Victorian Novel - 9605 Words

THE VICTORIAN NOVEL SPIS TREÃ…Å¡CI INTRODUCTION 1 I THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NOVEL 2 II KEY AUTHORS 3 III KEY TEXTS 3 IV TOPICS 3 INTRODUCTION Many associate the word â€Å"Victorian† with images of over-dressed ladies and snooty gentlemen gathered in reading rooms. The idea of â€Å"manners† does sum up the social climate of middle-class England in the nineteenth century. However, if there is one transcending aspect to Victorian England life and society, that aspect is change. Nearly every institution of society was affected by rapid and unforeseeable changes. As some writers greeted them with fear and others embraced the progress, this essay will guide a reader through an important era in English literary history and introduce with the voices that†¦show more content†¦The time commonly known as years of revolutions and fighting across the Channel, in Britain was completely different. Here, the most vital issue for all citizens was stability and rising standards of living. Artists of ‘Pre- Raphaelite Brotherhood’ claimed to write only true about nature, concentrate only on the true idea s. These three years saw the rise of such works: of Bronte sisters’ Poems, Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights, William Thackeray’s Vanity Fair. The Following twenty years could be seen as the high period of ‘Victorian novel’. Despite being a mixture of boom and slump, the years of 1850-1870 were recognized by the economic growth. The nation was the richest in the continent, a leader in trade, with the largest city, London. The authors during these years were mainly focused on morality and decorum, although it was sometimes a great challenge. Mostly, novels were mirror-like for public events and scandals. Nevertheless, religious, domestic and Gothic elements also appeared. In 1860 the novel experienced some changes, mainly due to the fact that its new type emerged- sensational fiction. Written as more entertaining form, it appealed to the middle-class women, especially housewives. They were interested in the tales of bigamy, double identity, violence, set in the realities close to what they were familiar with. What is more, during that time the nation had to face two challenges of social quality. The position of theShow MoreRelatedfeatures of Victorian novel750 Words   |  3 Pagesï » ¿ The Victorian Novel: main features First of all in the Victorian Age the dominating literary form was the novel. It was in fact easier to be read and understood by simple people, its plot was more interesting than any other literary forms, the main protagonists of the novel were the same people who read it so that they felt deeply involved in the adventure told, the writer and his readers shared the same opinions, values and ideals because they belonged to the same middle class, the settingRead MoreMorality in Victorian and Neo-Victorian Novels Essay4239 Words   |  17 PagesMorality in Victorian and Neo-Victorian Novels An essay on Jane Eyre, The Mill on the Floss, The French Lieutenants Woman, Possession and The Dress Lodger The Victorian era is one bound to morality. Morality is also defined through the traditional and religious standards that structure the way of life for many Victorians. Morality is defined as the proper principles and standards, in respect to right and wrong, which are to be practiced by all humanity. 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From the Rich cruel citizens to the poor of poor like the Cratchit family. One of the pictures portrayed in the novella is the fact that many rich upper class gentlemen were not actually gentle men; in fact they could be quite the oppositeRead MoreByatt s Possession : A Romance Establishes Itself As A Postmodern University Novel1707 Words   |  7 PagesThe Pursuit to Discover Intro: A.S. Byatt’s Possession: A Romance establishes itself as a postmodern university novel because it centers on the field of research and academia development through a campus setting. Roland Mitchell, the protagonist of the story, is a postdoctoral and literary researcher who is more focused on academia than job prospects, fixing his crumbling relationship with his girlfriend Val, and overall taking part in mandatory obligations such as household contribution, that primarilyRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book The Pursuit Of A Romance 1711 Words   |  7 PagesThe Pursuit to Discover A.S. Byatt’s Possession: A Romance establishes itself as a postmodern university novel because it centers on the field of research and academia development through a campus setting. Roland Mitchell, the protagonist of the story, is a postdoctoral and literary researcher who is more focused on academia than job prospects, fixing his crumbling relationship with his girlfriend Val, and overall taking part in mandatory obligations such as household contribution, that primarilyRead MoreThe Story of an African Farm by Olive Schreiner812 Words   |  3 PagesThe true genius of The Story of an African Farm is not in the unusual way it is constructed, although critic Patricia Murphy praises author Olive Schreiners non-linear, feminine time in the novel and the ways cyclical time influences the storys development. Neither does the novels true achievement lie in its artistic allegories, though Schreiner is commended for her mythological uses of South Africas landscape (Marquard, 294), a nd for the meaningful Hunter Tale told by Waldos stranger in theRead MoreCharlotte Brontà «Ã¢â‚¬â„¢S Writing Was Considered Controversial1019 Words   |  5 Pagespoetry to writing novels. Brontà «, in her early years, experimented with forms of poetry that were characteristic of the Victorian period, but soon settled into her own signature style of writing. Brontà « s decision to abandon poetry for novel writing exemplifies the dramatic shift in literary tastes and the marketability of literary genres—from poetry to prose fiction—that occurred in the 1830s and 1840s. Her experience as a poet thus reflects the dominant trends in early Victorian literary cultureRead More symbolaw Symbols and Symbolism - Birds as a Symbol in The Awakening597 Words   |  3 Pagesfreedom of these animals is the symbolism that Chopin uses to illustrate the captivity Edna experiences from society and the freedom she desires.   Through this vivid bird imagery in her novel The Awakening, Chopin elucidates the struggle and freedom Edna encounters. From the beginning of the novel, the author supplies bird imagery to represent captivity and solitude. The green and yellow parrot, which h[angs] in a cage outside the door [of Madame Lebruns home], ke[eps] repeatingRead MoreEmmas Masculinity in Madame Bovary Essay1257 Words   |  6 PagesSet in the Victorian era of the 1800’s Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert exemplifies society’s views on the established gender roles of this time. Flaubert utilizes Emma Bovary’s masculinity to accentuate Emma’s desire for control. Her desire for control extends from the social pressure of the period, revealing her envy towards men. Flaubert undoubtedly depicts Emma’s characteristics to have a masculine undertone and throughout the novel her femininity deviates as her priority shifts. Emma’s lack

Basement Free Essays

3 – basement 3 – Basement 1 Quick Revision 1. 1 Problems arising from basement construction a. Excavation method. We will write a custom essay sample on Basement or any similar topic only for you Order Now b. Surface and ground water control c. Lateral stability of basement excavation. d. Stability of adjoining building. 1. 2 Ground water control – dewatering a. Open Sump Pumping b. Wellpoint System. c. Shallow-Bored Well System d. Deep-Bored Well System 1. 3 Basement Excavation a. Open excavation b. Sheet pile cofferdam Supported with raking struts Supported with struts and walings Supported with ground anchors Ground support and ground water control for deep excavation Cut off wallings: c. Thin grouted diaphrage d. Mixed in place wall e. Ground treatment f. Circular cofferdam g. Diaphrage wall 1/11 3 – basement 2. Cut-off wallings 2. 1 Thin grouted diaphragm A series of touching universal beams or columns are driven into the ground to the required depth. A grout injection pipe is fixed to the web the section and this is connected to a group pump at the ground. As the sections are withdrawn the void created is filled with cement grout to form the thin membrane. This is a non-structural wall and services only as a cut-off wall. It is uitable subsoil of silt, sand and gravel. 2. 2 Thin grouted diaphragm (Source: R. Chudley) Mixed-in-place wall A hollow churn drill is drilled into the ground. Intrusion grout is pumped through the hollow kelly bar during the drilling operation. When the required depth is reached, the auger rotation is reversed and withdrawn while grout injection continues. The grout is thus mixed with the existing soil to form a mixed-in-place pile. The above process is repeated with the piles being cast against each other until the whole wall is formed. Mixed-in-place pile (Source: Jufri Wellmen) /11 3 – basement 2. 3 Ground treatment The major disadvantage of pumping is causing settlement of surrounding ground. In urban areas, settlement would serious affect the stability of adjacent properties. In this situation, grouting method can be used to control ground water. The basic method is to inject the soil or rock with fluids which, on setting, seal or reduce the permeability of the material. There are various types of grouts. The choice of grouts, the pattern and spacing of the injection pipes will depend upon the particle sizes of the soil or the size of fissures in the rock. Cement Grouting (Source: R. Chudley) 2. 3. 1 Cement grouting Cement grout is suitable for injecting into coarse materials which have a high permeability. This method not only can form an impermeable barrier to ground water but also solidify loose soils which prevents from collapsing during excavation. It is usual to commence grouting with a batch of thin grout and then to increase the viscosity of the grout as the process continues, by reducing the water-cement ratio. The grout used may be composed of neat cement grout, or a mixture of cement and 3/11 3 – basement sand in the ratio of 1 : 4. The adding of sand reduces the cost of material but it also reduces the workability. On the other hand, pulverized fuel ash (PFA) may be used to replace part of the cement (up to 50%) to reduce the cost of the material. The spherical particle shape of PFA improves the flow quality of the grout without reducing its strength. 2. 3. 2 Bentonite grouting Bentonite grouting is used in ground conditions where the particles of the soil are too small for cement grouting. While bentonite grout adds little strength to the soil, it has a high resistance to water flow and therefore produces an excellent barrier. Bentonite is produced from montmorillionite clay, which has thixotropic properties: when it coagulates it forms a gel, and if mixed with certain additives, such as Portland cement or soluble silicates, the barrier formed will be permanent. 2. 3. 3 Chemical grouting There are two main processes of chemical grouting: ‘one-shot’ and ‘two shot’. In the ‘two-shot’ process, pipes are driven into the ground at about 600 mm centres, and the first chemical, normally sodium silicate, is injected. This is followed immediately by the injection of the second chemical, calcium chloride. The reaction between the two chemicals is immediate, resulting in a tough, insoluble ‘silica-gel’. The process gives considerable strength to the soil and greatly reduces its permeability. Two-shot process for chemical grouting 4/11 3 – basement The ‘two-shot’ process has been largely superseded by the ‘one-shot’ process, which consists of mixing together prior to injection two chemicals whose gel time can be sufficiently delayed to allow full penetration of the soil before gel occurs. The extent of the delay can be accurately controlled by varying the proportions of the two chemicals. The extra time available for placing this grout allows wider spacing of the boreholes. 4. 2. 6 Circular cofferdam Steel sheet pile cofferdams may be arranged in circular shape in plan. Circular cofferdams may be supported with ring walings. The walings are subject to tangential thrust and act as a continuous arch. Thus transverse struts are not required. Large diameter circular cofferdams may be formed of concrete diaphragm wall and reinforced with ring concrete beam. The advantage of this method is that it provides a clear excavation un-hampered by struts. However, the method is restricted to circular shape. Circular cofferdam support with ring walings Basement construction of IFC 5/11 3 – basement 5 Diaphragm Walls Diaphragm walling describes the construction of continuous concrete walls into the ground. The process, sometimes called the slurry trench method, involves the excavation of a narrow trench to the required depth which supported with bentonite slurry. The trench is then filled with concrete to form the wall. Construction of diaphragm wall 5. 1 Advantages of using diaphragm walls for basement construction 1. The process of constructing the wall is relatively quiet and has little vibration. . The wall can be constructed to a great depth. 3. The wall provides temporary ground supports during excavation hence expensive steelwork is eliminated or minimized. 4. The wall provides a good water cut-off; no dewatering is required and hence has little effects on adjacent structure. 5. The wall serves both as external wall for the basement and the foundation for the superstructure. 6. For deep basement, diaphragm walling is more economical than using steel sheeting cofferdam. 6/11 3 – basement 5. 2 Method of construction of concrete diaphragm wall 1. A perimeter trench, 1 to 1. m deep and with a width equal to the wall thickness plus 300 mm is excavated. 2. The trench is lined on both sides with 150 mm thick in-situ concrete. (The linings provide a guide for the grab and protect the top of the excavation from collapse. ) 3. The wall is divided into to panels. The width of each panel is about 4. 5 to 7 m. The sequence of construction for the panels is in an alternatively way. That is, an intermediate panel is excavated after panels on its both sides have been cast. 4. The trench is then filled with bentonite slurry from a large storage tank before excavation. Excavation is done by a grab. During excavation, it is important to maintain the slurry level at about 0. 5 m below the top of the trench. (The function of the bentonite is to prevent the ingress of water and soil into the trench. ) Excavation is continued until the founding is reached. 5. Stop end pipes of diameter equal the wall thickness are placed at both ends of the panel. A reinforcement cage is lowered through the bentonite and panel is cast with tremie concrete. The displaced bentonite is recovered, strained to remove the soil particles and then stored for future use. 6. When the concrete has set, the stop end pipes are removed. Semi-circular sockets are formed which provide key for the adjacent panels. 7. Further panels of the diaphragm wall are then formed in a similar manner until the wall is completed. 5. 3 Precast Concrete Diaphragm Walls Diaphragm walls can also be formed with precast concrete panels. The construction sequence is: 1. A perimeter trench, lined on both sides with concrete walls, is prepared. 7/11 3 – basement 2. The trench is filled with bentonite slurry and excavated with a grab. During excavation, the slurry level is maintained at about 0. m below the top of the trench. Excavation is continued until the founding is reached. 3. Cement grout is introduced to the bottom of the trench with a spreader. The displaced bentonite is recovered, strained to remove the soil particles and then stored for future use. 4. Precast posts or panels are inserted into the trench to form the wall 5. When the grout has set, it seals the joints of the precast panels effectively, and the diaphragm wall is formed. Precast Concrete Diaphragm Wall Precast Concrete Diaphragm Wall (Source: R. Holmes) (Source: R. Holmes) 8/11 3 – basement 6 Soldier pile wall Since the wall of a basement must be watertight, if a soldier pile wall is used as a basement wall, the piles of the wall will be constructed to overlap with each other. This type of wall is also called secant pile wall. The overlapping is about 120 to 200 mm. It is cut by a hydraulic actuated casing fitted with a cutting ring at the lower end. The cutting must be done within one or two days after the concrete has been cast to prevent it become to hard. Secant pile wall Alternatively, the piles of the wall are cast contiguous. Boreholes are drill at the joints of the piles which cut the edges of the piles. The boreholes are then filled ith bentonite-cement grout to seal the joints. Secant pile wall (Source: R. Chudley) 9/11 3 – basement 7 Top-Down Basement Construction It is to construct the basement in the downward direction to the final levels of the basement. The sequence of work is as follows:1. Construct the permanent basement wall using diaphragm wall or soldier piles wa ll. 2. Construct bored piles with temporary steel casings as the foundation of the basement. The cut-off level of the piles is at the final basement level. 3. Place steel columns inside the steel casings of the bore piles from the foundation level up to the ground level. . Backfill the shafts with granular material to hold the steel columns. 5. Construct the ground floor slab supported on the steel columns and the diaphragm walls. (This slab provides a working platform for superstructure construction and acts as the lateral support for the basement excavation. ) Access opening in this slab shall be provided for further excavation. 6. Excavate beneath the ground floor slab down to next basement floor soffit. 7. Cut the steel casing, remove the gravel and expose the steel column. 8. Cast the second basement slab. The slab is connected to the columns with shear studs and connected the diaphragm wall with dowels) 9. Repeat the process for the successive basement floors until down to the final basement slab. The top-down method provides the following main advantages:1. Superstructure can be constructed at the same time as the basement construction takes place and therefore the overall construction time is reduced. 2. Temporary and permanent works are combined and therefore there is no need for extensive steel temporary works. 3. Stiff rigid walls allow an almost watertight construction and basement construction to great depth. These stiff walls provide at the same time a limitation to ground movement. 10/11 3 – basement Steel casing infilled with granular material Steel column on top of bored pile Reference: Control of groundwater for temporary works (1986), S. H. Somerville, CIRCA Construction Technology (1987), R. Chudley, Longman Building Construction Handbook (1992), R. Chudley, Newnes Introduction to Civil Engineering Construction (1985), R. Holmes, College of Estate Management Civil Engineering Construction IV (1991), S. A. R. Jufri R. J. Wellmen, Hong Kong Polytechnic 11/11 How to cite Basement, Papers

Straight From The Ceo Essays - Customer Experience Management

Straight From The Ceo Straight from the CEO A Review of the Literature (Dauphinais and Price, 1998) The minds of CEO's are, in aggregate, a tremendous center of power in society. Upon these minds - how they tick, how they prioritize, how they view the vectors of change depends on the transmission of know-how, technology, capital, and jobs. In addition, as globalization increases, the socioeconomic impact of their thoughts becomes all the greater (p. 15). This book provides a broad cross sample of the global CEO population. Insightful interviews have been collected, which contain lessons from both the brawny companies that have been forced to reinvent themselves, as well as from some of the brainy upstarts that needed to be rather unconventional to gain access to the global playing field. CEO's of top world corporations tell how they handle globalization, customer service, motivation, leadership and other management issues. Gone is the day of the stern looking, tight lipped, antisocial dark suit who sits positioned in the large corner office secured by twelve foot walnut doors with gold handles. Today's workers demand involvement and interaction from upper management, no longer do the baby boomers see fit to have P and L figures discussed between upper management only. In order to be a successful CEO in today's society you must be able to demonstrate an understanding of the dynamics of value enhancement, to be aware of opportunities and to exploit them. The future and success of the company depends on how you view the company and how your employees view you. A CEO's understanding can have no limits, adapting to change is just a small step in dealing with the organizations future. When we discuss change we have to keep in mind that, the largest of corporations feel the pressures of change on a global level, competing with our global trading partners such as Japan, China, and Europe. In order to be global a corporation must be able to compete on a worldwide basis and to do this manager's must be able to think globally. Percy Barnevik of ABB Asea Brown Boveri Ltd comments: Global managers are not born-they must be developed (p. 40). Developing managers in global thinkers has to start with understanding of the differences between U.S. and the international culture. For example, several months ago a potential client came to town and of course we wanted to leave an impressionable opinion by having lunch at the new Japanese restaurant that everyone in town raved about. The meeting with the client was extremely successful but she was a little uncomfortable with the waiter standing beside our table throughout the entire lunch just in case we required any additional se rvice. Noticing the client's apprehension towards discussing details of her business, I pulled the waiter to the side and asked if would simply check back every fifteen minutes or so to see if we needed anything. That is when the waiter informed me that it was customary for him to stand by our table and wait otherwise it is considered very poor service. This little incident would not have broken our deal, but it does give strong indications of how the Japanese view customer service as compared to the U.S. OshKosh B'Gosh, Inc. CEO Douglas Hyde's view on customer service: We have always treated our customer service as an extension of our commitment to value and quality. At OshKosh B'Gosh we believe that the customer is always right, and we implement this philosophy in all customer service issues, including any and all complaints from customers (p. 307). Customer service is the guts of the business as Chris Braccia the Vice President of Marketing at First County bank would say. Businesses thrive off customer satisfaction, a satisfied customer means a returning customer. A majority of a corporation's time and money is used appeasing and researching customers likes and dislikes. CEO's of the top corporations feel customer service should never be taken lightly, developing a strong relationship with your client base will only lead to a prosperous future. A large part of developing a loyal customer service base deals with motivating your employees to having the corporation's views on customer service. If your employees do not have the same sense of

Critical Study of Apoptosis and programmed cell death The WritePass Journal

Critical Study of Apoptosis and programmed cell death Introduction Critical Study of Apoptosis and programmed cell death IntroductionReferencesRelated Introduction Apoptosis in the hair follicle is programmed cell death, which occurs at a point during the cell cycle, when a sequence of programmed events causes the cells to be eliminated without the release of waste and harmful substances into the surrounding vicinity. Control of apoptosis is crucial to development of new and recycling of old cells within the body as over stimulation of apoptosis can be fatal, causing extreme tissue damage- examples of which are cancer sufferers. In this review we will discuss evidence from scientific experiments which investigate regulators of apoptosis and what really controls apoptosis in the hair follicle. Apoptosis within the hair follicle cycle is controlled by many molecular processes and elements, of which include cytokines, tumor necrosis factor receptors, bcl-2 family gene products and ICE proteases (Soma et al., 1998). Apoptosis occurs during the catagen stage of follicle cycling which can also be known as the regression stage, and begins with initiation of receptors to their binding sites. This is specifically the binding of receptors that are rich in extracellular cysteine usually needed for binding, and intracellular compartments specific for signalling (Botchkareva et al., 2006). These receptors- also known as death receptors initiate the beginning of apoptosis, signalling via the mitochondrial membrane and setting in motion adapter molecules complementary to their apoptotic receptors (APO1/Fas receptor or tumor necrosis factor receptor- TNFR). Others include tyrosine kinase receptors- such as nerve growth factor (NGF), and p75 receptor- ‘p75NTR signalling is criticall y important for apoptosis in the regressing ORS and, therefore, for its shortening during catagen’ ( Botchkarev et al.,2000). These signals are conveyed into the cell via a cascade of enzymes known as caspases, which subsequently lead to the next stages of apoptosis. Investigations into apoptosis show that ‘physiological and pathological catagen is noticeably characterised by an up-regulation of ICE expression and an apparent inversion of the Bcl-2/Bax ratio in all epithelial follicle regions that undergo involution during catagen.’(Linder et al., 1997) This refers to intracellular and extracellular molecules located around the hair follicle, which show some control of the progression of cell death, when subjected to variation. The investigation proved that apoptosis within follicular keratinocytes in a normal state or diseased state occurred after a significant reduction in the Bcl-2/Bax ratio, which in turn caused activation of ICE proteases and eventually activation of endonucleases (Linder et al., 1997). This indicates that Bcl-2 and Bax ratios to an extent control apoptosis when down regulated, and then cause a domino effect to upregulate ICE proteases known as the caspase family, to eventually cause DNA to be cleaved into small er fragments, cell shrinkage and rounding, breakdown of the cytoskeleton and membrane blebbing. Caspases are the final inducer of apoptosis from physiological or pathological stimulation, and therefore play a major role in control of apoptosis, by remaining as an inactive form when apoptosis is not required, but becoming activated by the down regulation of the Bcl-2/Bax family of receptors, when apoptosis is required to take place. Caspases are mediators of apoptosis, and are defined and separated into two groups. The first group are the ‘instigators’ and begin the cascade, the second group are the ‘terminators’ which are activated by the instigators and cause the activation of other enzymes within the cell.   The caspase family consists of caspase-8, caspase-10 and caspase-3, which act to activate the intrinsic pathway, and to link the extrinsic to the intrinsic pathway by releasing cytochrome c, a process which is primarily controlled by a family of proteins known as the Bcl-2 proteins.   These are expressed in the epithelium, surrounding mesench yme, and follicular papilla of the adult hair follicle throughout the cycle (Stenn et al., 1994). The release of cytochrome c ultimately forms a holoenzyme known as the apotosome, which is formed by the apoptosis initiator enzyme procaspase-9, and its adaptor molecule Apaf-1(Botchkareva et al., 2006). These apoptosomes then cleave and activate the procaspase into caspase-9, which subsequently turns on effector caspase-3. Caspase-3 is a major proteolytic enzyme, with the ability to defragment a wide range of molecules and substrates within the cell. The activation of caspase-3 then leads to the cell fragmentation and phagocytosis stages of hair follicle apoptosis. References nature.com/jid/journal/v126/n2/full/5700007a.html ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1858357/pdf/amjpathol00024-0099.pdf http://endo.endojournals.org/cgi/content/full/146/3/1214 fasebj.org/content/14/13/1931.long fasebj.org/content/15/9/1592.full.pdf applepoly.com/studies/Analysis_of_Apoptotic_Cell_Death_in_Human_Hair_Follicles.pdf

All About Americas Gilded Age

All About Americas Gilded Age The Gilded Age. The name, popularized by American author Mark Twain, conjures images of gold and jewels, lavish palaces, and wealth beyond imagination. And indeed, during the period we know as the Gilded Age - the late 1800s to the 1920s - American business leaders amassed huge fortunes, creating a suddenly-rich baron class with a fondness for ostentatious displays of newfound wealth. Millionaires built palatial and often gaudy homes in New York City and summer cottages on Long Island and in Newport, Rhode Island. Before long, even refined families like the Astors, who had been wealthy for generations, joined in the whirlwind of architectural excesses. In large cities and then in upscale resort communities, noted established architects like Stanford White and Richard Morris Hunt were designing enormous homes and elegant hotels that mimicked the castles and palaces of Europe. Renaissance, Romanesque, and Rococo styles merged with the opulent European style known as Beaux Arts. The Gilded Age of architecture usually refers to the opulent mansions of the super-wealthy in the United States. The well-to-do built elaborate second homes in the suburbs or in rural settings while at the same time many more people were living in urban tenements and the decaying farmlands of America. Twain was being ironic and satiric in naming this period of American history. Americas Gilded Age The Gilded Age is a time period, an era in history with no specific beginning or end. Families had accumulated wealth from generation to generation - profits from the Industrial Revolution, the building of the railroads, urbanization, the rise of Wall Street and the banking industry, financial gains from the Civil War and Reconstruction, the manufacturing of steel, and the discovery of American crude oil. The names of these families, such as  John Jacob Astor, live on even today. By the time the book The Gilded Age, A Tale of Today was published in 1873, authors Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner could easily describe what  was behind the ostentation of wealth in post-Civil War America. There is no country in the world, sir, that pursues corruption as inveterately as we do, says one character in the book. Now here you are with your railroad complete, and showing its continuation to Hallelujah and thence to Corruptionville. For some observers, the Gilded Age was a time of immorality, dishonesty, and graft. Money is said to have been made off the backs of an expanding immigrant population who found ready employment with men of industry. Men such as John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie are often considered robber barons. Politcal corruption was so pervasive that Twains 19th century book continues to be used as a reference for the 21st century U.S. Senate. In European history this same time period is called the Belle Époque or the Beautiful Age. Architects, too, jumped on the bandwagon of what is often called conspicuous consumption.  Richard Morris Hunt (1827-1895) and Henry Hobson Richardson (1838-1886) were professionally trained in Europe, leading the way to making architecture a valued American profession. Architects the like of Charles Follen McKim (1847-1909) and Stanford White (1853-1906) learned opulence and elegance by working under the leadership of Richardson. Philadelphian Frank Furness (1839-1912) studied under Hunt. The sinking of the Titanic in 1912 put a damper on the boundless optimism and excessive spending of the era. Historians often mark the end of the Gilded Age with the stock market crash of 1929. The grand homes of the Gilded Age now stand as monuments to this time in American history. Many of them are open for tours, and a few have been converted to luxury inns. The 21st Century Gilded Age The great divide between the wealthy few and the poverty of many is not relegated to the end of the 19th century. In reviewing Thomas Pikettys book Capital in the Twenty-First Century, economist Paul Krugman reminds us that It has become a commonplace to say that we are living in a second Gilded Age - or, as Piketty likes to put it, a second Belle Époque - defined by the incredible rise of the one percent. So, where is the equivalent architecture? The Dakota was the first luxury apartment building in New York City during the first Gilded Age. Todays luxury apartments are being designed all over New York City by the likes of Christian de Portzamparc, Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid, Jean Nouvel, Herzog de Meuron, Annabelle Selldorf, Richard Meier, and Rafael Vià ±oly - they are todays Gilded Age architects. Gilding the Lilly Gilded Age architecture is not so much a type or style of architecture as it describes an extravagance that is not representative of the American population. It falsely characterizes the architecture of the time. To gild is to cover something with a thin layer of gold - to make something appear more worthy than it is or to attempt to improve that which needs no improvement, to overdo, like gilding a lilly. Three centuries earlier than the Gilded Age, even British playwright William Shakespeare used the metaphor in several of his dramas: To gild refined gold, to paint the lily,To throw a perfume on the violet,To smooth the ice, or add another hueUnto the rainbow, or with taper-lightTo seek the beauteous eye of heaven to garnish,Is wasteful and ridiculous excess.- King John, Act 4, Scene 2 All that glitters is not gold;Often have you heard that told:Many a man his life hath soldBut my outside to behold:Gilded tombs do worms enfold.- The Merchant of Venice, Act 2, Scene 7 Architecture of the Gilded Age: Visual Elements Many of the Gilded Age mansions have been taken over by historic societies or transformed by the hospitality industry. The Breakers Mansion is the largest and most elaborate of Newports Gilded Age cottages. It was commissioned by Cornelius Vanderbilt II, designed by architect Richard Morris Hunt, and built oceanside between 1892 and 1895. Across the waters from the Breakers you can live like a millionaire at  Oheka Castle on Long Island in New York State. Built in 1919, the Chà ¢teauesque summer home was built by financier Otto Hermann Kahn. Biltmore Estate and Inn is another Gilded Age mansion that is both a tourist attraction and a place to rest your head in elegance. Constructed for George Washington Vanderbilt at the end of 19th century, Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina took hundreds of workers five years to complete. Architect Richard Morris Hunt modeled the house after a French Renaissance chateau. Vanderbilt Marble House: Railroad baron William K. Vanderbilt spared no expense when he built a house for his wifes birthday. Designed by Richard Morris Hunt, Vanderbilts grand Marble House,  built between 1888 and 1892, cost $11 million, $7 million of which paid for 500,000 cubic feet of white marble. Much of the interior is gilt with gold. The Vanderbilt Mansion on the Hudson River was designed for Frederick and Louise Vanderbilt. Designed by Charles Follen McKim of McKim, Mead White, the  Neoclassical Beaux-Arts Gilded Age architecture is uniquely set in Hyde Park, New York. Rosecliff Mansion was built for Nevada silver heiress Theresa Fair Oelrichs - not a household American name like the Vanderbilts. Nevertheless, Stanford White of McKim, Mead White designed and constructed the Newport, Rhode Island cottage between 1898 and 1902. Sources Why We’re in a New Gilded Age by Paul Krugman, The New York Review of Books, May 8, 2014 [accessed Jun 19, 2016]Getty Images include Rosecliff Mansion by Mark Sullivan; Biltmore Estate by George Rose; Gold Room of Marble House by Nathan Benn/Corbis; and Vanderbilt Mansion on the Hudson by Ted Spiegel/Corbis

Total Quality Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Total Quality Management - Essay Example TQM has been designed for companies that are operating in various disciplines and for this reason, each company has different uses and implementation technique of TQM. However, there are organizations that fail to implement TQM at an operational level. Some of the reasons for the failure are as follows:Â   Rigid Organizational CultureOne of the key reasons for failure of TQM is that the implementation of this process requires patience and agility and it requires flexibility in organizational culture. Organizations are required to change their paradigm from a functional to customer focus approach. Organizations that are unable to cope up with this approach can face detrimental consequences because implementation of TQM is not easy and it requires mobility to changing customer needs and business trends. Not every organization can cope up to such changes and this is certainly one of the reasons of failed implementation of TQM.Resistance to ChangeIf a company wants to implement TQM, it should first communicate to its employees the importance of TQM. Every single employee, from the lowest to the highest hierarchical level, should be accepting and willing to adopt this organizational change (Donaldson & Munir, 2013). However, such changes are not successful at times because some employees do not want to come out of their comfort zone and resist to any sort of change. Employees fail to understand the importance of this activity and do not understand that this will improve the productivity and profitability of the company.

Technical writting Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Technical writting - Assignment Example He could position the data and information according to things to carry out in the diverse geographic or districts locations of the town. Spatial pattern makes logic intended for the author to standardize the information through physical location for the reason that the information is simple to understand as well as utilize in this format, mainly for tourists who are not well-known with the region (Friedlander, 2004). A Chronological principle of organization is order of importance or climactic order. In Chronological pattern, items are set as of least important to most important. Usual conversions would comprise most difficult, more important, by far the most expensive, still harder, worse up till now, even more damaging, and so on. This is an elastic standard of organization, as well as can guide the organization of the entire or part of case, cause & effect, comparison & contrast, plus description (Friedlander, 2004). For instance, a writers stated principle is to explain the past development or development of the city of Seattle. Supposing that Seattle is having 100 years old history, the writer could systematize the data and information through combining it into 4 chunks of 25-year each. In this state of affairs, the sub-points within all major part of time represent the mainly important events that happened throughout that particular time frame (University of Washington, 2009). Usability testing is proven to trim down expenditure, augment user satisfaction, also save on improvement as well as redesign work (Blastam, 2009). Usability testing assesses behavior, not preference.   Clients are notoriously bad at presenting what kind of software they want; on the other hand through observing and determining behavior, we are able to know about most excellent supports, their motivations, and objectives (Ostrander, 2000). Usability testing offers a great competitive