Wicked Angel by Taylor Caldwell

Wicked Angel by Taylor Caldwell is a suspenseful and intriguing magnum opus beginning from the very first page; there are no dull moments in the Saint household. Caldwell has a brilliant gift for the creation of characters, as all the characters were so full of life. Angelo Saint was described as the prototypical psychopath that is, â€Å"born without a soul†. An overindulged only child, Angelo has his devoted mother wrapped around his fingers while his more practical father Mark, looks with horrified wonder from the sidelines.Angelo intensely detests his maternal Aunt Alice, who recognizes his social disorder from the start. At the opening of the story, Angelo, then 4, expresses deep rage at Alice and this rage manifested in bouts of wetting accidents. He then attacks Alice by smashing the contents of her purse; he destroys her sunglasses; used her handkerchief as toilet paper and flush some of her money down the toilet. His loving, but foolish mother Katherine condones his a ctions by insisting it was just a childish prank.Mark, however, punishes Angelo. Over the years, Angelo’s cruelties become more subtle and clever. At 6, he discreetly kills a pet dog, which Alice discovers when she visits her sister’s family at their summer place in 1959; he frightens away the birds and woodland creatures, viewing them as â€Å"weak enemies†, and he nearly kills Alice by pushing her over a cliff. Luckily, she is saved, but does not testify against her nephew.Angelo is described as physically large for his age, stunning in appearance and mentally gifted. At 10, he nearly poisons a housekeeper because she senses he is not the â€Å"Angel Saint†, as Katherine calls him; he hounds a classmate out of his prestigious prep school; he pit people against one another and broke a teacher’s arm â€Å"accidentally† during a school football game. He uses charm to get out of every difficulty and has all, but these few, whom he has hurt, fo oled.When Katherine becomes pregnant with a second child in 1963, she senses it is wise not to tell Angelo. He pesters her for information about why she is going to the doctor and once he discovers the secret, kills the unborn child, Katherine, and later perishes. Even his death is bizarre – he trips down a flight of steps, only to land his head on the marble floor below. Katherine dies in the hospital, confiding to Alice that she really knew what an evil son she truly had.

The Simplicity of Raymond Chandler’s the Big Sleep

Raymond Chandler would like us to believe that The Big Sleep is just another example of hard-boiled detective fiction. He would like readers to see Philip Marlowe, Vivian Regan, Carmen Sternwood, Eddie Mars, and the rest of the characters as either â€Å"good guys† or â€Å"bad guys† with no deeper meaning or symbolism to them. I found the book simple and easy to understand; the problem was that it was too easy, too simple. Then came one part that totally stood out from the rest of the book &emdash; the chessboard. Marlowe toyed with it whenever he got the chance, and it probably helped him think of a next move in a particular case. I found it odd that Chandler made such a brief mention of chess, but I did not realize why until I finished the book and had time to think about what I had read. In a very interesting sense, the entire novel resembles the game of chess. Each character is a piece, and the name of the game is survival. Though the ultimate goal in chess is to take possession of the king, the underlying strategy is to eliminate as many pieces as one possibly can. This serves as insurance in the overall goal. Being that the characters/pieces determine the direction of the goal, let us look at them to begin. I have chosen to examine two characters in-depth and then put them on the board with the rest of the people in the novel. Philip Marlowe does not correspond to the knight of the chessboard. Chandler assumes that the reader will fall into the easy trap of assigning Marlowe to the role of the knight. After all, he is the main man in the novel, the one who needs to solve the case. His self-description in the opening chapter lures the reader into believing he is a typical white knight hero. â€Å"I was neat, clean, shaved and sober, and I didn't care who knew it. I was everything the well-dressed private detective ought to be† (3). This is a fitting description of a knight only because knights must possess similar qualities in order to be heroes. The main idea here is goodness, and Marlowe's description exudes this goodness. However, as we progress throughout the novel, his â€Å"goodness† mutates into something with more of an edge on it. By the end of chapter eight, Marlowe goes â€Å"to bed full of whiskey and frustration† (42) and, the next day (chapter nine), wakes up â€Å"with a motorman's glove in my mouth† (43). It is safe to say Marlowe's sobriety is questionable, especially when he tells Bernie Ohls – and us – that, â€Å"I've got a hangover† (43). Is this the action of a knight? I do not think so. Similarly, his attitude towards everyone else in the novel detracts from his knighthood. For example, look at his treatment of Vivian Regan, who I will talk about a little later. They are talking for the first time and she tells him how cold-blooded a beast he is. â€Å"‘Or shall I call you Phil? ‘ ‘Sure. ‘ ‘You can call me Vivian. ‘ ‘Thanks, Mrs. Regan. ‘ ‘Oh, go to hell Marlowe'† (61). More of the same follows with other characters; in each instance, Marlowe does not exhibit any gentleman-like qualities that a private eye should exhibit. So, if Marlowe is not the knight on the chessboard, what is he? I believe that he is more of a rook or a bishop piece and not a knight. When we think about the knight on a chessboard, it has a good amount of flexibility but limited movement. However, a rook or a bishop can move as far as it wants to move, even if the directions are not many. Movement is important to Marlowe because he thrives on getting his task done. This requires a great deal of movement on his part. This movement includes our next subject, Vivian Regan. A funny thing happened when I was writing up the previous conversation between Marlowe and Vivian. Instead of typing â€Å"Mrs. Regan†, I typed â€Å"Mrs. Marlowe† instead. I do not attribute that to a simple lapse in thinking, but more to the fact that Vivian is similar in manner to Marlowe; they could easily be mistaken for a married couple. Vivian possesses the same sharp tongue, the same penchant for drinking, and other Marlowe-esque qualities. For example, there is the part where she is gambling in Eddie Mars' casino and makes a bet that the house cannot cover. â€Å"‘What kind of cheap outfit is this, I'd like to know. Get busy and spin that wheel, highpockets. I want one more play and I'm playing table stakes. You take it away fast enough I've noticed, but when it comes to dishing it out you start to whine'† (138). That sounds like the language Philip Marlowe might use if he ran into a similar situation. Even after he foils a would-be robber in the parking lot, she still shows little signs of thanks. ‘Nice work, Marlowe. Are you my bodyguard now? ‘† (143). Vivian complements Marlowe perfectly, but is she a rook/bishop on the chessboard in the novel? Yes, but provided that Marlowe is not the same piece as she is. In other words, if Marlowe is the rook, then Vivian is the bishop, and vice-versa. I do not see Marlowe and Vivian as cohesive as Chandler might want us to believe; nonetheless, they do possess similar qualities. After talking about two of the more prominent characters, it is time to devise a chessboard strategy that makes some kind of sense. I mentioned earlier that the point in chess is to capture the king, but another goal includes getting other pieces out of the way first. If I were to assign sides, I would put people like Eddie Mars, Joe Brody, and Carmen Sternwood on a different side than Marlowe, Vivian, and General Sternwood. Why? The first group – while giving Marlowe some kind of help – is more concerned with their own safety, and individuals are not afraid to knock off anyone who messes with them. How come Carmen is included in this group? Many people would say that she is neither here nor there, but when she comes to Brody's apartment and confronts Marlowe at the very end, she shows her true colors. In addition, there is the fact that she murdered Rusty Regan because he would not jump in the sack with her. This is where the chessboard strategy begins to unfold. Chandler's style not only pertains to his simile/metaphor use and his abbreviated sentences, but also to his construction of character movement in the novel. In chess, what one piece does to another or where it moves to directly affects the movement of other pieces on the board. For example, moving my rook three spaces may not mean capturing a piece, but it does give the opponent something to consider in terms of future moves. He does not want to make a move now that would jeopardize him later. Similarly, what happens in Joe Brody's apartment affects a good amount of the characters in the novel, from Carmen to Eddie to Marlowe to Vivian, and so on. In addition, that part affects what goes on in Eddie's casino and Geiger's house. While there may not be direct influence, there is definitely an indirect sort of influence. What does this say about Chandler as an author? It says that he likes to give his readers something to look for in his novels, and that the something will not always be apparent at first. Digging up the chessboard motif would be no easy task for most readers because of its brevity in the novel. The average reader would not read this book for analysis; he or she would read the novel for pleasure. It is only because we &emdash; as English majors &emdash; are trained to look beneath the surface that I was able to put this together. This also says something about the world that Chandler lived in. His was a world of thinking about the next move and being cautious about what one did, which is evident in the novel. It was hard to trust anybody because everyone had selfish motives on their minds. That factor also corresponds to the chessboard in that a person might move a piece for individual reasons while not even considering the rest of his or her pieces. That might lead to consequences later. Chandler cannot warn us about keeping track of all of the moves in the story because they are unfolding as we move with Marlowe (who obviously cannot warn us, either). It is up to the reader to keep track of everything. The Big Sleep is not a novel about chess. It is about how people and events interact and relate to one another, similar to the game of chess. As I mentioned before, the characters and their individual actions ultimately had an effect on the overall strategy and goal, which for Marlowe was to find Rusty Regan. He eventually discovered the late Mr. Regan, but it was only after a series of moves on the chessboard of life.

The Oda Nobunaga's Restoration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Oda Nobunaga's Restoration - Essay Example Both Meiji and Nobunaga are believed to have similar political philosophy evidenced in the need to unify the society. Meiji Restoration had to deal with dissenting forces which had thrived under Tokugawa regime for a long period of time. Meiji was forced to be as forceful and unifying as Nobunaga during the last third of the 19th century through the early 20th century Japan following many decades of unresolved social differences, ideological wars and the threat of the Shogun attack (Turnbull 99). From these different sources of offensive power, the Restoration leadership prioritized the policy of power consolidation under the emperor in as much the same way as Nobunaga did in the 16th century. In the course of the new political dispensation, both Meiji political elite and Nobunaga regime faced similar challenges staged by isolated, but fanatical supporters of the status quo. For Nobunaga, the adamant Ikko sect stood out with its religious policy against Nobunaga’s efforts to bring the country together by maintaining the support of minor local rulers (Turnbull 13). The sect also expanded its influence by supporting Yoshiaki, and by rallying its supporters along the influential daimyo of a number of administrative regions. In all, the 16th century ruler battled the Ikko sect through direct confrontations and indirectly for over a decade until he achieved unity of the society. According to Turnbull (100) it was only through peaceful process overseen by the royal court at Kyoto that the Nobunaga regime successfully overcame of the Monastery of Hongan Temple in Osaka. The monastery was most one of the most valued political and military complexes that kept the Ikko’s spirit of resistance alive. After assuming control of several manors and religious constituencies, Nobunaga strengthened his control of the samurai warriors and

General Administrative Theories are they relevant to managing Modern Essay

General Administrative Theories are they relevant to managing Modern Global Organisations - Essay Example This essay stresses that Human Resource Management or HRM is one of the key methods by which managers keep hold of the actions of the people beneath them. This is also a way by which managers are able to control, at least in part, the behavior of the people to remain parallel to the interests of the firm. Nowadays, business managers are beginning to recognise the need to consider the weight and importance of human resource (HR) function in determining the growth or downfall of any venture. This paper makes a conclusion that modern global organisations need to leverage on all facets of financials, customer, best business practice and human resources, if it shall be sustainable for the long haul. More importantly, it should be able to dedicate attention to its most important resource: its people. This paper has presented the ways in which administrative theories may be expanded to encompass not only the end goals of productivity and profit, but also of people development. It points out that the human resource function may also be used as a control measure, focusing on all facets of attracting the right talent through careful staffing and training practices, setting apt performance goals, and similar people development initiatives. If people are adequately developed, they shall be able to contribute more to the enterprise and carry out initiatives that are directly aligned to corporate strategies. This will ultimately spell success for the global enterprise.

MANAGING CHANGE. Work, Society and Organizations Assignment

MANAGING CHANGE. Work, Society and Organizations - Assignment Example Managing both change and resistance to change has gained significant importance in academics of management in recent years. Change is perceived to be a perfect way of reaction to external threats in volatile environments or as a proactive measure to seize growing business opportunities (Thompson, 1993, p. 697). This piece of paper addresses the theoretical perspectives of ‘change’, ‘managing change’ and managing ‘resistance to change’. This paper gives insight in to how managing change is influenced by individual as well as team motivation and organizational culture and structure. With help of reflect on Ford’s change management process, this paper elaborates real life experience of change and managing change. Managing Change Change is a very powerful strategy, a technique and an opportunity that an organization can achieve its goals by managing it effectively. Change is an opportunity since organizations can try some new ways or methods to carry out organizational activities and management functions and achieve organizational competence. Change is an informed and participative process resulting in newer methods of carrying out business to lead the business or other types of organizations in to success (Jacobs, 1997, p.22). ‘Strategic Change’ has become an increasingly important term in management studies. Strategic change refers to a process by which the present state of strategies will be transformed to compete with counter players in the market and with differentiated functioning so as to attain greater adaptability and viability in the current business contexts. There are basically three types of changes; reengineering, restructuring and innovation (Sekhar, 2009, p. 76). According to the strategic change theory of Peters and Waterman, an organization’s ability to change is the basic key to its excellence. Excellent organizations are those that continually foster on innovation, maintain better pace to quick actions and conduct on-going experimentations (Dobson, et al, 2004, p. 122). Change management involves process, people and managerial technique and incorporates a number of managerial functions like direction, planning, coordinating, organizing and controlling (Palmer, Dunford and Akin, 2009, p. 24). Change doesn’t occur automatically, but it requires managerial action and strategic activities with resources such as people, process, technology and managerial functions as well. Change management is a careful attempt from management to bring a change in any of its functional areas such as HRM, financing, marketing, manufacturing and so on. It is an effort to change the way the business has been carried out. Change management includes a set of concepts, principles, strategies, tools and techniques that are applied to human aspects in order to implementing a change within the organization (Rothwell, Sullivan and McLean, 2005, p. 17). Change management is a multi-d isciplinary action in which the management team who are responsible to execute the change are to possess certain skills, talents, supports, experiences and knowledge so as to influence others to get them involved in the change process. Paton, Paton and McCalman (2008, p. 40) emphasized that the management team being responsible to implement change is expected to possess following skills and abilities: Better communication

Microeconomics Monopoly and Competition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Microeconomics Monopoly and Competition - Essay Example This cannot be the case in competition because competitive markets many firms produce differentiated products that can be substitutes to each. Given that they manage large market share without competition, monopoly firms charge relatively high prices for their products compared to firms in a competitive market. In regards to this, Simpson (2010) explains that firms with monopoly power restrict the amount of output that they produce in order to raise prices of that output. They then set the prices based on their production costs in relation to quantity of output. Without the presence of close substitutes to their products and the high prices, monopoly firm are able to enjoy super-normal profits which are maximized when the marginal cost of production equals marginal revenue. The efforts to implement their pricing policies, monopolies cause inefficiencies in the market which include reduction in consumer welfare. The consumer welfare enjoyed through the prices in a competitive market reduces when the prices of monopolies apply (Simpson, 2010). This is what leads to dead weight which is illustrated in the graph 1 below. In a competitive market, the price of products is at the point where the marginal cost (MC) equals to market price which corresponds to price P. based on this price level, consumers in the competitive market will enjoy a large consumer welfare which is represent by area EBF in the graph. Monopolist should then set their prices where profits are maximum and that the point C in the graph where marginal cost equals marginal revenue (MR). However, monopolists will instead set their prices at a higher point based on the average revenue (AR) which is shown in the graph as point A which corresponds to price P1 higher than P which the competition price. The high prices set by monopoly firms will then reduce the consumer welfare and result in other inefficiencies in the market. The consumer which is represented by

Individual report-corporate strategies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Individual report-corporate strategies - Essay Example With its vision of enabling its customers to make the most of their world and possibilities though the services it offers, O2 plc (O2) accomplishes its commitment of providing mobile communication services in Europe. The business organisation also profits from its leading mobile internet portal business. Armed with its values of being bold, trusted, open, and clear, O2 continues its quest to become the telecommunication industry’s market leader. The creation of O2 in the 1990s can be traced backed to the decision of British Telecommunication to â€Å"demerge its mobile phone business† in order to strengthen the financial position of the latter. From its beginning, the firm is currently a major player in the various nations where it operates including the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Germany, the Isle of Man, and Asia. As the business organisation is focused on satisfying consumer needs, O2 strategic business units are classified according to their geographic locations. It should be noted that the products being offered varies in each region (O2 Plc 2006). The major products of O2 are mobile telecommunication equipments which are either paid through installment plans or pre-paid. With its thrust to provide the market with higher quality products, the company offers complementary services like third generation telephony (3G), O2 Active, I Mode, and O2 Online. O2 also ensures the satisfaction of customers by offering product features like entertainment through its sponsorship of the England Rugby Team and Arsenal FC and partnership with Anschutz Entertainment Group (O2 Plc 2006). As stated above, O2 Plc operates in different geographic locations, battling head-on with various competitors. Table 1 shows the geographical locations of firm’s business activities alongside with its competitors in each region. It can

Bribery - Analysis of Articles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Bribery - Analysis of Articles - Essay Example At the next level, Segon and Booth (2010) review the literature published on corruption and bribery as business phenomena; their study focuses on correction and bribery in Vietnam but reference is also made to these problems as parts of business operations in other countries internationally – for example Australia and Britain. A different aspect of bribery is examined in the study of Hunt and Laszlo (2009); the above researchers examine the level of bribery in public services of Peru and Uganda aiming to show the difference in the level of bribery between poor and rich people in the particular countries. It is noted that rich people are more likely to bribe compared to poor people; the cost of bribe for the latter seems to be higher – if taking into consideration the fact that poor people have to use almost all of their income when they have to bribe, while in rich people there is no such case. The methods used in the articles under analysis for reviewing and evaluating bribery as a business and social phenomenon, are differentiated. More specifically, the study of Martin, Cullen and Johnson (2007) focuses on the potential influence of national culture on bribery. Data have been gathered from about 4,000 firms internationally aiming to show that bribery can be influenced by culture and by institutional – drivers (Martin, Cullen and Johnson 1401). The characteristics of bribery as a social phenomenon are presented and analyzed; also, the relationship between bribery and the anomie theory is examined. Then, the hypotheses on which the empirical research developed for the study are presented. Finally, the data used for developing the paper are presented and evaluated; these data have been retrieved from the World Bank in 2000 – the sample of the countries participated reached the 80 countries; after using specific variables for choosing the material used in the article, the study’s sample has been reduced approximately by 20% (Ma rtin, Cullen and Johnson 1408). The above data are analyzed using the hierarchical linear modeling. The results of the research are presented using appropriate graphs; also the implications of the research are highlighted aiming to ensure the credibility of the study. The study of Segon and Booth (2010) focuses on the examination of bribery as a phenomenon related to developing economies; in the above study emphasis is given on corruption and bribery as developed in Vietnam and the challenges that managers in firms operating in the particular country have to face because of the above phenomena. The literature referring to corruption and bribery in developing economies is critically reviewed; effort is made so that the causes of corruption and bribery are identify; moreover, the relationship between bribery and national culture is examined. The concepts of culture, corruption and bribery are carefully reviewed – referring to the relevant literature; particular emphasis is give n on bribery and corruption as social and business phenomena in Vietnam. The above study is based solely on literature review – focusing on the issues mentioned above. Hunt and Laszlo (2009) try to identify the cost and benefits of bribery in regard to the income of poor of rich people in Peru and Uganda; in general the article aims to show the level of

Explain and Evaluate How Markets Create New Forms of Authority Essay

Explain and Evaluate How Markets Create New Forms of Authority - Essay Example Decentralization engulfs varied concepts that must be understood and controlled before setting any business programs, or projects. Therefore, the need for authority in this sense is to support reorganization of administrative, financial and service delivery within that business venture effectively (Taylor, 2010; p. 122). Notably, authority can be understood in the terms or application of the decentralization concepts since it refers to responsibility and authority for public functions, especially of the central government to quasi or subordinate independent government organization or private sectors (Smith & Sutherland, 1998; p. 319). How markets create new forms of authority is a complex multifaceted concept since it involves wide understanding varying from different characteristics, conditions for success, and policy implications. Numerous forms of authorities influence different markets; therefore, there is a rising need for markets to from authorities that makes them autonomous. However, most of these authorizes are influenced by other factors including political, fiscal, administrative, and other market authorizes that are pegged of different types of markets or market decentralizations (Smith & Sutherland, 1998; p. 219). Hence, there is a need to highlight concepts differentiating each form of authority as well as the need to coordinate these authorities. Moreover, different markets affect and apply to political, fiscal, and administrative authorities differently across different market domains and regions or countries. The demanding nature of the economy has made different market demands to reshape or reform the political authorities. The political authority often aims at giving the elected representatives immense power in public decision-making (Le?cuyer, 2002; p. 137). This form of authority is associated with representative government and pluralistic politics; however, it can lead to decentralization by giving the elected representatives, or citizens, more influence to the implementation of the national policies (Taylor, 2010; p. 122). Some of these policies used to determine what business and business performs were to engaging in business within what political domain. However, markets have so far changed and political policies are being redefined to accommodate or allow their citizens and government to engage in businesses within a large market domain. The political authorities have been forced to advocate for flexibility in their marketing and market policies; otherwise, they will remain powerful without powerful or reasonable economies to control (Ferguson, 1995; p. 173). Therefore, different markets have forced different political authorities to assume certain decisions that will all greater participation with more relevant and better-informed diverse interests of societies and other national or international authorities (Smith & Sutherland, 1998; p. 219). These reforms or concept implies that markets have forced or is curre ntly compelling the public or citizens to elect representatives with better political policies towards marketing and markets. The actions of any political authority require statutory or constitutional reforms towards developing pluralistic political policies that will be friendly to markets. Markets have led to administrative decentralization with the aim of distributing administrative authorities towards effective market management. It influenced the administrative decentralization to redistribute responsibility and financial resources authorities towards providing the public services with different levels of governances in order to understand market demands and requirement at

Social networking www.instagram.com Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Social networking www.instagram.com - Assignment Example This means that Instagram has its terms and conditions and legal sanctions, as shall be seen in the discussion that ensues forthwith. 1) The Type of Conduct Specifically Prohibited Instagram prohibits the use of its services by any person below 13 years. Instagram does not also allow posting of violent, discriminatory, nude or party nude, hateful, pornographic, sexually suggestive or infringing photos or content, via its service. Instagram also prohibits the selling or transferring of accounts, account followers, account rights or account username. The only exception to this rule is assigned top businesspersons. In the same wavelength, Instagram prohibits an individual from opening an account for another party. Bonanos (2012) divulges that for security and ethical purposes, soliciting, collecting and using login credentials of other Instagram users is prohibited. Defaming, stalking, abusing, defaming, harassing, intimidating and impersonating other people or users of Instagram are pr ohibited acts. The posting of confidential information such as nonpublic phone numbers, and private e-mail addresses, social security, national identity card numbers and card information via Instagram is also prohibited. In another wavelength, Instagram also prohibits the changing, modifying and altering contents of other websites to give the false impression of association with Instagram is also proscribed. Alongside this is also the accession of Instagram’s private API by means outside Instagram’s permission. All users are also not allowed to submit or generate unwanted e-mails, comments or any other form of commercial which may harass communication to Instagram users. Instagram also prohibits the use of web URLs and domain names without receiving prior written permission from Instagram. The creation of accounts with Instagram services through unauthorized fashion (such as through the use of script, automated device, bot, scraper and crawler) is also not allowed. Any act that may interfere with Instagram’s services, Instagram servers and networks such as transmission by worms, spyware, malware, viruses or any other code of disruptive or destructive nature. In this light, no one is allowed to inject code or content or even alter the way an Instagram page is displayed in the user’s device or browser. No one is also allowed to attempt to, or restrict another Instagram user from enjoying or using Instagram services, or encourage the violation of Instagram’s terms and conditions of use. It is also important to note that any form of action which is in contravention to the terms and conditions of Instagram’s use that the client had agreed to abide by is a violation and is therefore prohibited. Additionally, all Instagram users are expected to comply with Instagram’s Community Guidelines. This above is seen in ABA Business Law Section’s statement which reads, â€Å"As a social networking Web site matures, its business and the ever-changing legal environment are likely to prompt revisions to the standard posted EULA terms.† This is found in ABA Business Law Section (2009). Again, this is reflected in Instagram’s website which reads, â€Å"By accessing or using the Instagram website, the Instagram service, or any applications (including mobile applications) made available by Instagram (together, the "Service"), however accessed, you agree to be bound by these terms of use

The purpose of Johns Gospel Essay Example for Free

The purpose of Johns Gospel Essay To tell the truths about Jesus rather than recount the facts of his life. Critically examine and evaluate this claim concerning the purpose of the author of the Fourth Gospel. There are several alternative views about the purpose of Johns Gospel. I plan to examine the view that it was written to tell truths about Jesus, and discuss its likelihood within the context of some of the other theories. In order to assess this view of the gospels purpose, it is necessary to discuss for whom John was writing, as his purpose will hinge upon his audience. If he was writing so his audience could see and have faith in Jesus then he may well have been writing for unbelievers. Karl Bornhauer has proposed that the gospel was written as a straightforward missionary tract for unbelieving Jews. Only Jews, he claims, would have understood the document, because it is preoccupied with Jewish matters and omits any reference to the institution of the Christian rites of Baptism and the Lords Supper. In its final edition, the gospel was written in Greek, possibly because this is what Hellenistic Jews spoke. On these grounds, the gospel was written to convince Jews of the Christian claim that Jesus is the Messiah. Robinson agrees with this view but Smalley thinks that by the time this gospel was written, the Christian mission to Israel was largely over. The Jews featured in the gospel are Jesus enemies, not potential Christians while some believe in him (12:11) the majority are responsible for his death. Johns attitude to them would therefore have been polemical not missionary. This seems like a relevant view, also, because it is doubtful that John would have succeeding in converting these Jews by casting them into the role of Jesus enemies; he would merely have alienated them. Therefore I do not believe Johns Gospel was written to convert unbelieving Jews. Another theory, from Raymond Brown, is that John was addressing Diaspora Jewish-Christians; Greek speaking Jews already converted to Christianity, or those torn between their faith in Jesus and their loyalty to Judaism. They were mistrusted and seen as subversive to the law, and attempts were made to exclude them from the synagogue. The polemic against Jews would not apply to them, and the authors emphasis on Jesus as the Messiah and as the fulfilment of all the Jewish feasts and institutions would be a strength to their faith if they were allowed to remain in the synagogue, and an encouragement to them if they were forced to withdraw. There are three references to being put out of the synagogue in Johns Gospel, and two instances of those who overcame their fear of the Jews, and even at risk of expulsion from the synagogue, publicly acknowledged Jesus (the blind man, and Joseph of Arimathea). Jesus is also portrayed positively, attending festivals. Brown concludes that John is inviting Jewish-Christians in the synagogues of the Diaspora to follow the example of such people. However, despite the fact there is internal evidence to support this, it is unlikely these were the sole intended recipients. Smalley suggests that the gospel could also have been written for Christians, to challenge their faith, to encourage their belief and to help them grow into the Christian way of life. There is nothing exclusive about the gospel; its perspective is infinitely wide, and it may well have been intended for all Christians everywhere. It is, however, also possible that John was writing for a particular group around him, because his gospel was originally anchored in a real life situation which helped to shape its tradition, and caused its publication. Smalley thinks the Johannine church was made up of many disparate groups of people suffering under the Romans persecution. These groups included Judaisers, ex-heretics, ex Gnostics, those from Gentile and Jewish backgrounds and ex-pagans, but all were followers of the beloved disciple, and the purpose of writing a gospel for all of these people would be to reconcile them, and thus show the universality of Christianity. C H Dodd and C K Barrett are the two scholars most associated with the belief that John is a work of evangelism. The gospel itself states that it contains an evangelical purpose: so that you may believe Jesus is the Christ (20:31). Thus its main purpose would be to persuade people to grow in faith, (which is a different thing from belief). A discussion between Jesus and Thomas (20:26-28) seems to emphasise this Thomas sees because he believes. Jesus is saying that without actually seeing him on earth, faith is a spiritual perception. Thomas needs to see reality. This theme is running through the gospel, the light and dark imagery symbolising seeing faith, and demonstrating that Jesus is the light of the world and the source of eternal life. So, Smalley concludes that the gospel was written so that its readers could find out truths about Jesus and believe he is the life-giving Messiah (v 31). Dodd thinks the gospel is written in two parts, chapters 2 11 being the signs, and 12 20 b eing the passion. Thus Jesus is shown being glorified. It has been suggested that the gospel is a polemic or an apology, and according to Bultmann, one against the Baptist sect. Its main purpose would be to demonstrate the inferiority of John the Baptist to Jesus. John the Baptist is described only as a man sent from God (1:6) and his role is heavily played down in comparison with the synoptics Jesus, not John, is the light (1:8), the Baptist is neither the Christ nor the Elijah, but merely a crying voice (1:19-23), Jesus existed before John, and is greater (1:30), Jesus performed many signs, but John never worked a miracle (10:41). Only in this gospel does Jesus not get baptised. Therefore, the suggestion has been raised that Johns gospel was written to refute the claim of a Baptist group. Bultmann argues that the author of the gospel was a former Gnostic who had been part of a Baptist sect before becoming a Christian Gnosticism flourished in the 2nd Century and his disciples were given to Jesus. Smalley is very critical of this view, saying the only other evidence we have of a Baptist sect is in Acts 19, and this is debatable. Although it is possible there was a Baptist sect in the 3rd Century, this wasnt unusual judging by the other sects in existence e.g. Manichaeism and there is little evidence to suggest such a group created any real problem for the early Christian church. Furthermore, I do not think the author could have been meaning to downgrade John the Baptist, because he isnt mentioned very much the gospel is about Jesus. Another possibility is that the gospel is a polemic against heresy, in particular, against Gnosticism. Gnostic influences, or pre-Gnostic ideas, were brought to bear on the Christian gospel once it was carried from a Palestinian to a Graeco-Roman environment. We also know from Gnostic redeemer myths, in which deliverance from the lower world of matter is effected by a non-earthly, ideal, saviour figure and appropriated by knowledge, that such ideas when taken over by Christians involve a denial of the physical reality of Jesus in his life and death. Edwin Hoskyns argued the gospel was anti-Gnostic, as did E Scott, who thought John was basically a reinstatement of the Christian good news in Hellenistic terms. But he also found evidence that the author of John wrote to counteract heretical, Gnostic teachings he insists on the reality of Christs life, denies the Gnostic hierarchy of intermediate spiritual agencies, opposes the Gnostic idea that divine sonship is possible apart from t he Christ, avoids Gnostic watchwords, and so on. Barrett thinks John was writing whilst Gnosticism was developing; and essentially was trying to nip it in the bud before it really became successful (although Bultmann disagrees and thinks it was already established by c.100 AD). Gnostics, in general, think Jesus message is for an elite, and only some will get to Heaven. The author of John was clearly conscious of Gnosticism, and apparently not completely or directly critical of it he uses Gnostic imagery such as light and dark, heaven and earth, is sensitive to the importance of knowledge, and accepts a dualist framework for his theology of salvation. Bultmann believes that the author of John is actually a former Gnostic who is editing the sign source (which is the heart of the ministry), and that John uses a separate source from the synoptics, in which the signs do not feature. Bultmann thinks Gnosticism used the sign source too, but attached the redeemer myth to it. John is therefore editing out Gnostic influences, reclaiming the text this means that Gnosticism and John are similar, but the conclusion is different. So through using Gnostic ideas, John is actually showing that Christianity is universal. However, this to me does not hold much weight as an argument because the author has been so ambiguous he swings between supporting the Gnostic way of thought and opposing it. Had the author been writing a polemic, he would surely have left no doubt about his point. It has also been questioned whether John might have been trying to interpret or complement the synoptics, or perhaps going beyond them completely to write an ultimate gospel. Evidence for this is that it was part of Jewish tradition to write a commentary on something previous: Windisch and Lightfoot think it is an assumption to say that the author of Johns gospel used the synoptics as a source, (although John was written late, C 100 AD) and he might have used a non-synoptic sign source. Windisch thinks John was written, to supersede the synoptics, by a single author who must have known the gospel of Mark and other synoptic material. Windisch claimed John was autonomous and sufficient so might have been replacing them completely. Lightfoot developed this idea, but said that the synoptic gospels would have had too strong a position in church for Johns gospel to achieve this, and was only interpreting them, to draw out the significance of the original events. This was suggested long before by Clement of Alexandria, when he wrote of a spiritual gospel. I think the idea of interpretation is probably more likely than that of replacement, as John does not seem to be meant to be independent, but probably complements the synoptics. The title asks whether the purpose of Johns gospel was historicity or not. For a large part of history, it was not thought to be accurate in the modern historians sense, especially as St Clement of Alexandria referred to it as a spiritual gospel. Some events in John appear to occur in a different order to the synoptics, e.g. the last supper, which occurs at Passover in the synoptics but is first thing in John. But according to Lightfoot, the author was well aware of the historical truth lying at the heart of the Christian tradition, and even if he can sit lightly to subordinate aspects of his main historical subject, he may give us better guidance than the synoptics. Smalley has tried to answer the question by examining Acts: Martin Dibelius believes Acts is not historical at all, F F Bruce says it is a summary of history but a sanitised version. But why would an author write one factual gospel and one inaccurate gospel? Paul is the main character in Acts, and Pauls inaccurate writings seem to contradict. Galatians also mentions a missing journey to Arabia which Acts leaves out though according to Catchpole, this could have been because it wasnt successful. But Smalley points out that in Acts, the council of Jerusalem is mentioned, which isnt in Paul. This means Acts and Luke are probably not historical, so John could still be. Despite this, Schmeitzer has said that the only thing the gospel shows is that Jesus existed, not anything about him. I do not think this can be true judging by the apparent structure of the gospel. Smalley divided it up into four parts (the prologue, the ministry, the passion, and the epilogue). Guilding identified a two-year cycle within the narrative, although he thought it was a liturgy. However this does suggest history was important, or why would the author put the gospel into a historical context? The gospel has a clear time period, and mentions historical figures. Smalley identified that the author must have thought about structure as well, and said that the main purpose was to show who Jesus is (thus agreeing with the titles claim). Jesus performed miracles which C H Dodd called sign sources, and Smalley thinks that these, along with the discourses and the I am sayings, are meant to show the reader who Jesus actually is, and what his purpose is. None of these three things have a historical purpose, although John might be historically accurate, containing historical and geographical tracts. I could accept this view, as it allows for the miracles to be only literary devices, designed to show the role of Jesus. The gospel is certainly centred about Jesus, who seems to be acting as a pastor he cares about his people (as in Pauls letters). Smalley questions whether or not Johns Gospel contains the same kind of Kerygma as the rest of the New Testament writings. C H Dodd identified the Kerygma in early speeches of Peter in six different parts throughout Acts: 2:16-21, in which the Old Testament prophecy is fulfilled, 2:22-32 and 3:15, where it is stated that Jesus is from the Davidic line, 2:33-36 and 4:11, stating that Jesus is the lord, 2:33 and 2:38, in which the Holy Spirit is given, 3:20 and 10:42, where it proclaims that Jesus will return, and 2:38-40 and 3:19 which says man should repent their sins. In John, the Old Testament prophecy is fulfilled in John 1:1 and 1:14. 1:14 and 7:14 state that Jesus is from the Davidic line, 17:20-22 and 15:1-6 that Jesus is the lord, 20:21 that the Holy Spirit has been given, 6:39, 6:44, 14:3 that Jesus will return, and 20:31 that man should repent. C H Dodd thinks this Kerygma is in John, Peter and Paul. Smalley accepts it is there in John and Paul but thinks it is less developed. He also believes there is a significant difference between its presence in John and in Paul, because Jesus is supposed to be the second Adam in Paul, but John has a greater emphasis on surpassing Moses. He argues that the fourth gospel is much closer to the synoptics than to Paul, that Paul never saw the historical Jesus, only the risen Jesus, and is therefore incomplete. I would agree with Smalleys reasoning because in the Kerygma and in Paul there is little reference to Jesus historical life, so the purpose of the gospels might have been to put teachings of Jesus into a historical setting. In conclusion, it is impossible to be sure of the purpose of Johns Gospel, but it seems likely that the author wanted to communicate truths about Jesus, his role on earth, his divinity, etc. Smalleys views seem well supported by evidence, and I would agree that the gospel couldnt have been a purely historical account although it may well have a true frame of events. Surely spreading the good news about Jesus would be more important than relating everything he said and exactly as it happened. Robinson, who thought the gospel was written before the synoptics, said that historicity might have been a purpose, but not the main one. Most of those who think the synoptics came first will disagree and think Johns history is inaccurate, but as Brown as said, the accuracy is irrelevant, as the narrative frame is probably only there to strengthen teachings about Jesus.

Femme Fatale in Early Silent Cinema and Classic Film Noir

Femme Fatale in Early Silent Cinema and Classic Film Noir Introduction The quintessential ideal of the femme fatale was a woman who was mysterious, manipulative, and desperate with a male protagonist that in following the dangerous, yet desirable wishes of these women, would submit themselves as victims that evolved from a twisted form of love. The femme fatale grew out of earlier literature and other genres of artistic composition. Although the prototypical representation for the femme fatale dates back much earlier than the beginning of the 20th century, spanning backwards in time many centuries (Thorpe), research and examination for this paper takes place during later early silent cinema circa 1910-1919 and classic film noir 1940-1959. The paradigm of the femme fatale made its appearance by way of American cultural ideology at the time of their appearance in film, and two movies, A Fool There Was, and, Mildred Pierce, provide evidence for psychological disorder due to the progressive, ideological reforms that were fought for during these time periods, whether through mental illness, or personality disturbances. The embodiment of the components evident in the character makeup of the femme fatale characters in these films manifests themselves onscreen and showcases the intense fear that men had of a liberated and independent woman, and results in the repudiation of patriarchal oppression by the infringement of the boundaries for what was considered proper behavior for a woman by being independent, smart, and/or having menacing actions. Women and the 1910s The women that were a product of World War I did not have a good life, initially. At the beginning of the war, women were viewed as second class citizens, a view that had been held of women for many years prior. Women were the recipients of restrictions on most of their basic rights, such as not being allowed to vote, and because of this there was an infringement upon their right of choice, as they had no say in what leaders would be chosen to represent their country. Additionally, a division of socioeconomic classes was evidenced, as lower class women were employed in areas of education, nursing, shop clerks, seamstresses, secretaries, and most of all, domestic servants. On the other hand, women of upper class stature were mostly confined to their homes as domestic tradeswomen taking care of the children and looking after the home, in what most would term, the cult of domesticity. Also, upper class women would participate within the realm of charitable work, and be an overseer to a household of servants since employment that took place outside of the domesticated way of life that these women were used to was still reserved predominately for upper class men. With the arrival of World War I, opportunities became available for women to work outside of the home by giving them the chance to take over the jobs of men who were engaged in the war, which up to this point was something that women were not allowed to do. The Journal of Magazine and New Media Research published an article in Spring 1999 titled, Destructive Women and Little Men: Masculinity, the New Woman, and Power in 1910s Popular Media, that outlines the decade of the 1910s by making an argument about the Progressive-era womens reform work that was taking place at that time and how the womens suffrage movement was in its final chapter. Carolyn Kitch from Northwestern University acknowledges that there was an expansive effort underway at that time to give women more opportunities for social, political, and economic growth. Upon evaluation of the research conducted there is evidence verifying Kitchs claim of these opportunities for social, political, and economic growth slightly pr ior to, and during the period of World War I, leading into the period of classic film noir. Women in the workplace during the war gave women a vehicle upon which to showcase their talents, and this in turn brought them to the forefront of social reforms such as the right to vote, working outside of the home, and demand for better working conditions, wages, and higher education. Women of the 1910s started to see their lives change because of industrialization and technological change, and this fabricated a scenario where there was a resistance to reform, a situation that occurred where women were trying to break away from their traditional roles as domestic engineers but were met with opposition from all levels of society, including other women, who believed that women should remain in their traditional roles as wives and mothers. Although the Victorian era was finished around 15 years before World War I, the passive, innocent Victorian ideal of the fragile, pious, domestic, and sexual innocent (Sharot, 73) woman and her role in the domestic sphere had not changed. During this period of progressive reform there was a radical change in the image of the woman as the female body was starting to become freed from the 19th century constraints of dress that had kept a woman shackled to her domestic roles within the household. This reform fostered a rebellion against the traditional forms of dress: long dresses, long skirts, and long hair. This level of independence among women started showing up in cinema, too, because at that time the entertainment industry started to revere the female body and it became one of its primary attractions. Women during the decade of the 1910s were taking control of their lives, destinies, fortunes, and even their sexualities. The combination between the liberation of the female and the potential erotic components of cinema in the 1910s gave rise to a new kind of woman, The Vamp. The Vamp of Early Silent Cinema and Psychological Disorders The Vamp character of early silent cinema provides evidence for psychological disorders that come in the form of mental illness. The radical progressive ideological reforms that women were fighting for at the time made its way into cinema and appeared, and played out, as The Vamp character, and the social ideals that she personified were disordered because vamps were feminist revolutionaries and this was delineated as mental illness. Martins mentions that the Vamp cast by Theda Bara is a symbol of equal rights activism and the suffrage movement of the 1910s, and this was the showing of progressive ideals by a movie icon in a conservative film industry (95). Because the first wave of feminism was starting to take shape at that time, sexual and reproductive matters were at the forefront, but also women had this idea that they had the ability to make contributions to society at rates equal to, if not more than men. Mental illness during the period of the 1910s developed in women because of the lifestyle that the domestic sphere thrust upon them, as seen by oppression and societal expectations from the Victorian ideals that came before. Imprisonment of the kind related to the oppression of women is portrayed as madness because of the nature of the societal role in which she inhabits, leaving her prisoner in her own body (SigurÃÆ' °ardà ³ttir, 9). This discouraged women from looking to new roles because of the lens in which they are viewed. Women who were found to be in rebellion of the proper codes of conduct were deemed mad because the behavior was considered to be unnatural, and not very womanly, and was seen in some aspects as masculine behavior, where women, like their male counterparts, could display deviant behavior. By regulating a womans body, one could also regulate her mind. This sexual deviancy was seen as psychologically abnormal. As women started to become liberated, deemed demo nic by the social and cultural institutions within the middle and upper classes because of the fears of social mobility that is felt will take place, they have no hope of surviving the societal boundaries upon which they crossed, and this makes these women appear as if they are mad women. The character of the Vamp shows similarity to Dracula movies where the vampire is a terrible monster, and Dracula himself turns women into vampiresses and by doing so, releases their sexuality and carnal desires, and once this sexuality is unleashed and embraced by women it gives them power over men. The new vampiress, resurrected from the bite of Dracula, bears a direct similarity to the Vamp character in early silent cinema. World War I, symbolically, becomes the bite of Dracula that unhinges this unleashed sexuality that is viewed as dangerous for men. One example, Theda Bara, who played the character of Vampire (Dirks) in the 1915 film, A Fool There Was spoke her most famous line of all, Kiss me my fool (Dirks). The term the Vamp came into existence because of the predatory nature of the character, but also because the character construction was that of a sex goddess. This is evidenced in the cinematic production whenTheda Bara plays the part of a scheming vampire, a seductress f amous for luring men, and using them; leaving them ruined. On a business cruise to England, a man, John Schuyler, traveling without his wife and daughter was easily fooled and targeted by the irresistible Vampire aboard the ship and became her willing victim when he becomes addicted to Theda Baras character in the film by allowing her to spend all his money and driving him to drug addiction which makes him lose everything. Despite the drug addiction that John Schuyler himself experiences because of the manipulative ways of Theda Baras vamp character in, A Fool There Was, the evidence presented illustrates vampirism, a metaphorical characterization for addiction, and provides confirmation for mental disorder, a component of psychological disturbance. As mentioned in the previous paragraph, in the film, A Fool There Was, John Schuyler was driven to drug addiction by this vamp character that takes his money and makes him lose everything. Drug addiction is considered a mental illness by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, which states: Drug addiction is centrally responsible for the altered states of the brain in which the addiction changes the brain so that a person no longer has needs or desires of a non-drug addict. The addiction creates new priorities that are affiliated with the use and procurement of using the drug in question. This results in behaviors that are compulsive that do not allow the addict the ability to control impulses despite the consequences. Love, in and of itself, is a drug and the Vamp character compares to a physical drug that causes addiction. By the end of the movie, Schuyler is a physical wreck and loses everything. He is powerless to turn away from the vamp, even at the expense of losing his wife and daughter, much in the same way that a drug addict loses everything and cannot pull away from his fix. The attraction of a male victim to a vamp is like the attraction of the addict to his drug. Both are destructive, and the vamp can command the loyalty of those male victims under her spell, controlling any man she encounters. Once she marks her prey she will change the life of all that she consumes, leaving the male victim in the clutches thinking about nothing but her. This hold that the vamp has on her male victims can be so consuming to the male prey that it takes over their life because of their need for more. Vampirism mirrors, in its entirety, the fundamental processes involved with addiction. This metaphor for addiction, vampirism, shows that by awakening the carnal desires and sexuality of women, which was the case during World War I when women realized their potential and what they had to offer in comparison to men, that they had power over men. Tom Pollard argues in his book, Loving Vampires: Our Undead Obsession, that the analysis of sexuality in vampire culture reveals changes to the societal dynamic and evolving issues that were currently taking place (60). These changes to the societal dynamic frightened men because the perception of women, as characterized through Theda Baras character of the Vamp onscreen, provides substantiated affirmation for not only a psychological disorder in the form of a mental illness, but emerging attitudes and beliefs about sexuality. In SigurÃÆ' °ardà ³ttirs essay titled, Women and Madness in the 19th Century: The Effects of Oppression on Womens Mental Health, she talks about Bram Stokers book, Dracula, which was published in 1897. Her interpretation was that all victims of Dracula have symptoms resembling depression, or even hysteria. Then she goes on to mention that the first victims of Dracula are male, and Jonathan Harker, the male character in the book shows symptoms of nervousness and depression, but that it was interesting how the male character, Jonathan Harker, suffers a far worse mental breakdown than the women of the story (22-23). This aligns with the ideology of the men having a fear so great that it aligns with the appearance of a hysteria which stems from the fear of a liberated and independent woman, and this fear was even greater than the fear brought about by the threat of opposing nations in World War I. Sigmund Freuds perspective on Dracula would be that the symptoms suffered by women were caused by the repression of sexual feelings and this was a threat to the pious and angelic woman that eluded Victorian society. In her thesis, Annelise Difilippantonio, discussed about Freuds psychoanalytic theory on Dracula, and argued that Freud had theories about sexuality that showed the fear of expressing sexual feelingsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦but that psychoanalysis is central to the examination of the unconscious and the powerful role of the sexuality in human beings, both in females and males (4-5) Also, she goes on to say that the repression of these desires inherent in individuals cannot be brought to a conscious state because it is seen as unacceptable behavior (5). Theda Baras character in, A Fool There Was, was a cinematic production that showcased the unleashed sexuality that some women of the decade of the 1910s started experiencing, which was seen as unacceptable. Theda Baras character was a symbol of the unrecognizability of women because of the change of image of women at that time from pious, domestic women to that of madwomen. Theda Bara as a Vamp represents the paradigm of the femme fatale because she is a danger to men because men become victim to her madness and sexuality, which was the case of John Schuyler whose whole life got destroyed because he became victim to her manipulative ways. The portrayal of the Vamp onscreen, most specifically Theda Baras vamp character in, A Fool There Was, has the lips of crimson which look like fresh blood, and a certain look to her clothing, which almost has this death robe appearance to it. The purity of the clothing goes along with her whole being: stained, but she is changed. As women of the 1910s were viewed by their men as angelic in nature by displaying piety, their death was replaced by a demonic looking figure; a madwoman, which is symbolic of a female rebellion which must be silenced. This awakening of female sexuali ty was the moral undoing of society and was considered evil because a liberated and independent woman potentially held the key to declaring their equality with men, therefore repudiating patriarchal oppression. Additionally, important to the argument of the archetype of the femme fatale is the feminine part of a mans personality called the anima, which was first coined by modern psychologist, Carl Jung. The anima is the female personification of all psychological tendencies in the male unconscious (Jung, 177) and the anima is normally ruled by the influence of the mother. Any negative anima could result, using Carl Jungs argument, in a man being lured to commit suicide because the anima will present itself as an insecurity or depression, and in this case this anima becomes the equivalent of a death demon. This is frequently the description given to the paradigm of these femme fatales. However, sometimes this anima can be positive because of a good experience with his mother and this will result in his anima that gets preyed upon by women leaving the man the inability to cope with his hardships as they come along in his life (Jung, 179). This binding effect of a dangerous female figure whose sexuality dooms the male, regardless of his negative or positive anima, mirrors the prototype of the femme fatale. The decade of the 1910s, and World War I, forever changed the economy going forward into the future from that point because it lifted many women out of the realm of domestic service. Because of this, women were transformed and were seen by many as madwomen upon the awakening of their sexuality. This slowly led to the era of the rising middle class of the 1940s and 1950s and the femme fatale of classic film noir that was birthed from the independence that World War II afforded women when it came to their place in the workforce to fill the vacancies that the men left behind when they went off to fight in the war. Women of the 1940s and 1950s Like World War I before it, World War II also had women called upon by the government to fill the traditionally male jobs and roles that were available while the men went off to war. Women joined everything from nurse corps to jobs in defense. Women became a crucial part of the war effort and the workforce and because of this they reshaped the prescribed gender norms and roles that were taking place at this time in history. The job opportunities offered during World War II were targeted for fulfillment by married women that lived in the cities, and those women who had experience that came from the domestic sphere because they never worked outside of the home. The war provided women with an opportunity to learn job skills that they may have otherwise never been able to learn, and by providing women with employment, job training, and skills, women became liberated and this led to the deviation of women from traditional roles in the domestic realm. During this time, women outnumbered me n in the workforce and men began to have problems with the idea of women as wage laborers because they saw it as a threat to the traditional marriage and family roles that had women as the iconic representation of piety, submissiveness, and stay at home wife and mother. Melissa A. McEuen, argues that there was a certain social stigma attached to women working and that a challenge would ensue in getting it removed (2). World War II for a lot of women during this time was about gaining strength, and as more men were leaving their homes and families to be deployed away from home to fight in the war, women gave up their roles as domestic engineer to take on traditionally male roles as wage earners. Femme Fatale of Classic Film Noir The women who took part in the workforce while the men went off to war were seen as placeholders and attempts were made to push these women back into the traditional roles they held prior to the war. The femme fatale of classic film noir was birthed as a result of this push back into traditional roles. In the journal article, Female monsters: Horror, the Femme Fatale and World War II, Mark Jancovich contends that at the end of the war the femme fatale makes its appearance and is demonstrative of a historical reconstruction of an economy based on a division of labor in which men were the sole means of production (133). Approximately 18 years after the end of World War II, Betty Friedan, wrote the book, The Feminine Mystique, which outlined the main ideology that was associated with women, not only before the war, but after as well, due in part to media exposure at the time that pressured women into taking subordinate roles. This fit under the concept of the feminine mystique because c ultural domesticity in women at that time was the societal ideal (20). While womens roles were in a period of expansion, the level of domesticity within the feminine domain was influenced by American culture and media and was in the instrumental stages of collapsing under patriarchal oppression. Jancovich contends that after World War II the patriarchal order starts to fail and in order for it to be reconstructed women have to give up the jobs they held and return to the domestic sphere (135). This caused women to fight to keep their jobs, and men, feeling threatened by their independence, started to view these women as harbingers of deviant behavior because men were always the head of the household, and the primary breadwinners. This freedom afforded to women made men feel emasculated and they became fearful of a reverse of patriarchal control. It was at this point that dissatisfaction starts to flare up in regards to the domestic roles to which these women were expected to take part in as confusion surrounding the roles of men and women starts to shape the workplace and the home. The femme fatale in classic film noir was a representation of the bewilderment of women in society at that time in history and was a threat to the status quo. The cinematic representation of, Mildred Pierce, is a film from the 1940s that shows us what anxieties there were for working women, in this case the protagonist (Mildred), and how she was viewed as a threat to the society in which she lived. Throughout the film Mildred constantly passes back and forth through two different worlds: domestic realm as a mother, and public sphere as a career business woman. Like many other mothers of post-World War II America, Mildred occupies both spheres. This fostered the development of psychological conditions that were showcased onscreen that surround the femme fatale of classic film noir, as she was a product of the shifting cultural ideals, and a change in the role of American women after the period of World War II. This was reflective of a large amount of frustration within women because o f the label their gender carried as some kind of traditional domesticated servant within their households, in addition, there was a search for their own autonomy and self-sufficiency. At this point, there is a turning of the tides where women start challenging their place within society and there is a transformational shift that takes place that changes how women are seen in the future. Psychological Conditions surrounding the Femme Fatale of Classic Film Noir Psychological conditions that drive my argument deals with personality disorder, which is a deeply ingrained pattern of behavior where the person acts counterproductive to their environment where it can cause difficulty in the functioning of society (Mayo Clinic). Specific personality disorders would be those in the cluster B group because the femme fatale of classic film noir withstood various cinematic productions where this fatal woman who manipulates men into these dangerous or compromising situations was created. In the Journal of Criminal Justice and Popular Culture, Scott Snyder, affirms in his article, Personality Disorder and the Film Noir Femme Fatale, that film noir depicts this societal view of American culture that is in degradation, full of crime and corruption, and this leads to this view of humanity as disparaging and meaningless, but at the same time is unprincipled and has this mysterious existence. The cinematic quality that is representative of some form of charac ter pathology in classic film noir is the femme fatale herself. Mark Jancovich agrees with this claim when he argues in his article, Vicious Womanhood: Genre, The Femme Fatale and Post War America, that there was a shift that took place in these films that present these vicious women as the sufferers of psychological disturbance and compulsion (107). This eccentric woman is like a black widow spider, as her bite is fatal, and like the black widow, lures the male into dangerous situations that mostly result in harm, and sometimes death. The nature of these femme fatale women leads to the destruction of the male (prey) and challenges the integrity of his morality, if not destroying it altogether. Her behavior exemplifies these hidden symptoms of psychological conditions that present during Cluster B personality disorders. The first Cluster B personality disorder, histrionic, is defined by the American Psychiatric Association as a personality disorder characterized by a pattern of excessive emotionality and attention-seeking, including an excessive need for approval and inappropriately seductive behavior, usually beginning in early adulthood. These individuals are lively, dramatic, vivacious, enthusiastic, and flirtatious. One example of histrionic personality disorder is evident in the movie, Mildred Pierce. In this movie, Mildred Pierce, a middle-class housewife, has a difficult relationship with her manipulative and greedy daughter, Veda and becomes a waitress but does not tell Veda because it would make her ashamed. Mildred works hard to please her ungrateful daughter who appreciates none of it. Veda constantly is the attention seeker who works hard to acquire the worship of others through her beauty, and later through her ability to sing. Veda controls the men in her life, including her mothers l overs, with her sexuality because of her constant demands for more luxury (Cook. qtd in Jancovich, pg. 144). As the definition from the American Psychiatric Association outlines, these behaviors normally take place beginning in early adulthood, and this is when the film takes place, while Veda is 17 years old. Veda has sexual relationships with men as an attempt to seek more admiration. Veda demonstrates the lively, dramatic, seductress that comprises histrionic personality disorder. Jancovich argues that the women in question oftentimes are a product of domesticity, in which case they are in direct opposition to women that were viewed as independent. These women were women that were sluggish and lazy (134). In, Mildred Pierce, Veda is a product of domesticity and is the antagonist to her own protagonist mother. Mildred, who opened her own restaurant business and, therefore, was considered independent, was viewed as a monster to those from the domestic realm, including her own daughter Veda. The femme fatale that was displayed in the cinematic productions of classic film noir have been viewed as some kind of force that exudes energy, intelligence, and power, but are able to receive strength from the sexuality that they display. American filmmakers at that time tried to depict the femme fatale as some kind of genuine, yet mildly harsh sexually overcharged women that has the potential to murder, engage in corruption, and take part in greed, just like any male actor counterpart in film. The persistent effort to push women back into their culture of domesticity resulted in a demonization of independent working women (Jancovich, pg 100) who would not surrender their jobs they held during the war. The femme fatale decides on the course of her own sexuality, which sets her (femme fatale) apart from the patriarchal system that previously had suppressed her. Snyder argues: There was this cultural ideation concerning the femme fatale in classic film noir that allowed women to break away from the traditional power structures of the ruling patriarchal authority. The vision of a woman that wraps her finger around the trigger of a pistol erases the idea of the genetic predilection that women were a product of cultural repression. For the femme fatale, she becomes every mans most mistrusted fantasy, and exemplifies histrionic personality disorder. The second personality construct of the disordered femme fatale of classic film noir is that of narcissism. With narcissism there is likely to be a need for an increased level of sexual coercion that is brought on by the femme fatales own cognitive distortions that emanate from her need to preserve her self-esteem and keep the perception of herself in high regard. Normally, with narcissism there is an excessive need for self-admiration, and a deep lack of empathy. In the case of Veda in Mildred Pierce, the deep lack of empathy shows its face in the scene where Veda feigns pregnancy to funnel money from her soon to be ex-husband: the son of Mrs. Forrester, in an attempt to get away from her mother (Mildred) and shows no shame for doing so. With the femme fatale, the narcissism can also be demonstrated by the appearance of mirrors throughout the film, whether the mirror is used for her own gaze, or as a means to showcase a double identity. The woman becomes totally self absorbed into her own self. Femme fatale women are often in scenes that use some type of involvement with mirrors. This may personify the deviousness, as well as, the cunning nature of these women, where nothing and no one is what it seems (Snyder). In film noir, mirrors are a technique that is prevalent in cinema that show the visual caricature of this idea of the self indulged narcissist. In, Mildred Pierce, there is a mirror that was used in the film and it was a crucial part of the narrative for moving Mildred back and forth, as mentioned earlier in this paper, through the domestic and public sphere. This mirror gives evidence for narcissistic behavior throughout the film. Veda is the shadow that illustrates Mildreds dark double. Veda is the femme fa tale of the story who is a deadly woman that hinders Mildreds ability to be a good mother. Veda preys on everyone who is close to her for her own selfish gains and , although she sees her mother working outside of the domestic realm as evil, she has no problems in spending all of the money her mother earns. Veda steals her mothers husband and then murders him. Mildred and Veda are so intertwined with each other that it takes the detectives at the end of the film to separate the two. This separation is foreshadowed by the pierced mirror (Mancini, 24) in the beach house that was hit by the bullet of Veda when she shot and killed Monty. Mildred herself, although mild mannered and hard working in the restaurant business, also displays narcissistic behavior, but unlike her daughter Veda, hides it extremely well. Mildred, too, in her own way is just as manipulative and exploitative. In an article, The Ultimate Femme Fatale? Narcissism Predicts Serious and Aggressive Sexually Coercive Behavior in Females, Blinkhorn et al quote Morf and Rhodewalt, 2001 as saying that when it comes to narcissism that women can sometimes use more indirect and discreet ways of fulfilling their narcissistic goals (220). That becomes evident during an argument that took place between Mildred and Veda in the film when Veda insists that her mother has no right to criticize her for trying to get what she wants because she (Veda) argued that her mother Mildred really is not that much different than she is because, Father, Monty, Wallyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦you take what you need. There is some truth to Vedas claims because Mildred does not care at all fo r Wally and uses him to do her legal bidding, and Monty does not appear to garner her interest even though she is fascinated by him. Mildred uses Monty to fulfill her sexual needs and to chauffer the younger Veda around, but later to lure her back home. Snyder argues that the femme fatale have wishes and receive those wishes by becoming the growth on the side of men who are rich, but also those they believe to be powerful. These women marry to achieve financial freedom or social advancement but in the process they manipulate the very desire that men hold for them (161). Despite her drive to be successful, as well as, the inner strength that she carries within her, Mildred does not have no real ingredients for self-respect, rather she ascribes to a form of desperate narcissism that wants to be privy to an ideal, yet glamorous life, even if it is for her parasitic, unappreciative daughter. Conclusion The paradigmatic representation of the femme fatale c

QA Systems in Upscale Hotels

QA Systems in Upscale Hotels Quality assurance systems are an important element of any business strategy. As Porter (1985 and 2004) suggests, quality is now seen as a major force for gaining competitive advantage, particularly with the consumer. There is no commercial activity where this is more important than in the hotel sector. As Yavas et al (1995) state, the question is no longer whether to have quality assurance programmes, but rather how to make these programmes work,  within this sector of hospitality. It can be argued that in terms of quality assurance systems delivery the hotel sector is in a distinctive position, particularly when it is related to service satisfaction (Parasuraman 1997, Schiffman and Kanuk 2000). Unlike most other industries, where customer contact and engagement during a visit might be fleeting, as happens in retail shop environment, a hotels interaction with customers can last from a few hours to several days. Furthermore, as Kandampully et al (2001, p.28) the quality of the hotel product also has to take into account the customer-to-customer interactions. Following a brief literature review, the intention of this essay is to examine quality assurance systems and evaluate the effect that these systems have upon service quality and customer satisfaction within the upscale Hotel market. Quality assurance and management within the hotel environment is focused upon satisfying the customer. Therefore, this review concentrates on the existing literature relating to customer satisfaction and the various methods and frameworks of service quality related to this focus. Academic literature relating to customer satisfaction falls within two main categories, these being the psychological perceptions of the customer and the practical ways in which customer satisfaction can be implemented to help a business achieve its objectives. In the hotel sector, this objective is to try and engender a high level of customer satisfaction in order to positively influence our customers repurchasing and communicative behaviour   (Hennig-Thurau and Hassen (2000, p.62). However, to achieve this aim the business has to understand what drives customer satisfaction. Christopher (1984), Holbrook (1999), Schiffmand and Kanuk 2000 and Brennen (2003) all agree that satisfaction is related to the consumers perception or judgement of a product experience and value when set against their expectations and the payment made. Zeithamls (1998, p.14) describes it as follows, being that   Perceived value is the consumers overall assessment of the utility of a product based on perceptions of what is received and what is given †¦ value represents a trade-off of the salient give and get components  , in other words the cost paid is measured against the value expected . Therefore, it can be suggested that the greater the service quality the higher the satisfaction (Kandampully et al. 2001, p.8) and, conversely, the higher the price the greater the perception of value. Bostepe (2007) further identifies that, within a service environment such as a hotel, consumer satisfaction does not simply rely upon the quality of service satisfaction received from business employees, although this is an essential element. The physical environment, for example the dà ©cor, bedrooms and other facilities offered, are also elements of the consumers perceived value and service satisfaction. If any of these are deemed as sub-standard, particularly when related to the price paid, this will reduce the customers enjoyment and levels of satisfaction. It follows therefore that only by concentration upon providing quality within all of these areas of the product will the business be able to assure satisfaction and encourage customer loyalty (Holbrook 1999, p.121), which Porter (1998), Parasuraman (1997) Agrawal (2000) and Harrison (2003) all agree is essential to competitive advantage. There are numerous quality assurance measurement systems and standards available for use within the business environment. Customer feedback is one such measurement. Client feedback can be achieved by two methods. The first way is to provide questionnaires that hotel guests are asked to complete before the end of their stay. The second is to rely upon externally conducted questionnaires, interviews and polls, which can be conducted on a continuous basis. However, whilst comments and responses provided by customers may act as a good testimonial for the business (Porter 1998, p.1478), these systems have their drawbacks. In addition to the fact that not all customers might respond, the design of the process itself is often flawed (Kandampully et al 2001) and can therefore be misinterpreted. For example, a simple complaints procedure would not necessarily identify areas of quality success. Secondly, these feedback processes tend to lack definition. Their use may therefore be inhibited by the fact that they do not provide management with sufficient detail to be able to locate and resolve the specific areas of the business where deficiency of service quality is occurring. Furthermore, a system of continuous surveys adds to the business administration costs and, in addition, raises the inherent issue of sampling (Visit Britain 2008 b). Evidence of these limitations can be seen in a recent survey conducted by Visit Britain (2008 a) (see figu re 1). Figure 1 Customer hotel choice determinants   Source: Visit Britain (2008 a, p.11)  Whilst it is clearly apparent from these results that customer satisfaction in related to encouraging loyalty and retention, as well as being inherently useful in turning existing customers into promotional tools for the hotel, this does not provide management with a detailed analysis of the areas where satisfaction has been achieved or denote what areas were not satisfying.  To provide detailed quality service observations therefore, a more robust quality assurance system is required and most of these are based upon variations of the Total Quality Management (TQM) system (Dotchin and Oakland 1994 and Ziethaml et al 2000). These methods are designed to assess and monitor the level of quality being maintained throughout all areas of the business process and its supply chain, from an internal as well as external viewpoint. One such variation, particularly applicable to the hotel industry, is the SERVQUAL method, which originated from the works of Parasuraman et al (1991). Kandampully et al (2001, p.68) observe that many academics and practical studies have used SERVQUAL as a true measure of customer service and that it has been extensively applied (Shahin 2005, p.4) in service based organisations. Amongst these service industries will be included the hospitality and hotel sector of the tourism industry. Despite the fact that recent researches have sought to extend the elements of quality measurement with the SERVQUAL model, fundamentally it is still based upon the level of quality assurance to be measured and gained within five key sectors of the business processes, which are: Tangibles Physical facilities, equipment and appearance of personnel. Reliability Ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately. Responsiveness Willingness to help customers and provide prompt service. Assurance (including competence, courtesy, credibility and security). Knowledge and courtesy of employees and their ability to inspire trust and confidence. Empathy (including access, communication, understanding the customer). Caring and individualized attention that the firm provides to its customers. Source: Sahney et al 2004 The SERVQUAL measurement can be used internally, through measurement against preset quality assurance standards such as the ISO 9001 Quality certification process (BSI 2008) and the Star Rating system operated by Visit Britain (2008) in conjunction with the Automobile Association. In this case the hotel services and processes are measured against pre-determined sets of quality criterion and monitored at least annually by those who regulate these standards. The internal quality assurance programme is also complemented by external consumer questionnaires and interview surveys. The SERVQUAL quality assurance method has been in existence for some years and is tried and tested  (Shahin 2005, p.5), making it a firm favourite within the hotel service industry, where managers are comfortable and confident with the outcomes of these measurements. An element of SERVQUAL that is considered particularly important in this respect is the fact that the system and its measurements are monitored and updated on a regular basis (Holbrook (1999), Sahney et al (2004) and Boztepe (2007)), for example annually (Shahin 2005, p.6). Both ISO 9001 and the Star Rating systems conform to these determinants. As will be seen from the following analysis, the quality assurance systems applied to the hotel in terms of both the internal industry Star Rating and external SERVQUAL systems are virtually synonymous in terms of the standards and factors they rely upon for measurement. To maintain their perception as upscale or 5 star hotels, in each of these cases the hotel will have to achieve much higher levels of standards. 4.1 Star Rating system  Although the Star Rating system is formatted in a slightly different way to SERVQUAL, the quality elements of this process are still graded in a similar manner. The main difference is the fact that there are minimum quality requirements before the hotel will even be considered for a rating. However, even these equate to the tangible element of the SERVQUAL system (figure 2).  Figure 2 Minimum entry requirements   Source (Visit Britain 2005, p.8)  Once the minimum entry requirements have been met, to assess which star level is applicable to the establishment independent inspectors will monitor five quality bands and award a quality percentage to each. These percentages determine what rating the establishment has achieved (figure 3). Figure 3 Quality bands for star rating Star rating Bands One star 30-46% Two stars 47-54% Three stars 55-69% Four Stars 70-84% Five Stars 85-100% Source: Visit Britain (2005, p.6) Furthermore, this standard of quality has to be achieved across a range of five product elements, which include cleanliness, service, food quality, bedrooms and bathrooms. Simply complying in one of the areas is not sufficient to earn the highest star. Therefore, if the hotel fails to achieve the required 85-100% standards during an annual monitoring it risks its rating being downgraded to four stars or a lower standard. For instance, in the example shown below (figure 4), despite the fact that the hotel being monitored has achieved the five star requirements in three of the five bands, its failures in the other two would demote it to a four star hotel. Figure 4 Quality bank achievement Level Standard 1 2 3 4 5 Cleanliness X Service X Food quality X Bedrooms X Bathrooms X Source: adapted from Visit Britain (2005, p.7) 4.2 SERVQUAL system  When using the SERVQUAL system, which is largely based largely upon the results of customer satisfaction surveys, although all hotels would be looking to achieve the maximum service quality satisfaction level of 100% in terms of the overall scoring, there is a significant difference in the way this would be achieved when related to the different standard of establishments. To provide an example of how this equates in practice, the following is a comparison between the SERVQUAL requirements of a 5 star hotel against lower rated hotel, such as the budget Travelodge hotel chain (figure 5). Figure 5 SERVQUAL comparisons SERVQUAL criterion 5-star hotel Travelodge Tangibility 20% 20% Reliability 20% 30% Responsiveness 20% 15% Assurance 20% 25% Empathy 20% 10% Total 100% 100% It is apparent from the above comparison that the 5-star establishment requires their quality of service to be more balanced, in other words no one area of their product should be delivering a lower quality of service than any other. However, with the budget chain, which operates on a low cost strategy that eliminates much of the human resources and food elements, these specific areas are shown to have less importance to the business, but need to be compensated by increased levels of satisfaction in other areas of quality if the business is to remain successful. What is immediately apparent from the analysis of the two quality assurance systems identified above as being used within the hotel sector is their compatibility. This not only applies to the systems per se, but also to the measurement of the results. In both cases an upscale hotel would need to achieve a balanced score with high ratings in all of the quality determinants if it is to maintain its market position and be perceived by the potential customer as a quality (5 star) hotel. Conversely, the lower quality hotels pay less attention to those areas of the standards that are more directly related to the quality of service provided by their human resources, relying instead upon other elements to satisfy customer quality perception, such as low cost (Porter 2004). Whilst it could therefore be stated in simple terms that quality assurance is related to the price being paid for the product, what research such as that conducted by Shahin (2006), Ziethaml et al (1990) and Holbrook (1999), and the fact that all hotels, irrespective of their standards, operate quality assurance systems, shows is that price is simply one element required to fulfil customer satisfaction needs. Whatever price is being charged for the hotel product the customer will still weigh the experience received against the value they expect from the product enjoyed at that price (Zeithaml 1988 and Parasuraman et at 1994). A customer who decides to spend a greater amount of his or her disposable income on arranging to stay in a 5-star hotel will have a much greater value expectation than one who chooses a budget hotel stay. The former will expect the service quality to exist in all aspects of the hotel product. This includes the dà ©cor and the ambiance of the environment, the facilities that are being offered, including meals and room service, and the performance of the hotels human resources. If these quality expectations are not met that customer will perceive that they have not received value for money and therefore will view the experience as less than satisfactory. Therefore, they will be unlikely to promote the hotel in a positive manner to others or re-use it. It is apparent that in the case of an upscale or5-star hotel the combination of the industry Star Rating and SERVQUAL quality assurance systems will have a significant impact upon their service quality and the level of customer satisfaction achieved from using the product. In terms of the Star Rating system, the higher the star rating the greater the expectation of the customer in terms of their perception of the quality that will be found in this establishment. 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