Hilton Hotels Corporation Marketing Analysis Essay Example for Free

Hilton Hotels Corporation Marketing Analysis Essay The marketing issues addressed here are focused on how to draw more consumers from other gambling casinos, and how to make Hilton a resort destination. Two-thirds of Hiltons total operating earnings in the early 1990s were derived from the four casinos they owned in Las Vegas, Nevada. Expanding on this idea will ensure the hotel chain firmly plants its feet in the entertainment and resort business (Hilton Case Study). By investing massive amounts of revenue into developing their gaming division, the Hilton will become a destination resort that would encompass of all the guests needs to keep them interested staying within the confines of the resort. Some considerations include how Hilton would get its market share of the billions of dollars in casino revenues. The percentage of gambling versus side attractions will influence the profit margins, depending on how much focus is placed on each area. The hotel chain can also strive to increase its overall occupancy rate of seventy percent while continuing to set the industry benchmark (Hilton Case Study). In researching how to improve marketing to attract customers, we must first look at where the Hilton stands today. Second, we must analyze what has worked in the past and see if we can apply past practices into the current market. Third, we shall look at how the competitors are more effective by looking at their gaming plans, marketing structure, customers spending habits and dollar/cost value based on guest surveys. Hilton entered the gaming market as an attempt to compete with the other big hotels for the gambling dollar. Investments in renovation and expansion caused Hilton to over- extend. Although the investments were needed to compete, the hotel chain felt it needed to lure big money to its locations, and extend credit more than usual. Heavy hitters receive this same courtesy from other hotels, but this puts a strain on the operating cash flow, as chasing bad credit costs money, and slows up cash flow. Gaming revenue was already down, which was attributable in part to renovation and more so to extended credit that had been difficult to reclaim. In todays market, families are a prime target. Big beautiful hotels are  catering to families all along the Las Vegas strip. Gambling is still the main focus, but todays gambler is more inclined to visit the Casino Resort, a place that the kids can stay, have a good time and be entertained. Meanwhile, the parents can drop next months mortgage money at the casino. This type of package appeals to the whole family. As far as quality of service, no one does it better than Hilton, because they create an environment that the customer, family or non-family guests will remember and to which they will want to return. The focus on entertainment is important, but Las Vegas is still sin-city. Three point six billion dollars have been spent in packaging entertainment; focus on the family is important, but a balance of adult-only and child-friendly entertainment is required. Gambling is the central purpose for casinos to exist. Continue to market the standard tables of chance, card tables, slot machines, and lavish floor shows, with headliners people recognize, and the main source of revenue will continue to flow. Have shopping, kids activities, and outdoor recreation available, but not as the focus of why travelers should visit, and that will provide entertainment for the rest of the family. Hilton should pull back the extended credit. By doing so, they may lose a few customers, but the resulting loss of risk will increase bottom-line profit. By changing the focus to families, the customers that discontinue patronizing the hotel for credit line reasons are not the desired target anymore. The chain should pay more attention to the middle-market segment, conventions, and sporting events such as youth tournaments and professional venues. In volume, the more people that move through the doors, the more money there is to be made. With this said, room rates must stay within the $100.00 a night rate with weekend promotions of Thursday through Sunday at a lower rate; perhaps 25% to 35% lower. This would be a novel concept, as the industry generally promotes lower room rates Monday through Thursday. The food and beverage structure should remain the same, as it has proven to be more than adequate and very popular. The increase in competition can be dealt with through better values in room rates, childrens activities, slot machines that pay off more frequently and the most important aspect of the business, service. Hilton could offer something that the other hotels do not: ensuring the employee responses to each customers needs are met with enthusiasm and expedience. People are paying for an experience along with the opportunity to break the house; give them what they are looking for. Word of mouth is far more powerful than any media advertisement. Hilton has entered the gaming industry. Gaming must focus on gambling and hotel must focus on hotel amenities and service. It would be the hotels responsibility to insure the entertainment, promotions and accommodations were settled; leaving the gaming operations to generate gaming interest. Advertising would be a joint effort, but casino operations would focus on the age 21 and older market. The two operations would report to the Chief Executive Officer and his staffs to ensure all objectives are met. It would be the CEO and staffs responsibility to ensure both lines were working hand-in-hand, while maintaining separate operations. The purpose for this suggestion is to keep revenues separate so one function does not bear the full brunt of any losses that may occur. The casino will always show a bigger profit than the hotel, but by having separate bottom lines, profit and losses are easier to control. The hotel/casino is one business, but must have two different mindsets as the casino and hotel does, and will operate much differently. Situational AnalysisThe U.S. based Hilton Hotels Corporation is a multi-billion dollar corporation and a leading brand in the hotel and gaming industry. Conrad Hilton started the company in 1919 with his first hotel purchase. Since then the company has grown to over 2,000 hotels globally, with several brand name acquisitions, including Ballys, Hampton Inn, Doubletree Suites and Homewood Inn. Besides standard hotel service, the Hilton Corporation runs casinos, vacation ownership businesses and luxury hotels, like the Conrad Line. The Hilton Hotels Corporation earned in excess  of $3.8 billion in fiscal year 2003 (Datamonitor, p. 4). External FactorsAccording to the Datamonitor report, the Marriott and Hyatt Corporations are the Hilton Hotel Corporations biggest competitors. Las Vegas is a gaming town, thus every hotel is expected to have gambling casinos within. The Las Vegas Hilton website shows that they also provide live entertainment, including comics and headline musical acts, as well as hosting a million-dollar Blackjack tournament. These factors, along with the attractive room packages and gambling activities, should be enough to maintain the occupancy rate and keep the gambling action constant. According to its website, the Las Vegas Marriott is a hotel with 278 rooms. The Hyatt franchise is located 17 miles away from the Las Vegas strip on Lake Las Vegas, but is a resort, casino and spa. While the Hyatt is a luxury hotel chain, the Marriott is a corporation more in line with Hilton. The Marriott made over $9 billion in fiscal year 2003; more than three times the Hilton Hotel Corporation (Marriott Datamonitor report). To contend with a company of this magnitude is not an easy job for any of their competitors. Hilton Hotels Corporation is an enormous company as mentioned above; so sizable that they had to split the corporation into six main divisions, totaling approximately 100,000 employees worldwide. Hilton Hotels Corporation has been very successful since they were established in 1946. Their diversification profile is significant and ambitious; no matter where you go, there are Hilton hotels there. In addition, Hilton Corporation has been leading in customer service and efficient staffing by utilizing a call center to help them maintain their reputation for hospitality. Hilton Reservations Worldwide handles reservations and information requests for thousands of hotel properties, under their various brands, positioning the company on the top of: †¢ Accurate intraday forecasts†¢ Reduced management costs†¢ Excellent customer service †¢ An edge over the competitionA companys strength does not solely lie in the size of the company but in the management of the company, the employees and their commitment to their customers. Hiltons management promoted brand relevancy within minority markets. Their sales team strategic initiatives are to target the multicultural market. In relation to their employees, Hiltons are some of the finest. They are trained to do their jobs with care and make sure the customers are comfortable and happy. The customer personal profile allows the Hilton employees to treat each customer as a unique and special individual. WeaknessEvery company has weaknesses; Hilton Hotels weakness lied in its inability to recover quickly from the attacks on America in 2001. Although Hilton Hotels is a large company in many locations across the country, they had to reduce their manpower due to the decline in business. Matthew J. Hart (president and CEO) said; we have had a lot of job losses about 2,500 full-time equivalent jobs out of a worldwide workforce of 100,000. But we have no plans for any more, unless business gets worse (Finch, 2001, p.1). The September 11th attacks left the whole nation in awe, in grief, and for many New Yorkers, jobless. The attacks left the airline and hotel industry to recover from lost sales. Another weakness the hotel industry is facing is the evident decline in supply. The below chart shows how the demand to occupy the Hilton hotels has been a declining behavior during the last years:A closer examination of the demand cycle for economy hotels during the past several years reveals a pattern that is not consistent with other hotels. The rate of demand growth in this segment began declining during mid-2000, about nine months before a similar effect was felt industry-wide. In addition, as the industrys demand recovery has begun to accelerate the rate of demand growth, the economy segment has plateaud. Of even more concern is that the number of rooms currently being purchased in this segment is still declining when compared to previous-years levels. (Look Smart Articles, 2004, p.1)OpportunitiesAs mentioned earlier, Hilton Hotels Corporation is known worldwide; with this notoriety their reputation will carry them to expand their hotel empire even further. Their opportunity lies in the growing international market. The company is expecting 4-5% fee growth in 2004 within; new management contracts in Austin, Houston, Omaha and Conrad Miami. The company market overview reveals that recent trends in major markets are:†¢ Strong in New York, D.C., Hawaii†¢ Stable in New Orleans, Boston†¢ Weak in San Francisco, ChicagoThere will always be a demand for hotels and resorts. Currently, Hilton Hotels are working on more room availability; 80% of rooms have been renovated within last five years, and they are expanding into new markets. They also have Best Rates. Guaranteed, Internet easy access with a success rate of utilization from the customers:†¢ 13% of all reservations†¢ 85% through proprietary websites†¢ Self-service kiosksThis kind of service assists in making the experience convenient for the customer. Along with the convenience, Hilton Corporation and their six divisions take pride in making every building fee l like home and ensuring the customer is satisfied and pleased with their accommodations (Hilton Hotels Corporation, 2003, s.3-5). ThreatsA few of the threats for The Hilton are competition, and a declining economy. The competition for The Hilton is not only other hotel companies, but restaurants and other service centers as well. Marriott is the main competitor of The Hilton amongst other hospitality companies. Because Hilton is so grand and reputable, they have more room for error, which also makes them vulnerable. As time passes, the Hilton Hotels continue to strive for excellence and perfection. They make each new hotel or resort better than the last. Because of the continuous growth of this company, it has dealt  with its competition head on (Nairn, 2001, p.3). The second threat is the economic decline of this century. Since the September 11th attacks in New York City, the American economy has been declining in all service industry areas. There was an ominous fear of flying and for quite some time, many people chose not to travel for vacations or long-distance business trips. This reaction to the events of 2001 hurt the hospitality industry, and made difficult rebuilding what they lost in revenue. Fortunately, this trend has started to change and the industry will soon recover from their losses. This is an area that still needs close monitoring from the executives of the corporation. References Datamonitor Hilton Hotels Company Overview August 2004. Datamonitor Marriott International Inc. Overview August 2004. Finch, J. (2001, November 16). Hilton reports impact of September 11. Retrieved October 26, 2004, http://www.union-network.org/unitourism.nsf/2c89b80c011f2519c1256b06002163c2?OpenDocumentHotels Hilton Hotels Corporation. (1998, Fall 1998). Corporate History. Retrieved October 26, 2004, Http://hiltonworldwide.hilton.com/en/ww/company-_info/corporate_history.jhtml;jsessionid=FGTDSXUCGXCGSCSGBIX222QKIYFCXUUCHilton Case Study. https://mycampus.phoenix.edu/secure/resource/resource.asp Retrieved October 23, 2004. Hilton Hotels Corporation (2003, July). Hilton: Great Brands and a Balanced Business Model (presentation). Retrieved October 26, 2004, http://media.corporate-ir.net/media_files/NYS/HLT/Hilton%20Presentation%20February%202004/tsld002.htmhttp://www.lakelasvegas.com/http://www.lv-hilton.com/http://www.vacationclub.com/en-us/vc/about/marriottworld/lasvegas.asp?cookies=trueLook Smart Articles (2004, January 14). Economy segment lags industry in key performance measures Trends Stats. Retrieved October 26, 2004,

Integrated Occupational Therapy Practice Case Study

Integrated Occupational Therapy Practice Case Study Introduction This report will focus on the occupational therapy (OT) process for Meera (Appendix A), a 56-year-old woman with a left cerebral vascular accident (CVA). Stroke is the death of brain cells due to the lack of oxygen (Bartels et al. 2016).It can either present as haemorrhagic or ischaemic in nature. Risk factors of CVA include hypertension and hypercholesterolemia which Meera has. Stroke may lead to neurological, psychological, speech and musculoskeletal complications. Meeras symptoms of right hemiplegia, right sided neglect and speech difficulties can be attributed to the occlusion of her left middle cerebral artery (Mtui et al. 2016). A multidisciplinary inpatient stroke rehabilitation unit was involved with Meeras post-stroke rehabilitation. Stroke patients who underwent treatment inpatient stroke care were found to have improved independence (Stroke Unit Trialists Collaboration 2013). Treatment was aimed at managing vital problems through restorative and compensatory approaches in order to prepare her for discharge (Edmans 2010). Thus, this service was most appropriate for Meera due to her recent onset of stroke. The OT process was guided by recommendations from the College of Occupational Therapist, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)(2013) and Intercollegiate Stroke Working Party (ISWP)(2016)(Edmans 2010). Assessments and Problems Identified An initial assessment was gathered through an interview using the Kawa Model. It portrays a persons life as a river and various objects such as rocks, river banks and driftwood depict circumstances experienced by a person (Teoh and Iwama 2015). Younger stroke patients such as Meera may require services which cater particularly to their needs which most stroke units were found not to do so (ISWP 2016). As Kawa focuses on the view of the client, it allows the therapist to know what is important to Meera in order to formulate priorities for intervention. The assessment is shown below: Life flow and priorities (river) Past Medical History: Hypertension Hypercholesterolemia Roles and Occupations: Independent in self-care Proud Stay at home mother Took charge of matters at home such as: Cleaning Shopping Gardening Laundry Enjoys cooking for family Present Medical History: Stroke Roles and Occupations: Patient Needs assistance in most self-care tasks Loss of previous role and not engaging in occupations meaningful to her Future Meera felt afraid and pointless to talk about the future, worrying that she may have another stroke if she engaged in activity. Obstacle and Challenges (rocks) Occupational performance challenges: Right hemiplegia with increased spasticity in right arm and leg, causing difficulty in: Sitting Coordination of movement Tasks that require her hands due to being right handed Unable to feel sensations on right hand Feels she cannot remember things as easily and may not know the time and place she is at Right sided neglect with visual agnosia, resulting in difficulty : washing right side awareness of people approaching from affected side interacting with others Expressive dysphagia hinders communication with others. Feeling low mostly Feels useless Embarrassed that people are taking care of her Fatigues easily Concerns Family unable to function as she is unable to manage the household A burden to family, especially her husband who needs to manage the household together with the pressure at work now that she is in hospital Childrens studies and social life may be affected as they may be concerned about Meera and visiting her in hospital may affect their daily life Physical and Social Environment (river banks) Physical (Home) 3 room semi-detached Bathroom, toilet and bedroom on the upper storey Kitchen, combined living and dining room on ground floor Nearest bus stop and convenience store 10 minutes walk away Social Close knit family Meera usually supports family members as they will confide her during difficulties Looks forward to dinner every day where family will gather together Family is most vital source of support for Meera Frequent interaction with neighbours and will help each other with chores if needed Occasionally communicates with extended family overseas on phone Personal resources (driftwood) Personality Hardworking Afraid of trying new things Kind and caring Responsible With information from the initial assessment, the problem list was formulated in a client-centred manner (ISWP 2016). Stroke survivors felt more engaged in the therapeutic process when their perspectives were taken into account (Peoples et al. 2011). Interventions were based on Meeras perceived problems in order to increase her motivation in therapy which she lacked. However the Kawa model only shows the problems perceived by Meera but not the therapists views. In order to gather a clinical and therapeutic point of view, standardized assessments were conducted as well. The table below depicts the various assessment conducted, reasons for use, limitations and results. Assessment Reasons for use and limitations Results Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (AMPS) (Fisher and Jones 2010) AMPS evaluates motor and processing skills of clients through observation of appropriate tasks (Fisher and Jones 2010). Self-care, specifically showering, dressing and cooking tasks which was important to Meera, were used to assess. This allowed the OT to break the tasks down and acknowledge the challenges Meera faced in order to formulate an appropriate intervention. AMPS was found to be valid, reliable and standardized among cultures but results has to be computer generated in order to be valid which may make the process tedious (Fisher and Jones 2010). Less than 1 for both motor (Moderate increase in physical effort) and process (Moderate inefficiency and disorganization) skills. Loewenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment (LOTCA) (Itzkovich et al. 2000) LOTCA evaluates the orientation, visual and spatial perception, visual-motor organization and thinking operations through the use of various activities included in the kit (Itzkovich et al. 2000). This allowed the OT to assess Meeras right sided neglect and to discover any underlying cognitive deficits. The LOTCA is reliable and valid for use in people with stroke but needed to be conducted in more than one sitting as assessments were long and tedious for Meera who experience fatigue (Katz et al. 2000). Meera was able to sequence tasks but was unable to complete tasks involving her right field of vision. She needed prompts to complete orientation tasks. Activities involving memory were also a challenge for her. Rivermead Motor Assessment (RMA) (Lincoln and Leadbitter 1979) The RMA consists of tests evaluating the gross, leg, trunk and arm function of a stroke patient (Lincoln and Leadbitter 1979). This was conducted together with the physiotherapist. The RMA allowed the team to know which movements Meera had difficulties in order to formulate appropriate interventions. This assessment was found to be reliable and valid but due to being strenuous and long, it had to be conducted in a few sessions due to Meera showing signs of fatigue (Kurtais 2009) Meera was not independent in transfers and mobility, she required assistance of one for transfers and used a wheelchair for mobility. She also had minimum trunk and leg control at her affected side and require assistance for movement. However, she is able to hold objects using her affected arm but cannot reach for an object far away due to scapular instability. Â  From these assessments, 3 problems Meera faced, in order of significance was developed: 1. Loss of independence in self-care affected Meera the most. From the assessments conducted, it was found that challenges in motor, cognition and perception affected her performance in self-care. Managing self-care would focus on these domains as well (NICE 2013). It was hoped that Meera would be more engaged in therapy by focusing on an issue she perceived as critical. This was evidenced by a study where patients were more motivated and engaged more in interventions when treatment was catered to their perceived needs (Combs et al. 2010). This would also help Meera to elevate her mood as low involvement in self-care was found to be a factor for post-stroke depression (Jiang et al. 2014). The psychologist in the team would be managing Meeras low mood as well (ISWP 2016). By working with Meera on her self-care would also remove some burden from Sanjay, who was assumed to be her main carer when she is discharged from hospital. 2. Problems with visual perception, specifically right side neglect and agnosia, were targeted as it was found to have an influence on self-care (Barker-Collo et. al 2010). This would help Meera in performing self-care tasks. Her visual deficits also affected her social life and transfers. Managing her perceptual problems would allow her to interact more with other patients in the ward which could provide her with social support. 3. Meeras motor challenges, specifically right side weakness and spasticity were addressed as it was one of the major challenges faced during self-care. It was hoped that through the management of motor deficits, Meera would increase her engagement in occupations. This would also have a positive effect for Meera in future as it was shown that physical function affected quality of life in stroke patients (Ellis et al. 2013). Motor challenges faced by Meera would be managed in conjunction with the physiotherapist (ISWP 2016). Skills in managing motor challenges can also be transferred to other aspects such as cooking and reinstating her role as a homemaker. Treatment Plan Client Aims: Meera wants to be more engaged in her personal care. Therapist Aims: To increase Meeras engagement in her self-care tasks. To manage Meeras right sided neglect and agnosia. To manage Meeras weakness and spasticity in her right arm, leg and trunk. Objectives: Meera should be able take charge of her own shower and dressing every morning for an hour, with assistance of one, in 4 weeks. Meera should be able to independently identify items required on her right field of vision for washing and dressing every morning in 4 weeks. Meera should be able to go from lying to sitting, and pivot transfer from bed to wheelchair as well as from wheelchair to shower chair, every morning with assistance of one in 4 weeks. Intervention Washing and dressing assessment was conducted through the use of AMPS. This allowed the OT to formulate an appropriate wash and dress plan for multi-disciplinary use through identified difficulties in motor and processing skills (Fisher and Jones 2010). Using a meaningful occupation as a basis for intervention was beneficial for Meera. This can be supported by a study where occupation based intervention was shown to be critical in improving occupational performance (Wolf et al. 2015). The intensity of the intervention would be higher than the recommended minimum frequency of 45 minutes, 5 days a week as it was included in Meeras daily routine (NICE 2013). The washing and dressing plan was adapted from Salisbury District Hospitals (2013) assessment form. The OT conducted the first session in order to teach Meera the relevant compensatory and visual scanning skills. Other sessions could be conducted by other staff with guidance from the plan. A further review after every few days would also be required in accordance to recommendations (ISWP 2016). Washing and dressing plan for Meera Transfers Bed Mobility: Meera is able to roll to her right side independently. She requires assistance from lying to sitting. Bed to wheelchair: Require assistance of one for pivot transfer Standing: Require assistance of one and grab rail in the bathroom Wheelchair to shower chair: Require assistance of one for pivot transfer Allow Meera to navigate to bathroom Washing Notes: Require the use of a shower chair in the shower Allow Meera to initiate and sequence task independently Only give Meera assistance when she asks for it Place items necessary for shower on Meeras right side If Meera seems to be searching for something, prompt her to look for it by turning her head Encourage use of right hand to wash herself Meera may require assistance to release her grip on objects Provide assistance if Meera feel fatigue Upper body: Meera is able to wash her right side independently Meera require assistance to wash above her elbows on her left side Assistance may be needed to wash hair and back thoroughly Lower Body: Meera should be able to wash her genitals and front upper thighs independently Assist Meera in standing with the grab rail with one person supporting at all times Another person will assist Meera in cleaning her bottom and her rear upper thigh Encourage Meera to wash her lower thighs but prevent her from falling from the shower chair Assist in cleaning the rest of the lower thighs Dressing Upper Body: Encourage Meera to put on the bra independently using the one arm method. Allow Meera to use the one hand method to wear her t-shirt. Prompt her by reminding her of the steps if she is struggling Lower Body: Meera requires assistance to put on her trousers while assisted in standing. Both the restorative and adaptive approach was used to guide the intervention. Restorative approach is grounded upon neuroplasticity where relearning takes place when new neural connections form in the brain during constant exposure to various stimulus (Gillen 2016). By practising various movements of her affected side during self-care, Meera should have a reduction in her impairments. This is supported by a study where patients who went through functional motor relearning therapy were found to have improved balance and performance in self-care (Chan et al. 2006). The compensatory approach is where tasks are modified to be easier for the clients to achieve (Edmans 2010). Even though this approach has been criticized for hindering motor recovery in people with stroke, it is still appropriate for Meera (Jones 2017). The compensatory method of using the one hand dressing method served as a feedback mechanism which could improve motivation as supported by Popovic et al. (2014). This would thus encourage Meera to engage in therapy. Risk Management Plan Meera might be fatigue and may not be able to do some of the tasks required. The staff in charge will assist when required and allow Meera to rest when needed. Due to the intimate nature of a wash and dress, Meera might feel embarrassed and down during the process. In order to preserve her dignity, sensitive areas would be covered whenever necessary and observation would be subtle. Environmental hazards would be checked before commencing any transfers or wash and dress in order to prevent falls. Relapse prevention In the hospital setting, encouragement for frequent engagement in occupation and usage of relevant motor and cognitive skills would prevent Meeras occupational performance from deteriorating (Brainin et al. 2015; Ullberg et al. 2015). According to NICE (2013), long-term health and social support should include education on symptoms and dysfunction relating to stroke, services available and participation in meaningful occupation. As such, Meera and her family would be briefed on these strategies. Outcome Measures Evaluation of treatment outcomes is important to conclude if the intervention was successful and used to change the treatment plan according (Mew and Ivey 2010). The outcomes were evaluated by using goals and comparing standardized assessment at baseline and outcome. Firstly, intervention was evaluated through the achievement of goals. Goal achievement was linked to client satisfaction and a significant client-centred outcome (Custer et al. 2013). Meera was able to achieve the objectives as expected. Secondly, the AMPS was conducted again, using the task of showering and dressing (Fisher and Jones 2010). Meera scored higher in these tasks but still required some assistance in achieving them. Thirdly, Meera improved on the LOTCA tasks which involved visual scanning, little to no improvement was seen on the orientation and memory tasks (Itzkovich et al. 2000). Lastly, the RMA was conducted again (Lincoln and Leadbitter 1979). Meera improved in the trunk, leg and upper limb function but there were still signs of weakness and instability involved. Further plans Other domains of concern would be managed as according to initial assessment and outcome measures. Further interventions would include management of cognitive function such as memory and orientation through cooking. Including Meera in a social group such as breakfast club in the ward would be beneficial to her as well (Venna et al. 2014). To prepare for discharge, Meera would be referred to the Early Supported Discharge team. The team would help Meera and her family by introducing appropriate adaptations at home and relevant education on stroke (ISWP 2016). A smooth transition from hospital to home was found to improve patients function in activities of daily living and service satisfaction (Fearon et al. 2012). This would thus be beneficial for both Meera and her family. References Bartels MN, Duffy CA and Beland HE (2016) Pathophysiology, Medical Management, and Acute Rehabilitation of Stroke Survivors IN: Gillen G (ed) Stroke Rehabilitation: A Function-Based Approach (4th Edition). Missouri: Elsevier 2-45 Brainin M, Tuomilehto J, Heiss WD, Bornstein NM, Bath PMW, Teuschi Y, Richard E, Guekht A and Quinn T (2015) Post-stroke cognitive decline: an update and perspectives for clinical research. European Journal of Neurology 22(2):299-e16 Chan DYL, Chan CCH and Au DKS (2006) Motor relearning programme for stroke patients: A randomized controlled trial. Clinical Rehabilitation 30(3):191-200 Combs SA, Kelly SP, Barton R, Ivaska M and Nowak K (2010) Effects of an intensive, task-specific rehabilitation program for individuals with chronic stroke: A case series. Disability and Rehabilitation 32(8):669-678 Custer MG, Huebner RA, Freudenberger L, Nichols LR (2013) Client-chosen goals in occupational therapy: Strategy and instrument pilot. Occupational Therapy in Health Care 27(1):58-70 Edmans J (ed) (2010) Occupational Therapy and Stroke (2nd Edition). Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell Ellis C, Grubaugh AL and Egede LE (2013) Factors associated with SF-12 physical and mental health quality of life scores in adults with stroke. Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases 22(4):309-317 Fearon P, Langhorne P and Early Supported Discharge Trailists (2012) Services for reducing duration of hospital care for acute stroke patients. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 7: CD000443 Fisher AG and Jones KB (2010) Assessment of Motor and Process Skills Vol. 1: Development, Standardization and Administration Manual (7th Edition). Fort Collins: Three Star Press Gillen G (2016) Stroke Rehabilitation: A Functional-Based Approach (4th Edition). Missouri: Elsevier Intercollegiate Stroke Working Party (2016) National Clinical Guideline for Stroke. Royal College of Physicians. Available from: https://www.strokeaudit.org/SupportFiles/Documents/Guidelines/2016-National-Clinical-Guideline-for-Stroke-5t-(1).aspx [Accessed 28 March 2016] Itzkovich M, Averbuch S, Elazar B and Katz N (2000) Loewenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment (LOTCA) Battery (2nd Edition). New Jersey: Maddak Inc. Jiang XG, Lin Y and Li YS (2014) Correlative study on risk factor of depression among acute stroke patients. European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences 18(9):1315-1323 Jones TA (2017) Motor compensation and its effects on neural reorganization after stroke. Nature Reviews Neuroscience doi:10.1038. Available from: https://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/vaop/ncurrent/pdf/nrn.2017.26.pdf [Accessed 28 March 2017] Katz N, Hartman-Maeir A, Ring H and Soroker N (2000) Relationships of cognitive performance and daily function of clients following right hemisphere stroke: Predictive and ecological validity of the LOTCA battery. Occupation, Participation and Health 20(1):3-17 Kurtais Y, Kucukdeveci A, Elhan A, Yilmaz A, Kalli T, Tur BS and Tennant A (2009) Psychometric properties of the Rivermead Motor Assessment: Its utility in stroke. Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine 41(13):1055-1061 Lincoln N and Leadbitter D (1979) Assessment of motor function in stroke patients. Physiotherapy 65(2): 48-51 Mew M and Ivey J (2010) The Occupational Therapy Process IN: Edmans J (ed) Occupational Therapy and Stroke (2nd Edition). Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell 49-63 Mtui M, Gruener G and Docker P (2016) Fitzgeralds Clinical Neuroanatomy and Neuroscience (7th Edition). Philadelphia: Elsevier National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2013) Stroke Rehabilitation in Adults. Available from: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg162/resources/stroke-rehabilitation-in-adults-35109688408261 [Accessed 28 March 2016] Peoples H, Satink T and Steultjens (2011) Stroke surviors experiences of rehabilitation: A systematic review of qualitative studies. Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy 18(3):163-171 Popovic MD, Kostic MD, Rodic SZ and Konstantinovic LM (2014) Feedback-mediated upper extremities exercise: Increasing patient motivation in poststroke rehabilitation. BioMed Research International 2014(2014): Article ID 520374. Available from: https://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/2014/520374/ [Accessed 28 March 2017] Salisbury District Hospital (2013) Occupational Therapy Washing and Dressing Assessment. Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust. Available from: http://www.icid.salisbury.nhs.uk/ClinicalManagement/RecordsAndForms/Documents/12e3053a7be542cabff277c26634947aAcuteOTWashDressAssv1007091.doc [Accessed 28 March 2017] Stroke Unit Trialists Collaboration (2013). Organised inpatient (stroke unit) care for stroke. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 9:CD000197 Toeh JY and Iwama MK (2015) The Kawa Model Made Easy: A Guide to Applying the Kawa Model in Occupational Therapy Practice (2nd Edition). Available from: http://www.kawamodel.com/download/KawaMadeEasy2015.pdf [Accessed 28 March 2017] Ullberg T, Zia E, Petersson J and Norrving B (2015) Changes in functional outcome over the first year after stroke: An observational study from the Swedish Stroke Register. Stroke 46(2):389-394 Venna VR, Xu Y, Doran SJ, Patrizz A and McCullough LD (2014) Social interaction plays a critical role in neurogenesis and recovery after stroke. Translational Psychiatry 4(1):e351 Appendix A Meera CVA Meera is a 56-year-old woman who was recently admitted with a left Cerebral Vascular Accident affecting the middle cerebral artery. She has a history of hypertension and hypercholesterolemia. She was admitted via A E after being found by her husband. Her husband reports that she felt unwell and made her way upstairs to have a lie down. He went out to walk the dog and on his return found her on the floor in the bathroom. Meera presents with a right hemiplegia with increased spasticity in her right arm and leg. As a result, she has difficult with sitting balance and co-ordinating her movements in order to engage in activities such as washing and dressing. Meera also presents with right sided neglect, which results in her failing to identify objects on her right side, difficulty washing her right side and responding to others who approach her from her right. She has difficulty in articulating in a meaningful way to get her needs met and is very tearful. The Occupational Therapist under took an initial assessment with Meera, the report is detailed below. Initial assessment summary Meera appears low in mood and is reluctant to talk about the future. She is worried that she may have another stroke and consequently is reluctant to engage in activity. Meera is embarrassed that she needs help in personal activities of daily living and is reluctant to talk about activities that she finds difficult. Family Meera is married to Sanjay, a 58-year-old man who works as a plumber. They have two children, Anni aged 18 years who has just completed her A levels and will be attending a local university in one months time, and Sam aged 17 who is at secondary school. Social situation The family live in a privately owned three bedroomed semi-detached property in a small town. Sanjay describes Meera as a stay at home mum who prides herself on her family and her cookery skills. Posture Meera has a right- sided hemiplegia; her scapular is unstable and she finds it difficult to flex her arm above 90 degrees. Elbow extension is uncontrolled and there is stiffness in her forearm making supination difficult. She is able to grasp objects but finds release very difficult. Sensory assessment Meera has poor deep and light sensation in her right hand, which has a profound effect on a range of performance areas. Cognition and perception Meera has a right sided neglect which interfers with washing and dressing, and transfers. She also has difficulty socialising with other patients on the ward due to to this. Meera has some cognitive impairment which presents as poor memory and disorientation. These features are more prominent at the end of the day when Meera is tired. Mobility Meera currently uses a wheelchair but can manage a controlled transfer with one person assisting.

Literature Review: Wireless Sensor Networks

Literature Review: Wireless Sensor Networks CHAPTER 2 To complete this project, a lot of literature reviews have been done. These include many case studies from past to recent research and general understanding towards the theory behind each technology. Articles, journals, books, previous projects and internet have served as sources of literature reviews. Some major case studies are described below. 2.1.1 Case study 1 Case study towards paper Integration of RFID into Wireless Sensor Networks: Architectures, Opportunities and Challenging Problems (2006) [1] In this paper, Lei Zhang and Zhi Wang propose three different forms of network architecture based on integration of RFID and wireless sensor network, The three architecture are Heterogeneous network, Distributed reduced functional sensor reader network, and Mini node network. Heterogeneous network architecture uses 802.11b/Wi-Fi technology as its platform. In Physical layer, 802.11b/Wi-Fi uses the unlicensed 2.4 GHZ band and Discrete Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) technique. Its maximum data rate can reach to 11 Mbps. In MAC sub-layer, 802.11b/Wi-Fi uses Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance (CSMA/CA) scheme, which will improve the efficiency of network. This architecture is good for real-time operation but limited range. Distributed reduced functional sensor reader network architecture uses ZigBee protocol as its platform. The reasons are ZigBee uses lower power consumption in physical layer and MAC layer, more reliable and low cost. This architecture is good for wide range but no real-time requirement. The last architecture which is the Mini node network architecture uses IEEE 802.15.4/ZigBee standard protocol as its platform since there is little data flow and reduced cost. The mini node is actually the Mica nodes which allow communication between each mini node. This architecture is specially fit for industrial security and remote condition-based maintenance system, Figure 2.1 below describe remote condition-based maintenance systems based on the application of Mini node network architecture. By using this architecture, the reader from the forklift will sense signal from each mini node and will move toward the signalled mini node to perform tasks like move rotating parts of a machine automatically. Figure 2.1: Fork lift operation dispatching in a factory [1] Case study 2 Case study on paper Smart Home Mobile RFID-based Internet-Of-Things Systems and Service (2008) [2] Mohsen Darianian, Martin Peter Michael introduce a RFID reader system architecture for a home comprised of several readers in master slave architecture. The communication protocol between the readers and tags is based on RFID standard protocols like UHF. As shown in Figure2.2 below, the system consists of following reader components: Master Reader (MR), a number of Slave Readers (SR), and Mobile RFID (MRFID) Reader The Master reader is a conventional powerful fixed reader with a direct fixed or wireless connection to the smart home server. It starts the read process of slave readers and power up passive tags for reading process. In addition, this master reader also acts as the so-called RF Energy Generator for mobile RFID reader so that the mobile RFID reader can have lower consumption of power. The Slave reader acts as middleware for capturing tag ID information tags which are not accessible by the direct radio transmission of the master reader. Slave readers will be integrated in the home appliances. Since location of the slave readers is known by the system, it is good for localization of tags As for the Mobile RFID reader, in this paper, it has been improved so that it does not consume a lot of energy. The mobile RFID reader will use the proposed architecture so-called RF Energy Generator to be powered up by master reader or slave reader. Thus, these mobile readers will act like passive readers. In this paper, Mohsen Darianian, and Martin Peter Michael have apply the proposed system architecture as described above to create a smart home which apply wireless concepts along with RFID technologies for creating services almost everywhere in a house. It applications include control electrical appliances, home tele-monitoring, and give intelligent suggestions inside the house automatically and wirelessly. Figure 2.2: Smart Home using RFID and WSN [2] Case study 3 Case study on Paper Bus Management System Using RFID in WSN by Ben Ammar Hatem and Hamam Habib (2009) [3] In this paper, intelligent bus tracking application applying integration of RFID and wireless sensor network technology to monitor whether the bus will be arriving on time, early or late inside the bus station is introduced. The design approach is proposed. As shown in Figure 2.3, first, each bus will has its own UHF tag. Next, Entrance and exit doors will be equipped with an RFID reader, antennas and motion sensors. When a bus enters or exits the station, the RFID reader will send its identification to the central computer where the event is displayed on a Map. Finally, a software application on the control station keeps track of the entrance and the exit of buses and updates the displays related to those buses with useful information. The communication will be wireless using ZigBee protocol. To execute this proposed architecture, they choose to use Ultra High Frequency generation 2 (UHF Gen2) RFID which operates between 860MHz to 960MHz bandwidth. UHF is better suited for reading tag attached to buses. It uses backscatter technique to communicate with the tag and provides higher read range compared to HF and LF technology. As for the antenna, they used Alien circular antenna to read RFID tags to improve orientation of reading. Two antennas are used in each gate, to communicate with tags. One is used for the emission of energy to the tag and the other receives energy back from the tag. The display is using the LCD and LED technologies. By completing this proposed system, it is hope to provide a smart solution for managing the bus schedule in the bus stations and offering helpful information to passengers. Problems like under employment of buses fleet and long waiting time at the bus station can be minimised. Case study 4 Case study on paper Intelligent Traffic Management System Base on WSN and RFID by Lejiang Guo, Wei Fang, Guoshi Wang and Longsheng Zheng (2010) [4] This paper introduces Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) base on RFID and WSN, and discusses the hardware and software design principles of the system. Figure 2.4 shows the ITS system architecture. It consists of Access and Terminal Layer, Application Processing Layer, and Data storage and access management. The Access and Terminal layer mainly completes information exchange between each subsystem of ITS. Application Processing Layer will be responsible for processing the information. And lastly the Data storage and access management will be the data management system for the ITS system. As for the composition of the system, RFID tags and sensor nodes are used to keep stored in the monitoring area. RFID reader is used for the base station. At the same time, the sensor nodes send the data after its transfer to the local PC or remote network. RFID can be used for dereliction of duty as an intelligent base station device for RFID and data WSN systems Integration. In the network, the system consists of five types of facilities which are Base Station, Sensor nodes, RFID Tags, Device reader and Center Data Platform. Zigbee protocol is implemented in this system architecture. Figure 2.5 show how the sensor nodes are deployed and communicate to each other. As for the data communication middleware, advanced web Service architecture is implemented. The reason is web service is the most advanced platform for distributed applications, by which it not only can achieve basic distributed application, but also improve fault tolerance. Messaging middleware is using XML format for the transmission of information. Geographic Information System (GIS) is also combined in the system. GIS is based on one of the technologies supported by Public Security Traffic Management GIS platform. GIS is used to process all information associated with visual processing, to provide simple and direct for visualization information interface. By utilizing the application of ITS based on combination of RFID and WSN. The real-time traffic management system can provides the basis for efficient data monitoring. Second, the system uses the heterogeneous adaptive network architecture for road monitoring will provide a more flexible way, efficient, reliable system communication architecture for traffics management system Case study 5 Case study on paper Innovative Application of RFID Systems to Special Education Schools by Shu-Hui Yang and Pao-Ann Hsiung (2010) [5] In this paper, the uses of RFID system innovatively broaden. Application of innovative Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) systems has been incorporated to special education school campus to improve the teaching and learning and control process in special education schools. For the Implementation Platform and Architecture, the main RFID campus system was implemented using the YesTurnkey technology, which includes four parts, namely front-end RFID middleware server, front-end RFID application server, backend database server, and backend RFID application server. Front-end RFID Middleware Server consists of YesTurnkey Asset Tracking Manager which is a manager of all network resources that includes the set of active RFID readers installed on campus and RFID Processor DLL that processes RFID data. Front-end RFID Application Server is a server which used by the Type 1 (Direct-Connected) RFID scenario windows applications. Backend Database Server implemented the Microsoft SQL Server. And finally, Backend RFID Application Server: which manages the execution of two kinds of applications which are YesTurnkey WiNOC (Wired/Wireless Network Operations Center) Web Application and Type 2 (LAN-Based) RFID Scenario Web Application. However, five of the innovative works are focused, including student temperature monitoring (STM), body weight monitoring (BWM), garbage disposal monitoring (GDM), mopping course recording (MCR), and campus visitor monitoring (CVM) by applying the RFID system technology. Basic operation for mopping course recording (MCR) system will be described below. (Swab with the reader is moving across tag) As shown in Figure 2.6, first, they patch up of a mobile pedestal, an artificial plastic floor with embedded passive RFID tags, and a real mop equipped with a Bluetooth passive RFID reader. The mobile pedestal carried a laptop for displaying the real time status of how a student is performing the cleaning job and a projector connected to the laptop, which could project a black, dark grey, light grey or white image on the artificial floor, which represented dirty, little clean, quite clean, and clean. By using this MCR, teacher can monitor these special education students so that the students will learn to complete their task better. As can be seen, by using this RFID technology, outcomes shown above have truly give benefits not only to teacher but also the student. Research is still ongoing to include RFID technologies in teaching method and materials. Summary of the case studies Theories behind this project This section explains general theory on the technologies involve in this project. The theory and technology involve include Wireless Sensor Network (WSN), Radio-frequency identification (RFID), Integration of WSN and RFID and Visual Basic Programming (VB). 2.2.1 Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) A Wireless Sensor Network is a self-configuring network of small sensor nodes communicating among themselves using radio signals, and deployed in quantity to sense, monitor and understand the physical world such as temperature, pressure, humidity and more. Figure 2.7: WSN Sensor Node 2.2.1.1 Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) Topology Wireless sensor network topology show how each sensor node inside a wireless network are connected. Some of the WSN topologies are like star, mesh and cluster/tree. They are shown Figure 2.8 below. Basic WSN topology is the star topology in which each node maintains a single, direct communication path with the gateway. To increase wireless coverage, cluster/tree topology can be used although it increases complexity. Finally, although network latency may be experienced, mesh topology is especially good in increase network reliability. [6] Figure 2.8: WSN network topologies 2.2.1.2 Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) components A wireless sensor network may consist of the following components: power supply, microcontroller, wireless communication, sensor, local storage, and real time clock systems. Some components may be optional and are depend on the function purpose. The main idea is that the sensors are connected to a tiny computer that coordinates the measurement, pre-processes, stores and delivers the information. Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) characteristics This section describes the behavior or the uniqueness of wireless sensor network. Some of them are: harvest or store limited power, Able to withstand harsh environmental conditions, able to adapt with node breakdown, nodes mobility, dynamic network topology, heterogeneity of nodes, large scale of deployment, unattended operation, and lastly, node capacity is scalable and only limited by bandwidth of gateway node. Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) protocols There are a lot of wireless sensor network protocols in market nowadays. Some of the well- known WSN protocols are Bluetooth, WiFiZone, IEEE and ZigBee. Choosing the wrong protocol may cause severe inefficiency and prevent the WSN to accomplish user need. The protocol will affect energy dissipation, system cost, Latency and Security. Thus, it is very important to choose the best protocol for a system as it strongly impact on system performance. Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) platform Wireless sensor network platform basically include the hardware design, modular design, smart sensor interface, software design, and operating system. The hardware designs include super node, simple node and gateway. All these design have to follow several standardized specification developed by IEEE, Internet Engineering Task Force, and International Society of Automation. Modular design has to be flexible and expandable for various applications. Smart sensor interface has to equipped with plug and play modules. Important topics to be considered in software design include security, mobility and middleware which allow communication between software and hardware. And finally, operating system has to be compatible with TinyOS as TinyOS allows easy establishment to wireless sensor network. Radio-frequency identification (RFID) RFID is a means of identifying a person or object using radio frequency transmission. Mainly, RFID consists of three parts which are reader, tag and also host computer. There are also various types of reader and tags depend on their uses. Figure below show basic operation of a RFID system. First, to read data for tag, tag is move and enter RF field of reader through antenna. Then, RF signal from antenna will power the tag to allow the tag to transmit its ID and data back. Reader will then capture the data and send them to the computer for displaying. To write data to the tags, we just write the data into the computer, and the reader will take the data from the computer and transmits them into the tag via the antenna. Figure 2.9: Basic Operations of RFID 2.2.2.1 RFID reader RFID reader is also called as RFID interrogator and it is used to read/write data from/to tags. It can operate on single or multiple frequencies, and perform anti-collision processing. There is also a hybrid RFID reader which can read bar code. There are mainly three types of RFID reader which are fixed, hand-held and mobile reader. Each reader has their own uniqueness. RFID reader consists of components like receiver, transmitter, oscillator, controller/processor and input/output port. The receiver holds an amplifier and a demodulator. Transmitter has a modulator and power amplifier. Oscillator is used to provide carrier signal to modulator and a reference signal to demodulator circuits. Then, the controller/processor will perform data processing and communicates with external network. And lastly, input/output port is connected to the antenna. 2.2.2.2 RFID tag RFID tag consists of RFID chip, antenna and power source. RFID chip consists of modulation circuitry, control circuitry, processor and memory. Modulation circuitry can change the signal from reader to include data to be transmitted back to the reader. Control circuitry control internal function under the command of processor. Processor interpret signal from reader and control memory storage with retrieval. And memory serves as writable and non-writable data storage. Antenna is only used by Ultra high frequency and Microwave frequency tags. Low frequency and High frequency tags will use induction coils. As for power sources, the tags can be divided into three types which are active tags, semi-passive tags and passive tags. Active tags have internal power source. Passive tags draw power from reader. And Semi-passive tags are battery-assisted but communicated by drawing power from reader. Integration of WSN and RFID Wireless sensor network (WSN) is used to sense and monitor various parameters in the environment while RFID is used to detect presence, location and identification of objects. By integrating these two technologies, they will provide a significant improvement on monitoring application. The basic idea of integration of WSN with RFID is to connect the RFID reader to an RF transceiver, which has routing function and can forward information to and from other readers wirelessly. RFID will act as a sensor in the WSN. With combination of RFID and WSN, monitoring and tracking application can be done not only outdoor but indoor also (with obstacle). The coverage can also be improved depends on the specification of WSN platform used. Visual Basic Programming (VB) Visual Basic is a programming language and environment developed by Microsoft which is based on the BASIC language. Visual Basic is commonly used to develop graphical user interface. Visual Basic was one of the first products to provide a graphical programming environment for developing user interfaces. Since it uses graphical programming environment, we can be sure to increase the efficiency in design the graphical user interface.

Lack of Reason in Shakespeares Othello Essay -- GCSE Coursework Shake

Lack of Reason in Shakespeare's Othello William Shakespeare presents the character Othello as an excellent leader in the play, Othello. The hero has strength, charisma, and eloquence. Yet Othello cannot reason. The battlefield and Senate are, at least in Othello, depicted as places of honor, where men speak truly. In addition, the matters of war and state are relatively simple; no one lies to Othello, all seem to respect him. He never even has to fight in the play, with the enemy disappearing by themselves. This simplistic view does not help him in matters of the heart. His marriage is based on tall tales and pity and his friendships are never examined; he thinks that anyone who knows him love him. Thus the ultimate evaluation of Othello must be that, although he leads well and means well, he lacks good judgment and common sense. This becomes most plainly obvious in his final two speeches, where even though the play ends properly, and in a dignified way, Othello never fully realizes or takes responsibility for what has hap pened. These two last orations of Othello are noble in speech and purpose, but lack comprehension. He uses the first to attack himself for his horrible deed; certainly this is the first reaction of anyone who has wrongly killed his beloved. He delivers condemnation upon himself with eloquence and anguish. The latter speech he gives in his final role as a leader, directing the men who remain about how to deal with what has happened and showing them he has purged the evil. In his initial self-loathing and remorse at realizing the truth of Desdemona's innocence, Othello is genuinely anguished. "This look of thine will hurl my soul from heaven, / And fiends will snatch at it." (V.2.325-326) It is clear t... ...this, Othello dies not as a tragic hero, but as someone destroyed by circumstance and evil. But the superficiality of his marriage and the fact that if he had only been honest to his wife and lieutenant he would have found out the truth point in another direction. Othello could lead, but he could not reason. Works Cited and Consulted Armstrong, Edward Allworthy. 1946. Shakespeare's imagination; a study of the psychology of association and inspiration. London: L. Drummond. Gardner, Helen. â€Å"The Noble Moor.† Othello Critical Essays. Ed. Susan Snyder. New York and London: Garland Publishing, Inc., 1988 Shakespeare, William. "The Tragedy of Othello: The Moor of Venice." The Signet Classic Shakespeare. Ed. Alvin Kernan. New York: Penguin Putnam, 1998. Wilson, H. S. On the Design of Shakespearean Tragedy. Canada: University of Toronto Press, 1957.

In a Modest Proposal, by Jonathan Swift, the main objective was to draw :: English Literature

In a Modest Proposal, by Jonathan Swift, the main objective was to draw attention to the plight of the Irish people and motiva In a Modest Proposal, by Jonathan Swift, the main objective was to draw attention to the downfall of the Irish people and motivate readers to find a workable solution. Unlike most essays, this is written for the reader to see through what the narrator is expressing. Swift shows the readers his proposal mainly through irony. Irony can be defined as expressing the opposite of what is meant. This is a great technique of the sense of humor and sarcasm used in the proposal and in Swift. One of the voices that are present throughout the story is that of irony. The story itself is ironic since no one can take Swift’s proposal seriously. This irony is clearly demonstrated at the end of the story; Swift makes it clear that this proposal would not affect him since his children were grown and his wife unable to have any more children. It is a great contradiction and absurdity that a husband and father propose the idea of cannibalism. The narrator does not want the reader to agree that the solution to overpopulation and poverty in Ireland is to eat babies; he wants the reader to see there needs to be a practical solution. Although something seems one way to the narrator, Jonathan Swift wants the reader to see it in an opposite light. Swift's opposition is indirectly presented. The author uses satire to accomplish his objective not only because he is able to conceal his true identity but also because it is the most effective way to awake the people of Ireland into seeing their own deprivation. Firstly, the narrative voice begins the essay by describing the horrible conditions in which the Irish peasants are living. He demonstrates there is a serious problem with a great need for a solution. He then suggests a solution and then lists a whole list of advantages. His proposal of eating the Irish babies is followed by advantages such as "by the sale of their children, [the parents would] be rid of the charge of maintaining them after the first year". To a poverty stricken person this would take a huge load off of their shoulders by not having to raise a child, while at the same time making money off of them to better support themselves and lifestyle. â€Å"I grant this food will be somewhat dear, and therefore very proper for landlords, who, as they have already devoured most of the parents, seem to have the best title to the kitchen† is a quote that shows a

Alfieri Tells the Audience ‘Justice Is Very Important Here’. How Does Arthur Miller Show the Importance of Justice in the Play? Essay

After Eddie hits Rodolfo the audience gets the feeling that he feels this is justice for Rodolfo leading Catherine away from the life Eddie wanted her to have. This is emphasised by Eddie’s use of the word ‘Danish’ to describe Rodolfo. By using this as a nickname Miller is trying to access the point that Eddie is trying to isolate Rodolfo from the Italian community and also their family. The true sense of justice in this scene however, comes from Marco who ‘raises the chair over his head’. This is a clear sense of warning implied by Marco, which is clearly registered by Eddie, ‘Eddies grin vanished. ’ This, to Marco, is a feeling of justice coming to Eddie for trying to make either him of his brother feel like they don’t belong. While also foreshadowing what will happen at the end of Act 2. Miller highlights justice as one of the most important things in Eddie’s life. However, he leads the audience to enquire whether Eddie’s desires are truly ‘just’. What Eddie wants is his honour and his name but also Catherine. ‘Marcos got my name. He also wants his respect back from Marco, which he has completely lost by the actions his inappropriate feelings for Catherine have caused him to take. In the structure of a Greek tragedy that Miller is trying to create Eddie plays the protagonist. It is his conflict between his good quality’s and the gradually rise of his bad ones that force the drama forwards with both Eddie an d Marcos need for justice. The importance of justice shown in the play comes to a drama filled end with Marco finally getting the justice he believes he deserves. The end of this play was foreshadowed when Marco stated, ‘all the law is not in a book. ’ By saying this Miller has implied to the audience that Marco believes it is his duty to bring Eddie’s life to an end, ‘in my country he would be dead by now. ’ He also brings in the claim felt by Marco of natural justice and how by disregarding the respect Marco feels for Rodolfo, ‘my brother, my blood,’ Eddie has lead himself in to the situation where he is nothing more than an ‘animal’ who deserves to die. In conclusion, throughout the play Miller implies the theme of justice as the most prominent and important theme of the play. It is one of the only things Marco and Eddie have in common, in the way that they both search for it and in the end it finished with Eddie dead and Marco being sent back to Italy. In the final scene Miller shows the audience that though you may gain the justice you sought out for like Marco, ‘Eddie falls to his knees before Marco,’ it may be the thing that leads to a characters downfall, in which it did with both Eddie and Marco at the end of this play.

Pen Biography

The Pen Mortality is a fact of life for everyone and has been since Creation. As humans, we have the intelligence to realize and understand this because we possess the ability to reason and to learn. This ability, when combined with the presence of Life that keeps us in existence, beckons us to secure the future in some way and for some reason(s). We need not only the chance at life beyond our own which comes with the birth of our children, but also to leave our own names, our own ideas and beliefs secured onto something more solid than the spoken word yet not as heavy as stone tablets.In he arid, desert climates this came in the form of parchment . In locations with more water and vegetation, it came from the papyrus plant. But in either climate, something was needed to stain the language onto this new device. That something was the first pen. The Dawn of Pen-kind As early as 2,800 years before Christ, the pen was beginning to appear as a writing implement in the world. Its first fo rm was that of a dried reed, its tip cut at an angle so to create a line of ink instead off blot. To write with it, simply dip the cut tip of the reed into an ink supply, then gently press the dipped tip against the paper .This was a simple meaner of writing that required raw materials ample in the environment. The degree of technology it used can be seen as only slightly higher than the scientific concept of the sharpened wedge (blade) used to cut an angle on the reed tip. The small effort needed to build a pen was far less than that of the ink needed. Nature grew the reed, humans merely plucked it from the ground and sliced off its bottom tip. During this period of Antiquity, the Egyptians had also constructed the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx.By no meaner was the pen as physically large and omelet a creation as the wonders of the world, which were constructed with the sole purpose of being the final resting-place of the Pharaoh. However, the reed pen had a much more profound, a m uch greater effect on the world and the path our present-day history took. There are no records to indicate any one person or group as the inventors of the pen. Rather, it is was a creation made to assist in the posterity of an Empire, and on that would effect all empires the earth would ever see.Israel, people of the Great WHY, the Creator, God, and one of the fiercest fighting people of the contemporary world, Egan their ascendancy into History by two stone tablets, engraved with the Ten Commandments by the hand of God. God can use stone without any trouble at all. He's all-powerful. To us humans, however, stone can get both heavy and impractical. We have no omnipotent powers to create and create and create whole encyclopedias from stone by sheer thought. We have to sit down and chisel away for hours and ideal thing for humanity to use as a writing implement.Along the same lines of uselessness, Papyrus, though very much lighter and easier to store away, was really just some plant strips without the use of the pen. Thanks to the pen, however, the Israelites, as well as the rest of the writing world, have secured themselves with ink on the pages of History. This is evident in the nightstand drawer of Just about every motel room in America. The prime of life for the reed pen lasted until around the 6th century AD, where the earliest recorded reference to quill pens was made by Spanish theologian SST. Isadora of Seville . The quill is a flight feather off bird.It is made ready for writing by, like the reed pen, slicing of the tip at an angle so as to have a point for ink to bleed onto papyrus or parchment. Before the cutting, however, the quill must first be hardened y heating it or simply letting it dry. A special penknife was usually used in cutting the tip, but any sharp blade could do the Job. Writers using the quill often had to recur the tip so to maintain its edge. Though there is no rule depicting any species mandatory as the origin of the feather, goose , swan, crow, and (later) turkey were preferred because of both the size of the feathers and the abundance of birds to obtain them from.This new pen was the main writing utensil used in Europe for the next 1,300 years. Its affordability was great, and its use was limited only by the spread of literacy. (Incarnate 98) As writing increased, commerce began creating more documentation than the Church. Hence, so to save money and time, new, more durable writing tools were sought after. Horn, tortoiseshell, and even gemstones were tested, but steel was ultimately used as a replacement for the quill tip. (Incarnate 98) Such a precise steel structure as a pen was not easily manufactured.They did not become popular until about the 19th century when free public education for children became prevalent. (Incarnate 98) Through the years as civilization developed and education became noticed for the potential that it gives humanity. Writing, a prerequisite to any complex civilization, became emph asized in education, and the popularity of the skill of quill cutting began a speedy decline. In 1803, English engineer Bryan Domain became the first person to patent a steel pen. (Incarnate 98) This patenting marked the entry of the pen into commercialism as a product for sale.We, as materialistic beings, decided that it would be best for us to profit from the pen rather than from the education available with the use of it. In 1884, a New York insurance salesman, Lewis Waterman, patented the first fountain pen with its own internal reserve of ink. He fountain pen would gradually become the prominent writing instrument until it was replaced by the ballpoint pen Just after World War II. (Incarnate 98) In our unending human efforts to improve upon old ideas, the ballpoint pen was developed.This new device had several advantages over the other pens that had The ink was waterproof and almost unarguable; the pen could write on many more kinds of surfaces and could be held in almost any p osition for writing, and the pressure required to feed the ink was ideal for making carbon copies. The advent of this new device has had an incredible effect on the writing of history. When we look at what a rudimentary part of everyday life the pen plays in society, it's hard to imagine life without it. Think about how often you pick up a pen and write something.Or, if you only type, consider that without a pen, the inventor would not have been able to put his thoughts for a typewriter, word processor or computer into a drawn plan, and, therefore, none would exist today. The same can be said for Just about every invention since the industrial revolution! Even as far back as Leonardo Dad Vinci, the pen had been used as a tool to expand the mind as well as secure the past. Inventors and dreamers scribbled away at drawings of such preposterous ideas to their contemporaries that we could not know of their attempts were it not for the pen.Dad Vine's drawing of man, his helicopter, and o ther ideas of his could never have been know were it not for the pen. Likewise, computers today have their own version of the pen. The stylus and light pen have been used as interface systems to input information into computers for years. The pen is due thanks for that. If you want to say, â€Å"well, what about the pencil? † FORGET IT! The pencil wasn't invented until around 1795 AD . The pen had already been around for centuries.In fact, it's not unthinkable to imagine today's world using much the same stone tablets as The Flintiness. The bottom line is this: without a written language that could easily be used to transmit information across both space and time, our society, our world, being the complex civilization that it is, would not have developed. Cities, schools, and everything we take for granted in or society would not exist. At best, we would be engraving cave walls with pictures or some basic language. We would not be the ever-increasing global community we are t oday.