Offreds Narrative Technique in The Handmaids Tale Essay -- Handmaid

Offred affects every single aspect of "The Handmaid's Tale", so, in order to understand her narrative technique better, her character must also be considered.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Offred is nostalgic, she longs for her pre-Gilead past with which she still identifies very strongly. She is, however, realistic in her longing; she knows that the past was not perfect, that it was no utopia, but she just longs for a situation preferable to her present one, "...We lived, as usual, by ignoring...". Another strong reason for to long for the past is that she was basically happy there, she had a daughter and a lover, both of which she was removed from by the Gilead regime. Her longing for the past is bittersweet, although it has many memories for her, not all of them are happy. Also, whenever she thinks of the past, she is reminded of how awful her present situation is, she is reminded of what she has lost. Perhaps that is why she refers to the past as "...the other time...".   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   She is also a fighter. She is determined to survive, to "last" through Gilead, no matter what it takes. The important distinction here is between survival and rebellion; Offred will only go so far in defiance of the regime, while she is prepared to stretch the rules with an insignificant Guardian on the road into the town, she limits herself, describing it as "....a small defiance of rule....like the candy I hoarded, as a child..". When it comes to serious defiance, she draws a definite line, " "No. I can't" " she says when the doctor offers to impregnate her, "The penalty is death". Perhaps that is what Offred is really afraid of. Death is her real fear.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In order to keep herself sane, Offred has invented several survival mechanisms, games w... ...ve technique.    Works Cited and Consulted Atwood, Margaret. The Handmaid's Tale. Anchor Books: New York, New York, 1985. Conboy, Sheila C. "Scripted, Conscripted, and Circumscribed: Body Language in Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale." Anxious Power: Reading, Writing, and Ambivalence in Narrative by Women. Eds. Carol J. Singley and Susan Elizabeth Sweeney. Albany : State U of New York P, 1993. 349-62 Fitting, Peter. "The Turn from Utopia in Recent Feminist Fiction." Feminism, Utopia, and Narrative. Eds. Libby Falk Jones and Sarah Webster Goodwin. Knoxville : U of Tennessee P, 1990. 141-158. Garlick, Barbara. "The Handmaid's Tale: Narrative Voice and the Primacy of the Tale." Twentieth-Century Fantasists: Essays on Culture, Society and Belief in Twentieth-Century Mythopoeic Literature. Ed. Kath Filmer. New York : St. Martin's, 1992. 161-71.

19th Century Women :: Victorian Era

Purpose Statement: This paper will outline the role of women in society during the Victorian Era and present some real life examples from the Women's Diaries of the Westward Journey of 19th century women following their roles and at times having the those roles challenged by the difficulty of the trail. 19th-Century Women Women in the nineteenth century, for the most part, had to follow the common role presented to them by society. This role can be summed up by what historians call the "cult of domesticity". The McGuffey Readers does a successful job at illustrating the women's role in society. Women that took part in the overland trail as described in "Women's Diaries of the Westward Journey" had to try to follow these roles while facing many challenges that made it very difficult to do so. One of the most common expectations for women then is that they are responsible for doing the chore of cleaning whether it is cleaning the house, doing the laundry. The McGuffey Readers mentions the women's duty to clean in a multiple places. In this handbook it gives clear directions to the woman on what she is to do when cleaning, "This ceremony completed, and the house thoroughly evacuated, the next operation is to smear the wall and ceilings with brushes dipped into a solution of limeÂ… (Gorn 111)." The book explains how it is the women's job to thoroughly clean the house once a year in a manner that sounds very laborious! It further states, "The misfortune is, that the sole object is to make things clean (Gorn 112)." In this part of the book it is very clear that it is saying that the woman's duty is to clean. In Women's Diaries of the Westward Journey it illustrates this in a couple of passages. For example, one woman wrote in her diary, "Oh! Horrors how shall I express it; it is the dreaded washing day . . . but washing must be done and procrastination won't do it for me (Schlissel 83)." Although this woman obviously did not like doing the washing she saw it as her job to do. In addition, the book describes this scene, "The banks of a river would be lined with women who carried their kettles, their washtubs, and piles of unwashed linen (Schlissel 82)." Again, it is the women who are doing the cleaning. The McGuffey Readers being the handbook that young girls would read in school taught them that it was their place to do the cleaning.

Free Essay on Symbols and Symbolism in The Scarlet Letter - The Symbolic Letter :: Scarlet Letter essays

The Highly Symbolic Scarlet Letter Hyatt Waggoner, a noted Hawthorne scholar, says, "The Scarlet Letter is Hawthorne's most widely read and admired novel and is also the one that has inspired the most inconclusive debate . . ." (Waggoner 118). Much of the trouble in interpreting The Scarlet Letter stems from the fact that the story is highly symbolic. The Scarlet Letter opens with the stark image of the throng of people surrounding the prison door. Hawthorne creates a mood by using the, "sadcolored," garment and, "gray, steeplecrowned hats," to give the reader a feeling a gloom and sadness. Among these dark, sad images Hawthorne interjects the wild red rose. As Hawthorne puts it, "to symbolize some sweet moral blossom, that may be found along the track, or relieve the darkening close of a tale of human frailty and sorrow" (McMichael, 1033). The prison is symbolic of moral evil which would be sin and the cemetery is a symbol of natural evil which would be death. It is commonly agreed that the colors are used extensivly in The Scarlet Letter as symbols. This is illustrated by the scene by the prison door, but the use and importance of the symbol grows as the book moves along. Pearl, is often identified with the color red, which Waggoner identifies as evil. Pearl is not an evil child in the true sense of the word, but she is a reflection of her parent's immorality and their love. The color red, along with images of bright glow show Pearl to be the product of a moment of passion between Hester and Dimmesdale. Just like the red rose at the start of the story, Pearl is meant to relieve the sorrow and misery. The most famous symbol is of course the scarlet letter itself. Called, "The Elaborate Sign," by Waggoner, the letter A exhibits itself a number of times and in a number of ways throughout the story. The A may appear on Dimmesdale's chest, it appears as Pearl, in the sky as a huge letter formed by a comet; in the mirror at the Governor's mansion; and on Hester's tombstone (McMichael 1150). The letter itself is red, which at first glance would seem to confirm Mr. Waggoner's theory that red in the story is a representation of evil. A case can be made, however, that even in the letter A that red is symbolic of hope and spirit.

Generally Accepted Accounting Principles and Profit Margin Percentage

Place your name and the date at the top of the page, and answer the following questions making sure you SHOW YOUR WORK. 1. A hardware store bought a gross (12 dozen) of hammers, paying $602. 40 for the total order. The retailer estimated operating expenses for this product to be 35% of sales, and wanted a net profit of 5% of sales. The retailer expected no markdowns. What retail selling price should be set for each hammer? [Hint: The way to handle this problem is to say that the Gross Profit Margin has to cover the 35% of expenses applicable to the product plus the 5% of net profit wanted. And once you know the GPM%, you know the Cost percentage of the Selling Price. ] 2. Competition in a line of sporting goods limits the selling price on a certain item to $25. If the store owner feels a margin of 35% is needed to cover expenses and return a reasonable profit, what is the most the owner can pay for this item? [Hint: Remember, if you know the margin percentage, then you know the cost percentage. ] 3. A retailer with annual net sales of $2 million maintains a markup of 66. 67% based on cost. Operating expenses average 35%. What are the retailer's gross margin and net profit in dollars? [Hint: A Markup on Cost is equivalent to what Gross Profit Margin percentage? ] 4. The cost to a manufacturer of flat panel displays for producing its newly designed TV Display 1000 is $250. 00. The cost for Research and Development of their new product being sold to OEMs as a component product has been one million dollars. The sales and promotional budget is $600,000, and all other fixed costs amount to $200,000. The Marketing Director and his staff have estimated demand for the new display to be between 50,000 and 75,000 units over the next year. They also have decided to price the new Display 1000 at $450 to their OEM customers. (a) How many Display 1000s does the manufacturer have to sell in order to breakeven? (b) What is the manufacturer’s unit contribution to profit in percentage? (c) What is the manufacturer’s markup on cost in percentage?

Health & Social Care Essay

An emergency is an unexpected situation that poses immediate risk to health, property or environment. Emergencies require immediate and direct actions in order to prevent or reduce the possible after effects of this emergency. The Civil Contingencies Act 2004 defines emergency as ‘an even or situation which threatens serious damage to human welfare, the environment or security in a part of the United Kingdom’. Emergencies focus on three types of threat. Those are threats to the environment, people’s welfare and security. An earthquake is an emergency because it is unexpected and cause severe damage to environment and properties or lands. It can also severely harm human beings who happen to be in the designated area. In order to be prepared for unexpected situations like this there are some procedures people can follow to ensure safety around them. These are before the earthquake happens †¢ Make sure to have a working fire extinguisher, communication device and torchlight. †¢ Learn first aid Learn how to turn off the gas, water and electricity †¢ Make a plan and an escape route and an assembly point to meet your family after the earthquake. †¢ Don’t leave heavy objects on shelves. †¢ Learn the earthquake plan at school or workplace. During an earthquake procedures have to be taken to ensure maximum safety. †¢ Stay calm. If indoors then stay in and if outdoors stay out. †¢ If you’re indoors, stand against a wall near the centre of the building, stand in a doorway, or crawl under heavy furniture (a desk or table). Stay away from windows and outside doors. If outdoors, stay away from power lines and buildings as they may fall on you †¢ Don’t use matches, candles or anything that could start a fire. †¢ Don’t use elevators. After an earthquake: †¢ Check yourself and others for injuries. Provide first aid if needed. †¢ Check appliances, water, gas and electric lines for faults or damages. If damages then shut off the valves. †¢ If indoors and it smells of flammable gas then open all windows, eave immediately and report to authority. †¢ Follow earthquake plan and listen to the instructions of the person in charge [authority figure] †¢ Expect aftershocks. Whilst evacuating the building members should remain cal and contain their dignity and self respect. Everyone should treat each other as an equal and direct them all towards safety. For example, in a nursery setting some children may have disabilities therefore might find it more difficult to follow the procedures instructed by teacher. They should still be seen as an equal and help must be given when needed however, they should not feel as though they are being treated differently from the others. The advantage of having an earthquake plan is that it prepares the individuals with an escape route and gives them a head start on how to deal with it. Having an earthquake plan means the individuals will know what to do when the situation arises and that will save time and less panics. However, the disadvantage of having an earthquake plan is that it is time consuming. It takes time to make one and one must have the knowledge of the setting in which the earthquake plan will take place. In addition, there may be some who are not informed of this plan therefore will be at loss when the earthquake arises. It is not guaranteed that everyone will follow the plan which contradicts the reason of the plan itself which is the safety of all people at that certain time and place. Plans are bases on predictions and estimations of the future which means there may be turn of events. For example, the plan may direct people towards the safest and quickest exit but what if that certain exit is damaged and blocked due to the earthquake?

Supply Chain Management Metrics

Selecting the key metrics to measure performance a long the supply chain can be crucial, as clear connections have to be made between the metrics and the business goals in order for the business to achieve the results they are looking for and also to achieve growth within the market place. Management should identify the key performance indicators they need to focus on, measuring these indicators can help them in reaching the company's goals. We have identified Total Throughput Time, Right First Time and On-Time Shipment Delivery as key supply chain metrics to measure across the supply chain. Total Throughput Time The total throughput time of an organisation captures the time the customer sales order is received to the time the product is ready to ship. This time is an accumulative of all the time spent from procuring the raw material to manufacturing and releasing the finished product to ship. This KPI is key to analysing the direct impact each internal and external process has on the customer receiving the order on time. It provides management with an overall view of the critical steps and the relationship each step has on getting the finished product to the customer. This time is usually measured in minutes or in working days. Management can work with the relevant department managers to set the target needed for each of the critical processes that have a direct impact on the customer order. Each department can then manage internally their individual KPI and work to the pre-determined target. Management can then monitor the KPI's weekly or monthly. This will provide management with a clear view on how each process is performing and can highlight any issues that could have a direct impact on the customer not receiving the order on time. Monitoring the KPI's will quicken response times to resolving issues if and when they arise. The customer will also be informed of this time so they can build this into their own forecast, the customer can then use this measure as the time it will take to receive their order on time from the supplier. The customer then knowing the capacity constraints of the supplier can eliminate the risk of over ordering and not receiving the product on time. Right First Time Measuring right first time internally on the product manufactured is an important factor for the organisation, it can identify the quality of the supply chain from start to finish, and how many deviations are occurring on the product right through the supply chain process. Right first time is usually measured in percentage, this percentage is based on the number of good product manufactured against the customer demand or manufacturing plan, any deviations along the supply chain process would have a negative effect on this percentage. Management will set out a target percentage for the organisation to achieve, and this has to be met by the organisation if the customer is to receive the order on time. This can then be monitored weekly or monthly by management. Right first time can be viewed either positively or negatively by the customer. If the supplier has a high right first time percentage, this can be viewed as a positive by the customer that the suppliers supply chain is strong with little deviations to the process. If on the other hand the supplier had a low right first time percentage, the customer could be worried that the suppliers supply chain is weak, which could have negative implications on the demand in the future, or that there is an issue with the quality of the product, this could lead to product re-calls and jeopardise the suppliers long term future with the customer. On-time shipment delivery The key performance metric I have chosen to discuss is On-time shipment delivery. This is the measurement within McAfee from the time the product ships from one of our fulfilment sites to successful delivery at a customer's site. The incoterm we use is FOB Origin which means the customer is invoiced for the product upon shipment and is responsible for the products in transit. We offer a pre pay and add solution that requires Mfe to manage the delivery to agreed service levels throughout the EMEA region. Each countries service level is unique depending on the physical location in EMEA , our broad rule is we will deliver within 2 – 4 business days to all EU major cities, our contracted forwarder (TNT) are responsible to achieve these targets and report daily on exceptions, weekly on performance & quarterly on the previous 12 weeks performance during our strategic business review. This service level agreement & reported performance is more importantly the Mfe logistics promise to our customer. We manage this KPI on a weekly performance report to Mfe corporate in North America, exceptions are clearly identified & clear corrective actions implemented when non performance trends are visible. This allows Mfe to clearly identify inherent weaknesses in a partner's delivery chain & assign important resources to provide resolution. This simple key performance indicator allows me to identify where issues rest in our regional supply chain, when we include additional regions & consolidate this report it allows clear visibility in a simple to read format of where we need to assign technical expertise. This simple KPI provides enormous value to our global supply chain and is an integral part of our relationship with McAfee customers & McAfee contracted suppliers. Conclusion When an organisation sets out to select metrics to measure their supply chain the critical goal that is common across all industries is that the metrics have to be aligned with the overall business strategy, doing this will help the organisation to become profitable and competitive, if this is not the case such heights will be harder to achieve as the focus will be on the wrong areas. Achieving the pre-determined metrics across the supply chain will have an end result of satisfying the customer.

Bariatric Surgery Essay

Obesity affects more than one-third of U.S. adults (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Obesity is defined by World Health Organization as an individual that has a BMI greater than 30. Obesity alone can hinder a person’s daily living lifestyle. However along with obesity come several co-morbidities that can affect a person’s health and lifestyle in a negative way. Obesity related conditions include heart disease, stroke, type two diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, and asthma. One alternative solution for obese patients’ to improve their quality of life is bariatric surgery. Bariatric surgery is the only weight loss method proven to achieve lasting, long term results (Kaser & Kukla., 2009, p. 3). Bariatric surgery works on two principals: restriction and malabsorption (Kaser & Kukla. 2009 p. 3). Per Kaser & Kukla on page 3 of the Online Journal of Issues in Nursing there are 3 types of bariatric surgery available; One is the least invasive, uses an adjustable gastric band to adjust the size of the stomach and is reversible. The second one uses a sleeve that reduces the stomach and also eliminates some of the ghrelin hormone that is used to stimulate appetite. The last procedure divides the stomach to create 15-30 ml pouch and is connected directly to the small intestine. This procedure is the most common weight lost surgery performed in the US and makes up 80% of all bariatric procedures (Kaser & Kukla. 2009 p. 3). This paper will discuss the nurse’s role during the pre-op, intra-op, and post-op phases of bariatric surgery, including some of the complications that may arise, proper nursing interventions, and relevant nursing diagnoses with every phase of the patientâ⠂¬â„¢s procedure. Nurses play a large role in caring for patients who have bariatric surgery. The nurses’ role starts in the evaluation phase during office visits and all the way through to post-operative care  including follow up visits. During the preoperative phase the nurse works with the health care team of â€Å"†¦surgeons, dietitians, psychologist, bariatricians†¦during patient evaluation to help reinforce key points for successful surgical weight loss†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Kaser & Kukla, 2009, p. 2) and provide on-going education regarding the patient’s current diet and future diet, activity, and the available surgical procedure options. The nurse ensures that the surgery is appropriate by ensuring the person has â€Å"†¦.a BMI >40 or BMI >35 along with comorbid conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, sleep apnea, uncontrolled type two diabetes, and/or physical problems interfering with performance of daily activities† (Kaser & Kukla, 2009, p.2). In the obese patient, â€Å"minimizing risk factors is directly connected with patients’ assessment in the preoperative period. Important physiopathologic changes occur in the cardiovascular, respiratory and gastrointestinal systems† (Tanaka, D., & Peniche, A. 2009 p.619). Nursing diagnoses that should be considered for preoperative bariatric surgery would be knowledge deficit, anxiety, nutritional imbalance (more than the body requirements), risk for impaired skin integrity, and ineffective breathing pattern related to morbid obesity and/or comorbidities (Drake, McAuliffe. 2012 p.6). â€Å"The key to an effective and safe bariatric patient handling program is to be prepared prior to the admission† (Muir & Archer-Heese, 2009, pg.2). â€Å"Studies have demonstrated that over 50% of bariatric-surgery patients have a concurrent diagnosis of anxiety, depression, or a psychological disorder† (Kaser & Kukla, 2009, p.6). â€Å"Ensure the patient understands the lifestyle changes that are required for a safe, successful, postoperative course including a lifelong commitment to revised eating patterns, vitamin supplementation, and regular monitoring by their healthcare provider† (Kaser & Kukla, 2009, p. 2). The nurse can provide care during the intraoperative phase by making sure the operating room is sufficient in size, the equipment can accommodate obese patient size by having stretchers with a 1,000 pound capacity and extra width, bariatric bed with expandable deck with power assisted for moving, and a built-in scale (Muir & Kukla 2009 p. 4). Some of the most frequently practiced nursing diagnoses for the patient during bariatric surgery would be risk for ineffective airway, and risk for hypothermia. Bariatric surgery patients are especially susceptible to an ineffective airway during surgery because  these patients â€Å"†¦tend to have decreased lung expansion due to an elevated diaph ragm as well as less compliant lungs and chest walls†¦layers of fat on the chest wall and abdomen along with an elevated diaphragm increase the work of breathing† (Drake, D. J., & Lopez, C. C., 2005, p.5). It is the nurse’s job to closely monitor the patient’s work of breathing during surgery to ensure no complications arise. Along with the post-op phase of bariatric surgery come an array of nursing interventions and much needed education for the patient. While the patient is fully aware of the lifestyle changes they must make before surgery is even performed, it now comes to a point where they must act on those changes with full confidence and tenacity if the procedure is to be a life-long success. Some common nursing diagnoses for post-op bariatric surgery include risk for nutritional imbalance (less than body requirements), risk for infection, risk for unstable blood glucose level, risk for impaired tissue integrity, mainly the tissue lining the stomach, and readiness for enhanced self-health management. Diet must be completely altered following surgery. Bariatric surgery patients are given a â€Å"strict diet post-operatively that regulates the consistency, volume, nutritional and chemical makeup of foods†¦nurses must understand diet recommendations for the immediate postoperative period and ass ist the patient in understanding the importance of adherence† (Drake, D. J., & Lopez, C. C., 2005, p.6). Diet compliance is of great importance, but there are other very important interventions to take into account after bariatric surgery. Three important aspects of nursing care include pain management, wound and skin care, and venous thromboembolism prophylaxis. â€Å"Pulmonary embolism is the second most common cause of mortality in bariatric-surgery patients† (Kaser & Kukla, 2009, p.4). DVT’s and VTE’s can be easily avoided when the proper nursing interventions are practiced. â€Å"†¦turning, coughing, and deep breathing (incentive spirometry) are the tried and true nursing interventions for pulmonary care in the postoperative surgical patient† (Kaser & Kukla, 2009, p.5). As with wound care, patients should be careful with coughing or possible nausea leading to vomiting due to chances of dehiscence of the surgical incision sites. Proper nursing care for wounds should be practiced, including â€Å"observing for signs of infection, and keeping the dressings clean and dry†¦treatment of nausea and prevention of vomiting are important during the postoperative phase† (Kaser  & Kukla, 2009, p.4). In conclusion the nurses’ role goes beyond providing direct nursing care in the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative phases. For nurses’ to be successful in caring for bariatric patients they need to look at their own personal attitudes and biases. Make sure they are treating the individual, not making assumption on the person’s character, intelligence, or health status based off their weight, be respectful and do not blame. Nurses need to treat the psychosocial aspect of the specific needs of the bariatric patient by giving them appropriate feedback and encourage healthful behaviors. All of these will make for a successful outcome for the patient. Bariatric surgery is a health promoting and life-sustaining intervention (Drake, D. J., & Lopez, C. C., 2005, p.7). REFERENCES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Overweight and Obesity; Retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html Drake, D. J., & Lopez, C. C. (2005). Postoperative nursing care of patients after bariatric surgery. Perspectives, 6, 1-5. Grindel, M., & Grindel, C. (2006). Nursing care of the person having bariatric surgery. MEDSURG Nursing, 15(3), 129-146. Kaser, N., Kukla, A., (January 31, 2009). â€Å"Weight-Loss Surgery†. OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing Vol. 14, No. 1, Manuscript 4. Retrieved from: http://nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/TableofContents/Vol142009/No1Jan09/Weight-Loss-Surgery.html Tanaka, D., & Peniche, A. (2009). Perioperative care for morbid obese patient undergoing bariatric surgery: challenges for nurses [Portuguese]. Acta Paulista De Enfermagem, 22(5), 618-623.