The Character of the Husband in Raymond Carvers Story...

The Character of the Husband in Raymond Carvers Story Cathedral In Raymond Carvers Cathedral, the husbands view of blind men is changed when he encounters his wifes long time friend, Robert. His narrow minded views and prejudice thoughts of one stereotype are altered by a single experience he has with Robert. The husband is changed when he thinks he personally sees the blind mans world. Somehow, the blind man breaks through all of the husbands jealousy, incompetence for discernment, and prejudgments in a single moment of understanding. From the beginning of his tale, the husband is quite bland on the subject of love. This is present when he tells the part about his wifes first husband, even going as far as to say the†¦show more content†¦His jealousy of Robert does become clear when the after dinner conversation never turns to the husband: For the most part, I just listened. . . they talked of things that had happened to them—to them!—these past ten years. I waited in vain to hear my name on my wifes sweet lips: And then my dear husband came into my life —something like that. But I heard nothing of the sort. More talk of Robert. (351-352) When the conversation has turned to him, he realizes how more bland the topic is and turns the television on for entertainment, even though he knows he is being rude. The husband first begins to open up to Robert when he watches with admiration as the blind man eats his food. He begins to see Robert as an independent man that has learned to live life despite his disability. There is a moment of connection when they all three finally begin the meal and he describes them as if they were all the same, eating the same way, intently and seriously (351). The husband asks to share a joint with Robert when his wife is not present, showing an indication of trust or maybe cockiness (352). Though shocked of her husbands actions, the wife joins in when she returns. When the wife has passed out between them, he commences to enjoying Roberts presence. When Robert wishes to stay up with him, listening to the television, the husband makes theShow MoreRelatedThe Lives and Works of Raymond Carver1692 Words   |  7 Pagesstyle of writing, Raymond Carver has left a lasting and outstanding impact on the history of short stories. Even though Raymond Carver left a long impact, his life was of the opposite. Like Raymond Carver’s famous award winning stories, his life was short. Raymond Carver was born on May 25th, 1938 in Clatskanie, Oregon, a mill town on the Columbia River. Carver grew up in Yakima, Washington. Carver had three members to his small family, his mother, his father, and brother. Carver’s only had one siblingRead MoreAnalysis Of Raymond Carver s Cathedral852 Words   |  4 PagesIn Raymond Carver’s short story â€Å"Cathedral,† a blind man named Robert visits a man and his wife in their home for a short period. In the beginning, the husband is very rude to Robert due to his inability to see. However, by the end of Robert’s stay, the husband realizes that he is quite far from being a blind fool. By analyzing the theme, character, and conflict of the short story, the reader will be able to better understand what messages lay within Carver’s writing. First, by analyzing the themeRead MoreAnalysis Of Raymond Carver s Cathedral 1340 Words   |  6 PagesRaymond Carver’s characters were considered to be very much like him: â€Å"’on the edge: of poverty, alcoholic self-destruction, loneliness† (Mays 32). His short story â€Å"Cathedral† is about a young couple, who have a visitor coming to stay with them. This visitor, Robert, is the wife’s friend, and he is blind. The narrator, the husband, has never met someone who is blind, was bothered by that. To him, being blind meant constantly needing help from others. His depiction of blindness was what he has seenRead MoreRaymond Carver’s â€Å"Cathedral† vs. Tess Gallagher’s â€Å"Rain Flooding Your Campfire†1575 Words   |  7 PagesRaymond Carver’s â€Å"Cathedral† and Tess Gallagher’s â€Å"Rain Flooding your Campfire† are good examples of intertextual dialogue between two writers. These two stories show us how two writers can grow and develop short stories differently from the same experience. There are similarities between the stories, such as the use of a first person narrator, the plot, setting, and also there is an interchange between the narrator and the blind man in both stories. But within these similarities there are alsoRead MoreCharacter Analysis Of Raymond Carver s Cathedral 1426 Words   |  6 PagesCharacter Analysis in Raymond Carver’s â€Å"Cathedral†: The Narrator Literature has the potential to act as a mirror by presenting people’s lived experiences, expectations, and perceptions through characters. Such is what can be deciphered through the analysis of different characters in Raymond Carver’s story â€Å"Cathedral.† This paper focuses on the narrator of the story portrayed by the author as blind, which is used metaphorically not to imply physical blindness, but the inability to have reasonedRead More Blind Faith in Raymond Carvers Cathedral Essay920 Words   |  4 PagesBlind Faith in Raymond Carvers Cathedral      Ã‚   In the story Cathedral by Raymond Carver, the main character, goes through a major personal transformation.   At the beginning of the story, his opinions of others are filled with stereotypes, discrimination and prejudice.   Through interaction with his wifes blind friend Robert, his attitude and outlook on life changes.   Although at first he seemed afraid to associate with a blind man, Roberts outgoing personality left him with virtually noRead MoreAnalysis Of Raymond Carver s Cathedral1696 Words   |  7 Pagesghosts in their closets; something they are running from, or trying to bury alive. Cathedral, written by Raymond Carver, takes place in the early 1980’s. Originally published in The Atlantic Monthly in 1981. Carver slightly revised the story and re-released it in 1983. At a time when the blue collar working class lived paycheck to paycheck, working hard for newfound luxuries such as color television, this short story is humorous and eye-opening for the reader. For adults ranging from thirty to fortyRead MoreComparing Two Dramatic Comedies: Raymond Carver’s Cathedral and Guy de Maupassant’s The Jewelry827 Words   |  4 PagesA reader looking for a story where there is drama, but still humor will be satisfied with Raymond Carver’s Cathedral and Guy de Maupassant’s The Jewelry. Both have some form of wit developed through a plot structure that appeals to the most common of people. Carver presents a man who is so narrow-minded that he is unable to grasp the idea of knowing a person who is blind. Maupassant creates a story of a man who is blind to the fact of the true actions of his wife and the lies she construed duringRead MoreAn Analysis Of Cathedral By Raymond Carver1441 Words   |  6 Pages Cathedral Research Paper The short story â€Å"Cathedral†, by Raymond Carver, is a thought provoking piece that focuses on the transition a man goes through to see the world with his soul. The story gives hope that people can change if given the chance to be better people. Over the course of the story, Carver uses both diction and description to explore themes in religion and morality. â€Å"Cathedral† depicts a husband and a wife as they prepare and entertain a friend of the wife. The husband, the narratorRead MoreThe Two Sides Essay1379 Words   |  6 Pagesout more of said idea or choosing to remain as is. Cathedral by Raymond Carver is a story that gives us a look into what it is like to have our views challenged through experiencing them first hand. We are introduced to the story by narration and we are given a brief summary of how his wife and the blind man had met from the narrrator. We learn that the blind man is named Robert, he is the only character that is named and described in the story. After the exchange of greetings and very detailed

Rainforests of the Atsinanana, Madagascar Essay - 1608 Words

Rainforests of the Atsinanana, Madagascar Christy Haakenson SCI230 Introduction to Life Science Paula Roberts March 27, 2011 The Rainforests of the Atsinanana is a place like no other. The continent of Madagascar can be found 200 miles off the east coast of Africa and completed full separation from all other land masses more than 60 million years ago (Staff W., 2001). The island of Madagascar has lived in isolation and with isolation gives the Rainforests of Atsinanana an abundance of plants and animals found nowhere else in the world. This unique place is made up of six national parks and was approved by UNESCO committee in New Zealand (WWF, n.d.). The Rainforests of Atsinanana is currently on the list of world heritage sites in†¦show more content†¦One type of lemur is nocturnal and is only active in the night and the other type is diurnal and spends the days eating, mating, and playing (2005). Some are large in size like the indri, and others such as the Berthe’s mouse lemur is the smallest in the world (2005). Although these creatures are different in characteristics, they have one sim ilarity and that is there home in Madagascar. Aside from many types of lemurs, there are many other unique creatures found in the Rainforests of the Atsinanana in Madagascar. Other species include the Flying fox bats, Fossa, Fanaloka, Tenrece, spear-nosed snake, and more than 3,000 endemic butterflies (Ward M, 2008). The isolation of this island and history has made primate extinction real. At this time there are at least 15 species of lemur that have gone extinct (2005). The main cause of these primates going extinct is because of the habitat loss from deforestation only leaving 8.5% of the original forests. The Rainforests of the Atsinanana Madagascar is not only unique for many types of species it is home to, but also for the unique plant life. Atsinanana has more than 12,000 plant species known in Madagascar, which are also endemic. Six of eight baobab trees that are endemic to Madagascar. Baobabs are bottle-shaped trees with large bases and branches that make a flat appearance to the top. The different types of baobab trees include

Component of Financial Statement Free Essays

16th January 2012 34 Mansion road Granchestor meadows Oxford Ox1 6ds Dear Mr Han , I am writing this letter to explain to you the component of your financial statement, this includes the Balance sheet at 31st of March 2011 and the profit and loss account for the year ended in 31st of March 2011 , hope you have a b etter understanding after reading my letter. The Profit and Loss account shows whether your business has made profit or loss , over your financial year. This also shows how much sales you’ve made and how much loss, it helps you make decisions in the future and improve on your business. We will write a custom essay sample on Component of Financial Statement or any similar topic only for you Order Now You may also view whether you made Profit or loss weekly, monthly but usually it is shows yearly. Revenue Expenditure is the money you spend on items on a day to day basis. This may vary depending on the Business type. Some examples of what may be included is, Premises costs, staff costs, purchase stock. These are the Revenue expenditure from your account. Rents and Rates – ? 6,000 Wages and salaries – ? 3,920 Advertising – ? 1,500 Telephone and postage – ? 190 Revenue income is the money coming into the business from performing its daily tasks; these also vary on the type of business owned. Some of the examples of revenue income within a business are sales, commission received and also rent received. The revenue incomes from your account are Sales at a cost of ? 63,850. Balance sheet this is a businesses’ net worth at a particular point. Balance sheet also shows the value of a business as it states what the business owns also known as assets and also known as liabilities. Capital Income is the money that is invested into the business by its owners and all other investors. The money is usually to set up the business, have equipment. It is usually equipment that will stay and be used in the business for a longer period of time an example may be Premises. The capital income of your account is a capital of ? 16,000. Capital expenditure – These are used to buy capital assets that stay in the business for a long period of time some examples may be , Buildings, Machinery ,Office , Furniture and fittings. Here is the capital expenditure from your Accounts . Equipment ? 13,175 Motor Vehicles ? 2,400 The profit and loss account calculates the amount of profit that is left after the cost of producing goods and service it is then deducted from the amount of sales revenue, this is calculated by sales revenue take away costs of goods that have been sold. Cost of sales is the value of stock that is used to generate the sales, the calculation for costs of goods sold is Opening stock plus purchases take away closing stock. Net profit is the money left after all the other expenses have been deducted from the gross profit and also any other income that has been added on, this is calculated by adding the Gross Profit to expenses. Fixed assets are the items that a business owns and that will stay for a long period of time , you may see this on a business balance sheet that will include Buildings, Machinery ,Office , Furniture and fittings. These assets lose their value over a period of time, meaning that after every year the value in the balance sheet is reduced to give affair value of the asset. The fixed assets from your account are Equipment and also Motor Vehicles. Current assets ,are the items of value that are owned by a business whose value is likely to rise and fall irregularly in number or amount on a regular basis ,this also occurs every time the business makes a transaction. Current assets include Stock – ? 7,400 Debtors – ? 150 Cash in the bank – ? 560 Cash in hand – ? 250 Current liabilities –Is what is owned by a business and it should be paid back in less than one year of time the examples are creditors and also overdrafts. The current liabilities from your account are Creditors at ? -1610. Net assets – This shows the total value of the entire assets take away the value of the liabilities. Net assets are calculated by Current assets plus fixed assets take away (current liabilities long term liabilities) the total of your net assets are ? 12,325. Capital employed –This represents the capital investment necessary for a business to function. Consequently, it is not a measure of assets, but of capital investment: stock or shares and long-term liabilities. It’s the initial capital invested in the business calculated by profit and opening capital being added minus drawings. Capital employed and net assets always have the same /equal answers. After the explanation of showing the purpose of Profit and loss account, explaining and giving calculations and examples I hope it helped you understand, if any questions please contact Yours sincerely. How to cite Component of Financial Statement, Papers

Groupthink free essay sample

1.1 Definition Janis defines groupthink as â€Å"a mode of thinking that people engage in when they are deeply involved in a cohesive in-group, when members strivings for unanimity override their motivation to realistically appraise alternative courses of action.† His major proposition is that groups displaying most of the symptoms of groupthink are more likely to display symptoms of defective decision making, resulting in poor policy outcomes. The crucial determinant of groupthink is moderate to high group cohesion combined with one or more other antecedent conditions. In turn, these factors contribute to defective decision making by the group. 1.2 The Groupthink Model The groupthink model (Figure 1) provides a visual representation of the theory of groupthink, including the conditions under which groupthink is likely to occur, the symptoms of groupthink, and the consequences resulting from groupthink. According to the model the antecedent condition of a moderately or highly cohesive group (Box A) interacts with other structural faults of the organization (Box B-1) and/or provocative situational context factors (Box-2) to increase the probability of the groupthink tendency. We will write a custom essay sample on Groupthink or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The groupthink tendency is expressed in the observable consequences of the symptoms of groupthink (Box C). When a group displays most of the symptoms of groupthink, we can expect to find that the group will also display symptoms of defective decision-making (Box D). Defective decision-making normally lowers the probability of a successful decision outcome (Box E). The theory predicts that when a group is moderately or highly cohesive (Box A), the more of the antecedent conditions listed in boxes B-1 and B-2 that are present, the greater the chances of defective decision making as a result of the groupthink syndrome. Figure 1 : The Groupthink Model 1. 3 Groupthink Symptoms The model presents three types of groupthink symptoms described here in outline form. TYPE I: Overestimation of the Group 1. Illusion of Invulnerability This symptom is defined as excessive optimism that encourages taking extreme risks with little consideration of what would happen if the worst outcome should occur or the consequences of the solution proposed by the group. This always includes the overestimation of the potential success of the solution or the abilities of the group. 2. Belief in the Inherent Morality of the Group This symptom implies that the group ignores the ethical or moral consequences of their decisions. TYPE II: Close Mindedness 3. Collective Rationalization This is an effort by members of the group to discount, withhold, or distort warnings and other information that could threaten the group’s belief by convincing themselves as to the validity of the group’s position. The group does not realistically or seriously consider outside information or other potential decision alternatives. 4. Stereotypes of Out-Groups â€Å"Just as the groups are overconfident in their own powers and morality, they tend to believe their opponents are weak or foolish.†. This results in an underestimation of their opponent’s ability to counter or interfere with the group’s plan. TYPE III: Pressures Toward Uniformity 5. Self-Censorship This occurs when members hold back expressing their doubts or deviations from the apparent group consensus. This may reflect each member’s inclination to minimize to himself the importance of his doubts and counterarguments. 6. Illusion of Unanimity Self-censorship and other devices create an environment of unanimity concerning judgments conforming to the majority view. This environment is also facilitated by the false assumption that silence means consent. 7. Direct Pressures on Dissenters The group uses direct social pressure on any members who express descent with the majority’s views, stereotypes, proposed solution, or commitment. Group pressures and norms make it clear that dissenting viewpoints and behavior are contrary to expected group norms of loyalty. 8. Self-Appointed Mind-Guards Members of the group take it upon themselves to protect the group from adverse information that could threaten the group’s shared complacency and to keep others in line with the supposed consensus. 1.4 Limitations of the Theory Groupthink is only one factor among other influencing variables that could affect the quality of decisions. One cannot assume that groupthink is the cause of practically every miscalculation or poor decision reached by a group. Groupthink theory suggests that poor decision outcomes are more likely when groupthink symptoms are present. Groupthink does not always result in a bad decision. Even when groupthink is occurring the group consensus and inherent biases could result in developing an effective solution to the problem at hand. Likewise, poor decisions cannot be avoided by simply avoiding groupthink. Other factors such as a lack of information, inadequate time for decision-making, poor judgment, pure luck, and unexpected actions by adversaries also play a role in the probability of a successful decision outcome. Other determinants of the decision process, such as the groups competence, the heuristics used in the process, and the entire organizational set-up in which the group operates is likely to affect the quality of the decision. Simply stated, some group biases and decision-making failures cannot be explained in terms of groupthink. The value of groupthink is that it helps explain one factor that could lower the probability of a successful decision outcome. Working in groups provide several advantages such as more knowledge, the ability to generate more ideas, longer and more accurate memories, and better evaluation of concepts, opinions, and courses of action. Groups generally have a greater probability of discovering errors in plans and usually better standards and rules for decision making. â€Å"This is the power of the team mind: to create new and unexpected solutions, options, and interpretations, drawing on the experience of all the team members to generate products that are beyond the capabilities of any of the individuals.† The problem occurs when group pressures, biases, and other behaviors reduce the quality of the decision. Groupthink tends to strengthen the groups cohesion and reinforce self-complacency and group biases among its members, while drastically lowering the quality of decisions. The effect in many groups is decisions that are definitely inferior to decisions made individually. Groupthink theory offers insight into understanding how various factors and conditions combine to affect decision outcomes. Conclusion Groupthink theory explains one factor that can contribute to defective decision-making. This makes groupthink an important area of exploration for business management research concerning decision-making. Understanding how groupthink affects decision-making and developing techniques to reduce the occurrence of groupthink provides an opportunity for improving decision-making.