible moment! †¦Then there had been that ghastly scene with the hero alone on stage in a deserted room†¦He had tried – ah, how painfully, how pitifully! –to grope his way to the window†¦and the band faded away into the distance. (†Taking the Veil†, 284; emphasis added) Example (5) shows how Mansfield uses distal deictics like that (in that ghastly scene) to imply Edna’s perspective by creating a personal tone. Additionally, she uses the evaluative adjectives terrible and ghastly to refer to Edna’s emotional response. The repetitive pattern in the exclamations above (in bold type) is separated from the rest of the psycho-narration by dashes and emphasised by other orthographic signals, such as exclamation marks. An introductory exclamation ah adds to the colloquial tone, as does the repetition of the wh-element how. Mansfield often uses clause-initial wh-elements in exclamations to introduce free indirect discourse in the telling (Kuivalainen 2005). These features contain elements representative of speech rather than thought. The impression in this extract is that of narratorial discourse flavoured by free indirect discourse (in bold type). Psycho-narration continues when the narrator describes Edna’s internal debate: (6) If she did not marry Jimmy, of course she would marry nobody. The man she was in love with, the famous actor – Edna had far too much common-sense not to realise thatwould never be. It was very odd. She didn’t even want it to be. Her love was too intense for that. It had to be endured, silently; it had to torment her. It was, she supposed, simply that kind of love. (†Taking the Veil†, 285; italics original, emphasis added) The extract above shows how Edna debates her love for Jimmy, her fiancà ©, and for the actor she has fallen in love with. The words in bold include an attitude stance adverb of course, a comment on a possible marriage with the famous actor, and a distal pronoun that. All these elements imply a reference to Edna’s perspective which, however, intermingles with that of the narrator after the dash on the second line. Edna’s emotional perspective, the vacillating feelings she suddenly faces in the story, re-occurs with the comment on the nature of her love (†It was very odd†) and remains unchanged till the end of the extract, with another comment at the end of the paragraph introduced by the style stance adverb simply. The extract above shows the subtlety of the change from one perspective to another: at the beginning we only have a personal pro noun reference to the speaker, but later the protagonist’s proper name is used to help the reader realise the change, to introduce the perspective of the narrator penetrating that of Edna. The effect is that of immediate access to the character’s thoughts and feelings. In the paragraph preceding example (6) the closest proper noun is †Sister Agnes†. However, the reader does not connect the personal pronoun she in example (6) with Sister Agnes but with Edna, who is mentioned earlier in the text, because semantic connectors such as marriage and †Jimmy† imply her. The narrator’s statement-like comment after the dash supports this interpretation. However, this sentence is affected by Edna’s idiom, the use of that(in italics) emphasising the impossibility of the suggestion of love for an actress. Edna’s eighteen-year-old girl’s voice is also heard at the end of the paragraph with the simply that kind of love quotation of Edna’s thoughts. As example (6) suggests, psycho-narration at the beginning of the paragraph depicts Edna’s feelings from her perspective, but later the narrator’s perspective becomes predominant in the example, providing the reader with an external perspective to Edna’s love life. A drastic change in psycho-narration happens when the tenses change from the past to the present. This change implies a shift from the past or present events to the future. (7) She takes the name of Sister Angela. Snip, snip! All her lovely hair is cut off†¦And in a blue gown with a white head-band Sister Angela goes from the convent to the chapel, from the chapel to the convent †¦she greets the little children who run to her. A saint! She hears it whispered as she paces the chill, wax-smelling corridors. A saint! (†Taking the Veil†, 286; emphasis added) The extract above shows how Edna dreams about the life of a nun and imagines her future as Sister Angela. The short onomatopoeic snip and the repetition of a saint, both ending with an exclamation mark, refer to Edna’s imagination. Her emotional involvement shows in the sacrifices she makes (†All her lovely hair is cut off†) and in the description of the new environment she enters (†chill, wax-smelling corridors†). The present tense adds to the effect. It is used throughout the passage to relate Edna’s convent dreams, as another quotation below shows: (8) Now it is evening. Two old people leaning on each other come slowly to the grave†¦Now there comes another. He is all in black; he comes slowly. But when he is there and lifts his black hat, Edna sees to her horror his hair is snow-white. Jimmy! Too late, too late! The tears are running down his face; he is crying now. Too late, too late!(ibid.: 287; italics original, emphasis added) In example (8), the same elements of exclamatory repetition too late! and the present tense are used to depict Edna’s reveries about the future. Additionally, immediacy is emphasised with the temporal proximal deictic now, a favourite of Mansfield’s in this story, and the present continuous are running and is crying. The use of present continuous verb forms and the proximal deictic now mark Edna’s mental crisis, which culminates at the end of example (8) and ends the sections in the present tense. The non-use of the †was-now† pattern reflects a change in perspective from the narrator to Edna in example (8), as the sections that do not imply Edna’s consciousness in †Taking the Veil† are written in the past tense (see example (5)). When the paragraph after example (8) begins, Edna has changed her mind about becoming a nun and realised she actually loves Jimmy. 4. Discussion †Bliss† and †Taking the Veil† consist of a mixture of speech and thought report. It is noticeable in these works that, as a narrative technique, free indirect discourse is clearly separated from psycho-narration. The shift from psycho-narration into free indirect discourse and then back to psycho-narration can be found in †Bliss† and †Taking the Veil†, as the linguistic analysis of characters’ emotions showed in section three. The reverie-like atmosphere of †Taking the Veil† is strikingly different from the passionate, hectic mood in †Bliss†, where the narrator first describes the setting for the psychological phenomena, Bertha’s mixed feelings about her marriage, and then resorts to consciousness presentation. In †Taking the Veil† the narrator’s function is to offer the reader an insight into Edna’s mind mostly through psycho-narration, thus, psycho-narrative passages begi n with narratorial description which introduces Edna’s mental world to the reader. Psycho-narration serves to depict the protagonist’s internal debate: example (5) depicts the crucial moment of the past in the past tense and example (7) future dreams in the present tense. On the other hand, free indirect discourse in example (5) helps in creating sensual perceptions that present a contrast to Edna’s inner thoughts. Passages in free indirect discourse often start with a clause-initial coordinator (and), interjection (oh) or a wh-element (how) and can be spotted from the rest of the narration through orthography, like dashes surrounding the free indirect discourse passage, exclamation or question marks. Mansfield frequently uses italics and ellipses in reporting characters’ consciousness and feelings, which gives the impression of free indirect discourse. Extensive use of stance adverbs is striking in the two stories. A common feature in Mansfield’s psycho-narration is the adoption of epistemic stance adverbs such as really in example (3).6In †Bliss† and †Taking the Veil†, the interplay between the two dominant voices, that of the narrator and the protagonist, becomes evident through the rich use of stance ad verbs. The narrator’s perspective is mostly introduced through epistemic adverbs indicating certainty or doubt (e.g. perhaps), whereas the protagonist’s perspective mostly consists of those of actuality and reality (e.g. in fact, really). The effect is a narrator with no intention to intrude upon the story events, and a protagonist with a distinctly marked emotional world including feelings of bliss, future dreams, and moments of despair and love. Mansfield’s narrator steers the reader towards the protagonist’s climax with subtle remarks and hardly visible hints. Psycho-narration demonstrates different functions in the texts of this study. Mansfield uses evaluative and emotive descriptors in psycho-narrative sections; she borrows characters’ idiomatic expressions and marks internal discourse with orthography (dashes, exclamation marks), intensifiers and repetition to imply a shift from one perspective or feeling experience to another, for example, from the narrator to the protagonist. Mansfield describes the inner conflict or the dream world of the characters through psycho-narration, which is usually triggered by an emotional climax, in Bertha’s case the revelation of her husband’s adultery and in Edna’s case understanding who she really loves. In Mansfield’s fiction, the climax almost has a hallucinatory effect, as Edna’s convent dreams and the graveyard scene in exampl e (8) show. The use of the present tense seems to have a role in Mansfield’s text. Mansfield uses it mostly in psycho-narrative sections. All in all, there are certain features that are used frequently in Mansfield’s stories, such as dashes, repetition of adverbs or other clausal elements like intensifiers, interjections or co-ordinators. Temporal and spatial deictics have a significant role in the two stories, as the reader has very few other means to orient him- or herself while reading a literary text. Deictics help the reader to pinpoint the perspective in the passage and understand whose experiences are depicted in the story. The study of the deictic features in Mansfield’s fictional prose shows that the author uses various markers to create a deictic centre. These markers create a picture of characters’ emotional world. Free indirect discourse and psycho-narration are motivated, for example, by an internal debate or a crisis, as Edna’s ponderings showed in example (8). As was suggested in the analysis, linguistic features such as reporting devices and deictic features can be used to pinpoint the source of emotions in a literary text. Verbs, adjectives, adverbs and other consciousness markers work for the same effect, to describe the emotional world of characters. Psycho-narration and free indirect discourse provide Mansfield with a tool to point out the significant moments in the protagonists’ lives and separate them from the rest of the narration. Mansfield is the master of her characters and their emotions, making them breathe and feel as if they really existed.

Australia Short Stories

A Gentleman’s Agreement by Elizabeth Jolley, The Drover’s Wife by the Henry Lawson and The Kangaroo by Eve Sallis are three short stories that all convey a strong sense of Australian identity which contrasts to stereotypical gender roles. At the heart of each of these short stories is a brave independent woman protecting their families. Landscape is represented differently in each short story but it is used to compliment the strong women in A Gentleman’s Agreement, The Drover’s Wife and The Kangaroo. Elizabeth Jolley’s A Gentleman’s Agreement, tells the story of a working class single mother who fools a rich doctor into letting her and her family live on his land for the rest of their lives. There is almost a complete reversal of stereotypical gender roles; as usually it is men who are the decision makers and manipulators in society but in this story it is the woman. The title of A Gentleman’s Agreement, portrays the mother (who is the protagonist) as smooth talking businessperson. Although she is poor she is very intelligent, independent as well as being a very caring person. She even takes advantage of the rich by letting her poor neighbours into the luxury apartments she cleans. ‘While these people were away at their offices or on business trips†¦ We had wedding receptions and parties in the penthouse and the old folk came in to soak their feet. ’ There is no dominant male figure in the family, so the only provider and carer for the children is the mother, although she does have a lazy, rude son who can’t keep at one job. The mother represents one type of well loved Australian identity, that is battler, the underdog who is at first disadvantaged, who succeeds in the end. If the read the text is read for a gendered reading she also represents clever, determined woman who can successfully look after her family without a man. Australian landscape is represented as a sanctuary for the family in The Gentleman’s Agreement, it makes them happy and brings them closer together as a family. ‘We lost my brother and then suddenly we saw him running and running and shouting, his voice lifting up in the wind as he raced up the slope of the valley. ‘I do believe he’s laughing! He’s happy! Mother just stared at him and she looked so happy too. I don’t think I ever saw the country look so lovely before. ’ The relationships in the family are strengthened by their surroundings in the countryside. The landscape is represented as a beautiful release with its peaceful nature that helps the family forget their problems of the past and brings out the best in each of them. In contrast to landscape being represented as a sanctuar y; is the landscape in Eve Sallis’s The Kangaroo which is represented as harsh and alien. The family in this short story are Arabic and unfamiliar with the Australian bush. On their trip to see relatives in Berri, they have a rather strange encounter with an iconic Australian animal, a kangaroo. The kangaroo was incredibly vicious, ‘The kangaroo turned to face him, rose high above his head and grabbed him from behind the neck with a huge black fist, sinking black claws into his nape. ’ The kangaroo is represented as almost evil and is a threat to the family which is stopping them from getting to where they want to go. This could be symbolic of the Australian government being a threat to immigrants and not letting them through to our country. The kangaroo represents an obstacle that the family must overcome and Zeen is the character who overcomes it. She is another brave and determined woman who wants to protect her family. Although at the start of the story she seems quite superficial wearing ‘patent leather stilettos’ and ‘Candy Frost’ lipstick , she fights hard to save her husband who cannot fight off the kangaroo, which is another reversal of gender roles, the woman being stronger physically then the man. Although Zeen may not have been born in Australia she still represents the type of Australian identity that is in A Gentleman’s Agreement, an independent women who overcomes a struggle to do what is best for their family. Another short story with a strong sense of Australian identity is The Drover’s Wife by Henry Lawson. Although the drover is the head of the family, he is absent so his son Tommy tries to protect his family when they find a snake outside their house but his mother is the one who stays up all night in case the snake comes up through the cracks in the floor, to protect her children. The Drover’s wife is the real hero of the storey, although she is isolated and lonely she puts up with living in the bush for husband’s sake even though she rarely sees him. The drover’s wife has to take care of her children and cope with disasters without a man to turn to but she always seems to rise above the struggles and maintains dignity in the midst of chaos. Even when she is reduced to tears, she laughs when she pulls out her handkerchief and pokes herself in the eye because it is so tattered. The drover’s wife tries to maintain a positive outlook so her children aren’t upset, although she may sometimes feel lonely she sacrifices her own happiness to take care of them, in the bush where her husband can support them. Although the landscape can be represented as overwhelming and isolating in The Drover’s Wife. ‘Bush all around – bush with no horizon, for the country is flat. No ranges in the distance. The bush consists of stunted rotten apple trees. No undergrowth. Nothing to relieive the eye†¦ Nineteen miles to the nearest civilisation. The repition of bush is used to show how similar the bushland looks and how it seems to be everywhere. In this depiction Lawson describes the bush in a way which makes it seem terribly ugly and harsh. But this representation of the bush also adds to the representation of Australian identiy, that the woman has overcome the bush, to care for and protect her family no matter what. The Drover’s Wife, A Gentleman’s Agreement and The Kangaroo, are three short stories which depict a sense of Australian identity in that stereotypical gender roles have been reversed and in the characterisation of the brave women in each story. They are all incredibly strong and independent as they are doing what is best for their families. Landscape is represented differently in each story (harsh and beautiful) but the landscape in all has in some way helped contribute to the battle each woman has overcome in the short stories. The Australian identity of strong women is very relevant to Australia to today and will hopefully continue to be a huge part of Australian identity in the future.