Becoming Influential Essay

The public view of nurses as subordinates to physicians, simply â€Å"trained† to follow doctors’ orders, an overall lack of understandingas to the level of education and the kind of work nurses actually do (Sullivan, 2004) has lent to this perception. Sullivan (2004) writes about telling nursing’s story as an avenue to turn opinions around; empower nurses at an individual level, and ultimately raise the bar to a degree where nursing as a whole takes a stance to being viewed and treated as experts in the health care arena alongside other disciplines. Nurses outnumber all other health care providers (Kelly & Crawford, 2008, p. ) in both acute care and community care settings; are the most diverse clinicians having knowledge and experience that intertwines with all other health professionals, the public and now the business world. Nurses collectively have a deeper understanding of the everyday goings-on within all areas of healthcare. The challenge is to convince t hose who do not recognize this attribute to tap into an invaluable resource. The message I have chosen to include in this paper will attempt to encourage and support the utilization of nurses in the area of clinical informatics, as this is an up-and-coming opportunity to recruit the experts. Deciding on My Message I have always had an interest in computers long before I went into nursing. As a new graduate nurse in the early 1990’s I went straight to San Antonio, Texas where at one of the hospitals I worked implemented a cutting-edge clinical documentation application in the intensive care units. I quickly became a champion user as I was quite comfortable with the whole concept. That, blended with my diverse clinical experience in nursing to include using many other applications in various areas set the stage for my area of expertise; clinical informatics. As a practitioner, I felt unfulfilled at the bedside, frustrated with the lack of positive recognition toward the profession, regardless of the root cause. Being able to move away from direct patient care to a role that required a strong clinical background, informatics became my passion. My concern has intensified over the lack of clinicians called upon to do what nurses do best: clinical workflow analysis, agents of clinical change management and clinical adoption, and most important ensuring the application is robust enough for that program, clinic or unit based on expertise in that area. The further I observe resistance to change and poor adoption by nursing the more incensed I become with the lack of expert utilization. The motives for the resistance are significant: the omission of the nursing process, the inability to enter orders (physician and nursing), track medication and document medication administration is to list a few. These gaps could have been identified and possibly avoided had nurses been involved in the initial requirements gathering. Nurses understand process and know what questions to ask, as opposed to non-clinical analysts, who could not know what they do not know; who better to understand specific practice methodology and process than those who live it? Furthermore, physicians are viewed as the key holders to patient care while nursing and other allied health groups are seen as simply assisting the physician, not as part of an integrated multidisciplinary team. Nurses understand and embrace this model far more than other disciplines and are the best choice in this domain. Deciding on How to Share My Message The conduit for my message is through networking with individuals I have met and worked with over the years with influence and power; those at the executive level in the health region, university and college leaders, business leaders and clients, in person, via letters, and public speaking. Another channel I will utilize is the Canadian Nursing Association Journal with a letter to the editor or submission of an article to be published within the magazine. The target audience at this time is business and other health care professionals as the need to have nurses recognized as assets to the fast moving execution of electronic systems in health care, soon to replace paper, is urgent. If more nurses are not involved in this process as expert consultants, there is a high risk of failure and inevitably patient safety. I will not directly target the public but indirectly as I believe once health care and business professionals view nurses as experts in our profession overall, then their perceptions and opinions will reach the public. The obstacle will be persuading those with little health care understanding just how nursing can be affective. Business leaders are all about deliverables, making sure they are provided. How the product is packaged is not of great concern; patient safety is not a term truly understood by non-clinical analysts and project managers. Within eHealth in general, the organizational structure from top down holds minimal if any clinical knowledge beyond the high level business of healthcare. The best way to convey the message in this arena is by example of competency and the successes when nurses are part of the team. Unfortunately, failed deliverables due to lack of clinical analysis and input is the other method of getting the message across in this instance. However, that would require a clear understanding of why the project failed, which has slowly been coming to light within the eHealth community. Therefore, the target for this message would be the CIO and the medical officer of eHealth, however, the argument must be well supported to ensure being heard. As Kelly & Crawford (2008) discuss, the lack of awareness noted by the reluctance of nurses to be identified as experts creates an obstacle. Opportunities to speak at various forums that involve nursing directly or indirectly is the best way to share the message with nurses. I was recently asked to speak to an audience from the informatics graduate program at a university in order to encourage and promote more nurses into the program. As one individual stated, â€Å"we recognize the unique expertise nurses bring to informatics and have identified the gap in this program. † My Message In preparation for this assignment I learned that there are others in the profession that have identified similar trepidations around the lack of positive recognition toward nursing, however, a solid foundation to build on has been laid. As discussed in Sullivan (2004) nurses rarely take the opportunity to promote the profession through the media, citing shortage of time, or fear of repercussions as a motive to decline. In order to be valued in positive locus those in the profession must promote their own successes without fear of appearing egocentric or as a braggart; taking pride in undertakings that might seem unremarkable but are more than that. While other professionals present their individual accomplishments regularly, gracefully accepting the prestige and standing that comes with their show,nurses must embrace this characteristic in order to continue paving the road to professional recognition. I am inspired to carry on promoting nursing as I have- by example, through networking.

My Thoughts On Ethnicity and race Essay

Race and ethnicity is a very interesting topic to think about. The distinction between race and ethnicity is not always clear to a lot of people. To me race is your physical appearance and ethnicity is your cultural background. My race is white but my ethnicity is Irish and scottish. Although my race is white and someone who is polish might also be white our cultures are not the same. When you are asked to specify race/ethnicity on a form i think it is not fair because there are thousands of things you could potentially be that dont neccesarily fit into the small choice of boxes they give you. I think a lot of people don’t know the difference because race and ethnicity are often listed together leading people to think that they are the same thing I don’t think race and ethnicity should be an issue. Any one person no matter what background they are from was born and will die just the same. It is natural for people to want to group themselves with others who look, speak or behave in similar patterns. Essentially humans are animals and most animals are more comfortable with the familiar. Athough it is natural to group ourselves organically in this way, i dont think having to catogorize yourself into a group on forms and surveys is ever going to help anything. Throughout my life I’ve had a lot of contact with many different ethnicities and races. I went to school where the i was not part of the majority. I was one of the few white people in my class and it was a big issue for me then because being the minority i was treated differently. I was frequently called â€Å"the white girl† by my classmates. At first it bothered me but I became more comfortable. I think being the minority in school helped me learn how to get along with people from different backgrounds. My ability to get along with almost anyone i can attribute to my experience in school. I have also gained a soft spot for anyone getting treated differently for their race or ethnicity. I have heard friends and family make remarks about race but it isnt often that they are positive. A nearby neighborhood is going through a gentrification. The rents in the area have incresed leading people in the area to move into my neighborhood. The people moving in are mostly black and hispanic. Many people are attributing the rise in crime in the area to the people that have been migrating in. Before this migration the neighborhood was mostly Italian, Irish and german. I dont know what to think about this development but i hear a lot of predjudiced things being said that i dont agree with. I think most negative comments come from learned steriotypes. These things can be learned from family, friends or even the media. Many people have the potential to be predjudiced to a certain degree but for the most part i think it is a learned behavior. I believe in the future as races and ethnicities become more and more mixed that prejudice will decrese drastically. Any advantages of stressing these racial and ethnic issues i believe is to try to be fair. One of these advantages is the government requires some companies and schools to hire/accept a certain quota of minorities. This is good because it gives a lot of people opportunities that they might not have gotten because of someone being prejudiced against them. I also think it could be a litte unfair because someone more qualified might not get a spot because of these quotas. I think how you turn out socially, economically, and morally is attributed to your family. If you are from a rich family you are born knowing what having money is like and how to manage it. If you are born poor it is much more difficult to move out of the cycle of poverty. It is because of this that some people see minority communities in a bad light but i just think they are stuck in the cycle of povery. Minority families not so long ago were kept down by racism. Most politicians are prodominantly white at the moment. Once politics become more diverse i think the balance of wealth will begin to shift and ethnicity/race will become less important. Ethnicity and race is a topic of great interest to many people. It affects our laws, advertizing and a plethora of other things. I personally dont feel like it should matter at all what you are on the outside or what culture you have. We are all people and i hope one day that everyone can just treat everyone the same regardless of race or ethnicity.

Adversity essay

Adversity Essay Adversity helps us to exist, without it we would never know ones true talents. I agree with Horace’s assertion about the role that adversity plays in developing a person’s character. Adversity happens to everyone, from people struggling to hold on, to high protected politicians. When people face adversities ones true character is revealed, adversities demand a reaction, makes you determined to overcome, and you have to survive them. When it comes down to it, adversity demands a reaction. Certain people take the task while others tremble. Quite a lot people of face the struggle of poverty and loss to surface stronger and cleverer for the experience. Where others become the victims of the results, powerless to tell the difference from unfair circumstances to deeper injustices in life. Dr. Martine Flament from Youth Research Unit at The Royal Ottawa Health Care Group said â€Å"People tend to believe that things will go well if you are protected from stress and bad environments. But it’s unlikely this will happen all your life. Everyone will encounter adversity and will develop resiliency. † But eventually, it’s adversity that defines us and what we believe in most. Adversity gets us ready for a lifetime of authorization or persecution in the face of trying circumstances. Adversity makes you stronger and it will always affect you, it always does and that is something which you need to accept. But there is a way to overcome adversity. All you have to do is take the situations you have at hand, understand them, and look at it from different perspectives. Acceptance is the key. The more that you fight against something, the more you will lose. However, even though you have to accept it does not mean that you have to suffer from it. Adversity stays positive, but many people consider is as something negative. It reminds us of human’s ancestry; it reminds us of our vulnerability and mortality as human beings. It reminds us that life is transient; that life is short. It teaches us to live wisely; there is value in suffering and sorrow. The bible says â€Å"It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take this to heart† Which basically means, when we pay a sympathy call or visit the grave we remember our own mortality. Thus, we need to change our dilapidated ways because death is inevitable. There’s no guarantee in life; you don’t always get what you want. But I bet no one ever regrets chasing their dreams and going through hell on the way there cause in the end it’s all worth it. Your body is filled with pride, cause of the advertises you had to overcome. Even though adversities may place heavy worries on our shoulders, adversity is just a complication; all we have to do is overcome them, on our way to find out true discovery.

Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

Management - Case Study Example These issues include, Reed’s feeble attempts at coaching, Motivating older workers The potential influence of the performance evaluation system Fred’s resistance to change Fred’s unethical response to pressure Lack of trust or violation of the psychological contract Equity and procedural justice. One major issue in the case is Reed’s inability to lead Fred. Reed’s demonstrated a transactional leadership style behavior which is used by many salespersons. Dubinsky, Yammarino, Jolson, and Spanger (2001) argue that Sales managers generally employ transactional leadership behavior which can â€Å"induce adequate attitudinal and behavioral responses in employees, transformational leadership has found to engender even higher results† (Dubinsky et al., 2001, p. 17). Reed’s leadership style is evident from the fact that he finds out the job tasks for Fred ’s and then tells him how to execute his job and being more successful (Buller & Schuler, 2003; Dubinsky et al., 2001). An incident to confirm this point from the case is when Reed wanted to determine the volume to drug prescriber and he went through Fred’s computer files and then through a memo told Fred how to go about accomplishing the task. Reed was setting Fred’s goals for him wit hout his input and totally negating the fact that Fred had been working in sales with success for over 30 years before Reed became his supervisor. According to Bassett-jones and Lloyd, a study conducted to determine motivation influenced by the leader-member relationship, the study confirmed that about 80 percent of the respondents who had a positive attitude towards their manager dropped to 53 percent when they felt they were being monitored to close by their supervisor.   â€Å"Tight supervision correlated with a reluctance to contribute† (Bassett-Jones & Lloyd, 2005, p. 938). Coaching with continuous feedback is a form of performance management (Lee, 2005, p. 60). According to Allenbaugh (1983), the principal of coaching include, First coaching emphasis should be on the job and not on the person.

Personal Statement for a Business and Finance Final year student

For a Business and Finance Final year student - Personal Statement Example and I believe in life that the best educational institutes brings out the best in any scholar , this is why I have chosen to further my education at Hult International Business School. I realized early in life that we are put on this earth to build important things. Businesses are the drivers of our economy and the building blocks of society. Over the next five years, I hope that the things I learn at Hult will put me on a path to both professional and personal development. My short term goal is to start a small business. My long-term goal is to turn that business into a multinational company. My desire to study business stems from a willingness to make money and help others. I think that a job is the best form of social assistance. From the beginning, I have been interested in this field of study. I completed a Bachelors degree in Business and Finance, earning very good marks along the way. I learned that it’s businesspeople who create jobs. Studying business will ultimately be a highly rewarding experience. Therefore I am motivated in completing the business program successfully. I possess the intellectual commitment and compassionate interest to make this a satisfying and successful vocation. I truly want to leave my mark on the world by helping others. I realize this will not be an easy task, but I am motivated and determined. My perseverance and diligence will help me to reach my ultimate objective of completing the program successfully. Having a Masters from your institution will open up many doors for me. Please consider me for Hult International Business

Romantic Writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Romantic Writing - Essay Example That aside, the city was covered with immense beauty with lovely people. There were echoes of good music across the city and many adored an advance of the majestic King from the royalty. His spender was a mark of beauty that drew the attention of everybody. The whole vicinity of the city was good for one to stay and it was full of comfort with the assurance of security and comfort of a friendly society. Everybody seemed to be calm and composed. There was no reason to cast doubt on anything or even to grow suspicious of any event that was to come. The society was accommodating with everybody minding own businesses. The paradox is evident when the poet makes an observation of a boy who they grew up and ended up in London after fate had forced him out of school because of his physical challenge. The boy upon return to his home was not the same as he had departed from a few years before. The boy who then had grown to a full man depicted an image that left everybody with little respect an d admiration of London. The boy was emaciated with a seemingly poor health. The health of the boy had deteriorated which was a thing that sent a signal that London was not a good place, as it seemed to be at the superficial cover. The presence of the boy revealed another aspect that the poet seemed to misunderstand. In the abode of the poet, things seemed to be normal and his perception was deceived to think that people in the capital city of England were nice. To the lame boy, things were quite different. The environment to him was marred with hostility and nobody seemed to care about anybody. Individualism befitted the description of the town dwellers and everybody minded their own business. Everybody was on their own; and worst of all, even the next door neighbors did not care about each other. Nobody cared about other peoples’ welfare and even the government did not mind of the welfare of the disabled and the destitute. The poor and the lame were left to survive on their own without any assistance lest they be eliminated by the cruel nature that was created by the selfish human beings. In England, people were permanent strangers to each other because unless there is a relationship that seem to benefit another person, then there was never a point of contact between people at all (Jeffrey 1992). People minded their own businesses without caring of another person. The city though had good people by site. They were very attractive with grin smiles all over their faces but this depiction was further blended with opposite thoughts of the time. Nobody was happy with one another and what seemed to be was just a mark of the opposite (Roe 1998). The environment was covered with beauty and the aesthetics of the city of a higher standard. The city was covered with imaginations of beauty and the calmness of ethos and morality. The presence of God seemed to be part of the city and accommodation of diversity seemed to be an accepted and an appreciable fact. Church es and religious depictions were many in the city. The increasing number of churches could send one to an imagination that folks there were following religious values and virtue taught by Christ. This was contrary. People were walking into churches, and hypocritically proclaiming goodness but immediately they step out of the church doors, life was taken as normal and the selfish lifestyle took effect. The poet is

Assessment Centre Case Study 'University Reunion' Essay

Assessment Centre Case Study 'University Reunion' - Essay Example The major reason companies or businesses merge is to reduce or save on the production cost especially in the case of former competitors, generate capital for entering into the markets or launching products, and possessing technical knowledge and complementary practice needed to compete effectively in the market. (Sanders, 2012) Acquisitions and merger The term merger and acquisitions are usually used by several people as if they are synonyms of each other, but a slight difference exists between the two terms. According to Investopedia (2011), when a single company takes over another company and establishes itself clearly as the new owner, the sale or purchase is referred to as acquisition e.g. Panflow acquiring the Vatline Company. The force that allows for new business enhanced cost efficiencies is known as synergy. Synergy assumes the form of cost savings and revenue enhancement. When the companies merge, they hope to benefit from four major ways, which are also the ones that may g enerate issues if not handled well. These areas are economies of scale, acquisition of new technology, staff reductions, and improvement of industry visibility and market reach. Business issues The subject of employees is usually handled as a minor business issue while it has a huge role to play in the success of the merger or acquisition. John Reh (2012) refers to this issue as merger mania, and advocates for a successful management of people to achieve a successful merger. Bersin & Advocates (2010) supports this idea by presenting it from the perspective of HR consulting and outsourcing. The main reasons for a company acquiring another or merging are critical to the solutions of the business issues that may arise due to the company acquisition. Identifying the strategic reasons why Panflow acquired Vatline aids in concentrating on the synergies that Panflow may require for success. Common strategic reasons or objectives for acquisitions that range from complementary market and pro ducts, acquisition of key technology, gaining creative talent (from Vatline), and eliminating competitor are important in determining the solutions to the business issues. (Daunt, 2002: p.2) Merger pitfalls Gitelson et al (2001) identifies seven key areas that any merger needs to look into from the beginning in order to ensure success. These areas or pitfalls are preoccupation, list-making, organizational proliferation, irrelevant and infrequent communication, triangulation, relatives, and the guiding light. Technical issues The idea of merging organizations or companies always requires the technological integration between the two companies. Vatline and Panflow are utilizing different software and hardware platforms and making the same business units to function as one the companies require a technology in place that would enable the different systems to communicate at a machine level. (William, 2004) The easier way to attain this is for one group to migrate to the same technology functions as the other. The manner that should be followed in selecting the best technological platform to use would be considering the technological superiority of one of the systems over the other. Apart from the superiority of the technology, the major issue is supposed to be the ease at which the transition from one system to another would be achieved from the procedure, organizational structure, and

Unit 5 discussion art and hummanities Research Paper

Unit 5 discussion art and hummanities - Research Paper Example Instead of keeping the hopelessness to himself, he would even discourage the wife who at least had some fire (Yezierska, 1997). James Hughes Langston was born in 1902, in Missouri. He was raised by his grandmother following the divorce of his parents. At thirteen, he later moved to Illinois to join his mother who lived her husband. It was hear that James began his writing career as a poet. James Hughes after graduating from the University of Colombia, spent a couple of years participating in odd jobs such as launderer, busboy and seaman. His many works of poetry, plays, short stories and novels majorly revolved around the black life in America. He later succumbed to prostate cancer and hitherto, is remembered for his huge input on the works of literature. That affects people all over the world. There are some basic needs and desires that apply to the whole world and most people are bound to relate to a story that dwells on such. I perceived the poem as a cry for justice. The poet vented out the inequalities that existed in America, and personified most oppressed groups and the hopes and desires that lie within them. He does not end on a gloomy note since he offers hope that maybe someday this people will have equal opportunities when America becomes what it ought to be. The idea behind the poem is to show that to depict America as having the ideal of equality would be hypocritical. This is because most opportunities are taken up by the elite without regard to the lower classes of the community. In some instances, these opportunities are not even meant for them, they just grab them. Ted Kooser who was born in 1939 in Ames, Iowa received his first Bachelor degree in Arts from Iowa State and later earned his master’s degree in the same field from the University of Nebraska. He has authored and co-authored more than ten collections of poetry and books both fiction and non-fiction. Kooser’s works of poetry is

Biological Molecules Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Biological Molecules - Lab Report Example Because the functional groups exhibit characteristic chemical reactions that involve color changes, they can be used as the basis of both qualitative and quantitative assessments. Mash a sample of the imitation crab meat in some water with the homogenizer. Remove some of the liquid and place it in a clean test tube or other suitable glass container. To another such container add the equal amount of plain water. Test both solutions with diabetic glucose tests strips. Add Benedicts solution to both containers and heat using water bath. Observe color change identifying presence (or absence) of glucose in solution. A positive result with the water extract indicates that the imitation crab meat contains additional glucose and should be avoided by Granny. 1. Samples should be heated in Benedicts test to increase the rate of the reaction between the sugar and Benedicts reagent. Without heating the reaction may proceed only very slowly, which may lead to a false result. 2. The copper ions in the copper sulfate of Benedicts reagent bond non-covalently or coordinate to the aldehyde functional group of glucose and similar sugars. This facilitates an oxidation of the organic molecule to the carboxylic acid, and is accompanied by the formation of atomic copper by reduction of the copper ions. The presence of copper atoms in the solution is responsible for the observed color changes. Similarly, the copper ions in Biurets solution coordinate to an amide linkage of protein to form a large complex ion that is highly colored. The IKI reagent in the starch test can be thought of as a complex of potassium ions and iodide ions that have captured molecules of iodine (I2). The multiple -OH groups presence on the starch molecules bond non-covalently to the iodine molecules to form a very dark colored complex. 3. If KOH or NaOH were omitted from the Benedicts test, no result could be expected. The hydroxide ion must be present

The Speckled Band Essay Example for Free

The Speckled Band Essay Physically, he is described as having a huge stature and a face marked with every kind of evil passion. He is a typical villain and a bully, who, as in all classic murder mysteries, comes to the nasty end, which he undoubtedly deserves. There are many other ways in which The Speckled Band is a perfect illustration of this genre. The character of Sherlock Holmes is very clever and logical, an imaginative genius. Like a classic detective, he is observant and thorough and has incredible powers of deduction. When the murdered womans sister, Helen Stoner, arrives to meet Holmes, he concludes simply from looking at a few splatters of mud on her left sleeve that she has come by dog cart, as well as train. Miss Stoner is taken aback by this observation yet cant help being impressed by the mans calm self-confidence. Throughout the story we never see Holmes suffer from fright, suggesting he is adventurous and courageous in his investigations. This is very typical as it adds suspense for the reader who never knows what frightful situations the great detective may find himself in. He is cultured and lives the life of a gentleman and bachelor; this is expressed in his elegant and precise speech. As far as we know, Sherlock Holmes shares no emotional ties and lives alone, satisfied with a life of wealth and solving crimes. We see from the way in which he doesnt ask Miss Stoner for a fee, other than expenses, that money is not the reason he has chosen this lifestyle. He shows great passion and commitment to his work, another classic trait of the murder mystery detective. As to reward, my profession is its own reward. He is also physically strong, as illustrated when he bends the poker stick back to its original position and remarks, I am not so bulky, but if he had remained I might have shown him that my grip was not much more feeble than his own. This kind of strength may not be so evident in modern-day detectives. Holmes is courteous and well mannered, even when being rude to his enemies. His speech is always very articulate, as in the scene where Dr Roylott visits his flat to give an aggressive warning, and Sherlock Holmes simply replies, Your conversation is most entertaining When you go out close the door, for there is a decided draught. Conan Doyles detective has become a prototype for classic murder mystery stories, someone whom readers can respect and admire. As already mentioned, much of the atmosphere of a murder mystery derives from how the writer sets the scene and describes the physical nature of the setting. The Speckled Band is certainly a good example of this. On the night of Julias murder the wind was howling outside and the rain was beating and splashing against the windows. This intensifies the mood already created by Miss Stoners early description of the old manor house with only one inhabited wing. This early impression of the Stoners ancestral house at Stoke Maron is reinforced when Holmes and Watson arrive at the mansion. The suspense builds up as it is gradually conveyed. Our first impression, from a distance, is of a heavily timbered park stretched up in a gentle slope, thickening into a grove at the highest point. From amid the branches there jutted out the gray gables and high roof-tree of a very old mansion. It is only on approaching the building of gray litchen-blotched stone and two curving wings, like the claws of a crab, that we become aware of its sinister nature. This helps to create tension. The picture of ruin described by Conan-Doyle supports the notion of Julias murder. The menacing images suggest there are more horrors to come. As the two enter the scene of the crime/bedroom that night, Holmes whispers gently into Watsons ear that the least sound would be fatal to their plans and they must sit awake in the darkened bedroom, or their lives may depend on it. We are then taken through the long hours in the absolute darkness, listening to every sound that echoes in the night, until the pitch black is suddenly sliced by a momentary gleam of light. At the same time there is a smell of burning and the silence is broken by a gentle hissing sound. Like the famous detective and his companion, all our senses are alert as we brace ourselves for some ghastly revelation. We are further held on tenterhooks by Holmess face, deadly pale and filled with horror and loathing, as he lashes out at some invisible foe. This is followed by a blood-curdling cry that carried all the way to the village, raised sleepers from their beds and struck cold in their hearts. Like all classic murder mysteries, the story has reached a thrilling climax, to be followed by the detectives explanation of events, here learned from the account that Holmes gives to Watson. The detective runs through the case, pointing to where he at first went wrong before demonstrating his remarkable powers of deduction. For example, he initially came to an entirely erroneous conclusion, showing how dangerous it always is to reason from insufficient data. This is followed by a detailed description of what actually happened. As classic detective, Holmes leaves the reader impressed by his skills and surprised by the truth that is eventually revealed. LUCIA REED 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 Arthur Conan Doyle section.

Thurgood Marshall: Supreme Court Nomination and Confirmation

Thurgood Marshall: Supreme Court Nomination and Confirmation Thurgood Marshall began his career fighting for voting rights and equal housing for African Americans and fighting against racial and gender discrimination. As head of the Legal Defense and Education fund of the NAACP, he garnered an impressive success rate arguing cases before the Supreme Court, (Gibson 110), which likely earned him the appointed to the Second Circuit of the United States Court of Appeals by President Kennedy. In 1965 he was appointed Solicitor General by President Lyndon Johnson, and just two years later, on June 13, 1967, President Johnson nominated Marshall as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Marshall’s nomination led to heated debates in the Senate; opposition was primarily from southern senators who hailed from states where Jim Crow laws were still in force, despite the passage of the Civil Rights Act three years earlier. Senate hearing transcripts cited one senator’s grievance that Marshall’s past record as jurist and attorney led him to believe the appointment would cause a dangerous imbalance in the Court, as he would replace Justice Clark, who was viewed as a conservative. Ultimately, Marshall’s nomination was confirmed with a 69 to 11 vote, and 20 non-voters. (U. S. Senate 24656). Sworn in by Chief Justice Earl Warren, Thurgood Marshall became the first African American Justice in the history of the United States. The 96th Justice served from 1967 until his retirement in 1991. (Thurgood Marshall). Marshall was nominated to fill an anticipated vacancy in the Court due to the impending retirement of Justice Tom Campbell Clark. Clark was stepping down to avoid a conflict of interest caused by the appointment of his son, William Ramsey Clark, to the U.S. Attorney General position by President Johnson. Tom Clark had been the U.S. Attorney General from 1945 to 1949 before his own nomination to the Court by President Truman. Tom Clark had no prior judicial experience and Truman later expressed regret over his choice. (Dutton). Clark was viewed as a conservative, but turned out to be a swing voter. It is evident Johnson created the vacancy by design. In his remarks to the press, Johnson said of Marshall, â€Å"I believe he earned that appointment; he deserves the appointment. He is best qualified by training and by very valuable service to the country. I believe it is the right thing to do, the right time to do it, the right man and the right place.† (Peters and Woolley). It is noteworthy also, that both Marshall and Clark were nominated by Democratic Presidents in a Democratic controlled congress. (Lou Frey Institute). A liberal ideological shift took place in the Warren Court, most significantly when Justice Goldberg replaced Frankfurter and Marshall replaced Clark. (Grofman and Brazill 63-64). The amount of time between Supreme Court nominations and the final committee vote has varied significantly, from three days or less to 117 days, in the case of the 1916 nomination of Louis D. Brandeis. Between 1967 and 2009, from Marshall to Sotomayor, the Judiciary Committee has consistently taken more time; the average is around 50 days, but some took more than 80 days. (Bearden and Rutkus 13). The table below shows how the trend changed between the confirmation of Marshall and his predecessor, Tom Clark. Table 1 Nominee Pres Date rec’d in Senate Public Hearing Dates Final Vote Date Final Vote Date Final Action First Public Hearing Date Committee Final Vote Date Final Action Senate or President Tom Clark Truman 08/02/49 08/09/49 08/10/49 08/11/49 8/12/49 In Favor 9-2 08/18/49 Confirmed 73-8 7 10 16 Thurgood Marshall L Johnson 6/13/67 07/13/14 07/14/14 07/18/14 07/19/14 07/24/14 8/3/67 In Favor 11-5 08/30/67 Confirmed 69-11 30 51 78 Source: Bearden, Maureen and Steven Rutkus. Supreme Court Nominations, present-1789. Analysis. Washington: Congressional Research Service, 2009. Print. 23 Mar 2014, 34-35. In his book, Pathways to the U.S. Supreme Court: From the Arena to the Monastery, Garrison Nelson says, â€Å"44 of the first 88 Supreme Court nominations were previously governors, senators, members of the House or cabinet members.† The Nelson theory claims there are four paths to the Supreme Court. Of those four paths, however, the most common is vertically, as former judges in other courts. Justices elevate from this route 47.3% of the time. Marshall ascended by a less common path, by serving as Solicitor General. Nelson calls this the diagonal route; only 11.6% of Justices elevate by this route. (Reidel). So then, what is the appropriate role of the Senate in Supreme Court nominations? Should the voting public have a more active role in the nominations? Or should it be just left to the President? If left to the President without Senate consent, the nominees would be ideologically suited to the President his party. Since Justices have lifetime appointment and Presidents have term limits, this may cause conflict between the Court and future administrations. The Senate consent feature acts as a check and balance of the Executive as intended by the framers. Similarly, if the nomination is left to the voting population, individuals may not fully comprehend the impact of a decision based solely on popularity or publicity. Individuals may not balance their own personal views against the needs of society in making a decision. Furthermore, the average individual may not be qualified to determine the potential future legal effect a lifetime appointment on the laws of the country. The American B ar Association reports that in 2012, a mere .26% of the U.S. population consists of a combination of lawyers, law students and law professors. (American Bar Association). Using census data from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics and including a more generous pool of the population to include lawyers, law students, law professors, clerks, judges, paralegals and other legal support positions, while narrowing the scope to include only the employed portion of the population, the number is still a meager 0.36% of persons who have some knowledge of the law and courts. (Bureau of Labor and Statistics). Over 100 years ago, Finley Peter Dunnes infamous Mr. Dooley uttered the proclamation, â€Å"No matter whether th Constitution follows th flag or not, th Supreme Court follows th illiction returns.† (Dunne 26). One study linked constituent opinion to Senate voting patterns and researched how the visibility of the roll-call during Senate confirmation hearings influenced outcomes. Senators tend to vote against nominees with controversial policies. Stakes are high in the competition for re-election and senators must be responsive to the views of their constituents. (Kastellec, Lax and Phillips 676,782,783). Despite these results, the intent of the Senate’s role in the process is still sound. Senators are elected officials, representing their constituents. Although Senators tend to vote based on their own views and their interpretation of the nominees views, they also factor in the views of their constituents and the balance of the Court. And finally, Senate consent fulfils the Legislative check and balance requirement on the Executive branch of government as required under the Constitution. Since Marshall supported similar positions on civil rights issues as his predecessor Clark, the argument that Marshall would create a dangerous imbalance in the Court was moot. Although Justice Clark was viewed as a conservative, he was often the swing vote, supporting landmark cases such as Mapp v. Ohio, which applied the Fourth Amendment exclusionary rule to the states, and Abington School District v. Schempp, nullifying daily Bible readings in public schools. Clark also supported the end of racial segregation and joined the unanimous decisions in Brown v. Board of Education. (Reger). Marshall was an influential figure in the civil rights movement, always pursuing the goal of racial equality. His liberal opinions challenged race and gender discrimination, opposed the death penalty, supported the rights of criminal defendants, and defended affirmative action and abortion rights. â€Å"As a Supreme Court Justice, Thurgood Marshall believed the Constitution was a living document that should be interpreted based on the current political, cultural, and moral climate.† (Maki 4). References American Bar Association. Lawyer Demographics. Statistical. Washington: American Bar Association, 2012. Print. Bearden, Maureen and Steven Rutkus. Supreme Court Nominations, present-1789. Analysis. Washington: Congressional Research Service, 2009. Print. 23 Mar 2014. Bureau of Labor and Statistics. Household Data Annual Averages. Statistical. Washington: Government Printing Office, 2013. Print. Dunne, Finley P. Mr. Dooley’s Opinions. New York: R.H. Russell, 1901. Print. Dutton, C. B. MR. Justice Tom C. Clark. Indiana Law Journal 26.2 (1951): 169-206. Print. Gibson, Larry. Young Thurgood: The Making of a Supreme Court Justice. New York: Prometheus Books, 2012. Print. Grofman, Bernard and Timothy J. Brazill. Identifying the median justice on the Supreme Court through multidimensional scaling: Analysis of â€Å"natural courts†. Public Choice 112 (2002): 55-79. Print. Kastellec, Jonathan P., Jeffrey R. Lax and Justin H. Phillips. Public Opinion and Senate Confirmation of Supreme Court Nominees. The Journal of Politics 72.3 (2010): 767-784. Print. Lou Frey Institute. Composition of Congress by Political Party 1855–2013. 2014. Majority and Minority Party Membership Other Resources. Internet. 23 Mar. 2014. Maki, Lisa A. Thurgood Marshall. Research paper. University of North Florida. Jacksonville, 2014. Print. Peters, Gerhard and John Woolley. Lyndon B. Johnson: Remarks to the Press Announcing the Nomination of Thurgood Marshall as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. 13 Jun. 1967. The American Presidency Project. Internet. 23 Mar. 2014. Reger, Marianne. Meet The NJC’s Founder: U.S. Supreme Court Justice Tom C. Clark. 12 Sep. 2012. Judges.org. Internet. 23 Mar 2014. Reidel, Jon. Path to Supreme Court Runs Through Judicial Monastery. 21 Jan. 2014. University of Vermont. Internet. 15 Feb. 2014. http://www.uvm.edu/~uvmpr/?Page=newsstoryID=17580category=uvmhome>. Texas v. Johnson. No. 491 U.S. 397. U.S. Supreme Court. 21 Jun. 1989. Internet. 15 Feb. 2014. http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3498200303.html>. Thurgood Marshall. The Biography Channel. 2014. Internet. 15 Feb. 2014. http://www.biography.com/people/thurgood-marshall-9400241>. U. S. Senate. Senate Confirmation Hearings-Marshall. Congressional Record. Washington: Government Printing Office, 30 Aug. 1967. Internet.

Is it Time to Change the Humanities Requirement? Essay -- Expository E

Is it Time to Change the Humanities Requirement? The University’s Humanities Core represents a vital though enigmatic aspect of the curricular philosophy. Considering that the Core seems so anomalous compared to the curricula of similar universities, it is interesting to note that the Humanities Core seems to have an especially distinguished significance. For example, humanities is the only sequence which is taken almost uniformly by first year students; it is also one of two or three Core sequences that cannot be replaced by AP credits or placement tests. Perhaps most importantly, the humanities requirement may be the only part of the Core that seems to be almost universally perceived as having no application outside of the Ivory Tower. Thus we are faced with the difficult question of what distinguishes the Humanities Core from other pursuits and why it is that the University, an institution that prides itself on academic commitment and prowess, continues to place special emphasis on it. In order to confront this difficult question I will first consider the Humanities Core generally and attempt to decipher its value in terms of content and then in terms of utility; I will then turn my attention to a specific work studied in the Humanities Core and attempt to make sense of its inclusion in the curriculum. As a second-year student, I have pretty fresh memories of my experience in the Humanities Core. I took the auspiciously titled Human Being and Citizen, and although I lacked the perspective held by a student enrolled in, say, Reading Cultures or Greek Thought, I believe that HBC provides an experience which is perhaps most easily generalized in regard to University’s first-year humanities experience. This is because HBC s... ...t books† course like HBC. Although the other sequences may address more particular issues, there is clearly an interest in tracing facets of the intellectual tradition which are independent of content or utility: Philosophical Perspectives explores the pre-Socratic philosophical evolution which laid the groundwork for our western philosophical tradition; Readings in World Literature examines the work of authors—Toni Morrison, for example—who have addressed enduring and complex literary questions in unique ways, thus affecting the way in which these questions are conceptualized. Perhaps having a frame of reference which incorporates these thinkers is necessary if we want to understand and shape our own surroundings and thus an indispensable part of a comprehensive education. NOTES *Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, Translation by Martin Oswald, Prentice-Hall, 1962.

The Brandenburg Gate Essay -- History Construction Architecture Essays

The Brandenburg Gate The Brandenburg Gate is the trademark of Berlin and over the coarse of its life has been the symbol of peace, victory, power, division, hope, and a united Germany. The gate is a symbol for Germany much like the Eiffel tower is a symbol for France. The gate is located on the Pariser Platz. It is the only gate of a series of gates that once stood in Berlin. The gate is located on Berlin’s most famous street the "Unter den Linden," or "Under the Lime Trees." This street is straight as an arrow, a mile in length and leads directly to the royal residence. Due to these conditions the gate is visible from a great distance. Karl Gotthard Langhans was the designer of The original Brandenburg Gate which was commissioned by Friedrich Wilhelm II to represent peace. It was designed after the Propylea, which is the gateway to the Acropolis in Athens, Greece. The Gate was built out of sandstone and construction lasted from1788 to 1791. The Brandenburg gate is about 70 feet in height and 200 feet in breadth, consisting of twelve Greek Doric columns, six on each side. There are five roadways through the gate, although originally ordinary citizens were only allowed to use the outer two and the central one was reserved for carriages of royalty only. Above the gate is the Quadriga, consisting of the goddess of peace, Eirene, a winged woman driving a four horse chariot in triumph. This Quadriga is a casting made of bronze. The most important sculptor in Berlin during this period was chosen to carry out the necessary sculpting work. His work Personifies virtues like friendship and statesmanship, along with symbols o f arts and sciences, because these are things that make a city bloom in times of peace (source 2). The desi... ...ate is probably the most well-known landmark in Berlin; it now stands as a symbol of the reunification of the two sides of this great city. An interesting structural note about the Brandenburg Gate is that it sways about one centimeter because of the passing of trucks, subway trains, and cars blaring loud music. Today's international visitors to Pariser Platz come to re-experience this first gateway to the city, and to enjoy the long-denied freedom to walk through this magnificent work of art. Work Cited 1.) http://www.berlin-landmarks.com/brandenburg_gate.html , October 19 2.) http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Brandenburg_Gate, October 19 3.) http://www.stadtentwicklung.berlin.de/denkmal/denkmale_in_berlin/en/unter_den_l inden/brandenburger_tor.shtml, October 19 4.) http://www.berlin-hotels.com/eng/guide/sights/brandenburggate.html, October 19

Measurements/Assessments Paper -- Research Methodology

Measurements/Assessments Paper Instrument, Data Analysis, and Reporting Plan In phenomenological research, the researcher is the instrument, but the data collected through interviews, participant observations, questionnaires, case studies, or focus groups is the actual data source from which the researcher retrieves her information (Patton, 2002). The phenomenological researcher believes that language is the principal avenue through which understanding is formed and communicated, and therefore the meanings of individual experiences can be captured through communication (Patton, 2002; Schram, 2006). Upon investigation of all the methods available for data collection, this researcher selected face-to-face interviews using specific questions retrieved from a pre-existing peer-reviewed questionnaire modified to address the focus of the proposed study. The purpose of these interviews will be to convey the essence or fundamental meaning (Moustakas, 1994) of speech-language pathologists’ experiences and perceptions regarding their academic and clinical pre paration for assessment and treatment of stuttering. A licensed and clinically certified speech-language pathologist will conduct all interviews, and each interview session will be audio taped and transcribed verbatim. The speech-language pathologists participating in the study will be asked to provide detailed descriptions of their lived experiences with academic course work preparation and clinical opportunities for the assessment and treatment of stuttering and these descriptions will be used as raw data for analysis. The responses of the speech-language pathologists will be prompted by the researcher’s questions. The face-to-face interview process will allow the speech-la... ...s, CA: Sage. Moustakas, C. (1994). Phenomenological research methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Onwuebuzie, A. J., & Leech, N. L. (2007, Feb). A call for qualitative power analysis. Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology ,41(1) 105-121, Retrieved January 15, 2010, from PsycINFO database. doi: 10.1007/s11135-005-1098- Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative research & evaluation methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Schram, T. H. (2006). Conceptualizing and proposing qualitative research. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall. Shank, G. D. (2006). Qualitative research: A personal skills approach. NJ: Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall. Writing @ CSU. (2010). Introduction to content analysis. Retrieved July 24, 2010, from Writing @ CSU: http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/research/content/pop2a.cfm

Ordinary People

Ordinary people 1. What is dialectic? Dialectic is like treat people with  borderline personality disorder. It explains relational life as full of pus-pull tensions resulting from the desire for polar opposites. Autonomy and Connection It desire to be independent or dependence while simultaneously wanting to feel connection with the partner EX: Beth and Calvin have the connection dialectic when they decide to go on a vacation together. Conrad has autonomy dialectic after he argued with his mom down stair and went to his room, he want to be alone.Novelty and Predictability They manifest in our simultaneous desires for excitement or stability in our relationship,—- Novelty is excitement, new. Predictability is stable, same routine. EX: in the film, Conrad has Novelty dialectic when he met his friend, Jen. The mother, Beth, has Predictability dialectic because she always keeps thinking about Buck’s dead was not happened; she always thought nothing was happened. Public an d Private It is the tension between how much of a friendship is demonstrated in public and private.EX: in the movie, when Conrad when to the restaurant with Jen, he has the public dialectic, he is openness at the beginning at the restaurant. But when Jeannie’s friends came in the restaurant, Conrad changed his dialectic into Private and does not like to talk at all. 2. System theory Wholeness: a principle that states that we can not understand a system by simply picking it apart. An undivided or unbroken completeness or totality with nothing wanting Interdependence: dependence  between  two  or  more  people,  groups,  or  thingsEX: Conrad’s dependence between his parents, friends. Hierarchy: the organization of people at different ranks in an administrative body * In the film, it does not show any rank in the family, every one look like in the same rank. Boundaries or Openness: a line determining the limits of an area, creating a boundary around each s eparate system. EX: in the movie, Conrad tell Dr. Berger how he feel about his family and his sadness. Calibration or feedback: the process of system setting their parameters, checking on themselves and self-correcting. Conrad quit his swimming team because he can not handle his stress while swimming. Equifinality: the ability to achieve the same goals by variety of means. 3. Mark knapp’s model of relationship. a). Conrad and Jeannie Pratts’ relationship in the Initiating Stage, they notice each other when they just meet in school. They are also in Experimenting Stage, Conrad called her and want to date her, she accepted it. This mean they understand what they want. b) Ordinary People Family cooperation is one of the most important things that keep the family running smooth and keeping the family happy. In the novel Ordinary People written by Judith Guest, she showed that a family cannot function properly without communications and caring of each other. Lack of these things would usually results in family separation. In the novel’s case, it didn’t turn out to be a disaster but it turn out to be another happy thing for this family. At some point of the novel, the relationship between Beth and Calvin began to fall apart because of their different personalities. This situation happen after Conrad committed suicide. This problem seems to hinder Beth because she doesn’t want to be reminded of the incident and Calvin always wants to talk about this problem. Whenever Calvin asks Beth to talk about their problems, Beth always asks Calvin to forget about it. Beth is a person who always wants things turn out the way she wanted and if things doesn’t turn out the way she wanted she will get mad. On the other hand, Calvin is a person that tries to do his best for his kids because he doesn’t have a father when he was little and the most he could do is ask Conrad â€Å"how are your day? † Conrad is Beth and Calvin’s son. They had another son but he got killed accidently on a boat. Conrad thinks Beth hates him because he committed suicide. In the book, Beth and Conrad rarely talks and their mother and son relationship doesn’t seem to exist. When Conrad once tried to tell Beth about his swimming meets, Beth just slammed the door and this made Conrad feels sad. Conrad and Calvin’s relationship wasn’t in terms of son and father wasn’t that bad. At least Calvin cares about Conrad more than Beth does. I have a problem similar to Conrad where whenever I want to tell something to my parents, they listen but they don’t understand the things that I’m talking about then when I ask for their opinions they always say do whatever things that you think its right. The reason that I tell my parents something is because I don’t understand what do to and they seem to not care and want me to figure out my self. Then I ask my parents individually, I talked to my father first, he seems interested enough to listen to what I was talking about then when I was done and ask him for his opinion he started to tell me about his childhood and that he always have to make decisions on his own without anyone’s help. After that I talked to my mother, she is a careful person and she seems to know what do to on everything. I told her my problem and she listened carefully then when I was done talking and ask her for opinions, she gave me her opinions and advices to my problem. It seems to me that not everyone in the family will know what to do but there always will be at least one person that tries to help you like Calvin helps Conrad and my mother helps me. Communication is the key in family. When family communicate, they don’t hide things, they let people know what they feel and how someone could help them. It also makes the family closer. If people don’t communicate, they can’t get things over like Beth does.

Investment Banking Essay

â€Å"A specific division of banking related to the creation of capital for other companies. Investment banks underwrite new debt and equity securities for all types of corporations. Investment banks also provide guidance to issuers regarding the issue and placement of stock†. Investment banking involves raising money (capital) for companies and governments, usually by issuing securities. Securities or financial instruments include equity or ownership instruments such as stocks where investors own a share of the issuing concern and therefore are entitled to profits. They also include debt instruments such as bonds, where the issuing concern borrows money from investors and promises to repay it at a certain date with interest. Companies typically issue stock when they first go public through initial public offerings (IPOs), and they may issue stock and bonds periodically to fund such enterprises as research, new product development, and expansion. Companies seeking to go public must register with the Securities and Exchange Commission and pay registration fees, which cover accountant and lawyer expenses for the preparation of registration statements. A registration statement describes a company’s business and its plans for using the money raised, and it includes a company’s financial statements. Before stocks and bonds are issued, investment bankers perform due diligence examinations, which entail carefully evaluating a company’s worth in terms of money and equipment (assets) and debt (liabilities). This examination requires the full disclosure of a company’s strengths and weaknesses. The company pays the investment banker after the securities deal is completed and these fees often range from 3 to 7 percent of what a company raises, depending on the type of transaction. Investment banks aid companies and governments in selling securities as well as investors in purchasing securities, managing invest ments, and trading securities. Investment banks take the form of brokers or agents who purchase and sell securities for their clients; dealers or principals who buy and sell securities for their personal interest in turning a profit; and broker-dealers who do both. The primary service provided by investment banks is underwriting, which refers to guaranteeing a company a set price for the securities it plans to issue. If the securities fail to sell for the set price, the investment bank pays the company the difference. Therefore, investment banks must carefully determine the set price by considering the expectations of the company and the state of the market for the securities. In addition, investment banks provide a plethora of other services including financial advising, acquisition advising, divestiture advising, buying and selling securities, interest-rate swapping, and debt-for-stock swapping. Nevertheless, most of the revenues of investment banks come from underwriting, selling securities, and setting up merg ers and acquisitions. When companies need to raise large amounts of capital, a group of investment banks often participate, which are referred to as syndicates. Syndicates are hierarchically structured and the members of syndicates are grouped according to three functions: managing, underwriting, and selling. Managing banks sit at the top of the hierarchy, conduct due diligence examinations, and receive management fees from the companies. Underwriting banks receive fees for sharing the risk of securities offerings. Finally, selling banks function as brokers within the syndicate and sell the securities, receiving a fee for each share they sell. Nevertheless, managing and underwriting banks usually also sell securities. All major investment banks have a syndicate department, which concentrates on recruiting members for syndicates managed by their firms and responding to recruitments from other firms. A variety of legislation, mostly from the 1930s, governs investment banking. These laws require public compa nies to fully disclose information on their operations and financial position, and they mandate the separation of commercial and investment banking. The latter mandate, however, has been relaxed over the intervening years as commercial banks have entered the investment banking market. An investment bank is a financial institution that assists individuals, corporations and governments in raising capital by underwriting and/or acting as the client’s agent in the issuance of securities. An investment bank may also assist companies involved in mergers and acquisitions, and provide ancillary services such as market making, trading of derivatives, fixed income instruments, foreign exchange, commodities, and equity securities. Unlike commercial banks and retail banks, investment banks do not take deposits. From 1933 (Glass–Steagall Act) until 1999 (Gramm–Leach–Bliley Act), the United States maintained a separation between investment banking and commercial banks. Other industrialized countries, including G8 countries, have historically not maintained such a separation. There are two main lines of business in i nvestment banking. Trading securities for cash or for other securities (i.e., facilitating transactions, market-making), or the promotion of securities (i.e., underwriting, research, etc.) is the â€Å"sell side†, while dealing with pension funds, mutual funds, hedge funds, and the investing public (who consume the products and services of the sell-side in order to maximize their return on investment) constitutes the â€Å"buy side†. Many firms have buy and sell side components. An investment bank can also be split into private and public functions with a Chinese wall which separates the two to prevent information from crossing. The private areas of the bank deal with private insider information that may not be publicly disclosed, while the public areas such as stock analysis deal with public information. An advisor who provides investment banking services in the United States must be a licensed broker-dealer and subject to Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) and Financial Industry Reg ulatory Authority (FINRA) regulation. Investment banking is a field of banking that aids companies in acquiring funds. In addition to the of new funds, investment banking also offers advice for a wide range of transactions a company might engage in. In commercial banking, the institution collects deposits from clients and gives direct loans to businesses and individuals. In the United States, it was illegal for a bank to have both commercial and investment banking until 1999, when the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act legalized it. Through investment banking, an institution generates funds in two different ways. They may draw on public funds through the capital market by selling stock in their company, and they may also seek out venture capital or private equity in exchange for a stake in their company. Investment bankers give companies advice on mergers and acquisitions, for example. They also track the market in order to give advice on when to make public offerings and how best to manage the business’ public assets. Some of the consultative activities investment banking firms engage in overlap with those of a private brokerage, as they will often give buy-and-sell advice to the companies they represent. The line between investment banking and other forms of banking has blurred in recent years, as deregulation allows banking institutions to take on more and more sectors. With the advent of mega-banks which operate at a number of levels, many of the services often associated with investment banking are being made available to clients who would otherwise be too small to make their business profitable. Careers in investment banking are lucrative and one of the most sought after positions in the money markets. A career in investment banking involves extensive travelling, gruelling hours and an often cut-throat lifestyle. While highly competitive and time intensive, investment banking also offers an exciting lifestyle with huge financial incentives that are a draw to many people. HISTORY & DEVELOPMENT OF INVESTMENT BANKING: Investment banking began in the United States around the middle of the 19th century. Prior to this period, auctioneers and merchants—particularly those of Europe—provided the majority of the financial services. The mid-1800s were marked by the country’s greatest economic growth. To fund this growth, U.S. companies looked to Europe and U.S. banks became the intermediaries that secured capital from European investors for U.S. companies. Up until World War I, the United States was a debtor nation and U.S. investment bankers had to rely on European investment bankers and investors to share risk and underwrite U.S. securities. For example, investment bankers such as John Pierpont (J. P.) Morgan (1837-1913) of the United States would buy U.S. securities and resell them in London for a higher price. During this period, U.S. investment banks were linked to European banks. These connections included J.P. Morgan & Co. and George Peabody & Co. (based in London); Kidder, Pea body & Co. and Barling Brothers (based in London); and Kuhn, Loeb, & Co. and the Warburgs (based in Germany). Since European banks and investors could not assess businesses in the United States easily, they worked with their U.S. counterparts to monitor the success of their investments. U.S. investment bankers often would hold seats on the boards of the companies issuing the securities to supervise operations and make sure dividends were paid. Companies established long-term relationships with particular investment banks as a consequence. In addition, this period saw the development of two basic components of investment banking: underwriting and syndication. Because some of the companies seeking to sell securities during this period, such as railroad and utility companies, required substantial amounts of capital, investment bankers began under-writing the securities, thereby guaranteeing a specific price for them. If the shares failed to fetch the set price, the investments banks covered the difference. Underwriting allowed companies to raise the funds they needed by issuing a sufficient amo unt of shares without inundating the market so that the value of the shares dropped. Because the value of the securities they underwrote frequently surpassed their financial limits, investment banks introduced syndication, which involved sharing risk with other investment banks. Further, syndication enabled investment banks to establish larger networks to distribute their shares and hence investment banks began to develop relationships with each other in the form of syndicates. The syndicate structure typically included three to five tiers, which handled varying degrees of shares and responsibilities. The structure is often thought of as a pyramid with a few large, influential investment banks at the apex and smaller banks below. In the first tier, the â€Å"originating broker† or â€Å"house of issue† (now referred to as the manager) investigated companies, determined how much capital would be raised, set the price and number of shares to be issued, and decided when the shares would be issued. The originating broker often handled the largest volume of shares and eventually began charging fees for its services. In the second tier, the purchase syndicate took a smaller number of shares, often at a slightly higher price such as I percent or 0.5 percent higher. In the third tier, the banking syndicate took an even smaller amount of shares at a price higher than that paid by the purchase syndicate. Depending on the size of the issue, other tiers could be added such as the â€Å"selling syndicate† and â€Å"selling group.† Investment banks in these tiers of the syndicate would just sell shares, but would not agree to sell a specific amount. Hence, they functioned as brokers who bought and sold shares on commission from their customers. From the mid-i800s to the early 1900s, J. P. Morgan was the most influential investment banker. Morgan could sell U.S. bonds overseas that the U.S. Department of the Treasury failed to sell and he led the financing of the railroad. H e also raised funds for General Electric and United States Steel. Nevertheless, Morgan’s control and influence helped cause a number of stock panics, including the panic of 1901. Morgan and other powerful investment bankers became the target of the muckrakers as well as of inquiries into stock speculations. These investigations included the Armstrong insurance investigation of 1905, the Hughes investigation of 1909, and the Money Trust investigation of 1912. The Money Trust investigation led to most states adopting the so-called blue-sky laws, which were designed to deter investment scams by start-up companies. The banks responded to these investigations and laws by establishing the Investment Bankers Association to ensure the prudent practices among investment banks. These investigations also led to the creation of the Federal Reserve System in 1913. Beginning about the time World War I broke out, the United States became a creditor nation and the roles of Europe and the United States switched to some extent. Companies in other countries now turned to the United States for investment banking. During the 1920s, the number and value of securities offerings increased when investment banks began raising money for a variety of emerging industries: automotive, aviation, and radio. Prior to World War 1, securities issues peaked at about $ 1 million, but afterwards issues of more than $20 million were frequent. The banks, however, became mired in speculation during this period as over 1 million investors bought stocks on margin, that is, with money borrowed from the banks. In addition, the large banks began speculating with the money of their depositors and commercial banks made forays into underwriting. The stock market crashed on October 29, 1929, and commercial and investment banks lost $30 billion by mid-November. While the crash only affected bankers, brokers, and some investors and while most people still had their jobs, the crash brought about a credit crunch. Credit became so scarce that by 1931 more than 500 U.S. banks folded, as the Great Depression continued. As a result, investment banking all but frittered away. Securities issues no longer took place for the most part and few people could afford to invest or would be willing to invest in the stock market, which kept sinking. Because of crash, the government launched an investigation led by Ferdinand Pecora, which became known as the Pecora Investigation. After exposing the corrupt practices of commercial and investment banks, the investigation led to the establishment of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as well as to the signing of the Banking Act of 1933, also known as the Glass-Steagall Act. The SEC became responsible for regulating and overseeing in-vesting in public companies. The Glass-Steagall Act mandated the separation of commercial and investment banking and from then—until the late 1980—banks had to choose between the two enterprises. Further legislation grew out of this period, too. The Revenue Act of 1932 raised the tax on stocks and required taxes on bonds, which made the practice of raising prices in the different tiers of the syndicate system no longer feasible. The Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 required investment banks to make full disclosures of securities offerings in investment prospectuses and charged the SEC with reviewing them. This legislation also required companies to regularly file financial statements in order to make known changes in their financial position. As a result of these acts, bidding for investment banking projects became competitive as companies began to select the lowest bidders and not rely on major traditional companies such as Morgan Stanley and Kuhn, Loeb. The last major effort to clean up the investment banking industry came with the U.S. v. Morgan case in 1953. This case was a government antitrust investigation into the practices of 17 of the top investment banks. The court, however, sided with the defendant investment banks, concluding that they had not conspired to monopolize the U.S. securities industry and to prevent new entrants beginning around 1915, as the government prosecutors argued. By the 1950s, investment banking began to pick up as the economy continued to prosper. This growth surpassed that of the 1920s. Consequently, major corporations sought new financing during this period. General Motors, for example, made a stock offering of $325 million in 1955, which was the largest stock offering to that time. In addition, airlines, shopping malls, and governments began raising money by selling securities around this time. During the 1960s, high-tech electronics companies spurred on investment banking. Companies such as Texas Instruments and Electronic Data Systems led the way in securities offerings. Established investment houses such as Morgan Stanley did not handle these issues; rather, Wall Street newcomers such as Charles Plohn & Co. did. The established houses, however, participated in the conglomeration trend of the 1950s and 1960s by helping consolidating companies negotiate deals. The stock market collapse of 1969 ushered in a new era of economic problems which continued through the 1970s, stifling banks and investment houses. The recession of the 1970s brought about a wave of mergers among investment brokers. Investment banks began to expand their services during this period, by setting up retail operations, expanding into international markets, investing in venture capital, and working with insurance companies. While investment bankers once worked for fixed commissions, they have been negotiating fees with investors since 1975, when the SEC opted to deregulate investment banker fees. This deregulation also gave rise to discount brokers, who undercut the prices of established firms. In addition, investment banks started to implement computer technology in the 1970s and 1980s in order to automate and expedite operations. Furthermore, investment banking became much more competitive as investment bankers could no longer wait for clients to come to them, but had to endeavour to win new clients and retain old ones. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE & CORE BANKING ACTIVITIES: Investment banking is split into front office, middle office, and back office activities. While large service investment banks offer all lines of business, both sell side and buy side, smaller sell side investment firms such as boutique investment banks and small broker-dealers focus on investment banking and sales/trading/research, respectively. Investment banks offer services to both corporations issuing securities and investors buying securities. For corporations, investment bankers offer information on when and how to place their securities on the open market, an activity very important to an investment bank’s reputation. Therefore, investment bankers play a very important role in issuing new security offerings. Front Office: Investment Banking: Corporate finance is the traditional aspect of investment banks which also involves helping customers raise funds in capital markets and giving advice on mergers and acquisitions (M&A). This may involve subscribing investors to a security issuance, coordinating with bidders, or negotiating with a merger target. Another term for the investment banking division is corporate finance, and its advisory group is often termed mergers and acquisitions. A pitch book of financial information is generated to market the bank to a potential M&A client; if the pitch is successful, the bank arranges the deal for the client. The investment banking division (IBD) is generally divided into industry coverage and product coverage groups. Industry coverage groups focus on a specific industry, such as healthcare, industrials, or technology, and maintain relationships with corporations within the industry to bring in business for a bank. Product coverage groups focus on financial products, such as mergers and acquisitions, leveraged finance, public finance, asset finance and leasing, structured finance, restructuring, equity, and high-grade debt and generally work and collaborate with industry groups on the more intricate and specialized needs of a client. Sales and Trading: On behalf of the bank and its clients, a large investment bank’s primary function is buying and selling products. In market making, traders will buy and sell financial products with the goal of making money on each trade. Sales is the term for the investment bank’s sales force, whose primary job is to call on institutional and high-net-worth investors to suggest trading ideas (on a caveat emptor basis) and take orders. Sales desks then communicate their clients’ orders to the appropriate trading desks, which can price and execute trades, or structure new products that fit a specific need. Structuring has been a relatively recent activity as derivatives have come into play, with highly technical and numerate employees working on creating complex structured products which typically offer much greater margins and returns than underlying cash securities. In 2010, investment banks came under pressure as a result of selling complex derivatives contracts to local municipalities in Europe and the US. Strategists advise external as well as internal clients on the strategies that can be adopted in various markets. Ranging from derivatives to specific industries, strategists place companies and industries in a quantitative framework with full consideration of the macroeconomic scene. This strategy often affects the way the firm will operate in the market, the direction it would like to take in terms of its proprietary and flow positions, the suggestions salespersons give to clients, as well as the way structures create new products. Banks also undertake risk through proprietary trading, performed by a special set of traders who do not interface with clients and through â€Å"principal risk†Ã¢â‚¬â€risk undertaken by a trader after he buys or sells a product to a client and does not hedge his total exposure. Banks seek to maximize profitability for a given amount of risk on their balance sheet. The necessity for numerical ability in sales and trading has created jobs for physics, mathematics and engineering Ph.D.s who act as quantitative analysts. Equity Research: The research division reviews companies and writes reports about their prospects, often with â€Å"buy† or â€Å"sell† ratings. While the research division may or may not generate revenue (based on policies at different banks), its resources are used to assist traders in trading, the sales force in suggesting ideas to customers, and investment bankers by covering their clients. Research also serves outside clients with investment advice (such as institutional investors and high net worth individuals) in the hopes that these clients will execute suggested trade ideas through the sales and trading division of the bank, and thereby generate revenue for the firm. There is a potential conflict of interest between the investment bank and its analysis, in that published analysis can affect the bank’s profits. Hence in recent years the relationship between investment banking and research has become highly regulated, requiring a Chinese wall between public and private fun ctions. Asset Management:[pic] The asset management division manages money for institutions, such as mutual funds, and wealthy individuals. The business is divided into three sub-divisions. Asset Management Division has the responsibility to co-ordinate and facilitate in term of Strategic and Development Programme in Asset Management. Data Management, Performance Managing and Information in Asset Management. †¢ Fund Management: This division manages a number of funds, each with a different focus and strategy. For example: the asset management division may have three funds, one focused on private equity investments in emerging markets, another dealing with arbitrage trades, and yet another that buys and holds corporate debt. Clients can choose to place their money with either of these funds. Some banks, such as Bank of New York Mellon, manage exchange-traded funds that are accessible to retail investors. The bank earns revenue by charging a fee for assets under management, and sometimes by charging a commission based on returns. †¢ Private Banking and Wealth Management: The division manages banking activities of extremely wealthy individuals. Apart from providing regular banking services, such as check clearing, the division also advise such individuals on tax strategy and investments. They work closely with other parts of the asset management division to provide a comprehensive service, e.g. work with fund management to invest in different strategies. †¢ Prime Brokerage: The division deals with professional asset managers, such as mutual funds and hedge funds. Their services include executing trades on behalf of these clients, holding custody of their assets, and advising them on potential opportunities. For example: When Berkshire Hathaway (BRK) needs to buy a certain security from public markets, it uses a prime broker to buy and hold the security on its behalf. The division works closely with the Sales and Trading division. Additionally, the prime brokerage can also help its clients (hedge funds) to find investors. Middle Office: This area of the bank includes risk management, treasury management, internal controls, and corporate strategy. Risk management involves analyzing the market and credit risk that traders are taking onto the balance sheet in conducting their daily trades, and setting limits on the amount of capital that they are able to trade in order to prevent â€Å"bad† trades having a detrimental effect on a desk overall. Another key Middle Office role is to ensure that the economic risks are captured accurately (as per agreement of commercial terms with the counterparty), correctly (as per standardized booking models in the most appropriate systems) and on time (typically within 30 minutes of trade execution). In recent years the risk of errors has become known as â€Å"operational risk† and the assurance Middle Offices provide now includes measures to address this risk. When this assurance is not in place, market and credit risk analysis can be unreliable and open to deliberate manipulation. Additionally, corporate treasury is responsible for an investment bank’s funding, capital structure management, and liquidity risk monitoring. Financial control tracks and analyzes the capital flows of the firm, the Finance division is the principal adviser to senior management on essential areas such as controlling the firm’s global risk exposure and the profitability and structure of the firm’s various businesses via dedicated trading desk product control teams. In the United States and United Kingdom, a Financial Controller is a senior position, often reporting to the Chief Financial Officer. Corporate strategy, along with risk, treasury, and controllers, also often falls under the finance division. Back Office: Operations: This involves data-checking trades that have been conducted, ensuring that they are not erroneous, and transacting the required transfers. Many banks have outsourced operations. It is, however, a critical part of the bank. Due to increased competition in finance related careers, college degrees are now mandatory at most Tier 1 investment banks. A finance degree has proved significant in understanding the depth of the deals and transactions that occur across all the divisions of the bank. Technology: Every major investment bank has considerable amounts of in-house software, created by the technology team, who are also responsible for technical support. Technology has changed considerably in the last few years as more sales and trading desks are using electronic trading. Some trades are initiated by complex algorithms for hedging purposes. Firms are responsible for compliance with government regulations and internal regulations. †¢ Principal Investing and Proprietary Trading:[pic] Investment banks have attempted to increase their return on equity by investing their own capital into certain ventures. The bank invests its own capital by taking a equity or debt stake in corporations with the aim of influencing the management. The motive is very similar to that private equity investors — the bank tries to profit by turning around companies. The bank can also take short-term positions in the market with its own capital. This is known as proprietary trading, and the bank attempts to earn a profit by correctly predicting market movements. Proprietary trading is very different from normal sales and trading operations — where the banks revenue is primarily dependent on the volume of trade it executes on behalf of its client. The notion of the bank risking its own capital can be traced back ever since banking was invented. J.P. Morgan, founder of J P Morgan Chase, was an extremely successful investor. However, in recent years, Goldman Sachs has been the leader in this field — in 2007, the bank profited greatly from the proprietary trades that it made against the sub-prime market. In many cases, the banks allow other investors to invest in such ventures (and charge a management fee). This puts them in direct competitor with hedge funds and private equity firms for both investors and investing opportunities. INVESTMENT BANKING IN THE 20TH CENTURY: In the mid-20th century, large investment banks were dominated by the dealmakers. Advising clients on mergers and acquisitions and public offerings was the main focus of major Wall Street partnerships. These â€Å"bulge bracket† firms included Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Lehman Brothers, First Boston and others. That trend began to change in the 1980s as a new focus on trading propelled firms such as Salomon Brothers, Merrill Lynch and Drexel Burnham Lambert into the limelight. Investment banks earned an increasing amount of their profits from proprietary trading. Advances in computing technology also enabled banks to use more sophisticated model driven software to execute trades and generate a profit on small changes in market conditions. In the 1980s, financier Michael Milken popularized the use of high yield debt (also known as junk bonds) in corporate finance and mergers and acquisitions. This fuelled a boom in leverage buyouts and hostile takeovers (see History of Private Equity). Filmmaker Oliver Stone immortalized the spirit of the times with his movie, Wall Street, in which Michael Douglas played the role of corporate raider Gordon Gekko and epitomized corporate greed. Investment banks profited handsomely during the boom years of the 1990s and into the tech boom and bubble. When the tech bubble burst, it precipitated a string of new legislation to prevent conflicts of interest within investment banks. Investment banking research analysts had been actively promoting stocks to investors while privately acknowledging they were not attractive investments. In other instances, analysts gave favourable stock ratings to corporate clients in the hopes of attracting them as investment banking clients and handling potentially lucrative initial public offerings. These scandals paled by comparison to the financial crisis that has enveloped the banking industry since 2007. The speculative bubble in housing prices along with an overreliance on sub-prime mortgage lending trigged a cascade of crises. Two major investment banks, Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers, collapsed under the weight of failed mortgage-backed securities. In March, 2008, the Federal government began using a variety of taxpayer-funded bailout measures to prop up other firms. The Federal Reserve offered a $30 billion line of credit to J.P. Morgan Chase to that it could acquire Bear Sterns. Bank of America acquired Merrill Lynch. The last two bulge bracket investment banks, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, elected to convert to bank holding companies and be fully regulated by the Federal Reserve. Moving forward, the recent financial crisis has weakened both the reputation and the dominance of U.S. investment banking organizations throughout the world. The growth of foreign capital markets along with an increase in pools of sovereign capital is changing the landscape of the industry. The growing international flow of capital has also opened up opportunities for investment banking in new financial centers around the world, including those in developing countries such as India, China and the Middle East SIZE OF THE INDUSTRY: Global investment banking revenue increased for the fifth year running in 2007, to a record US$84.3 billion, which was up 22% on the previous year and more than double the level in 2003. Subsequent to their exposure to United States sub-prime securities investments, many investment banks have experienced losses since this time. The United States was the primary source of investment banking income in 2007, with 53% of the total, a proportion which has fallen somewhat during the past decade. Europe (with Middle East and Africa) generated 32% of the total, slightly up on its 30% share a decade ago. Asian countries generated the remaining 15%. Over the past decade, fee income from the US increased by 80%. This compares with a 217% increase in Europe and 250% increase in Asia during this period. The industry is heavily concentrated in a small number of major financial centres, including City of London, New York City, Hong Kong and Tokyo. Investment banking is one of the most global industries and is hence continuously challenged to respond to new developments and innovation in the global financial markets. New products with higher margins are constantly invented and manufactured by bankers in the hope of winning over clients and developing trading know-how in new markets. However, since these can usually not bepatented or copyrighted, they are very often copied quickly by competing banks, pushing down trading margins. For example, trading bonds and equities for customers is now a commodity business, but structuring and trading derivatives retains higher margins in good times—and the risk of large losses in difficult market conditions, such as the credit crunch that began in 2007 . Each over-the-counter contract has to be uniquely structured and could involve complex pay-off and risk profiles. Listed option contracts are traded through major exchanges, such as the CBOE, and are almost as commoditized as general equity securities. In addition, while many products have been commoditized, an increasing amount of profit within investment banks has come from proprietary trading, where size creates a positive network benefit (since the more trades an investment bank does, the more it knows about the market flow, allowing it to theoretically make better trades and pass on better guidance to clients). The fastest growing segments of the investment banking industry are private investments into public companies (PIPEs, otherwise known as Regulation D or Regulation S). Such transactions are privately negotiated between companies and accredited investors. These PIPE transactions are non-rule 144A transactions. Large bulge bracket brokerage firms and smaller boutique firms compete in this sector. Special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) or blank check corporations have been created from this industry.

Hamlet: The Controversy of Ophelia Essay

During the Elizabethan period women were not known to have important roles in society. They followed men and devoted their lives to their men . Women didn’t have much say or play significant roles in society. It was mandatory for them to obey a â€Å"dominant code of ethics that prescribed chaste, silent, and obedient Renaissance women† (Pebworth 76). This stereotype stayed consistent for hundreds of years to come and has carried on through different generations, reaching the point where it has become traditional. In Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, his character Ophelia is a victim to this stereotype. Many feminist reading this play would disagree with or dislike the actions of Ophelia, stating that she is much weaker than the real character of a female. (Ophelia; a beautiful young woman who is regularly involved in conflicts but doesn’t know how to solve them or stand up for herself. ) She continuously turns to men for advice who basically control her life and alter her decisions. Shakespeare makes Ophelia consist of only one strong trait, her beauty. She lacks authority and self-respect because her male influences instruct her life and ultimately drive her insane which eventually leads to her suicide. â€Å"Throughout the play, Ophelia has her opinions and statements recast for her by other characters – namely, Laertes, Hamlet, and Polonius – who wish her to behave in a manner they deem appropriate. To mention just one example, upon hearing from Ophelia that Hamlet has been courting her, Polonius recasts Ophelia’s view of the relationship as one in which Hamlet ruthlessly exploits her naivete so that he may conquer her sexually,†(Peterson 24.) Strangely enough, her brother and father advise her about her relationship and without any consideration about her own feelings or opinion she follows their advice which is more so instruction. Laertes says, â€Å"Perhaps he loves you now and now no soil nor cautel doth besmirch the virtue of his will: but you must fear, his greatness weighed, his will is not his own†¦. ,† (I,III 14-17. ) Laertes harshly tells Ophelia to not have high expectations for Hamlet because his love will not last since he is at such a high position as Prince. Ophelia listens and obeys her brother. After Laertes leaves, Polonius talks to Ophelia about Prince Hamlet. â€Å"Set your entreatments at a higher rate than command to parle; for Lord Hamlet believe so much in him that he is young, and with a larger tether may he walk than may be given you: in few Ophelia, do not believe his vows, for they are brokers†¦ â€Å"(I,IV 123-127. ) Polonius also tells Ophelia to stay away from Hamlet, she replies; â€Å"I shall obey, my lord,†(I,IV 135. ) Her brother and father seem to form a dictatorship to control Ophelia’s life. She helplessly follows their commands. Hamlet is quite frustrated at the fact that Ophelia obeys her father. He makes the comparison of Gertrude marrying her dead husband’s brother and Ophelia choosing her father’s side instead of going with her instinct. He makes the conclusion that all women are defenseless and worthless. Later in the play, Ophelia suffers from Hamlet’s act of â€Å"antic disposition. † Hamlet verbally abuses her and severely hurts her emotionally. According to literary critic, Amanda Mabillard, Ophelia â€Å"is incapable of defending herself, but through her timid responses we clearly see her intense suffering. † Hamlet rudely claims that he never loved Ophelia. Hamlet: I did love you once. /Ophelia: Indeed, my, lord, you made me believe so. / Hamlet: You should not have believed me†¦ I loved you not. /Ophelia: I was the more deceived, (III, 1, 115-120. ) Not only does this hurt Ophelia emotionally but Hamlet’s act of insanity drastically confuses Ophelia. Polonius believes Hamlet is madly in love with Ophelia but Hamlet admits that he never loved her at all. â€Å"Another example concerns Hamlet’s false madness. Through it, he gives unrestrained vent to inward pain regarding moral corruption, regardless of the shattering effect of his words on his auditors. Indeed, Ophelia becomes the primary victim of such onslaught,† (Levy 53. ) Hamlet’s act of insanity contradicts the idea of him being in love with Ophelia. Now that Polonius’s assumption has been proven wrong, Ophelia has no one to turn to for advice. Since she was so accustomed from receiving advice from her brother and father she is lost and nearly clueless about what to do. Ophelia is driven to more confusion as her conversation with Hamlet proceeds; â€Å"Get thee to a nunnery, † why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners? I am myself indifferent honest†¦ ,†(III, 1, 122-123.) After Hamlet tells Ophelia he never loved her and wants nothing to with her, he then tells her to go to a nunnery. In further meaning, he doesn’t want to be with her but he doesn’t want anybody else to have her. This indicates Hamlet’s true feelings for Ophelia which he is hiding through this act of insanity to side track the people who were told by Claudius to investigate this act. Such as Polonius, Claudius, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern. This leaves Ophelia hurt and puzzled about the situation. At this point Ophelia doesn’t know what she wants nor what Hamlet wants. She has no idea why Hamlet’s behavior has changed so abruptly. Everything that was in her favor has reversed, causing a state of depression. Later in the play, Hamlet accidently kills Polonius mistaking him for King Claudius. Ophelia’s depression drastically increases, she is heartbroken, terrified, and distraught. The man she loves killed the man who was the main structure of her life. She is completely lost. The tension of these events begin to take a toll on Ophelia. Hamlet’s act of insanity actually creates a sense of insanity within Ophelia. It is clear to see that Hamlet had the most affect on Ophelia. Later she is enclosed in a padded room, she sings songs, rhymes, and riddles about death; â€Å"he is dead and gone lady, he is dead and gone, at his head a grass-green turf, at his heels stone. † (IV, 4, 37. ) Ophelia sings and shows signs of joyfulness as a way of mourning her father’s death, instead of being sad. Her madness is very apparent, she is very much insane, she can no longer cope with the rest of society. With no structure and a broken heart, her life goes through a drastic change. She goes from a normal lifestyle to a confused and emotionally damaged life. She then reaches the point of severe depression and insanity which causes her to enter a different state of mind. The character Ophelia never gains a true identity, she is influenced by the men in her life. The choices she makes reflect their desires. By them making her decisions and criticizing her actions she never actually gets the chance to live her life. She lives accordingly to the men. Later, Ophelia is found dead in a brook. Many will say that this proves her weakness of dealing with adversity. However, her suicide was ultimately caused by the males who she interacts with throughout the play. Their commands and actions cause stress and emotional pain which breaks down who Ophelia is as a person. Frankly she can no longer deal with these circumstances. She is not driven insane because of a weakness in females, Hamlet, Laertes, and Polonius destroy her life, slowly but surely. Works Cited Text: Roberts V. Edgar, and Jacobs V. Henry. Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc. , 2007 Electronic: â€Å"Hamlet: Ophelia’s Death. † Scribd. 11 March  http://www.scribd.com/doc/33947/Hamlet-Ophelias-Death