Control In Cuckoos Essays - One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest

Control In Cuckoos Ken Keseys masterpiece novel One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest uses many themes, symbols, and imagery to illustrate the reality of the lives of a group of mental patients. The element of control is a central, arguably the largest, and the most important theme in the novel. The element of control revolves around the two main characters of the novel, Randle P. McMurphy, and Nurse Ratched. These two characters are the exact antithesis of each other, and they both seek to get their own way. They both realize that in order to get their own way, they must gain control over their rival and the ward. McMurphy and Nurse Ratched have different methods of attaining and using what control they have. They have different motives for seeking control over others. They also have different perceptions of the amount of control they possess. Throughout the novel, these two characters engulf themselves in an epic struggle for the most control. This struggle for control proves to be futile for both character s as they watch what control they thought had collapse like a house of cards. The element of control in Cuckoos Nest contains a certain definition. Control as it applies to the characters in Cuckoos Nest means that one character has substantial influence over the actions of another character. This control can influence another characters attitudes, emotions, reactions, or even how they live their day-to-day life. The character of Chief Bromden provides an excellent example of how strong an influence control has over a character in Cuckoos Nest. The Chief has multiple delusions in which he imagines society as a dreadful machine he calls The Combine. The Chief believes The Combine uses several machines (Nurse Ratched being one of the most powerful) to make people conform to its idea of order. One machine that The Chief mentions frequently is the Fog Machine, which creates fog that confuses and controls his perception of reality. The Chief does not mind this fog all the time, because it provides him with an escape from interaction with other people, particularly those who would make life worse for him. Sometimes, the Chief actually welcomes the thick fog. And Im glad when it gets thick enough youre lost in it and can let go, and be safe again. (Kesey, 101) By welcoming the fog, The Chief is allowing The Combine to control his conception of safety and security. Randle Patrick McMurphy Characters with the ability to influence others through control in Cuckoos Nest do not always abuse their control for undignified reasons like Nurse Ratched. There are characters that use their ability to control for noble purposes, which sometimes provide a great deal of benefit to other characters. Randle Patrick McMurphy, the rebellious main character of Cuckoos Nest, provides the best example of a character using his control for noble purposes. R.P. McMurphy is one of the most memorable and heroic characters in modern fiction. The most basic description of him is a rebellious and noble con man. His goals during his stay at the mental ward are to serve out his time while making a little money on the side. His quest for control begins on his first day in the ward. His initial motive for his desire of control is quite selfish. He recognizes Nurse Ratcheds control by observing how she influences all of the Acutes to work against each other during a group meeting. He remarks to the other patients, Is this the usual pro-cedure for these group therpy shindigs? Bunch a chickens at a peckin party? (Kesey, 55) Afterwards, McMurphy places a bet with some of the Acutes that he can get her (Nurse Ratcheds) goat which is an allegory for aggravating her and they by controlling how she handles her temper. He feels that if he can control Nurse Ratched, he can also influence (control) other patients to gamble with him. McMurphy then begins his epic battle with Nurse Ratched. He defies ward polices by taking an early morning shower and brushing his teeth before Nurse Ratched arrives at the ward. When she does arrive, she is angered with him, but does not let it show to anyone. Nurse Ratched even keeps her cool when

Free Essays on A Doll House

The Patriarchal Marriage Of Nora And Helmer! From the beginning of time until about the 1970’s women were expected to be seen and not heard. In A Doll House, Nora and Helmer’s marriage reflected this typed of thinking. Nora and Helmer’s relationship was built on the idea of the man goes to work and makes all the household decisions and the woman takes care of the children and the house. They were part of a patriarchal society, were according to Webster’s New World Dictionary is a form of social organization in which the father or the eldest male is recognized as the head of the family or tribe. Also it means government, rule, or domination by men as far as the family or tribe. Women had to secretly do things without their husband’s permission. I think that this made the women feel important, or that they could do things by themselves. If the truth ever came out it could ruin the relationship between husband and wife, it make s the man feel less of a man when his wife doesn’t come to him for everything. Women were considered to be possessions of their husbands, Helmer sees Nora as his possession or maybe even a child. He always makes sure to say â€Å"my† when calling her â€Å" Is that my little lark twittering out there?†(997). Just to ask her if see was home he says it in a way to make sure that she understands that she belongs to him. He even goes on to say â€Å"Can’t I look at my richest treasure? At all that beauty that’s mine, mine alone- completely and utterly.†(1038). I don’t know if he is just trying to remind Nora that she beings to him and only him or if he is trying to make sure that she is faithful to him. I believe it’s a little bit of both. He’s saying that nobody else can have you because you belong to me. Helmer often chastises Nora when he feels like she is getting beside herself. â€Å"My little songbird must never do that again. A songbird needs a clean beak to warble with. No false notes. T... Free Essays on A Doll House Free Essays on A Doll House The Dedicated Husband Torvald Helmer is the breadwinner and foundation for his household in Henrik Ibsen’s play, A Doll House. His authoritative personality that holds the family together throughout the beginning of the play is what ends up tearing them apart in the end. His initial actions give the impression that he is a caring and devoted husband, but when trouble occurs it is apparent that this facade is to cover up his self-absorption. Helmer’s breadwinning is so important in fact that he has to find time to see his wife between working not only at the office, but at home as well. An example of this would be when he tells her that he â€Å"Can’t be disturbed,† (1569) when she asks him to see what she’s bought. His work frequently occupies the time he could be spending with his family. Another example of his desire to be successful is when he says, â€Å"Ah, it’s so gratifying to know that one’s gotten a safe, secure job, and with a comfortable salary. It’s a great satisfaction, isn’t it?† (1571) At times his authoritative personality can almost be taken as dictation. Within the first ten lines of the play he is already commenting on â€Å"the little spendthrift†¦throwing money around again† (1569). Torvald always seems to want to control his wife’s spending habits. In addition to the money she spends, he goes so far as to want control over her eating habits. This is evident when it seems as though she is trying to hide her food from him when the play says, â€Å"Nora shuts the door. Drawing a bag of macaroons from her pocket, she eats a couple, then steals over and listens at her husband’s door†¦ Putting the macaroon bag in her pocket and wiping her mouth† (1569). A little later in the play Helmer is talking down to his wife interrogating her, â€Å"But wait; it seems to me you have a very suspicious look today-†¦Surely my sweet tooth hasn’t been running riot in town today, has she? Hasn’t nibb... Free Essays on A Doll House The Patriarchal Marriage Of Nora And Helmer! From the beginning of time until about the 1970’s women were expected to be seen and not heard. In A Doll House, Nora and Helmer’s marriage reflected this typed of thinking. Nora and Helmer’s relationship was built on the idea of the man goes to work and makes all the household decisions and the woman takes care of the children and the house. They were part of a patriarchal society, were according to Webster’s New World Dictionary is a form of social organization in which the father or the eldest male is recognized as the head of the family or tribe. Also it means government, rule, or domination by men as far as the family or tribe. Women had to secretly do things without their husband’s permission. I think that this made the women feel important, or that they could do things by themselves. If the truth ever came out it could ruin the relationship between husband and wife, it make s the man feel less of a man when his wife doesn’t come to him for everything. Women were considered to be possessions of their husbands, Helmer sees Nora as his possession or maybe even a child. He always makes sure to say â€Å"my† when calling her â€Å" Is that my little lark twittering out there?†(997). Just to ask her if see was home he says it in a way to make sure that she understands that she belongs to him. He even goes on to say â€Å"Can’t I look at my richest treasure? At all that beauty that’s mine, mine alone- completely and utterly.†(1038). I don’t know if he is just trying to remind Nora that she beings to him and only him or if he is trying to make sure that she is faithful to him. I believe it’s a little bit of both. He’s saying that nobody else can have you because you belong to me. Helmer often chastises Nora when he feels like she is getting beside herself. â€Å"My little songbird must never do that again. A songbird needs a clean beak to warble with. No false notes. T... Free Essays on A Doll House The function of the past in Ibsen’s play The Doll House is to generate conflict within Nora and between Torvald and her, and thus contribute to her decisive departure at the end. Nora and Torvald’s upbringing and experience cultivate their perception of conventional domestic roles. Moreover, other characters stories of their past reshape Nora’s point of view and give her encouragement to leave. Therefore, the past is significant in this play as it dictates the main conflict. Nora and Torvald are nurtured in a society where male is the dominant figure. Torvald believes that the male should be protective of the female and head the family. At first, Nora has no complains and she just takes it as it is. She enjoys her â€Å"beautiful, happy home† (54). Therefore, Torvald claims himself to â€Å"have [has] strength and courage enough as a man to take on the whole weigh [problems] myself [himself]† (79). This believe of his which seems to the norm of the culture defines Nora as the weak. She is constantly nicknamed by Torvald as â€Å"song bird† or â€Å"poor thing† or â€Å"my little darling† throughout the text. Nora has no problem with Torvald’s masculine pride because she fantasizes that Torvald loves her and she understands him. She said to Rank, â€Å"You know how deeply, how inexpressibly dearly Torvald loves me; he’d never hesitate a second to give up his life for me.†(83) However, she is disappoi nted to Torvald outrageous response to past. That’s why Nora becomes another person and takes control of the situation for once and then come to a decision to exit. Both Mrs. Linde’ and the maid, Anne-Marie’s story of their past has influenced her final departure. Anne-Marie, the nurse, has given her daughter to stranger so that she can work with Nora. Nora’s initial reaction is that she cannot understand how Anne-Marie did it. Nora’s thinks that her children might forget her once she leaves. She asks Anne-Marie whether her ...

Firm performance Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Firm performance - Research Paper Example ,000 - $3,000,000 - $4,400,000 = - $2,400,000 profit Now, assuming $3,000,000 fixed costs ($4,400,000 + $3,000,000) / 200,000 = $37 average total cost ($25 - $37) x 200,000 = $200,000 x (-12) = -$2,400,000 profit -2,400,000 / $80 worker wage = 30,000 workers laid off What should be done at the firm In the first scenario, the business breaks even, thus when fixed costs increase over $600,000, the business should shut down production or at least consider its capacity in terms of labor and the pricing of the finished output. At $1,000,000, the business takes a profit loss of $400,000. Certainly at fixed costs increasing to $3,000,000 rather than the $1,000,000, the business is taking a profit loss of $2,400,000 which is substantial and would be difficult to offset without a significant cut in labor. In a practical firm environment with manufacturing, this is likely not feasible. In the third scenario when assuming fixed costs of $3,000,000, it would require laying off 30,000 workers, wh ich is 60 percent of the entire labor force. Below is the calculation for the new worker productivity with laid off workers when fixed costs total three million dollars. 200,000 units of output / 20,000 = 10 total worker productivity (a raise from 4 in scenario 1) There is really not enough data provided about the dynamics of worker responsibility or the tangibles of the production system to determine whether workers can increase their productivity without considering layoffs of 60 percent of the staff. However, as aforementioned, it is likely not feasible to reduce the workforce by such a significant volume without reducing output. The total worker productivity calculation is a quantitative evaluation tool that does not take into consideration the operations environment or capacity. The most logical course of action would be to raise the selling price of the finished product from $25 to a more competitive market price that will allow for profit to be achieved. A small fraction of t he workforce, say 10 percent, would provide for $400,000 cost savings and could likely be achieved with careful production planning, consolidation, or other operational changes. By adding an additional $5 to the selling price, revenues would increase from $5,000,000 to $6,000,000, which would provide profit in the scenario where fixed costs are $600,000, when assuming $1,000,000 and much closer to break-even when the fixed costs are assumed at $3,000,000. Profit of $1,000,000 by reducing 10 percent of the workforce and enhancing pricing structure from $25 to $30 would add $1,400,000 to revenues and worker cost savings. With subsequent pricing increases, the losses can be offset without disrupting productivity or output volumes. The business should consider market conditions and demand factors before establishing an appropriate price increase to ensure that business is not lost and the output product can still be competitive in the marketplace. When prices increase,

Humanities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 4

Humanities - Essay Example St Augustine defines the original sin as the greatest manifestation of Man’s pride and disloyalty to God and expresses the need for reunion with God through Christ. He believes that Grace is the manifestation of God’s work through good works that human beings do. Therefore, he calls for Christians to submit completely to God for salvation. An analysis of the St Augustines confessions depicts God as a supernatural being, to whom all human beings should submit unconditionally. To begin with, St Augustine focused on the concept of the original sin that is crucial in the Christian. The original sin refers to the disobedience of Adam and Eve in the garden of Aden. On this, Augustine state that Adam’s sin is transmitted by the â€Å"hurtful desire† of human beings (Hollingworth 13-25). In literary works, he notes that the original sin is a manifestation of human disobedience of God because of human pride. He explains that the original sin resulted to the transformation of human beings, as the faced the consequences of their sins. Since Adam and Eve created nature through reproduction, it follows that all human beings carry the sin that their parents committed. This implies that all the descendants of Adam and Eve are born with the original sin. He uses a realistic approach to points out since the first parents are the root of humanity, then all those humanity inherited this sin from their parents. The belief that all humanity bears the original sin is widely accepted in the contemporary Christian community. Therefore, St Augustine’s conception of original sin in the medieval period has shaped modern Christianity. Next, St Augustine provides a detailed analysis of divine grace and the way it affects the lives of Christians. He states that human beings lack the ability to do good or even respond to the will of God without his divine intervention. To Augustine, Grace is the ability of human beings to do good acts that are in accordance with the will of

Criminal Law as a product of Social Engineering Essay

Criminal Law as a product of Social Engineering - Essay Example When the number of inmates the various prisons also increases as a result of the high rate of crimes, then the catering of these inmates becomes another head-ache of the government. All these things do not allow governments especially in developing countries to be able to use the scarce resources they have on more useful and profitable things which will bring them more income to be able to develop their economies. This when studied further will in a long term becomes another cause of crime. This is because when a country's economy is very poor there will be no jobs for the citizens hence poverty will be on the increase. These citizens therefore in an attempt to be able to earn some money to feed themselves and their families tend to engage in criminal acts. This makes the whole process become more or less a viscous circle. The governments not only will not be able to generate more revenue to improve their economy ,but also they will not be able to provide the basic amenities all thei r citizens may need. these include good drinking water,electricity,medical services and so on. When it comes to the social effects crime has ,it is quite obvious that communities where crime rates are high ,the younger generations or citizens grow up to become very violent people .This is because they are e always surrounded by violence and this affects them psychologically. It makes them believe in nothing else but violence and illegal ways as the only way to get what they want. They have not even the slightest idea about what peace is really about or even what the laws of their country are and their significance. If a country or community has its younger generation who are supposed to be the future leaders of that community have such a character and wrong perception, you would agree with me that that community really has a lot to do to have a good future. Social engineering as labeled above as a very important issue in the combat against crime ,can be described as the use policies that are base don the findings of social science to deal with social problems of which crime is no exemption. Policies made by governments come in different forms, but the one that comes to light in this context is the regulatory policies. This policies as the name implies, are meant to give limits to individuals and co-operate bodies in their decision making and actions. These policies when made serve as a guideline or step to step actions or procedures the government needs to follow in order to be able to achieve a set goal. Before policies are made, various things are taken into consideration ,these include the purpose for which the policy is been made. These is when the governments need the ideas of the experts in the specific sector within which the policy is been made. that is whether it is an education, health, est. policy. When it comes to policies o f social engineering ,the ideas of experts in the social sciences are needed in order to structure out the policies in such a way to be able to achieve its set goal or purpose .Social science involves of how groups of people behave ,often in effort

The Demographic Factors For A Business Commerce Essay

The Demographic Factors For A Business Commerce Essay According to Michael Mattson John Ivancevich, the key factors influencing the differences in human behavior patterns are demographic factors, perception, ability and skills, personality and attitudes as follows: 1. Demographic factors: Demographic factors depend on someone Education, background, age, nationality, race, gender, etc. Organizations prefer those individuals who promote good socio-economic background, etc. and who are educated young people as they can better perform tasks. The young and dynamic professionals with good knowledge and communication skills are perfect and always in high demand by organizations. The study of demographic factors is important because it helps managers to select the qualified candidate for a job. 2. Ability and skills: Capacity is the physical capacity of an individual to do something. Skills can be defined as the ability to act in such a way that allows a person to do a good job perfectly. Individual behavior and performance is strongly influenced by the level of skills and competencies. A person can perform well in the organization, if his or her abilities and skills are matched with the job requirement. The manager has a very important role in the selection and assignment of individuals with particular job. 3. Perception: Perception is a process by which an individual reaches the sensory awareness or understand the information. The perception comes from the Latin word perceptio, percipio, which means receiving collecting. Â   There are many factors that affect the perception of an individual. The study of the perception plays a vital role for managers, as they know how to create a favorable atmosphere for work so that employees perceive them in a better way. Employees are probably give better results if they are going to perceive it in a positive and justified. 4. Attitude: According to psychologists, the attitude can be defined as the tendency to react positively or negatively to certain people, objects or situations. Factors such as family, culture, society and organizational factors influence attitude formation. Employees can do better for the organization if it is a positive attitude. It contributes to business growth and development 5. Personality: Personality comes from the Greek word personawhich means mask is defined as the study of personality characteristics and distinctive personality traits, the relationship between them, and how a person reacts and adapts to other people and situations. There are a number of factors that influence the personality of the individual i.e family, heredity, society, culture and situation. Its a fact that people differ in their way, responding to the organizational environment. Personality can also be termed as the most difficult aspect of human beings, which affects their behavior in a big way. It is shown that the study of personality traits offers an opportunity to understand peoples. This helps them to properly channel their efforts and motivate them to complete the organizational goals. Each organization requires a certain type of behavior from its employees and such behavior can be detected by monitoring, training, education, exposure, etc. Task for P4 Organization theory refers to the study of the phenomena of organizational functioning and performance of the behavior of individuals and groups working in them.The main theories to study the organization are as follows:- Classical theory: Efficiency productivity can be enhanced by improving the efficiency of the workers. F.W.Taylor is considered as the father of scientific management. According to him men are like machines, as good maintained machines production is more likewise healthy men can work more. He assumed there is one best method for every job. He introduced standardization of tasks, division of labour, analysis of work time measurement. He introduced the concept of fair day wages for fair days. According to him production is improved by teamwork and not by conflict. The goal is maximization of output and not limitation. The best means of doing a job needs for appropriate tools, motivation and fair wages. Bureaucratic theory: Organization designed to carry out large scale administrative tasks by thoroughly coordinating the work of many individuals. A German sociologist Max Weber introduced the idea of Bureaucracy. Salient features A person is said to have power or authority, If within the social framework his will can be imposed on others despite resistance for structuring human groups, becomes a special instance of power called authority or domination. Systems theory: Organization is as a system in which coordinated personal activities of two or more persons, held together by the potential for creating a common purpose, by willingness on the part of its members to participate in its processes and effective communication. Contingency theory It is a class of behavioral theory that claims that there is no best way to organize a corporation, to make decisions or to lead a company. Instead, the optimal course of action is dependent upon the internal and external situations. It is also called a situational theory. Functions of Management: Planning: This is the first tool function in the management process. The difference between successful and unsuccessful manager is within the planning process. Planning is the logical thinking through the goals and decision making on what needs to be done to achieve organizational goals. Â  Organization: The manager must know their subordinates and that they are able to arrange the most valuable company resources, ie its employees. This is achieved through proper management of personnel of the division, the acquisition of resources, establishment of training and organization of work groups in a productive and creative team. Â  Leading: organizational success is determined by the quality of leadership. A leader can be a manager but the manager is not necessarily a leader, says Allen, Gemmy. Leadership is the power of influence of one person over another, to encourage action aimed at achieving the objectives of the company. Â  Controlling: A process that ensures plans are implemented correctly and precisely. As said by Gemmy Allens Controlling is the last link in the chain of functional management activities and brings management cycle full circle. Managerial Roles: According to Henry Mintzberg there are ten managerial roles which are briefly developed here: FIGUREHEAD: The manager performs ceremonial symbolic duties as head of the organisation. LEADER: To develop an appropriate working atmosphere and motivating and developing subordinates. LIASION: Develops maintains a network of external contacts to gather information. MONITOR: Collects internal external information relevant to the company. Distributor: Pass a realistic and important information to their subordinates. SPOKESPERSON: communicates with the outsiders on the performance policies. OWNER: Designs and initiates changes in the company. VIOLATIONS handler: Deals with unexpected events and operational failures. RESOURCES distributor: Management and allows the use of organizational resources. NEGOTIATOR: Participates in negotiation activities with other individuals and organisations. Managerial authority: Managerial authority is the position that empowers a manager to exercise command and control over those individuals placed under him for realization of the assigned role in an organisation. Originally, the overall authority is centrally given in person of the manager. However, it is quite hard for a man to effectively execute and monitor each and every task. Therefore, various functions with a suitable authority are devolved downwards to concerned low levels for better output. The practice also provides a foundation for organisational tree specifying various powers and responsibilities in both vertical and horizontal hierarchy.

Eleanor Marx :: Economist Writers Literature Essays

Eleanor Marx Eleanor Marx has not been remembered as an economist. Her life, though more so her death, has captured the imaginations and curiosities of novelists and biographers and her existence has been cast into the role of the â€Å"tragic socialist.† Yet, as the daughter of Karl Marx, she was a prominent writer and activist for socialist reform. She edited Marx’s unpublished texts after his death and contributed several articles of her own on economic topics. Similarly, in her daily interactions, she worked for social reform that was fundamentally economic in nature and associated with a wide range of feminist and socialist activists. Many of these people themselves have been classified, or perhaps reclassified in recent years, as economists themselves. Yet Eleanor has by and large been overlooked by historians and economists. She has been relegated to the role of tragic heroine at best and a curiosity at worst. This paper will argue that both in her written legacy and in the way she conducted her personal life, Eleanor Marx was first and foremost an economist. An Economist in Writing Eleanor Marx’s essay, â€Å"The Woman Question,† clearly delineates her role as an economist and her dedication to feminism at the same time. The text was written and published with her common law husband, Edward Aveling. As Kapp points out in her extensive biography, this text was the first of Eleanor’s writings â€Å"to bear the imprint of a commercial publisher† (Kapp II, 1972, 83). While Aveling certainly was involved in producing the final document, in Kapp’s analysis at least, the majority of the underlying argument was Eleanor’s (83). Thus, we can reasonably say that this document, framed as a review of Bebel’s Woman-Past, Present, and Future, is indicative of Eleanor’s intellectual processes. The text of â€Å"The Woman Question† is ardent in its defense of economics and women. For Eleanor, the only way to improve the status of women was to tie it to the class movement. â€Å"The question is one of economics. The position of women rests, as everything in our complex modern society rests, on an economic basis† (Marx 1886). With the phrase, â€Å"everything in our complex modern society,† Eleanor not only casts herself as an economist, but establishes that any venture, be it social or academic, is fundamentally economic in nature. Thus, once she establishes that feminism is inherently an economic issue, the connection between her father’s socialist theories and her own feminism becomes clear.