European Economic and Monetary Union Essay -- essays papers

European Economic and Monetary Union The Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) is a single currency area within the European Union in which people, goods, services and capital move without restriction (Europa Quest (1), 2001). Imperative to the success of the EMU is the implementation of a single European currency, the Euro, and the application of specific macro-economic policies by the EMU member states (Harris, 1999: 78). Moreover, it is the foreseeable intent of European governments to create a framework for stability, peace and prosperity through the promotion of structural change and regional development (JP Morgan, 2001). This essay will endeavor to highlight the fundamental gains likely to be accrued by the European business community as a result of EMU policy provisions. The developments and circumstances preceding the EMU formation will be examined to give insight into the functioning of a monetary union. Furthermore, it is essential to analyze the implications the EMU has for firms within both ‘Euroland†™ and other European nations. To establish a strong understanding of the intricacies of the EMU, it is essential to discuss both the antecedents and major developments in this monetary union. The origins of the EMU can be traced to the formation of the European Coal and Steel community (ECSC) in the early 1950s, which was the first attempt to harness European economic unity to achieve greater international competitiveness (Per Jacobson, 1999) (Duisenberg, 1998). The success of this venture prompted the foreign ministers of six ECSC nations to examine the possibility of further economic integration (Chulalongkorn University, 1999). Hence, in 1957 one the most significant agreements in European economics history, The Treaty of Rome, was signed. The Treaty of Rome’s fundamental goal was to provide for the creation of a common market (Kenwood & Lougheed, 1999:280). The most significant aspect of this treaty was the commitment made by such countries as Belgium, France, West Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and Luxembourg to facilitate the free movement of goods, services and factors of production. Essentially, these European governments sought to eliminate internal trade barriers, create common external tariffs and harmonies member states laws and regulations (Hill, 2001: 233). This movement towards a common European market continued with relative success ... ...gheed, 1999. The Growth of the International Economy: 1820-2000. Routledge Press: London. ï‚ · Martin, Peter, 1997. EMU’s New Horizon. www.stern.nyu.edu/nroubini/EMU/. Visited Mach 2001. ï‚ · Preston Robert, 1997. Note of Confusion on Single Currency. www.princetoneconomics.com. Visited April 2001. ï‚ · Princeton Economics, 1998. Country Analysis: United Kingdom. www.princetoneconomics.com . Visted April 2001. ï‚ · Roubini, Nouriel, 1997. Notes on Europe, the Euro and EMU. www.stern.nyu.edu/nroubini/EMU . Visited April 2001. ï‚ · Salmon, Pierre, 2000. Decentralisation and Supernationality: The Case of the EU. www.imf.org. Visited April 2001. ï‚ · Salvatore, Dominick, 1998. International Economics (Sixth Edition). Prentice Hall: New Jersey. ï‚ · Solomon, Robert, 1999. International Effects of the Euro. www.brook.edu/comm/policybriefs/ . Visited March 2001. ï‚ · Soltwedel, Rudiger, Dohse Dirk & Krieger-Boden, Christianne. 2000. European Labour Markets and the EMU Challenges Ahead. www.imf.org . Visited April 2001. ï‚ · Tett, Gillian, 1996. The Single Currency: Everything you wanted to know? . www.stern.nyu.edu/nroubini/EMU . Visited April 2001.

Insulting language Essay

Great expectations might be read as a bildungsroman because it charts the progress of the main character, Pip, from childhood to adulthood. Traditionally, a bildungsroman contains a hero, who usually suffers early on in life, maturing and clashing with the social settings and eventually being accepted into it. The story focuses around this theme but doesn’t always play by its rules. In my essay I will be discussing to what point Great expectations can be read as a bildungsroman. â€Å"Great expectations† conforms to the genre of a bildungsroman right from the start of the book, in the opening scene we meet old pip talking about charting his life from when he was a little boy to a young gentleman. Like in most bildungsroman books Pip has suffered a loss at an early age, his parents, brothers and sisters. Pip has also had a harsh start to life because he lives with his sister who, even thought she is looking out for him, treats him quite badly. To even more extent the social hierarchy is established very early on as we find out that Mr. Joe is a blacksmith and this is important in order to judge Pip’s development, we can even tell from the language that he uses that he has a hard knock life and is not well off. The structure of the opening scene tells us a lot about how it conforms to the bildungsroman genre, the way Dickens immediately introduces us to both Pips. The old omnipotent storyteller Pip, who tells the story as he remembers it skipping out bits and stretching the truth a little. And the young â€Å"actor† Pip who acts out what is happening while narrating it in 1st person which allows us to feel the harshness and changes that he is going through as he does which supports the bildungsroman framework. As I have mentioned before the language shows a lot about the type of life and the harshness of his life. E.g. Dark, flat, wilderness, low leaden line. Finally Dickens introduces the Convict who reinforces the social order and emphasises the harshness of Pips life, lastly he introduces the beginning of Pip’s great expectations. We first meet young pip in a cold and desolate church yard, looking at the graves of his parents and brothers this is important as it shows the harsh life he has had. In Chapter 1 we find out that Pip Has not had a childhood, he was bought up â€Å"By hand† suggesting that he has been disciplined harshly and ill Treated But with only the best in mind. We also found out that Pip’s Sister, Mrs. Joe, his only Relative in the world Who disciplines him so severely, Married the local town blacksmith which shows that Pip’s Family is poor and that pip is not so well educated As he calls himself Pip which is the only words he could pronounce. Even with the convict Pip’s Personality shines through, it shows that even though the Convict is threatening him severely But Pip still feels sympathy for him â€Å"if he were eluding the hands of the dead people†, even when he is told that he must go and fetch him a file he still has the courtesy to say â€Å"good night, sir† but Pip was also nervous â€Å"he faltered† and scared â€Å"I was dreadfully frightened†. Old Pip is reporting what young Pip said and felt. As I have said in previous paragraphs Pip has had a hard life, Pip’s house is a small â€Å"wooden house† with a â€Å"ditch clock† which is a cheap clock. Pip is also mistreated as he â€Å"served as a connubial missile† and that he gets regular beatings from â€Å"tickler†. Pip is not the only one beaten â€Å"Knowing her (Mrs. Joe) to have a hard and heavy hand, and to be much in the habit of laying it upon her husband as well as upon me†. Mrs. Joe is important because she represents the raising of the children in Victorian society, she helps us to lets us see how truly far Pips has come from being forced to intimidate higher class to actually being it. Joe is a â€Å"fellow-sufferer† of Mrs. Joe and he and Pip both treat each other like equals and share secrets more of having an older brother than him actually raising him as a father figure. It is important to see Pip at his home as we can feel sympathy for him and empathize what he â€Å"is† going through. Dickens wants us to fell sympathy for him so we can realize what his life was like and how he has changed since his childhood. The robbery of the pie shows us how Pip’s fear for both Mrs. Joe and the convict and that his conscience about stealing from his sister, the one who brought him up â€Å"by hand† and fear from being caught or, if not doing it out of this fear, being killed by the convicts â€Å"friend†. In chapter 7 we learn a lot about Pips education. Everything he has learnt was form Mr. Wopsles great aunt’s school, but not from Mrs. Wopsle, from Biddy, her daughter. In Mrs. Wopsles School their only source of education was a single book that was passed around the class showing that Pip hasn’t had a very good education like many of the working class children in Victorian society. Pips education shows that he is slowly advancing in society and is trying to achieve his goals. However Pip thinks of himself as stupid when really he only thinks like this as he is not learning fast enough for him to like it and his surroundings make him believe it. Joe in comparison to Pip has had not much of an education, he cant even read where as Pip has become superior to him in his education and because of this we fell sorry for Joe because of the story of his childhood he tells us afterwards. Pip is invited to play at Miss Haversham’s house, this is important as it shows a crucial part of the bildungsroman genre, the â€Å"shunning out† of the society that he wants to be accepted by, when Pip is playing at Satis house he is mixing with the higher class which represents a small leap to achieving his goals, while also giving him something else to aim at, Estella. Pip is treated badly by Estella because of his class making him feel poor and â€Å"common†, insulting the language he uses â€Å"he calls the knaves, jacks!† showing the difference in class which makes him upset and cry but the fact that she gets to him means that he likes her, urging him to change class â€Å"the hands that have never bothered me before, look coarse and common now†. Joe responds to Pip with helpful advice, saying that if he wants to be â€Å"uncommon† he must do it the honest way because if he can’t he’ll never do it and we expect Pip to go and strike his goals.

Biblical Aspect of Moby Dick Essay

Moby Dick is a novel filled with many biblical allusions, and I feel strongly that there are certain characters in the book that portray biblical characters or express the same situations in the Bible. In the beginning of the book, Father Mapple gives a sermon to the sailors about Jonah and the whale. This story in itself has much symbolism and starts the book off with the notion that God and the Bible are very much a part of the story. In specific there are a few main characters that support the fact that they are symbolic to the Bible. First, Ishmael is the main character in the story and is the narrator through most of the book. He is very different from all of the sailors on the ship. He has class, intelligence, and he knows nothing about whaling or the sea. In the book of Genesis, Ishmael was an outcast â€Å"with everyone’s hand against him,† and in the book you see how he is different from the sailors because of his small knowledge of whaling. To further examine Ishmael’s situation, he says he escapes to the sea to leave the depressions that have ridden his life. Another part of Genesis tells us that Ishmael wasn’t Abraham’s true son because he was born through one of Abraham’s maids (supposedly Sarai, his wife, was infertile) and ever since Isaac was born, Ishmael was shunned. Like in Moby Dick, Ishmael was looked down upon from the beginning because he didn’t have the history that other people on the boat had as sailors. Ishmael is always different from everyo ne, and he looks at everything in an interrogative way, so he thinks of Moby Dick as a holy mysterious creature while Capt. Ahab thinks Moby Dick is pure evil. Moby Dick is the most complicated, undefined character in the book. But to attempt to understand this enigma, let’s look at what we know about him. Moby Dick is a white, massive sperm whale, the largest and most feared by all beings in the sea. To Ahab, Moby Dick is the highest of all evil. To Starbuck, the chase after the whale is a fruitless cause. To Ishmael, the whale defines mystery, unexplainable, and holiness. Moby Dick’s whiteness  can be linked with holiness and godliness, such as Revelation 1:14, † His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;† Much of revelation involves the color white, which has been historically a holy color and a color of prosperity as described in Ishmaels in-depth description of the indescribable whiteness that he saw when he caught sight of Moby Dick. Another excerpt of Revelation shows the importance of white in the Bible, Revelation 4:4) â€Å"And round about the t hrone were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting , clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.† Ishmael tries to describe whiteness as, â€Å"which at times by its intensity completely overpowered all the rest; and yet so mystical and well nigh ineffable was it, that I almost despair of putting it in a comprehensible form. It was the whiteness of the whale that above all things appalled me. But how can I hope to explain myself here; and yet, in some dim, random way, explain myself I must, else all these chapters might be naught.† So it seems as if the whiteness was the same indescribable thing as is the whiteness John saw in his Revelation, which he wrote for the Bible. We know Moby Dick is indestructible and like God, nobody can touch him. So can we conclude Moby Dick represents God? I think that is one of the mysteries that Melville leaves the reader to unfold on their own. He is symbolically the great divine mystery. Captain Ahab could be taken in different ways, such as good or evil. In this case he would be evil considering he has the same name as King Ahab in the Bible. Ahab is like no other character in the book. At times, he lacks compassion or even certain aspects of a complete personality, but maybe the determination of his goals (revenge on Moby Dick) compensates for his lack of personality. Captian Ahab isn’t just after the bulbber and oil of the whale, but he is after the glory and the sense that he can conquer everything. The thing that keeps his engine running after Moby Dick is the fact that there is something greater than him, the â€Å"Great† Captain Ahab. Some refer this egotistical ness as hubris, something Greek tragedy (from the packet) Gods have, and that hubris is sometimes the reason for their downfall. Captain Ahab has so much confidence in going after Moby Dick that at one point he says â€Å"If man will strike†¦talk not of blasphemy man; I’d   strike back at the sun if it insulted me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  So not only is he determined, the only thing that makes him complete is the fulfillment of striking hate and death upon this whale. To compare to the Bible, Captain Ahab is similar to the King Ahab of 1 Kings. The Bible says in 1 Kings 16:33, † and Ahab did more to provoke the Lord than all Kings of Israel before him.† Throughout the book Ahab does only what will further his pursuit of the whale and in doing that, he at times disobeys the rules of religion, business, of common sense, and ignoring the omens, pleas against his cause, and experience (Moby Dick Packet). For example, one part of the book describes a part where two ships meet to dock for a short time and once Ahab heard news of Moby Dick’s location, he immediately abandoned all plans of sailors interacting with the other boat and women, not even taking a second to breathe, because he was narrow minded with the white whale in vision. Like King Ahab has Elijah, Captain Ahab has Fedallah as prophets to warn the two leaders of troubles ahead. Elijah proclaims disaster for King Ahab’s misdoings on him and his family. Fedallah came to Ahab, prophesizing the downfall of Ahab and his ship. This shows Melville’s concordance of the Bible with his storytelling. As you can see, Ahab was punished in both the bible and Moby Dick. In The bible it says,(1 Kings 17:1) † And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word†¦Ã¢â‚¬  In conclusion, I believe Melville definitely used symbolism to spice up his story and also biblical allusions to give more sense to build the climax of the story. I feel I have proven to you that these three characters, Moby Dick, Ishmael, and Captain Ahab were all linked to characters in the bible. Depending on how deeply you look into the story, you can find that symbolism lies everywhere in this book and that is why it is the â€Å"smartest† book for a high-school student to read.

The Scarlet Letter: Hester’s Secrets Cause Harm

The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, follows the story of Hester Prynne and her dealings with a nasty love triangle and life with the sin of adultery. Hawthorne also outlines the consequences of keeping secrets and the effects it may have on the lives of oneself and others. In this novel, Hester keeps many destructive secrets that harm more than herself and some that she should have shared before it got too late. Hester most likely believed that her secrets harmed herself and spared others pain as long as they were hers and hers alone.However, Hester’s secrets harmed many more people, including her lover Dimmesdale and her husband Chillingworth. Her secrets hurt Dimmesdale the most. When she shared that her husband was Chillingworth, he seemed almost heartbroken at the fact that she would hide such an important piece of information from him. Dimmesdale was also hurt in many ways when she withheld the identity of the father of Pearl from the community, such as ha rming himself to deal with the fact he did not come forth at court.In fact, this very act also resulted in the harm of Chillingworth. He vowed revenge because he did not know who the baby’s father was, which sent him and his health in a downward spiral. Her acts in holding these secrets were destructive in the community as well, not just harmful to a few people. The community as a whole had to deal with the shame of having an adulteress within its jurisdiction and many people were disgusted with the idea of it in the first place.To make matters worse, her secrets caused the downfall of the local minister and doctor, both of which were very esteemed. Her secrets caused Dimmesdale’s aforementioned self harm and Chillingworth’s spite towards him, which when combined sent his health downwards very quickly. He, also sharing the secret, eventually collapsed under the pressure and, in his last sermon, died. Chillingworth died as well because he had spent so much of his time and energy being evil that it impacted his health negatively, which did not mix well with his age.Now the town’s beloved doctor and minister were dead and much of the community was, understandably, distraught. These problems were caused by Hester’s secrets and could have been completely prevented if she shared them with the right people at the right times. She was right to not reveal the identity of her lover in court, as it saved Dimmesdale’s life, but she should have shared with him the identity of her husband.If she had done this right away, Dimmesdale could have avoided Chillingworth completely and not been unaware to the harm that was being done by the doctor. This may have also increased the chances that Chillingworth would remain oblivious to who Dimmesdale really was since their time together would have been severely reduced. Hester should have also shared with Pearl who Dimmesdale really was earlier on to help her understand more about her life an d their strange relationship.Perhaps Pearl could have grown up with Dimmesdale as her father after they retreated to another city, had a more normal childhood. Ultimately, Hester’s secrets harmed many. They were destructive and reckless and perhaps she should have shared some of them in a better fashion at better times. It was these secrets that caused much pain, as they do in many circumstances in life. This may have been one thing Hawthorne was trying to portray in his novel, that secrets hurt more than those who keep them.

The best sister in the world Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The best sister in the world - Essay Example The researcher will begin with the statement that sometimes he thinks that it is amazing that while we look for companionship and friendship, outside the confines of our home, our best sources of support and joy are placed by providence right at the place we live and love. At least it happened to him. The author’s sister Fatimah is 25 years old and they are more of friends than merely being siblings. Fatimah is his best friend and whenever he feels lonely or alone, she turns out to be a constant source of companionship. Though the author prefers solitude over socializing, still he must say that he never like to be alone. Fatimah has a beautiful way of making him feel loved and cherished. The researcher feels really wonderful and happy, whenever he is with her. She always makes the author feel that somebody is there for him, who will stand by him whenever he is stressed and lonely. Both of them share fond memories of the experiences we had while we were traveling in Lebanon, th e country where she was studying for her degree. Fatimah is a biologist. She graduated from the American University of Beirut (AUB).   There is no denying the fact that Fatimah happens to be one big influence on the author’s social skills and interpersonal communication. Having a stable relationship with his sister and being able to convey to her all that the author thinks or feels has made him an independent and confident person. The researcher feels really easy to open up with others while he is moving in the outside world. It was owing to Fatimah that a lot many things turned out to be better and beneficial for the author. It had been solely owing to Fatimah that the author had been able to get over his juvenile hesitations and have learned to open up to other people. The biggest delight that Fatimah holds for the author is the opportunity he gets to share his ideas with her. The researcher has many dreams and goals, and Fatimah has always encouraged him in whatever ende avor he engage in by extending her true and honest opinion. The researcher shares such a sense of camaraderie with Fatimah that even during our childhood, they used to dress up alike. The researcher must say that both of them share a salubrious and benign relationship with each other. He is always there, whenever Fatimah needs him and she receives the author’s help and advice not only as a brother but also as a worthy an imitable role model. They both harbor much ambition in their hearts. Besides, both of them love their family a lot and do their best to make their family happy, especially their parents. The researcher does believe that good idea are of no use if they are not put into practical action. So Fatimah always diligently encourages him to weave goals and aspirations around the good ideas that the author share with her. This brings in a kind of accountability into the researcher’s life and always stimulates him to work to the best of his capacity. Besides, the author does know that Fatimah is always there to help him sort out the problems that he comes across in his academic life.

Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 15

Human Resource Management - Essay Example The expatriate managers has to play a very significant role in the sustainability in foreign market as they have better knowledge regarding the company so that it can able to identify the areas of changes to be incorporated in business unit present in the foreign land (Miles, 1995, p.24). This section will attempt to discuss and present issues faced by a MNC company and to offer a set of plausible recommendation. Background and Issues Raised in the Case Study Fidelity Plc is primarily a UK-based IT consultancy MNC, present in a number of countries like France, India, Germany, China etc. From the very beginning of its internationalisation, Fidelity went expanding its business units in foreign count in an unsystematic way causing loose management. It means that Fidelity has failed to assess the necessary factors in foreign markets like cultural differences and internal capabilities like competent managers. Moreover, it has not also offered proper training to its managers for managing the international business units. Noe et al, have identified three necessary assessments for global expansion i.e. organisational, task and person analysis (Noe et al, 2007, p261). However, the prevailing management of Fidelity has identified three major issues for managing subsidiaries companies. Firstly, it needs to recruit competent managers who are able understand basis needs to organisation and can play a vital role in international business development.

The Increasing Involvement of the Clergy in Politics Essay

The Increasing Involvement of the Clergy in Politics - Essay Example In the American context, American Muslims seem to just take care of themselves and mind their own businesses. Bill uses facts and opinion polls to back his arguments. For instance, when he says that 11% of those polled agreed that they had been influenced to vote along political divides, this only depicts the selfishness, majorly on the part of the clergy (Agnew 56). One might want to ask: why do they involve themselves in politics in the first place? Truly the American Muslims have replaced the Koran with their own interpretations, which in my view, is a paradox indeed. McKibben reveals the dangerous misinterpretations of the Koran by most American Muslims. When I read Bill’s article, what first came to my mind was the infiltration of the â€Å"expensive mega-churches†, plus their founders. When one visits some of the churches, they may be shocked by the elegance and the exurban styles of the churches. The churches are built using millions, or billions of dollars. The founders seem to use the church as an avenue to enrich themselves, promising worshippers that the â€Å"the hands that give are the hand that receives†. The American worshippers have understood this and would give an arm and a leg to receive the â€Å"blessings†. Instead of helping the poor members of the church just as Mohammed commanded, the founders and top clergy live lavish lifestyles, adorning expensive suits and other wears. In some cases, they are reportedly involved in scandals such as those pertaining to sex and politics.