Top Girls and Under the Blue Sky | Comparison

Top Girls and Under the Blue Sky | Comparison Discuss and compare how Caryl Churchills Top Girls and David Eldridges Under the Blue Sky deploy the conventions of Dialogue and Objectives/Obstacles, and asses the connection between these formal choices and the meaning and impact of the play. The conventions of dialogue and objectives and obstacles are intertwined through the playwrights portrayal of character and in the process of creating dramatic conflict. Dialogue is a revelatory device, where action is conveyed through speech to communicate character objectives; it is the chief means by which the premise is proved, the characters revealed, and the conflict carried out.[1] Dialogue reveals subtext as well as character and motive, and communicates the internal dimension of the plot[through] psychological, or inner action'[2] within each character, whose objectives become apparent through the translation of thought into speech and its function in drama. Character objectives are defined as goals or desires for individual characters, often in opposition to each other. For David Edgar [W]hat characters do is pursue objectives [but they] are not necessarily or even often pursued directly.[3] Objectives alter according to the nature of changing conversation and character revelations, thus transforming its intensity, pace, and meaning. The motivation behind a line of dialogue informs what the character wants to achieve by them saying a particular thing. Edgar refers to Stanislavskys theory of Actioning, where actors place an intention behind each individual line. This is a rehearsal technique utilised by the director Max Stafford Clark: Max Stafford Clarkand his actors action individual lines with transitive verbs: in pursuit of the objectives, say, of seduction, a character may befriend, please, intrigue and flatter in as many lines, to which the other character, in pursuit of the objective of remaining unseduced, may respond by warning, snubbing, and challenging before finally spurning.[4] This technique highlights obstacles to these intentions. Obstacles are defined as factors working against a characters objective, often taking the form of another character in the scene, ensuring a more emotional undercurrent between characters to create conflict, particularly as [A]nother important function of the dialogue is the expression of emotion. Characters dont just state facts; they express their feelings toward conditions they feel strongly about. The most highly emotional dialogue is often a free release of feelings stemming from an open clash of wills.[5] In order to evaluate how playwrights have deployed these conventions within their writing, Top Girls by Caryl Churchill and Under the Blue Sky by David Eldridge will be used as examples to explore how these dramatic practices create meaning. Top Girls was directed by Max Stafford Clark and premiered at The Royal Court Theatre, returning early in 1983 following its transfer to New York. The play emerged as a socialist comment on Thatcherite regimes and the championing of the Individual. This has led to debate over whether it is first and foremost a feminist or a socialist play. It is not only the political content of the play which is so significant, but the structure of its content and Churchills use of unconventional dialogue: The play is informed by a pivotal moment in the early 1980s, when social and economic change had liberated women but also fostered ruthless individualism. The subject finds expressive form in the plays hybrid structure, reverse chronology and verbal technique Churchills precise notation for interrupted, overlapping and non-consecutive dialogue that specifies rhythm and discontinuity for the actors in performance.[6] The overlapping dialogue echoes the flow of real conversation or argument, thereby having an impact on the pace of a scene, making any silences more significant. The opening act is well known because it represents five historical or fictional characters, all talking over each other in an effort to become principal storyteller. However, I will focus on the argument between Marlene and her sister Joyce in the final act of the play, where the dialogue is heavy with personal history and both characters objectives reflect the issues of the play in a more pertinent and grim reflection of Churchills intention to demonstrate the prices of success. David Eldridges Under the Blue sky was first performed in 2000 at the Royal Court Jerwood Theatre Upstairs, an appropriately intimate space for three volatile acts of two-handers. Its revival in the summer of 2008 transported the play to the Duke of Yorks theatre, where Eldridge reflected on the differences between a small theatre space and a West End theatre production, and on what he terms a cult of virginity in contemporary British theatre: As one critic has noted, a revival is something that normally only happens to the dead. Theatre in this country is currently preoccupied with a cult of virginity, with new plays premiered and discarded in rapid succession; far more than it is nurturing a contemporary repertoire that will sustain modern playwriting long-term.[7] The motivations behind the play derive from Eldridges reaction to how teachers are portrayed in drama, but also his interest in the question of unrequited love. Eldridge says of his intention that I did very much want to meditate on the nature of unrequited love with three couples in different relationships and at different stages of their life.[8] These couples have an act each to deliberate on their individual relationships. Eldridge shows that such temperamental subject matter obstructs character desires to express themselves, resulting in the unnerving proof that the body of a teacher is at least as fallible as the mind of a child'[9], until the final act of the play which ends on a note of possibility.[10] I will focus on the opening act of the play, between Nick and Helen which explores the impact of direct conflict of desires in the exploration of unrequited love. In the translation from thought to speech, what do characters really mean and what do they really say in relation to their objectives. Even if characters are attempting to conceal information, it is revealed, either through subtext or through an emotional outburst, thus heightening or pacing the drama. The relationship between thinking and speaking becomes a complication for the characters, in the conflict between want and need, rational and emotional, or truth and security. Dialogue is used in exposition. Different devices reveal past events, including the conflicting objectives behind the dialogue which move the scene forward. In both scenes the past is very much in the present, an obstacle to it, affecting the characters now. As a result, the process of communication may be compromised, by a character trying to conceal or even change the past in an attempt to protect themselves. In both Top Girls and Under the Blue Sky the character driven dialogue is stichomythic, organised into alternate lines. The dialogue technique employed throughout Top Girls makes the characters overlap and interrupt each other. In the act between Joyce and Marlene the conversation is emotionally loaded with their history, so the dialogue must function to illuminate how important their clashing wills are to substantiate the overlapping, and convey their inner action. In contrast Under the Blue Sky delineates alternate lines to Nick and Helen, amid frequent pauses, and strained laughter. Each playwright employs the relationship between thinking and speaking differently. Joyce and Marlene speak as they think, as they react to the others words to avoid the obstacles put up by their contestations, whereas much of what Nick and Helen say is deliberated, to conceal or protect. Each playwright has defined opposing objectives within the scene, to create conflict and achieve a dramatic situati on. So dialogue grows from the character and the conflict, and, in its turn, reveals the character and carries the action.[11] Eldridge has structured his scene so that both characters wants are in opposition, so they must change as they clash with obstacles put up by the other. Helens primary goal is for Nick to reveal his desire to be the same as hers, but she discovers it is in direct contrast. So her objectives alter to overcome this and change his mind; first she attempts to make him stay, then to find ways to maintain her presence in his life. In the rest of the play we learn what happens to them through what other characters say because they are not seen again. From information gained through others, Eldridge provides suggestions of their continuing objectives following on from Act One and indicates whether they are achieved, as they become obstacles to the plays new characters in the continuation of the story. Although they are described with verbs, objectives are not actually done; they are something the characters aim at doing in the future.[12] Therefore, the process of actioning is key to the dialogue, despite it being an actor exercise. Max Stafford Clark used this technique during rehearsals for Top Girls and its television adaptation in 1991. In such a fast-paced, non-consecutive dialogue that stems from rapid and unrestrained thoughts this technique illuminates intention behind each line and explores which character is in control at a particular point. In this final scene, the status of both sisters is relatively equal in their objective, even if not in their social position, meaning that when one exerts more control over the other it is even more significant. Joyces control is demonstrated through her resistance to Marlenes attempts to appease: Marlene I didnt really mean all that Joyce I did. Marlene But were friends anyway. Joyce I dont think so, no.[13] Here, Joyce asserts the finality of her decision to be distanced from her sister. The dynamics of this argument in Top Girls reflects the nature of a conversation which has opened up old hostilities between two sisters who are almost strangers. So the dialogue has become the means of communicating their opposing wants and needs, resulting in a heated, almost uncommunicative emotional exchange demonstrating a clash of wills and their shared history: Dialogue can narrate and explain ideas. Characters under stress, however, rarely stop to describe and analyse their thoughts and feelings. Such dialogue is seldom a cool academic debate. Instead it must reveal the strong emotions the characters feel for the practical outcome of their ideas.[14] The dialogue is raw and emotional in its argument, conveying both character and he stress they are under to prove their objectives. It reveals truth, not just about Angie, and illustrates characters who are bound together but clash so irrevocably. Dominic Droomgoole described the final act of Top Girls as a big, old-fashioned, stichomythic fistfight, a ball of love and rage, a classic scrap where two political philosophies and two sisters rehearse how much they loath, and how much they need each other. The play is a journey from high style to high naturalistic emotion.[15] Churchills techniques when drafting dialogue has an explicit effect on the exchange of conversation between characters and each line is carefully structured into its position within the organization of the dialogue as a whole; her slash and asterisk notation for interruptions and overlaps speeds up the dialogue by compressing it: the slash indicates a point of interruption, the asterisk indicates a common starting point between two speeches.[16] These indications of interruption also highlight the immediacy of one characters reaction to what the other has said before, expressing how conversation is complicated, that people interrupt and do not listen to one another. So Churchills dialogue is very truthful in its delineation of interruptions and reactions and has a particular intensity to it which echoes the unpredictable, complicated nature of conversation filled with such vehemence. The argument is not based solely on Marlenes unwelcome visit, but is burdened with their relationship as sisters. Thus they can dig into the roots of an argument which has been constrained for six years, and more. This relationship, and the history stemming from their connection, is all but shattered, rendered secondary to the issues which mount between them and is perhaps the tragedy of the scene; ultimately this bond cannot be repaired by one or both of them because they have each chosen something more important in its place. Throughout the scene, Marlenes main objective to pacify her guilt is continually evaded by her sister. This, as an obstacle put up by Joyce, stems from her own desire for things to remain the same, even to protect against the possible threats of Marlenes visit. So Churchill promises dramatic conflict by making them enter the scene with opposing goals. Following the first heated exchange about gynaecology[17] and the revelation that Marlene is in fact Angies biological mother, Marlene breaks down: Marlene I was afraid of this. I only came because I thought you wanted I just came Marlene cries Joyce Dont grizzle Marlene, for Gods sake. Marly? Come on, pet. Love you really. Fucking stop it, will you? Marlene No, let me cry. I like it.[18] Churchill demonstrates that there is still some feeling between them, before we witness the further collapse of their relationship which follows this. In using this moment where the dialogue breaks down and the objective is to soothe, Churchill appeals to our sense of hope, but as the conversation builds once more, as Marlene and Joyce question each other to fill the gap of time and of affection whilst slipping in comments about Angie, I dont see why you couldnt take my money,[19] the distance between them is widened: [In the last scene], in an extraordinarily effective piece of dialogue, the characters seem to change places before our eyes; Marlene shouts, weeps, pleads for sympathy and it is Joyce who gains stature by rejecting her sisters wheedling attempts at eliciting a compromise.[20] Here, Churchills intention is to create possibility, then shatter it, so the play offers a glimpse of affectionate relations between the sisters, before their political differences drive a wedge between them once and for all.[21] This is also the moment where Marlenes vulnerability is shown, as she seemingly finds her femininity again in the private company of her sister, liking that she is finally able to express it. Despite comforting Marlene, Joyce continues to snub her attempts to compromise: Marlene Youve been wonderful looking after Angie. Joyce Dont get carried away. Marlene I cant write letters but I do think of you. Joyce Youre getting drunk. Im going to make some tea. Marlene Love you. Joyce gets up to make tea. Joyce I can see why youd want to leave. Its a dump here.[22] Immediately, Joyce starts distancing once more, making it clear that these words are not enough, subsequently proving her as an obstacle to Marlenes desire in that moment to be comforted. In Joyces reluctance to repair the relationship with her sister, the promise of resolution is threatened once more; and is exacerbated by the political stance of each character, as they finally establish a permanent gulf between them: During the final scene, Churchill repeatedly gestures toward reconciliation as a possibility that remains unrealized. In the final moments of the play, the sisters recognize that a chasm has opened up between them-though they come from the same family background, their present socioeconomic and political differences place them on opposite sides of the divide between us and them. Churchill keeps these positions in dialectical opposition, resisting synthesis or resolution, through Joyces repeated rejections of Marlenes attempts to gloss over their differencesThe expectation of reconciliation remains frustrated right through the sisters final exchange.[23] Throughout the scene, the sisters constantly challenge each others personal and political views. The threat of change is something that scares Joyce, which Marlene takes as jealousy because she was able to leave, but at great cost to her family, gender and future relationships. In this final act, Churchill shows that things do run deeper than blood, that a persons beliefs can be an obstacle to comfort they seek, and intensifies the plays meaning that Marlene has sacrificed more than a daughter for the sake of the Individual. The main objective informing the dialogue between Joyce and Marlene is to tell the other what their life has been like, to justify their choices. However, these claims are complicated by the obstacle of memory and its discrepancies, or deliberate blocking of certain facts. Furthermore, both sisters have something to say, in a heightened situation, where both claims are valid, but there is nothing to allow for polite, uninterrupted conversation. Churchill uses dialogue to open up old arguments, demonstrating how the past affects their choices, through exposition within the debate which reveals much about why and how they have reached their current beliefs and situation. For example, Marlene mentions visiting their mother earlier and comments on how she had a wasted life, and Joyce reacts, undermines Marlenes opinion when she feels that her own choices and way of life have come under attack: Joyce You say mother had a wasted life. Marlene Yes I do. Married to that bastard. Joyce What sort of life did he have? / Working in the fields like Marlene Violent life? Joyce an animal. / Why wouldnt he want a drink? Marlene Come off it. Joyce You want a drink. He couldnt afford whisky. Marlene I dont want to talk about him. Joyce You started, I was talking about her. She had a rotten life because she had nothing. She went hungry. Marlene She went hungry because he drank the money. / He used to hit her. Joyce Its not all down to him. / Their lives were rubbish. They Marlene She didnt hit him. Joyce were treated like rubbish. Hes dead and shell die soon and what sort of life / did they have? Marlene I saw him one night. I came downI had to get out, Joyce Jealous? Marlene I knew when I was thirteen, out of their house, out of them, never let that happen to me, / never let him, make my own way, out.[24] This highlights a number of important details. Firstly, Churchill has illustrated the family life Marlene and Joyce lived as children through their clashing memories of it, and the impact of their disagreement on the standard of life alters the possibility of them finding a common ground. Their opinions, particularly of their father, inform the later debate about their separate political beliefs; showing that the personal does influence these politics. Furthermore, this dialogue demonstrates how these two realities clash, even though these characters share the same past. Churchill also reveals here how Marlene knew she needed to escape this life and the impetus which led her to where she is now; and not even her illegitimate daughter would stop her. In contrast, Joyces ability to relate to her parents lives and her desire to keep things the same means that Marlene cannot properly understand why Joyce could not leave. Marlene has become a separate individual, outside this life, this f amily. Because Churchills dialogue moves at the speed of thought and there is so much to say, there is no reprieve. Instead the argument is a drunken one between two angry sisters, not a considered political assessment, and is exaggerated and oversimplified on both sides,[25] so the dialogue gives substance to these character as flawed people, in the heat of the moment, revealing exposition in their attempts to justify themselves and the origins of their clashing objectives, to ensure an emotional intensity. In contrast to the overlapping exchange in Top Girls, the scene between Nick and Helen in Under the Blue Sky relies on dialogue which is predominantly thought through. The thought processes of the characters inform the pace of the dialogue, which is symbolized in the methodical preparing and cooking of the chilli and acts as something to return to in the awkward silences, and as ingredients are added and it gets hotter, the conversation escalates. The mechanical actions of cooking contrasted with emotional dialogue creates intensity which is emphasized by the moment it is ignored: When [the water] boils neither of them takes any notice.[26] In her review of the 2008 revival, Deborah Orr concluded that the situation of this first act is that Helen loves Nick, and Nick loves being loved by her. There, if hes honest, his interest ends.[27] This is where the clash of objectives lies in the scene. Helen hopes that Nicks invitation to dinner will be a further invitation to advance their relationship. She enters the scene expecting this will happen. Nicks revelation that he is leaving to improve his career, also a cover for his desire to minimise any chance of furthering their relationship, becomes Helens main obstacle. Nicks primary objective is to delay revealing this information, until Helen asks the inevitable question: A long pause. Helen So whats this thing you wanted to talk to me about? Nick looks at Helen and thinks. Nick Lets wait until after dinner. Yeah? Ok, darling Nick smiles. Helen drinks.[28] Nicks reply to the question is very considered, he thinks and he delays. What is communicated in these given objectives is that these characters enter a scene where the process will be harmful and complicated. The impact of Nicks pauses and careful discourse is enhanced when the scene becomes, inevitably, more emotional, Helen takes the news badly, and Nick fails to cope well with her reaction. Once Nick admits he is leaving, he then has to overcome the obstacle of Helens desire to understand why, without admitting the real reason. So he projects his guilt onto Helen, thereby obstructing his ability to be honest with her. Nick It isnt my duty to be unhappy. I owe it to myself to be happy in my work and Im not. Why are you trying to put me on this huge guilt trip? Helen Im not making you feel guilty. You feel guilty. If youre feeling guilty dont blame your guilt on me. Nick Helen, youre being so hard on me. Helen Am I? Nick I thought I could talk to you about this.[29] Both characters want to know what the other is thinking before they speak, but neither is willing to go first. Both postpone their admissions in fear of the reactions they will receive as a result. At this point, Helens desire moves from convincing Nick to stay, assuring him that the situation in their school will change, before appealing on a more personal level. Helen acts as Nicks obstacle, This is like talking to a brick wall'[30]. Both of them are thrown, because control is slipping away as their objectives are challenged, and Eldridge shows efficiently how rarely conversation goes according to plan, particularly prevalent in this scene because these characters are trying to conceal what they came to say. Eventually though, they are forced to articulate these thoughts, braving embarrassment, disappointment, or as Helen says, I feel like Im shrinking in front of you'[31]. The use of alcohol in the scene also allows the dialogue to escalate, and enables them to discuss the past between them, which is dramatically affecting the present and revealing important details about their relationship. The past is an obstacle because it confuses things presently, and memory is subjective or unremembered. Helen is taken back to this time through a negative association and subsequently becomes emotionally exposed. Once Nick suddenly reveals that they slept together and that he thinks it was a mistake, his attempt at explaining himself backfires, shocking Helen into reacting to this truth. Helen No, you were drunk and you wanted itThe things you said to me. Nick When Helen That time. Then. Nick I was drunk. A slight pause I didnt know what I was saying. Helen You were heavy and pissed and you moved me around the bed like I was a prone body. But your words? The things you said. Your promisesYour memory of it is that we were both drunk but I was sober. I remember every clumsy movement and every word you said like its shot through my memory. A slight pause I thought tonight would be my turn. You know that? To fall on you. Half cut.[32] The use of the word promises is repeated throughout the scene and has a connotative impact on the dialogue; implying hope and expectation. Consequently, the idea of broken or unremembered promises heightens the emotional content of the scene. Eldridge uses this repetition to warn his characters, essentially, about the danger of making promises to escape a difficult situation. Throughout this scene, the conversation goes round in circles as the issue is avoided but forever at the centre. The characters fail to communicate in a way in that they can achieve their primary objectives, so they must alter as the conversation continues. However, Eldridge uses a dramatic gesture to communicate a strong objective. When Helen first picks up the knife to show her experience of being attacked, there is no danger, but it does foreshadow what comes later in the scene. As much as she is appalled by this event, Helen uses the knife to react in a way that she has been reacted against to make her point. Choosing to place a knife in the scene may appear melodramatic, but in fact Eldridge gives Helen a very significant way of communicating her objective, which heightens the tension and reveals more about this character, an essential technique as she never appears physically after this scene. At this point, Helen is communicating, where words are not enough. With this device i n her hand, she is able to say certain things: Youre not goingIm not going to let you leave'[33] and we understand that Helen has been driven to distraction'[34] by this situation. In his exploration of unrequited love, Eldridge has shown the brutality of his theme and how it has affected both characters when their situation is based on clashing personal objectives, portraying the pain that they both feel when confronted with a love that one of them will not admit and the other can no longer keep within bounds'[35] The characters are unable to communicate successfully, failing to achieve these goals. Of course, this creates the tension and the drama in the scene. The play is a fine exploration of the cruel inequality of love, and of the violence passion can stir in even the gentlest souls. [Lisa Dillons (Helen)] vulnerable, breathless intensity powerfully captures the pain of unrequited love.[36] The ebb and flow of the conversation, keeps the pace and lures both characters and audience into false security when the dialogue returns to the cooking chilli before reverting back to the central issue, implying that this is a safe place for both characters to return to, just for a brief reprieve in the heavy dialogue. In many ways, this device is quite aggravating because the characters need to address what is between them, but still are unable to communicate with each other. Nick keeps telling Helen to talk to him, but neither will admit before the other, which is why the conversation continually rises and falls. Nick Why cant you say what you feel? Helen Say what? A pause Nick Im confused. Youre clearly not. But you only ever meet me halfway emotionally. And I dont know if thats good. I dont know how I feel about it. Us. I feel really confused. Helen So am I. Nick I dont think you are. I amOf course I wanted you to talk about your personal feelings. Helen Personal feelings. She cant believe it. A slight pause So I can put my heart and guts on the floor in front of you? Sob and wail like a widow and hope it might change your mind? And in the process confirm your gut feeling it might be good for us to see less of each other. Good for you to see less of me. While you create a new life for yourself in Essex. Is that what you want? Well, you can get stuffed. Helen tries to leave. Nick stands in her way.[37] This, along with frequent pauses, paces the argument and ensures the portrayal of the awkward cruelty of Eldridges theme of unrequited love. Contrary to Top Girls where there is so much to be said and it is being said, for Nick and Helen, what needs to be said is punctuated by silences and tension which intensifies the weight that hangs in the air between them. Are either of these scenes about successful communication, and are any of the characters able to overcome the obstacles to achieve their objectives? In Under the Blue Sky, Nick communicates his real reason for leaving through what is left out of the dialogue, until finally confessing. Helens objective becomes centred on her protection from exposure, which she is unable in the end to suppress. In Top Girls, the sisters are talking, but they are also competing to be heard. The competition they are playing out involves proving who has sacrificed the most. Churchill used this argument to show how their personal experiences informed the progression into a political debate. At the end of both Acts, the issues between the characters are not resolved and the dialogue has traced the thoughts they have been trying to conceal or not. Issues are left hanging in the air. For Marlene and Joyce, this encompasses the idea of solidarity, of sisterhood which has been usurped by their political ideals. Nicks suggestion to put the last half-hour behind us'[38] ensures that it will be hanging over them even if they agree not to voice it, just it has always been; it even prevails throughout the other two acts of the play. Despite the process of dialogue in the scene and the clashes of wants and needs, things have changed but nothing has been resolved. In both plays we know what happens afterwards; Under the Blue Sky communicates these events through the dialogue of others; and in Top Girls it has already happened in the play. The meanings that stem from these decisions ensure that we never reach any resolution in either situation. Although we are told that Nick and Hel en continue to be friends, we know that the issue from Act One has not been addressed again, which becomes the downfall of both of them: Helen dies and Nick is left to feel guilty about why. The placing of the final scene in Top Girls changes the essence of the story and its meaning in relation to Marlenes success, which defies the ideals of individualism and the positives of Marlenes success in a seemingly male-dominated world. It also means that in hindsight the impact of this scene on the rest of the play takes on a new emotional force. Because both playwrights have written these scenes between two characters, the action is scaled down and therefore emerges through the dialogue. It becomes the most direct way of communicating character wants, conflicts and obstacles, particularly effective as the other characters prove to be the obstacle. These characters use dialogue to persuade, appease, appeal to, insult, instruct, upset, challenge, dissuade, anger, judge, apologise, be honest , lie, conceal, explain and reveal, to convey character inner action in an exploration of the dramatic conflict of wills, utilising varying levels of tension and presenting back-story through speech which is now living in each present situation. By the end of both plays, the relationships have been ended in some significant

The Effect of Illiteracy

EFFECTS OF ILLITERACY ON SOCIETY illiteracy is one of the major problems facing society and the educational system. Recent studies show that there is an increasing rate of illiteracy all over the world. A study conducted by Recent studies show that there is an increasing rate of illiteracy all over the world. A study conducted by WSI (World Statistics Institute) shows that over 27% of people are illiterate globally. Another study by the same institute shows that the speed at which the illiteracy rate ascends is 32% [32% of what? . These rates are quite important, as illiteracy has terrible effects on society. The most important effect of illiteracy on society is that it works as an inhibitor. That is to say, the more illiterate people there are in a country, the harder it will be for the country to develop. This fact could be clarified with an example: America (whose illiteracy rate is below 5%) and Canada (illiteracy rate: around 8%) are developed countries, whereas countries like T urkey and Iran (illiteracy rates: 61% and 43% in order [respectively]) are undeveloped countries. Illiteracy has got a kind of   â€Å"genetic† effect.The children of illiterate people are more likely to be illiterate than those who aren't [aren't what? – rewrite this sentence to make it clear]. Even if the parents don't want their children to be illiterate, their children, observing the parents, see that they somehow manage to live and adopt the idea that illiteracy isn't actually a bad thing [not very clearly expressed – try a rewrite]. And since people develop most of their character during childhood, they choose to go with illiteracy. Another major effect of illiteracy is that illiterate people believe in the said things easily.They do not investigate what was said or told to them. When looked [looking] at the pages of history, it can be seen that while most uneducated people are [were] slaves, guardians and assistants; people who are [were] educated are [ were] mostly kings, queens and sultans. They [Who? ] are not slaves because they wanted, but because people superior to them – in terms of education – made them so. All these significant results of illiteracy affect society in a bad way. So, illiteracy rates must be tried to cut down. Try and imagine our society without a common language. This could be quite a hard idea to fathom. Allow me to assist you.If this hypothetical idea were in fact true, a typical conversation between two individuals would be as follows: one of the two would begin the conversation by making noises representing their language, the other person would not understand these noises and respond with unrecognizable noises to the first individual. As you can well imagine, this would get quite frustrating. Rita Mae Brown describes literacy as, â€Å"a social contract, an agreed upon representation of certain symbols† (420). If the symbol's (letters) meanings are not agreed upon by those attempti ng to communicate, then interpreting one another becomes difficult.Simply stated, literacy is very important. Society has proven time and time again, it will reward those individuals who are competent and impede those who are not, whether expressed in terms of employment opportunities (job success) or just on a social level. One need look no further than their everyday activities in order to realize how important literary skills are. Without adequate literary skills one may not be able to identify on a label the correct amount of medicine to give a child, or read and interpret a sign giving instructions on what to do in case of a fire.These two examples bring perspective to literacy's importance. Nevertheless, recent surveys have indicated that, â€Å"4. 5 million Canadians, representing 24 percent of the eighteen-and-over group, can be considered illiterate† (â€Å"Adult Illiteracy† 5). Illiteracy is truly a problem within Canada. Although many groups are working to r ender the problem of illiteracy, much work still lies ahead. As our society moves on into the next century literacy is proving vital to economic performance. Without basic literary skills in one's possession they will become lost in our rapidly changing society.The modern worker must be able to adapt to the changing job-scene. This often means gathering new skills and knowledge from printed material, whether instruction manuals, computer programs, or classroom training (text books). It is quite commonly the case that highly skilled jobs require a high level of literacy. Therefore, literary skill level is an important factor in predicting an individual's economic success. It will affect an individual's income, their employment stability and whether they even receive employment opportunities. Presently, our world revolves around literacy.Simply being literate allows one to continuously upgrade one's literary skills to a higher level. It allows one to stay informed of happenings in and around the world through mediums such as newspapers and magazines. Knowing current news about what is going on in this ever changing world of ours is the key to staying ahead. Another thought to ponder is this, we rely on those with high literacy levels to record and document findings and happenings for future generations to reflect on. These writings would most likely be dull and inaccurate or would not exist at all without our current levels of literacy.When viewed from a social standpoint, literacy remains just as important as when viewed from the economic standpoint. Linda Macleod of the National Associations Active in Criminal Justice, points out that, â€Å"65 percent of people entering Canadian prisons for the first time have trouble reading and writing, low literacy is part of a constellation of problems that can limit choices in life and thus lead people to criminal activity† (20). Somebody in possession of a high level of literacy will most likely be well informed and tend to make wiser decisions.By obtaining this level of literacy they have also gathered a large vocabulary giving them many words to choose from to express their ideas and feelings. Conversely, many would agree that a conversation with one who has a good grasp of the English language is always more delightful than with one who is less educated. Literacy can act as a window, opening one's view to the world. Presently, we are being bombarded with information, news, trivia and gossip (not that this is always a positive feature in our lives). Without sufficient literary skills one cannot even absorb any of this information.These people will miss out on many of life's benefits, socially as well as economically. Without sufficient literary skills one would have a tremendously difficult time functioning in our current world. Think about your average day, consider how many times you refer to your literary skills to aid you, could you function without those skills? Finding an address, r eading a map, reading a menu, performing a bank transaction, these are just a few common tasks that require your literary skills. Also, when looking at the importance of literacy to our nation, its value is evident. High levels of iteracy throughout all sectors of Canada's workforce are necessary, â€Å"low literacy levels of workers' affect Canada's ability to perform in the increasingly competitive international marketplace† (â€Å"Literacy† 7). Literary skills become building blocks. First creating a well-educated society, then a highly skilled labour force which can compete and adapt to the changing market. These factors lead to an increase in economic growth within the nation which in turn, results in a higher standard of living for its people. As our society moves forward into the future, a higher level of literacy will become more important to one's level of success.Where would our society be without our ability to exchange knowledge and information? How many ti mes have you made a purchase that read on the outside – instructions inside? You and I think nothing of this, and in a sense take our gift for granted. For many, deciphering written instructions is a near impossible task, asking for assistance does little more than to further lower their self esteem. Literacy is important. To truly seize the benefits possible in one's life it has to be accepted that literacy is the key. Society will continue to reward skilled individuals and disadvantage those who are not.

Life Cycle Assestment Essay

The automotive industry is major component of the American economy, but also is a very devastating one, which consumes in large quantities natural resources and generates a lot of waste. This industry contributes pollution with toxic substances and fossil fuels. By knowing the Life cycle implication of a specific design materials are the key point for managing and being able to have decision making strategy .The results of the Life cycle analysis of cars provide information on n environmental impact issues. The evaluation of automobiles fueled, new technologies such as electricity and gas units can prove the benefits and decrease the environmental impact. Although none of these alternatives is a clear winner, lowering emissions and improving sustainability is a priority of this industry. Companies such as the Ford Motor Company need future regulation, government priorities and technological developments in order to achieve sustainability. For understanding the end-of-life on a Ford Motor Company vehicle we must define the life cycle concept. By material life cycle I refer to Consecutive and interlinked stages of a product or service system, from the extraction of natural resources to the final disposal.   , as written in the International Organization of Standards (ISO) norm 14040.2. With the knowledge of the life cycle path we can define the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)?which is also stated under the same above ISO regulation as This concept he ?Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is A systematic set of procedures for compiling and examining the inputs and outputs of materials and energy and the associated environmental impacts directly attributable to the functioning of a product or service system throughout its life cycle. 1. Life Cycle Assessment is a process to evaluate the environmental burdens associated with a product, process, or activity by identifying the quantity of energy and materials used and wastes released to the environment; and being able to assume the damage it causes to the environmental issues. Ford might make use of this tool for making a compression and to better understand their environmental, social and economical impact. Ford is actively developing and applying life cycle assessment methodologies that can be applied in the vehicle industry supporting Ford’s Design for Environment approaches LCA is a powerful decision making tool, which identifies the factor that will be used in his process to accomplish a great  decision. This is used as an aid from the industry. The criteria may depend on who is making the decision. This tool is used for tracking system performance for a diversity of criteria like: emissions, energy use, and financial costs, among others. This tool can also evaluate environmental impacts from the process or the production of a product; it also helps to compare options between competition and consumers. The aluminum, plastic and steel industries are developing new ideas and technologies with automakers in order to study the environmental impact of vehicles. By using the ?life cycle inventory (LCI) (The first step of the LCA the one that uses methods to estimate the environmental performance of a product or process over its entire life cycle) . – have studied the energy flows and its uses in extraction of the raw material from the original source , emissions, amount of fuel consumed and the end-of-live of the waste disposal . The average of aluminum has increased in the past decade, as an example is the ?increase from 64 kilograms to 113 per vehicle in 1999. ?†The aluminum, steel, plastics and auto industries are cooperating in developing a credible, authoritative database of information that the auto companies can use to meet their customers’ requirements and enhance the environmental performance of their vehicles,† said David Parker, president of the Aluminum Association. 2 As an example of the above explained issue I can make an explanation trough the aluminum use in vehicle assembly. Aluminum saves an equivalent of 20 kilograms of carbon dioxide emission over its lifetime. Due to the reduction of the weight, its recycling properties ( ?In North America, 96 percent of automobiles enter the recycling process,? said Andrew Sharkey, the American Iron and Steel Institute’s chief executive officer and president. 2) and energy sources. The energy consumption for aluminum productions are non pollutant and it is very easy material to recycle. No additional scrap exists in aluminum recycling process. Aluminum reduce 10 % of the weight and with it, there is a fuel economy improvement between 6-8 %. Ford itself has reported a 4% improvement in fuel reduction from the 10% weight reduction. Ford produces 24 million cars and truck per year imagines how much they can save not only in an economical area but also  the environmental benefit for not exhausting the natural sources and preserving the planet. In 1999, Ford used about 88 million pounds of recycled non-metallic materials in its products and has set a goal to use more than 132 million pounds of recycled non-metallic material by 2002. A solution for this problem that nowadays it has been a little bit more taken in consideration is the use of alternative fuels and electric vehicles. Alternative Fuel Vehicles (AFVs) use internal combustion engines but run on fuels like compressed natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, ethanol and many others. Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) use electric motors for propulsion. The motors run on electricity stored on board the vehicles in batteries.? With projects like Hybrid vehicles – Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) combine conventional internal combustion and battery electric powertrains to take advantage of the capabilities of each and the synergies between them – and lightweigthing steels material the industry will make a huge contribution to reach sustainability. Full cost accounting is a tool that tries to assign values to all of the society costs, but it is very difficult to apply it properly. Issues like Health management might be useful to understand better this tool. In a free-market society such as the American decisions are not done by a central planning organizations that optimizes the social costs or criteria for society issues , but on the basis of market prices of alternative products and technologies . Ultimately, comparisons between new technologies should be done based on lifecycle assessments for achieving sustainability or at lest an improvement on it.

Profile On Camp Bow Wow - 1312 Words

Chapter 1 â€Å"Profile on Camp Bow Wow† video 1. Identify three skills that companies look for in managers and explain which might be most needed for the Camp Bow Wow leaders highlighted in the video. According to Williams, 2014, â€Å"when companies look for employees who would be good managers, they look for individuals who have technical skills, human skills, conceptual skills and the motivation to manage,† (Williams, p. 14). In watching the â€Å"Camp Bow Wow video,† the three broad management skills used are conceptual skills, human skills, and technical skills. From what was stated, the managers at Camp Bow Wow utilized all three of these management skills. Candace and Sue both used conceptual skills in figuring out tough predicaments that were not manageable and then turned them into manageable situations. As well, making sure that the new hires are trained correctly with promoting and mentoring new staff. Both of managers also use human skills. The managers make sure they motivate their employees by communicating with each other. 2. Which activities at Camp Bow Wow require high efficiency? Which activities require high effectiveness? Efficiency refers to the amount of resources used to achieve the organization’s goals. Effectiveness is a broader term, meaning the degree to which an organization achieves its goals. A high performance organization is one that achieves goals to the maximum extent possible (effectiveness) while making the best use of limited resourcesShow MoreRelatedKey Skills That Companies Look For Managers And Explain Which Might Be Most Needed For The Camp Bow Wow1287 Words   |  6 Pagesmost needed for the Camp Bow Wow leaders highlighted in the video. According to Williams, 2014, â€Å"when companies look for employees who would be good managers, they look for individuals who have technical skills, human skills, conceptual skills and the motivation to manage,† (Williams, p. 14). In watching the â€Å"Camp Bow Wow video,† the three broad management skills used are conceptual skills, human skills, and technical skills. From what was stated, the managers at Camp Bow Wow utilized all three ofRead MoreAutobilography of Zlatan Ibrahimovic116934 Words   |  468 Pagestime, certainly not a Mourinho or Capello, but an ok guy. This was way before we started our war. It was the fall of 2009 and I was living my childhood dream. I was playing in the best team in the world and had been welcomed by 70 000 people at the Camp Nou. I was walking on clouds. Well maybe not entirely, there were some bullshit in the papers. I was the bad boy and all that. I was difficult dealing with. But still, I was here. Helena and the kids were also good. We had a nice house in EspluguesRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 Pagesincluding: ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  MyManagementLab Access a host of interactive learning aids to help strengthen your understanding of the chapter concepts at www.mymanagementlab.com ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  Free onsite health care. Subsidized onsite child care. Summer camp for kids. â€Å"MM Wednesdays,† when employees are given free candy. Soda fountains and snacks in every break room. A beauty salon. A 66,000-ft2 recreation and fitness center. Car cleaning. To be sure, these benefits are one reason SAS is a desirableRead MoreMarketing Mistakes and Successes175322 Words   |  702 Pagescases, and illustrate that certain successful and unsuccessful practices are not unique. Information Boxes and Issue Boxes are included in each chapter to highlight relevant concepts and issues, or related information, and we are even testing Profile Boxes. Learning insights help students see how certain practices—both errors and successes—cross company lines and are prone to be either traps for the unwary or success modes. Discussion Questions and Hands-On Exercises encourage and stimulateRead MoreLogical Reasoning189930 Words   |  760 Pagesranger station near the parking lot. Rangers ought to be relative experts on drinking from their streams. If the experts advice is to avoid drinking the boiled water unless you have sterilization tablets, then youll have to hike all the way back to camp to tell the others and then start the process of packing up and hiking out. It would be a lot easier just to follow Juanitas advice to pack up and leave now. So what do you decide to do? Lets say you decide not to search for more advice, and you