Project Managers Are They Born Or Made Management Essay

Project Managers Are They Born Or Made Management Essay Can a person be born to undertake a specific role in life or are they moulded by both training and their experiences in life. This paper examines whether Project Managers have the innate skills to be a success or if they like many other professionals require training to become proficient in their chosen career. This paper will also examine whether there are particular personality traits that are required in order to be a successful Project Manager. With this information, organisations would then be in a better position to ascertain whether particular individuals are either suited or not to the role of a Project Manager and thereby ensuring that their Project Managers can bring projects to a successful conclusion. Introduction Dittman et al.,2004 use the Apollo 13 incident to illustrate the skills of a Project Manager. Gene Krantz, was the flight director of the Apollo 13 mission to the moon. With systems failing, a lack of power and a dwindling supply of oxygen he led his team to discover solutions against almost impossible odds. Krantz exhibited the characteristics and personality traits of a superstar Project Manager by leading his team to achieve a common goal of ensuring the safe return of the aircraft and the lives of the astronauts and in this instance the team could easily have resigned themselves to their fate or made an error in judgement (Dittman et al.,2004). However the team and its project leader relied on both their training and their instincts to ensure the safe return of the aircraft. It can be seen from this instance that the team leader instilled the thought into all of his team members that failure was not an option. This is an extreme example of the skills required of a Project Manager , but it asks the question were Gene Krantzs actions the product of training and experience or were they innate in his personality. With the rapid advances currently being made in information technology there has now become an increased need for Project Managers within the IT industry. The scale and number of projects has increased thereby increasing the risk associated with these projects. With this in mind the choosing of project managers with the required skills to ensure the successful completion of projects has become critical and organisations have recognized that the choosing of the right individual to lead a project can have a significant bearing on the success of the organisation. As can be seen above in the Apollo 13 example the role of the project leader was crucial to the success of the project. This paper will look at the necessary skills required to be an effective manager and whether these skills are inherent or whether they can be taught (Dittman et al.,2004). 1.0 Leadership Styles Studies have shown that there are primarily six main schools of leadership theory (Dulewicz Higgs, 2003;Handy, 1982; Partington, 2003) and these are as follows: 1. The Trait school 2. The Behavioural or Style school 3. The Contingency school 4. The Visionary or Charismatic school 5. The Emotional Intelligence School 6. The Competency school. 1.1 The Trait School This approach was popular up to the 1940s with the main idea being that effective leaders share common traits. This school of thought assumes that leaders are born, not made. The supporters of this school in attempting to identify the traits of effective leaders have focused on the following three main areas: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Abilities: hard management skills such as Time Management, Forecasting and Procurement à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Personality: such as self-confidence and emotional variables à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Physical appearance: Project Managers appearance and physical size Through his work at Henley Management College, Turner (1999) identified seven traits of effective project managers: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Problem-solving ability à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Results orientation à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Energy and initiative à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Self-confidence à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Perspective à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Communication à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Negotiating ability. Turners identification of the above traits concentrate on the softer skills of Project Management with only the trait of Problem Solving being one that could possibly be taught and the others being skills of a nature more specific to an individual. 1.2 The Behavioural or Style School The behavioural or style school became popular from the 1940s to the 1960s. This school assumed that effective leaders would adopt certain styles or behaviours. This schools theory assumed, that effective leaders can be made and that the parameters include the following: 1. Concern for people or relationships 2. Concern for production 3. Use of authority 4. Involvement of the team in decision-making (formulating decisions) 5. Involvement of the team in decision-taking (choosing options) 6. Flexibility versus the application of rules. Parameter Blake and 1.3 The Contingency School The contingency school came into being during the 1960s and 1970s (Fiedler, 1967; House, 1971; Krech, et al., 1962; Robbins, 1997). Rather than seeking all encompassing theories of leadership that would apply in all situations, contingency theories suggested that what made an effective leader would depend on the situation that the leaders found themselves in. The supporters of this school had a tendency to follow similar patterns: 1. An assessment of the characteristics of the leader 2. An evaluation of the situation in terms of certain key contingency variables 3. The seeking of a match between the leader and the situation. One contingency theory that has proven popular is path-goal theory (House, 1971). The idea is the leader must help the team find the path to their goals and help them in that process. This theory identifies four distinct leadership behaviours: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Directive leaders à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Supportive leaders à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Participative leaders à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Achievement-oriented leaders. These must then be matched to environmental and subordinate contingency factors: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Environmental factors: Task structure Formal authority system Work group. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Subordinate factors: Locus of control Experience Perceived ability. 1.4 The Visionary or Charismatic School During the 1980s and 1990s, the visionary or charismatic school arose from the study of successful business leaders who were leading their organizations through change. Bass (1990) identified two types of leadership, transactional and transformational: Transactional leadership: This form of leadership rewards followers for meeting performance targets and managing by exception by taking action when tasks have not been undertaken in accordance with what was predicted 1.4.2 Transformational leadership: A Project Manager who displays this form of leadership would be charismatic, visionary and would engender pride, respect and trust. They would also provide motivation by creating high expectations, providing intellectual stimulation and challenging their team members with fresh ideas and approaches. They would also give consideration to individuals by showing them respect and paying personal attention to them. From a project management perspective, Keegan and den Hartog (2004) believed that a project managers leadership style needed to be more transformational than transactional, but did not find any evidence to confirm this. What they were able to conclude was that although there is a significant correlation between the managers leadership style and employees commitment and motivation, there does not exist a similar correlation for project managers. 1.4 The Emotional Intelligence School The emotional intelligence school has flourished since the late 1990s, and espouses the view that the leaders emotional intelligence has a greater impact on his or her success and the performance of his or her team than does the leaders intellectual capability (Goleman, Boyatzis, McKee, 2002). They identified six leadership styles: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Visionary à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Democratic à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Coaching à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Pacesetting à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Affiliative à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Commanding. Goleman, Boyatzis, and McKee (2002) say that the first four of these styles will engender a sense of teamwork, and usually lead to better performance in appropriate circumstances. They also stated that the last two styles can encourage dissonance, so these last two styles need to be used with care. Goleman, Boyatzis, and McKee, as well as other authors, have shown a clear correlation between the emotional intelligence and leadership style of managers and the performance of their organizations. 1.5 The Competency School The competency school of the 1990s has placed an emphasis on the competencies of effective leaders and seeks to identify them. This according to Turner et al. 2005 when taken at face value may appear to be a return to the trait approach. However, they also state that competencies can be learned, so leaders can be made, not just born. Further, different combinations of competencies can lead to different styles of leadership which can be appropriate in different circumstances thereby producing transactional leaders in situations of low complexity and transformational leaders in situations of high complexity (Turner et al., 2005). 2.0 Skills of a Project Manager A good project manager should have the knowledge and skills necessary to perform their job. A project manager can be defined as the person responsible for working with the project sponsor, the project team, and the other people involved in a project to meet project goals (Schwalbe, 2004). To become an IT project manager requires knowledge in the core skills such as time management, risk management, scope management, cost budgeting, and knowledge of IT systems (Dittman et al., 2004). They also stated that a project manager must have skills in addition to the basics of project management to succeed and that the skills required are the soft skills that have to do with getting things that you want done and adjudicating issues between people, managers, egos and agendas. Its basically how to get a job done without annoying people (Melymuka, 2000). These soft skills can include basic leadership and team building abilities that are needed for the team to complete the designated project and t he basic business skills that are necessary for a project manager to be successful in the IT world (Dittman et al., 2004). They also concluded that these could include the ability to communicate into measurable results, utilize financial skills to keep the project cost effective, and identify and predict trends in the project. The ability to communicate effectively is a pre-requisite in project management and it is essential for project managers to have the capacity to listen and understand the people on their project team as well as the customers of their project and by doing so, expectations and feedback can be easily passed on to the team and it will be easier to solve problems and complete tasks within the project (Dittman et al., 2004).. Dennis Johnson, an Assistant vice President at USAA stated that A project manager needs the ability to question without alienating to listen and watch peoples body language and really see whats happening (Melymuka, 2000) and this skill will enable a project manager to step away from a project and view issues from a different perspective. This subsequently enables a project manager to better communicate his ideas and plans with the team and also with his superiors within the organization. Relationship management is a skill that is important to have While managing projects a project manager should be capable of working with all levels within the organization and relationship management is an important skill to either inherently have or to learn. Relationship management can also include identifying the unique characteristics and abilities of each individual on the team and determine the most effective way to utilize them throughout the project (Dittman et al., 2004). A project manager will also need to know how to mobilize and coach the people on their team and establish trust within the project team. The project manager and the team must develop a level of trust and comfort with each other in single-minded pursuit of project goals (Kharbanda, 2003). This is based on the premise that project managers should be able to build and sustain relationships within their project team and throughout all levels of their organization. There are many skills a project manager may have that are argued to be ingrained in the human spirit, the largest of these being the ability to influence others (Dittman et al., 2004). Linda Pittinger, CEO of People3, states Its hard to find people who can influence others and create win-win situations (Melymuka, 2000). The project manager needs to have the ability to sell the value of the project to other people within the organization and must be able to persuade and influence team members to get their job done well and on time must also have the confidence, credibility, and commitment to overcome the obstacles when faced with the task of running an IT project (Dittman et al., 2004). Without the ability to influence people particularly those who may not be in full support of the project, a project manager will be more likely to fail. The ability to make decisions can be either learned or innate and it has been said that the best decision makers are the most experienced decision makers (Dittman et al., 2004).. As a manager and leader, every step you take required decision making skills. What makes it more challenging is the pressure to make the right decision is often very high (Canterucci, 2003). When faced with having to make the correct decision a Project Manager may often have to base this decision on past experience or pure instinct. Should a project manager be new to the field of project management they will not have accrued sufficient experience to make the correct decision but they will have the ability to judge based on their instinct if those instincts are of a project manager with those innate skills. As can be seen above many of the skills required to be an effective project manager are the softer skills of management and that to a large extent these skills can not generally be taught as they rely on the individuals personality. These softer skills however can be honed through time and experience so to some extent there is a degree of learning. 3.0 Personalities of a Project Manager In order to be an effective project manager a persons character and personality traits will play a key role. Dittman et al. 2004 asked the question Within an IT project management program, can people be really prepared for the trials and tribulations of dealing with people while managing a project? The use of personality tests, such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, can assess whether an individual will make a good project manager. By undertaking these assessments, an individual can analyze their personality and connect their personality type with a particular type of career. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) assessment is incredibly popular for doing just this. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is an assessment technique that gives the participant 4 individual letters that are designed to match their personality type. This classification is set out below: Extrovert v. Introvert, Sensing v. Intuitive, Thinking v. Feeling, and Judging v. Perceiving. The research database shows that leaders mostly fall into the ENTJ category (extrovert, intuitive, thinking, and judging). ENTJs are especially well-suited to be leaders and organization builders. They have the ability to clearly identify problems and innovative solutions for the short and long term well-being of an organization(BSM Consulting, 2000). A project manager would generally fall into the category of ESTJ. They are good at a lot of different things, because they put forth a tremendous amount of effort towards doing things the right way. They will be happiest in leadership positions, however, because they have a natural drive to be in charge. They are best suited for jobs which require creating order and structure (BSM Consulting, 2000). The Keirsey Temperament Sorter is another technique that can also be used to determine personal characteristics and aid people gain new understanding of their traits, motivations, and behaviours (AdvisorTeam, 2003). The temperament sorter is an assessment to analyze one specific aspect of ones personality: temperament. Temperament is a set of inclinations that each of us is born with, its a predisposition to certain attitudes and actions (AdvisorTeam, 2003). The four temperaments that people will fall into are artisans, guardians, idealists, and rationals. These groupings have the following characteristics: 1 Artisans value freedom and spontaneity. They want to be without constraint, at liberty to act on their impulses, play and create. Guardians value belonging to a group or community. They maintain stability through responsible, conservative, traditional behaviour. Idealists value personal growth, authenticity, and integrity. They yearn to develop themselves fully as individuals and to facilitate growth in others. Rationals value competence and intelligence. They strive to learn, know, predict, and control the resources in their environment. It has been shown through research that project managers and leaders will most likely fall into the category of either Rational or Guardian (Dittman et al., 2004). A Rational tends to be pragmatic and organized. Their organizational and coordinating skills tends to be highly developed, which means that they are likely to be good at systematizing, ordering priorities, generalizing, summarizing, and at demonstrating their ideas (Prometheus Nemesis, 1998). Guardians tend to be very specific in their communication and reliable when it comes to completing tasks. They also are very cooperative with implementing goals and good at supervision and protecting their subordinates. The Supervisor Guardian is the type of that most fits the personality of the project manager. Supervisor Guardians go by experience, not speculation and experimentation, and certainly not fantasy. They keep their feet firmly on the ground and make sure that those under their supervision do the same (Prometheus Nemesis, 1998). The personality assessments described above are good tools to examine an individuals personality type and compare it to that of the typical project manager career. Each assessment can be used separately or they can be used in conjunction to get the best results. Using these evaluations, it can be shown whether a person has the requisite skills to be a good project manager, and decisions can be made whether to put them in that role, whether they would need further training to be successful in the project manager role, or whether they would be best placed in a different career altogether. 4.0 Conclusion As can be seen an individuals personality can be measured or assessed using the techniques detailed above. These techniques enable organisations to eliminate individuals rather than select individuals as project managers. The methodology behind these techniques would indicate that project managers are born rather than made as the characteristics used to describe individuals are those of an innate nature rather than a derived or coached one. However on the other side of the equation the technical skills required by a Project Manager can be learned and need not necessarily be inherent in the individual. So it could also be concluded that a project manager can be made through learning alone. The leadership style theories above look at the science or art of project management depending on the school to which an individual ascribes to. If an individual is of the viewpoint that Project Managers are born with the innate capabilities to be a project manager then Project Managers have to be viewed as artists. However if the conclusion is that project managers can be taught and trained then they should possibly be viewed as scientists. These can be viewed as two conflicting views with those of a scientific inclination believing that project managers are made and those of a more artistic inclination believing that they are born. From the research undertaken above there is no definitive answer to this question. In the case of Project Management, where there are so many human variables there can be no comprehensive training course that will detail a case study for every given scenario. This would indicate that Project Managers can be and are made but that the best and most effective Project Managers are born.

Computer Crime In The 1990s :: essays research papers

Computer Crime In The 1990's We're being ushered into the digital frontier. It's a cyberland with incredible promise and untold dangers. Are we prepared ? It's a battle between modern day computer cops and digital hackers. Essentially just think what is controlled by computer systems, virtually everything. By programming a telephone voice mail to repeat the word yes over and over again a hacker has beaten the system. The hacker of the 1990's is increasingly becoming more organized very clear in what they're looking for and very, very sophisticated in their methods of attack.. As hackers have become more sophisticated and more destructive, governments, phone companies and businesses are struggling to defend themselves. Phone Fraud In North America the telecommunications industry estimates long distance fraud costs five hundred million perhaps up to a billion every year, the exact the exact figures are hard to be sure of but in North America alone phone fraud committed by computer hackers costs three, four maybe even up to five billion dollars every year. Making an unwitting company pay for long distance calls is the most popular form of phone fraud today. The first step is to gain access to a private automated branch exchange known as a "PABX" or "PBX". One of these can be found in any company with twenty or more employees. A "PABX" is a computer that manages the phone system including it's voice mail. Once inside a "PABX" a hacker looks for a phone whose voice mail has not yet been programmed, then the hacker cracks it's access code and programs it's voice mail account to accept charges for long distance calls, until the authorities catch on, not for a few days, hackers can use voice mail accounts to make free and untraceablecalls to all over the world. The hackers that commit this type of crime are becoming increasingly organized. Known as "call cell operators" they setup flyby night storefronts were people off the street can come in and make long distance calls at a large discount, for the call cell operators of course the calls cost nothing, by hacking into a PABX system they can put all the charges on the victimized companies tab. With a set of stolen voice mail access codes known as "good numbers" hackers can crack into any phone whenever a company disables the phone they're using. In some cases call cell operators have run up hundreds of thousands of dollars in long distance charges, driving businesses and companies straight into bankruptcy. Hacking into a PABX is not as complicated as some people seem to think.

Cenralistaion vs Decentalisation

The main decisions are made by senior management, where little authority is passed down the organisation. advantages †¢ decisions are made by experienced people with an overview of the company. †¢ ensures policies are consistent throughout the company. †¢ ensures quick decisions can be made without consultation. †¢ procedures such as ordering and purchasing can be standardised throughout the company, leading to economies of scale. †¢ in times of crisis the firm may need strong leadership by a central group of senior managers. disadvantages (mainly advantages of decentralisation) centralisation reduces the input of the day to day experts, e. g. , the shop floor staff, into the firms decision making. †¢ it risks demoralising branch managers who may feel mistrusted or powerless. Decentralisation Decisions are made by junior management as authority is passed down the organisation, thereby accepting less uniformity in how things are down. There has been a trend in the 1980s and 1990s is to decentralise to provide greater flexibility. advantages †¢ reduces the stress and burdens of senior management †¢ it can empower local managers encouraging them to be more innovated and motivated. it reduces the volume of day to day communication between head office and the branches, therefore giving senior managers the time to consider long term strategy. †¢ subordinates may have a better knowledge of local conditions affecting their areas of work. This should allow them to make more informed well judged choices, e. g. , salespersons have detailed knowledge of customers. †¢ management at middle and junior levels are groomed to take over higher positions. They are given the experience of decision making when carrying out delegated tasks (management development). could allow greater flexibility and a quicker response to changes. If problems do not have to referred to senior management decision making will be quicker. Since decisions are quicker, they are easier to change in the light of unforeseen circumstances. disadvantages †¢ reduction in uniformity may unsettle customers who expect every Sainsbury’s to look the same or for every McDonald’s hamburger to contain just one slice of gherkin. †¢ head office is in a position to measure the success of every aspect of the product and sales mix, therefore its instructions may prove more profitable than local manager’s intuition. Conclusion It is unlikely there will ever be complete centralisation or decentralisation. Certain functions within a business will always be centralised because of their importance, e. g. , decisions about budget allocation are likely to be centralised as they affect the whole economy. The decision to distribute profits is also taken only by a few. Some delegation is necessary in all firms because the limits to the amount of work senior management can carry out. Even if authority is delegated to a subordinate it is usual for the manager to retain responsibility.

Race and Racism Essay

In comparison to the almighty universe in which people all live in, human beings are merely a speck of dust at the size of it all. Then here are these beings on planet earth, with all 7 billion people under the same moon, divided. No longer are human equals as beings, but separate because of the system of ignorance, exploitation, and power used to oppress people on the basis of ethnicity, culture, mannerisms, and culture (Marable 1). Racism is the issue Americans have swept under the rug; the problem is being ignored, leaving cultures in the dark of their own history causing blame to be shifted on to all sorts of hosts, and it’s time to pick up the rug to dust. Society as a whole seems to have broken down what makes a person unique, dehumanizing them and leaving them susceptible to oppression (Marable 2). One must not be so quick to forget that every single human being is made up of the same genetic material, to forget something so broad is to undermine the gift of thinking itself. Manning Marable writes in Racism and Sexism that stereotypes are at the heart of every form of racism today. Racism is not a topic that sits around at the front of everybody’s brain. Racism does not twist on the tip of your tongue begging to be talked about. Racism is something that is ignored and denied. Shocking statistics from Tim Wise’s On White Privilege were discussed, stating that in 1962, 80% of white folk believed that racism was not even a problem. In the same year, 90% of white folk believed that colored children had equal education opportunities as white children. To believe that racism was not even a problem would be to say that over the 750 race riots 228 people were not actually killed, 12,741 people were not critically injured, and that the 15,000 acts of arson did not leave black urban neighborhoods in ruins, in the same year of 1962 (Postrel). White people are completely unburdened by race; where as colored people constantly feel their capabilities are always being second guessed. However, Charles M. Blow, author of Escaping Slavery, explains to the reader that apparently white people think their actions are justified! And Blow goes as far as to say that â€Å"the idea that progress toward radical harmony would or should be steady and continuous is fraying† (Blow 1). In On White Privilege, the speaker Tim Wise pointed out that white people were asked in 2009 if they believed that racial discrimination is still a problem and only 6% said ‘yes. ’ To put that into perspective: more people would believe that Elvis is still alive than to believe that racial discrimination is still a problem (Wise). Perhaps the density of the universe compromised the carrying capacity of the human brain causing a malfunction making it so the only thing people can think about is them self. Definitely not progress (Blow 2). The white system of ignorance and exploitations is causing the cultures of color to completely lose track of their own histories (Marable). People who are oppressed themselves begin to lose touch with their own traditions of history, community, love, celebrations, struggle, and change (Marable). Tim Wise reminds viewers whose history we are truly learning in school- text books are filled only with white history; people of color are forced to regurgitate white history, white literature, white art, white theater, etc. , while if a white person does not know an ounce of black history, it can go virtually unnoticed in this country (Wise). Actions speak louder than words and people seem to continue to prove their ignorance. As part of the Civil Rights Movement and an effort to create a solution to unlawful discrimination in housing based on race, color, sex, nation origin, or religion, the Fair Housing Act was passed in 1968 (Russell). Fast forward 38 years later where 2006 showed the highest level of discriminating housing complaints based on race (Wise). 38 whole years later and the only thing society can show on terms of progress is the lack of acceptance being distributed around the country. There is not enough change taking place as a country in order to move forward into truly being the United States of America; home of the Brave but we still fear what we do not know. It is always easier to accuse other forces for a problem than to admit that you are actually making the mess yourself. It has been said that if one is not a part of the solution then one is a part of the problem; however, some people are purely unburdened by race, they don’t know racism because they have never had to experience it- people are completely surrounded by and completely oblivious of the problem. Failure to talk about racism feeds the denial (Wise). The finger can be pointed in any direction, and instead of calling it â€Å"blame† the word â€Å"cause† is used instead because that is more constructive, and let’s face it, we need as much progress as we can get. However, progress seems to be unbearably intangible when Blow points out that the pillars of the institution- the fundamental devaluation of dark skin and stained justifications are for the unconscionable- have proved surprisingly resilient (Blow). The ignorance and lack of education only feeds the pillars’ strength. Completely blinded by utter fear, America seems to be in a standstill of progress towards the issue on racism. Starting with Charles Blow’s work in Escaping Slavery, down to Manning Marable’s Racism and Sexism, and what Tim Wise said in On White Privilege, it can be assumed that progress will always need to be made to bring this country closer to unity. Breaking down racial barriers and stereotypes have proven to be an especially lengthy process, however that does not justify the slothfulness of it all. Open minds and hearts is what it is going to take to shatter the structure that leaves this country divided. Word Count: 1,100 Works Cited Blow, Charles. â€Å"Escaping Slavery. † New York Times 4 January 2013. Marable, Manning. â€Å"Racism and Sexism. † Race, Class, and Gender in the United States, 5th ed. Ed. Paul Rothenberg. New York: Worth Publishers, 2001. 124-129. Pring. Wise, Tim. On White Privilege: Racism, White Denial, and the Costs of Inequality. The Media Education Foundation, 2008. DVD. Postrel, Virginia. â€Å"The Consequences of the 1960’s Race Riots Come Into View. † The New York Times. N. p. , 30 Dec. 2004. Web. 18 Feb. 2013.

Free Essays on The Bride Come to Yellow Sky

In â€Å"The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky† by Stephen Crane, you see the changing of Scratchy Wilson. When he first comes into the story he is depicted as someone who is the village drunk, he is calm most of the time, but every once in a while he gets drunk, and goes looking for a fight, mainly with Jack Potter. At the end of the story he is then greeted by Jack and his new bride and seeing this Scratchy calls off his fights. This goes to show that fulfilling your own life can affect more people then you know, and you have to act accordingly. At the start Scratchy’s fights disrupt the town, and he has a regular bought with Jack. He sees this as alright, and does not seem to be effected by what he does. But at the end when he is trying to pick a fight, he learns that Jack just got married, and he then comes to the realization that he is now going to be ruining his life with her, and calls off their rivalry. As a married man Jack is no longer the town sheriff, he is now a husband, he was no less of a person before this, but it took the marriage to make Scratchy realize it. At the beginning of the story we also see that Jack also has a conflict. He thinks that by bringing his new bride home he is going to ruin his life in the town for a short while. He almost feels ashamed for not getting prior approval of the townsfolk before running off and marrying. But at the end it is actually his wife that gets him approval. By brining her along, Scratchy â€Å"approves† of him, and therefore does not carry out with his intention of a gun fight. So Jack’s fear of acceptance was unfounded at the beginning, but plays a role at the end.... Free Essays on The Bride Come to Yellow Sky Free Essays on The Bride Come to Yellow Sky In â€Å"The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky† by Stephen Crane, you see the changing of Scratchy Wilson. When he first comes into the story he is depicted as someone who is the village drunk, he is calm most of the time, but every once in a while he gets drunk, and goes looking for a fight, mainly with Jack Potter. At the end of the story he is then greeted by Jack and his new bride and seeing this Scratchy calls off his fights. This goes to show that fulfilling your own life can affect more people then you know, and you have to act accordingly. At the start Scratchy’s fights disrupt the town, and he has a regular bought with Jack. He sees this as alright, and does not seem to be effected by what he does. But at the end when he is trying to pick a fight, he learns that Jack just got married, and he then comes to the realization that he is now going to be ruining his life with her, and calls off their rivalry. As a married man Jack is no longer the town sheriff, he is now a husband, he was no less of a person before this, but it took the marriage to make Scratchy realize it. At the beginning of the story we also see that Jack also has a conflict. He thinks that by bringing his new bride home he is going to ruin his life in the town for a short while. He almost feels ashamed for not getting prior approval of the townsfolk before running off and marrying. But at the end it is actually his wife that gets him approval. By brining her along, Scratchy â€Å"approves† of him, and therefore does not carry out with his intention of a gun fight. So Jack’s fear of acceptance was unfounded at the beginning, but plays a role at the end....

More matter with less art Essay Example

More matter with less art Essay Example More matter with less art Paper More matter with less art Paper His prating in this scene can, in some, undoubtedly raise a cynical smile; Polonius is interpreted as a comical character; the fact the Queen demands More matter with less art. is coupled with Polonius artful way of denying hell use it is a prime example of the irony in this scene. He can be therefore viewed as a clownish figure by many audiences. It may be the case, despite the irony displayed in his choice of words, that he is simply afraid of being the purveyor of bad news, especially news he delivers after being wrong about Hamlets madness. But, as we see, after Polonius asks the question What do you think of me?, Claudius answers Of a man faithful and honourable.. If Claudius was to think otherwise, it would be obvious Polonius would not be Secretary of State. Polonius pomposity can be seen in Shakespeares presentation of him in his scene with Reynaldo. He relates to Reynaldo on a high, somewhat elitist level, referring to himself of wisdom and of reach. He may be presented as pompous in the scene with the King and Queen concerning Hamlets madness also; from the prating displayed in an earlier quote he may be interpreted by audience as someone who is showing off his intellect, language skills and deep thought. Despite this, Polonius has not been wrong in the past; he may have the right to be as pompous as he is, because his actions have always been right before, and he thinks they will be now. It is also arguable that Shakespeare presents Polonius in his dealings with his son Laertes as authoritative and over intrusive, and somewhat of self-interest. In the key scene with Reynaldo, one can assume that Polonius list of activities that he wishes Laertes to be restrained from, including drinking, fencing, swearing, quarrelling, / Drabbing, that Polonius wants no scandal on him. His methods of finding out the truth, especially the apparent loss of grip on his speech (possibly being a trick) suggest that Polonius is not concerned about Laertes well-being; rather he could be worried his familys reputation. However, Polonius can be seen as very sensible in his advice to Reynaldo in relation to Laertes; although it is restrictive, he does say to allow Laertes to have fun; also, in his advice to Laertes, concerning things such as friends: grapple them unto thy soul with hoops of steel; clothes: costly thy habit as thy purse can buy; money: neither a borrower or a lender be and socialising: Give each man thy ear, but few thy voice he is very succint and wise in approach. The last two lines, Thou canst not then be false to any man. Farewell, my blessing season this in thee., can be seen as very selfless and purely for the good of his son. Furthermore, Laertes apparent and civilised respect found just as Polonius enters later, remarking that A double blessing is a double grace; Occasion smiles upon a second leave. again shows Laertes courtesy towards his father as a very wise man and a person of great importance to him. Later in the play, seemingly in another act of parental restriction, Polonius is presented to involve himself in relations with Ophelia and Hamlet in a meddlesome manner. He does not want a daughter that would succumb to what he thinks Hamlet is after: sexual relations, and those alone. Shakespeare could be presenting Polonius as using a lie as an example to sway her, and he says how he does know, / When the blood burns, how prodigal the soul / Lends the tongue vows., maybe having her taking his view and keeping away from Hamlet, even though Hamlet seems to need Ophelia as someone to trust and rely on in a harsh time for him. Despite the fact Polonius can be seen to be over-intrusive with Ophelia, lying to her to sway her opinion of Hamlet, this may be in order to keep her safe. If he really has experience in matters of love, and that he does know, When the blood burns, how prodigal the soul Lends the tongue vows., this experience lends credit to Polonius dismissal of the authenticity of Hamlets intentions, especially with reference to Hamlets larger tether and how he can get away with more. It also adds credibility to his opinion of Ophelia as susceptible to fraudulent affections; and it seems very good parental control and advice (even though it does not work out), especially when we find that Ophelia remains attentive, and that she shall obey, my lord., echoing Laertes appreciation of Polonius authority. Polonius may also be seen as a conformist, and someone that will happily change his views of a person to make them happy and improve his image upon them. This idea is presented by Shakespeare in the discussion of cloud shapes Polonius has with Hamlet, where Hamlet tests Polonius to see if he conforms to his thoughts. As a result, Polonius falls into the trap and agrees with Hamlet on three very different shapes; Do you see yonder cloud thats almost in shape of a camel? By th mass and tis, like a camel indeed. then a weasel, and finally a whale. However, Polonius is probably frightened of Hamlet by this stage, and is could be interpreted as not wanting to annoy him, in fear of his own safety. As we tend to sympathise with Hamlet, we also agree with him on certain matters. However, he does remark to the players to look you mock him not, suggesting a recognition of the respect Polonius still deserves from others not involved in his battle, and as a result we see Polonius, presented through Hamlets eyes as an important person. Polonius is also seen in a better light after Hamlet has killed him, where he makes cruel jokes about his corpse; when asked where Polonius is, Hamlet speaks of him being at supper, Not where he eats, but where he is eaten; a certain convocation of politic worms are een at him.. From this, we view Hamlet and his actions in a more inhumane way, especially as Claudius acts in a much more favourable manner in response, pronouncing Alas, alas! after he realises what has become of Polonius. It is evident through the shock of the King, Queen and Ophelias response to Hamlets less agreeable actions that Polonius is a very important man to Claudius, Ophelia and Gertrude. The aftermath of Polonius secret burial has large effects on many; his people go into uproar and when news travels to Laertes, he, in a fit of rage, declares he will go as far as eternal damnation to seek revenge. The people of Denmark are muddled, thick and unwholesome in their thought and whispers for good Polonius death and rise in rebellion to make his son king. It is safe to say that if Hamlet was truly right about Polonius knavish qualities that there would be no after effects of his death. After, when Laertes followers leave, Claudius manages to calm Laertes a little. However, when Ophelia enters and starts singing of a funeral, where in his grave rained many a tear, Laertes is distressed and angry at the person she has become since her fathers death. He is presented by Shakespeare as the man Ophelia loved, characterized by her mixing of love and death songs. Act 4 sees Ophelia drowning due to her madness, reported by the Queen to Laertes.

An Examination Of The Financial Challenges Faced By Students At The Ivy League School

An Examination Of The Financial Challenges Faced By Students At The Ivy League School Over thirty thousand people applied to Brown university this year, and only about twenty-six hundred made it in. Thats about an eight percent acceptance rate for all the poor saps who applied to that ivy league school. But they why do they need that schools name on their diploma so badly? These people are just out of school and shooting for the stars with their big dreams, but maybe a local university or even a technical college is more the speed some of these people need. Ivy League schools are ranked better, but are not better than other schools because: they are not financially accommodating, they are very stressful, and under the rug embarrassing. Financially, Ivy League schools may not be the best for someone who doesn’t come from money. Two thirds of the people accepted into ivy league schools this year of 2015 applied for financial aid. that does not mean they all acquired it, or even a reasonable amount that they may need, but they took the extra effort because they dont believe they can take on the financial burden. all of the applications for scholarships and grants that they applied for cannot cover their costs of living. Next year, tuition will rise an average of 3.76 percent at the Ivies—pushing the cost of attendance as high as $63,000 (Akane Otani). Students need about as much money for living than they do for basic tutions at a tech school. Spending money they dont have on: food, clothes, personal items (hair products, toiletries, cell phones, etc.). Thats not including if anything were to get stolen, such as textbooks or computers or anything from their dorm rooms. Theres too much to pay for financia lly with these schools for most of these kids to be attending it. seventeen percent of students who attend ivy league schools are the first of their families to attend school (Ivy Coach). that number triples for those who attend a technical college, so imagine the new burden that they have on their shoulders. not only are they the first to go to school, they are going to a big, brand name one. Stress on an ivy league college student can get so great that it leads to life changing decisions. â€Å"The stresses that comes with academia including pressure to get good grades, financial worries, failed relationships and conflicts with roommates are enough to force some students to leave college or worse. In fact, depression is the number one reason students drop out of school or die by suicide.† ( Pakistan Observer) .It can cause a person to feel a lack of self worth when trying to keep up with other students because they dont believe that they are doing as good as the others, or that they dont get the information as well as everyone else may be comprehending it. what they dont realize is that, most of the time, they all feel this way about each other. this type of emotional stress can lead to them ‘giving up and giving in’ to the pressures around them such as skipping class, slacking off, and dropping out. Embarrassing, not a work commonly used for Ivy League schools, but it’s still one to represent it. They underestimate themselves and develop a feeling of ‘checking your privilege’ (Rega Jha) which people who attend these schools shouldnt do because they are paying so much to attend these schools so they should have gloating rights. this feeling causes them to not want to stand out in the crowd and when everyone is busy trying to convince them how great it is and how well theyre doing, the person who didnt want any attention in the first place, now seems to everyone like thats all they wanted. Then these people who feel inferior to be in an ivy’s presence, expects these students to be geniuses on everything. They are bombarded with ridiculous questions that they never have or will cover in their classes because people expect so much and then are seen as dumb because they dont know the answer and are paying out the butt to have a better education, when in rea lity they could have gotten the same degree and education for a university in their state. It’s embarrassing to be just as smart as they guy at a university when theyre going to an ivy league school to get the exact same degree as the guy next to them. Yes, these schools are viewed as big names for a reason. they are prestige and only have the best of the best. Why is it then that these degrees mean so much more than one someone obtained from a university? because of the name. With so many years to build up the buildings and time to really make it better, how could anything compete? these schools are may even only be seen so greatly because they reject so many. With these schools not even having some of the programs people would need to become what they want most, why wouldnt they work to â€Å"Find the university program that loves you for you, the school that matches your values and specializes in the fields that you are passionate about† (Montesano, Mandell). as a student who goes to a technical college i can never give personal insight to someone who does actually go to an ivy league school. im a realist, so im not one to ever really fantasize or shoot for the stars when my rocket is made of cardboard. Though i admire the ones who shoot for those stars, i think they are crazy and dumb. i hope this paper has shown why my light shines on that idea of ivy league students through the financial struggles, the stress it comes with, and the silent embarrassment.